Letters, 5/5: Scudder grasps Regent's role

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Recently I was very disappointed to see that Tim Clare, candidate for University of Nebraska regent, opposes in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. I’m sorry to see Tim pulled into a scheme for votes that is totally out of the control of the regents and in my opinion plays on racism. I contacted Tim about my feelings and received no reply.

I contacted Earl Scudder’s campaign office after not hearing from Tim. Scudder got back to me almost immediately. I think he understands the situation, and I believe he realizes that while being anti-illegal immigrant might get one some votes, in this case it is not a regents’ issue, nor is it fair to the kids who would be hurt.

Here are some facts about this matter:

We are talking about 28 University of Nebraska students. They are the children of undocumented workers who are here in our state seeking a better life for their families.

These kids are bilingual graduates of Nebraska high schools. They must work to gain citizenship. The Legislature has set the rules they must follow. Them paying in-state tuition costs us nothing more than any other state student in the system. They add to the enrollment we are trying to build.

Again, this is not a position that the regents can change, nor can the governor. He tried last session and failed.

Hopefully, when these students finish higher education here, they will stay. We Nebraskans need all the help we can get in understanding how much others want to work and study so they can live like we do.

I think a vote for Earl Scudder is a vote for someone who understands a regent’s role and who also has hope and compassion for kids, no matter where their parents snuck in from.

Joe Herrod, Lincoln

Environment vs. Big Oil

Jimmy: Hey, Dad! Why’s the car slowing down??! We’re stopping … and in all this traffic!

Dad: Sorry, kids … we’re out of gas. Hear that sound of the engine winding down? That’s the sound of Congress letting us down.

Judy: What do you mean, Dad?

Dad: It was all in the Journal Star, kids. President Bush said that because Congress has not allowed oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, we’re running out of oil for gasoline.

Judy: But Dad, my biology teacher, Miss Frogface, says we don’t have many natural wildlife habitats left. Don’t we need to leave some for future generations?

Jimmy: How much oil could possibly be there compared with America’s demands? Mr. Octane, my physics teacher, says that if we had started developing alternate energy sources years ago, we wouldn’t have this problem today.

Judy: And how can Congress be to blame? Look how much fuel we’ve used in the Iraq war. And didn’t we used to buy oil from Iraq? Couldn’t we have used some of that for our automobiles at home? Then we wouldn’t have to …

Dad: Tut, tut, children. Who could possibly know the best solutions for the complexities of the energy crisis, you and your teachers or President Bush? We’re just going to sit here and read the paper until the Congress decides to listen to President Bush and allow us to drill in the Alaskan wilderness. Comics, anyone?

Jimmy: Gee, Dad, thanks for doing such a swell job of explaining everything. I’ll take the comics.

Judy: (I think we’re living in the comics!)

Gene Bedient, Lincoln

District 21 needs Barrett

I have not been involved with politics previously. When I was approached by Vern Barrett, I went to visit with him. I found that Vern cares about people and was impressed by his response to my questions so decided to help with his campaign to become the senator for District 21, replacing Carol Hudkins.

I especially appreciate that he has taken the time to visit with people, going door to door to meet Ashland residents to determine their concerns about the future of Ashland and how he can best serve them.

Vern has been a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a number of years so understands the importance of promoting quality education for our youth and the vital role they play in the future of Nebraska.

He acknowledges and appreciates not only the contributions older persons make to our communities, but the issues they face. Vern recognizes the need for quality health care for these valued citizens, which affects not only the older person but family members, neighbors and everyone involved in providing care.

He intends to work toward improvement in the networks serving both populations.

I appreciate that Vern Barrett is a caring person, knowledgeable about issues, thoroughly understands economic development and is committed to working hard to provide better services while safeguarding our resources. I believe he will be a strong advocate for our district and accomplish all this while striving to contain costs.

Suzy Campbell, Ashland

Harness state’s wind power

I’ve felt that we Nebraskans need to find new methods of securing our energy future for the state’s residents and businesses alike. One of several newer paths to take is the investment and endorsement of providing our state with a more broad-based source of electric power.

Nebraska Public Power District has been investing in wind power and advocating for groups of Nebraska residents and businesses combining their investment efforts in Community-Based Wind Turbine Power Farms.

This newspaper printed one such story just last week (April 25, “NPPD agrees to buy power from new Crofton wind farm”) outlining NPPD’s continuance toward this more broad-based future for electrical power. Last year, Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law a bill that encourages Nebraska towns and landowners to build wind farms that would sell their power to the NPPD customers.

Financing for these wind farms has been accomplished through private and federal monies, channeled through a C-BED (Community-Based Energy Development) program that provides an incentive for communities and Nebraska businesses to build wind power for the future.

Nebraska is the sixth-windiest state in the nation yet has few wind farms, so far. All the states around us are far ahead in using their free wind power to generate clean, non-polluting, renewable power that does not have as its source farm products or foreign oil and gas. So far, the wind is not a taxable item, either. Coal, one of our current sources of energy, is going to cost more and more as stricter pollution-controlling devices are required to be implemented.

Elections are coming up for board members for NPPD. The current board member from Lancaster County — who is known as the clean energy advocate — is Mary Harding, who has led the advocacy movement within and without the NPPD for a new plan for Nebraska’s energy independence.

Rex Walton, Lincoln

Drivers need to pay attention

About a year ago, I returned to Nebraska after an absence of 50 years. I have noticed two problems with drivers.

First, turn signals are not used very much. This is a discourtesy to other drivers, can be dangerous and is against the law. Without a signal, I have to wait for you to move, thus holding up me and any traffic behind me. I might guess your action will be one thing and you do another. We could meet in an intersection. I believe it is the law to indicate your turns.

Second, little attention is paid to school zones. I have been constantly surprised to see drivers zip through zones without slowing down. I questioned someone about this and was told that they didn’t consider the zone active if children were not visible. This is a dangerous attitude. Kids could come flying out of a building and into the street. No driver could stop in time at regular posted speeds.

These observations do not apply to all drivers. Yet I have seen enough violations that I have taken the time to write.

Val Schmiedeskamp, Lincoln