Speakout 1/21

When the National Guard unit from Sikeston left, you had an e-mail address where we could go in and check on them and I lost it. Can you reprint it, please?

The Web site address is: www.charlie1140th.com

This message is to our daughter and son-in-law. Please read the sign in front of the First Christian Church. We have.

Can any one of the Mississippi County Commissioners tell me why the county keeps updating equipment and then turn right around and contract work out to an individual? This doesn't sound like wise money management to me. We have well-qualified operators who can do these jobs. It sure doesn't look like you're looking out for the benefits of the county, especially after the statements I read in our local paper the other day. One of the commissioners made a statement about a bridge that was going to be cleaned out. Out of three bids (two were the same), one from Mississippi County and the other from an individual in another county. The commissioner wanted to give the bid to the contractor from another county. He sure has the county's interest at heart, doesn't he? Maybe we should go to that other county to find a replacement for him. One of the most ridiculous things you have done is to use this wide silica rock for these roads (but none of you live on these roads, do you?).

Lanie Black, I read where you were for getting a toll road going in Missouri to pay for highway construction. Whatever you do, don't do that. If you're making a long trip, you just get going good and have to stop and pay money. That takes up more time. It took me an hour longer to get from Paducah, Ky., to Louisville, Ky., just because I had to stop and drop in a few coins every now and then. I'd rather see a 3- or 4-cent gasoline tax in November put before the voters. Divide it into two sections: 2 cents one year and 2 cents the next year or something like that (or even 6 cents). We get people from out of state who help us on this tax, which is why I don't mind paying the gasoline tax. Put this before the hard working voters of Missouri and give us a chance to vote on that - the toll road or the tax. I'd rather have the tax on gasoline than a toll road tax.

Do you want to know how to prevent a static fire? All you have to do is, when you get out of your car, touch the outside of your car with your bare hands before you touch the gas nozzle. There is no way there can be a static fire if you do this first.