Cape Girardeau County Commission candidates cite experience at forum

When the candidates for Cape Girardeau County Commission took the stage at Tuesday evening's candidate forum, finding some difference with rivals that would help persuade voters proved, at times, to be difficult.

The four men seeking the two seats up for grabs Nov. 4 turned to personal experiences, education and personality to promote themselves.

Two candidates, Democrat Marvin McMillan and Republican Paul Koeper, are seeking the District 1 seat, which includes Jackson and most of the unincorporated areas of the county. Incumbent Republican Jay Purcell and independent challenger Rock Finch are contesting in District 2, which covers most of the area within Cape Girardeau city limits.

As a volunteer firefighter and the only candidate living outside one of the county's two large towns, McMillan said, he's seen the problems caused by slow ambulance response times. He added that he knows there are better ways to maintain gravel roads because he takes care of his road himself.

Koeper, meanwhile, relied on his lifetime of work in construction engineering and management. He said the county must re-examine its policy of requiring 60 feet of easement before paving roads and work to restore morale in the road department.

Purcell continued to promote himself as an advocate of open government and opponent of the "good old boy network." Finch, meanwhile, said he would seek cooperation and collaboration but not be controlled by anyone.

All of the candidates embraced steps to make government more accessible. For Koeper, that means town hall meetings around the county, commission meetings at night and a promise to be a "full-time commissioner." For McMillan, being a full-time commissioner means regular office hours. Finch said it means reducing controversy and working for collaboration. And Purcell said it means clearer agendas, night meetings, webcasting of meetings and "an end to closed-door meetings."

All four candidates also agreed the county should pursue taking over the federal building on Broadway in Cape Girardeau as a replacement for the Common Pleas Courthouse. They mentioned crowded conditions, lack of security and maintenance issues as the reasons for their stands. The federal building is surplus property to the national government because of the recently opened Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse.

The candidates took part in a forum held by the League of Women Voters. Along with the commission candidates, there were separate sessions for the two candidates for county treasurer and legislative candidates in the 158th and 159th Missouri House districts.

The forum will be broadcast three times a day beginning later this week on Charter Cable Channel 5. The times and exact day the broadcasts will begin have not been determined.

In the legislative contests, former U.S. representative Bill Burlison made the most dramatic proposal, calling for increased taxes on "the ultrarich to make them pay their fair share." The extra money would go into health care and education, he said.

Burlison, a Democrat, is seeking to unseat two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Billy Pat Wright. The 159th District covers southwest Cape Girardeau County and Stoddard County.

Wright did not echo Burlison's call for more revenue. He noted the state is sitting on a large surplus, which he called "a rainy-day fund" that will ease any cash crunch caused by falling revenue if the national economic problems cause a recession.

The candidates for the 158th District, Republican Clint Tracy and Libertarian Robert Roland, both portrayed themselves as advocates for lower taxes and smaller government. Roland railed against Proposition A, which would limit the number of casinos in Missouri and eliminate the loss limit on gamblers, as a measure that would take away Cape Girardeau's opportunity for a casino and cost the city money.

Tracy relied on his resume, noting his experience in the Navy and as a business manager for a family business, as reasons to choose him.

The forum audience also heard from Deborah McBride-Young, the Democratic candidate for county treasurer, and Republican Roger Hudson, the incumbent. McBride-Young said she would work to increase the office's efficiency, while Hudson pointed to improvements such as the computerization of the county's financial record-keeping and a better deal from banks as reasons for being re-elected.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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