Now
Fair
64.0°
High
87°
Low
64°
Full Forecast

Coupon

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Legislative candidates spar on spending, taxes

Comments 13 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

By NATE JENKINS / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Sep 22, 2006 - 12:06:53 am CDT

Candidates for three Lincoln legislative seats spoke Thursday night at a forum sponsored by the NAACP and Lincoln-Lancaster County Women’s Commission.

The candidates are vying for three seats open because of term limits, which soon will force Sen. Marian Price (District 26), Sen. Chris Beutler (District 28) and Sen. David Landis (District 46) from the Capitol.

District 28

Candidates: Bill Avery, professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Bob Swanson, teacher at Hamilton College.

Both candidates for this south-central district stressed the need to heighten the state’s economic standing, which Avery highlighted while criticizing a current approach to job growth.

“We’ve spent millions of dollars trying to grow our large corporations, and we still rank 49th in job creation,” Avery said. More should be done to help small business and expand trade markets for Nebraska products, he said. He also offered a specific plan to reduce property taxes.

Property taxes for some retirees, he said, should be capped.

Swanson expressed concerns about stagnant wage and job growth in Lincoln and the state. He also cited one aspect of state government spending that needs to be carefully managed — payments for Medicaid, the state and federal program that pays healthcare costs for low-income people.

“With the current rate ... it’s going to swallow up almost every other part of the budget,” Swanson said.

As for his support of education, Swanson said, “I’m as pro-education as anyone you’re ever going to find.”

Swanson, a Republican, said he opposes the death penalty; Avery, a Democrat, supports it as punishment for some crimes.

District 26

Candidates: Amanda McGill, college services executive at New Digital Group; Steve Guittar, commercial real estate broker.

McGill spent much of her time Thursday relaying her experience as a television reporter, saying it made her familiar with issues facing Nebraskans. Guittar, meanwhile, said his experience in the business world and working with government officials would benefit constituents in this northeast Lincoln district.

Guittar said reading a state financial report left convinced him the state needs to do a better job of managing its money and that lobbyists have told him to “drop the issue.”

“I don’t plan on dropping it,” Guittar said. Guittar was the only candidate that spoke about the proposed cap on state spending that will be on the ballot. He opposes it, saying it will increase local property taxes.

Property taxes, said McGill, are the “number one issue on people’s minds.”

She said she would support giving more state aid to schools in the state and expressed concern about the energy devoted to teaching non-English speakers the language in schools.

“ELL (English-language learners) is becoming a bigger and bigger burden in our schools across the state,” she said.

Like the District 28 candidates, McGill and Guittar gave surprising answers about the death penalty considering their political parties. Guittar, a Republican, is opposed to the death penalty; McGill, a Democrat, supports minimal use of the death penalty.

District 46

Candidates: Danielle Nantkes, attorney with Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest; Carol Brown, small business owner and business development specialist at Lincoln Action Program.

Brown and Nantkes both tried to distinguish themselves by focusing on how their experiences would help them represent constituents of this north Lincoln district.

“As a resident of north Lincoln for over 30 years, I have a very strong love for the people, families, children and individuals,” Brown said. She often cited her work with a variety of groups in the area, such as neighborhood organizations.

“I am a very strong, grassroots-type volunteer.”

Nantkes, meanwhile, tried to separate herself as “a candidate that has actual legislative experience.” She has helped craft state legislation and worked with senators regularly.

“Having that actual legislative experience will help me hit the ground running,” said Nantkes.

Brown considers reforming foster care and boosting job growth top state issues. Nantkes cited affordable post-secondary education and helping working families.

Both women are Democrats. Brown supports the death penalty; Nantkes does not.

Reach Nate Jenkins at 473-7223 or njenkins@journalstar.com.


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
Predicting guru wrote on September 22, 2006 12:16 am:
" Swanson, Brown, McGill. You heard it hear first! "
KLM wrote on September 22, 2006 12:37 am:
" With all the pressing issues facing this state, what the hell is with this article's obsessing over the candidates' position on the death penalty? There are probably 50 other issues more pressing and more relevant to voters' actual lives. Could we please get a little more in-depth reporting on these races that goes beyond sloganeering and gross generalizations. Unless the forums truly were this bland and uninformative, but I doubt that was truly the case with the participation of intelligent and forward-thinking leaders like Bill Avery and Danielle Nantkes. "
WCG wrote on September 22, 2006 8:31 am:
" The death penalty is certainly a non-issue here. And I've noticed the same tendency in other election coverage (in particular, the first Hahn-Heineman debate). These articles are designed to sell papers, not to educate voters. So they tend to focus on the most controversial topics, and they cover nothing in depth. They're pretty well useless to anyone who really wants to know the candidates. Even the voter guides are designed this way. If you want to be an informed voter, I guess you've got to find other sources. "
ELL important wrote on September 22, 2006 8:32 am:
" What does McGill plan to do about decreasing the "ELL burden"? If a child has poor English skills, she won't be able to learn anything else if we don't have a, English-as-a-second-language program. Many ELLs are legally in the country (if not citizens). You can't refuse a child an education just because he doesn't know English. Most likely is it wasn't his decision to come to America in the first place. I was planning on voting for McGill, but I'm beginning to question her intelligence. "
Cletus wrote on September 22, 2006 9:10 am:
" I like guru's predictions. I'm wondering if the death penalty question comes from the fact that the NAACP co-hosted this event. More Americans who are black are put to death than any other race of Americans. Just a thought, I don't know if that's what drove this question or not. For D28, I'm liking Bob Swanson. Not that I think Bill Avery is unintelligent, but I have concerns about his honesty and integrity, citing his DUI conviction that he commented on in a world herald article earlier this year..nothing in the LJS about it. Also, when I met Avery, I asked his party affiliation and was led to believe he was Republican, especially with some of the mailings I receieved from him as well. And the 'go back to school no tax day' idea is unachievable, meant to sway lower incomes voters into believing they'll save tons of money on back to school supplies. Try coordinating that with all the Target's in the state..he has no clue about programming registers. Swanson was up front and seemed sincere in his answer when I met him. He's pro-education, especially as a community college teacher, which for me is a make or break issue. I wondered if Avery, as an aging, tenured college professor simply wants a feather in his cap going out as a state senator. Again, just my opinion, agree or disagree as you will. "
Michelle G. wrote on September 22, 2006 11:27 am:
" I wish this article had been a little more in-depth. I've felt the Journal Star's attention to legislative races has been a little light in a year when half the legislature is on the way out because of term limits... hopefully this is the beginning of better coverage in the last couple months of the election. As a resident of the 28th district, I'll be voting for Bill Avery. He helped write the state's campaign finance law, helped with the school bond that built two new high schools in Lincoln, and generally has experience that will help him hit the ground running. I know he's pro-education because the State Teachers Association endorsed him. "
Jake wrote on September 22, 2006 11:31 am:
" Cletus- I have met Bill Avery on the campaign trail. He didn't misrepresent himself, but rather asked about the issues of interest to me. He then gave clear, thoughtful answers on my issues. When I didn't agree, he didn't change his story. I think the reason Republicans are voting for Bill Avery in District 28 is because he is the best candidate. "
Cletus wrote on September 22, 2006 12:21 pm:
" Jake, did you mean to say he didn't misrepresent himself to you, because that was not my experience with him. Also, I never stated what my party affiliation was here or with Mr.Avery...I was questioning his. My neighbor was led to believe he was Republican as well, yet later we both learned he is a past chair of the Neb.Democratic party (which I have no problem with). I just think he should have directly answered the question. So, my point being, if he was dodgy on such a small issue as this, in my house, to my face, I'm concerned this behavior is part of who he is and how he'll behave in the legislature. Again, my opinion..I understand you do not share it. I agree with Michelle that we voters need some more in depth coverage of these candidates. I'm no supported of the death penalty either and Mr. Avery does support it, even if in limited cases. I don't agree that the states campaign finance law is effective either because candidates do not have to abide by it, so what is the point of having it? And you are referring to the bond issue that raised all our property taxes...I voted for it but I know many who did not. I applaud his endorsement of the the State Teachers Assoc. I didn't mean to imply Avery wasn't pro-ed. I simply feel that Swanson's been in the trenches for 15plus years as a teacher and knows first hand the problems of funding reaching the classroom and the payroll. Avery is a tenured professor at UNL who teaches a handful of hours a week and is near retirement and I'm concerned he is out of touch with today's public school teacher, endorsement or not. Also, at 60+ years old he gets at DUI? Terrible mistake or not, that's pretty poor judgement to be displaying for an educated college professor with the credentials he has. I'm concerned enough by this lack of judgement being carried into other aspects of his professional life that he doesn't belong representing me or the interests of my district. We will have to agree to disagree...but this is why America is great! We get to vote! "
No No..... wrote on September 22, 2006 1:36 pm:
" What McGill was saying about ELL was that we need to make sure teachers across the state have the resources they need to properly HELP the increasing number of ELL students. As a supporter and friend of hers, I know she was not at all implying that we don't need ESL programs. She was arguing that we need to give teachers MORE help to deal with the growing number of these students. She went into some detail about this at the forum, but of course these articles only print one quote without any explanation McGill understands that Nebraska is better off if all children, regardless of their circumstances, receive a quality education. "
Emily wrote on September 22, 2006 3:18 pm:
" No offense, but Cletus keeps banging the same drum, which makes me suspicious that he's acting as hatchet man for the Swanson camp. Swanson been's teaching at the Lincoln School of Commerce for 15 years while Avery has been teaching for 30 years. The State Teachers had a competitive primary field to choose from and decided that the one who was most in touch with today's public school teachers. I don't think Avery was ever the chair of the Democratic Party, besides, the legislature in Nebraska is elected on a nonpartisan ballot... people who are able to work with both sides should be an asset in Lincoln. "
Cletus wrote on September 22, 2006 8:07 pm:
" I understand your point Emily. I am a concerned voter in D28 who wants proper representation for our district. I've come to my non-partisan opinion on voting for Swanson based on my own conversations with both men and checking out what I could find out about them both independently. Swanson taught at Southeast High School for 9 years and has been at Hamilton College since that time. Avery was chairman on the Nebraska Dem Party. I cherish our non-partisan legislature and I too want the best person elected. My choice is Bob Swanson. "
Joanie wrote on September 22, 2006 9:20 pm:
" Swanson has not taught at Hamilton college for 15 years. He taught at Southeast High School, special education for children with behavior disorders for 9 years and the rest was at Hamilton. Considering Swanson was a public education teacher for 9 years, he most likely can relate to public school teachers. Read his info... he wants superior teachers to be rewarded for their efforts, he wants schools to be accountable for the taxpayers money they receive...maybe that is why he did not get the endorsement? Yes, Avery was the chair of the Democratic Party. You may want to check your facts. "
Thomas J. wrote on September 22, 2006 11:17 pm:
" You guys should all check your facts. Bill Avery was never the chair of the Democratic Party. If he was, I think they would be playing up that fact a lot more since the 28th trends more Democratic. This is a district that has repeatedly elected Chris Beutler (Lincoln's next mayor!) and is not going to elect someone who hates public education so much that he home schools all six of his kids. "

Ads by Yahoo!