Long Term Capital Projects Total over $16 million.

The five year capital improvement expenditure projections submitted by the various City departments were the main item on the agenda for the Budget/Ways and Means Committee scheduled for last night at City Hall.

The main challenge for the Committee is to prioritize the proposed projects and equipment, and find alternative sources to help pay for the $16 million needed over the next five years. Proposed expenditures totaled over $5 million for the year 2000. That nearly totals the entire amount of the City's revenue for a year. Some of the projects listed have a portion of the funds needed set aside in the General Fund.

The largest portion of the proposed big ticket projects came through the Engineering Department. Included is $2.5 million for Baker Blvd. improvements, $1.65 million for the Memorial Hall renovation project, $900,000 for Civil War Road improvements, $800,000 for improvements to River Street, $750,000 for improvements to the intersection of Oak and Garrison, $500,000 for City wide sidewalk repairs, $500,000 toward the interchange at Fairview and Highway 71 among others.

The Parks Department proposed funding for $1.25 million for to redo the first nine holes of the golf course, and $250,000 for a new Parks and Recreation Maintenance Building.

The Street Department projects it will need just under $900,000 over the next five years for street paving and equipment.

The Fire Department proposed $513,000 capital expenditures includes $345,000 for pumper trucks and other equipment.

The Police Department projected five year capital expenditure budget of $627,000 includes $294,000 for vehicles and $109,000 for a new computer system.

The most expensive projected capital cost was the $2.6 million estimated for the relocation of the airport. The Council has already set aside $500,000 toward that project.

There were no proposed expenditures shown for the Myers Park Development Property since that project is planned to be self funding.

The total does not include the $1.5 million in grant funding for the Fair Acres Sports Complex provided by the Steadley Trust.

Other possible State and Federal Grants are being investigated.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin

State Representative, District 126

It looks like the tone has been set for the tax cut issue this Session. Regular readers of this column will remember the previous mentions I have made of the so called tax refunds that are becoming a regular occurrence.

As I’ve said before, these haven’t been true tax refunds, they have just been a returning of the money that was illegally taxed from you to start with. Because of the Hancock amendment to the Constitution, there is a limit to the amount of taxes that can be collected from Missouri’s citizens. Ever since Gov. Mel Carnahan took office, that limit has been violated every year. When that happens there are two options. One is to lower taxes and the other is to make a direct refund. There is an expense to cutting and mailing checks, so usually the preferred method is to lower taxes somewhere.

Even though the legislature is supposed to propose legislation, most of the democrat legislators won’t do much of anything regarding taxes until they get their marching orders from Gov. Carnahan. For the last several years he has stated how much he thinks the state will be over the Hancock limit and will have to be returned and then tells his legislative allies what taxes to cut and how much. The problem with this has been twofold.

First, he is unwilling to cut taxes any more than the Constitution says he has to and secondly, he has been woefully inaccurate in projecting how much you will be overtaxed. This has led to cutting taxes and still having to go through the expense of mailing out refund checks.

Under Gov. Carnahan we have the second fastest growing budget in the nation. We can and should be cutting taxes because it is the right thing to do, not because we have to and then only a bare amount. A government can never go wrong letting people keep more of what they earn.

I sit on the Ways and Means Committee which writes the tax laws and we have already been dealing with this year’s overage. The problem we are running into is that Gov. Carnahan has let it be known to the democrat members of the Committee that he doesn’t want taxes cut anymore than what has to be done. This came to light this week when the governor’s tax cut bill was voted on. (Remember what I said about Gov. Carnahan controlling the members?) We tried to offer several amendments providing deeper tax cuts and were rejected from even getting to vote on them.

This happened due to the extreme partisanship displayed by the democrat members when they voted lockstep to keep other views from even being heard. When the minority party isn’t even allowed a vote on their proposals, everyone loses. In this case it was every taxpayer in the state that lost. The sad thing is it looks like this year democrat partisanship will keep Missouri’s taxpayers from receiving the tax cut they have been deserving of for the last eight years.

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.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

In a typical year the Street Department spends 'tween a hunderd and a hunderd and fifty thousand just pavin' streets. They have a "list" that they use to take care of those streets that are gettin' in some type of disrepair and follow it pretty close.

The big projects like completely rebuildin' a street or long pavin' projects are usually contracted out. The transportation sales tax takes care of most of the regular maintenance type pavin' since that half-cent tax has ta be used on streets. Just one more reason to purchase all ya can inside the City limits of Carthage. I also like the idea that those who come in from outa town pitch in a little ta keep our streets up in shape.

There's always the possibility, but ya don't find many chug holes in Carthage. Apparently the system is workin' pretty well.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'.

by

McCune Brooks Hospital

HEALTH NOTES

According to a study done by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, parents who smoke at home put their children at risk of developing Legg-Perthes disease.

This disease involves a temporary cut off of the blood supply to the child’s femoral head or hip joint. Some of the bone dies. Repair begins, and new growth occurs, only to be interrupted by a repetition of the cycle.

Legg-Perthes disease occurs in one out of 1,200 people. However, the frequency rises to one in 100 youngsters who are subjected to passive smoke at home.

Apparently, there is, normally, a poor blood supply to the femoral head in children ages 4 to 8 in the normal course of their physical development.

Dr. John D. Osland, chief resident, department of orthopaedics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, says, "Passive smoke further restricts this already limited vascular supply to the detriment of the child."

The disease can occur between ages 3 and 12, and can leave the child subject to arthritic hip problems in later life.

NOTE: Some over-the-counter medications may contain substances to which you are allergic. Read labels carefully and check with the pharmacist if you don’t recognize an ingredient.

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