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Guest Opinion
Lynne Walz Rural Nebraska is at a crossroads. Our farmers and ranchers are struggling. Our small businesses are fighting to stay open, and at the end of their careers they are left wondering if they will be able to sell the investment they’ve made. Local schools are consolidating, leaving kids traveling to school and towns losing their identity.
I don’t believe we’ve gotten here by coincidence. I spent 8 years as a state senator. I commonly heard that “rural Nebraska is dying and there’s nothing we can do.” I watched as investments poured into our urban cores and large corporations, while small businesses and our small towns struggled without the same opportunities. I believe that Omaha and Lincoln need investments. But we can invest in both. Strong urban cores can help promote growth in Greater Nebraska and a strong rural economy helps Omaha and Lincoln.
In the next four years and beyond, we have some big challenges that will take us all working together to find out-of-the-box solutions. We often talk about the property tax crisis. This crisis affects everyone, including our businesses and homeowners. But it especially hurts our farmers and ranchers. It’s going to take a leader who doesn’t think they know everything and is willing to listen. It’s going to take stakeholders from communities across the state and from all different groups of stakeholders to work together in good faith, and accept that no solution is going to be perfect. However, we must get something done so that we can continue to build off the progress we create.
To truly fix the property tax crisis, we must address the underlying problem. We need to grow Nebraska. If you look at a map of population growth and decline, it’s not a coincidence that most of the growth is along the I-80 corridor. Businesses are looking at how to create efficiencies and how to transport their goods faster. It’s why I passed legislation to expedite the construction of the belt-way system through the state.
I’ve also worked to expand rural broadband. Expanding broadband can attract new businesses. It allows for more remote-workers to live where they want, in rural areas. Broadband can enhance educational opportunities, can address healthcare needs, and make our agricultural practices more precise to save farmers money while producing the highest yield on their crop. Recently, our state government left hundreds of millions on the table of federal dollars, dollars our taxpayers paid, on the table that could have improved our economy.
We need to make sure our small businesses are given a fair shake. Right now our incentive programs largely benefit the large corporations. It’s a problem with the way the program is structured and also the fact the large corporations have the resources to chase grants that a small business cannot.
This allows for an unfair climate where large corporations can sell the product cheaper than what the small business can. In a world where we strive for convenience with online shopping, we must do better to support our main streets, the most convenient option of them all.
We need to improve access to affordable healthcare. First, we need to reduce the cost. Period. Second, we need to improve access.
It’s not uncommon in some parts of the state to drive for an hour to receive the care you need. You may have to be flown by helicopter if it’s a serious issue.
Rural fire departments are struggling with volunteers, adding to the delay in emergency response which can literally cost lives. Nursing homes are struggling and over 60 have closed in the last ten years. This means our loved ones are being ripped from their family and community.
The government can’t solve all of our problems, nor should it.
The hard-working people of Nebraskans want opportunities, not hand-outs. Our elected leaders need to lead with honesty and integrity, not looking to line the pockets of themselves and their buddies. We should be unifying people, not pitting neighbors against neighbors. We will create opportunities by leaders stepping up and bringing people together.
I’m running for governor because I believe the best days are ahead, not behind us, for our farmers and ranchers, our small business, and our small towns and the hard-working people who live there. I look forward to hearing your stories and your ideas on how we can work together to create an even stronger Nebraska.
Lynne Walz is a two-term State Senator from Fremont and is now running for Governor on the Democratic ticket.
