SPEAKOUT

MY SINCERE APPRECIATION to the honest and caring person who found my wallet last Saturday afternoon or night at Schnucks. There was a considerable amount of money in it. As the office personnel did not know who turned it in, they did not want to accept the monetary reward I offered to leave with them. The entire contents, $200, was in tact. Thank you.

I THINK SOMEBODY needs to check in to Mr. David Barklage's business affairs a little bit too. Who polished his halo so bright? I think it's tarnished. Maybe he's the one that should get off the city council so the rest can of them can get down to business.

MAYOR RHODES, IF you did nothing wrong, why was it necessary to have a criminal and defense lawyer represent you? Answer please. Thank you.

MAYBE MR. BARKLAGE would be happy if all the city council and city employees would buy all their lunches and snacks at his business.

I WAS WATCHING the city council meeting tonight, and I would just like to say, who is this Mary Wulfers? I feel sorry for Mayor Gene Rhodes.

I JUST READ IN Wednesday's paper about the blind student at Southeast Missouri State who was suing the university because they wouldn't buy $3,500 to $4,000 worth of special computer equipment. Well, if they can't find the money for that, why don't they take the money out of the new activities fees that the student government has enacted instead of giving it to the gay and lesbian association. This blind girl could probably use this more than the gays and lesbians could use a social club when they could just go to a bar to find that. It just shows how liberal the student government has become at Southeast. I can't believe the university lets them get away with that.

THIS IS A real sad day for Cape Girardeau. I have seen what the city council is really all about. I have to say this much about Doug Richards: he at least had enough guts to stand up for our mayor. Mary Wulfers, you're a sorry excuse for a council person. This mud-slinging really needs to stop, like Doug Richards says. Get off your butts and do something about what really needs to be done for Cape Girardeau, like Doug Richards says. Signed, a concerned citizen.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED in the matter of the Willie Horton parole. Seems now there are a lot of Willie Hortons getting paroled. Different times, I suppose.

WELL, MAYOR RHODES has stepped in it again, and once again Councilman Richards says, Let's just forget it and put it in the past and get on with our business. I've heard these songs before. Now I know what Yogi Berra meant when he said, It's deja vu all over again.

IS IT ASKING too much for us to expect the mayor of Cape to acquaint himself with the charter? Personally I would prefer that if he does not learn anything about the city charter, that he consult his attorney before he makes such decisions.

I SAW THE most disgusting kangaroo court tonight in the Cape Girardeau city council chambers. I don't see how some of the council members can hold their heads up.

I'D JUST LIKE to know how to go about getting a supply of Puffs for Mary Wulfers to use on the remainder of her term on the city council. Thank you.

THREE OTHER members of the city council ought to resign. Now, three council members have joined Gene Rhodes in utterly disregarding their oath of office. Who do they think they represent? They represent the people. They should start looking out for the interest of the people and quit aiding and abetting the person who directly and indirectly seeks only to put money in his pocket at the expense of the rest of us taxpayers.

IF BUSH STAYS in office another four years, we can all expect to pick chat with the chickens.

I WATCHED WITH interest the city council proceedings concerning Mayor Rhodes. What an embarrassment the city council is to Cape. Again they stubbed their toe in trying to do justice for the city government; a city councilman crying and other city councilmen unjustly ruling a mayor without proper evidence. It's time for a change to eliminate council people. Wake up, Cape Girardeau, until you cry yourself to sleep. Thank you.

NOW THAT WE'RE done smoking in grocery stores, let's ban the real culprit, the real cancer in society. Michael Landon expressed it so well before he died, and, if we loved him and his legacy he left behind, don't support these tabloids as they spread their lies and devastation to the families who they try so hard to destroy. Support those who build up and encourage others, not those who are negative and tear down real people. Thank you.

I'VE BEEN READING in the paper that Mayor Rhodes said that he assumed that everyone knew of his interest in the asphalt company. I have been in Cape Girardeau for 25 years and I didn't know of his interest in the asphalt company nor of his interest in any other company other than Rhodes Oil Co. I think it would be wise if all the councilmen would list their interests in all the projects that they have going or the companies that they are with so the public will know what they're involved in. Thank you.

AS A TAXPAYER, to say that I am very much disappointed with Mayor Rhodes is putting it mildly.

I WAS WONDERING, aren't the contractors chosen for the city street repair required to submit sealed bids on the jobs that they want to do? If so, didn't ASA underbid the others to win the contract? How would the mayor know ahead of time that he could undercut those bids? I think people are carrying this way too far. If you want to gripe, do it for a worthwhile cause, and quit kicking a man who's trying to make a difference. We're with you, Mayor Rhodes.

OBVIOUSLY MEMBERS WHITE and Richards have never taken a course in logic for they are masters at the logical fallacy of begging the question. In this strategy, while he is losing the argument, he shifts the ground to something else. Too bad the sales-tax revenues and population growth are disappointing to some, but that meeting was called for the very serious matter of dishonesty in office. Perhaps it has not occurred to White and Richards that one reason for sluggishness in this city is that many of us are not interested in staking our futures in a city where the mayor and some of the council are not brave enough to be fearlessly honest.

I THINK DAVID Barklage should learn the old adage that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Thank you.

MY MESSAGE regards the local grocery stores. I can walk in there and buy a six-pack or a 12-pack of cold beer or a bottle of wine that's chilled, but there are no sodas in the coolers for people like me. I find that very offensive. Thank you.

PERHAPS I HAVE a simple question which might help to solve the problem of those who think they have the right to smoke in a grocery store, or any public place for that matter. What do these smokers do with their ashes and where do they drop the butts? Of course, we all know the answer to that. We've seen these smokers drop the ashes and smash the cigarettes on the grocer's waxed floor. I'm sure we'd all delight in going into the homes of these smokers and do the same with their clean floors. Surely this habit is not so obsessive that a smoke can't be delayed for the little time taken by grocery shopping in a closed building shared with infants and children. Thank you.

REGARDING PARKING: NO resident owns any of the public street surrounding their property. You may park anywhere on a public street unless there is a sign stating otherwise or a yellow line on the curb.

JUST A WORD to the other woman: If you think he's going to take care of you and your children when he didn't take care of me and his blood children, you'd better think again.

IF MAX PIND drew his plans for his garage the way he drew the threads for the screw in that picture on the front page of the Missourian, I can see why the city turned him down. He's got left-handed threads on that screw, which is out of the ordinary. Thank you.

I READ IN Speak Out about a person saying banning smoking in grocery stores is taking away the civil rights of people. What about the non-smoker's civil rights? We don't want to smell your stinking smoke and develop health problems. I think the city council should ban smoking out in public. If people want to smoke, smoke at home. That would solve everybody's problem.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'm calling Speak Out, but I do have to answer in regard to the lady who was wondering where she should let her thoroughbred dogs go potty. How about in your own yard instead of the park or in my yard? Thank you.

THIS IS REGARDING SEMO's grading system. Since one A and four Bs are only a 3.25 grade average, I would certainly not know what does it take to have a 3.5 grade average. Only 999 held that average. I noticed one young lady who was going on a four-year governor's scholarship. Her name was not there either. Thank you.

CONCERNING THE mayor and the city council discussion over the mayor's vote toward a construction contract, the general public may not understand a common procedure in awarding contracts. Generally the bids are solicited directly from the qualified bidders or an ad is put in the newspaper by the city, county, state or other agency. A prospective bidder is generally pre-qualified before plans and specifications are let out. The bids are awarded to the lowest, qualified bidder or all bids are rejected. It does not matter if the mayor votes or not. If the job is not awarded the lowest responsible bidder, the awarding body is in serious trouble.

Last week's issue regarding Mayor Gene Rhodes was not a question of whether the mayor voted to award a street overlay contract to a company in which he has a financial interest. Instead, the issue raised by council members was that he did not inform them that he had an interest in the company, as is required by the city charter. The mayor abstained from voting on awarding of the contract.

IN WEDNESDAY'S paper they had a thing in there about Max Pind, about city hall and how he felt about his garage being built on his property. I find that ridiculous that they rejected him. He just wants to build on and make his house look nice. I think it is ridiculous that the city council does this to people. Get a life, city council.

I JUST WANT TO speak out for hardworking America. I, for one, am tired of the little issue-makers that tie up the court systems. I am tired of our taxes being spent with no cause. I want to get down to the basics and teach our children and teach them right and teach them how to survive in this country. Teach them everything that we can teach them without these little issue-makers. They are ant problems. Get rid of the little issue-makers. Get to the mountain problems. That's what we need to do. Get rid of the sue-happy Americans. An 8-year-old kid cannot sue without her parents backing her.

IN REGARDS TO this Proposition B funding, I see they're going to try to put the shaft to us again and not call it a tax increase, but call it a revenue enhancer. Well, I'm tired of getting it slipped to me, so I'm voting no on the tax increase and I'll tell all my friends. Thank you.

I CALL ON David Barklage to resign from the city council. He apparently is not capable of taking care of the city's business without becoming embroiled in single-minded attacks and animosity against one individual, the mayor. Apparently a lot of his problem is political and a great deal appears to be business related. It's time he got off. If he can't stand being on the same council, he should leave.

I WOULD LIKE to know why the person who watched the dog roast to death didn't have enough sense to break a window and save its life. The amount of torture the dog could have been spared is well worth the price of a new window.

IF YOU WANT to know more about Clarence Thomas, the man President Bush has nominated to be a member of the United States Supreme Court, read the current issue of Time magazine. The article states Mr. Thomas endorsed Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, was first Baptist, then a Catholic, and now attends the Episcopal church. Mr. Thomas was married to a black woman, went through a nasty divorce, and is now married to a white woman. President Bush is obligated to nominate a black person to the U.S. Supreme Court; however, there are several black men more qualified than Clarence Thomas.

THIS IS TO the person complaining about a job that pays $25,000 a year. I've been in this area for six years. My spouse and I together make about $17,000. We have four children, a car that was given to us when my grandfather died, and can barely make our house payment of $400 a month and pay our utilities. We both have been to college and are paid barely over minimum wage, and you cry over $25,000 a year. If we made that much, at least we could eat. Oh, yes, we don't drink or spend money on drugs. We go out about once every three months and you are crying. Fact of the matter is, people like Gene Rhodes are the only ones making over $25,000 a year. Thank you, Speak Out, for allowing me to release some frustration.

I REALLY ENJOYED the morning show on KTXI on Tuesday morning, and I think that free speech is great and it was all in good fun. I really enjoyed it this morning. Keep up the good work. Thank you.

I'M CALLING IN regards to the no-smoking ordinance. No one seems to realize that a supermarket has air conditioning, which constantly brings in cool and fresh air into the whole building. There's a lot of room in here. If you don't want to breathe second-hand smoke, please step aside. Thank you.

I AGREE WITH Mayor Gene Rhodes. This whole conflict-of-interest thing is getting blown out of proportion. It's becoming extremely politically motivated. If you'll look at the city council's past history, you notice that Limbaugh and Barklage have always been fighting Mayor Rhodes. This is just another case of hen fighting amongst the city council. I also have a complaint against KFVS TV. They've interviewed a lawyer who ruled against Mayor Rhodes in the sense that it was a conflict of interest, Mr. Al Spradling III. Wait a minute; he was the guy who ran against Mayor Rhodes in the election. That's really unbiased reporting. Thank you.

AFTER READING ABOUT Mayor Gene Rhodes, I should have voted for Al Spradling.

THIS IS FOR the prejudiced man in Sunday's paper. Well, the right man alone is hard enough to find so why limit yourself. There are a lot of people out there, and, if you can find "Mr. or Mrs. Right" outside of your race, then that's great. It's bigots like you that keep the war going between blacks and whites. Your relationship was bad to begin with. Rather than accepting that like an adult, you blame an innocent man. You think you're special and you've put yourself up on a pedestal. You say black and white relationships are okay for others, but when you come in contact with someone that is in one, you run like they have the plague. Obviously you haven't secluded yourself enough or built your pedestal high enough. I don't think your wife is all that respectable, especially since she stooped so low as to marry a self-righteous person like you.

IN REGARDS TO the 21-year-old who doesn't think he should wear a helmet, well, son, let me show you a picture of a person who has had a motorcycle accident without a helmet. Let me tell you, you would not even get on another motorcycle again. Wise up. And to the kids on mopeds and scooters. be smart, wear a helmet. Thank you.

THIS CALL IS in response to the lovely but misguided lady who seems surprised that anyone could be upset with her beloved Fido going poo-poo in the park. I thought a lot about you today when I was at the park and stepped in the evidence of your dog's most recent visit. I'd like to remind you that parks are for the public, not for their livestock. To imagine otherwise is to envision cattlemen bringing in their cows on leashes to the park. So, in answer to your question as to where poor Fido can go poo-poo, it's not in the park. How about in your living room? At least, you'll be the only one who has to step in it.

IT APPEARS THAT the Illinois legislature cannot reach an agreement for a fiscal budget in the state of Illinois. This is the way the politicians work. If it's to help the people and pay the state employees, they can't seem to come up with a serviceable plan. But let them be asking for themselves a raise and I bet you there wouldn't be any delay. I am just about fed up with all politicians. Shenagians such as this make me want to stay home on election day. I am totally disgusted with the politics of this country and the way they are getting to be. Politicians in this country are not concerned with the American people. Take it away from the American people and send it overseas; that seems to be all that's on their minds. And this is proof because your see it on the news everyday. It's been going on for years and years.

I THINK ALL soap operas should be banned from the air. They promote promiscuity and they are a bad influence on our nation's youth. They should be replaced by action movies and sports.

I AM A SEMO student and resident of Jackson. I smoke marijuana every weekend with several students. I would just like to state that it had no bad effects on me. I wish people would mind their own business. Thank you.

THE FAR SIDE cartoon depicting the blob family ridding themselves of Jehovah's Witnesses pretty well sums up my opinion of the tenacious humans. They couldn't interpret my not-interested, thank-you response a second or third time that they came to my door. So, in response to their "Night of the Living Dead" activities, I have taped the cartoon to my back door. Now perhaps they will get the message if they do come back. Thank you.

THE CHILD WHO does not want her parents to guide her in dating is asking them to give up one of their most important responsibilities. It's true that children have a mind of their own but it's just that a child's mind decides things in a child-like way. Just because a teen is so immature to do what her parents tell her not to do is no reason for a parent to relinquish her responsibility to her children. If you are living in your parents' home and being supported by your parents, it is your obligation to listen to their advice. Perhaps if you show yourself to be capable of making mature decisions, rather than telling them to butt out, you might have a more loving, peaceful relationship. Suppose you were gifted with a beautiful car; you put it in the garage one night and someone beat it all up and abused it terribly. You would be heartbroken. We could not even begin to compare with an inanimate object, but suppose the same thing happened to you. Without a parent's love and concern, it could very easily happen. Listen to your parents.

I WAS JUST wondering why the flag was not being flown in County Park on Fourth of July. Thank you.

Park Superintendent Chester McCain said the flag was not flying July 4 because the pole cable broke on July 3. It was fixed on July 5, said McCain, who added, "It couldn't have happened at a more inopportune time."

I AM PAYING $20 a month to cablevision and enjoy some of the stations, but I am absolutely furious that Encore has been brought into my home for the last month. Some of the movies that have been shown are the most vulgar things that I've ever seen. We worry about the morals of this country and teenage pregnancies. How can we expect anything else with this kind of trash coming into our homes?

IN REGARDS TO Friday, July 5, from the woman who has just moved to Cape Girardeau from another state, she said she's appalled at all the people who smoke around here. Well, evidently, wherever she came from there were fewer smokers and maybe she should move back. On the other hand, I'll make a deal with her: I'll quit smoking if she quits driving her car. You know, carbon monoxide gives me a headache, too. Thank you.

I'M CALLING IN regard to these women drivers. I believe some of these women in this town need to get a driver's license. I don't think one of them can drive. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE to address all of the people who have called in complaining about the student activities fee at Southeast Missouri State University. I read one, and I've received phone calls saying people won't pay the $25 activities fee to give all the money to the Gay and Lesbian Student Association. First of all, $9 of that $25 goes directly to the athletic department, so $16 of that goes to student organizations. And, of our budget, GLSA gets less than 2 percent of the money. I'm surprised other small-minded people haven't called in complaining about giving over twice as much money to the Association of Black Collegiates or giving money to NAACP or to the Psychology Club or the Rock Climbing Club. We fund all kinds and all types of all different organizations. People who aren't even from this country get money from Student Government. So I just wish all you small-minded people would stop and realize what your saying before you make racial and sexual remarks in Speak Out. Thank you very much.

I'M CALLING ABOUT the article in Tuesday's paper. I think that the person who is talking about going to a St. Louis Cardinals game is pretty stupid. Why would anyone care that they would try to go to every game? Also, I agree with the person who said that Agassi was quite good and that the newscaster was stupid.

THIS IS IN response to the person who was griping about a cat being in their garden. I'm sorry. I have a cat. My cat needs the exercise so, if they don't want the cat to be in their garden, then I think that they should just put a fence around it or do something about it. Thank you.

THIS IS IN REFERENCE to the person who called in about having the gummy stuff stuck all over their chair legs or any product that has a price sticker on it. The only thing that will take that stuff off is lighter fluid. Squirt some lighter fluid on a cotton ball and wipe it right off.