Your Opinion: Questions for candidates for circuit judge

Dear Editor:

I was disappointed on Oct. 1 to see that the forum for meeting the circuit judge candidates did not come off. Hopefully, the forum can be rescheduled because there really are some pressing questions to be answered. Two come to my mind:

First, what do the judge candidates think about tearing down the old jail and sheriff's home - which are on the National Register of Historic Places - to make room for an additional courtroom?

The estimated cost started at about $800,000, went up to about $2,500,000, and has now jumped to about $3,500,000. Why do we need another court room when you can walk into the courthouse on several days each week and find existing courtrooms dark and empty? We are hiring a judge to work for us. If I hire someone to do a job for me, shouldn't I know ahead of time whether the job candidate will be lobbying for a new $3.5 million office the day after s/he is hired? I am sure that a re-scheduled forum will clear this up.

Second, and speaking of money, exactly where is it coming from in this election?

The scuttlebutt is that a lot of non-Cole County money is at play. I don't think that we should vote on the basis of scuttlebutt. I think we should know. Is outside money at play or not? If not, why the rumors? If so, whose money is in play, why, and why isn't it being sent back where it came from?

Again: If I am going to hire someone to do a job for my home, Cole County, shouldn't I know whether St. Louis is actually doing the hiring to do the job for St. Louis. I am sure that a re-scheduled forum will clear this up.