SPEAKOUT

SCOTT CITY CITY Hall has made me get rid of my goat. Now I've got to buy a lawn mower. Ain't that a crock?

I HAVE BEEN a patient in both hospitals in Cape within the past three years. In both places the care I received and the facilities were excellent. The only difference came when it was time to pay the bill. The place where I owed the much larger bill had a billing department that had a work-with-you attitude, and that was exceptional considering it took six months to get payment from the insurance company. But at the other hospital, the billing department had a pay-us-now, do-it-our-way-or-we'll-take-you-to-the-cleaners attitude despite the fact that we were making monthly payments. No, that wasn't good enough, they wanted it all on their terms. I fully support the fact that these places of business have to collect their fees as soon as possible in order to stay in business, but let's be reasonable, okay? Those babies that you people bring into the world have to eat, you know. I have found that I'm not alone in this scenario between the two hospitals and that is a pretty sorry fact. You can bet your boots the next time my family needs hospitalization, it will be at the facility that will work with you.

I'VE READ VARIOUS comments for and against tougher licensing laws for contractors in Cape. Smaller, independent contractors complain that these will put them out of business. Well, what can I say? There's at least a few incompetent and unscrupulous small contractors out there who are ruining it for the rest of you and they need to be put out of business. So I must side for much stronger laws to control contractors in both Cape and Jackson. In the meantime, you potential clients are victims out there. There was one independent contractor I had the misfortune of doing business with. He asks for advance payment, then drags out the job for an absurd period, even months, then drops the job altogether and walks away with your money. Unfortunately, Speak Out is not the appropriate forum in which to identify this individual and his friends. Thank you.

CAN YOU BELIEVE that after five or six years or more they're finally going to fix the Twin Trees Park bridge? I can't believe it's taken them this long. If it had been a bridge in town, you can bet they would have it fixed right after it happened. That's terrible that they let it go this long. The whole park looks terrible. They should have fixed this a long time ago. They're too worried about things in the city. That stupid sea wall they're painting a mural on is ridiculous.

I WENT TO the Peace Fest Saturday at Capaha Park. I think that's a really good thing for kids. There were five rock bands there. I particularly liked Beggars Jury. I wish they would have more things like this for kids to go to. Thank you.

I AM OUTRAGED that President Bush can claim that the air strikes during the Gulf War were the most humane in history. While he speaks, 170,000 Iraqi children are expected to die from cholera and other diseases because Iraq's entire infrastructure of electrical generation and water purification has been destroyed by the allies. These are the consequences of the Gulf War, and any claim that this was a just war is completely and utterly bogus.

I WOULD LIKE to thank the high-school boys who announced the Central Tigers' home games. They provided a lot of color and information and made the home baseball games seem very special.

I WILL VOTE and campaign for any candidate who will try to freeze teachers' salaries, oppose the exorbitant educational tax bill, and will try to stop Bush from giving our remaining jobs to Mexico.

WHY CLOSE OUR military bases in this country? Close the ones in Germany, Korea and the Philippines. We need these troops to guard our borders, not theirs. The free giveaway must stop. Bush is so busy making handouts to other countries he can't see we need medical insurance for all Americans. Pay our national debt, not theirs. We need to get rid of Congress and hire eight businessmen and pay them a good salary, not a pension, to promote the United States, with no free giveaways. When we have our house in order, then and only then will this country spend the taxpayers' money in another country. The income-tax system stinks. The middle class still pay the bills and the rich have loop holes. Maybe we should pay tax only on what we spend. You would not file an income tax April 15, but, if you buy something, you pay tax on it. Medicine and food could be tax-free for everyone. I am sick and tired of Japan buying land over here. This should be stopped. Just try buying 100,000 acres in Japan. Maybe the bums in Congress could change this.