SPEAKOUT

Concerns in Red Star

I READ the article in the paper about the lady who lived on the gravel road. Do they think that there's nobody in town who's sick who lives on gravel roads? We're the forgotten part of this city, and it's called Red Star District. We would like some information about what the city plans to do with the houses. It's detrimental to our health too. We pay our taxes, and something should be looked into.

Street suggestions

THE CITY council and city staff need to get going on putting the first block of South Middle Street off of Independence through along with a block east on Merriwether from Frederick intersection. Don't drag your feet, city council.

It looks like play money

I JUST saw the new $100 bill. Are they insane? It looks like play money. Couldn't they have put all their safety features in a regular-shaped $100 bill, you know, one that had the size of the photo basically the same, one had the serial numbers the same, one that had the Federal Reserve mark the same, and one that had the ink the same? These look like fakes. No one's going to take them. They are so strange, and I cannot believe they're going to redesign all of our money that way. Please, let's vote Bill Clinton out of office before he turns all of our money into Monopoly toys.

Mrs. Dole's job

I WONDER who's taking care of the Red Cross now that Mrs. Dole is trying to help her and husband get in the White House. I wonder how she'd like to work on minimum wage. She says Dole wants to help make things better for the people. Well, that's the understatement of the year. How many middle-class people and senior citizens out there believe that?

REPLY: While she is working on her husband's presidential campaign, Elizabeth Dole is taking a leave of absence from her job as head of the American Red Cross. She intend to resume those duties when the campaign is over.

New breed of Democrats

I'M AN 83-year-old ex-Democrat. I've voted Democrat all through the years, but this new breed of Democrats I can't stomach. We've got one at the helm in the White House, backing homosexuality, killing babies from conception to delivery. This new breed of Democrats is nothing more than socialists, and they're taking our country to Sodom and Gomorrah. I'll never vote Democrat again unless they change, and it doesn't look like they're going to change. They're getting worse by the day, taking this country to its grave. I hate to see it, but it's happening.

Change of mind

I HAVE just finished Peter Kinder's column on privatization. I was glad to see Mr. Kinder changed his mind, for as I recall just a few years ago Mr. Kinder was much in favor of the city taking over the electric company, which would have been a big loss in local, state and federal taxes. I agree, the government along with the cities should get out of any business that a taxpaying enterprise can do better. Once again, I wholeheartedly applaud your change of mind. As the old saying goes, A wise man changes his mind, a fool never does.

Stop yellow-dog talk

I'D JUST like to say to the one who called Sen. Bob Dole a yellow dog that he shouldn't judge. God says judge not lest ye be judged. The one who judged President Clinton as a yellow dog being in the White House had no right to judge him either. God said he would do the judging. I think it's a shame and disgrace that anybody will cut down the president, I don't care if he's a Democrat or a Republican in the White House. That's what other countries like to see: people over here cutting him down. Maybe Sen. Dole did go fight for his country, but so did I, and I lost two legs in the war. But I'm not out here saying this and that and talking about everybody.

The plea-bargain deal

BOY, THAT Bob Bennett is really a lawyer. He talked Rostenkowski out of pleading guilty two years ago and serving six months. Now Rosty's serving 17 months. But all's not lost. His other client, Bill Clinton, will pardon Rostenkowski after the November election. So I guess Bob Bennett was worth his money after all. Maybe.

Saving Social Security

I AGREE that anybody who's making $300,000 should be exempt from drawing any Social Security benefits. If I made that much money, I'd be more than glad to pay the Social Security and not expect anything back in return, because I'd feel I was blessed enough. I really think that would pull Social Security out of the red. Most of these congressmen should exempt themselves too from it but pay into it. That's only being a good patriot, No, I don't compare Social Security with welfare in any shape or form. That's just being a good American and wanting to save the wonderful system that Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Democratic Party started for us.

Juvenile center site

TO THE caller who blamed Don Harper about the juvenile center not going in Klaus Park. Well, I'm not Don Harper but there are two subdivisions out here full of kids, a lot of kids who have disabilities and serious problems who can't defend themselves. Places like the juvenile center should be put where there are no children. Why don't you complain about the airport people not wanting it over there by them? I think one of the problems here is the sneaky way that it was gone about. Hardly anybody up here who are right on top of that park knew that it was being considered, and our feelings weren't even taken into consideration. Thousands of people may want those 30 jobs. I don't see how 30 jobs are going to affect thousands of people, but let me tell you something, they don't live here on top of that. We have enough problems. We're trying to take care of our families. It's a done deal. They made the right decision not to put it here. Maybe they'll find the right place beforehand instead of trying to cramming it down our throats when we don't want it.

The welfare state

I WANT to comment about the person who claimed the Democrats are for Social Security and the Republicans are not. The Republicans were just as much for Social Security and the health program back there in the 1960s. I remember when all this came in. But what party was it that took the money out of Social Security and spent it? It was the Democratic Party. They controlled Congress for 60 years. Who gave you the welfare state? Your grandkids may be paying 80 percent of their income for taxes, and we will wind up with a lawless society of broken families that can be directly attached to the welfare state. This welfare state has ruined the people, and it has ruined us. Who is for balancing the budget? Who is for getting this country back off of these cheap wages and ending this recession we find ourselves in and these never-ending taxes? The difference between the Republicans and Democrats is this, Democrats count compassion by the amount of people who are on a government social welfare program. The Republicans count compassion by the amount of people who can take care of themselves.

Streets need repair

THERE'S NOT a street in Cape, unless it's brand new, that won't shake your vehicle apart from disrepair. But the powers that be will continue the dismaying practice of throwing up a new building instead of saving money for more important matters such as road maintenance. Why not use an existing building and fix up some of these torn streets with the extra money? This kind of poor planning is an unfortunate trend in Cape.

More control of dogs

I CANNOT understand the law about dogs. You can see over 50 dogs a day running loose. Once in a while you will see a report where somebody was charged with letting a dog run loose. I don't mind people taking their dogs for a walk or a romp in the park, but I think they should be required to clean up what the dogs leave. There is nothing worse than a child running in the park and stepping into a pile the dog has left. I wish the council could get a law requiring a person to carry a scooper and a bag to clean up after the dog. We have a man who goes walking by with his dog loose, and the dog runs into everybody's yard doing his business wherever he feels like. The man walking along acts like he doesn't see it.

Congress spent the money

I HAVE a question for the caller who suggested we should find out who's who. One of the things he failed to ask is who is responsible for the $5.5 trillion debt that this country has. And don't tell me it was Republicans, because Congress is the one that spends money.

Curb repairs needed

JUST BY observing the last couple of months, there are enough curbs in need of replacement or repairs to last a crew three or four years of seasonal work. Boy, I didn't think Cape was in such bad shape.