KLIN

Roger Larson Perspective

Hear Roger Larson's Perspective Tuesday & Thursdays at 7:10a & 5:25p

Lincoln Radio Legend Roger Larson Heard Exclusively On KLIN

For over 52 years, Roger Larson has been one of the Capitol City's most influencial and respected voices. From the Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Commission to various community boards such as the United Way and Children's Museum and management of a local radio station, Roger has served this city well. Now, he brings his unique perspective to NewsTalk 1400 KLIN with his bi-weekly commentaries every Tuesday and Thursday.

Listen to NewsTalk 1400 KLIN at 7:10am and 5:25pm Tuesdays and Thursdays for Roger Larson's Perspective. Also, look for Roger's archived commentaries here on KLIN.com.

If you would like to comment to Roger about his Perspective, email to rogerlarson@klin.com or call 488-9479.

An Unnecessary and Divisive Act (5-8-08)

A move is afoot in our city to put a charter amendment on the ballot. It is directed towards prohibition of contracts between the city and certain elected and appointed officials. This all has a good sound to it. We certainly don't want these officials to gain personal advantage by the usage of their influence in city government.

But to me, it seems like a politically motivated way to embarrass a couple of Council Members who have, or have had, service contracts with the city. There is no legal prohibition to such arrangements.

The subject came up not because of any suspected favoritism or undue influence, but rather a deficient performance on one of these contracts, which by the way, was immediately corrected. The contract was not renewed, at the councilman's request.

In order to become part of the City charter, the proposal must be voted on by the citizens, and in order to get on the ballot, a certain number of signatures must be attained.

The City Council has already strengthened the existing regulations regard such contracts, making them more open, more competitive, and strong enough to prevent any abuse. And we haven't had any abuse, and the new regulations make it virtually impossible to have any abuse in the future.

My hope is that this divisive and unnecessary move will fail from lack of support. We don't need it. We already have all of the protection we need. Why create more restrictions for those businessmen who are willing to sacrifice their time to serve on the Council. To help keep taxes down, we need their competitive participation in providing government services.

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.

Worst Kind Of Politics (5-6-08)

Using public money-our tax money- to buy votes is a time-honored tradition at the federal level. Political candidates make promises to benefit potential voters with federal projects or programs of one kind or another.

But the latest example is so blatant that every voter should not only disregard it but lose all of their trust in the candidates who are making the offer.

I'm talking about the very transparent attempt to buy votes by canceling the federal gasoline tax during the summer months. It was first proposed by Senator McCain, a move which will cost him votes, in my opinion, from his fellow Republicans who will recognize this practice as an unethical way to win favor with voters.

Then Senator Clinton jumped on the bandwagon in what seemed to be a sort of bidding war among candidates to see who could buy the most votes.

Her already questionable reputation for win-at-all costs will take on additional weight with her proposal, I believe.

Although not a candidate, President Bush, in a move obviously meant to try and stop his declining approval rate, also joined in this proposal.

We should all recognize what these people are doing. We should also recognize the folly of the idea itself. Dropping the federal gas tax, particularly in the height of the tourist season, would have the effect of encouraging more consumption at a time when we should be discouraging usage of gasoline. This will cause prices to rise, and just generally be counter-productive to any policies to reduce dependence on foreign oil. It is unfair to those who are trying to conserve. It will just increase the already obscene profits of the oil companies. It will further the idea that all we need to do to solve a problem is to spend money and increase our deficit and our national debt.

It is just a horrible idea, bordering on unethical, and should be recognized as such by all thinking Americans.

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.

Pot Holes & Taxes (4-29-08)

As spring moves along, and finally gets here, we hope, the annual problem of pot holes in our streets gets worse and worse. Some of them are downright dangerous, and certainly damaging to vehicles. Add this problem to the long delayed building and maintenance of our streets in Lincoln, and we have a monstrous problem for our Mayor and Council to come up with any kind of balanced budget.

It seems to me that there is only one answer, and I have heard many people express it the last few weeks.

That answer is an increased property tax levy for the city. Many people will go into near cardiac arrest at the very mention, but it is time to be realistic. Of our total property tax bill, less than 15% of it goes to the city, yet they are charged with providing the real basics of government services, which are police and fire protection, and infrastructure such as streets, water sewer, and the like.

So I think we need to show some real empathy for our city government leaders as they work on this year's budget. We are getting good government, but we cannot afford to delay some of these expenses any longer.

Raising taxes takes real bravery and courage, but sometimes it is necessary, and now is the time for our city.

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.

Moving Ahead (4-24-08)

Lincoln is on the move! Sure, we lost the State Fair to Grand Island, but we gained the needed land adjacent to the University campus. This land will eventually become an Innovations Park, and attract new business, new jobs, new investment, great faculty and great students. We are already becoming known as one of the best research universities, and this park will certainly improve our status.

Another piece of good news is that Gallup is expanding their facilities in Lincoln. This expansion is also undoubtedly due to the proximity of the campus and the pool of intelligent workers there.

Both of these items of good news prove once again that the University of Nebraska is truly the economic engine for the state, as more and more people recognize the growing value of intellectual capital. Our well-educated students who also have that well known midwestern work-ethic will attract employers and their investments.

Many of our best economic development investments and efforts are the ones done in partnership with the University.

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.

A Spring Festival (4-22-08)

The entire nation took notice of the tremendous enthusiasm surrounding our Spring Football final practice, held last Saturday before a capacity crowd at Memorial Stadium. Imagine over 80,000 people paying to watch a team practice! Most colleges and Universities do not draw that kind of a crowd for their best game of the season.

This is truly remarkable for a team that finished last in the Big 12 North last year, and for a new head coach in his first coaching assignment as the top man. Many retail outlets, hotels, and restaurants had comparable business to a regular season game day.

Last week, I heard on one of the talk shows a suggestion that Lincoln, having lost the State Fair, should further capitalize on the Spring Game and build a Spring Festival around it, and create a Grand Weekend, filled with other activities around the game.

Perhaps some nationally popular musical performances, a UNL volleyball spring game, and other entertainment, all held the night before and the night after so that our visitors would be our guests for the whole weekend, not just for Saturday afternoon. That sounds like a good idea to me.

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.

A New Era (4-17-08)

This Saturday, the University of Nebraska Football Cornhuskers will conclude their first spring practice under new Coach Bo Pellini with the annual Spring Game.

A sellout crowd has already been declared, for the first time in Nebraska history. A few other schools can claim huge crowds for their spring intra-squad games, but Nebraska has been consistent with great interest in this event. It should make us all proud that the athletic department has reserved several thousand seats for those youth who are prepared to take an anti-drug oath. Sure, an oath can be broken, but you can be sure this action affects the lives of many through their later years.

We should also be proud that we are retaining such interest in our great athletic programs after the turmoil we have suffered in the last 10 years. For that we can give great thanks to Chancellor Harvey Perlman for choosing Athletic Director Tom Osborne whose reputation for integrity, and his choice of a new coach, have restored the tremendous interest in our athletic program.

Our record of performance on the field, the number of Academic All-Americans, and our consistent attendance is the envy of the nation.

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.

Wrong Action, Wrong Subject (4-15-08)

Amidst all of the really important subjects that he Attorney general could be addressing, it seems he has chosen to showcase his office on one that certainly should rate at the bottom of the priority list.

I'm talking about appealing to the US Supreme Court for a reversal of the Nebraska law outlawing legal execution by use of the electric chair. I believe we are the only state still using this outdated way to carry out this grisly task. Perhaps the Attorney General wants to bring some notoriety to our state.

It would seem much more appropriate that the Legislature should have discussed and acted upon the legality of the death penalty itself, ather than the method to be used.

Life in prison without parole seems to me to be a worse sentence than the death penalty, anyway. But with DNA being used to prove some of these death row inmates innocent, it seems the possibility of a mistake should keep them in prison. Also, many recent studies have shown that execution is about as costly tot the state as life in prison.

I know there are some crimes so hideous that the death penalty seems appropriate, but the chance of error makes it more prudent to keep these people alive.

But back to the action before the US Supreme Court; this action seems foolish, costly, and even embarrassing.

Good Luck to Grand Island (4-10-08)

I appears that everything is settled and that the Nebraska State Fair is being moved to Grand Island in the next year or two. The present State Fairgrounds will be turned over to the University of Nebraska for an innovation Park immediately adjacent to the present campus.

While almost all of us in Lincoln hate to see the State Fair and all of it's memories leave town, we recognize this is an idea whose time has come and that the eventual results will be good for all Nebraskans,

Grand Island will get a brand new fall festival, and their enthusiasm for it gives it a good chance of succeeding. I believe the idea of Fairs started with a Harvest time celebration where everyone could display the fruits of their years labor.

Since most of the agricultural segment is no longer at the State Fair, it's time to move it closer to the agricultural center of Nebraska. The only problem Grand Island must face is attracting enough visitors to the center of the state. I believe they can and will get that done.

Another benefit is that this move will quiet, somewhat, the complaints of people west of Lincoln that all of the state's activities take place in Lincoln or Omaha. Now they will have a chance to prove they can handle these events, too. Good Luck to them!

I'm Roger Larson, and that's the way I see it.