Speak Out 12/17/16

From council

to city job

I just hate that the city of Poplar Bluff is going to lay off two city policemen in order to balance their 2017 budget.

I have an idea -- let's see . . . perhaps we forego hiring Ms. Fox directly from the City Council to the director of downtown development and paying her $50,000 per year even though the job description advertising the position stated a salary of $30,000.

Obviously you are ignoring your own regulation that states a city council representative will not be hired by the city for a certain period of time. (two years??) This girl just used the city council position as a stepping stone to a better position. Who said we have gotten rid of the "good ole boy" system -- believe me, it is alive and well in Poplar Bluff . . . nothing seems to change -- only the faces!

As many armed robberies, shooting and shoplifting incidents as we have in Poplar Bluff daily -- I think the safety and welfare of our citizens is more important than the downtowners dog park that they are diligently working on. Kaplan wasn't the only one that "snookered" us -- the present city council is not any better -- maybe worse!!

Are cutting cops

city's priority

This coming Monday, the Poplar Bluff City Council will be discussing the 2017 Budget. According to preliminary discussion at least two police officer position will be eliminated.

This raises several questions: what are the priorities of the City Council if the police department is the first to take cut in order to balance the budget! Are these cuts the direct result of the excessive spending of Former City Manager Kaplan? Why should the safety of our citizens be compromised while a new multi-million dollar City Hall is being contemplated? Why should the PD take a hit while other city employees are getting raises? Are the city reserves so vitally important that our citizens lives should be put at stake to preserve them?

These are questions our City Council need to answer before the currently proposed budget is voted on.

Make sure your

facts are straight

This is in response to the teacher who called in about walk-through and the academic dinner. First of all, maybe they should get their facts straight because: 1) we were, the teachers, invited to the academic banquet; 2) the walk-through was designed for the incoming freshmen, new students, and the community who wanted to see the school. This was not required of the teachers to be there, but they were told they could be there if they wanted to be and they were told. If their department person did not tell them then that's on the department and not Mr. Kiehne. Mr. Kiehne did communicate that to all of us.

If you are going to call and complain about something 1) make sure your facts are right, and 2) complain about something worth complaining about. An invitation to the academic banquet and or an invitation or being told to be there that's really not anything to worry about with respect to everything else that's going on in our world. Thank you and have a great day.

Housing Authority

'reign of terror'

I would like to talk about Housing Authority and their "Reign of Terror" over their residents in Twin Towers, They are on a bit of a hunt which I understand, but they don't communicate with what they are doing. They don't communicate with the residents and now it's a self-perpetuating. They've got all kinds of ideas like sealing up the mattresses, but guess what? when they are hunting for the bed bugs they unseal and don't reseal them, so guess what? they introduce these things themselves, so it's self-perpetuating. No one wants to buy a lot of expensive furniture that's just gonna get thrown out, so Housing Authority, start making sense. Please before no one wants to live in your place at all. Thank you.