It was indeed a low, even a vicious blow -- one of many for which he is becoming known -- that state Rep. Joe Heckemeyer landed on House colleague Mary Kasten this week. Heckemeyer is the Sikeston Democrat and certified lightweight who is known for lack of both knowledge and the basic ability to articulate or defend a position, as well as for his cheap shots and general bubbleheadedness. A very prominent Sikeston business and civic leader related to me last year that when talking to Heckemeyer on the telephone about an important matter of state business -- a crucial, multimillion-dollar appropriation for Sikeston -- "You could just hear the wind whistling through one ear and out the other."

Careful readers will recall Heckemeyer's lead role in the incredibly cheap, partisan attack he and other colleagues recently launched against Mary Kasten through a letter published on the Opinion page on the subject of Social Security. Did I mention Heckemeyer's rank partisanship? Oh yes, that too.

Heckemeyer alleged that Mary Kasten failed to ask for a roll-call vote when a House budget subcommittee chairman (and fellow Democrat and Heckemeyer ally) moved to slash $1.5 million in funding for the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School. In a raucous session Thursday morning, the House committee adopted the chairman's motion on a voice vote, with Heckemeyer himself, by the way, well -- er -- sitting idly by.

A little recent history is illuminating. The unpleasant fact is that it was Heckemeyer himself who played a leading role -- very likely the lead role -- in eliminating entirely the $1.5 million in funding for the same project in the House version of last year's bill. That's right: Joe Heckemeyer worked to zero us out last year, and he nearly succeeded. Remember this when you hear or read Heckemeyer's loud, self-serving protestations that he supports this project. Responsible reporters who want to follow up will do some digging here. The facts, dates and figures are on the public record.

If Heckemeyer truly does support our vo-tech school, why didn't he intervene with his fellow Democrats, out for vengeance against not only Mary, and Cape Girardeau, but also the surrounding school districts served by the area vo-tech school -- some in Heckemeyer's native Scott County? This is where Heckemeyer could have helped, but he's far more interested in knifing Mary Kasten.

Last year, after Heckemeyer and Co. did their worst, we restored the funding for the Cape Girardeau Area Vo-Tech School in the Senate version of the bill, and it stayed in at $1.5 million. This, with the promise of more coming to finish the job this year.

This writer will be working with Senate Appropriations chairman Mike Lybyer to restore the state's promised funding, which the governor and the state school board have recommended two years running, and on the basis of which we Cape Girardeau voters passed our bond issue.

The real unanswered question is how much Joe Heckemeyer did in cahoots with his fellow Democrats to torpedo this money, the better to blame it on Mary Kasten.

Your move, Joe.

~Peter Kinder is assistant to the president of Rust Communications and a state senator from Cape Girardeau.