PUBLIC SHOWS LITTLE INTEREST IN BIG ISSUES

It's easy to complain. It's a whole other matter to get involved. A number of community meetings in recent weeks have been poorly attended. Most people didn't care enough to show up. But people should think twice about complaining about these issues later -- especially if they're going full tilt without all the facts.

-- Only four people attended a hearing held in Cape Girardeau by the Missouri Citizens Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials. Of those, only two spoke. The commission is charged with drafting a pay plan every two years that covers the salaries of Missouri's six elected state officials, legislators and judges.

-- Only a handful of people attended town hall meetings on the proposed River Campus Oct. 2 and 10. This is one of the most hotly debated issues in town. In just a little over a week, Cape Girardeau voters will be asked to help fund the proposed River Campus by increasing the city's hotel-motel tax. Voters will also be asked to extend the restaurant tax until 2030.

-- Just a dozen people attended the first public meeting to collect public opinion about the future of the University of Missouri Extension programs. But it's hard to gauge public opinion when people don't show up and voice their feelings. The extension program is funded by federal and state tax dollars. Officials want to know what kinds of programs you want the extension service to offer in the next five years. Luckily, this hearing wasn't a one shot deal. The public still has a chance to share ideas Nov. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Oak Ridge School cafeteria, Nov. 6 from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Cape County Extension Office in Jackson (breakfast provided), Nov. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Missouri Department of Conservation Office in the North County Park, and Nov. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Cape County Extension Office.

It's really a catch-22. People like to offer advice to neighbors and friends how the world could be a better place. But too many people don't want to get involved. They don't want to stand up and be counted with their ideas and advice. Why not? This is just the kind of feedback that our public officials want and need.

This lack of involvement is played out each fall and spring in America's polling booths. People care about the issues, but they don't care enough to vote. That only means their voices didn't count when it mattered. The people who don't vote really shouldn't complain about the outcome.

What difference can one person make? A lot. Public opinion can be shaped by a single, persuasive voice. Elections have been won by a handful of votes. What you say matters, but it matters most when it's said in a proper venue such as a public hearing or an election booth. Speak out and then stand back and watch things happen.