LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: CHAMBER PUSHED MOUNT AUBURN SINCE FEB. 1999

To the editor:

The Southeast Missourian has always been a strong community-support newspaper where generally accurate editorials prevail. That is why I'm disappointed in Saturday's effort.

It is great you see the benefit of upgrading Mount Auburn Road to five lanes. However, the representation of facts on our timing are just plain wrong.

You mention the chamber's case for upgrading had been made to city officials prior to the election, but you preface that with the line, "The chamber publicly announced the project as one of its top priorities the day after voters approved the tax extension." With that line and your headline, you seem to question our timing and motives.

In fact, in February 1999, I wrote a letter to Mayor Al Spradling outlining our desire to have Mount Auburn Road upgraded to five lanes from Kingshighway to Route 74. This followed extensive discussions by our Transportation Committee (regularly attended by city staff). We were told it would be considered but would be highly expensive. Then Larry Payne and I appeared before an open meeting of Planning and Zoning in May 2000 to formally submit our list of priorities for the upcoming Transportation Trust Fund II. (This followed a written submission of our list in February 2000.) At that meeting, we strongly suggested Mount Auburn be five lanes from at least Independence to Route 74 and four lanes with a center turn lane at cross streets from Kingshighway to Independence. This meeting was attended by several members of the media, including a reporter from your paper.

Apparently, the operative word here is "publicly." Is this not publicly? We did nothing different after the election, as you suggest. Our position was clearly defined and made known long before P&Z even solicited information. In fact, our efforts led P&Z to place the five-lane upgrade at the top of the alternatives list.

What is the Southeast Missourian definition of "publicly"?

Thanks for proving the old saying, "If you aren't being criticized, your aren't doing your job." Our chamber will continue to do the things necessary to better our community.

JOHN MEHNER

President and CEO

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce

Cape Girardeau