Barrett: Leaders need to listen
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Candidate Vern Barrett in five:
1. I am the father of six adult children.
2. In my job of helping leaders across the state, I have learned the ability to listen is one of the most important behaviors a leader can develop.
Six candidates hope to replace Sen. Carol Hudkins in District 21. She can't seek re-election due to term limits.
Read more in our Voter's Guide.
3. I have visited every state except Alaska and have been to South America and Mexico, primarily in a teaching role. I am a lifelong teacher, first as a high school teacher and then at the university.
4. I’m a jokester. I like to make people laugh. Joy is so important. When you lose the joy in your life, you can’t look forward to Mondays.
5. I am a student of people and a storyteller.
Democrat Barrett, 68, is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor in the Department of Agriculture, Leadership and Communications and works on community development issues through UNL extension services. He is a member of the UNL Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
On the campaign trail:
Barrett has been walking the neighborhoods in his district since February — through rain, sleet and snow. He has knocked on doors no politician has ever knocked on, he believes.
He has been among the rich and the poor.
“The poor have taught me the most,” he said. “We have people in tremendous need.”
Barrett has raised about $24,000, he said, mostly from individual donors.
People say they don’t think their voices were heard on the State Fair move. They thought the fair was taken care of when they approved a measure in 2004 to direct 10 percent of lottery money to help the ailing fair.
Older people are upset that program funds for aging Nebraskans are being cut, he said.
Q: Should the state have a role in the (illegal) immigration issue? If so, what specific legislation or bill might you propose?
A. Immigration is a federal issue, and it has become a wedge issue for some people who like to get headlines and inflame people about something they can’t do anything about.
Immigration officials say they need better facilities for temporary detainees.
My belief is illegal is illegal. I have many friends in other countries who would like to come here and can’t.
The solution is to not give jobs to undocumented workers. If there were not those jobs, they wouldn’t come.
Q: How can the state address high property taxes?
A. Several solutions to offset property taxes are: more state aid to schools, widening the homestead exemption for older citizens and taxing farm land differently than residential property. The real solution is to increase economic growth in the small business sector, thus increasing revenue to decrease property taxes.
— JoAnne Young
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