Vap should continue on commission

For Jerry Vap of McCook, public service is a way of life. Soon after graduating from the University of Nebraska and returning to the family's seed and hardware business in McCook, Jerry became a member of the board of directors of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District.

He served with distinction, rising through the ranks to become a conservation leader on both the state and national level. In successive order, he became the president of the Nebraska Association of Resource Districts and the National Association of Conservation Districts, and -- following that -- served as chair of the National Conservation Association Board of Trustees.

As it turned out, this was the kind of commitment Gov. Mike Johanns was looking for in 2001 when he began a search for a new member of the Nebraska Public Service Commission. It was important for the governor to find a person of integrity, since questions had arisen about the conduct of Daniel Urwiller, the commissioner who Johanns was replacing.

The governor's selection of Vap has proven to be an excellent one. In just over two years, Vap has made significant contributions to the commission and to the state. One of his primary efforts has been to expand the state's distance learning network to include more remote rural schools. Since Vap came into office, 24 schools have been connected to the network, with only six left outside the loop. "We're working on those and should have all schools connected in six to eight months," Vap said.

The public service commissioner from McCook has also played a key role in gaining more bonding protection for farmers who sell grain. Legislation, which Vap helped formulate, passed the legislature unanimously.

More challenges are ahead. Within the next few years, the Nebraska Public Service Commission must guide the state's telecommunications industry through a maze of regulations and overlapping systems, coming up with a program that best serves the people and the telecommunications' providers.

As Vap has demonstrated, he is well qualified to serve as a member of the Nebraska Public Service Commission. We encourage Jerry Vap to file for election to a six-year term on the commission, and we urge the voters of the vast western Nebraska district to support this dedicated board member in the primary election in May and the general election in November.