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Letters, 7/17: Mayor costs this city

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Monday, Jul 17, 2006 - 12:12:11 am CDT

Once again the mayor of Lincoln has fumbled. How many chances does she get?

She said put politics aside. What a joke.

Why not have the police department investigate her? Why and how can she give nearly $700,000 in late delivery charges away? She has cost the city more money and friends than any other mayor beside the one before her.

She is the talk and joke of this town.

William Micek, Lincoln

Vote no on ban

It’s hard to think that Lincoln’s council could not dismiss any proposal that Mayor Coleen Seng has to ban concealed carry in Lincoln. In reality, a ban would invite thugs to Lincoln.

Responsible Lincoln residents are not going to have a “shoot-out” on the streets of Lincoln. Members of Lincoln’s council need to wake up and vote no to a ban on concealed weapons!

The Legislature voted the law to take effect Jan. 1. Help the citizens of Lincoln to be great citizens and to always protect themselves.

Fred Wegelin, Lincoln

Stand by professionals

Every school year, we send our daughters to spend their days with teachers. These adults are important in the kids’ young lives. So, of course, we want them to know a lot. But we also want them to be kind, caring and good listeners. We want them to be professionals who know their stuff and know kids’ hearts. Professionals like that are people we can trust.

Professionals like that thrive when they are given the tools to do their job and are trusted to do it. They don’t thrive when their work is scripted and reduced to teaching to tests designed by corporate “experts.” And they don’t thrive when they are made to compete against each other and threatened with punishment if their numbers aren’t high enough.

With its local assessment model, Nebraska and its commissioner, Doug Christensen, have chosen to honor and invest in teachers’ professionalism, instead of handing public education over to testmakers and textbook companies. That’s the Nebraska way: Communities control public education, not the state, not big business and certainly not the federal government.

Now the federal government is pressuring Nebraska to give up local assessments in favor of state tests. As parents, we find this infuriating. Having lived in high-stakes testing states, we know the difference between teaching and test prep. And we know that Nebraska educators are second to none.

We who care about public education need to stand by these professionals and say to the federal government, “Not with our children, you don’t.” 

Maureen and Chris Gallagher, Lincoln

Nothing in common

So poor Pete Ricketts failed in his attempt to get the assessment on his house reduced.

So let me get this straight: He paid $1.2 million for his house seven years ago, has since made improvements on it, and he protested the assessment going from $900,000 to $1.2 million?

In his first campaign ad he said that public schools give you a great education, but apparently he doesn’t want to pay his fair share for it.

He has scared the electorate about the so-called death tax, when in fact it will not affect 99.9 percent of us. Naturally, it will probably affect him. What this country does not need is yet another politician only interested in his own self-gain.

Ricketts says that he feels the burden of taxation as do other Nebraskans.

Ricketts does not feel the same burden that the working men and women of this state do. He has nothing in common with us on this issue, and shouldn’t even pretend he does.

Gregory E. Mertz, Lincoln

What are we missing?

Both Nebraska senators have just voted yes on a bill for yet another free trade agreement, this one with the Middle East state of Oman.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this will cost the American taxpayers at least

$279 million over the next 10 years, mostly in lost payroll taxes for outsourced jobs.

At the same time, the State Department’s June 2006 report on world slavery places Oman near the top of the list of the world’s worst offenders, and on the State Department’s watch list.

What is it about free trade, giveaways to foreign governments, busting the budget and the promotion of slavery don’t we ignorant voters understand that these two geniuses do?

Sam Thornton, Omaha

Thanks for helping

Our family wishes to thank a good samaritan, who gave his first name as Mike, for the help he gave us when our family dog Olive ran in front of his pickup on Monday. It was my fault that the backyard gate hadn’t been locked, and there was no way that his pickup could have avoided hitting her. Mike helped me chase her down, and then drove us to the vet.

Sadly, Olive did not recover. But the compassion of Mike and our neighbors who helped will not be soon forgotten … not by me, nor by my children who witnessed this unfortunate event.

Deb McGuire, Lincoln

Respect single parents

In response to the overwhelming media assumption that children of single “mothers” produce inferior children, and single “fathers” are somehow heroes, and gay parents can’t do a good job, I would just like to say “eat it.”

If your spouse leaves the relationship, and there is no-fault divorce — anyone can become a non-consenting single parent. The hardest part is putting up with people like Julie Benesch, whose recent letter titled “Think of the children” presumes a great deal.

I am sick of it. I have been a single parent of four children for 11 years.

As a single parent, where did the ton of kids from the two-parent families, friends of my children, hang out through junior high and high school? My house. Evidently there are many two-parent families who have it so totally together that they can’t handle the noise, invasion, the mess and the extra cooking required when teens commune. This single parent got to know all of their kids, receive confidences and knew where her own children were at all times.

All four of my children have different personalities. However, all are caring and compassionate. They are all in gifted classes, and the only one who has reached adulthood at this writing is not quite 19 years old, and in his second year of college studying physics and math with a B+ average.

All of my kids have an incredible sense of humor and irony. They are competitive, quick-witted and interesting company. They are readers. They are outgoing and self-assured. They have talent and do not need to rely on hate groups for their self-esteem. They are not perfect, but they are the raw material that is what will make this country greater.

They have watched me work full-time, make dinner before running off to teach one or two nights a week, and come home to do laundry. My kids have always known they could call me at work for any reason whatsoever, and that I would not work for someone who had a problem with that.

I will close with this challenge: The next time you need to feel superior to a single parent, have your spouse take a month’s vacation and do everything yourself. Hmmm … not so superior after all?

Patricia R. Wenzl, Lincoln


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Julie wrote on July 17, 2006 12:16 am:
" WTG Ms. Wenzl!! Its been said before, don't judge a person till you have walked a mile in that persons shoes. Some people just don't get it at all! I applaud you and your children! "
InbredEd wrote on July 17, 2006 1:05 am:
" Internal audits of education performance may be akin to a bank auditing itself without an outside oversight. The potential for corruption and other failures exists whenever blind trust does not have a checks and balance system. Unfortunately students of Nebraska don't know how they are performing compared to other USA students or even international students. Local assessment promotes isolationism and can fail to provide a greater ability to fit into other environments. Has the closed education system caused many students to want to escape the state? Have Nebraska schools failed to reach outside of the state so her students can help drive economic expansion in Nebraska? While Nebraska has invested heavily in students, the return on investment is not being realized. Until a valid testing program is engaged in that will measure academic competence with other USA students, there is little basis to determine effectiveness of the education system and strive for a higher platform of comparable excellence. "
Josh2 wrote on July 17, 2006 2:50 am:
" Sheesh - for all those who keep complaining about the mayor - why don't you all step up to the plate and run for office and quite your complaining???? As for pete Ricketts, his "Nebraska Values" are only in his head - he has no clue what it is like to live each paycheck, be without health insurance, and lucky to pay his bills each month. What a hypocrite....yet conservatives will act like the lemmings and vote him into office.... "
Allen wrote on July 17, 2006 4:10 am:
" Thank you Patricia for reminding me how much my mom has done for me and how much I love her. "
c.h. wrote on July 17, 2006 6:00 am:
" Maureen, and Chris, While I agree with you that Nebraska teachers can stand up to any in the nation, and I DO think that there may be too much emphasis on testing and not enough on educating, (although I know of no alternative if we're going to track our progress)I don't see that it would be a detriment to them to step into the traces with the rest of the nation's teachers, Our kids will have to be assessed with all their peers at some point. Better now, than in college where they'll have to play 'catch-up'. As for your statement, "That’s the Nebraska way: Communities control public education, not the state," oh, that it were true! Could you somehow be unaware of the ill-conceived LB126? Patricia,You have my utmost respect. Many of my kids' friends come from single parent homes. They are all great kids, and as you said, caring, many are honor students, and are held to the same standards of behavior by their single-parent as our two-parent household. I've seen many children from two-parent homes, over the years, not nearly as well supervised, nor well behaved. It's the quality, not the number. Hats off, Patricia, and Good Luck! "
Rhonda wrote on July 17, 2006 7:12 am:
" KUDO'S PATRICIA!!! I am also a single mom--have been for almost 8 years... I work full-time, went to college and got my bachelors degree--ALL while being a single mom!!! My daughter is a B+ student also!! Has lots of friends and a beautiful, well adjusted young lady :) It really upsets me when people think that one parent children are a waste to society!! I'll guarantee you, my single parent daughter is MUCH better off than some of her two-parent friends!!!! My daughter has also learned that she can live and survive WITHOUT NEEDING a man around, she knows how to budget, she knows to live within her means... she's learned A LOT of things I'll guarantee you that a two-parent household would never have even thought of!!! "
M Adler wrote on July 17, 2006 7:22 am:
" Stagnant water and motionless education testing have an unpleasant smell or consequence. America in the 21st century is fluid, in transition and moving are a part of the culture. Unfortunately this can create obstacles for students who are tested in Nebraska, there isn’t a relevant measure to compare academic achievement if they move into Nebraska or most likely, move out of Nebraska to a different standard of evaluation. Local tests may have had a place in ancient times, but the world does not revolve around Nebraska and her students should be allowed to be measured and compete in national testing. This is a benchmark system that allows parents to see how there children are performing with Johnnie in the Silicon Valley or Mary in Boston. Nebraska should want to participate in a national tool so they can assess both student and education system progress. "
Terrance wrote on July 17, 2006 8:00 am:
" Since when did the "burden to learn" become that of the teacher? Since parents stopped parenting and laid the burden on the teacher instead of their child the student. "
beerorkid wrote on July 17, 2006 8:41 am:
" excelent letter Patricia. It is so sad that the religious right has focused on promoting negativity towards GLBT couples. Loving parents like yourself can do a perfect job by themselves, yet more people to support a growing child should be looked at as a good thing reguardless of their sexual orientation. The religious right gets votes from anti gay bills, next is going to be gay adoption to get votes in states that already have wrote hate into their laws. How much lower will they go? "
Another Single Mom wrote on July 17, 2006 8:50 am:
" who had lots of kids around while my daughter was growing up, thank you Patricia!! I knew where they were, what they were doing and all that good stuff. I've had kids at my front door at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday that stayed until 8:30 p.m. because they didn't like home--where there was a father and a mother who lived in a very nice house. And they relished every spoonful of their supper of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup. "
rtdtchr wrote on July 17, 2006 9:04 am:
" Talk about a snow job, the Gallaghers sound like a campaign drive to lure teachers into a corner. Teachers are professionals and deserve to be given the opportunity to demonstrate the work they do stands up to national scrutiny. No longer should they and performance of Nebraska students be closeted by extremists who want to control the state and curriculum. Local control may stiffle beliefs and create false security. As a profession, teachers engage in national conferences and realize America is stronger when she builds on the success and experiences of other professionals. Given the proessional stature of Nebraska's educators it is other states who should worry about students entering the pool. It is the boards of education from other states who will have a valid reason to say, "Nebraska's students are performing better than ours, what is it their teachers are doing'? Validate testing, let students demonstrate they are some of the best in the nation!!! "
JW wrote on July 17, 2006 9:07 am:
" The education debate continues. There is value to both ends of the argument - local assessment gives educators more flexibility in their classroom, without being constrained to teach to a standardized test. Broader assessments allow comparisons with other states to gauge where Nebraska ranks. There has got to be some middle ground here, still allowing educators to have a say over what is taught and how it is taught in their classroom while still allowing state-to-state comparisons. What or where that middle ground is, I don't know - but I think education cannot be effective if it is 1) explicitly dictated by the state, 2) rigid, without flexibility, and 3) lacking parental support, involvement, and encouragement at home and in school. "
tx wrote on July 17, 2006 9:18 am:
" The local testing issue is likely a matter of economic benefit to the people who developed the tests and want to keep a grip on a cash cow. Is it their pocketbook or students they are interested in? And citizens aren't asking for an investigation? "
BR wrote on July 17, 2006 9:21 am:
" Deb, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. Your letter reminds me that there is still some kindness in this world. "
simple solution wrote on July 17, 2006 9:44 am:
" Why can't we agree to have our kids do the standard testing once, next year- you know- to show the feds our kids are indeed way ahead of the rest of the nation academically? Then we can tell them- we told you so! Or do we have something to hide? If our kids are indeed that far ahead of the norm, the feds can adopt our method of testing for the rest of the nation. Like the questions on the high school tests which any 10 year old can answer? "
Wm wrote on July 17, 2006 12:00 pm:
" Poor misguided Fred. From those cold dead hands you can rise up and protect yourself from the thugs. As Ricketts and the conservatives steal your money and keep you scared and down while the thugs that come to lincoln can steal what you have left. Funny how you decide to protect yourself. "
Check it out wrote on July 17, 2006 12:06 pm:
" I believe tests like the ACT and SAT are above average in this state. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think that's at least a little relevant to this discussion, even though not all students take them. "
Yet another wrote on July 17, 2006 1:50 pm:
" I too am a single mom.. three girls and attending college myself. Too often, single moms are stigmatized by media and people who are too quick to look down their noses at them. My children are also doing well in school, have great social skills, and consistently show good moral content. My grandmother was a single parent in 1920, after her husband left and she raised a successful son, who served in the military and was a successful business owner. He was also married for 50 years and they raised a son who followed in his footsteps. To those of you who pass judgement and are sure that we as single mothers and fathers, cannot possibly raise children who succeed, back off. We as single parents do more parenting in a days time that you will ever do. I have to echo Patricia, send you spouse away for a month and see exactly what it is that we single parents do on a daily basis. We are not single parents by choice, this is what we have been given in life and it's exactly what we make of it. We choose to continue making our children the priority and it shows. It's time for you judgemental types to come out of your box and realize that your way is not the only right way ! "
Deb wrote on July 17, 2006 2:04 pm:
" Thanks, BR. I would like to add that we would probably all do well to drive a little slower, especially in residential areas. Seeing all of my dog's legs broken beyond repair was devastating, but I was thankful it wasn't a child. "
gir wrote on July 17, 2006 2:10 pm:
" And what on earth makes you think Nebraska's children don't take national tests?? Not just ACT or SAT, which only some take - check out the Nebraska Department of Education website at the State Report Card link. "
Coyote wrote on July 17, 2006 2:33 pm:
" Patricia should be commended for raising her children on her own. Did you have child support from the father? Why did you divorce him (or he divorce you)? I stop at my commendation where you draw a parallel between yourself and other single parents to gay parenting. Apples and oranges Patricia. Their is no data either confirming or denying how well 'adjusted' children of gay parent households are. So, supporters and detractors really need to go back to the drawing board and come up with some new arguments other than 'there's no proof'. Prove it to us that kids will be okay. Prove it to us they won't. Until then, your arguments are hogwash. And additionally, the issue of gay parents belongs to ALL of us. It's a societal issue, not a flamin' liberal issue, not a religious right issue. It's an issue that belongs to ALL of us, no matter if you're God fearing or an atheistic or just don't care. "
Scott wrote on July 17, 2006 3:30 pm:
" I believe that the Gallagers letter is referring to the mandatory testing that comes with "No Child Left Behind". The ACT and SAT are both college entrance examinations which are used for admission to university study. The testing that comes out of the mandated NCLB is something that begins early in a childs education and continues as they progress through primary and secondary school. NCLB was introduced by the current administration in 2001. It is an ill-conceived plan which forces teachers to "teach to the test". Yet another brilliant plan brought to you by the compassionate conservative decider himself. "
CK wrote on July 17, 2006 3:36 pm:
" I get tired of people talking about being a single parent and the hardships that they have. Not all two parent families have it easy. My husband works the 2nd shift. That leaves me to be a"single parent" and raise the children. I thinks that we have done pretty well. And we don't make much more than single parents do. "
Testy? wrote on July 17, 2006 3:46 pm:
" Tracking of student progress through the education process requires robust testing prior to leaving the system. The ACT and SAT are used as a tool to evaluate the "end product" not the "in process" achievement of students. Colleges and universities utilize these tools to help determine if students meet admission standards. I'm surprised educators haven't clarified or helped parents understand what tests are used for and why as young adults the ACT and SAT help evaluate students in a limited way. Check the "in process" test results...and note how many students out of 100 are failing (re: gir post). "
unrelated Gallagher wrote on July 17, 2006 7:48 pm:
" Way to tell it like it is, Gallaghers. Most people have this sports mentality, and want to know the "score". Schools and students cannot be accurately measured by any paper and pencil testing. To all of you who are in favor of more teating, remember the agriculture analogy: You can't make pigs gain more weight by weighing them more often. We waste valuable time if we are forced to teach to a test, time that could be spent learning. "
farmgal wrote on July 17, 2006 10:02 pm:
" More weighing doesn't increase weight, but it might tell you if your scale and that in the sale barn measure the same. Weighing more than once affirms a correct reading, three readings can be better than one... Different characteristics are important in evaluating students or hogs, those in the trade look for the same whether in Iowa, NE or Ks. "
Kelly wrote on July 17, 2006 11:51 pm:
" CK--Patricia's point is not that all two-parent families have it easy, her point is that while your husband works, you are around to raise the kids. Patricia cannot be in two places at the same time, which is somewhat difficult. Money is hardly the issue. "
yet another wrote on July 18, 2006 1:21 am:
" CK, I don't believe that single parents are speaking of hardships. We are meerly answering to the number of people who believe that single parents are not effective parents. I'm sorry you read the comments that way. I believe that all parents run into difficult times, it's all in how you manage those difficulties. It's a matter of rising above the difficulty and making the most of the situation. Sadly, there is a stigma associated with being a single mom. For me, this was felt when I enrolled my daughter in a parochial school. My daughter was the only child there from a single parent family, and her teacher continuously talked to me like I was doing something wrong. Needless to say, I moved her back to public school and she did just fine there too. Keep in mind that I never wanted to be a single mom, it's just what happened. There are certain things in a spouse that I made a choice not to live with. I give you credit, it must not be easy feeling alone raising your children while your husband works. You do understand how difficult it is raising children, keeping house, and balancing a personal life. Good luck to you, and I hope that things become easier for you, and you get time with your husband. Signed.. not bitter or angry, just happy to have my girls and choices in life.. as it is what you make it! "
Brian Paxton wrote on July 19, 2006 2:08 am:
" Coyote -- Please explain why you think that a person's sexual orientation affects their ability to raise a child. I would really like to know. What harm could possibly be caused by a gay couple raising a child? I think you are just afraid of a child being raised to think that being gay is "OK". We certainly don't want that happening. This is Nebraska, and everyone needs to think that it is "wrong" and "a sin". If we start letting "the gays" raise children, they won't be raised as homophobes, and that is completely unacceptable. I'm sure children will be much better off staying in a foster home with 15 other kids and two adults. "
Lindsay wrote on July 19, 2006 5:38 am:
" Thanks Patricia, for reminding me how hard my mom worked so I could grow up to be well adjusted and well educated. "
GMP wrote on July 19, 2006 2:00 pm:
" Thank you Patricia, I also was a single parent. And I am sure that the children being raised in a home with a gay parent would get the same loving care and devotion. Deb, my heart goes out to you. Sometimes, it is just an accident. "

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