2005
Week 14
April 8, 2005

Hi

We all had something to celebrate this week: that the world shows resounding respect and great admiration for the Pope, a man who centered on peace, love and goodwill, and who gave that message in simple, unadorned language without profuse illustrations or eloquent soaring preachers' rhetoric. Amazing. And wonderful.

I have no trouble understanding that people want to show him respect. I am doing that now, and did this week in a prayer before the legislature. I do not understand those who spent thousands of dollars to show respect by looking at his body. I would not walk across the street to look at anyone's discarded body -- president, king, bishop, grave digger. I am not being critical -- we each do what we feel we have to do, and millions did this. I simply cannot understand the attraction. If we were to show our respect by taking those thousands of dollars and days of time to feed the hungry, I would find that exciting and would want to be a part of it.

The point of all this: what a wonderful gift we have to share.

The legislative ride got a bit bumpy this week. Educators touting distance learning for our K-12 schools said they needed $25 million in the next three years to revise the technical equipment and training. Do not ask me to explain that. I cannot even comprehend it. We now have distance learning, one of the best programs in the nation. It delivers top quality classroom experience to the most remote areas in the same way it delivers to larger schools seeking to enhance their curriculum.

The news reported we said "yes" to the concept and "no" to the $8 million for the first year. Good reason. We do not have the money. Obviously, we could take it away from another program. That would be from the $24 million we are planning to add to Special Education. That bill still has to be paid though, so the load would be shifted onto property tax. Argh.

I have grumped about unreal tech costs before and clearly cannot figure out what the standard is we should follow. Our present program is "exceptional, but obsolete." It does the job. So a new program will be really wonderful. O.K., if it is REALLY exceptional, why not plan to use it for ten years? Some parts break down, but most do not. We are being taken for a very expensive ride and we cannot find someone who is accountable.

We added to the research funds for our four medical research facilities. That is money that REALLY pays back. They are leveraging grants for ten times our investment. Helps the economy and does tremendous good. We even get patents from the discoveries, which pay out in the future.

Into this cheery mix Senator Chambers threw his small amendment to require that all recipients agree not to discriminate against sexual orientation. That is easy, because they each already have that explicit policy. However, he still wanted to say it and you would have thought he threw a bomb in the place. We passed it, barely. I heard senators muttering that this will stop productive work in this session, the governor will go bonkers and the end of the world is near.

Well, this may be my slow-of-understanding week, but I don't get it. If we were to go on to talk about offensive sexual activity, I understand the passion. I would join in with dismay about the actress who reported this week that, to keep her husband happy, she often went out and recruited another woman to join the two of them in bed. Do those straights have no shame?

However, we are talking here about discrimination against persons who, by their looks, appear to be gay or lesbian. It is very clear public policy that we do not allow employers to discriminate against anyone. Period. What is so bad about saying so once in a while? In a nice quiet voice. And then moving on to the tasks at hand.

For those who were watching, I will grant that Chamber's voice was not quiet. (This got started with his horror that his hated Alma Mater, Creighton, might get some of the $$$. He does not trust their gay words.)

We possibly have a big deal coming to Nebraska. A theme park. If, of course, we are properly inviting. Laying that thought aside for now, "Wild Escape" has much more exciting potential than the media references have made it. Located near the Platte River, Omaha side, it would draw over one million persons a year to Port of Call shopping, dining, indoor recreation park, water park, a couple of 600 room hotels, entertainment offerings to compete with Branson, Nostalgia Park, Tropic Fantasy, Children's Wild Child Park, rides to compete with anywhere, center for tours and hunting expeditions, promotion of Nebraska products, and creation of 1,200 jobs.

All of this is to be next door to a new Cabela's, which is its own tourist attraction. The theme park could not find enough room in Council Bluffs near the casinos, so is giving up on that. Needs 700 acres. And developers.

Big spending Lowen will offer to take any of you to the half that is free if the dream becomes a reality.

Generously,
Lowen