QUALITIES OF LIFE: CHAMBER STUDIES QUALITIES OF LIFE

How do you gauge the quality of life in Cape Girardeau?

A Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce committee has tried to answer that question with a statistical report that covers everything from high school graduation rates and job growth to trash recycling and voter turnout.

The chamber's Quality of Life Committee released its 1998 annual report this spring.

The 90-page report is filled entirely with statistics, both good and bad.

It covers eight categories: education, economic, public safety, natural environment, health, social environment, government/politics and culture/recreation.

The Southeast Missourian today begins an eight-part Qualities of Life series that takes a look at the statistics and what they mean for the community.

In researching this series, the newspaper staff uncovered some statistical errors in the chamber report. Some of the data conflicts with county and city records.

John Mehner, chamber president, said every effort will be made to correct any errors.

But he defended the overall report. "The flavor still comes through in the document."

Mehner said the committee strived to provide accurate statistics. "We didn't sit down in a room and make them up."

Kim Swartz, who co-chaired the committee, said the report is the work of volunteers.

"We are just trying to put this together as best we can as community volunteers," she said.

This is the chamber's second statistical report. The first was released in 1997.

Like this report, the first one also had some statistical flaws.

Swartz said the committee corrected some of the past errors in putting together the latest report.

Mehner said compiling statistics can be difficult. Still, all those numbers haven't blurred the bottom line in Mehner's view.

He said the statistics underscore that Cape Girardeau is a good place to live and work.

That doesn't mean that the community doesn't have problems that need to be addressed, he said.

"We would like to improve more in a lot of categories, but I think the report lays out where we are," he said.

The statistical report itself isn't widely distributed. The chamber has printed about 50 copies.

Mehner said the chamber uses the statistics in its efforts to recruit new industry and to show where improvements are needed in the community.