TEACHERS SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR TAX INCREASE

When Cape Girardeau school superintendent Dan Steska needed money to campaign for a proposed tax increase school districts are prohibited from spending tax dollars on election campaigns he had an idea. He looked to the teachers and school personnel who understand why the schools need more money.

Steska asked them to give one-tenth of 1 percent of their annual salaries to buy advertising, brochures and other promotional aids for the August ballot issue, which would raise $19.1 million for maintenance of new school buildings, air conditioning for Central High School and pay raises for teachers and others.

A surprising 85 percent of those asked quickly agreed, Steska said. Many others said they would support the ballot issue but didn't feel comfortable contributing, and that was OK.

When Jackson had trouble passing its bond issue for improvements at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School, officials discovered that not all district employees were turning out to vote. If you can't get the people who benefit from a tax increase to vote for it, how can you expect to have support from everyone else? Steska has taken care of that.