LETTERS: CAPE GIRARDEAU NEEDS TO CONTEST CENSUS FIGURES

To the editor:

I could not help but respond when I read the 2000 census figures for Cape Girardeau. It seems as though the city has a very legitimate case for challenging the Census Bureau's final count.

I was a student at Southeast Missouri State University and a full-time resident of Cape Girardeau from 1993 through 1997. Having witnessed strong and consistent residential and commercial growth firsthand, the number provided as a result of the recent census seems misleading. I believe the Census Bureau should honor the 1999 estimate, putting Cape Girardeau's total near 37,000.

Why would I care? I'm a former resident of Cape Girardeau, but I would not rule out returning to your nice community, so I care about what happens to the city and surrounding area. Also, the city would benefit by increased opportunities for state and federal funding, as well as the increased prestige of being perceived as a growing, prosperous place in which to live and do business.

For the ultimate benefit of the community, I urge Cape Girardeau leaders and the area's state and federal legislators to challenge the Census Bureau's findings aggressively.

MATTHEW R. HICKS

St. Louis