Speakout

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Count me as a 'no'

You can count me in as one of the many people who will vote against the tax increase. If the city council knew how to prioritize their spending, we would definitely not need this sales tax vote. If the city council knew how to spend their money, like the airport renovation, how many corporate jets fly in here each year to seek a new business location? Money spent on a golf course - how many people are gonna use that? How many people go downtown where money is being spent? How many buildings have been torn down at taxpayer expense? All these things add up to one fact. The city council doesn't know how to spend our taxpayer money. If they did, we would not vote no. If they did, we wouldn't need this election. I hope the city council, as well as the school board and the school administration, learn that they are representing people who do not appreciate how their tax money is spent. We know there are lead people and there are often puppets on a string, but they need to learn that they are not just representing the people that are pulling their puppet strings. They're representing us, the people, who vote. Count me in as a "no" on this Nov. 3 election. I want to add you're editorialist, Mr. Jensen, he should become a little more objective and critical about how Sikeston city taxes and Scott County taxes are being spent. He should stop pandering to the Sikeston elite. He should be just a little more concerned about our taxpayer dollars than the elite, and of course his advertisers. This is a "no" vote to the Nov. 3 tax increase.

Thank you for your interest. Now let me provide some additional facts and perhaps I can change your mind. You mention the airport renovations. No property tax nor sales tax revenue from Sikeston residents was used in the airport improvements. The new facility was paid primarily from a Federal Aviation Agency grant. The Bootheel Golf Course? Let's get the facts straight. And for that let's ask City manager Jonathan Douglass. "An opportunity arose to lock up the ground strategically located between two of the biggest visitor destinations in Sikeston - the Rodeo grounds and the Recreation Complex. The BMU used reserve funds generated from the sale of excess power (not funds from Sikeston customers) to purchase the property and make sure in remains in the control of the community. Planning for the use of the property will be a public process undertaken in the future."Downtown? Those upgrades have largely been the efforts of the Historic Downtown District. Buildings torn down? Darn right. Back in 2004, Sikeston residents overwhelmingly approved the formation of the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority to remove condemned property. Hundreds of those eyesores have been removed and hundreds remain. If that is a wasted effort by the city, then we'll just have to agree to disagree. Elite? Seriously? How is a sales tax designed to upgrade Public Safety, the park system and our roadways somehow a process of the elite? We hope these facts will change your mind and you will join your neighbors in supporting this much needed revenue increase for our essential services.

God out, Devil in

I want to speakout about school violence and killing. When they put God out of the schools, the spirit of the devil entered. And they are putting God out of our country and judgment will come.