| Today's Feature
Additional
Funds For Cooling Assistance.
The Economic Security
Corporation has announced $37,000 in additional
funding from the Missouri Department of Social
Services, Energy Crisis Intervention Program to
offer summer cooling assistance to low-income
families in Barton, Jasper, Newton and McDonald
Counties.
The Community Action Agency
will be helping households that otherwise would
be unable to pay electric utility bills. The
program is offered to families who are
experiencing a crisis which constitutes a
shut-off notice or no service. In addition, all
clients must be income eligible and can be served
only once during the summer season, June 1
through September 30. Elderly (60 and over) will
not be required to have a shut-off notice.
The ECIP program has served
almost 600 low-income families from June 3rd
through August 2nd and expect the new funding
will serve an additional 214 households for
electric utility assistance.
The Community Action Agency are
now taking application at all locations on a
first come first served basis. The Carthage
location is at 600 E. 6th. Tue. 8-5, Thur. 8-12.
Opinion The Real Political Heroes
By Senator Marvin Singleton,
M.D.
With the turnout in the recent
primary elections that in many cases surpassed
the turnout of the Presidential Elections of
2000, the real heroes in our democratic process
are the poll workers.
Many of our citizens arose in
the early hours of the morning to get to their
locations with their supplies before the opening
of the polls at 6:00 a.m. They stayed through the
entire day dealing with the various challenges
and problems with voting until 7:00 p.m. when the
poll workers then transmitted to the county
clerks, the results of the elections.
Due to the conditions under
which they work and the minimal aid that they
receive, I believe that they are truly heroes and
basically are volunteers on behalf of the
democratic process. This is a bi-partisan effort
because at each polling place we have Republicans
and Democrats who maintain the integrity of the
election process and I believe that they should
be given a hardy pat on the back and appropriate
recognition.
In the past I have written each
individual to thank them for their patriotic
effort, but I am taking the opportunity this last
year to publicly thank all of the past and
present poll workers and to encourage our
citizens to volunteer in the future to
participate in the political system as a poll
worker. That can be accomplished by calling the
local county clerk’s office and they would
be more than happy to provide you with the
information.
Again, my sincere thanks and
gratitude to those who take their time on behalf
of the rest of the citizens of the State of
Missouri to maintain integrity, access and
continuation of this extremely important process
to our state and our nation.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
by Representative Steve
Hunter, District 127
With the resounding defeat of
Proposition B at the polls, many Missourians have
been asking, "where do we go from
here?" Truly, this is an opportune and
appropriate time for us to reevaluate our
priorities and reassess how we address them.
Surely, transportation must be
one of Missouri's top priorities, but a steep
sales tax increase combined with a gas tax
increase was not the answer. There were many
flaws in the tax increase proposal--it did
notsufficiently implement needed accountability
reforms, it did not stop the diversion of highway
revenues to other state agencies, and its 10-year
project list promised voters the same things they
had been promised ten years ago.
It wasn't just the recession
that put the kibosh on Proposition B. On August
6, voters approved various law enforcement sales
tax increases in counties around the state. It
also wasn't the subject matter. For years, there
has been a public outcry to improve our dismal
and dangerous roads and bridges.
I think the voters were saying,
"we're not putting up with this
anymore."
If Missourians had to tighten
their belts this year, the state shouldn't come
to them with its hand out having done nothing to
change. It's time to change. It's time to reform
state government.
It would be common sense to
allocate more resources to our priorities and
make sure that those resources are spent wisely.
Instead of raising taxes, why not allocate 10
percent of state revenue growth each year to
transportation? Why not implement Republican
accountability reforms in the Highway Commission?
House Republicans have also proposed state budget
reform measures, like legislation to implement
performance-based budgeting that would ensure
that state government spends tax dollars
prudently instead of wastefully.
The cure for whatever ills us
should not be a tax increase. State government
never seems to have enough money to spend, and
tax increases only satisfy it momentarily. The
1992 highway tax increase raised the gas tax by
55 percent (only five years after the 1987
highway tax increase had raised it by 57
percent).
For years, we've been saying
accountability must come before any more
transportation tax increases. Now, the voters
have spoken in unequivocal terms. State
government must get its house in order before
asking more of its citizens.
The answer to the question,
"where do we go from here," is a much
needed, common sense reassessment of our state's
priorities and how we address them.
As always, I can be reached by
calling (573) 751-5458 or by e-mail at:
shunter@services.state.mo.us.
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