Speak Out 2/11/17

What happened

to all the cats?

Yes, I was calling about the lady that was arrested for letting her mother starve to death. That's a huge tragedy and my heart goes out to everyone involved in that. That was horrible! Absolutely. I can't believe they let her go. They should have charged her immediately instead of letting her bond out or whatever it was. She shouldn't have been allowed to leave jail, it was so horrifying.

But one thing I noticed in the news they mentioned "all these cats" running around and on the news showed them. They looked like they were starving and sick a couple of them. What happened to them? Can anybody not point that out? Did animal control pick them up? It's better than leaving them on the street cold and hungry and just lettin' 'em go. It just seems like a second tragedy there although it's not as sad as this woman dying it's still helpless animals just sitting around and nobody is even addressing the issue it looks like on the news. They may have been taken care of, but you need to tell the public know that they were taken care of so we don't sit and wonder, what happened to the cats?

Why can't we

leave a tip?

Some restaurants in Poplar Bluff, Mo. tell me that I am not allowed to tip the employees. I understand that the restaurants could be concerned about the cashiers getting all the tips. If that is the issue, the restaurant could say all tips go in the tip can. When there is enough money the employees can have a pizza party, or make it a scholarship. The employees can vote on how to spend the tip money.

We need a rule that says, "We are allowed to tip at any restaurant in Poplar Bluff (without the employees being fired for accepting it.)"

There is no good reason for restaurants to not allow tips. The restaurant industry is known for accepting tips. Restaurants should'nt be allowed to tell us "No" on our freedom to tip.

Our citizens will always eat there. Our citizens will always work there. Our country isn't inside the corporations. The corporations are inside our towns.

If a law had already been made that said, "We are allowed to tip at any restaurant (without the employees being fired for accepting it)" the restaurants would have still moved to this town. That is my opinion because -- Have you ever heard of a law like that, that stopped a restaurant from coming to town? I think it is wrong on many levels.

Disappointed in

the newspaper

Yes, Speak Out? I just want to say I was disappointed in your paper for Jan. 22, 2017. I was looking forward to reading about the inauguration. No pictures just a small snapshot at the very item that Mr. Billington took. I was highly disappointed after receiving your papers for like 60-some years. I hope you can do better the next time. Usually every president that's inaugurated you have big picture and you also have pictures of the First Lady's gown at the balls, so hope you can better in the future. Thank you.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Sorry we disappointed you. The inauguration took place on Friday. We don't have a Saturday paper. By Sunday the event itself was old news, plus we had eight local stories on the front page that day, one of which, as you pointed out, did have to do with the inauguration. While we strive to please as many people as possible, we know we can't always please everyone. Again, I am sorry you were unhappy but I hope you accept this explanation in the spirit in which it was given.

J.R. Smith hit the

nail right on head

Hello, I agree with J. R. Smith -- he always hits the nail right on the head. I wish he would run for city council. I don't understand why the city council would even consider NOT doing something for veterans. They are the number one people we should be helping out. And for Greg West, he sure hit it on the head. And the other council members, we will by their vote see who they really are.