Speakout 2/9

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Here it is 8:47 a.m. Tuesday morning. I have called the dog catcher two or three days in a row. There are dogs running around over here between Bynum and Tanner. We need somebody over here to pick them up. They're in the trash and everything else.

Sportsmanship - what has happened to it? A week ago in a girl's basketball game, team A beat team B 80-17. Before that, team A beat team C 99-8. Team A left all three of their best players in the entire game, scoring 73 points. This is poor, poor, poor sportsmanship.

I am calling about finding a job. It's not how much education you have or how much job experience you have. It's who you are and who you know.

To the person who is complaining about the Union Pacific coal train at the New Madrid crossing outside of Howardville. You need to keep your mouth shut. If it wasn't for this Union Pacific train bringing the coal in from way out west, our electricity bill would be three times higher. My husband works for Union Pacific and he says there is no way there's a wait of 17-25 minutes unless there is a train working in that specific area and the area is in what they call a "red zone." Any train has to reduce speed significantly. You wouldn't want a worker to get hurt now, would you? Think about everyone else before you speak and give yourself an extra 10 minutes to get where you're going instead of rushing. Then you won't have this problem.

I am calling about Mike's editorial about people who get out of jail (murderers and things). He was as right as he could be on it and I appreciate him writing things like that and letting people know what's going on in our country. It's good to know. There was one in here on finding a solution for Social Security. I'm an old man and remember real well when Social Security came out. Roosevelt's administration voted it in to help old people retire. I know a man who is 50 years old who draws over $2,000 a month from Social Security Disability. I know people who have worked all their lives and worked as long as I have and draw $600 or $700 a month, but they worked all their lives. This man has worked about half the amount of time as these old people. How can he get so much more than what they get because he's on disability? They're on disability too because they're so old they can't do anything.

We contacted the Sikeston office of the Social Security Administration. The amount of benefits paid are determined by the Social Security Administration and are based on the total length of the claimant's work history and other criteria.

It's wonderful that we have a prosecuting attorney like Paul Boyd who will stand up for the people of Sikeston and Scott County with these drug dealers. I agree with him when he says, "No paper," even if it is their first offense because more than likely, it was not the first time they sold it. It may have been the first time they got caught, but it was not the first time they sold illegal drugs. I thank him for trying to get these people off the streets. I thank the City of Sikeston, Department of Public Safety and Paul Boyd and his deputies. I hope others will get the message that Sikeston is not the place to come to sell drugs.

This is in response to the person who needs to have a house torn down. Call me at (573) 931-1742.


To the person wanting information about having a house torn down and removed, call Troy at (573) 703-3918.


I read the SpeakOut where someone wants to have a house torn down. Put your phone number in there and I might be interested. I can come and talk to you about it.

The city has no control over part of the problem with the birds. Greedy farmers and land developers have cleaned, cleared and raked their land. At one time, nature did have a place for the birds and small animals to survive and roost (especially roost). Our city is doing the best they can. We have cannons out and can run them from one side of the city to the other. We need to solve the problem and it begins with no trees and covers for birds and animals on farm land. Birds and small game have come to town for the trees and cover. We have more rabbits and birds in town than they have in the country. I help the farmers as much as I can, but they need to wake up.