BUSH CABINET NEAR-MISS: TALENT IMPRESSIVE IN JACKSON CHAMBER SPEECH

When President George W. Bush's administration takes office next week, there might have been a Cabinet member who is familiar with the Jackson and its business community.

Jim Talent, 2000 Missouri gubernatorial candidate, was considered a leading candidate for secretary of labor until Bush tabbed former Peace Corps director Elaine Chao, Thursday. Talent's name had returned to the top of the list after Linda Chavez removed herself from the nomination for the position Tuesday.

Talent was keynote speaker of the 1999 Jackson Chamber of Commerce Installation Banquet. He was then in his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and was chairman of the House Committee on Small Business. He went on to lose a razor-this race to Democrat Bob Holden for governor. Talent was leading until late St. Louis returns pushed Holden over the top.

Ken Parrett, executive director of the Chamber, first heard Talent speak in Jefferson City and was quick to invite him to speak at Jackson.

"He was just a dynamic speaker and had good ideas that I thought would parallel very well with the Chamber's ideas," Parrett said. "He did a super job for us."

At that 1999 banquet, long-time Jackson High School principal and teacher Jim Nelson was honored with the H.R. Fulenwider Meritorious Service Award. Both men were outshone by the Rev. Walter Keisker, though, who was honored for his upcoming 100th birthday.

" He had to compete against Rev. Keisker's birthday, but sill did okay," Parrett quipped.

Parrett, while insisting he is "no expert" in evaluating Talent, politically, believes he would make a good Cabinet member.

"I think he'd be very good," Parrett said, while Talent was still in the running for Labor secretary. "He's very intelligent and had a real good reputation in Congress.

"He did a super job for us as a Chamber speaker. His views on teamwork and how to get the job done, I think, will set very well in Washington."

Talent seemed impressed with the Jackson Chamber and business community during his visit.

"This Chamber is obviously unbelievably viable," he said during his remarks. "I attend many of these and this is a huge turnout. It speaks a lot about what is going on in Jackson."

Talent suggested that it is no accident when it appears that the government is out to get the small-business owner.

"People in Congress are kind of suspicious of small businesses," he said. "I've spent a career seeing this and fighting it."

Talent noted that taxes per capita in Missouri have grown more during the past seven years than in any other state. He also quoted statistics that listed Missouri as the number two producer of methamphetamine.

"It's a sad statement that Missouri has become a leader in taxes and meth," he said.

He expressed frustration in the dropping of the Missouri Department of Transportation's 15-year plan, noting that "money spent on infrastructure comes back to you."

He closed with a plug for the importance of small businesses.

"The vitality of Jackson depends on the vitality of small businesses," he said. "Not just financially. It gives you and opportunity to draw young people back and to keep the good ones here."