A LOOK AT A NEW -- AND BRIGHTER -- NEW YEAR

It's too late to change the events of 1998, and there are a good many that deserve to be undone, just as there are some that deserve praise, although the balance sheet appears to be even more lopsided that most years. Here's a look ahead to 1999:

-- In our community, important elections will be held next April. Voters will be choosing city and school leaders. These choices are important enough that they should attract the best and brightest to seek them. Filing periods already have opened and soon will close. Will the best candidates seek to serve? The quality of the choices that voters will make will depend entirely on the quality of those who choose to run. If you know someone who would make a good city or school leader, encourage that person to run for office.

In Cape Girardeau, the coming city elections will mark the first test of the term limits established in the city charter. Several vacancies are to be filled without incumbent candidates. How will this effect the city's leadership? Only time will tell.

And, of course, taxes will be a major issue, particularly in Cape Girardeau where a newly increased hotel-motel tax will go into effect and where consideration will be given to extending the half-cent sales tax for street improvements. As usual, any tax plan should be thoroughly aired and carefully considered.

-- In Missouri, there will be a lot of thought given in 1999 to the anticipated $6.7 billion windfall from the settlement with tobacco companies. There are plans being made already to spend the money. Can anyone in Jefferson City say "savings account"? One real question is who should make decisions about the use of the tobacco money.

Highway plans -- and money to pay for them -- will continue to be a big issue around the state. Unfortunately for 1998, the picture of the state highway department got more and more out of focus. Does anyone really understand what happened to the 15-year plan? Or what the five-year plan will really do? Or why we are paying for a 15-year plan when all we've got is a five-year plan?

And, of course, taxes will be a major issue, particularly sorely needed tax cuts as the state's coffers continue to overflow with excess revenue that should have stayed in taxpayers' pockets all along.

-- Nationally, the Big Issue, it would seem, is impeachment. There are alarums that impeachment will so consume Washington that no one in Congress will benefit from the largesse of lobbyists. In reality, the impeachment trial in the Senate could be contained to about two or three days if anyone seriously wanted to do it. That would be up to our U.S. senators, of course.

Probably the most under-reporter issue of national importance is the current state of the American farmer. Prices for many commodities are at all-time lows, and more and more farmers are being forced to give up and seek jobs in factories and offices. Should Washington come to its senses and get beyond the Big Issue, it would do well to listen to a few farmers for a while.

And, of course, taxes will be a major issue. Cuts to stimulate the economy, as always, deserve to be at the top of the list.

-- Around the world, a good deal of attention is being focused on tiny Iraq, and nation that continues to twirl the mighty United States in a dizzying defiance of U.N. sanctions and U.S. military might. A good many of our friends and enemies alike are beginning to wonder how this can be. Not just a few loyal Americans have the same questions.

The international economy is a major concern, now that virtually every American has been turned into a stock-market junkie by retirement portfolios and one of the biggest bull markets in history.

All in all, 1999 has the potential to affect us in more ways that anyone might think possible. And it could all be positive too. Wouldn't that be a great way to start 2000, which is either the real last year of this millennium or the very first year of a new millennium. You choose.