Raise taxes to fund education

In today's world an individual needs postsecondary training in order to have a reasonable chance of obtaining and holding a good job. This situation was emphasized in a recent New York Times article that quoted an executive of the Apple Corporation who said, "We shouldn't be criticized for using Chinese workers. The U. S. has stopped producing people with the skills we need."

Therefore, I read with a good deal of concern that the governor of Missouri has proposed to reduce the state's appropriation to higher education by $89 million. This loss of revenue will lead to an increase in tuition. An increase imposed at a time when we should be making it easier instead of more difficult for an individual to pursue postsecondary training. It is interesting to note that in the past 45 years, the cost of full-time attendance at a Missouri state university has tripled. Using inflation adjusted dollars, fees for a semester of full-time enrollment in 1966 were approximately $1,000. Today they are approximately $3,000.

In the last fiscal year, Missouri received individual income taxes and corporate taxes of approximately $6.5 billion. If tax rates were raised so that this amount was increased by only 5 percent, then the cut in the appropriation for higher education could be avoided. For example, the taxes of someone paying $500 a year would be increased to $525.

Given the need for a well-trained and competent work force, this is a small sacrifice.

JOHN PIEPHO, Cape Girardeau