2007
Week 19
May 12, 2007

Hi

Last week's patchwork quilt of weirdly-diverse subjects drew several comments. Such as, how can we possibly know enough to vote on each subject? The serious answer includes staff input, listening to floor debate, and developing a sense of instant decision after hearing the data on a new subject.

An answer with humor. This week, as the clerk was mumbling the final reading, which is past all chances of discussion or question, I noted that the title of the bill included the “regulation of perfusionists.” I asked my neighbors (we cannot move from our seats during final reading) if anyone knew what a perfusionist is. Or who? Or how? None did. They are now regulated. Yes, I made a call to find out before we voted, and yes it was about what we had discussed. But never with this elegant title.

To illustrate the complexity of voting I will select our bill on the Dept. of Roads, and look at only one sentence of it. That sentence, on the maximum which Roads can spend on maintaining and constructing our state road system, moves the limit from $350 million this year to $370 million in two years. In discussion we learned that this would be an increase of 2.8% per year, and that construction costs have been going up over 10% per year. So quality of roads will not be maintained and all new projects would be canceled.

Also in our data bank is the statement from party leaders that the governor will veto the $370, as the new figure would cause an increase of 1.8 cents per gallon in gas tax (currently 27.1). Since it has not gone up for about 20 years, this would average one tenth of a cent increase per year. A 3% increase for 20 years would make it 49 cents -- though volume is a factor. Also prominent in the talk was the assumed fact that roads are a major factor in the economic development of the state and that the money produces jobs in Nebraska. Also noted: if you consider the gas tax as a percentage of the cost of gas, it was 25% of the cost of gas a few years ago and went down to 9% last week.

A side issue was that the senator from Valentine appears successful in diverting about $5 million from sales taxes on long term auto leases to road construction, with an additional $5 m. to cities and counties for their road budgets. She wants the $5 m. added to the $370 m.

Is that enough background data on one (critical) sentence? Sorry. So how will you vote -- let's say on the override of the governor's veto, to keep it simple?

If you believe better roads improve economic development, how do you vote?

If you oppose higher taxes in any form, how do you vote?

If you are disgusted with “high tax” talk when Nebraska is 34th in the nation on spending, how do you vote?

If you want to collect more taxes from those driving through Nebraska, how vote?

If you want to collect less taxes from the poor, how do you vote?

If you favor tax shift (take from sales to help gas), how do you vote?

If you see shift as a bit of smoke, since the budget would actually go up and the tax debate is not about answering serious questions, but holding the line, how vote?

If you recognize that the veto will hurt rural roads the most and will almost surely reduce the standards on rural roads and you are from Omaha, how do you vote?

If you think the biggest mission of Roads is to provide safe highways, how vote?

If you hear the threat that cuts would also mean a cut to van transportation for handicapped persons in 65 communities in Nebraska, how vote?

If you worry more about shoulder width on rural highways than about potholes in city streets, how vote?

Do remember, you have only one vote. Next week you will get letters and emails from people who do not know you and cannot spell your name right, who tell you exactly how you think and why: you could have done this only because you are a party hack, or a lapdog for the Chambers of Commerce, or believe the poor work hard when actually they do not, or are kissing up to the rich, or are getting money under the table from road construction companies, or hate farmers, or are a farmer who hates Omaha, or just look for ways to raise taxes, or are so dumb you do not realize that tourist dollars are our second largest income, or all you think about is your salary.

That was easy. Next week, real complexity and confusion: how to move up the educational performance of children from low income neighborhoods.

Improve life without spending public money. This is why they pay us the big bucks.

Lowen