WILDMAN FEELS HE DOESN'T DESERVE HEAT OVER FEE OFFICE

A decision by Gov. Mel Carnahan to move the Department of Revenue's patronage fee offices from the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Chambers of Commerce, has left Walt Wildman drawing fire he says he doesn't deserve.

On Sept. 1, Carnahan announced that the fee offices had been awarded to the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation, and that Wildman's wife, Norma, would manage the offices for the foundation.

That ended a 12-year hold on the offices by the chambers, who were awarded them in 1981 by former Gov. Christopher Bond. They remained in chamber control during the eight-year administration of Gov. John Ashcroft. Prior to 1981, individuals had served as agents for the fee offices in Cape County.

During Ashcroft's administration, only about 20 of the 165 fee offices were managed by organizations.

Some of the criticism aimed at Wildman is because he is executive director of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA), an organization that has sometimes been viewed as a rival of the Cape Chamber.

Wildman's apparent strong relationship with Carnahan has also been suspect.

Wildman has been long been identified politically with Republican candidates, yet his wife is managing the fee office that represents one of the largest patronage prizes the Democrat Carnahan has to give.

Besides Wildman, also drawing fire has been the University Foundation, which was criticized for accepting the fee office. Some members of the foundation's board have also second guessed the decision by the executive committee and the Board of Regents to accept the fee office that had been benefiting the chambers.

Wildman points out that the foundation is being unfairly criticized because Carnahan decided even before the election that he was going to make a change in the fee offices here. Had the foundation not accepted the offices, the chambers still would not have kept them, he stressed.

Wildman has been a friend of the governor's for 15 years, dating back to when Carnahan was state treasurer and Wildman worked for a company in Ellsinore owned by Carnahan's brother Bob.

"A lot of people are kicking the wrong folks," said Wildman. "The foundation was offered a good situation and they took it. There are few people who would not have acted on the opportunity as the foundation did."

Wildman said he was first told by Carnahan in October of 1992 at a fundraising reception in Cape Girardeau that if he were elected governor, there would be a change in the fee office.

"The decision to change the operator of the bureaus was not up for discussion," said Wildman. "He had decided he was going to make a change. He had his mind made up."

Wildman said he told Carnahan he had an interest in the fee office, if it was not going to remain with the chamber.

Initially, Wildman suggested the governor consider giving it to the RCGA, but shortly after the election decided it would be an unwise move.

"It would have cost us more than we would have made. At that time our relationship with the chamber was better, and it is still getting better," said Wildman. "I felt it would not be best for the long term good of the RCGA if we got the fee office. Giving it to the RCGA would have been suicide for the organization.

"The RCGA is a business of relationships. The money we would have made would never have made up for the damaged relationships. We could have used the money, but it would have been only a short term fix."

Since it was going to change hands, Wildman said he told Carnahan he was interested. "I made a bid for it and didn't get it. Part of the rationale for the governor's not giving it to me is that I am a long-time Republican."

Around mid-summer, Wildman said he learned from Carnahan that the governor was considering giving the office to the foundation. Wildman was also told by aides to the governor that they might ask Norma Wildman to run the offices.

"I told them they would have to ask her. It was her decision to make, not mine."

When the governor offered the fee offices to the foundation, he made the request that Mrs. Wildman be considered as the manager. Said Wildman: "The governor did not say `Here is the fee office and Norma goes with it or you don't get it.' He only asked that she be considered; she was interviewed by officials of the foundation and hired."

Norma Wildman worked in the grocery business for several years in Van Buren and worked eight years in banking. She was a teller at Capital Bank until resigning last month to take this new position.

The fee offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will close Monday for reorganization, but will reopen Tuesday for normal business hours.

Norma Wildman arrived home late Friday from state training, preparing her to take over the offices, and could not be reached for comment Saturday.

"Norma is a detail person and the banking experience that she has is good preparation for the kind of work that is done at the fee office," said Wildman. "She is qualified to do the job."

In deciding whether to accept the offer to manage the offices, Wildman said he and his wife knew there would be some fallout, but knew the management experience would enhance Norma's career. Also, with two daughters age 20 and 16, they also had to think of their family's future.

"The basis of our decision was the future of our two girls," said Wildman.

"There seems to be a lot of resentment to having the wife of a friend of the governor getting this job. But somebody was going to get the job to manage the office," said Wildman. "I am not going to hang my head and deny I know the governor."

Wildman acknowledged that some chambers in the state were allowed to keep their fee offices and some people are asking why Carnahan singled out the chambers here.

"That is a valid question, but that is not something I can answer. You have to ask the governor," said Wildman.

Wildman was born and raised in Piedmont and met his wife a native of Cape Girardeau while attending Southeast Missouri State University. His father, Walt Wildman Sr. worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and served as municipal judge; his grandfather was a Baptist preacher.

In Wayne County, Wildman's family was known for being Republican, though he points out his father was fairly independent.

After graduating from Southeast, Wildman was involved in managing sheltered workshops in Illinois, at Mt. Vernon and Sterling. He earned a master of arts degree in administration with an emphasis on mental health management.

Eventually, Wildman decided to move back to his home area, and got a job at Van Buren managing the Ward's grocery store. It was there that he began an association with the Carnahan family.

In the first grade, Wildman's oldest daughter was taught by Katie Carnahan, Mel Carnahan's niece, and the daughter of Bob and Oma Carnahan. The families socialized together and often Mel and his family would come down to Van Buren.

Bob Carnahan owned a charcoal plant at Ellsinore and eventually hired Wildman to be marketing director. Mel Carnahan served as Bob's attorney, bringing Wildman into regular contact with him.

Wildman helped Carnahan in his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1984 and helped with his successful bid for lieutenant governor in 1988.

After the charcoal plant was sold in 1986, Wildman moved to Cape Girardeau and took over the Easter Seals office. In the fall of 1989 he was named executive director of the RCGA.

When the 1992 governor's race started heating up, rather than choose between the field of Republican candidates, Wildman decided to back his Democratic friend.

"I always had a high regard for Mel and his integrity," said Wildman.

Wildman said he went to great lengths to keep the RCGA out of his efforts on behalf of Carnahan, and worked for him after hours and on weekends.

As a Republican, Wildman said he was not opposed to Bill Webster, Roy Blunt or Wendell Bailey, it was just that he knew Mel Carnahan and decided to follow his friend.

"Our tie in with the Carnahan family and our family was multi-faceted and deep," said Wildman. "It led us to be involved in his political campaign, just as you would do with good friends."