MISSOURI WATCH: A FEW OUTRAGEOUS THOUGHTS...

"It has always been surprising how a few outrageous thoughts can soon become public policy." -- Missourian Reinhold Niebuhr

Dedication ceremonies were held the other day in the Missouri Capitol to enshrine the bust of Reinhold Niebuhr in the Hall of Famous Missourians. It was a fitting recognition for one of this century's finest theologians, intellects and moral leaders. A native of Wright City, Niebuhr eventually became one of the world's leading religious leaders, a strong advocate of injecting Christian action in world society between World War I and the Cold War.

As a long-time admirer of the theologian, whose ancestry I was completely unaware of until just a few years ago, I was particularly fond of his urgent messages that called for higher ethics in society and government in particular. In fact, he preferred to be called a teacher of ethics, contending that without moral conduct in all public matters, even the richest and most powerful nations would fall.

Dr. Niebuhr's quote above serves as an introduction to a column format I plan to use from time o time in the future. The format will include brief paragraphs about various activities, personalities and issues in state government, particularly when the subjects, while important, do not lend themselves to a full column of space. Readers will soon learn that the title used above will be utilized each time this commentary is-composed of brief editorial paragraphs.

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DESEG DELAY: Although the U.S. Supreme Court has essentially ruled against the kind of desegregation remedies that have been in effect in both of Missouri's metropolitan school districts, delays have been encountered because the plans have become essential components of maintaining public education in St. Louis and Kansas City. Despite the view of many Missourians that ending the huge state payments to both districts is all that is involved, the truth is that other major problems persist. Lumping them all into one sentence, the problems boil down to finding funding sources for urban districts that, quite frankly, are not fully supported nor funded by their patrons.

It might sound outrageous, even unconstitutional, but why shouldn't we restore some stability to these districts by enhancing their capabilities through a voucher system? Some public schools in St. Louis and Kansas City are clearly capable to carrying out their goals of improved educational opportunities while others lack adequate buildings, teachers and equipment. By granting state vouchers to students whose schools have been allowed to deteriorate, and permitting parents to use the vouchers at private and parochial schools, the state would be restoring a needed degree of order to the academic chaos that has gone on for more than 15 years in some instances.

As Dr. Niebuhr suggests above, outrageous ideas can become public policy.

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COLLEGE COMPETITION: There is little evidence that past attempts to restore some order and logic to Missouri's expensive higher educational system have done much good. On regular occasions, some state college or university will announce plans to expand its service area, encompassing larger and larger areas from which to draw students. Indeed, we are undergoing none-too-subtle battles today between Missouri University's Columbia campus and the ones at Rolla, Kansas City and St. Louis.

As if the battlefield were not already large enough, the M.U. campuses are waging competition for larger enrollment areas with the regional universities. A battle has been under way for some time between Mizzou's St. Louis campus and Southeast Missouri State for students in the Lead Belt region, but other collegiate contests exist across the state, including the one between Northwest Missouri State at Maryville and Missouri Western State at St. Joseph. These two are 35 miles apart.

At least two colleges in the state that existed to serve black students in the days before Brown v. Topeka have fought under-enrollment for years. Lincoln University at Jefferson City has just reported another enrollment decline, despite bureaucratic efforts to expand its educational role. Harris-Stowe College, founded by local government decades ago to train black teachers, lost its hometown St. Louis support and was rescued by being taken over by the state.

The goal of higher education in the state appears to be a battle for more state funding. An outrageous agenda.

~Jack Stapleton of Kennett is the editor of the Missouri News and Editorial Service.