Speakout 5/4

I'm calling SpeakOut to speak out about the public housing for the elderly, the disabled and low income people in Sikeston. I'd like to know why it is when you sign the lease to live in one of these apartments you are told no one can live with you. Yet there are people living with their mamas, dads, boyfriends, sisters, brothers, uncles, etc. and nothing is done. But they sure as heck collect my rent every month. And the people who manage these apartments know there are other people living there and choose not to do anything. I'm going over there heads. I'm tired of these freeloaders. I pay my rent every month, and by golly, they should pay too. If not, they need to get out. The managers need to get off their lazy butts and check it out and get rid of these freeloaders.

I live in a nice area of St. Louis County which is overwhelmingly Republican. Just like in Sikeston, regardless of the law, I'll bet that any of the elderly election judges will allow anyone they recognize to vote with or without an ID. On the other hand, poor folk in the city of St. Louis itself, who happen to show up without an ID, will be turned away. And yes, the elderly who don't drive, and may not have driven for years, and who may have misplaced their driver's license are more apt to show up without an ID. Our state is very closely divided. This law could easily end up affecting one or two percent of the vote and change the outcome of an election.

I know someone that has a government housekeeper. He lives in the house with his son-in-law and daughter-in-law and his girlfriend. They all three work and his girlfriend works cleaning houses for others. How can that be legal for someone with legal aid service? Please answer that question for me. I'm a concerned citizen in East Prairie tired of my tax money being used wrong.

When did the obituary column in the Standard Democrat become the eulogy column? The definition of obituary is a notice of someone's death , usually with a brief biography of the deceased. A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person, event or thing - especially a funeral oration. There's absolutely nothing wrong with singing the praises of deceased loved ones, but the people who knew the dearly departed already know the more intimate aspects of their lives and will hear a recap when the eulogy is delivered at the funeral. And, frankly, those who didn't know them aren't going to the funerals and really don't care about reading that John Doe liked to pitch cow chips in his spare time and that Mary Jones loved to knit doilies and bake yummies. I realize that people pay extra to have these things printed in the newspaper and it is their business how they spend their money; however, it's just an observation that some of the obituaries are so long and detailed that they seem out of place and qualify as eulogies. So, is the obituary column an "obituary column" or a "eulogy column" or an "obituary & eulogy column"? It just seems that if it is an obituary column people should be submitting, as Joe Friday used to say on Dragnet, "Just the facts please."

Mr. Jensen's point that in a friendly town like Sikeston, voter officials are more apt to know voters is just the reason why the bills discriminates against poor folks of every color. Picture perfect.