Speakout 5/19

As a citizen of Sikeston who survived the 1986 tornado, I noticed this morning that Cape has instituted an "Adopt-A-Siren" program. I think this is great. I also think the city of Sikeston should adopt a similar program. If we got individuals, church groups, civic organizations and companies involved perhaps we could add two to three sirens for our coverage in this town. I would like to ask City Manager Doug Friend and his staff and the city council consider this program and perhaps we could get it instituted. After all, if we just save one life it would be worth it.

We were in the process of buying a home in Miner but after seeing Wednesday's paper, we don't believe we want to live there. With the city doing what they are doing with the fire department, I don't believe we can afford to live there. To buy a house and not knowing if you are going to be protected or not. So Miner you just lost one family home.

There was a guy in the Wal-Mart parking lot May 11 in a red vehicle smaller than a SUV on aisle 9. He was really cussing and hollering and using all kinds of foul language to a little elderly lady in the car. This man needs to be turned over to the police because he could be violent. He got out and jumped out of his vehicle and was shaking his fist at the little old woman, calling her all kinds of dirty words. They need to put a security guard on that parking lot.

If, indeed, what our city manager said about the fence at the Rotary Park is true, we all know that if the city manager says it, it must be true. I have a few questions. Why wasn't the fence bid under a separate contract, using the same criteria as the street program using the prevailing wage rate law enforced by the state of Missouri? It my understanding any time the city uses city taxpayers' money, the prevailing wage rate law apply. Also why don't the prevailing wage rate laws apply to the Homeland Security Grant money? Is that not also federal money?

City Manager Doug Friend offered this response: "Section 11 of the bid documents requires the successful vendor to comply with all applicable laws of the federal government and state of Missouri.

Mike, in your Wednesday paper you were talking about the government just signing $1 billion to pay for the medical expenses of these illegal aliens and everything. I think that it is shame that the government can sign a bill for $1 billion to the hospitals when they are taking away the disabled and the senior citizens' Medicaid, dental and everything like that here in Missouri. I think that is a shame. Like you said, this country is just going to waste. A few years from now we know who is going to be running this country.