The Public works Committee voted Tuesday to recommend that the lone City owned airplane hanger be demolished.

Director of Engineering Joe Butler reported to the Committee that the structure had been advertised for bids for removal and there was little interest and no bids submitted.

The City recently sold the adjacent property where the other two hangers were located on the Myers Park Development to SMB. The Committee has been advised that there is a likelihood that the City’s hanger could be removed at no cost when SMB disposes of theirs.

The removal of the hangers would leave only the old terminal building and the Carthage Stone gateway as above ground reminders of the former airport.

The Committee’s recommendation to the full Council will be presented by Committee Chair Bill Fortune during next Tuesday’s regular meeting. The Committee stipulated that the demolition be carried out without cost.

Anyone interested in the structure should contact City Hall. 237-7004.

Letter to the Editor
Opinions expressed reflect those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Mornin' Mail.

Response to letter published Tuesday, February 1, 2000 in the Mornin’ Mail

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me regarding charges imposed on e-mail and Internet access. I have opposed and will continue to oppose taxing Internet access and usage.

Due to our belief that the Internet should be allowed to progress with no government interference or taxation, during the 105th Congress, several senators joined me in cosponsoring the Internet Tax Freedom Act (S. 442). S. 442 established a national policy against State and local government interference with interstate commerce on the Internet. It also placed a three-year moratorium on new Internet taxes by federal, state, or local governments and set up an advisory commission to study taxation and tariff treatment of transactions using the Internet.

S. 442 was passed by the Senate, and the President signed a version of the bill into law on October 21, 1998.

During the 105th Congress I sponsored the Taxpayers’ Defense Act (S. 2198) in an effort to end both the taxation of telecommunications services and taxes imposed by federal agencies. This bill would require a vote on any tax increase and a mandatory review of any agency rule that establishes or raises a tax. Any such tax would have to be submitted to and receive the approval of the Congress before taking effect, therefore ending the power of agencies to levy taxes. Congress should be working to give money back to American families, not conceiving of ways to take more of their hard-earned dollars.

During the 106th Congress I will continue to oppose taxes affecting the Internet. Just last month I introduced the Home Page Tax Repeal Act. This Act calls for immediate refunds of what is an illegal and unconstitutional federal tax on certain Internet home pages. The opposed tax originated as a "user fee" that was established by the National Science Foundation without any congressional authorization. Instead of trying to tax the Internet, the government should be promoting home page development and access to the Internet.

I have received many letters from Missourians who have heard that there is a United States Postal Service (USPS) proposal to charge e-mail users a 5-cent surcharge. This rumor is unfounded. There is no federal legislation to apply a five-cent surcharge on Internet access in order to subsidize the USPS. In responding to inquiries about the issue, the USPS informed me that they would never contemplate such legislation, nor would they support it if it were proposed.

In addition to opposing taxes imposed by Congress, I also continue to fight taxes created through administrative action. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated the Universal Service Connectivity Charge or, the "e-rate." Universal Service is the idea that everyone should have access to affordable telecommunications services and extends funds to provide "discount telecommunications services" to schools, libraries, and rural health care facilities. More important, the Act gave the FCC the power to decide the level of "contributions" (i.e., taxes) that telecommunications companies would pay to the government. The FCC now determines how much is to be collected under force of law, and how it will be spent. Long distance providers pass the costs on to consumers in the form of higher telephone bills.

I recognize and promote the importance of technology in our society. Until this tax has been approved by the Congress, however, it stands as an unfair mandate from a biased federal commission.

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me again should you wish to share further views or concerns.

Sincerely,
John Ashcroft
http://www.senate.gov/~ashcroft

Niebur Candidate for County Sheriff.

news release

Former Joplin Chief of Police David Niebur has announced his candidacy for Jasper County Sheriff. Citing 35 years of experience in law enforcement, Niebur released a comprehensive Candidacy Statement setting out six major "concerns that I believe the citizens of Jasper County will want to consider in selecting their next Sheriff."

Combating School Violence, Fighting Illegal Drugs, Providing Crime Scene Technicians, Combating Crimes Against Children, Improving Education and Training, Fiscal Responsibility.

Niebur’s statement stressed his role in improving education and training for Missouri law enforcement officers. While Chief of Police of Joplin, Niebur proposed a program that was later adopted by the Missouri Legislature in a bill authored by Senator Marvin Singleton of Joplin. As a result, "Missouri has gone from dead last in the nation in terms of minimum training standards to the top ten percent."

In calling for the Jasper County Sheriff’s office to join with 21 other public safety agencies in the County E-911 system at little or no additional cost, Niebur cited police statements that a lack of radio communication between law enforcement agencies was a major problem during the Columbine school incident.

Niebur’s resume includes graduation from the FBI National Academy, and past or present service on the Boards of the Tri-State Major Case Squad, the Missouri Child Death Review Panel, the Missouri Police Chief’s Association, the Jasper County Drug Task Force, the Jasper/Newton County Family Violence Council, the Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri, the Salvation Army, the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Program, Turnaround Ranch, and the Joplin Kiwanis.

He hold a Master’s Degree in Public Management and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Precious Moments Staff Member Awarded.

news release

Mishell Meyer, Group Sales Manager at Precious Moments Chapel Center, recently received two awards from the Missouri Travel Council (MTC) for her work in 1999. Meyer received the MTC Service Award to recognize her exemplary service to the MTC and tourism industry. She also received the MTC President’s Award, which is given to an individual who has done an outstanding job in the past year in promoting tourism and working to increase visitation in Missouri. MTC gives out these awards annually to recognize their members’ service in their organization.

Meyer has been with Precious Moments for the past ten years, working in group sales and marketing the last five. Prior to that she served in the Personnel department. She currently is the Ozark Mountain Region Director of the MTC, and serves as the Educational Conference Chairman and the Web Page Chairman for the organization.

Missouri Travel Council is a private organization that works in conjunction with the Missouri’s Department of Tourism and other tourism organizations and professionals.

I grew up knowin’ the value of a good 2 by. There was always a need for a shelf in the garage or some gadget that could be built with the scrap lumber out in grandpa’s pile.

On visits he would pull out a wood shingle and build me a whirly gig or carve a flat, one dimensional "Buntline special" hand gun.

Two by fours were great for makin’ giant rubber band guns that used slices of inner tube for projectiles. A few good 2x12 stacked like stair steps made a great car ramp for changin’ the oil. Longer 2x12’s made great ramps to jump the bikes from.

Lumber meant you could build things, a tree house, fort, a box to keep campin’ gear in. All necessary tools of an energetic youth. ‘Course gettin’ the "board" tempered the enthusiasm some.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf
Auto
Supply

Click and Clack TALK CARS
by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

I want to buy a new or recent-model car but I am very tall and can’t find one that allows me to see out of the windshield without looking through the tinted glass at the top. Some models have enough headroom for me, but then I end up looking at the world through that blue tint. Do you have any suggestions for a sedan, minivan or utility vehicle that might fit me? - Charles

Tom: This is a tough question to answer, Charles, because everyone’s body is different. Some people come with very long legs. Some people come with long torsos.

Ray: Well, as a general rule, Charles, trucks tend to have more headroom than cars. So you might look at a sport utility vehicle based on a truck, like the Ford Explorer.

Tom: And in our experience, Japanese cars tend to be hard on taller people, too. So if you’re looking for a sedan, you’ll probably be better off with a big American or European model.

Ray: Finally, you should look for something with a height-adjustable driver’s seat. The more adjustments you can make, the greater the likelihood you’ll find a comfortable driving position.

Tom: But if you’ve already found a car you like that fits you, and the only problem is that blue "sunscreen," we have an even better solution for you. Just replace the windshield.

Ray: Right. Most windshields can be ordered with or without that screen. And if the dealer won’t order one for you on the new car (which he probably would do in order to make the sale), you can always go to an auto glass place and order one yourself.

Tom: Check first to make sure one’s available on the car you want, but that should solve your problem, Charles.