| Today's Feature
The Big Picture.
"A
Vision for Growth Plan"
The results of the Carthage
Long-range Visioning Summit conducted last fall
were compiled into a document and distributed to
participants last Friday morning. Approximately
35 of the 60 participants in the summit attended
the short meeting.
The goals set forth in the
document are provide below:
Education Sub-Action Council:
Goal: To provide education at
all age levels which will foster the foundation
of our community’s success. Having a quality
school system will enhance the quality of life
for all citizens. Carthage is very fortunate to
have a quailty school system. The purpose of this
plan is to build on the strengths of the school
system, and further, to evaluate ways the bridge
between the City of Carthage and the Carthage
School System can be strengthened.
Housing Sub-Action Council:
Goal: To facilitate affordable
housing at all levels of the income strata. The
lack of a wide range of housing, especially in
the income range of $50,000-$75,000 and
$75,000-$100,000, is an impediment for real
growth in the City of Carthage. By developing a
long term housing plan, the City of Carthage will
attract new families to the area. The plan will
capture a number of people working in Carthage,
but living elsewhere, especially those choosing
to live in Western Jasper County.
Infrastructure Sub-Action
Council:
Goal: To provide and maintain a
quality infrastructure system of water lines,
electric lines, storm sewer facilities, sanitary
sewer system, streets and traffic signals for the
citizens of the City now and in the future. City
employees are a key component to being able to
provide and maintain the infrastructure we desire
and need. Therefore, the ability to attract and
maintain quality City employees is essential.
Preservation Sub-Action
Council:
Goal: To create a plan for
historical preservation for the City of Carthage.
We will enhance and preserve the architectural
tradition and heritage of the City of Carthage.
Retail Sub-Action Council:
Goal: To enhance the selection
of goods and services while increasing the sales
tax revenues for the City of Carthage. To improve
efforts for job creation and retention, tax base
enhancements and the improvement of our quality
of life. Focus on increasing and diversifying the
selection of goods and services in our city.
Economic Development Action
Council:
Goal: To develop the Myers park
property, attracting businesses which compose a
high quality retail mix. The ideal businesses
will be attractive aesthetically, in a pleasing
way to incorporate a mix of retail
establishments, hotels and motels, restaurants
and office buildings with connecting trails. The
development of this property will increase the
economic base (sales tax) for the City. This plan
will transform the property into an attractive
place for private developers as an investment in
the community which will tie in with the
City’s overall economic development goals.
Multicultural Action Council:
Goal: To provide the impetus
for the establishment of the programs and
necessary resources to enable those persons in
the community from diverse cultures to be fully
accepted and assimilated; and to inform and
encourage the entire community of Carthage to
participate in these efforts.
Tourism Action Council:
Goal: To create an experience
that encompasses the unique aspects of the
community, which, in turn, will attract tourists
and encourage them to stay overnight and
experience downtown Carthage.
Youth Entertainment Action
Council:
Goal: To develop safe
entertainment, through leisure and recreational
options for the young people of the City of
Carthage.
Commentary
Martin
"Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126
After intense pressure from
House and Senate republicans, Governor Holden
announced that the issue of livestock pricing
will be part of the Special Session that will be
held in conjunction with the Veto Session this
September. That is good news for the livestock
producers of Missouri. I don’t know if there
were any lessons learned from the experience or
not.
I received a letter from a
livestock producer group that apparently still
doesn’t get it. In their letter, they urged
us not to change the law that has caused all the
problems. Instead, they asked that we put even
more teeth into this new law. They were still
under the misconception that we can force someone
to do business with someone else.
For those of you not familiar
with the background of this, in 1999 a law was
passed making it more difficult and more risky
for meat packers to buy cattle and hogs from
Missouri producers. It was passed under the guise
of more money for the producer. The missing part
of the equation they didn’t take into
consideration is that you can’t force
someone to do business with someone else in a
competitive market.
When all these companies were
faced with this new hurdle, they simply pulled
out of the market. Needless to say, when you take
away all of the demand, prices tend to drift
lower, only in this case they didn’t drift,
they sank.
When we are in a global
marketplace, companies can easily fill their
needs somewhere else if we make it hard for them
to do business with us. Hopefully, we can get
this issue worked out in the Special Session and
get Missouri livestock back on America’s
dinner plates.
Next week there will be two
special elections to fill vacant House seats. One
was vacated when the representative ran for and
won a special election to fill a vacant Senate
seat. The Senate seat was vacated when the
Senator ran for and won a U.S. Congressional
seat.
The other seat was vacated when
the representative went to Washington with the
aforementioned new Congressman to work on his
staff. Both of these seats were held by
republicans. The newly elected representatives
should be sworn in by the time the Special/Veto
Session takes place.
As usual, I can be reached at
House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City,
MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or
mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions,
comments, or advice.
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