Welcome to Oz

Once again the City of Cape Girardeau is asking its tax payers to believe in a fairy tale: $26.5 million for another trip to the wonderful world Oz. The cast is the same. Playing the part of the Wizard of Oz is the Cape Girardeau City Council associated with Cape Girardeau city schools. Many of us who actually live here in Lilliput remember when the Great Oz told us of a similar venture with SEMO called the Show Me Center. Year after year the Great Oz has failed to meet budget costs in major construction. Thus telling the taxpayers it would be necessary to reassess our property taxes and not allow pay increases for its employees. The Wizard has also miscalculated its revenue income badly. Now they tell us the income revenue from this charming aquatic fantasy would create much needed dollars. Same calculator they have been using I suppose. This re-run I will have to pass on. Almost forgot, the part of the unsuspecting victim will once again be played by the taxpayers. Even the Scarecrow knew he only needed a brain not a swimming pool and a field of dreams!

SID WHITTINGTON, Cape Girardeau