SCHWAB SURVEY SPLIT ON LAKE VOTE

A survey by state Rep. David Schwab has added a spark of life to a controversial Bollinger-Cape Girardeau County lake that was declared dead in the state Senate earlier this month.

Schwab conducts a yearly survey of his constituents to gather information on issues affecting them. For the first time he included a question about the proposed, much-debated 7,700-acre lake.

The question asks if the people would "support legislation authorizing a local vote to create a lake authority." Schwab said 50 percent of the 1,100 people responding said they would support the legislation. Seven percent had no opinion and 43 percent said they would not support the legislation.

The survey went to Cape Girardeau County and two precincts in Bollinger County, including the site where the lake would be constructed.

"I've visited with some of the senators this year, and the reason the issue is probably dead is that there is a real concern about the property rights issue," Schwab said.

An earlier survey by Schwab of property owners who would be directly affected by the lake came back with 80 percent of them opposed to the proposal.

In 1990 the Missouri General Assembly passed a law that gave the Cape Girardeau and Bollinger county commissions authority to put the proposal on the ballot, but the Bollinger County Commission refused to do so.

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, proposed an amendment this year to the law that would allow the lake proposal to be decided by voters if a sufficient number of signatures were obtained on petitions. That would have bypassed the county commissions.

The amendment died when the Senate did not add it to its docket for consideration in this session. Kinder has said he does not know if he will be proposing the amendment next year.

Lake proponent Don Thomasson said it is misleading to say the issue is dead. "I don't know why people think it's dead; it's no more dead than spring," he said.

Thomasson, a Cape Girardeau attorney, said the numbers in Schwab's survey were conservative. "I think even the people who have property around the lake are in favor of it in a greater percentage. I just think the people who are in favor of it aren't as vocal," he said.

Thomasson said proponents have been busy gathering more supporters, raising money and preparing to attend legislative committee meetings next year if a proposal surfaces. He said the pro group will probably be hiring a public relations firm to disseminate information about the lake.

Proponents say the lake would encourage industries to move to the area and increase tourism dollars.

Jim Roche, president of a landowners group that is opposed to the lake, said the area is showing industrial and business growth without a lake. He cited a new Sam's Club and the recent announcement by Procter & Gamble Co. of a $350 million expansion.

One reason why the lake amendment died in the Senate this year was because of the opposition group's lobbying efforts. The group stopped meeting after the issue failed to make it on the docket. Roche said it isn't going to begin meeting again until further legislation is proposed.

Roche said the group is experienced and ready to deal with another round of lobbying.

"People have often asked if it is fair that we're not giving everybody an opportunity to vote on this," Roche said. "I still can't see the fairness in letting someone else decide what's going to be done with our land."