Cape should become a job magnet

To the editor:It's heartbreaking to me that in the age of economic growth, Cape Girardeau has yet to step up. I'm a native of Cape yet choose to live elsewhere to survive financially. I would love to reside in Cape and be closer to my family. However, there are no jobs to keep residents afloat and offer viable wages. Why does Cape continue to live in the Dark Ages? There is a college in town, yet many graduates move elsewhere after graduation. Why is this? I want to move closer to home once I graduate college, but I don't want to live in St. Louis or Kansas City. I would have to live there if I want to make what my degrees state I should make.

The leaders in power need to take a long, hard look at the current economy of Cape and stop talking about it. Do it. Bring in the industry to support your citizens that offer competitive wages and benefits. A new restaurant here and there is growth, but is it growth that your citizens desire? Look outside the box and go to the table with the big boys. Tell them why Cape is a great place to locate their business.

Citizens are willing to work hard if they feel valued and part of something bigger. Once Cape realizes that it needs to fight for better, it will truly become the city it longs to be and not just known as the town between St. Louis and Memphis.

TERESA LYNN, Tempe, Ariz.