Threats, carrots for Scott County sales-tax extension

To the editor,

I would like to debunk some arguments being presented by Scott County commissioners Jamie Burger and Dennis Ziegenhorn regarding their never-ending quest for a sales-tax extension.

Presiding Commissioner Burger strikes first with the proverbial dead-horse threat of "cuts to government services" unless the voters approve an extension on a tax that was originally intended in 2000 for the construction of a new jail.

Contrary to popular belief (among politicians, that is), a reduction in government spending would actually be a benefit.

Mr. Burger then attempts to dangle a carrot in front of the Sikeston citizens, who are being blamed for the tax extension's original failure in the April elections, by promising revenue sharing.

This "revenue" will undoubtedly come from an extension on an obsolete sales tax that already paid for a new jail.

My favorite line of reasoning comes from Mr. Ziegenhorn, who states that Sikeston has a police force and doesn't rely on the county as much as smaller cities.

Yet previously the article claimed that the Scott County Sheriff's Department has been contracting these same communities -- Chaffee and Scott City -- to house their excess prisoners.

I haven't the time nor this newspaper the space to counteract the commissioners' comical "not really a tax increase" position.

I find it troubling that many of the Southeast Missourian's recent headlines concern some new tax idea being propped up by another insipid government entity.

RICK VANDEVEN, Chaffee, Mo.