I think that I shall never see

A tree so ugly as the woods

Butchered in Girardeau's neighborhoods.

The tree whackers are out in full force these days. Maybe you've seen them. How could you miss them? Moreover, how could you not notice what the whackers leave in their wake?

Let's be straightforward. The whackers are tree-trimming crews hired by Ameren to remove tree limbs that might threaten utility lines in an ice storm. Goodness knows we all remember the terrible ice storms of just a few years ago.

So, on the one hand, those of us who like to have electricity when it's brutally cold and the freezing rain is layering the power lines to our houses can certainly appreciate Ameren's proactive efforts to avoid another miserable winter.

But good golly, do we have to create a grotesque urban forest in the process?

I have seen -- and so have you, if you've paid any attention at all -- trees mangled into shapes that push the meaning of "tree" to the extreme. Limbs are lopped off willy-nilly without any regard for what's left.

And then there's the clear-cut view of all those utility lines. What had been hidden by spring foliage has now been exposed to full view.

If I were in the reporting business -- and I'm not; I'm in the commentary business -- I would be looking for answers to some questions. Like:

Don't I recall the city created, or reconstituted, a tree commission several years ago? And wasn't one function of the commission to assess what trees should be removed when they become nuisances? And weren't several mature trees in the downtown area removed, causing a mild outcry? Was the tree commission consulted before this latest round of tree whacking? Can members of the commission (assuming the commission still exists) justify the way trees are being mangled?

What ordinances, if any, does the city have regarding trees that interfere with utility right of way? I know Ameren periodically sends out information to its customers to remind us that shrubs and bushes planted under utility lines are future problems that will have to be dealt with at considerable expense, which will be reflected in your monthly bills. Wouldn't an ordinance that prohibits plantings that will some day threaten power lines make sense in the long run?

What case can Ameren -- or anyone else -- make for butchering trees near power lines instead of removing the offending trees? Wouldn't it make more sense -- and be more cost-effective -- to remove trees rather than leave them hacked apart only to grow back and require more lopping in a few years?

Has Ameren evaluated the costs of putting lines underground, thereby eliminating the threat of tree limbs altogether? And how much, exactly, is Ameren spending on the current tree-whacking project? And how much impact does that expense have on our monthly electricity rates?

Would any property owner who has trees threatening power lines be willing to make a case for whacking the offending limbs instead of removing the trees?

Cape Girardeau is, once again, getting fired up about litter and the overall appearance of the city. That's great. But surely the visual pollution being created by the current round of limb trimming falls under the aesthetic considerations of a progressive city whose beautification efforts have been so positive in recent years.

What about it, Cape Girardeau? Do we want to do the expedient thing?

Or the right thing?

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missourian.