High-priced lunch for jurors

Recently some people I know were involved in a jury trial in Cape Girardeau County. It was a change of venue from Perryville, Mo. During the lunch break the jurors were taken to a local restaurant at the taxpayers' expense. The total bill was $179.

All the government entities, from the local level to Washington, D.C., are hurting for money. So why was it necessary to provide such an expensive meal for these people? A less expensive restaurant meal should have been good enough. In fact they could have had lunchmeat sandwiches brought in while deliberating. In the military I ate plenty of lunchmeat for meals. It was good enough for the people in the military. It should be good enough for civilians.

EDWARD J. "JACK" DECKERD, Perryville, Mo.