Candidates, State Chamber air views at breakfast

Thursday, October 21, 2010

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Nebraska lawmakers will have three priorities this year, according to the president of the state Chamber of Commerce: The budget, the budget and the budget, in that order.

Speaking at the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Forum at the Chief Restaurant this morning, the official, Barry Kennedy, said the chamber's involvement in issues at the federal level has increased recently as a result of demand from its members.

"It has almost become all consuming," said Kennedy.

State representative candidates, Tom Baker and Mark Christensen, spoke briefly to the group as well. Baker cited his experience and leadership skills as merits for his campaign and Christensen highlighted his accessibility and dedication to the interests of the district.

Mayor Dennis Berry, also up for re-election to the McCook City Council on the November ballot, questioned the candidates regarding what could be done about equalization of funding to Nebraska School Districts.

Berry blamed the current funding formula for $750,000 in lost funds to the McCook schools.

Christensen cited a lot of work that needed to be done to return fairness based on needs and resources to the formula, while Baker said a compromise should have been fought for much harder for when "sparsity" requirements were recently removed from the formula.

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  • Southwest Nebraska lost millions of dollars in state aid to education with the "new" formula. Omaha and Lincoln area schools have a tax levy around 95 cents and received MORE state aid money. Many of the schools in SW Nebraska have levies around $1.05 and took major cuts. Clearly the schools with levies around 95 cents have the ability raise more property tax dollars. Children in SW Nebraska should have the same opportunities that schools with lower levies have. And the economic loss to this area is HUGE. Equalization aid is not doing the job of equalizing opportunities. The formula needs changed. A child in McCook or Hays Center should have the same chances as one in Omaha WestSide or Lincoln East.

    -- Posted by dennis on Thu, Oct 21, 2010, at 3:38 PM
  • Did anyone ask former Senator Tom Baker why he torpedoed the ethanol plant just west of mccook as a legislator at the time McCook needed his help vs his favoring of his own backyard plant in Trenton and less competion for corn ??.....and later even voted against any additional time to get the McCook plants operational, Never before has a former politcian taken more potential jobs away from McCook area citizens than Baker in his me first attitude with the Trenton plant vs McCook .. Who especially in Mccook area can vote and trust Tom Baker and bottomline we need to keep him a former legislator that was booted with term limits laws and now he is back??? more favors for his buddies??? ... time for new blood and new ideas in McCook and the district.. .......

    -- Posted by Cornwhisperer on Thu, Oct 21, 2010, at 3:48 PM
  • And the water law Christensen passed favored Imperial. Except, his unconstitutional water law was more detrimental to McCook and area farmers than an ethanol plant being built 20 minutes away. At least people in McCook can drive to a new job, they can't run from illegal taxes passed by irresponsible senators.

    -- Posted by McCook1 on Thu, Oct 21, 2010, at 5:41 PM
  • "Please be respectful of others and try to stay on topic."

    I will give Tom Baker the same amount of respect he has shown to his opponent in this race. None. What a schmuck!

    -- Posted by cornfedgirl on Wed, Oct 27, 2010, at 11:03 AM
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