Dear Editor,
I have just received a glossy mailer from some Jefferson City campaign committee attacking Joe Koester for wanting to make the utility rebates income based.
As I mentioned in one of my columns last month, this would be the best way to see that the limited funds we have to use would be utilized for those who really need the rebate. There are many over 62 who don’t need the rebate and making the program income based would allow using the limited funds for those that could use a little help.
The logic, or lack thereof of these mailers is that we should all get something if anyone gets something. I guess if they were in an accident where two people required ambulances and two didn’t, they would want the uninjured two to get an ambulance ride just because the two injured did.
I am not writing this as an endorsement of Joe Koester. As I have stated in my columns, I am a conservative who is still trying to remain a Republican in spite of the party rapidly loosing touch with the citizens, especially in St. Charles. However, if that is all these outsiders have on Mr. Koester, they should crawl back under their rock and shut their pie-holes. Their own mailer points out that those who really need the rebate would still receive it. This kind of stuff makes them look like desperate fools.
Jerry Haferkamp
St. Charles
Voters,
Remember taxpayers, elections are just around the corner. Just a moment to talk about the October 17 City Council meeting, although the fireworks have calmed down, it seemed that nothing has changed. The Mayor has given her reasons for vetoing the bill to sell surplus computers to the Wentzville Police Department for $25. She says they can be used as trade-ins for new ones and get about $500. She says the taxpayers should get all the benefits they can. I would only hope that she would have used that same logic when employee health insurance was included in the plans that she signed. I do believe these would have benefited the taxpayers more. The Mayor has also continued to try to put her cronies on the City committees, even the ones who have sued the City and was involved in the re-call fraud investigations.
We need to remember the things that our county, state and city elected officials have done to the city residents and vote accordingly. You may think that your vote don’t matter, but it is the strongest thing that a non-millionaire has.
Walter Dietz
Fellow citizens,
As a former election judge of 12 years, I feel you should be aware of something happening in Rich Chrismer’s office. The new touch-screen voting machines are run by a technician, not by a judge.
The election judges do not know how to operate the touch-screen machines and were not instructed how to operate them. A technician does the entire process, yet the judges have to sign-off on the beginning and ending for tapes from the machine. I didn’t! The technician has been trained in the basics of the touch-screen machine, she/he is not a specialist. So, why weren’t the judges taught the basic of this new machine?
There is no room for a “secret” voting machine in our Democracy. I feel the citizens deserve to know what is happening in Rich Chrismer’s office of elections and to our Democracy. Maybe, it’s time for a change! Think about it before you vote on Tuesday, November 7, 2006.
Sincerely,
H.M. Bixler
St. Charles
Dear Editor,
I read with amazement a piece of literature that was recently delivered to my door. The current, albeit appointed Sheriff of St. Charles County, states in this piece of literature that his “dedication to citizen protection and professional investigations” has earned respect from area law enforcement agencies. I failed to find ANYWHERE, in ANY of the current sheriff’s material, where he has any experience in investigating crimes or in his protecting of citizens. The only experience that I find he lists is two years of service as a uniformed deputy from 1974-1976, during the “Good ole boy” era.
Furthermore, this same literature lists (six) areas/issues that he will concentrate on. He will continue, maintain or pursue one or more of these issues. To continue and or maintain would indicate that as an appointed sheriff, he never instituted these programs to begin with. To pursue would indicate, he has an idea, but apparently has not instituted it over the one and a half years he has been in office. The issue that he wishes to pursue as he states is in fact a website.
I have researched every newspaper article and piece of literature distributed during the primary election related to the current sheriff and have only found one single mention of a website. That article appeared several days prior to the primary election in a voters guide where the slightest mention of a county website was found. Ironically, the current appointed sheriff was able to create a website when it was advantageous to him as a candidate. It is apparent that the current sheriff had to adopt one of his opponent’s (Ed Copeland) ideas to have something to offer the community.
As stated in his own writings, the current sheriff has credentials that are based solely on his being appointed to the position and programs such as the Air Metro and Highway Interdiction unit were in fact inherent. Take away the political appointment to the office of sheriff and this man is a nobody!
Donita Meyer
St. Charles
Dear Editor,
I would like to speak briefly on a controversial subject here in Missouri today – the stem cell initiative. Numerous people have asked me why I oppose Amendment 2. How can I be against the curing of disease? How can I?
There are many of us who believe that human embryos – whether resulting from cloning or from fertilization – are human beings. Therefore, we must fight with everything at our disposal to prevent their deliberate destruction.
There are a multitude of cures being achieved here and now today with the use of adult stem cells that do not require the destruction of human embryos.
Therefore, I shall vote NO on Amendment 2.
Glen Dashner
St. Charles
