AREA RESIDENTS COMMENT ON CLINTON-GORE VISIT

The agenda for this afternoon's presidential rally doesn't include a question-answer session, but the Southeast Missourian asked people at the Cape Girardeau post office what they'd most like to ask President Clinton if they had the chance.

Most questions had to do with money -- where it's going, where it's coming from and how to spend less of it -- but the environment and government regulations were topics, too.

"I think I would ask him what he's going to do about balancing the budget, because that's probably the single biggest issue going today," said Tom Higgins of Cape Girardeau.

"I have a lot of things I want to ask him," said Mary Kay McCrate of Cape Girardeau. "I'm very unhappy with his stand on abortion, that's for sure. I don't like the fact that he's taking so much control over small business, or that's what I gather from Hillary's speech. I'm in favor of less government control, and I'd like to tell him that."

"I think I'd ask about their stand on environmental issues and budget cuts and what role that is going to play in the administration in their next term, if they win," said Amy Beussink of Cape Girardeau. "I have a personal interest in that. That's one of my main concerns."

"I guess the cost of education and student loans," said Laura Nance of Cape Girardeau, a student at Southeast Missouri State University. "I know that it's hard for some people to get federal aid when they need it. It goes by your parents' income, but that's no good if you're the one who can't afford it."

"Business taxes," said John Baker of Cape Girardeau. "They should be lower and a lot less paperwork on reporting them."

"I would ask if he's going to do what he says he's going to do," said Arnold Vitek of Jackson. "He changes his mind too many times."

"Balancing the budget," said Ollie Moretz of Cape Girardeau. "Is he going to do it?"