Seven candidates speak at Tea Party forum; more stay home

Seven candidates running in the April municipal election spoke to voters Tuesday evening at a forum hosted by the Cape Girardeau County Tea Party, but many more stayed home.

From mayoral hopefuls to fire protection board candidates, seven people spoke at the event, with about 20 in the audience at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

Nearly 60 candidates are on the ballot in Cape Girardeau County.

Jackson alderman candidates David Hitt and Wanda Young led the evening.

Both are longtime incumbents who are running unopposed on the April 7 ballot.

In the five minutes each candidate was designated to speak, the two briefly mentioned Jackson's water issue.

Parts of the city are facing water-pressure issues because of small, out-of-date pipes that need to be replaced. It also is a safety concern in firefighting efforts.

The city tentatively plans a bond issue that would take care of the problem.

Following the alderman candidates was Dwain Hahs, running against incumbent Jackson mayor Barbara Lohr.

Lohr was not at the forum.

Hahs has a strong business background -- he retired from Bausch and Lomb in 2008 after several years of international work for the company, which he said he plans to put to use if elected.

In addition to encouraging retail and industrial businesses to open in Jackson, Hahs said a key goal was communication.

One-on-one interaction and town hall meetings with the public and businesses were some of the steps he outlined. Interaction with the board of aldermen and city employees also is critical, he said.

"Jackson has a safe and very efficient city government, and I want to be sure we protect that," Hahs said.

Safety and protection also were key issues cited by the two candidates running for an open position on the Gordonville Fire Protection District board of directors. Judy Klaproth-Gentry and Michael Kasten said they felt the existing fire department was strong and hardworking, and wanted to see that continue.

Both have backgrounds in public safety: Klaproth-Gentry has worked as a police officer since 1982 and works for the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety, and Kasten worked for the Gordonville Fire Protection District for about 20 years before he retired.

While a total of seven candidates are running in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school-board races, only one candidate from each race attended.

Brad Noel, who has two children in the Jackson school system, said a few issues have caught his eye.

Despite construction of a new elementary school, he said not enough has been done to reduce class sizes and worries the student-to-teacher ratio may become even more lopsided in the future.

If other parents have any concerns, Noel also said he wants to establish more open communication between the board and the public.

Dr. Anthony Joseph Keele, a family physician in Cape Girardeau, is running for school board.

He said as a managing member of his practice, his work has given him experience handling millions of dollars in revenue, dozens of employees and several government agencies -- traits he said not all board members have.

He said he plans to use his financial experience to ensure money is handled correctly -- a top issue for many voters with the $20 million school bond issue on the ballot.

He said the board could do more to open lines of communication with the public and wanted to make an effort to meet with administrators, if elected.

At the end of the meeting, Tea Party members spoke to the crowd about ballot issues, including the Cape Girardeau school bond issue -- Proposition 1 -- that would help pay for repairs across the district and go to specific projects at Central Junior High School and the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

Members encouraged the public to research the bond issue and the proposed projects before casting votes.

They offered similar advice to voters for the Cape Girardeau County 1 percent use tax.

If approved, the tax would provide revenue for the county to construct a new courthouse facility. Debra Jenkins of No MO Tax, a group that encourages fiscal responsibility, said in a time of widespread financial hardships, she would have liked to see the county tighten its belt more before putting a tax issue in front of voters.

"I'm going to vote like my wallet depends on it. I'm going to vote no," Jenkins said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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