SPEAKOUT

Good tournament

THE LADIES golf tournament at the Jaycees course last week was wonderful. The course was in great shape. Congratulations to the current management and staff for a job well done.

Cool school idea

WHY DON'T those air-conditioned officeholders give 10 percent of their salary, which is too high to begin with, to help air condition the schools for the benefit our children for once? Better yet, turn off their air conditioners while school is in session and save us money.

Women in the GOP

I RUN with the big dogs in political debate on the Internet and in every other aspect of political discourse. I want to join the Republican Party in this area, but every time I ask, being a female, I'm directed to the Republican Women's Auxiliary Club. No thanks. Been there. Done it. Don't like it. If you guys are serious about wanting Republican women in your party, you will tell me how to join, the time and place, the criteria, whatever. Get with it. I am tired of being given the runaround. I am a neoconservative Republican woman who is the equal of any man in my principles, truth and convictions as a Republican.

The gambling losses

A STORY in the Aug. 15 Southeast Missourian points out that Jim Moody, who used to be the former state budget director and now lobbies for the riverboat casinos, reported what obviously is a very biased opinion pointing out that $97.7 million obtained from the 18 percent tax on gambling will go to the 1995-96 school year. What isn't seen there is the other 82 percent of the funds which are taken away by the riverboats. What this is really saying is that a total of $500 million is going out of our region. For every $5 we lose, we get $1 back split by all the school programs in the state. It seems hardly fair for Southeast Missouri and very misleading regarding this fantastic boon on our economy of Southeast Missouri.

I THINK think that after the O.J. Simpson trial Johnnie Cochran should be barred from practicing law. He keeps bringing up the N-word that Mark Furman was supposed to have said. Mark Furman is not on trial for two murders. The N-word isn't important, but the M-word is. That is, the savage murder of two innocent people.