Students Make for a Short Meet.

City Officials, staff and Council members are scheduled to participate in Student Government Day today. A variety of high school students will begin the day with lunch at Memorial Hall and then spend a few hours this afternoon observing the various City Departments. At tonight’s regular Council meeting in City Hall, students will sit with Council members, Department Heads, and the Mayor to carry out City business.

The Council has postponed most discussions that might bring any long discussions and face only two Council bills that will require a vote.

Council bill 02-10 would amend the budget and appropriate $14,838 from the Capital Improvement Tax fund for storm water improvements at 13th and Buena Vista. Bill 02-14 would authorize and agreement with Midwest Fibre Sales for collection of recyclable materials.

There will be a public hearing concerning the requested annexation of property located near the Chapel Road and HH intersection. The request comes from Jim Hallam as he wishes to develop the property for housing.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126

This past week many of the state’s employers and their organizations were at the Capitol to rally in support of worker’s compensation reform. While it was good to see so many of the folks that drive the economy rallying to a worthy cause, it was probably for nothing more than show. That is because we still have a governor that does not want to protect the employers and honest working people of this state from fraud caused by trial lawyers and dishonest working people.

At the heart of the issue is what should or should not be covered by the worker’s compensation program. The program was originally set up as a system by which workers that were injured on the job could be compensated without retaining a lawyer or going to court. It has now evolved to a booming business for attorneys and a way for workers that were injured at places other than on the job to suck money out of the system.

While it sounds almost silly, the main point of contention comes down to two words. The way it is now, the law reads that the workplace has to be "a" cause of the injury. We would like that to read that the workplace has to be "the" cause of the injury. With the "a" instead of "the", a worker can injure his foot playing weekend softball, come in to work on Monday and claim that his job irritated the injury and collect for the whole thing.

While it is the state’s employers that are calling the loudest for this reform, the honest workers of this state should be outraged as well. Every time there is a claim paid out for a fraudulent claim, there is less money available to pay the legitimate claims.

In the dozen years that I have been in office we have made numerous attempts to change the law. We have always been defeated by the trial attorneys and the labor unions. I can see why the lawyers oppose the change. It would take a lot of business away from them. I am puzzled as to why the unions oppose the change. By keeping it the way it is, it actually leaves less money to pay the legitimate claims. I can’t understand why the unions would choose to favor the fraudulent claims over the legitimate ones.

Add to the fact that we have had governors for the last ten years that oppose the change as well, and that we have a situation where it is hard to recruit new businesses to the state. It is very hypocritical for Gov. Bob Holden to talk about how we need to revive the economy and then work against change that would do just that and help honest working people all over this state.

Whose side is he on anyway? I think the answer is obvious.

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.

Initial reports from the campaign fund raiser held for Mayor Johnson last Sunday is that about a hunderd and fifty people showed up and near $2,600 was contributed to the cause.

Those numbers are pretty near the same as those reported by Mayor candidate Lujene Clark after her fund raiser some time back.

From the figures I’ve seen reported, the total eventually spent by both candidates combined may well go over the ten thousand dollar mark.

With about 4,500 registered voters in town and about a third a them typically votin’, we could have onea the most expensive cost per vote campaigns around. That’s ok, we’re worth it.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

Health Notes

by Judith Sheldon

CURE FOR OBESITY? Those who look to Olestra as the answer to their weight problems can expect to have the same problems, plus more vexatious situations to deal with. Olestra, a fat substitute which was recently approved by the FDA, would seem to be the answer to an overweight person’s prayer. Imagine being able to eat all the snack foods you like without worrying about fat calories adding to one’s already hefty adipose layers. But the fact is, Olestra not only can’t "cure" obesity, it can make things worse.

Item: Vitamins A, D, E, and K, along with Beta-carotene and other cancer-fighting nutrients, are fat soluble. This means, they need fat for them to be effective in the body. So, while we should reduce our intake of saturated fats, we need some fat for these nutrients to do their work.

Item: As a fat "substitute," Olestra acts to reinforce the taste for fat. The better method is to teach people to cut down on their intake of dietary fats.

Item: Instead of looking for easy ways out of a complex problem, overweight people must be prepared to make significant lifestyle changes that involve not just diet, but exercise as well. Olestra may provide some opportunities for fast dashes, but you’ll be happier running on a track or a treadmill.