Wage cut was bad idea

I was happy to see Jennifer Vigueras' picture featured in the News-Press last week. She is a waitress at the D&G Restaurant on Frederick Avenue. I've been going there for decades. First, I ate only the famous Rachel burger before switching to the Simon. My latest favorite is the D&G tenderloin.

The point of this letter isn't just about my love for food, although I do love it. My point is that Jennifer has to be one of Joetown's top three waitresses. I should know. She knows my order the moment I walk into Pete's restaurant.

I wasn't so happy to read the accompanying story that the Republican leadership down in the Missouri House attempted to lower the pay of tipped workers from about $3.33 an hour to $2.13 an hour. That would have cut Jennifer's base pay about a third. This bad idea failed, fortunately.

You only have to visit a gas station to know that our economy is in trouble. Even with the hourly pay voters agreed to when they voted on raising the minimum wage for Missouri, Jennifer would have to work an hour just to buy one gallon of gas. That's not fair.

The bill was so bad that 20 Republicans abandoned their party's leadership in the House. But St. Joseph Republican Rob Schaaf stayed in lock step with the Darwinian conservatives - survival of the fittest.

Well, I've worked as a busboy in my life. I know how hard it is to live off tips. The tragedy is that after just six years in Jefferson City representing the 28th District, Mr. Schaaf has forgotten how hard waitresses have to work to put food on the table for their families.

Mark Sheehan, St. Joseph,

candidate for State Representative, District 28

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Hospital competition needed in NW Missouri

Do you believe we need more competition in health care in Northwest Missouri? I do.

Health insurance costs are higher here than elsewhere in the state; just ask any state worker. Study the available evidence, and you will find that local employers pay more to cover their workers. Don't you think that hurts our local economy and impedes growth?

Is it the place of government to take dollars from taxpayers and buy health insurance for able-bodied adults? I don't think so, but a month ago, I was willing to consider a plan to do just that to help poor workers - but only on the condition that the new plan include market transparency and increased competition.

Such elements, put into our market, would pay back the taxpayers for the dollars they contribute to a huge new expansion of health welfare. The resulting drop in insurance premiums could be more than enough.

Transparency would let everyone see in advance what care costs so that informed buyers could shop around; such reforms in other markets caused prices to drop, and many experts believe it also would work well in health care.

Increased competition, brought about through a reform of the Certificate of Need process that licenses the construction of new hospitals and other facilities, would bring insurance savings to everyone just like it does in every other transparent market.

As Gov. Blunt withdrew his Insure Missouri plan last month, we made an offer to consider a new plan. That written offer plainly stated that increased competition was required if we were to move forward with a new plan. Those who would keep competition out of the marketplace - and protect their massive profits - are now screaming that competition should not be linked to the new Insure Missouri plan. Those screams are wasted on me.

Taxpayers can count on me to do exactly as I said I would do, and I will not buckle.

I will not bring the Insure Missouri plan to the floor of the House for passage unless there is at least a good faith attempt to agree on a proposal to increase marketplace competition. The new plan to give insurance to able-bodied poor workers will cost more than $400 million yearly starting in 2011. Taxpayers should not be forced to bear that burden without receiving something in return - and that something is transparency coupled with increased competition, which could reduce insurance premiums more than the total cost of the plan.

It is not me, nor is it Speaker Rod Jetton holding this plan hostage. We stated up front what would be needed in order to bring the plan forward.

But Missouri's hospitals fear competition. They are the ones holding the plan hostage. Their efforts to cloud the issue and to put pressure on us to abandon our requirement will not work.

We stand ready to negotiate for Certificate of Need reforms that will stop the abuses of the current process, for reforms to make the process fair based on the needs of consumers rather than hospitals, for reforms that will lower health insurance costs for everyone. We will be flexible and are willing to address valid concerns in order to achieve a level playing field among providers.

There is still time in the legislative session to do this and to pass a plan to help the uninsured. But we will not gouge the taxpayers in the process.

We will stick by what we said up front, and no amount of pressure will change that.

Rob Schaaf, M.D.

State Representative, District 28

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I agree with the mayor, more police needed

I find myself in complete agreement with Mayor Ken Shearin in his belief to put more police and firefighters on the street.

Last year the Mitchell Park Watch Group was formed and it has looked at crime and safety in our community. At our first meeting many of our neighbors raised their voices and anger at the police for the crime in our neighborhood. Officer Gillpin and other officers took the heat and they were very professional. At the end of that first meeting our members started to listen to the police, started to work with the department and work for a positive change. Chief Connally has come to our meetings and he listens, responds and works with our neighbors. We respect the knowledge and intelligence of the police officers who come to our meetings.

The sheer number of cases, incidents and the need for officers has grown in the last five years. Ken's letter was very accurate and insightful when he stated that crime is a symptom of the ills within our society and that it is up to John Q. Public to take responsibility. Having only nine officers on duty is not adequate, and we as the citizens of this great city need to tell our council members to increase the manpower of the police and fire departments. We can pay more taxes or pay with more crime and less safety - one way or another we will pay.

Steve Holdenried, St. Joseph

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Farmer satire not appreciated

This letter is in regard to the column that appeared in the News-Press on April 20, written by Susan Mires, entitled, "It's all the farmers' fault." Susan, maybe you meant this column to be a satire. To me, it was making fun and discrediting the American farmer. The American farmer was referred to as lazy, greedy little money grabbers, and simple-minded. We also were told we were underworked and overpaid. In America we have the cheapest food in the world. You need to check food prices in other countries. We also pay the same prices for food as you. As for gas prices, we are not any happier than you, but the farmer is not to blame for this travesty.

We do not live like kings. Another one of your quotes, "we live out there on those gravel roads with electricity and rural water." Oh yes, we do have high-speed Internet in the country. We even take vacations!

It is a good thing that the simple-minded farmer came up with ethanol. Without it, gas prices would be even higher.

Now for the winter months thing. They do not sit around counting their money. The American farmer may spend a couple of hours in the morning at the coffee shop solving world problems. Most of their time is spent in the shop repairing farm machinery and equipment getting ready for the three seasons of the year where they work from sunup to down. Another one of your quotes!

Susan, there is much more you should know about the American farmer who feeds you three times a day. They are a great asset to our country. Stop by the farm during the sweet corn season and we will visit, and send you home with all the sweet corn you can eat.

Shirley Taylor, White Cloud, Kan.

Editor's note: To read the column in question by Susan Mires go to:

www.stjoenews.net/news/2008/apr/20/its-all-farmers-fault/?business