Bargains work both ways

By Kevin B. Spaeth

I read with great interest Peter C. Myers Sr.'s sincere letter about Sikeston's attempt to "steal" the I-66 route. Mr. Myers' letter has an element of "aw-shucks" about it. "Aw-shucks" times have changed. "Aw-shucks" you can't get through the Shawnee National Forest (not true -- the Nature Conservancy issued its support for this project on Sept. 5, 1995). "Aw-shucks" the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. "Aw-shucks" the residents of the Cape Girardeau need to become "regional team players."

On that last point I firmly agree with Mr. Myers. We do need to be team players. We all need to be team players. While we in Southeast Missouri argue with each other over every conceivable point on every conceivable plan or the other, the state of Missouri north of the Interstate 44 corridor has garnered the lion's share of transportation dollars in this state.

It was that spirit of being a "regional team player" that caused a group of Cape Girardeau businessmen to approach the community and business leaders of Sikeston in 1991 to let the people of Sikeston know that Cape Girardeau agreed that the completion of U.S. 60 across the bottom of Missouri was a high priority and that Cape Girardeau would lend its support for the completion of that goal. In return, we asked Sikeston to support Cape Girardeau's effort to likewise obtain its own corridor across the bottom of this state that would clearly be beneficial for all of Southeast Missouri's residents, not just the people in Sikeston. Sikeston agreed.

Now it appears Sikeston supported that concept at the time only because it could not imagine that an east-west transcontinental highway would be built based upon an idea generated by a group of Cape Girardeau businessmen. An easy trade to make, since they were "getting" everything and "giving" nothing in return.

No one, and I mean no one, has been more instrumental in bringing this idea to fruition than Walter Wildman. Now that the I-66 concept is poised to become a reality, Cape Girardeau has the temerity to ask Sikeston to stand by its deal and offer its support for Cape Girardeau to achieve its goal.

So, Mr. Myers, I urge you and the rest of the leadership of Sikeston to be "team players" and live up to the deal to which you agreed and support a regional interstate that will not only benefit Kentucky and Missouri, but is vital to the interest of Illinois in assisting those people access to the good jobs and markets this area offers.

Nowhere in Peter Myers' letter does he dispute the bargain reached. He simply does not like it anymore. It is time to live up to the bargain made.

Kevin B. Spaeth is a Cape Girardeau lawyer.