Krusin' the Capitol
By Nebraska State Senator Lowen Kruse
2004
Week 12
March 26, 2004
Hi
The Mental Health Bill is on its way. This has been a model of how
legislation should be managed and negotiated. I am proud of the staff, committees and
senators involved, and of the citizen response.
An extended study of the challenges developed into the long range plan which
was proposed. Several very strong objections helped to perfect the language
of the goals as well as to create discussion of how to get there. I received
much more mail on mental health than I have received on any other subject to
date.
When it came to the floor, the bill attracted over twenty amendments. That
brought intense dialog, both on and off the floor, with good ideas as well as
goofy questions. All were dealt with and a plan developed off the floor that
satisfied concerns expressed on the floor. Most senators spoke.
We are moving. Now some excellent people have a great amount of work to do
to change our system of delivery of care, and, as always, more funds will have
to be found to make it work.
An attractive idea came to light in another state. The Homestake Gold Mine
in South Dakota was operated for 125 years. Gold digging is over, so they are
converting it to a national lab for research that works best in the stability
of being underground. Wow. Way to recycle!
In all the data collected on taxes, we found an interesting statistic. Our
total taxes as a per cent of gross state product is lower than it was thirty
years ago. In the year ending 1972, taxes were 11.2% of the total. In 2002,
the figure was 10.1%. I would have expected it to be higher, as we now provide
several very expensive services that individuals were required to pay thirty
years ago.
Property taxes were 55.4% of total taxes thirty years ago. The most recent
figure is 38.0%. That goes the right direction, in my opinion, but I am
discouraged about further progress. The public pressure on the legislature to hold
down taxes is more on sales and income taxes than on property. State aid to
schools is our biggest expense, by far, and so it seems natural to go there
when the economy is in trouble.
There is good news. February income was above projection. My estimate is
that we will be at least $60 million over projection by June of 2005.
I groan as we discuss using road bonds to pay for the current budget crisis.
We are better off paying our bills as we go than stretching our payments over
the next thirty years.
Back issues of this newsletter are carried as a community service on the
website of Olive Crest United Methodist Church, located at North 60th and Girard.
Their web is: www.olivecrest-umc.com. If I missed you or you came on later,
help yourself. Quite often I get a message that the email was not delivered
because the mailbox was full. I can also see that Cox is doing well.
A little fun. I discovered that one of my relatives was involved with the
first executions by electric chair in Nebraska. There was a double execution on
Dec. 20, 1920, for the same murder, which incidentally was far less than
heineous.
My uncle's mother was Lulu Vogt. Yes, her real name. She was drowned in her
bathtub by another resident of Elba, upon the promise of a $500 payment from
her son in law. She was considered well-to-do in those days.
Mr. Cole complained that he was beaten by police and that Mr. Grammer never
did pay him the $500. That could be cruel and unusual punishment. Plus, Mr.
Cole was executed 15 minutes ahead of the deadbeat.
"True Detective" magazine, in about 1930, had an article about the event,
lauding the detective work. Our family was not impressed. The sheriff forced
Uncle Sam (yes, that was his name) to stand by his mother's casket while
officers moved all of the other mourners back, to leave him there alone. Hopefully
he would break down and confess to his mother's murder. Well, Uncle Sam was of
sterner stuff.
So may we be.
Lowen
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