SpeakOut 4/29

Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Call 471-6636

I am calling about the proposed riverboat in Mississippi County. I think the rich people who are voting against it are crazy. Where do the commissioners think everybody who live in this county and other counties are going to gamble? They are going to Caruthersville. This would bring jobs and money to our county so they could fix these roads and everything else. I have been to the riverboat in Caruthersville and met people from Oran, Bell City, Chaffee, Cape Girardeau; all those people would be bringing their money to Mississippi County and it would give poverty-level people a higher income.


I read in the April 21 paper where a man named Smith wants to build a big casino near East Prairie. The Bootheel is in an economic decline now and that would not help. You would get more from the other states than you would the Bootheel, I am sure. Everything about this is all right except the casino. I'm not for gambling; I'm from the Morehouse area and none of my family is. As far as I'm concerned every casino in the United States could shut down and close down business because organized crime, somewhere along the line, helps fund it. It's kept quiet (of course it would be). But if you built everything except the casino, it might go over. You need to do your homework and get down here and hold town hall meetings in places like East Prairie, Sikeston, Charleston, New Madrid, Dexter, Bloomfield, towns like that, and find out what the peoples' feelings are about this thing.


I live in Mississippi County and I still support the boat. I strongly support jobs in Mississippi County. I have been in rebuttal to the boat in Mississippi County with Mr. Grimes, I have done my research and have talked to the county sheriff in Caruthersville, I have talked to police in Caruthersville and went to Metropolis, Ill., about crime. Mr. Grimes was one of the people who were against the prison, against the state lottery. Anything that has been needed in this area, he seems to be opposed to.

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I am relocating here from another state and am looking for a house or apartment for a family of five. One of our family member is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu whom we've had since he was born. The problem is, no one will allow pets (mainly dogs, as one owner said). My pet is housebroken, is in a large pet taxi with food and water when I'm not home, he doesn't chew on or scratch anything. He may bark when someone comes to the door. Other than that, you wouldn't know he is around. One pet owner told me his 14-year-old pet didn't damage his home as much as his children did. Dogs aren't as bad as you think. And, no, my son will not stay outside. What about pet laws on cruelty and neglect of pets? I'm sure there are some property owners who make sure people abide by those laws. But you're not willing to rent to a pet owners? Pets need a place to live, too. Or should they stay out on the street to starve or get hit by an automobile? Or maybe in a yard on a chain, in the heat, neglected. I'm also sure a lot of you property owners are pet owners yourselves. Where we are moving from, we live in an apartment complex that does allow small pets. Every pet needs a home. Give us pet owners a place to live in Missouri. I am interested in renting a three bedroom home with 1 1/2 or two bathrooms. My number is 481-9655 if anyone out there is willing to rent to a pet owner.

I don't know what part George Bush played in Enron, but the last president was a big shot in the Halliburton Company and it went belly-up several years ago. So they do have a good history of things going wrong. Policy is questioned.