GENE HUCKSTEP'S UNCOMMON PUBLIC SERVICE

Governor Mel Carnahan's decision to remove Cape Girardeau County's two license fee offices from control of the Jackson and Cape chambers of commerce marks the end of a 12-year era in local history. A word is in order about how that era began.

In November, 1980, private citizen Kit Bond avenged his upset loss of four years earlier by defeating Gov. Joe Teasdale in the latter's reelection bid. The governor-elect faced the question that all new governors do, namely, what would be done with Cape County's two Department of Revenue license fee offices? Cape County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep was the Republican backer closest to Bond, regularly having his ear on appointments and advice where matters affecting Cape County were concerned. As in so many other matters, on this one, Bond consulted Huckstep.

When Bond asked Huckstep what he wanted done with the offices, the governor-elect heard counsel that stunned him. You see, the fee offices with their income were Huckstep's for the asking, in keeping with longtime patronage custom. He could have taken them and installed his wife, daughter, a friend or any other private citizen he designated. Huckstep did no such thing.

Huckstep's counsel to Gov. Bond was to award the license fee offices for Cape and Jackson to their repsective chambers of commerce, so that the income would go toward economic development and the attraction of new industry. Gov. Bond took Huckstep's advice, and the two chambers have had them ever since.

All citizens of Cape Girardeau County benefitted from a selfless act of public service by a man who has rendered a lot of it.

And all citizens of Cape Girardeau County will now be able to compare for themselves the level and quality of public service, delivered these many years by Gene Huckstep, with that of Mr. and Mrs. Walt Wildman, new bureau operators.

And speaking of public servants, what about Grace Coy, the lady who for so many years has run the license office with such remarkable efficiency?

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Postal blues news: Hit at the mailbox

So guess who's going to raise prices beyond inflationary increases?

Not big business.

Yes, it's the U.S. postal Service, that model of fiscal responsibility which purchased the 555 Washington Building.

The Post Office, according to published reports, will seek a 20 percent increase in third-class mail as well as a nickel hike in postage stamps.

Let us get this straight. Not only are we going to be taxed more and take home less, it's going to cost us more to mail our bills. Of course, we could drive them to our debtors, but the gasoline tax is going up, too.

Is this progress?

editorial from the St. Louis Business Journal

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Government's Where the Money Is

A private subscription with an excellent reputation for accuracy and tough-minded analysis reports this fascinating datum for the month of July, 1993:

"INCIDENTALLY, the number of employees in the public sector (government employment) has, this past month, exceeded the number of manufacturing employees for the first time in the history of the USA. Just how long can government be a source of new employment?"

Private economists verified this week, in fact, that the manufacturing sector of our economy is actually shrinking, contracting, literally in recession even as the service sector is doing rather well. Said Robert Dedrick, chief economist at Northern Trust in Chicago: "The manufacturing sector has hit a wall and can't seem to break free."

The new reality is easily summarized: People employed in the private sector must lose their jobs so that a parasitic, ever-expanding government imposing new and more onerous burdens on its productive host can add employees.

How's that for a thought for Labor Day?