Speakout 4/2

Friday, April 2, 2004

Thanks for printing the pictures showing the properties that the City of Sikeston intends to demolish. It would be interesting to know how many citations the City of Sikeston has issued in the last 12 months for each of these properties. Since the taxpayers have given the city officials a blank check through the increase in sales taxes, it is probably easier for city officials not to issue citations before buying property to demolish. After the current sales tax levy expires in 10 years, the voters will be asked to continue this subsidy for slumlords. Will the city be able to collect farm subsidies on these vacant lots? I think the city officials should pursue this source of funding, since they evidently do not want to use the powers of Code Enforcement.

Some of the things that deal with politics in SpeakOut are comments that the callers need to keep to themselves and let the voters look at the candidates in their own way. There's been enough of trashing talking John Kerry.


The SpeakOut caller who talked about Kerry's time in Vietnam forgot to tell us about him working with Jane Fonda after the war. She was hated in the United States for it something awful. Kerry wasn't known well enough to be on TV at the time, but he helped her in the misdeeds. He put down our troops shamefully so I don't think he was such a hero. Bush proved his time during Vietnam wasn't what you Democrats have accused him of.

I saw an article that something is happening to our butterflies. I guess the farmers have to spray chemicals and that kills most of everything. Then they burn the wheat fields and that kills the rest. They do not have to burn the wheat and straw. I am over 80, and when I was about 16, I would get my rifle and go hunting. The butterflies were beautiful and in every horse track that had water in it.

I would like to thank the police, fire and emergency personnel that responded to the accident at Salcedo Road and Main Street on Feb. 10. From Mr. Dicus and his men to Mitzi on the ambulance to Dr. Walton, everyone was efficient, attentive and very kind. Luckily, there were no serious injuries, but w were treated with every precaution. It is nice to know that we live in a town where we have such professionals and that my family will be taken care of in any future emergencies.