Speakout 12/10

Could the police or someone watch North 61 and V highway on Saturday nights? I wish people would learn how to drive there. My husband, our children and I were driving on that road Saturday night about 1:30, coming home from work and there was a couple on the highway (they were drinking, I'm sure) and it's unfair to go between 100 and 110 mph. I drove 30 and 40 miles an hour, watching for people to pull out in front of me, which they do. I don't want to get killed. Somebody needs to patrol that area.

Do you think there could be another reason for the vessel rule, considering inner tubes and vessels on the Current River? I wonder if this isn't a midline attempt to stop drinking on the river. If you are in an inner tube, could you get a DWI? I have seen all walks of life enjoying the river, church groups, children, old folks, etc., but mostly young to middle-aged people who are drinking and having a wonderful time. I believe that in the long run, they will put a stop to drinking on the river. Could you please do some investigative reporting on this subject?

I'm calling about the Section 8 program. Where in Sikeston can someone find a one bedroom house for $240 a month or a two bedroom house for $275 a month? You can't. How about $300 or $400? How about these sliding fees between landlords and tenants? They sign a contract just like everyone else does. Are the authorities closing there eyes and anyone looking for a nice place to live in a good neighborhood? Don't get on Section 8. It's not there. If anyone is honest, they need to revise the program so people can find a nice place and pay the difference over the amount allowed. That would still be hard because very few landlords accept Section 8. I think this program needs to end. People might clean up their act.

Who were the 100 concerned citizens at the meeting at the Clinton Building, who chose them and how were they chosen? I assume they were your local second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth generation business guys who inherited their businesses, concerned about losing their income. They haven't given a damn about the ordinary people in this town and they don't now. If you have any people who are really concerned about the town, the ones who have lost their jobs, you should have had an open town meeting that everybody knew about. You're just dishing out more nonsense. Sikeston is already like Cairo and Charleston. There are no businesses here, just fast-food joints and the majority of people with fast-food jobs aren't going to be able to buy your stupid vacant houses. Stop the over-building. Stop giving permits for the over-building that's going on here. Fine people for building buildings that aren't needed.

Two public meetings - heavily publicized - preceded this week's meeting. We assume you attended. Didn't you?

They say schools (like Southeast Elementary) have children who are picked up there and transported to the Fifth Grade Center. But I was wondering, is anywhere that these children who are getting off at Southeast to be transported to the Fifth Grade Center are standing outside in the cold and in the rain? Are these children not allowed to go inside the school? Can anything be done? How can you say it's transportation if you're leaving them in the weather.