Slone brings campaign message to Sidney

Gubernatorial candidate Bryan Slone thinks his experience with tax reform and passion for small town Nebraska make him stand out from the crowd of Republican candidates hoping to succeed current Gov. Dave Heineman.

"We need fundamental tax reform," Slone said. "I have the background and experience to make that happen."

Slone decided to run because knows that his constituents are most concerned about tax reform. Slone worked in the Reagan administration for two years, laboring to draft Reagan's signature tax reform bill.

"It was the biggest tax reform bill at the federal level that we've ever had," Slone said.

He then worked as the assistant to the commissioner of the IRS to implement the bill.

"I've got a pretty broad tax policy background," Slone said. "I've been a tax attorney and accountant for 30 years."

Slone will draw on his background to change tax law in the state.

"I'll use Reagan type flat tax principals to reform the code here," Slone said.

Reagan eliminated many of the special interest deductions and credits and traded this for lower rates. Slone believes that his experience with tax policy make him the best candidate for the job.

"If I can just have people focus on who the best person is for the job, I like my chances in this race," Slone said.

Slone grew up in the panhandle, spending his high school years in Gering and said he understands the needs of those in the region.

"I think they want leadership first and foremost and leadership around the issues that matter," Slone said. "Reforming taxes, reducing the cost of government, creating more economic development outside of Omaha and Lincoln."

Slone believes those in small communities simply want their politicians to show the same concern for rural communities as for the larger ones. He considers it important, also, to expand educational opportunities in the state while cutting taxes at the same time. He believes this can be accomplished by running the educational system more efficiently.

"Education is moving very quickly to technology based access," Slone said.

He thinks the University of Nebraska has the ability to provide more educational opportunities online to more areas of the state. Money that would be used to construct more buildings on campus could be saved and the university could eventually educate students in communities all over the state.

Slone favors the current Keystone Pipeline configuration, but admits that he would have probably opposed the first version, which was proposed to cross the sand hills.

"I think the risks have largely been mitigated and its an important economic development project for the state," Slone said.

Slone has been good friends with current Gov. Dave Heineman for 28 years, but admits that their governing styles would be different.

Heineman is retiring at the end of his current term.

"I think the key differences are largely due to the fact that we would be different governors at different times," Slone said. "So, he was governor during the most significant recession that we've had in my lifetime."

Heineman was the kind of tough minded governor that got the state through the recession, he said.

"He's put us in the best financial shape of any state in the country," Slone observed.

The next governor must work to grow Nebraska's economy and population, as well as reform taxes, he added.

"We are a slow growth, high tax state right now, which in the long term is not a good situation," Slone said.

The next governor has to be much more effective in teaming with cities and counties all over the state to reduce government spending and create economic development in both urban and rural areas, in Slone's opinion.

"I'll probably be much more engaged at the county and city level," Slone said.

Cutting tax rates is a must to spur economic development in rural areas, in his mind.

"Our tax rates are some of the highest in the country and quite simply make us uncompetitive for getting companies or workers to move here," Slone said.

Economic development can be spurred by understanding the natural advantages of different areas of the state.

"There's no one size fits all economic development plan for this state," Slone pointed out.

The southwest portion of the state should better use its proximity to the Denver airport combined with its high quality of life to develop local economies, he said.

For the past seven years, Slone has managed Deloitte, the largest accounting firm in the state where he worked with many people in their late 20s.

"I've had a lot of experience managing and mentoring young people and what I find is a real reason for optimism is the younger generations today are very focused on quality of life and family and that's exactly what Nebraska has to sell," Slone said.

Slone understands that continued population declines in rural areas of Nebraska are a problem. The populations of most of the towns he lived in as a kid have decreased over time.

"We just simply have to be as focused on economic development in rural areas as we are in urban areas," Slone said. "That's sort of a core reason that I'm running is I come from a small town background and I have a lot of ideas but also a lot of passion for small town economic development."