SpeakOut 6/28

Friday, June 28, 2002

Call 471-6636

I believe East Prairie's form of government and aldermen are the stupidest thing in town. They take police to ride around town. Why can't they do their jobs and watch the crime and vandalism? They should use the money for better things. Leave it to East Prairie to do stupid things.

There is a nursing home in Sikeston that says they appreciate the nursing staff. What about the people who do the housekeeping, keeps them busy, takes care of their social problems? Is the nursing department the only ones appreciated at this nursing center?

To the person who wrote about the flooding and all that and then commented on Bill and JoAnn Emerson, how they still haven't gotten anything done and that we need to get somebody to replace her, well, you're right about that. But you said you need to do what New Madrid County does. Well, if memory serves, in New Madrid County, you guys still voted for JoAnn Emerson.

Mr. Jensen, as a good Republican I'm surprised to see you criticize Steve Fossett by saying he could be spending cash on some project that actually means something instead of taking a balloon flight around the world. Isn't that what capitalism is all about - you make the money and spend it how you want?

I just read in the paper that someone thinks the I-40 bridge in Oklahoma is going to be open on June 22. I don't think the debris that fell into the river is even going to be cleared by June 22. The river itself might be open to barge traffic by then. They have to design a new bridge, figure quantities, estimates, let contracts. A contractor can't even move his equipment in in two days and that's when the 22nd is. And about the bridge at Cape on the Diversion Channel. The new bridge is a three-lane shoulder-width bridge that replaces a two-lane narrow bridge without shoulders that's 50 years old. The new bridge is being built half at a time. The east half is being built now while the traffic for the northbound lane is handled over the west half of the existing bridge. Then they'll switch over and put traffic on the east half and then build the west half. So it's not just adding one lane. This is from a retired highway employee.

I don't want this misunderstood. I have no sympathy for the family in Salt Lake City. I have the utmost sympathy for and hope and pray they find that little girl. What amazes me is there was a report shortly after that about a girl in Idaho who was kidnapped and there was one on the news tonight about a 7-year-old girl from Indianapolis who has been gone for seven weeks and that's the first we've heard about it. Why does the media make such a big deal about one and disregard the hundreds of others that are just as upset and torn up about losing their child as the one out there is. It doesn't make sense that they would just pick one and there are hundreds of others.

The best part of the newspaper that I like to read is SpeakOut. It says what you call in about and it's simple to find out what you want information on.

I see that the welfare farmers are polluting the air and burning the fence row trees again.

I am interested in the history of Miner. Does anyone have pictures of the town or buildings before about 1951? Call me at 471-1917.