Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sorted by date Results 1108 - 1132 of 1718
Economic and political ruin strikes one country after another. Yes, it seems that, on occasion, the world’s nearly two hundred countries will suffer a disaster, a disintegration of the country’s stabilizing political and economic forces that pushes its citizens into the very center of chaos. For example, the civil war in Syria drags on. An estimated 500,000 people have lost their lives since 2011, and another 13 million have found themselves displaced and forced to flee the country. Once the...
Over time, I’ve heard several comedians and talk show hosts say how a sad it is certain president is no longer in office. That person provided a lot of inspiration for stand-up comedy. I get it. Any individual who runs for public office on the national level needs to be comfortable in a glass house or be arrogant enough to think nothing sticks to him, or her. We’ve seen many examples of that in recent years. We’ve seen people who are so skilled at misdirection they should be an illus...
Bike rides, especially longer ones, offer plenty of time for reflection. When the only conversation is the breeze blowing through the grasses and the hum of traffic competing for the same segment of blacktop, the mind goes other places. It is a good experience, really. There are conversations that need to start internally. The more I watch communication skills in society, the more I wonder if we’ve disregarded the skills of diplomacy. Politics proves it. It doesn’t matter whose side you sup...
Two Viet Cong terrorists—Hynh Phi Long and Le Van Ray—parked their bicycles on the riverbank across from My Canh, the Mekong Floating Restaurant, in Saigon, and left behind bags strapped to their bikes’ handlebars that contained bombs aimed at the restaurant. The first bomb detonated at 8:15 p.m., on Friday, June 26, 1965, and the second, just minutes later. In Vietnamese, My Canh means “beautiful view.” It was a vessel, or a barge, that floated in the Mekong River, in downtown Saigon, c...
As it has progressed more from an idea to proposal, Sidney’s Hickory Square project has come more to the forefront in discussion lately, both public and private. The project’s backers, simply put, are following a sort of “if you build it, they will come” approach toward drawing people into the downtown business district. Central to the idea is developing a place where people can congregate, and, while in the area migrate to businesses. It’s an idea with merit. With the proposal advancing, more information has come out about it. And this is n...
Editor, I see the city council approved LB840 funds to support the hickory square project. They say this comes from the one-half cent sales tax that was approved by the voters in 2012. If the city officials and city council go back and see how this tax was presented and sold to the voters they would see that 50 percent of that tax would go to repair of our deteriorating streets. People would like to know how this LB840 got in there. The city has spent less than one percent on our streets since this tax went into effect in 2013 and has not done...
Encouraging Nebraska students to engage with their government is important to the future of our state and country. For young people in the Third District, my office has great opportunities for students of all ages and interests to get involved. Internships for college students are available year-round in my Washington, D.C., Grand Island, and Scottsbluff offices. In these roles, interns work directly with full-time staff on policy and press issues, attend events, and assist with constituent services. It is a valuable way to experience the...
Last week was a very busy week for me at the Capitol. On Monday the petition drive for the property tax relief ballot measure was launched. The petition drive will put onto the November ballot the same measure as my legislative bill, LB 829. The ballot measure would direct the Department of Revenue to give Nebraska property taxpayers up to 30 percent off their property taxes in the form of a credit or refund. Last fall I received a passionate phone call from a Palmyra farmer. He pressed me to...
This week, Nebraska turns 151 years old. On March 1, Nebraska celebrates Statehood Day, the anniversary of President Johnson signing Nebraska’s statehood proclamation in 1867. We have come a long way since then, and there are many great opportunities to grow the tradition of living the Good Life this year. To ensure a prosperous future for our state, it is important that the State of Nebraska continues to cultivate a pro-growth business climate. National rankings show some strengths we can b...
Funerals are taking place of students caught in the aim of another gunman. The location is Florida. The suspect is a recent student who was expelled for behavior issues, a 19-year-old who by news reports had an assortment of firearms. The sober reality is we are not living in our parents and grandparents time when if two boys had an issue a school yard fight ensued, then ended. In recent years, we have young people with access to guns who created havoc and destruction that shouldn't have happened; not because we are the United States but...
The members of the American military have been putting their lives at risk to defend our country since our founding. As they protect our way of life, they deserve to have what they need to get the job done. When they come home and enter retirement as veterans, they should be treated with respect and service by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I want to highlight the ways that Congress has worked in a bipartisan fashion to reform the VA and give our veterans the benefits they deserve. In...
Avoiding national debt was one of George Washington’s greatest admonitions yet neither liberals nor conservatives have paid much attention to it. It would be well to reflect on his advice this President’s Day. The trillion dollar Republican proposal will raise overall spending caps by about $300 billion over the next two years and will make interest on the debt the largest growing part of the federal budget. This expenditure of the people’s hard-earned taxes purchases nothing—simply vanishes. This prompted Senator Rand Paul to say, “When t...
In December of 1773, near the time of the Boston Tea Party, Benjamin Franklin admitted that he had passed on to the Boston Gazette twenty letters that the Massachusetts governor, Thomas Hutchison had written, calling for an “abridgment of the colonists’ rights.” In so doing, Franklin acted as a whistleblower, before the word was a word, or our country was a country. In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, ten naval officers, including Samuel Shaw and Richard Marven, signed a petit...
Life is precious. It is something that we can never take for granted. From our country’s earliest days, our Founding Fathers recognized life as the first right in the Declaration of Independence. As Americans, we have an obligation to step up and protect life. The right to life comes with responsibilities to ourselves and to others. Nebraskans across our state recognize these duties by standing up for the unborn, caring for the elderly, and getting involved in their communities among many o...
I see the Chamber is pushing for the Hickory Square project at a cost of $732,000. If this project works like other projects the city has done the cost will double. The city of Sidney is in debt over 14 million dollars and they want to add to it. They need to ask do we need it and why do we need it? Will it bring back the men and women clothing stores, the shoe stores, the jewelry stores, the variety stores, the soda shop stores and the barber shop stores that used to be downtown? One of the reasons these stores are gone was the lack of support...
On January 11, President Trump met with Senators in the Oval Office to discuss immigration. At one point a Senator mentioned that the U.S. should also “admit people from Haiti, El Salvador, and certain African nations,” a suggestion that enraged the President. “Why,” he asked, in caustic and unprintable terms, “are we having all these people from those countries come here? It would be better to get immigrants from places like Norway.” Norway? In a vindictive act aimed at the President,...
The move finally happened. Well, mostly. My wife and I decided months ago it will make sense to live in the Sidney area. An effective news editor needs to be part of the community, and a 40-mile drive in this area doesn’t define that. Additionally, favorite vehicles are not known for superior gas mileage and a 40-mile drive after 12 hours or more doesn’t do much for alertness. So it finally happened. We are, at least functionally, in one house. Friends and family often implied the question of...
Since the passage of tax reform, every day we seem to see a new story touting the success of this legislation and our economy. Falling unemployment, continued economic growth, and a booming stock market have made many of us feel increasingly positive about our finances and the economy overall. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, “With a massive tax cut this year, accompanied by significant regulatory relief, we expect very strong growth, millions of more jobs, and h...
Whether they are struggling to find a job or have stopped trying, unemployment is holding down millions of Americans. For them, the American dream feels out of reach. With the passage of tax reform, our attention needs to be on getting everyone who can work to work. A growing economy means more jobs and greater demand for qualified workers. Too many Americans have been stuck on the sidelines, and our goal is to move them into the workforce and out of poverty. On January 18, I had the opportunity to speak at the American Enterprise Institute on...
On January 25 public hearings will be held on my two property tax relief bills, LB829 and LB899. If you would like to testify at the public hearing for either bill, please arrive at Hearing Room #1524 at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln by 1:30 p.m. In order to testify, you will need to fill out a short form which will be available in the hearing room. I encourage everyone who desires property tax relief and who is able to travel the long distance to come to Lincoln and testify. The...
Like many Nebraskans, my life has been shaped by agriculture. For over 40 years, I’ve worked with agriculture and rural development organizations across our state and recognized how the success of ag producers is connected to the success of our state as a whole. As a state senator in the Nebraska Legislature and as a U.S. Senator, common-sense agriculture policies have always been a top priority for me. Now, I have an opportunity to be more involved at the federal level. I am happy to a...
I've lived in Nebraska my entire life, and I really believe our state can be the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family. Certainly, there are some who look down on Nebraska (maybe literally from a window seat) and we might be lucky those people pass us by! But a lot of people just don't know anything about us, or what we have to offer. We all know taxes aren't a strength of ours, but even under the best circumstances, we won't be a low-tax state any time soon. That's why...
Cutting and reforming taxes is key to growing Nebraska. Over the years, together, the Legislature and I have done the hard work needed to hold the line on taxes. Additionally, we have worked together to deliver over $840 million in property tax relief over four years. While this is significant, I’m continuing to make tax relief a top priority. Throughout the state, Senators and I hear stories of how high taxes are hurting Nebraskans. There’s one story that has really stuck with me: This fal...
Small and regional airports throughout Nebraska serve as the connection between rural communities and their families, the economy, and the world. They also act as access points that help attract business and move people quickly. Our airports enable us to compete in a global economy. Without them, Nebraskans in many parts of our state would be hundreds of miles and hours away from the nearest airport. The Essential Air Service (EAS) program ensures air travel remains available in rural...
Editor, High property taxes in Nebraska are taxing people, especially senior citizens, out of their homes. Farmers and ranchers in the current economy cannot hold onto their land or consider passing landed inheritances from the 1800s to their children. For too long, the Legislature has flirted with ideas for property tax relief but has failed to begin the process of passing substantive property tax reform. Finally, Sen. Steve Erdman has taken the challenge, leading with his 50-50 plan in LB...
