P\C[P DATE[6-21-94 AUTH - The Exon Library

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DATE[6-21-94 

AUTH[ 

SOUR[Daily Record 

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HDLN[Exon Helping Direct Flights 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D. C . - Flying between Omaha and Washington, D. C. could soon 

get much easier, U.S. SENATOR JIM EXON (D-NE) said recently, following Senate 

approval Thursday night of his amendment to eliminate some bureaucratic 

stumbling blocks that have made it difficult for airlines to fly between the 

Cornhusker state and the Nation's capital. 

Earlier this year, Milwaukee-based Midwest Express announced its plans to 

begin offering non-stop flights between Omaha and Washington this summer. 

However, the Exon amendment will give the Secretary of Transportation 

flexibility to shift existing takeoff and landing times to accommodate a more 

reasonable Midwest Express flight schedule. The amendment was requested by 

Midwest Express and Omaha airport officials. 

"Once Omaha gets non-stop service to Washington, it will likely open the 

door to reaching other destinations," Exon said. "This important step will help 

business travelers and families alike and will help create and keep jobs in 

Omaha. 

Exon's provision was part of a bill that would authorize funds for airport 

improvements and must still be approved by a future House-Senate Conference 

Committee before becoming law. 

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DATE[6-19-94 

AUTH[Gary Svoboda 

SOUR[Lincoln Journal-Star 

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HDLN[Political big shots to flock to Lincoln for ceremony 

TEXT[ 

Lincoln wildlife artist Neal Anderson faces a hectic three-day schedule 

late this month in ceremonies which kick off the sale of his painting of a pair 

of red-breasted mergansers on the 1994-95 federal duck stamp. 

It's the second time around for Anderson, whose painting of a pair of 

lesser scaups adorned the 1989-90 waterfowl stamp. 

One thing is for certain, there will be more political celebrities on 

hand for the "First Day of Sale" ceremony at the State Capitol rotunda on July 

1. 

In 1989, only Rep. Douglas Bereuter attended. This year Nebraska Sen. 

J.James Exon and Bob Kerrey, representative Bereuter, Peter Hoagland and Bill 

Barrett, Gov. Ben Nelson and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt are all 

scheduled to be on hand. 

Carol Schrader, Omaha television personality, will be the master of

ceremonies. 

A temporary "Merganser Post Office" will be open following the Nebraska 

ceremony at the atrium of the Cornhusker Hotel, the site of the post dedication 

celebration. 

Anderson will be in Washington DC. on June 29th for the opening of a 

permanent duck stamp postal museum at the Smithsonian Institute, and the next 

day the official signing ceremony will be held in the nation's Capital. 

"Generally things are going very, very well," the Capital City artist 

noted. "They're moving 100 mph faster than they were before (in 1989). We're 

trying to get things so on July 1st people can start moving prints. Ill be 

starting remarques on executive prints in the next week or so. The last time I 

used this (period of time) for promotion and then did the remarques later. If I 

heard one negative thing that time, it was that some of the galleries complained 

that it took too long to get their prints. 

"It's a real selling tool for some of the galleries to be pushing it for 

the Christmas season, so it's a plus if it can be in hand for Christmas. I would 

imagine a majority of the orders will be out by the end of July," Anderson said. 

Part of the difference this time around is experience, and in 

circumstances. Anderson is now an established name in his field. 

"It was a different time then and we needed promotion. Now we don't," the 

Lincoln wildlife artist said. 

In 1989 Anderson spent a lot of time on the road, attending shows and 

drumming up business. "It's good when you get to do that, but you find out it's 

not as effective as you might think. Still, you never know when you've created a 

follower. 

"We have a fall schedule where you can't get away from them (appearances), 

some things we can't and don't want to get out of," but for now business will 

stay close to the Anderson home. 

And that business has looked good. 

"I'm really surprised at the amount of orders that are coming in. I really 

thought we'd see a dropoff, and it hasn't been so, we have a really big stack of 

orders" obtained through personal efforts. 

"Nationwide we don't know exactly where we stand and we won't know 

until the fall, but everybody says things are going well.' 

Wild Wings, a Minnesota publisher, is handling production of prints, as it 

did for Anderson's lesser scaups painting. 

This year if art collectors buy a federal duck stamp print they can add $20 

for two Nebraska voluntary waterfowl stamps and get a free Nebraska waterfowl 

stamp print. "We hope to raise money for Nebraska That way because it piggybacks 

with the federal (stamp print) and also gives people who supported us a big 

thank you," Anderson said. The LincoIn artist has donated all four paintings 

used for the Nebraska voluntary waterfowl stamp program. 

While winning the federal duck stamp contest is reputed to have made 

several wildlife artists millionaires, Anderson said that he views the long 

range picture as being more important. 

"The thing that I hope for is not mega prices, but that our stuff is still 

desired over the years," he said.

After it was announced that Anderson had won the federal competition for 

the second time, he said that he probably wouldn't enter the national contest 

again because, while it's a lucrative situation, it's also hectic and 

nerve-wracking which can take a toll on family life if it's not managed well. 

But today? It's hard to say. Maybe be will, after all 

"It would be kind of unique to win three times. In modern times (since 

1974) the only other two time winner has been David Maase," Anderson Sai(L 

But, since there's a mandatory three-year layoff period after winning the 

competition, Anderson has plenty of time to mull over his options. 

"If you ask me the same question in a month, I might have a different 

answer," he said. 




SOUR[Norfolk News 

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HDLN[Flooding from North Fork susides while damage assessed at church 

TEXT[ 

Flooding from the North Fork of the Elkhorn River subsided in Osmond, while 

church officials in Wayne weighed what to do next in the wake of a storm that 

nearly destroyed their church. 

Lightning struck the Redeemer Lutheran Church early Saturday as heavy 

thunderstorms moved through Northeast Nebraska, flooding some homes and damaging 

buildings. 

The blaze destroyed the church's roof, while smoke and water damaged other 

parts of the building. 

Franklin Rothfuss, church pastor, said St. Paul's Lutheran Church allowed 

Redeemer to use its building for services on Sunday morning. St. Paul's is 

located on block east of Redeemer, and the two churches have considered merging 

in the past. 

Rothfuss said he thought Redeemer had insurance of about $1.25 million to 

help cover the loss. 

Some 100 people looked on later Saturday morning as fireman Kevin Koening 

of Wayne removed a concrete cross erected on the eastern peak of the church. 

Koening worked carefully for nearly 20 minutes before the cross was secured with 

a chain. 

The fire destroyed the church altar, but a concrete statue of Christ was 

unscathed by the flames. Rothfuss also said he was concerned about church 

records and other historical records. 

Heavy rain fell in a few hours in Northeast Nebraska early Saturday, with 

reports of up to 9 inches of rain near Wausa, about 35 miles north of Norfolk. 

Much of the rainfall drained into the North Fork of the Elkhorn River and 

forced officials to evacuate more than a dozen homes Saturday afternoon in 

southern Osmond after the water overran a levee. 

Bill Schreiber, Osmond civil defense director, said water covered parts of

Highway 20 and Highway 121, shutting them down until early Sunday morning. Water 

was knee-deep in some streets. 

At about 2 p.m. Saturday, water started entering southern Osmond, and 

Schreiber said the fire department was summoned to begin evacuations. 

"Some people were very reluctant to leave, but they all did evacuate," he 

said. "The fire department helped one handicapped elderly lady to safety and the 

senior citizens' center opened for people to rest and have a place to stay." 

Most of the homes were built in a flood plain and some had been flooded out 

earlier this year when an ice jam brought the river water up, Schreiber said. 

"We had a lot of help from other fire departments and towns. People from 

Pierce, Plainview and Randolph came. They helped fill sandbags, and we 

sandbagged around some houses and were able to prevemt some water from getting 

into some of the houses," he said. 

The Civil Air Patrol from Norfolk provided security through the night and 

aided with traffic control. 

Now comes the task of cleaning up. Schreiber said the ball diamond was 

under about 6 feet of water at one point. The concession stand was half 

submerged. 

"A lot of cornstalks and trash washed in there. It's going to take a lot 

of cleaning," he said. 



AUTH[Jackie Kroeger 

SOUR[Omaha World-Herald 

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HDLN[Math, Science Funding Eyed to Aid Blacks 

TEXT[The Omaha School District board gave approval Monday for school officials 

to work with Sen. Bob Kerrey D-Neb., to seek federal funding for a program aimed 

at improving math and science scores for black students. 

Kerrey has said he will seek $1.84 million in federal funding for each of 

the next five years. The money would be spent on an array of programs that would 

provide more tutoring and mentoring programs, community liaison programs, 

teacher training and parental involvement to improve the achievement test scores 

the Omaha School District's 12,642 black students receive in math and science. 

The program was written in response to criticism by Kerrey of 

Superintendent Norbert Schuerman in December for lagging scores among black 

students on a national achievement test. 

In other action Monday, working drawings for a $5.1 million renovation and 

expansion of Dundee Elementary School were approved by the school board. 

Bids will be solicited in July for the project to renovate classrooms and 

office space in the school at 3l0 N. 51st St. A l6,000-square-foot, two-story 

addition also will be built for a gymnasium and library. 

The Dundee school building is 90-years old, making it the oldest school the

Omaha School District uses. 

The renovations are expected to start by the end of July and be completed 

by the start of the 1994-95 school year. The gym addition is scheduled for 

completion in September. 

Project architect John Sova said the gym will have a pitched roof to make 

the new construction blend better with the older homes in the Dundee 

neighborhood. That style of roof will cost an estimated $12,000 to $14,000 more 

than a standard flat roof. 

Some board members asked about the project's cost, which is now estimated 

at $5.1 million. That is more than the $4.8 million to $5 million cost the board 

approved in February, said board member Kathleen McCallister. 

Cost has been a sensitive issue on the Dundee project, which was listed at 

$850,000 in a l988 bond election. Estimates as recently as last September said 

the project would cost about $2.9 million. 

Nick Stolzer, an assistant superintendent, said a nationwide shortage of 

some construction supplies - such as concrete - is contributing to the 

project's increased costs. 

Ms. McCallister asked that architects break out some project alternatives 

for the board to consider eliminating if the costs exceed projections too much. 



AUTH[David C. Beeder 


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HDLN[Exon Seeks Better Slots For Airline 

TEXT[Washington - Omaha-Washington airline service starting July 10 could be 

made more convenient under legislation introduced by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., an 

airport executive and an airline official said Monday. 

Brenda Skelton, marketing vice president for Midwest Express Airlines, 

said the amendment adopted by the Senate would allow the Secretary of 

Transportation to improve the airline's departure time at Washington National 

Airport. 

Donald Smithey, executive director of Omaha Airport Authority at 

Eppley Airfield, said success of the service on the Milwaukee-based airline 

could benefit Nebraska and western Iowa. 

"It's the best opportunity we've ever had to allow good, timely 

service to the nation's capital," Smithey said. "lt's very important." 

If the Exon amendment is approved by the House, Midwest Express would 

apply for a Washington departure time between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to replace 

its current 9:15 p.m. slot, Ms. Skelton said. 

She said market studies indicate that an earlier departure time would 

increase the popularity of the flight from Washington to Omaha. 

Ms. Skelton said departure slots from Washington National between 5 

p.m. and 6 p.m. "are not for sale at any price." 

She said Midwest Express will start its service between Washington and 

Omaha with two round-trip flights daily using a DC-9 seating 60 people.

The first flight will depart at 7:10 a.m. from Omaha, arriving at 

Washington National at 10:25 a.m., she said. 

The same plane will return to Omaha at 10:55 a.m., arriving at 12:30 

p.m. lt will depart from Omaha again at 5:15 p.m., arriving at Washington 

National at 9p.m. 

She said the return trip to Omaha will leave Washington at 9:15 p.m., 

arriving at 10:55 p.m., "which is too late for many travelers." 

The lowest fare, based on nonrefundable advance purchase with a 

Saturday stay-over, will be $229 round trip, Ms. Skelton said. 

Business-class, one-way fares will be $229, she said. There is no 

first-class on the flight. 

Ms. Skelton said the Exon amendment was introduced to give the 

Secretary of Transportation authority he said he needed to make changes in 

departure slots from Washington National, La Guardia Airport in New York, and 

O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. 

They are the only airports where airlines are allowed to own and 

resell time slots for arrivals and departures, Ms. Skelton said. 

She declined to say what Midwest Express paid for its slots at 

Washington National. 




SOUR[Scotsbluff Star-Herald 

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HDLN[Senators predict long, hot, dry summer 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey predicted Monday that we're in 

for a long, hot and dry summer. 

The Nebraska Democrats said they wrote to a Washington bureaucrat to 

alert him that livestock producers have already asked about opening Conservation 

Reserve Program acres for grazing. 

In the letter to Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service 

administrator Grant Buntrock, Kerrey and Exon said a lack of rainfall is 

becoming a significant problem for livestock producers. 

In its weekly crop report, the state Agricultural Statistics Service 

agreed. The report rated the conditions of pastures and ranges at 89 percent of 

normal as of Sunday. That compares with 104 percent last year. 

Temperatures for the week were four to 10 degrees above normal, the 

report said. 

A 30-day forecast from the National Weather Service issued last week 

predicted that the Corn Belt would be warmer and drier than normal. 

Art Douglas, head of the atmospheric sciences department at Creighton 

University, said he agrees and that the weather pattern last winter and this 

spring are similar to the drought years of 1931, 1934, 1936, 1939, 1983 and 

1988. 

"It would be a paradox that after two years when crops were reduced by cold and 

too much moisture, if the crops were reduced this year by hot and dry," Douglas

said. 

The crop report said topsoil moisture rates 58 percent short and 42 percent 

adequate while subsoil moisture is 23 percent short and 77 percent adequate. 

Despite Monday's rain, the Panhandle is in severe drought, said Ken Hubbard of 

the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's High Plains Climate Center. The area needs 

6 to 8 inches of rain to bring fields up to normal, he said. 

Handy Peters of McCook, who is the chairman of the Nebraska Wheat Board, said 

hot, dry weather and a spring freeze have cut potential wheat yields in areas of 

the Panhandle and southwest Nebraska by half. 

Hot, dry winds turned his field golden overnight, and he planned to start 

harvesting his crop Monday. 

The crop report said winter wheat conditions declined to 34 percent poor, 45 

percent fair and 21 percent good. The crop is about a week and a half ahead of 

normal development with 88 percent turned color. 

Corn conditions also declined last week and were rated at 23 percent fair, 72 

percent good and 5 percent excellent. Growth has been slowed by a lack of 

moisture. 

The market is extremely reactive to weather news because crop yields 

could go either way, said Lynn Lutgen, UNL extension agricultural economist 

If growing conditions are good the nation could see a whopper of a 

corn crop, perhaps rivaling 1992's 9 billion-bushel record. 

At the same time, high-priced corn would be a blow to the livestock 

industry, Lutgen said. Cattle feeders have been losing money for months because 

of low prices paid for cattle, and prices are expected to fall lower. And, 

market-ready swine have been selling for break-even prices. 

Soybean conditions ranged from 31 percent fair, 68 percent good and 1 

percent excellent. 

Sorghum conditions were 27 percent fair, 71 percent good and 2 percent 

excellent. 

Dry bean planting was virtually complete with 94 percent of the crop 

emerged. Some farmers have switched to beans to replace sugar beets which were 

hailed or dried out. 

Alfalfa rated 1 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 46 percent 

fair, 43 percent good and 3 percent excellent. 




SOUR[Columbus Telegram 

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HDLN[Gering gets grant for homeless shelter 

TEXT[OMAHA(AP)-A western Nebraska community services organization has received a 

$50,000 federal grant for its youth runaway and homeless 

shelter. 

Panhandle Community Services in Gering received the grant from the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey and

Jim Exon, both D-Neb. announced the grant Monday. 




SOUR[Nebraska City News 

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HDLN[Action would ease air rules 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Thanks to an amendment offered by Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., 

flying between Omaha and Washington, D.C., may improve. 

According to a release from his office, Exon's amendment given Senate 

approval Thursday night will give the Secretary of Transportation the ability to 

make existing takeoff and landing times more convenient. 

Milwaukee-based Midwest Express recently announced plans to offer 

nonstop flights between Omaha and Washington. 

Officials from the airline and the Omaha airport requested the 

amendment, which still must be approved by a House-Senate Conference Committee. 



AUTH[Gov. Ben Nelson 

SOUR[York News-Times 

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HDLN[Proposal to upgrade U.S. highway system would greatly benefit Nebraska 

TEXT[With summer upon us, scores of Nebraskans have loaded luggage into the 

family car and headed to vacation destinations. We travel the picturesque 

roadways, highways and interstates of this nation to visit family, explore our 

history and enjoy time away from day-to-day life. 

While we travel through the state it is easy to lose ourselves in the 

natural beauty of that which surrounds us. We marvel at rivers, trees, rolling 

hills and countless other gifts from nature. But often we forget how lucky we 

are to have quick and easy access to this beauty. Nebraska is fortunate to have 

an intricate network of highways that provides us with access to points 

through-out the state. We must take pride in these highways and work to maintain 

them for the future 

The U.S. House-of Representatives recently passed an initiative which would 

make great strides in that direction. If approved by the U.S. Senate, it would 

provide funding for maintaining, and in some cases, upgrading the National 

Highway System. The NHS would be composed of more than 159,000 existing miles of 

roads throughout the nation. If Congress fails to act before September of 1995, 

money that might otherwise go to rural states, including Nebraska, for the 

highway system could be diverted to urban centers for other uses. The state of 

Nebraska could lose $35 million next fiscal year which has been appropriated for 

our 3,000 miles of roads which have been designated as part of the national 

system. 

The importance of this funding cannot be understated. While roadways serve

to provide leisurely access to points unknown, they also provide economic 

livelihood to dozens of Nebraska communities. Transportation is a fundamental 

tool to help foster commerce and economic development. Here in Nebraska, we have 

seen towns and cities boom as improved transportation routes are established. 

Just as the highways provide us with the opportunity to escape the daily grind, 

they also provide our businesses and farmers with quick and easy access to 

markets around the nation and the globe. 

The members of Nebraska's congressional delegation have been strong 

supporters of the National Highway System, and l will continue to work with them 

to see that crucial federal dollars are returned to Nebraska to develop and 

maintain this system. Our future is counting on it. There are some special 

interests which want to kill the National Highway System and divert federal 

funds into a proposed National Transportation System emphasizing mass transit in 

urban areas, to the detriment of rural states such as Nebraska. I support 

improvements in urban transportation, but feel that highways are the back-bone 

of our transportation system, and funding for them ought to come first. 

We must continue to work together to ensure that Nebraska is provided the 

opportunity to develop highways to meet our needs, rather than being forced into 

a plan drafted by the federal bureaucracy. I am hopeful that with the support 

pledged by Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey the Senate will approve this crucial 

measure to focus resources on the U.S. highways that provide livelihood for this 

One Nebraska. 




SOUR[Ainsworth Star-Journal 

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HDLN[Bureau of Reclamation personnel tour area waterways 

TEXT[Five personnel from the Department of Interior - Bureau of Reclamation were 

given a day-long tour of areas north and south of the Niobrara River including 

Sand Draw and Bone Creek. The tour covered 110 miles and gave them a chance to 

look at the drainage and tributaries of the Niobrara River Valley north of 

Ainsworth. 

The five were (l-r) Roger Andrews, Grand Island; Mark Phillips, Billings, 

MT; Ed Everaert, Billings, MT; Mike Kube, Grand Island and Larry Cast, Grand 

Island. 

The group was in the area studying the Ainsworth Irrigation District. At 

the Irrigation District, they were looking at projects for district water 

management to maximize efficiency. The study determines if any improvements can 

be made. According to one of the individuals, prelimi-nary analysis shows the 

district is making very efficient use of its water. 

Seven local residents were also on the tour. 

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SOUR[Crete News 

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HDLN[4-H'ers to Washington 

TEXT[For The Senator - Saline County 4-H'ers presented a surprise to Sen. J.J. 

Exon in Washington at the Senate Capitol steps. Cindy Juricek (left) of Denton 

and Steve Jirsa (right) of Friend) talked with Exon and present him a gift 

certificate for one dozen kolace at the Wilber Bakery and a homemade coffee mug. 

Sen. Exon gave orders to Capitol Police to escort the Saline County 4-H'ers past 

the general public to view the Senate Chamber in the "family" seating area, 

where they heard legislation being debated in the Senate on school gun control 

and military cost overruns on government bids.-Photos by Randy Pryor 




SOUR[Grand Island Independent 

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HDLN[McDonald to attend leaders conference 

TEXT[Mark McDonald, son of Mike and Irma McDonald, has been selected to attend 

The National Young Leaders Conference from July 3 to July 13 in Washington, D.C. 

The conference is a leadership development program for high school students 

who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholastic merit. McDonald, who 

will be a senior at Grand Island Central Catholic, will be among 350 delegates 

attending the conference from across America. 

The theme of the conference is "The Leaders of Tomorrow Meeting the Leaders 

of Today." 

Highlights of the program include welcoming remarks from the floor of the 

United States House of Representatives and a panel discusions with journalists 

at the National Press Club. 

Delegates will visit foreign embassies and receive policy briefings from 

senior government officials. McDonald also may meet with Sen. James Exon and 

Robert Kerrey, and U.S. Representative Bill Barrett or a member of their staffs. 

To complement these meetings, McDonald will participate in skill building 

activities, including one where students role play the President, members of the 

Cabinet and representatives from Capitol Hill who must respond to an 

international crisis between Russia and China. 

The conference also will include a model Congress, where delegates assume 

the role of U.S. representatives. 



AUTH[David Lynch and Fred Knapp 


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HDLN[Nelson endorses ethanol phase-in as part of clean fuels program 

TEXT[Support for a compromise phasing in ethanol content in the new clean fuels 

program continued to grow today as Gov. Ben Nelson joined agricultural and 

ethanol interests endorsing a proposal expected to be announced by the Clinton 

administration next week. 

The Environmental Protection Agency, which is in charge of developing the 

final regulations for the reformulated fuels program under the Clean Air Act, 

has been considering phasing in the requirement that fuels such as ethanol 

constitute 30 percent of reformulated gasoline. The compromise would be a 15 

percent requirement the first year and 30 percent the second. Some proponents 

say a phase-in would allow additional time for producers to add the needed 

capacity to their plants and keep the supply and prices stable. 

"While we may not agree that it's necessary to go to 15 percent, we think 

it's a healthy compromise," Nelson said at a Lincoln news conference. 

"Nebraska has a great stake in the future of ethanol," said Nelson, 

estimating that the fuel has brought to Nebraska $650 million in investment, 

3,000 construction jobs and 1,900 jobs in ethanol plants and related areas. 

Among officials accompanying Nelson was Randy Cruise, board chairman of the 

National Corn Growers Association, who said demand for ethanol could add 15 to 

25 cents per bushel to the prices of Nebraska corn over the next few years. 

The fight by corn state lawmakers for a legislated share of the 

reformulated fuel has continued for more than four years, in a contest with oil 

interests. During the presidential campaign, former President Bush announced 

proposed regulations that would secure a substantial share of the market for 

ethanol. Bill Clinton promised an even larger share, and under pressure from 

Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Clinton 

announced regulations that would guarantee a 30 percent share. 

The final rules for that policy are to be announced by the end of the 

month. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, a staunch Bush supporter, has angered 

corn state colleagues of late by sending them a letter urging them to reject the 

phase-in. 

Kerrey rejected Grassley's view. 

"While I understand the political advantage to be gained by sending such a 

letter, especially when it is made available to the press,' Kerrey wrote, "its 

vitriolic and partisan tone poses a threat to our states, not an aid to them. 

The worst thing we can do as we defend our corn farmers against attacks from big 

oil is to soil the ethanol debate with the bitter politics your letter 

displayed." 

Exon also wrote Grassely a letter of objection. Exon said the phase-in may 

be the wisest move. 


DATE[6-22-94


SOUR[Gordon Journal 

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HDLN[Allison to attend Young Leaders Conference 

TEXT[Keith Allison of Gordon has been selected to attend The National Young 

Leaders Conference, from July 3 to July 13, in Washington, D.C. The National 

Young Leaders Conference is a unique leadership development program for high 

school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholastic merit. 

Keith, a senior at Gordon High School, will be among 350 outstanding Delegates 


The theme of the National Young Leaders Conference is "The Leaders of 

Tomorrow Meeting the Leaders of Today." Throughout the eleven-day conference, 

Keith will interact with key leaders and newsmakers from the three branches of 

government, the media and the diplomatic corps. 

Highlights of the program include welcoming remarks from the floor of the United 

States House of Representatives and a panel discussion with prominent 

journalists at the National Press Club. Delegates also meet with Senator J. 

James Exon, Senator Robert Kerrey and Representative Bill Barrett or an 

appointed member of their staff to discuss important issues facing Gordon and 

the nation. 

To complement these special meetings and briefings, Keith will 

participate in a number of leadership skill-building activities. In one 

activity, "Foreign Policy and the President," students role-play the President, 

members of the Cabinet and representatives from Capitol Hill who must respond to 

an international crisis between Russia and China. Culminating the National Young 

Leaders Conference is the "Model Congress," in which Delegates assume the roles 

of Unites States Representatives by debating, amending and voting on proposed 

legislation on crime, television violence and presidential war powers. 

The National Young Leaders Conference is sponsored by the 

Congressional Youth Leadership Council, a nonprofit, nonpartism educational 

organization. Founded in 1985, the Council is committed to "fostering and 

inspiring young peopIe to achieve their full leadership potential." Over 300 

Members of the United States Congress join this commitment as members of the 

Council's Honorary Congressional Board of Advisors. Each year, only 7,000 

outstanding youth nationwide may participate in 20 sessions of the National 

Young Leaders Conference. 

"The conference provides the opportunity for students, like Keith, to 

distinguish themselves as tomorrow's leaders," said John Hines, Council 

Executive Director. "Delegates not only gain knowledge and experience in the 

nation's capital, they leave with a sense of accomplishment and an increased 

ability to face the challenges of the future." 



AUTH[Paul C. Hay 

SOUR[Wymore Arbor State 

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HDLN[Washington Focus 

TEXT[ 

Ninety-three teens, Washington, D.C., buildings, museums, history, lugging heavy 

suitcases, long bus rides, walking, heat and humidity, headaches, long 

waitinglines, tourguides, short nights, long days, T-shirt vendors, ocean waves, 

cafeteria food, fast food, 30 empty pizza boxes our citizenship trip will be 

remembered in many ways. 

But the greatest remembrances may be feelings of pride in our history, of 

pride in the state we represented, of gettng to know 4-H youths from six states, 

from meeting Senators Exon and Kerrey, of friendship as we got to know each 

other, of a bus driver in Washington, D.C. who became our friend, of unity as we 

helped each other with problems and pulled together as a group of 99, of 

laughing and having fun together, of Kim Schultis singing "In Heaven's Eye's" to 

conclude the talent show. These teens made me proud! It was an experience we 

will remember forever. 




SOUR[Burt County Plaindealer 

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HDLN[Washington trip "up close" and personal 

TEXT[Take 11 seniors, one American government teacher, a school superintendent, 

turn them loose in our nation's capital and one might expect just about anything 

to happen. 

Jane Walford's advanced government students spent a week in April touring 

Washington, D.C., learning first hand how our government works through the Close 

Up Washington program. 

Making the journey from Tekamah-Herman were Zach Wimeer, Troy Kassmeier, 

Steven Tippery, Joe Wood, Chad Zink, Kim Connealy, Amanda Paul, Erin Mussack, 

Kami Jensen, Stacie Chatt and Kristie Harmon. 

Amanda Paul writes: We arrived in Washington, D.C., and all the girls went 

for a walk and shopping at the Pentagon Mall. Later that night we had a meeting 

with our guide and she told us what to expect the rest of the week. 

Tuesday was free day at Capitol Hill. We walked around all day and visited 

all the rooms possible. We met Bob Kerrey, Jim Exon, Doug Bereuter and got our 

picture taken with Kerrey. Wow! 



SOUR[Hemmingford Ledger 

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HDLN[Unfunded Federal Mandates

TEXT[\ 

AUTH[Exon 

During the last few months, l have spoken with many Nebraska elected 

officials regarding unfunded federal mandates and the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

Recent Senate revisions will make much needed changes to this law that just 

about everyone agreed was onerous, arbitrary, and out of date. My central goal 

throughout debate on this bill was to reduce the burden for local taxpayers in a 

way that provides continued protection for public health and safety. The Senate 

agreed to meaningful improvements and l was pleased to play a pivotal role in 

reforming the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

In the months leading up to this debate, l heard from elected officials all 

across our state. Time and time again, whether we were discussing drinking water 

or other laws, the message was much the same. State and local officials want to 

do the right thing by their citizen taxpayers, but feel hamstrung by burdensome 

federal requirements. 

For example, the revised Senate bill provides relief from testing costs for 

systems with clean water and makes more small communities eligible to use 

lower-cost technology. In addition, the Senate bill directs the EPA to 

concentrate on contaminants that pose real health threats rather than chasing 

after imaginary risks. 

With a great deal of effort, we are beginning to make progress in helping 

local governments and eliminating the "one-size-fits-all" mentality that causes 

so many problems. For example: 

- In March, the Senate voted 67 to 31 in support of regulatory 

flexibility for small businesses and governments. 

- More recently, the Senate has been working on Superfund reform aimed 

at easing burdens on municipalities and local units of govemment. 

- In other action, the Senate agreed to increase the 

Payments-In-Lieu-of-Taxes formula which compensates counties for foregone 

property tax revenue on federal lands. 

It is often said the "devil is in the details," and that is certainly true 

when it comes to working out problems between federal, state and local 

governments. Clearly, there is much work yet to be done. But believe it's 

imperative that we continue fighting for common sense changes to help local 

taxpayers. 

While changes like these don't usually make the network news or grab 

headlines in the magazines, they're the nuts and bolts of good government. And 

it is exactly these kinds of problems that Nebraskans want Washington to face up 

to. Finding solutions won't always be easy. But the help and advice l get from 

Nebraskans makes all the difference in the world. With continued hard work and 

attention to details, l believe we can continue to make a difference. 




SOUR[Humboldt Standard 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ready for more NAFTA

TEXT[ 

Ready for more NAFTA? Of course, you are. Now you can ask the John Deere 

employees near Moline how they intend to feed their children, make the house 

payments, or maybe just buy enough food to exist. John Deere has decided to 

close their plant, move it to Mexico, exchange workers at $1O-$25 per hour for 

Mexican workers costing $.50 to maybe $3.00 per hour (for the really skilled). 

NOW comes the price of the tractors you will be purchasing in the future, no 

doubt they will drop in price a bunch in proportion to the savings in labor 

costs. Want to bet on that? I'll give odds JD prices go up, not even stay 

static, but where will all those profits go? Hey, get rich, buy all the JD stock 

you can afford. This just isn't a John Deere decision, folks; all the big 

manufacturers are doing the same. If you think this statement is just my 

opinion, read the editorial by Mr. Bob Herbert in the Tuesday, June 21, Lincoln 

Journal. The last line in his commentary is the whole answer: The movement of 

low-skilled jobs, out of the United States, is what the NAFTA debate was all 

about, and that debate is over." (He writes for the NY Times). 

Senator Exon and Cong. Barrett were the only two Nebraskans that voted NO 

on NAFTA. 




SOUR[Lincoln Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Finances of lawmakers are stable 

TEXT[ 

New financial statements for members of Nebraska's congressional delegation 

revealed no major changes in sources of annual income or size of accumulated 

wealth. 

Here is The Associated Press' capsule report: 

Name: Sen. J. James Exon 

Party: Democrat 

Earned Income: $133,600 plus $2,603.40 is 

retirement pay as former governor of Nebraska. 

Honoraria: None. 

Major assets: Farm land In South Dakota worth $15,001 -$50,000; 

vacation iot In Colorado valued at $1,001-$15,000; bank accounts in Washington, 

Omaha and Lincoln, each valued at $15,001 -$50,000. 

Major sources of unearned income: $1,001-$2,500 from South Dakota 

farmland; $2,903-$7,000 in bank interest. 

Major liabilitIes: None. 

Gifts: None. 

Narrative: National Grain Trade council provided a trip for Exon 

and his wife to Las Vegas; a separate trip to Las Vegas was paid for by National 

Association of Broadcasters.

Name: Sen. J. Robert Kereey 


Earned Income: $133,600. 

Honoraria all donated to charity: $200. 

Major assets: owns 35 percent of Grandmothers, Inc., which 

operates a chain of restaurants, stock valued at more than $1 million; lot In 

Omaha valued at $1 00,001 -$250,000; Various Life Centers Inc., investments 

totaling $380,004-$1,100,000, a health and fitness center business; personal 

residence In Omaha, 

$11111 100,001-$250,000;Kerrey Holdings $100,001 -$250,000 which holds stock 

in Prairie Life health and fitness club, Cottonwood Ltd., health club, Sun 

Valley Lanes bowling alley and Kerrey's restaurant. 

Major sources of unearned income : $84,429 from Kerrey Holdings; $73,976 from 

various Life Centers operations; $5,000 from Grandmothers, Inc., $21,696 Navy 

pension. 

Major liabilities: Mortgage and business loans from various banks totaling 

$305,007-$765,000. 

Name: Rep. Doug Bereuter 

Party: Republican 



Major assets: Shareholder of corporation that owns 38 acres of land and 

residence in an unincorporated portion of Summit Co., Colo., and a parcel with 

storage building In Utica, Nb. valued at between $100,001 and $250,000. 

Major sources of unearned income: Mutual fund dividends of between $2,002 and 

$5,000. 

Major liabilities: None 

Gifts: None 

Narrative: The Congressional Institute Inc. paid for Bereuter's February 1993 

trip to Princeton, N.J., to attend a House Republican Retreat. Lists son's 

annuity rights under settlement of personal iniury action as worth between 

$50,001 and $100,000. 

Name: Rep. Peter Hoagland 




Major assets: Municipal bond fund, worth between $250,001 and $500,000. 

Securities fund, worth between $100.001 and $250,000. Cottage and land at Omaha 

Beach, Iowa, valued at between $100,001 and $250,000. Loan to Hoagland for 

Congress (source unspecified), worth between $100.001 and $250,000. 

Major sources of unearned income: Interest, between $3,502 and $7,500. 

Major liabilities: None. 

Gifts: None. 

Narrative: Sold his interest in the Hoagland Family Partnership, which consisted 

of family members pooling resources to invest in stock and bond 

markets on Oct 31,1993, and reinvested all earnings in the partnnership. 

Name: Rep. Bill Barrett

Party: Republican 


Honoraria: None 

Major assets: Half interest In Lexington, Neb., corporation, valued at between 

$500,001 And $1 million. Owns 56 percent of Lexington, Neb., insurance company, 

estimated value of between $100,001 and $250,000. 

Major sources of unearned income: Dividends, rent and interest with a combined 

value of $30,002 to $100,000. 

Major liabilities: Mortgage, between $250,001 and $500,000; a personal loan of 

between $50,001 and $100.000. 

Gifts: None. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bill to end horror stories 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon hailed unanimous Senate passage of a bill last night to 

streamline the government's $200 billion-per-year 

procurement system, and hopefully end the repeated horror stories about federal 

purchasing practices. 

"American taxpayers have had their fill of hearing about $600 

ashtrays or toilets and other wasteful spending by government bureaucrats," Exon 

said. "Taxpayers want government bureaucrats to shop the way ordinary people 

do--by finding the least cost item which will do the job." 

The bill will save money by encouraging more off-the-shelf 

purchases by government agencies, cutting down useless regulations and 

specifications which add unnecessary cost and rooting out waste, fraud and 

abuse. 

Exon, a senior member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee 

which helped develop the legislation, said the bill will make it easier to do 

business with the government and stop contractors from charging taxpayers with 

the cost of enterntainment, lobbying, advertising and "golden parachute" 

payments to executives. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Seeks Change in NASA's Budget 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., joined a bipartisan group of House and 

Senate members Wednesday in calling for elimination of $2.1 billion requested by 

President Clinton for a space station.

"While I support space exploration, our nation's spending in this area must 

be consistent with the overwhelming national need to reduce federal deficit 

spending," Exon said. 

"In my opinion, this is an excellent program. Unfortunately, it is one that 

our nation cannot afford." 

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., said the General Accounting Office 

estimated the space station eventually could cost more than $l00 billion. 

"It has not even been built and already we have spent nearly $11 billion on 

it," Shays said. 

Shays co-sponsored an amendment to a House bill appropriating $l4.3 billion 

next year for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

The amendment would require NASA to use the $2.1 billion allocated to the 

space station for other NASA programs, including termination of contracts. 




SOUR[Wood River Sunbeam 

BK#[ 

HDLN[News from the area 

TEXT[From The Ravenna News... Train Wreck Claims Two Lives... A train wreck June 

8 at Thedford claimed the lives of two Burlington Northern trainmen, engineer 

Tim Anderson, 34, of Alliance, and conductor Don Branon, 37, of Bridgeport. Two 

Injured in Saturday Accident... Edward Sonnenfeld, 48, of Ravenna and 9 year old 

James Orr were injured in a one vehicle accident northeast of Ravenna when 

Sonnenfeld's pickup failed to complete a right turn. 

From The Wood River Sunbeam... Exon Helps Cornhusker Ammo Plant Disposal,.. 

The Senate Armed Services Committee late last Thursday night adopted a provision 

pushed by U. S. Senator Exon to authorize the Department of the Army to 

negotiate directly with community interests in Hall County for the conveyance of 

the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant once the ongoing environmental 

clear-up of the site is completed. 




SOUR[Gering Courier 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Panhandle BPW Holds Meeting 

TEXT[Panhandle Business and Professional Women held their monthly meeting on 

June 8 at the Elks Club in Scottsbluff. 

The meeting was hosted by past presidents Linda Witko, Beth McKibbon, Creda 

Thompson, Pamela Richter, Carol Lockwood, Bobbie Eskam, Deb Carlson, Cindi 

Neuwirth, Pam Bauer, Janet Stark, Nadine de'Bacco, Lassa Neilsen and Connie

Ruff, celebrating Panhandle Business and Professional Women's 13th anniversary. 

Patricia K. Rapp, Western Nebraska representative for Senator J._James Exon 

and Senator J. Robert Kerrey, gave a presentation on "Tender Power" and gave 

tips on networking for women. 

For information about Panhandle Business and Professional Women contact 

Sandra Lutz at 247-2796. 



AUTH[Exon 

SOUR[Atkinson Graphic 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Economic 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon(D-Ne.) and Bob Kerrey(D-Ne) are co-sponsoring a bill 

to spur economic development in the Northern Great Plains states, including 

Nebraska. 

The bill calls for establlshing the Norhtern Great Plains Rural Development 

Commission, which would study and recommend ways to develop the economies of 

rural Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and North and South Dakota. 

The bill would create a commission with 10 members: one appointed by the 

governor of each state, and one from each state appointed by.the U.S. Secretary 

of Agriculture. 

The commission would hold hearings, conduct studies and determine how to 

promote economic development on a regional basis throughout the states. The 

commission would "sunset" in two years. 

Those of us who represent these states know our residents have plenty of 

talent and a strong will not only to survive, but thrive," Exon said. "Our 

farmers and ranchers, our business owners and tradesmen, our young people and 

senior citizens all have a stake in finding ways to marshal our human and 

natural resources and technology to 'grow' rural economies. 

The Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission will explore ways to 

help spur the economic development of rural communities in Nebraska," Kerrey 

said. "Nebraskans know that our state's economy is tied to the health of our 

rural communities. This bill can help all Nebraskans by providing opportunities 

for rural communities to grow economically." 




SOUR[Nebraska City News-Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to aid youth shelter 

TEXT[U.S.Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) Kerrey (D-NE) announced that the Panhandle 

Community Services in Gering has received $50,000 from the federal government to 

help run its shelter for runaway and homeless youths. 

"Many troubled young People need a safe place to stay while they work

through their problems," Senators Exon and Kerrey sald. "We believe professional 

counselors can help these young Nebraskans learn to communicate with their 

families so that the turbulence of adolescence doesn't follow them into 

adulthood." 

The U.S. Department of Heal and Human Services awarded the the grant. 




SOUR[Polk County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Honored for Senate Leadership in Making World Safer 

TEXT[Senator Jim Exon was honored Tuesday with an award presented by the 

Military Production Network for his "critical leadership role" in making the 

world a safer place. 

Exon, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Nuclear 

Deterrence, Arms Control and Defense Intelligence, was recognized for his role 

in the successful passage of the 1992 Nuclear Test Moratorium Amendment, the 

1993 decision to extend the U.S. nuclear test moratorium, and the initiation of 

multilateral test ban talks in 1994. The group presented the award to Nebraska's 

senior senator Tuesday night during a well attended Capitol Hill reception. 

Exon has led the effort in the Senate for action that has led to an 

agreement with Russia through Dr. Viktor Mikhaylov, head of the Russian nuclear 

weapons complex. 

"I am pleased to accept the award and will continue my long-recognized 

leadership role for a safer and saner nuclear world by reducing the nuclear 

portion of the continuing arms race," Exon said. The Military Production Network 

is a national grass-roots organization which works on issues relating to the 

nuclear weapons production complex. 




SOUR[Oxford Standard 

BK#[ 

HDLN[HUD grant funds may include Oxford housing rehabilitation aid. 

TEXT[Nebraska Democratic U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, announccd June 

6, that the federal government has awarded Nebraska a $15.24 million grant for 

housing and economic development across the state. 

If Oxford is one of the communities funded through a Community Development 

Block Grant for housing rehab, the government funds for the local project would 

come from this grant. 

Oxford should know on Monday, June 27, if the community qualified for the 

grant. 

The money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) makes 

loans and grants available to local governments for building and rehabilitating

housing for economic, community and business development projects. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Says Clinton Plan for Planes Is a Bomb 

TEXT[Washington - A Clinton administration plan to reduce the U.S. fleet of 

heavy bombers was criticized Friday by Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., second-ranking 

member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

"The committee found the administration's message confused and 

inconsistent," Exon said in an interview and a Senate speech. 

He said the administration's plan to reduce the bomber force to 80 planes 

over the next few years was "at variance with no less than their own bottom-up 

review, the Air Force's earlier bomber road-map plan and at least four other 

independent studies." 

The force now consists of 97 B-l bombers and 120 B-52 bombers, he said. 

Exon said a report on administration strategy - presented to the committee 

by Defense Departrnent officials at a closed hearing "was painfully inept." 

"it provided no quantitative analysis of bomber requirements," Exon said, 

"and the oniy reason this senator could find for its (security) classification 

appeared to be to avoid embarrassing its authors." 

The Nebraskan, whose state contains one of the country's largest bases for 

such planes, said the administration plan "appears to be budget-driven rather 

than requirements-driven." 

The committee responded, he said, by recommending that Congress: 

þ Prohibit any bombers from being scrapped. 

þ Install conventional weapons on all bombers to be retained. 

Preserve bomber manufacturing plants for a year. 

Exon said the committee also endorsed a national missile-defense program 

aimed at reducing the time required to deploy "a thin, limited defense of the 

continental United States." 

Such a system, a far cry from the impenetrable "Star Wars" shield that 

President Reagan once envisioned, is needed to guard against a sudden, 

un-foreseen attack, he said. 

"The intelligence community's record for providing warning of developments 

a decade or more in advance is spotty, to say the least," Exon said, citing as

an example the failure of any agency to forecast the depth of Soviet economic 

decline and the Soviet Union's collapse. 

Exon said the Defense Department authorization bill this year calls for 

spending $270 billion in 1995, $10 billion less than last year. 

One item endorsed for an increase, he said, was the cleanup of nuclear 

weapons facilities. Spending would rise from $6 billion in 1994 to more than $10 

billion in 1995 under the bill. 




SOUR[Beatrice Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon pans Dole's Bosnia Amendment 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - If the United States lifts its arms embargo 

on Bosnia without United Nations approval it could seriously jeopardize American 

efforts in other parts of the world, Sen. Jim Exon said Friday. 

"If we say to the U.N., 'We don't care what your position is,' we would 

undercut the cooperation we have suggested and engineered" for other countries, 

the Nebraska Democrat said. 

Exon's criticized an amendment by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., which called for 

the United States to lift the embargo without going through the United Nations. 

Exon's comments echoed the Clinton administration, which lobbied against 

Dole's amendment saying it would disrupt the NATO 

alliance, scuttle peace negotiations between Bosnia and Serbian forces and widen 

the war in the region. 

"Some in Congress are trying to play secretary of state or secretary of 

defense and wrongly trying to force the hand of the president," Exon said. 

Bucking U.S. allies would hurt American efforts to deal with such countries 

as North Korea, Haiti and Iraq, said Exon, a highly ranked member of the Senate 

Armed Services Committee. 

U.N. peecekeepers may pull out of the country and "cause more blood to 

flow" if the United States lifts the embargo, Exon said. He said supporters of 

the Dole amendment haven't logically thought through the problem. 




SOUR[Hastings Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[MLMH nurse earns oncology scholarship 

TEXT[ 

The following is a roundup of local and area business highlights:

* Marcia Donley, a staff nurse on -the Oncology Unit at Mary Lanning 

Memorial Hospital, is a 1994 recipient of an Oncology Nursing Foundation 

Bachelor's Scholarship presented at the Oncology Nursing Society's 19th annual 

congress in Cincinnati May 4-7. 

The $2,000 scholarship will be applied to her undergraduate program at 

Creighton University. Donley received a nursing diploma from MLMH School of 

Nursing in 1983. She is active in the central Nebraska chapter of ONS and is a 

member of the American Nurses Association. 

The Oncology Nursing Foundation was established to support the mission of 

the ONS by obtaining and providing funds for cancer nursing research, education 

and nurse-directed public educational projects. 

* Chris Lewis, Adams County election commissioner, and Michele Klingler, 

Adams County register of deeds, completed a three-day work-shop conducted June 

15-17 for Nebraska county clerks, election commissioners, registers of deeds and 

treasurers. The annual workshop, attended by approximately 225 county officials 

and employees, is part of a continuing education and leadership development 

series sponsored by the Nebraska Associiition of County Officials. The workshop 

was designed to update county officials on recent changes in state laws and to 

increase their awareness of county government responsibilities. 

* At its annual meeting, Junior Achievement of Central Nebraska Inc. 

honored Calvin Johnson, Edwin Loutzenheiser Jr., Kenneth Morrison, Rich 

Portwood, Patricia-Pratt, the late James D. Conway and the late Francis E. 

Ferguson for commitment and service to youth. 

Also at the meeting, Trish Kennedy was promoted to executive director of 

Junior Achievement of Central Nebraska and will oversee its operations. Kennedy 

has been with Junior Achievement for 1 1/2 years while attending Hastings 

College. She and her son live in Deweese. 

* The Hastings Holiday Inn, 22nd Street and U.S. Highway 281, has been 

designated by Holiday Inn Worldwide as an official Conference Network Hotel, 

said a news release. 

To qualify as a Holiday Inn Conference Network hotel, the Hastings Holiday 

Inn was evaluated in the areas of physical design and availability of services. 

The hotel also completed a review of amenities and facilities offered for group 

meetings. 

The Hastings Holiday Inn and the Omaha Central Holiday Inn are the only two 

hotels in Nebraska to earn the accreditation. 

Holiday Inn Conference Network was developed to make information on a 

hotel's capabilities readily available to meeting planners. The program 

categorizes Holiday Inn hotels according to meeting capabilities, and trains 

hotel staff to better meet the needs of meeting planners. 

For the Hastings Hofiday Inn, Patty Lade, Janet Ondracek and Richard Milton 

have completed the training course. 

The hotel's new convention center offers expanded meeting facilities 

capable of seating 375 at a sit-down dinner. The facility has a large 12 foot, 

overhead door through which a car or tractor may be driven through. The room can 

also be divided into three separate rooms. 

* The Martin Luther Home Society, which provides services in seven 

states including Hastings, has announced that William R. Hoppner and Betty Lou 

Ball, both of Lincoln, have been elected to the society's national board of

directors. 

Hoppner is executive vice president of International Transportation 

Specialists Inc. of Omaha. He previously served as chief of staff for Sen. J. 

James Exon, D- Neb., and Sen. Bob Kerrey D-Neb., while he was governor. 

Ball, a native of Madison, Wis., is a psychotherapist with a private 

practice in Lincoln specializing in individual, family and marital therapy. 

The society, headquartered in Lincoln, and related corporations, 

provides a variety of support services for persons with developmental dis 

abilities and other special needs. 



AUTH[AP 

SOUR[Sioux City Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Lifting embargo will hurt U.S.- Exon says arms will hurt talks 

TEXT[ 

OMAHA (AP) - If the United States lifts its arms embargo on Bosnia 

without United Nations approval, it could seriously jeopardize American efforts 

in other parts of the world, Sen. Jim Exon said Friday. 

"If we say to the U.N., 'We don't care what your position is,' we 

would undercut the cooperation we have suggested and engineered" for other 

countries, the Nebraska Democrat said. 

Exon's criticized an amendment by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., which called 

for the United States to lift the embargo without going through the United 

Nations. 

Exon's comments echoed the Clinton administration, which lobbied 

against Dole's amendment saying it would disrupt the NATO alliance, settle peace 

negotiations between Bosnia and Serbian forces and widen the war in the region. 

"Some in Congress are trying to play secretary of state or secretary 

of defense and wrongly trying to force the hand of the president," Exon said. 

Bucking U.S. allies would hurt American efforts to deal with such 

countries as North Korea, Haiti and Iraq, said Exon, a highly-ranked member of 

the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

U.N. peacekeepers may pull out of the country and "cause more blood to 



"It seems to me it is somewhat hypocritical of us to unilaterally lift 

the embargo, then say we don't want our troops involved," Exon said. 

Should the war escalate without U.N. peace keepers in the area, no one 

in the U.S. government would want to commit American ground troops to the area 

to take the peacekeepers' place, he said. 

"Far too few are taking the long-range view," he said, "I would like 

to see the embargo lifted and have (the Bosnians) be able to get the weapons 

they can't get now. The problem is, our allies don't." 

Dole and Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., on Friday recalled a recent visit 

to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo where they toured hospitals full of injured.

Especially graphic were their descriptions of the rape and indiscriminate 

shooting of children. 

But Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine said the Dole 

proposal supporters are letting their emotions "overwhelm them." 

The horrors they saw in the Sarajevo hospital "will multiply a 

thousand times over if this war widens," Mitchell said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lifting embargo will hurt U.S. 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - If the United States lifts its arms embargo on Bosnia without 

United Nations approval, it could seriously jeopardize American efforts in other 

parts of the world, Sen. Jim Exon said Friday. 

"If we say to the U.N., 'We don't care what your position is,' we 

could undercut the cooperation we have suggested and engineered" for other 

countries, the Nebraska Democrat said. 

Exon's criticized an amendment by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., which called 

for the United States to lift the embargo without going through the United 

Nations. 

Exon's comments echoed the Clinton administration, which lobbied 

against Dole's amendment saying it would disrupt the NATO alliance, scuttle 

peace negotiations between Bosnia and Serbian forces and widen the war in the 

region. 

"Some in Congress are trying to play secretary of state or secretary 

of defense and wrongly trying to force the hand of the president," Exon said. 

Bucking U.S.. allies could hurt American efforts to deal with such 

countries as North Korea, Haiti and Iraq, said Exon, a highly-ranked member of 

the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

U.N. peacekeepers may pull out of the country and "cause more blood to 



"It seems to me it is somewhat hypocritical of us to unilaterally lift 

the embargo, then say we don't want our troops involved," Exon said. 

Should the war escalate without U.N. peace keepers in the area, no one 

in the U.S. government would want to commit American ground troops to the area 

to take the peacekeepers' place, he said. 

"Far too few are taking the long range view," he said, "I would like 

to see the embargo lifted and have (the Bosnians) be able to get the weapons 

they can't get now. The problem is, our allies don't." 

Dole and Sen. Joseph Biden D-Del., on Friday recalled a recent visit 

to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo where they toured hospitals full of injured. 

Especially graphic were their descriptions of the rape and indiscriminate

shooting of children. 

But Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine said the Dole 

proposal supporters are letting their emotions "overwhelm them." 

The horrors they saw in the Sarajevo hospital "will multiply a 

thousand times over if this war widens," Mitchell said. 



AUTH[Paul Goodsell 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Barrett Calls Vote Against NEA an Error 

TEXT[Washington - Reps. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., and Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa, 

were the only two Nebraska and western Iowa congressmen to vote last 

week to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts - and Barrett didn't 

really mean it. 

"I inadvertently voted 'aye,"' Barrett said in a statement he inserted 

in the Congressional Record. "I've consistently voted against similar 

amendments, and I had intended to do the same (last week)." 

The House of Representatives voted 313-113 against an amendment offered by 

Rep. Phil Crane, R-Ill., that would have killed the federal arts program by 

eliminating its $171 million budget. 

Voting against the Crane amendment were Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Peter 

Hoagland, D-Neb.; Neal Smith, D-Iowa; and Fred Grandy, R-Iowa. 

Barrett said the arts endowment "has brought outstanding art programs 

to my district, which has enriched the artistic knowledge of my constituents and 

their children - and I support those efforts." 

Without the NEA, Barrett said poor rural schools would not be able to 

afford artist in residence" programs, and communities would not benefit from 

touring theater and orchestra companies. 

That's not to say that I support all of the NEA's funding decisions," he 

said. I've been shocked and concerned that some highly objectionable projects 

received taxpayer-provided funding." 

Barrett did support efforts to cut the NEA budget by as much as 53 percent. 

The House eventually agreed to a 2 percent trim after a complicated series of 

votes. 

Other House Votes: 

Appropriations 

333-85 to pass a $13.2 billion fiscal 

1995 appropriations bill for the Interior Department and various 

cultural programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Lightfoot, Smith. Grandy. 

Against: Barrett.

- 297-132 against an amendment offered by Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., that 

would have cut funding for the NEA by $93 million. 

For: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot. 

Against Hoagland, Smith, Grandy. 

- 222-204 for an amendment offered by Norman Dicks, D-Wash., that called 

for a $3.4 million cut in NEA funding, or about 2 percent. The vote on the Dicks 

amendment represented a choice between the 2 percent cut and a 4.99 percent cut 

that Bachus had proposed. After the Dicks amendment passed, the House voted 

overwhelmingly to accept the 2 percent cut, which had become the only possible 

spending cut. 

For: Hoagland, Smith, Grandy. 

Against Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot. 

- 257-171 against an amendment offared by John Duncan Jr., R-Tenn., that 

would cut the National Park Service's budget by $14 million in order to 

eliminate funding for the Presidio, a former military base in San Francisco that 

is being converted into a national park. 

For: Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Against Bereuter, Hoagiand, Smith. 

- 259-169 against an amendment offered by Wayne Allard, R-Colo., that 

would have eliminated $167 million in funding for a nationwide inventory of all 

plant and animal species. 

For: Bareuter, Barrett, Lightfoot 


- 4109 to pass a supplemental spending bill for fiscal 1994 that would 

provide additional funding for federal housing programs. The bill contains $18.1 

million in new spending authority, but it also allows federal agencies to 

guarantee billions of dollars in new mortgages. 

For: Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Investigations 

- 317-105 to approve the final version of a bill that renews federal laws 

calling for independent investigations of alleged wrongdoing by top 

administration officials. 

For: Beruuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Light-foot, Smith, Grandy. 

- 338-81 to instruct House negotiatons on the House-Senate conference 

committee for anti-crime legislation to insist on $13.5 billion in prison 

construction grants, the level approved earlier by the House. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Light-foot, Smith, Grandy. 

Senate Votes 

Whitewater Hearings 

- 54-44 to pass a resolution calling for the Senate Banking Committee to 

begin hearings by July 29 to investigate actions by Clinton administration 

officials involving Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan in Arkansas and the 

Whitewater land venture, as well as the death of White House aide Vincent 

Foster, the Park Police investigation of his death and the removal of files from 

his office. 

For: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

Against Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

- 54-44 against a Republican effort to expand the scope of the committee 

investigation and order that hearings begin by the middle of July. 

For:Grassley. 

Against Exon, Kerrey, Harkin. 

Spending 

- 72-27 to pass a $23.6 blllion fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Treasury 

Department, Postal Service and White House general offices. 

For: Exon, Kerrey, Harkin. 

Against Grassley. 

- 56-38 to kill an effort by Robert Smith, R-N.H., to reduce spending on 

the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill. Smith would have cut spending to the 

fiscal 1994 level of $22.5 billion. 

To kill the Smith motion: Exon, Kerrey. 


Not voting: Harkin. 

Defense 

- 66-32 against a Grassley amendment to remove a section of the $283.3 billion 

defense authorization bill. The Grassley amendment targeted a provision that 

would authorize a settlement with McDonnell Douglas over claims related to 

production of the C1 7 transport plane. 

For: Grassley, Harkin. 

Against Exon, Kerrey. 

- 71-27 to kill an amendment offered by Arlen Specter, R-Pa., that would 

have allowed states to appeal decisions of the federal base closing commission. 

- To kill the amendment Exon, Kerrey, Harkin. 


- 72-24 to kill an amendment by Russell Feingold, D-Wls., that would have 

cut $3.6 billion for a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. 

For: Grassley, Kerrey. 

Against Harkin. 

Not voting: Exon, who was presiding over a committee hearing. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Big Changes Encouraged In Ag Policy 

TEXT[ 

-Washington - Congress has been urged by the General Accounting Office in a 

series of reports to make major changes in federal farm policy when work begins 

in earnest on the 1995 farm bill. 

"What the GAO is proposing is a systemic change," said Allan Mendeowitz, 

GAO agricultural specialist. ~We want to change the entire U.S. Department of 

Agriculture." 

"Mendelowitz said a new international trade agreement - the Uruguay Round of the

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - will force farm policy to change 

regardless of what Congress does with the 1995 farm bill. 

However, he said, Congress should germinate farm subsidies that encourage 

production, replacing them with programs that concentrate on finding out what 

consumers want to buy worldwide. " 

"We now have a system that starts by pushing up production and ends up 

trying to find some place to sell the surplus," Mendelowitz said. 

"We should have a system that tries to identify the customer, then works 

backward to the producer," he said. 

An example, he said, was the British apple industry, which was having 

difficulty selling apples in France. 

"Ag marketing people surveyed the French market and found consumers wanted 

a smaller, greener apple," Mendelowitz said. 

"When this was relayed to British producers they started picking apples 

when they were smaller and greener, he said in an interview. 

"They shipped them to France and swept the market ," he said. 

Mendelowitz was one of several witnesses who testified Thursday before 

a House Agriculture subcommittee in the first congressional hearing on the 1995 

farm bill. 

Rep. Tim Penny, D-Minn., subcommittee chairman, said the five-year 

1995 farm bill will provide a foundation for agricultural policies that will 

last well into the next century. 

The question is how can the United States best respond to a world 

which has changed greatly since the last major agricultural legislation in 

1990," Penny said. 

"I don't think we will have the status quo. There has to be 

fundamental change, and there is going to be a lot of resistance to this." 

Christopher Goldthwait, head of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, 

said the GAO was at the forefront of those calling for a major shift in farm 

policy. 

"The GAO is focusing on a much more radical readjustment than I would 

want to comment on," Goldthwait said. 

He said Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy has directed each division 

head to begin planning for the 1995 farm bill by listing topics they would like 

to see debated in Congress. 

Meanwhile, Mendelowitz indicated the watchdogs at GAO will turn out 

more reports intended to show Congress where USDA could make changes that would 

encourage U.S. agriculture to be more efficient while less costly. 

He said it will not be easy to change govermnent farm programs started 

more than 60 years ago during the Depression. 

"Anytime you have a program in place where people made investments 

based on that program you need to have a transition, or buyout period," 

Mendelowitz said. 

"You have got to start on day one announcing the interval and the 

pro-grams that will be in place to help people adjust," he said. 

"The issue isn't how much we are spending on farm programs,"

Mendelowitz said. "The issue is that our farm programs should be more effective 

than they have been. 

Some members of Congress from Nebraska and western Iowa agree that 

U.S. 

farm policy may be in for a major overhaul in 1995. 

"It's possible there could be radical change," said R. Bill Barrett, 

R-Neb., a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "If it is radical, then I 

think the farmers are going to be up in arms." 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said much of what happens to the farm 

bill will depend on the success of international trade pacts intended to make 

U.S. farm products more competitive. 

"If GATT is successful we will be spending, less on income supports 

for farmers, Grassley said. "We may be spending $4 billion to $5 bil lion a year 

where we have been spending $7 billion to $8 billion." 

Grassley, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that 

while less may be spent on subsidies he foresees no change that would lower 

income supports to farmers. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he agrees that Congress should consider 

changing policies that "focus on producing our way to prosperity." 

"That sounds good, but you end up producing so much it forces down 

national and international prices," Exonsaid. 



AUTH[Knight Ridder 

SOUR[Western Livestock Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska asking for CRP haying, grazing 

TEXT[ Nebraska's U.S.senators have called on USDA to expedite the state's 

request to allow emergency haying and grazing of land included in the 

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). 

Rainfall has been below normal in Nebraska this spring, and livestock 

farmers face potential forage shortages later this year if current dry weather 

patterns continue, Sens, Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both Democrats, said in a 

letter to Grant-Buntrock, administrator of the Agricultural StabilIzation and 

Conservation Service (ASCS). 

Dan Steinkruger, program specialist for the Nebraska state ASCS office 

in Lincoln, said the state ASCS committee already has received haying and 

grazing inquiries from 12 to 15 Nebraska counties, but the requests need 

approval from USDA Secretary Mike Espy in order to proceed with the formal 

request to Washington. 

Espy must grant haying and grazing waivers for CRP land on an annual 

basis, but has not done so yet this year. Last year, two thirds of all Nebraska 

counties were allowed to take forage from that idled acreage in exchange for a

25 percent reduction in rental payments to farmers. 

Nebraska currently has about 1.4 million acres of highly erodible 

cropland enrolled in the 10-year reserve, most of which has been planted to 

grass, or other forage cover. 

Data last week from the state's agricultural statistics service 

indicate that, since the start of the growing season April 1, Nebraska has only 

received 70 percent of its average rainfall. 

The drought is particularly severe in the Nebraska Panhandle, where 

precipitation totals are down 47 percent from normal. 

Paul Meyer, spokesman for the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association, 

said the lack of rainfall has reduced first cutting alfalfa yields by as much as 

one short ton per acre. Nebraska was the nation's third largest hay-producing 

state last year, behind South Dakota and California, raising 7.573 million tons 

of forage. 

State alfalfa yields normally average 3.4 tons per acre. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Barrett Calls Vote Against NEA an Error 

TEXT[Washington - Reps. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., and Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa, we 

re the only two Nebraska and western Iowa congressmen to vote last week to elimi 

nate the National Endowment for the Arts - and Barrett didn't really mean it. 

"I inadvertently voted 'aye,'" Barrett said in a statement he ins 

erted in the Congressional Record. "I've consistently voted against similar amen 

dments, and I had intended to do the same (last week)." 

The House of Representatives voted 313-113 against an amendment o 

ffered by Rep. Phil Crane, R-Ill., that would have killed the federal arts progr 

am by eliminating its $171 million budget. 

Voting against the Crane amendment were Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Peter H 

oagland, D-Neb.; Neal Smith, D-Iowa; and Fred Grandy, R-Iowa. 

Barrett said the arts endowment "has brought outstanding art prog 

rams to my district, which has enriched the artistic knowledge of my constituent 

s and their children - and I support those efforts." 

Without the NEA, Barrett said, poor rural schools would not be ab 

le to afford "artist in residence" programs, and communities would not benefit f 

rom touring theater and orchestra companies. 

"That's not to say that I support all of the NEA's funding decisi 

ons," he said. "I've been shocked and concerned that some highly objectionable p 

rojects received taxpayer-provided funding." 

Barrett did support efforts to cut the NEA budget by as much as 53 percen 

t. The House eventually agreed to a 2 percent trim after a complicated series of 

votes. 


Appropriations 

333-85 to pass a $13.2 billion fiscal 1995 appropriations bill fo

the Interior Department and various cultural programs, including the National 

Endowment for the Arts. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Against Barrett. 

- 297-132 against an amendment offered by Spencer Bachus, R-Ala.. that w 

ould have cut funding for the NEA by $93 million. 



- 222-204 for an amendment offered by Norman Dicks, D-Wash., that called 

for a $3.4 million cut in NEA funding, or about 2 percent. The vote on the Dick 

s amendment represented a choice between the 2 percent cut and a 4.99 percent cu 

t that Bachus had proposed. After the Dicks amendment passed, the House voted ov 

erwhelmingly to accept the 2 percent cut, which had become the only possible spe 

nding cut. 

For: Hoagland, Smith, Grandy. 

Against Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot. 

- 257-171 against an amendment offered by John Duncan Jr., R-Tenn., that 

would cut the National Park Service's budget by $14 million in order to elimina 

te funding for the Presidio, a former military base in San Francisco that is bei 

ng converted into a national park. 


Against Bereuter, Hoagland, Smith. 

- 259-169 against an amendment offered by Wayne Ailard, R-Colo., that wo 

uld have eliminated $167 million in funding for a nationwide inventory of all pl 

ant and animal species. 



- 410-9 to pass a supplemental Spending bill for fiscal 1994 that would 

provide additional funding for federal housing programs. The bill contains $18.1 

million in new spending authority, but it also allows federal agencies to guara 

ntee billions of dollars in new mortgages. For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett. Lig 

htfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Investigations 

- 317-105 to approve the final version of a bill that renews federal laws callin 

g for independent investigations of alleged wrongdoing by top administration off 

icials. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Light-foot, Smith, Grandy. 

- 338-81 to instruct House negotiators on the House-Senate conference co 

mmittee for anti-crime legislation to insist on $13.5 billion in prison construc 

tion grants, the level approved earlier by the House. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Senate Votes 

Whitewater Hearings 

- 54-44 to pass a resolution calling for the Senate Banking Committee to be 

gin hearings by July 29 to investigate actions by Clinton administration officia 

ls involving Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan in Arkansas and the Whitewater la 

nd venture, as well as the death of White House aide Vincent Foster, the Park Po 

lice investigation of his death and the removal of files from his office.

For: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

Against Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

- 54-44 against a Republican effort to expand the scope of the committee in 

vestigation and order that hearings begin by the middle of July. 

For: Grassley. 


Spending 

- 72-27 to pass a $23.6 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Treasury Depar 

tment, Postal Service and White House general offices. 



- 56-38 to kill an effort by Robert Smith, R-N.H., to reduce spending on th 

e Treasury-Postal appropriations bill. Smith would have cut spending to the fisc 

al 1994 level of $22.5 billion. 

To kill the Smith motion: Exon, Kerrey. 



Defense 

- 86-32 against a Grassley amendment to remove a section of the $263.3 billion d 

efense authorization bill. The Grassley amendment targeted a provision that woul 

d authorize a settlement with McDonnell Douglas over claims related to productio 

n of the C-17 transport plane. 


Against Exon, Kerrey. 

- 71-27 to kill an amendment offered by Arlen Specter, R-Pa., that would ha 

ve allowed states to appeal decisions of the federal base closing commission. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Kerrey, Harkin. 


- 72-24 to kill an amendment by Russell Feingold, D-Wis., that would have c 

ut $3.6 billion for a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. 

For: Grassley, Kerrey. 

Against Harkin. 

Not voting: Exon, who was presiding over a committee hearing. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Big Changes Encouraged in Ag Policy 

TEXT[Washington - Congress has been urged by t e General Accounting Office in a 

series of reports to make major changes in federal farm policy when work begins 

in earnest on the 1995 farm bill. 

"What the GAO is proposing is a systemic change," said Allan Mendelowitz, a 

GA agricultural specialist. "We want to change the entire U.S. Department of Ag 

riculture." 

Mendelowitz said a new international trade agreement - the Uruguay Round of 

the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - will force farm policy to change r 

egardless of what Congress does with she 1995 farm bill.

However, he said, Congress should terminate farm subsidies that encourage p 

roduction, replacing them with programs that concentrate on finding out chat con 

sumers want to buy worldwide. 

"We now have a system that starts by pushing up production and ends up tryi 

ng to find some place to sell the surplus," Mendelowitz said. 

"We should have a system that tries to identify the customer, then works ba 

ckward to the producer," he said. 

An example, he said, was the British apple industry, which was having difficul 

ty selling apples in France. 

"Ag marketing people surveyed the French market and found consumers 

wanted a smaller, greener apple," Mendelowitz said. 

"When this was relayed to British producers they started picking apples when t 

hey were smaller and greener," he said in an interview. 

"They shipped them to France and swept the market," he said. 

Mendelowitz was one of several witnesses who testified Thursday before a Ho 

use Agriculture subcommittee in the first congressional hearing on the 1995 farm 

bill. 

Rep. Tim Penny, D-Minn., subcommittee chairman, said the five-year 1995 far 

m bill will provide a foundation for agricultural policies that will last well i 

nto the next century. 

"The question is how can the United States best respond to a world which ha 

s changed greatly since the last major agricultural legislation in 1990," Penny 

said. 

"I don't think we will have the status quo. There has to be fundamenta 

l change, and there is going to be a lot of resistance to this." 

Christopher Goldthwait, head of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, s 

aid the GAO was at the forefront of those calling for a major shift in farm poli 

cy. 

"The GAO is focusing on a much more radical readjustment than I would 

want to comment on," Goldthwait said. 

He said Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy has directed each division 

head to begin planning for the 1995 farm bill by listing topics they would like 

to see debated in Congress. 

Meanwhile, Mendelowitz indicated the watchdogs at GAO will turn out mo 

re reports intended to show Congress where USDA could make changes that would en 

courage U.S. agriculture to be more efficient while less costly. 

He said it will not be easy to change government farm programs started 

more than 60 years ago during the Depression. 

"Anytime you have a program in place where people made investments bas 

ed on that program you need to have a transition, or buy-out period," Mendelowit 

z said. 

"You have got to start on day one announcing the interval and the prog 

rams that will be in place to help people adjust," he said. 

"The issue isn't how much we are spending on farm programs," Mendelowi 

tz said. "The issue is that our farm programs should be more effective than they 

have been." 

Some members of Congress from Nebraska and western Iowa agree that U.S 

. farm policy may be in for a major overhaul in 1995. 

"It's possible there could be radical change,' said Rep. Bill Barrett, 

R-Neb., a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "If it is radical, then I 

think the farmers are going to be up in arms."

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said much of what happens to the farm b 

ill will depend on the success of internationaltrade pacts intended to make U.S. 

farm products more competitive. 

"If GATT is successful we will be spending less on income supports for farmers 

,' Grassley said. "We may be spending $4 billion to $5 billion a year where we h 

ave been spending $7 billion to $8 billion." 

Grassley, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that while less m 

ay be spent on subsidies he foresees no change that would lower income support t 

o farmers. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he agrees that Congress should consider c 

hanging policies at "focus on producing our way to prosperity." 

"That sounds good, but you end up producing so much it forces down nat 

ional and international prices," Exon said. 



AUTH[Knight-Ridder 

SOUR[Denver Western Livestock Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska asking for CRP haying, grazing 

TEXT[Nebraska's U.S.senators have called on USDA to expedite the state's request 

to allow emergency haying and grazing of land included in the Conservation Rese 

rve Program (CRP). 

Rainfall has been below normal in Nebraska this spring, and livestock farme 

rs face potential forage shortages later this year if current dry weather patter 

ns continue, Sons, Rob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both Democrats, said in a letter to 

Grant Buntrock, administrator of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation 

Service (ASCS). 

Dan Steinkruger, program specialist for the Nebraska state ASCS office in L 

incoln, said the state ASCS committee already has received haying and grazing in 

quiries from 12 to 15 Nebraska counties, but the requests need approval from USD 

A Secretary Mike Espy in order to proceed with the formal request to Washington. 

Espy must grant haying and grazing waivers for CRP land on an annual basis, 

but has not done so yet this year. Last year, two-thirds of all Nebraska counti 

es were allowed to stake forage from that idled acreage in exchange for a 25-per 

cent reduction in rental payments to farmers. 

Nebraska currently has about 1.4 million acres of highly erodible cropland 

enrolled in the 10-year reserve, most of which has been planted to grass or othe 

r forage cover. 

Data last week from the state's agricultural statistics service indicate th 

at, since the start of the growing season "April 1, Nebraska had only received 7 

0 percent of its average rainfall. The drought is particularly severe in the Ne 

braska Panhandle, where precipitation totals are down 47 percent from normal. 

Paul Meyer, spokesman for the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association, said 

the lack of rainfall has reduced first-cutting alfalfa yields by as much as one 

short ton per acre. Nebraska was the nation's third largest hay-producing state 

last year, behind South Dakota and California, raising 7.573 million tons of for 

age.

State alfalfa yields normally average 3.4 tons per acre. 



AUTH[unknown 

SOUR[Ogallala Keith County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Crime bill calls for more cops, more punishment, more protection 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-Keith County Attorney Deborah Gilg was among 200 community leade 

rs and law enforcement officials who attended a June 16 White House briefing on 

crime prevention. 

The President's crime bill calls for "more police, more punishment and more 

protection," Gilg said those attending were told by Jamie Gorelick, Deputy Atto 

rney General for the Department of Justice. 

Approximately a dozen Nebraskans joined police chiefs, teachers, school sup 

erintendents and other community leaders to discuss anti-crime legislation. Mrs. 

Gilg was the only Nebraskan from outside of Ogallala or Lincoln. 

"Lee Brown, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, tol 

d us that for every dollar spent on drug education, there is a return of $7 to s 

ociety from decreased health care and law enforcement costs," Gilg said. 

The Nebraska delegation also discussed the need for better efforts at crime 

prevention and the need to evaluate law enforcement efforts effectively with Se 

n. Bob Kerrey at a breakfast before the meeting. 

Kerrey and Sen. Jim Exon suggested Nebraskans to be invited to the briefing 

. 

"I agree with these community leaders that prevention should be a key ingre 

dient in our anti-crime efforts." Kerrey said. "We discussed how Washington can 

become a better partner in the war on crime. I applaud their dedication and I lo 

ok forward to continuing work with Nebraskans at the community level to stop cri 

me." 

The President's crime bill calls to 100,000 more police, a 20 percent incre 

ase over the present level of police in the U.S., with a part of the funding com 

ing from a reduction in the federal workforce. 

Gilg said of 504,000 sworn officers, only 380,000 are actually out on the s 

treet, the rest being supervisors. "There are over 160,000 city kids who don't 

go to school because they're afraid, we were told," Gilg said. 

One sweep at the Chicago Housing Authority collected 1,000 guns Gilg said. 

Drug sales were running $30,000 a day per housing authority building, she added 

. 

When vacancies would occur, gangs would move in to set up drug sales outlet 

s and for their base of operations. At the housing authority projects, AK-47s w 

ere found in hallways and guns were found stashed even in mailboxes. 

Plans call for putting police "stations" in each housing authority. 

She said the crime bill guarantees that of the $30 billion anti-crime 

package, $8 to $9 billion would go to rural areas. There would be specific alloc 

ations for rural areas. 

Criteria is now weighted against rural areas, according to Gilg.

"They also want police to form partnerships with communities and kids 

911 'policing' is not enough," she said. 

The bill also calls for creation of a Police Corps and funding of law 

enforcement scholarships. 

Religion will be all essential component of the crime strategy, those 

attending the conference were told by Henry Cisneros, Secretary of the Departmen 

t of Housing and Urban Development. 

Other speakers included Alexis Herm, an Assistant to the President and 

Director of the Office of Public Liaison. 

Vice President Al Gore was also scheduled to address the Crime Leaders 

hip Day program but was forced to cancel because of the Korean crisis. 

Among those attending were Allen Curtis, Director of the Nebraska Crim 

e Commission, Lincoln Police Chief Tom Cassidy, and Acting Lancaster County Sher 

iff Sam Van Pelt. 

Mrs. Gilg was accompanied on the trip to Washington by her 14 

year-old daughter, Colleen, who will be a ninth grade at Paxton this f 

all. 

While Mrs. Gilg was at the White House briefing, Colleen was given a t 

our of the Capitol by a member of Sen. Exon's staff. 

That evening, they attendended a performance of Miss Saigon, at the Ke 

nnedy Center. 




SOUR[Omaha Daily Record 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Approves Development Bill 

TEXT[ WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Sens. Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey, (D-NE) h 

ailed Senate passage of a bill to spur economic development in Nebraska and othe 

r Northern Great Plains states. 

Exon and Kerrey co-sponsored the bill, which calls for forming the Nor 

thern Great Plains Rural Development Commission. The commission would study and 

recommend ways to develop the economies of rural Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and N 

orth and South Dakota. The bill now heads to the House for approval. 

The bill would create a commission with 10 members: one appointed by t 

he governor of each state, and one from each state appointed by the U.S. Secreta 

ry of Agriculture. 

Commission members would hold hearings, conduct studies and determine 

how to promote economic development on a regional basis. The commission would "s 

unset" in two years. 

"Nebraska and its neighboring states share much in common" Exon said. 

"We are making a commitment to work together on long-range projects to 'grow' ou 

r rural economies." 

"Nebraska prospers when rural communities do," Kerrey said. "This bill 

will help all Nebraskans by providing opportunities for rural communities to gr 

ow economically."



AUTH[Unknown 

SOUR[Omaha Evening World-Herald 

HDLN[For the Record 

BK#[ 

TEXT[Bombers: A story in Friday's World-Herald incorrectly said some B-l and B-5 

2 bombers are based in Nebraska. They are not. The story also incorrectly attrib 

uted to Sen. J. J. Exon a comment indicating that a proposed missile-defense sys 

tem is a far cry from the Star Wars shield envisioned by former President Ronald 

Reagan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Staff Changes Win Broad Praise From Midlanders in Congress 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday he had talked privately w 

ith President Clinton about the need to reorganize the White House staff. 

"Things have not been going well internally at the White House in my view," 

Exon said. "l am glad to see the President finally making some moves that I thi 

nk are essential." 

Exon and other members of the Nebraska and western Iowa congressional deleg 

ation said they believed that Clinton made a good choice in naming Leon Panetta 

chief of staff 

Leon Panetta, 56, served 16 years in the House of Representatives 

from California before joining the White House in 1993 as director of the Office 

of Management and Budget. 

He succeeds Thomas "Mack" McLarty, 48, a former utility company president w 

ho has known Clinton since they were in kindergarten in Hope, Ark.. McLarty wil 

l continue to be senior counselor to Clinton. 

"Leon will be a good chief-of-staff," said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. "He's 

a former Republican." 

Bereuter said Panetta, as chairman of the House Budget Committee and as hea 

d of the White House budget office, has demonstrated an ability to work with Rep 

ublicans. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said members of Congress in both 

parties had been expecting reorganization at the White House. 

"It had to be done," Barrett said. "The White House was in disarray. We had 

a disengaged president who was getting some very poor advice." 

Barrett said he agreed with Bereuter that Panetta was willing to work with 

Republicans when he was a member of the House. 

"Up to now, the White House has been a very partisan operation," Bereu 

ter said. "Clinton moved his entire campaign staff into the White House and they 

have continued to campaign in a partisan way." 

Bereuter said the choice of Panetta as chief of staff indicates that C 

linton has recognized he will need Republican help with controversial legislatio

n, the way he needed Republican votes to pass the North American Free Trade Agre 

ement. 

"On NAFTA, it was Republicans who took the initiative to work with the 

White House," Bereuter said. 

Both Bereuter and Exon said the reassignment of David Gergen from the 

White House to the State Department was an indication that Clinton was worried a 

bout his administration's handling of foreign affairs. 

"I think Gergen being sent to the State Department is very significant 

." Exon said. "I think it is a move in the right direction." 

Bereuter, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Gergen 

's new assignment indicated that the Clinton administration believed it had a pr 

oblem communicating its international objectives. 

"The real problem is they are inept in foreign affairs," Bereuter said 

. "It's the worst foreign-policy effort we have had in this century. 

Bereuter said Clinton's international policy has been "wavering and un 

certain" and has been marked by decisions based on political reasons. 

"The whole issue on Haiti has been driven by domestic politics and the 

Black Caucus," Bereuter said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Panetta, as a former House member, will 

have a better understanding of how to deal with Congress than McLarty had. 

He said Panetta has been his main contact in the White House, chairing the 

Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, of which Kerrey is chairman 

. 

"Unlike some White House underlings, Panetta understands the origins o 

f the commission," Kerrey said. "He understands it wasn't just a political payof 

f." 

"Leon is very tough and a good negotiator. He brings strength to the W 

hite House. It's a good move," Kerrey said. 

Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, said he was surprised Panetta was moved from 

the White House budget office to be chief of staff. 

"Leon seemed to have a special fit for the job he had," Smith said. "H 

owever, they do need a chief of staff who knows how Congress works." 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said Panetta had devoted his political ca 

reer to cutting the cost of government. 

"He has strong administrative skills and a terrific sense of humor," H 

oagland said. "I think he will make a very good chief of staff." 



AUTH[Michele Dishong 

SOUR[Chadron Record 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Rankin urges Congress not to cut grants 

TEXT[Chadron State College President Sam Rankin has called on Nebraska members o 

f Congress to oppose a congressional committee's action to cut the amount of fed 

eral Pell Grants available to low-income students. 

"We are confident that students coming to Chadron State this fall will 

have enough federal grant money available, but we are very concerned that feder 

al officials are trying to make it harder to afford a college education," Rankin

said. 

In action last week, the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut P 

ell Grant funding by $188 million, impose a cap on the number of students eligib 

le to receive a grant for the 1994-95 year and transfer $300 million in Pell fun 

ds left from last year to other programs. The committee voted to set the maximum 

Pell Grant at $2,340. 

"As the federal government undermines vital student aid programs, such 

as Pell Grants, students are being asked to shoulder a larger share of the burd 

en. In the process, many are assuming unmanageable amounts of debt," Rankin said 

in letters to U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett and Sens. J. James Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

A recent report conducted by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Posts 

econdary Education found that the debt of students attending Nebraska's public c 

olleges and universities has doubled over the past five years. 

The report found that these students borrowed more than $87.2 million 

to pay for educational costs this past year. Five years ago, the amount was $43. 

5 million. 

"With many of our students representing the first generation of their 

families to enter college and many coming from low-income backgrounds, a reducti 

on in Pell Grant money and a cap on the number of students eligible could create 

hardships for a significant portion of our student population," Rankin said in 

his letter to the members of Congress. 

Nearly 80 percent of Pell recipients come from families with incomes b 

elow $20,000. The median income of these families is $9,120. 

Rankin stressed that an education at CSC was a still "a good investmen 

t and a bargain at less than $5,000 per year for tuition, fees, and room and boa 

rd." He said CSC's tuition and fees are well below the national average for fou 

r-year, public institutions. 




SOUR[Nebraska City News Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[FFA Members attend conference 

TEXT[Cliff Stukenholtz and Mike Hodges, both of Nebraska City, recently attended 

the 1994 Washington leadership conference in the nation's capital. The conferen 

ce is an activity of the National FFA organization in cooperation with the U.S D 

epartment of Education. 

The week-long program is intended to help FFA members improve their le 

adership skills, develop an understanding of the nation's heritage and prepare f 

or leadership roles in their chapters and communities. 

Visits to Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington Nationa 

l Cemetery, the Jefferson Monument and other historic sights in Washington were 

included in the conference. 

Sen. Jim Exon, (D-Neb) visited the conference. Jim Nemec is the Nebras 

ka City FFA sponsor and the trip to the conference was sponsored by the Nebraska 

City Chamber of Commerce and the community.

FFA is a national organization of 417,462 members which prepares youth 

for careers in sciences, business, and technology, and agriculture. 



AUTH[Patti Jo Peterson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Robak Outlines health issues 

TEXT[Lt. Gov. Kim Robak attended a pulmonary retreat sponsored by Quality Health 

Care and held at Lied Conference Center on Tuesday. Tim Juilfs, owner of Quali 

ty Health Care, said the retreat was part of the company's commitment to "having 

dialogue to try to find some answers to health care reform in the state of Nebr 

aska." 

Juilfs said the lieutenant governor was invited to discuss the 

issues, because she "has been more involved in the health care areas of the stat 

e." 

"We want to visit with her about the up and coming aspects of the Nebraska Hea 

lth Care plan," Juilfs said.Robak told the approximate 18 participants in the co 

nference 

that she sees five problems confronting the health care system. The primar 

y problem Robak identified was the lack of data collection in the health care bu 

siness. "We don't have the vaguest idea 

of who's getting the services, where they're getting them from and whether these 

people really do need it. Health care 

providers have not kept that data," she said. 

She said attempts were being made to find out about the utilization of service 

s and these services outcomes, effectiveness and cost effectiveness. 

"We will be looking at that information," she said. 

In addition to lack of data, Robak identified insurance as the next problem in t 

he health care field. "The whole health care delivery system, in terms of money 

is set up backwards," she said. "Insurance is set up to mask the cost of care." 

She pointed out that a patient might turn down samples of medicine provided 

by a doctor in order to use insurance coverage that guarantees having to pay on 

ly $5 per prescription. With this overt reliance on insurance to pay for the cos 

ts, she said "as a result, we are not good consumers any more." 

Originally, Robak explained that insurance was set up only for catastrophic 

illnesses, but over time that system changed. "In WWII, insurance was part of t 

he incentive to get people to go to work for you," she said. 

She indicated that this reliance on insurance gave people the expectation t 

hat insurance "is supposed to pay for everything." 

She likened health care of a person's body to that of a car. A person pays 

for oil changes, services and new tires and saves relying on insurance for large 

r problems. "You don't expect insurance to pay for an oil change," she said. 

The third problem Robak identified in health care was the lack of services, 

especially in rural areas. She explained that rural communities were having dif 

ficulty recruiting doctors because of the low pay and long hours in comparison t 

o those in the urban areas who specialize and work an eight hour day. 

Fourthly, she identified the cost of health care as a problem. "The cost sh 

ifting is something that needs to stop, but I don't believe that the Federal gov

ernment is going to take it on," she said. 

She said there was a belief that with universal coverage, that the high cos 

ts would "go away." 

She cited the growth in Medicare and Medicaid as particular problems in the 

cost element. "Senior citizens pay a larger percentage of their income to heal 

th care today than they did before Medicare was created in 1964," she said. 

In 1990, she said Medicaid costs were at $300 million. In 1994, that c 

ost soared to $600 million; "Medicaid has doubled in the last four years," she s 

aid. 

She added that the rise was due to the extension in federal and s 

tate mandates, increase in minimum wages, and the inflation rate in health care. 

One of the conference attendance said health care providers feared that Medi 

caid will disband. 

"I would be thrilled if they would disband Medicaid, and give us the m 

oney and allow us to pay for the services on the state level," she said. 

With Medicaid, rather than paying for services needed, "We look for methods 

of payment and figure out how to fit people into those methods, of payment. Tha 

t's absurd," she said. "It's a silly system." 

Legislators, however, she said were not moving in the direction of disbandi 

ng the program. 

She said that private industry was moving quickly on its own to 

make reforms in health care and insurance before the government mandated any pro 

posals. 

"If we can do it on our own, let's do it," she said. She and Gov. Don Nelso 

n agree that "Private industry knows this far better than we do." 

In terms of reform, she said often times those in government lack the exper 

tise to make the changes. "We need to have the expertise to make those changes o 

n the state level." 

One participant suggested that private industry and government work as part 

ners in solving the problems. "Partnerships are essential in order to move in t 

hat direction," Robak said. 

She explained that frequently government put triggers into place to create 

changes. In terms of health care reforms, she said the triggers were in place. 

"If not done by 1988, the triggers kick in." 

Lastly, Robak stressed the need lot each individual to become responsible f 

or preventative health care. She said people needed to choose healthy lifestyles 

by avoiding fat content, smoking and other unhealthy practices. 

Before discussing the five problems confronting the health care system, Rob 

ak touched on health care reform on the federal level. 

In regards to Clinton's health care plan, she said it was estimated to cost 

the state of Nebraska an additional $70-100 million. 

She added, however, that she is hearing over and over that "The Clinton Pla 

n is dead." 

"In talking with people, I found there's a battle going on in the White Hou 

se," she said. 

The battle being between some people who are not willing to give up on the 

Clinton plan and those who feel Americans don't want reform. 

In terms of employer mandated insurance, she said that several plans were b 

eing discussed including a six month waiting period on quick turnover businesses 

such as fast food restaurants and the retail business. 

Sen. Jim Exon, she said favored a 50-50 plan in which the individual pays h 

alf the cost of the insurance and the employer paid the other half.




SOUR[Lincoln Evening Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Panetta move gives Kerrey White House Friend 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - It looks like Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., finally has a friend in 

the White House, and it's not Bill Clinton. 

Kerrey said he and Leon Panetta, the budget director named White House Chie 

f of Staff Monday by President Clinton, have become close through their work on 

the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform. 

Panetta, a former congressman and chairman of the House Budget Committee, h 

as been Kerrey's only administration contact on the entitlement commission he ch 

airs. 

What impact the shakeup is going to have on the Clinton administration is d 

ifficult to predict, Kerrey said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said this morning the appointment of Panetta could b 

ecome a defining moment for the Clinton Administration, which he said needs a st 

rong hand at the helm. 

Exon, who came to know Panetta when the budget director was chairman of the 

House Budget Committee said the future White House chief of staff is "strong, i 

ndependent and not afraid to say no to the president." 



AUTH[Debbie Behne 

SOUR[North Bend Eagle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Friendliness of strangers help Czech pilot 

TEXT[In 1976, when Dale and Geri Kinney visited several European countries as pa 

rt of a People to People tour, they passed out about 100 pens with their name an 

d address to children they met along the way. 

Little did they realize the impact one of those pens would have more than 1 

5 years later... 

It took nearly a year and numerous letters, including several to U.S. Sen. 

Exon, before Kinney could straighten out the situation. Permission was finally g 

iven for Burian to come to the U.S on March 23,1994.... 



AUTH[Ann Toner 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Drought prompts plan for roadside haying

TEXT[Lincoln - Hot, dry weather in western Nebraska prompted a recommendation Tu 

esday that Gov. Nelson let cattlemen cut hay along state road rights of way in t 

he western third of the state... 

The subcommittee also endorsed efforts by Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, b 

oth D-Neb., to get Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy to release land in the 10-yea 

r Conservation Reserve Program for emergency haying and grazing in the driest co 

unties. 

That effort could be hampered because none of the counties have been declar 

ed official agricultural disaster areas. 

It's possible Espy could do it without a disaster declaration," said Gene G 

lock, Kerrey's Ag representative. "It's pretty rough out there." 

People who lost their first cutting could only get one cutting. Pastures ar 

e going downhill. There's nothing to fall back on. The USDA says there's hay to 

buy, but (ranchers) might not be able to justify the cost. 




SOUR[West Point News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Members attend D.C. conference 

TEXT[Danielle Dillon, Chris Wollberg, Angie Dames, Angie Wimer, Becky Von Segger 

n and Schawn Petersen, all members of the Scribner-Snyder FFA, attended the 1994 

Washington Leadership Conference recently. 

The week-long program helps FFA members improve their leadership skills, de 

velop an understanding of the nation's heritage and prepare for leadership roles 

in their chapters and communities. 

Visits to Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National Cem 

etery, the Jefferson Memorial and other historic sights in Washington were inclu 

ded in the conference. 

A highlight of the week was a visit made to the office of Senator Jim Exon 

and Congressman Doug Bereuter, both of Nebraska. 

The chapter's FFA advisor is Fritz Steinhoff. The trip was sponsored by the 

Dale A. Becker Memorial Scholarship. 




SOUR[Benkelman Post 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska schools to benefit from Chapter 1 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. 

Sen. Jim Exon (D-NE) said schools across Nebraska will benefit from two provisio 

ns the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee approved mid-June.

One is an agreement to continue to make federal money available for school 

districts throughout Nebraska and to provide services for children from low-inco 

me families. Under this program, called Chapter 1, the money goes to schools tha 

t have high concentrations of low-income students. 

The Senate committee authorized funding to remain at its current level. 

The Labor committee also approved a revised formula for Impact Aid that wil 

l benefit school districts where there are large amounts of federally-owned prop 

erty. In Nebraska, school districts such as Bellevue, the home of Offutt Air For 

ce Base, and those on Native American reservations receive federal Impact Aid fu 

nds to compensate for the loss of property tax revenue they would otherwise rece 

ive. 




SOUR[Randolph Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants for Family Practice Medicine 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--Two Nebraska medical schools will benefit from federal gr 

ants, according to U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

One is a $133,268 grant for the Creighton University School of Medicine to 

provide additional training in family practice medicine. It will allow Creighton 

to include training in family practice medicine in the curriculum studied by fi 

rst and second-year medical students. 

Creighton's goal is for 25 percent of its graduates to enter family practic 

e. Among this year's graduating class of 104 medical students--or approximately 

17 percent--chose family practice. 

The second grant is to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, also in O 

maha. The $243,130 grant has been awarded to encourage doctors at the university 

to conduct more research about family practice medicine. 

Both grants are awarded through the federal Department of Health and Human 

Services. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Consumer groups win again 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumer groups and trial lawyers fought off business int 

erests for the 13th straight year today as the Senate voted to block any changes 

in product liability laws for the remainder of this congressional session. 

Senators sympathetic to business, in a 57-41 vote, lost a second attempt to 

attract the 60 votes needed to end the filibuster that impedes action on the bi 

ll. A similar roll call Tuesday was 54-44. 

Sen. Jim, Exon, D-Neb., voted to allow action on the bill, while Sen. Bob K

errey, D-Neb., voted to block it... 



AUTH[Jim Exon 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon's Proposal will save $300 million; sets example for others 

TEXT[U. S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) said today his proposal to merge civilian and 

military weather satellite systems-saving taxpayers $300 million over the next 

five year-shows that government can and should run more efficiently. 

Exon's proposal will merge satellite systems used by the Department of 

Defense (DOD) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NO 

AA), avoiding duplication and unneeded expense. 

"The duplication didn't make sense to me," said Exon, a senior member 

of the Senate Armed Services and Commerce Committees. "It's exactly the kind of 

unnecessary government spending that taxpayers are justifiably upset about." 

Last year, Exon wrote to Vice President Al Gore, urging that the merge 

r of the two satellite systems be considered by the Vice President's Reinventing 

Government report, which endorsed the merger of the satellite systems. 

This merger shows that 'reinventing government' is more than just a co 

ncept, it's a real effort to avoid duplication and save money," 

Exon said following a hearing by the Senate Commerce Committee to discuss the me 

rger. At the hearing, Exon urged members of the Clinton Administration to invest 

igate new areas where the defense and civilian sectors can work together to save 

money for taxpayers. 

"I am confident this effort between federal agencies can work, and that sim 

ilar efforts by other governmental agencies can work, too," he said. 




SOUR[Ravenna News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce HUD Grant for Nebraska 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced that the fede 

ral government has awarded Nebraska a $15.24 million grant for housing and econo 

mic development across the state. 

The money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) makes l 

oans and grants available to local governments for building and rehabilitation h 

ousing and for economic, community and business development projects 

This grant provides money to local governments throughout Nebraska except f 

or Lincoln and Omaha, which receive their own allocation from HUD. 

P\C[P



SOUR[Chappell Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Push for Opening of Grazing Lands 

TEXT[Anticipating a hot and dry summer, Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon have as 

ked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite Nebraska's requests to open u 

p land currently held idle under the Conservation Reserve Program. 

In a letter Sent Friday to Grant Buntrock, administrator of the Agricultura 

l Stabilization and Conservation Service, Kerrey and Exon said this year's lack 

of rainfall is becoming a significant problem for Nebraska's livestock producers 

. They said they were already receiving requests from producers that CRP acres b 

e opened for haying and grazing. 

"We are writing today to urge that ASCS-Washington be prepared to act exped 

itiously on the request we anticipate from the Nebraska State ASCS Committee to 

allow use of CRP ground in designated counties suffering from dry conditions," t 

he letter said. 



AUTH[Ap 

SOUR[Atkinson Graphic 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce Energy Conservation Money 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced that the federal government 

is giving the state $2.45 million to insulate the homes of low income Nebraskan 

s. 

The grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to the Nebraska Energy Office wil 

l pay for insulating about 2,000 dwellings around the state during the next year 

. The work will be performed by local non-profit groups, community action agenci 

es or private contractors. 

"Insulation is one of the simplest and inexpensive ways to save energy, sai 

d Senators Exon and Kerrey. "It's an investment that yields results right away. 

" 

The senators also announced that the federal government has awarded the Nebras 

ka Department of Energy Office $187,400 for the State Energy Conservation Progra 

m. 

The program conducts a variety of projects throughout Nebraska to 

promote energy conservation. Its best known project is the Dollar and Energy Sav 

ing Loan program, which allows Nebraska homeowners, small business owners, local 

governments, farmers and ranchers to borrow money from participating private le 

nders at five percent interest to finance energy efficient improvements. 

The state will contribute $37,480 in matching funds to operate the program 

during fiscal year 1994-95. 





HDLN[Rep. Smith: Ethanol Foes To Challenge EPA Rule 

TEXT[Washington - The future of corn-based ethanol will remain unsettled despite 

new regulations requiring that oil companies use renewable sources in clean-bur 

ning gasoline, Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, said Thursday. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said oil companies would be making a mistake to ch 

allenge the EPA's ruling. 

"If they fight it, they will wish they hadn't," Kerrey said. "The oil compa 

nies are always coming up here to ask for similar sorts of things. They already 

are negotiating with the White House to get 

some special tax treatment in return for supporting health-care reform. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he was the first ethanol supporter to back the 

EPA decision to phase in the use of renewable sources, starting with 15 percent 

Jan. l and eventually reaching 30 percent. 

"I do not believe big oil can attack this proposal on the grounds that we d 

o not have the ethanol production facilities or distribution system," Exon said. 

"I don't think there is any question that big oil will file a lawsuit on th 

is." 

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he was unhappy with the EPA' 

s decision. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter R-Neb. said pahsing in the 30 percent requirement was a 

disappointment. 

"I am afraid this backtracking signals that President Clinton's commitment 

to ethanol is wavering," Bereuter said. "It makes me question how vigorously th 

e administration will defend this program once it is implemented." 

Bereuter said that there have been industry estimates that Nebraska farmers 

will lose more than $50 million as a result of having 15 percent requirement in 

stead of 30 percent. Grassley said the loss in Iowa was estimated at $77 millio 

n. 




SOUR[O'Neill Holt Co. Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Raps Environmental Big Oil Alliance 

TEXT[U.S.Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) attacked environmentalists and "big oil", sayin 

g they have formed "a strange and unholy alliance" that promotes self-interest a 

nd short-sighted energy policy and is hurting ethanol promotion. 

Exon delivered his remarks at a Senate Agriculture Subcommittee h 

earing that was called at his request to review the Clinton Administration's ref 

ormulated gasoline proposal under the Clean Air Act and the role of ethanol in i 

t. 

"The combination of 'big oil' and the big environmentalists is a 

strange and unholy alliance," Exon said "I would say to the environmentalists I 

have agreed with from time to time, I think you're traveling on pretty dangerous 

waters. I think you do not know what you do. Maybe their vast public relations 

efforts as Gas 'do-gooders' might

e clouded by the all-out attack against ethanol in the Clean Air proposals whic 

h are awaiting final approval." 

"I am not particularly surprised at the self-serving, selfish actions 

of 'big oil.' The issue is money, M-O-N-E-Y, and certainly the big oil companies 

have lots of that. I continue to remain astonished at the environmental groups 

at which I am also pointing the double-barrelled shotgun. I'm not afraid to take 

on the environmentalists, although I've been with them from time to time. They 

are, in my opinion, as irresponsible as 'big oil' in not telling the truth about 

this issue." 

Critics of the Administration's ethanol plan are trying to argue 

that it represents an unfair advantage for farmers and ethanol producers. 

Exon said his support for the corn-based fuel as an alternative t 

o oil dates back to his days as governor of Nebraska. 

"Ethanol should be a key component of building a sound energy policy t 

hat lessens the nation's dependence upon foreign oil," Exon said. 




SOUR[Scottsbluff Star-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Park Service Officials to visit Agate 

TEXT[GERING - John Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, will 

visit Agate Fossil Beds National Monument next Wednesday. 

Reynolds' visit comes after a request by Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and B 

ob Kerrey for park service officials to visit the site so they can understand th 

e importance of completing a new visitors center. 



AUTH[Todd Von Kampen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Legislation could speed airport work 

TEXT[TWIN CITIES - Scottsbluff County could finish remodeling 

the county airport terminal a year or two sooner than planned if a bill pending 

in Congress passes, say two members of the county's new airport liaison committe 

e. 

The AIP bill was sent to a House-Senate conference committee after pas 

sing both houses of Congress on June 16, said Patricia Rapp, western Nebraska re 

presentative for U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 



AUTH[Mark Crist 

SOUR[North Platte Telegpraph

BK#[ 

HDLN[Airport gets grant to finish taxiway 

TEXT[The North Platte Airport Authority has received a grant to finish the taxiw 

ay to the main runway at the North Platte Regional Airport, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon 

and Bob Kerrey announced Wednesday. 

The $251,737 federal grant is the money needed to complete the fourth 

and final phase of the taxiway at the airport, manager Kent Penney said. It will 

pay for 2,000 of the 4,000 feet awaiting completion. Another similar grant has 

already been given to the airport and will be used to complete the other 2,000 f 

eet. 

The funds for the project come from the federal Airport Improvement Pr 

ogram, according to Exon and Kerrey. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[$1.5 million grant will light up airport 

TEXT[The Lincoln Airport Authority has been awarded a $1.5 million federal grant 

to extend and add lights to the runway and taxiway and to expand aprons at the 

Municipal Airport. 

The funding was provided by the federal airport improvement program, S 

ens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced. 




SOUR[Hickman Voice 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Zweernick Honored 

TEXT[Ruth Zweerink of Firth was honored recently at a National Senior Service lu 

ncheon held June 3. She is a Senior Companion, one who cheers the lonely, entert 

ains the shut-ins, provides transportation for the elderly, lends a listening ea 

r, and is a friend to all. She recently wrote the following poem which was selec 

ted to be read on a radio program and she was asked to recite it at the Apprecia 

tion Program. Pictured with Ruth are Mrs. Pat Exon and Senator J.J. Exon who is 

holding and presented the framed poem she had written. Senator J.J. Exon gave 

the keynote address. 

P\C[ 




BK#[

HDLN[Cattlemen Skewer Packers 

TEXT[The packing industry drew fire from more than a thousand angry cattlemen ga 

thered in a sweltering hall at Omaha's Holiday Convention Center on the eve of t 

he Nebraska Cattlemen's second annual Feedlot Expo. 

Packers were barred from attending the tense session, which went on ne 

arly three hours past its scheduled end. It was one of the largest gatherings of 

cattlemen in Nebraska in recent years. 

Reeling from a year of growing financial losses, cattlemen and cattle feeder 

s from all over the Midwest roasted packers for their role in the losses. They a 

lso criticized Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and the meat industry rules he pr 

esides over. 

Regarding packer concentration, the cattlemen called on U.S. Sens. Kerrey a 

nd J.J. Exon to order a congressional investigation into whether the Commodity F 

utures Trading Commission is performing its proper regulatory role and whether t 

he Department of Justice is pressing for antitrust compliance by packers. 



AUTH[Leigh Fischer 

SOUR[Hickman Voice 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Area 4-H Clubs to visit east coast 

TEXT[Early in the morning on June 4, 93 4-H'ers from Gage, Jefferson and Saline 

counties, along with six sponsors, left for an eleven-day trip to the east coast 

. 

The first evening we flew into the Baltimore-Washington, D. C. airport. We 

spent a couple hours in the Baltimore harbor area before we left to our hotel in 

Frederick, Maryland. Our group spent the next day in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 

and then arrived at the National 4-H Center in Washington, D. C. 

We participated in the annual Citizenship Washington Focus program during o 

ur six-day stay in our nation's capitol. Each 4-H member was in a committee, and 

was required to attend committee meetings each morning. 

Our afternoons were spent visiting the different memorials, monuments, and 

buildings. We toured the Supreme Court Building, Arlington National Cemetery, th 

e Vietnam War Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral, and we also 

spent a couple of afternoons at the Smithsonian museums. 

Wednesday was Capitol Hill Day. The Gage, Jefferson and Saline delegation tour 

ed the White House in the morning. The Gage and Jefferson County groups also spe 

nt about two hours waiting in line to ride the elevator to the top of the Washin 

gton Monument. The beautiful view from the top of the monument made it worth the 

long wait. 

That afternoon we met Senator Kerrey and Senator Exon on the steps of the C 

apitol Building. Each county was fortunate to have their picture taken with our 

senators. After speaking with them for 30 minutes, we toured the Capitol Buildin 

g. 

We also had an opportunity to sit in on sessions of the Senate and House of 

Representatives. I thought Capitol Hill Day was very impressive and interestin

g. 

On Thursday evening we had a night out. Our delegation ate at the Old Post 

Office, one of the tallest buildings in Washington, D. C. Then we attended the R 

evengers Comedies Play at the Arena Stage Theater. After the play, our bus drive 

rs took us through a poor part of town. It was shocking to see how many homeless 

people were living on the streets. 

The week in Washington, D. C. was very busy, but we still had four days of 

traveling left. Saturday, we visited Mount Vernon and Monticello before we left 

for Williamsburg, Virginia. 

On Saturday, we spent the day in Colonial Williamsburg, touring many of the 

old buildings. Sunday night we headed for Ocean City, Maryland. This was the fi 

rst time many of us in the group had seen the ocean so it was quite exciting. 

Monday we were free to spend the day shopping on the boardwalk, swimming in 

the ocean, or touring the city. This day was relaxing and a lot of fun. It was 

a great way to end our vacation, because we boarded the buses at 5:00 o'clock th 

e next morning to head to the airport. 

The 1994 Washington Focus trip was a lot of fun and very interesting. It wa 

s the first time I had ever been to the east coast so I learned a lot of new thi 

ngs. 

During the trip, everyone made new friends so we are looking forward to a r 

eunion to exchange pictures and memories! 

Submitted by Leigh Fischer, Adams 



AUTH[Scott Sonner 

SOUR[Alliance Times-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Railroad agency seeks high-tech train controls 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP)-Railroad regulators want Congressional support for a comput 

erized tracking system they say could have prevented 116 train accidents - inclu 

ding one in Nebraska - and saved 30 lives over the past five years. 

The new technology can override an engineer's controls and halt a train hea 

ded for danger. The Federal Railroad Administration is committed to implementing 

the system by the year 2000 in the most high-risk, high-use corridors, FRA Admi 

nistrator Jolene Molitoris said Wednesday. 

The agency decided against mandating the "positive train control" system na 

tionwide because the cost would approach $1 billion, she said. 

Instead, the agency intends to assist private railroads in experiments with 

the computer tracking, such as a pilot project by Burlington Northern Railroad 

and Union Pacific Railroad on 600 miles of high-use lines in Oregon and Washingt 

on, she said. 

"Our goal is to have the FTC on the most important, high-use, high-risk cor 

ridors by the year 2000," she said at a news conference. 

The FRA also will support Amtrak in implementing the system in a Northeast 

corridor so passenger trains can run between Boston and New York City at 150 mph 

, Molitoris said. 

The FTC computer system can apply brakes to slow or even stop trains when n 

ecessary to enforce speed restrictions and avoid collisions. 

An on-board computer would compare the location and speed of the train with

a constantly updated data-base of train orders, work orders and speed restricti 

ons. 

Molitoris presented lawmakers with a report on railroad communications and 

train control, saying implementation of the computerized system would be a "quan 

tum leap forward." 

"We believe the best way to spur development of FTC is not necessarily by r 

ulemaking," she said. "The biggest win for all of us would be voluntary FTC depl 

oyment." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the senate subcommittee on surface trans 

portation,and Rep. Al Swift, D-Wash., chairman of the House subcommittee on tran 

sportation and hazardous materials, said they welcomed the findings. 

Their states were the sites of fatal train accidents within the past year. 

Two rail workers were killed June 8 when one train rear-ended another near 

Thedford, Neb. Two other crewmen jumped to safety from a third train that plowed 

through the wreckage, 

Five rail workers died in November in the head-on train crash at Kelso in W 

ashington state. 

The deadliest crash since 1990 was near Oary, Ind. in January 1993 when one 

commuter passenger train collided with another, killing seven. 

All of those deaths could have been avoided with the computer tracking,t 

he report to Congress said. 

"It's clear that the recent fatal crash (in Nebraska) could have been 

avoided if this developing technology had been in place," Exon said. 

Swift noted the rail industry "is moving forward on its own." 

"Today it is not a question of whether advanced train controls are a g 

ood idea. It's when and under what circumstances they will be implemented," he s 

aid. 

"The work that Burlington Northern and Union Pacific are conducting in 

the Pacific Northwest will greatly reduce the possibility of more accidents occ 

urring like the tragedy in Kelso." 

Union Pacific Railroad is based in Omaha, Neb. 

The FRA is requesting $400,000 for the next fiscal year to launch a tw 

o-year analysis of corridors that would most benefit immediately from the comput 

er system, Molitoris said. 

High-use lines with passenger trains and hazardous materials will get 

top priority, she said. 

The FRA also wants $11.5 million next year to start a multi-year agree 

ment with private railroads to test the systems. In addition, the agency wants $ 

650,000 to research train-control technology, she said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Project Aims At Decreasing Train Wrecks 

TEXT[Washington - Preventing train-to-train collisions is the aim of a proposed 

$11.5 million federal research project outlined Wednesday in a report by the Fed 

eral Railroad Administration to Sen. J.J. Exon, D.Neb.

Exon, chairman of the Senate Commerce surface transportation subcommit 

tee, said the money would be used to help railroads develop a computerized syste 

m called "positive train control." 

He said the system would be capable of stopping trains and might have 

prevented a June 8 crash that killed two Burlington Northern employees near Thed 

ford. Neb. 

"Positive train control holds the promise of greatly reducing accident 

s on Americas railroads," Exon said at a conference. "lt's a giant step forward. 

Jolene Molitoris, federal railroad administrator, said her agency iden 

tified 116 train-to-train accidents involving 30 deaths that might have been pre 

vented with positive train control. 

She praised the Burlington Northern and Union Pacific railroads for fo 

rming a partnership to test the system on more than 800 miles of track in the Pa 

cific Northwest. 

James Dolan, vice president-law for the Union Pacific, said the Omahabased 

railroad was proud to be a partner with Burlington Northern. 

"It is on occasions like this, when we are working together on somethi 

ng as critical as safety, that we refer to the BN as brother," Dolan said. 

"We will once again be fierce competitors and the lexicon will change. 

" 

Andy Schiestl, BN director of network-control systems, said the partnership 

developed after conversations between executives of the two railroads at safety 

conventions. 

Schiestl said a large investment has been made by both railroads in de 

veloping the equipment that will be used in the system. 

He said the railroads were in the process of determining what equipment was 

needed and how much it will cost. 

Edwin Harper, president of the Association of American Railroads, said a fe 

deral requirement to install positive train control on all major railroads could 

cost an estimated $859 million. 

"The benefits of positive train control do not presently justify the nearly 

$1 billion cost," Harper said. 



AUTH[Jason Gertzen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Cuts in Alaska Will Shift 49 To Offutt Base 

TEXT[Offutt Air Force Base will gain an additional 49 positions by early 1995 wh 

en airmen are shifted from operations now based in Alaska. 

Air Force officials said the two units at Fareckson Air Station i 

n Alaska are being shut down because of a tightening defense budget and a decrea 

sed military threat. 

The 16th Space Surveillance Squadron and Detachment I of the 55th Oper 

ations Group will become inactive late this year, Air Force officials said. 

The positions being transferred to Offutt are responsible for space su 

rveillance and detection of foreign missile tests, said Sen. J.J. Exon D.Neb., c 

hairman of the Senate's Armed Services subcommittee on nuclear deterrence, arms

control and defense intelligence. 

Members of Nebraska's congressional delegation said the shift of addit 

ional people to Offutt was good news for the base in a time when other military 

installations are facing cutbacks. 

"We are pleased that the ongoing Air Force reorganization continues to 

provide new opportunities for Offutt and the community," said Paul Landow, head 

of the Omaha office of Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb. 

Exon said the base had a solid future. 

"While Air Force manpower and spending levels continue to decline," he 

said, "I am encouraged that the role of Offutt in meeting the challenges of the 

21st century continues to grow. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Agate fossil exhibits to be done by '96 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Exhibits at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in western 

Nebraska will be completed within 18 months with the help of National Park Serv 

ice funding, three Nebraska Congressmen said Wednesday. 

Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. 

, have asked the park service for the $730,000 needed to complete the exhibits a 

t the monument in Sioux County some 35 miles north of Scottsbluff. 

No permanent exhibits have been completed for the $1 million 

monument center. But the park service on Wednesday agreed to fund the project, 

the congressmen said. 

"We have been assured by park service officials that they will ac 

celerate work on the exhibits with a target completion date a year and a half fr 

om now," Exon and Kerrey said in a statement "compared to earlier estimates of u 

p to 10 years for completion, we think this is a tremendous development. 

Park service Deputy Director John Reynolds said the funding was l 

ikely after a July 6 visit to the monument, though the funds must be approved by 

Congress. 

"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the (Capt. James) 

Cook Collection are steeped in history," Exon said in a statement "They deserve 

to be displayed properly and seen by people throughout the U.S." 

The good news comes after a push by the local Friends of Agate Fo 

ssil 

Beds Inc., a group that raised $390,000 to help build the center at the monument 

. 



AUTH[World Herald Bureau 


BK#[

HDLN[Park Service to Accelerate Work on Agate Fossil Beds 

TEXT[Washington - Exhibits at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument near Agate 

, Neb., will be completed within 18 months, Nebraska's two U.S. senators said We 

dnesday. 

"This is great news," Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey said in a joint statemen 

t. 

Exhibits will be housed in a new visitor center. Local supporters have raised 

more than $300,000 and about $750,000 in federal funding is needed to complete 

the exhibits, Exon and Kerrey said. 

Recently, local supporters complained about the lack of federal suppor 

t, and on July 6, John Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, t 

oured the site. 

Reynolds assured Exon and Kerrey that the project deserved to proceed 

more quickly. 

"The Agate Fossil Beds is a national treasure and a valuable asset to 

Nebraska's tourism industry," Kerrey said. "I am pleased we were able to convinc 

e the park service officials to accelerate their work on this important project. 

" 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Park Service OKs exhibit funding 

TEXT[National Park Service officials and three Nebraska congressmen say they hav 

e found the money needed to complete exhibits at the museum at the Agate Fossil 

Beds National Monument in western Nebraska. 

Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd Distr 

ict, had asked the park service for the $730,000 needed to complete the exhibits 

at the monument in Sioux County, some 35 miles north of Scottsbluff. 

No permanent exhibits have been completed for the $1 million monument 

center, but the park service on Wednesday agreed to fund the project, the congre 

ssmen said. 

"(We) have been assured by park service officials that they will accelerate 

work on the exhibits with a target completion date a year and a half from now," 

Exon and Kerrey said in a statement. "Compared to earlier estimates of up to 10 

years for completion, we think this is a tremendous development." 

Park service deputy Director John Reynolds said the funding was likely afte 

r a July 6 visit to the monument, though the funds must be approved by Congress. 





BK#[

HDLN[Measure to protect strikers dies in Congress 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Proponents of legislation to outlaw the permanent replace 

ment of striking workers pledged to keep fighting Wednesday after the Senate eff 

ectively killed the bill for this year. 

Senators refused for a second time to allow final action on the measure en 

ding its chances for adoption; as a separate bill this year. 

But Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, prime sponsor of the Workplace Fairness Act, sa 

id he would try to attach it to legislation favored by opponents. 

"We have not given up," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa said after the vote. "This 

is not the end of this." 

A roll call vote on the Workplace Fairness Act again fell seven votes short 

of the 6O needed to end a Republican-led filibuster. Metzenbaum and other backe 

rs knew they lacked the votes to pass the bill, which was this year's top legisl 

ative priority for organized labor. 

AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland said in a statement represented "another no 

tch on the hired guns of the special Interests who benefit from a denial of work 

er rights." 

The final vote was 53-46 in favor of ending the filibuster, in which oppone 

nts use stalling tactics to block legislation. The tally Tuesday was 53-47, but 

Georgia Republican Paul Coverdell, who had voted against the bill, did not vote 

Wednesday. 

The fight over the striker replacement legislation has been at the center o 

f a bitter tug-of-war on Capitol Hill between business and organized labor. Neit 

her side gave an inch. 

"The two sides were involved in trench warfare with neither really seeking 

a workable compromise" said Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., who supported the legislati 

on. 

Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey also supported the bill. 

Labor Secretary Robert Reich said the Clinton administration had "worked ex 

ceedingly hard" to get the legislation passed and had sought a compromise suitab 

le to both sides. He said the administration would continue its efforts if a com 

promise is available and feasible." 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, however, said the business community "re 

gards this as a no-compromise issue." 

Proponents of the legislation argued it would level the playing field betwe 

en management and labor, but opponents said it would choke-off the ability of em 

ployers to survive strikes and send jobs overseas. 

Federal law gives workers the right to strike and forbids their replacement 

if the walkout is over alleged unfair labor practices. The bill would have exte 

nded that protection to strikes called over economic 

issues. 

The House adopted similar legislation last year. 




SOUR[Kearney Hub 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Railroads seek help of computer

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Railroad regulators want Congressional support for a comp 

uterized tracking system they say could have prevented 116 train accidents - inc 

luding one in Nebraska - and saved 30 lives over the past five years. 

The new technology can over ride an engineer's controls and 

halt a train headed for danger. The Federal Railroad Administration is committed 

to implementing the system by the year 2000 in the most high-risk, high-use cor 

ridors, FRA Administrator Jolene Molitoris said Wednesday. 

The agency decided against mandating the 'positive train control' system na 

tionwide because the cost would approach $1 billion, she said. 




on, she said. 




The PTC computer system can apply brakes to slow or even stop trains when n 


An on-board computer would compare the location and speed of the train with 

a constantly updated database of train orders, work orders and speed restrictio 

ns. 




Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Senate subcommittee on surface trans 

portation, and Rep. Al Swift, D-Wash., chairman of the House subcommittee on tra 

nsportation and hazardous materials said they welcomed the findings. 




SOUR[Holdredge Citizen 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Funding found for fossil beds exhibit 

TEXT[Omaha, Neb. (AP) - National Park Service officials and three Nebraska Congr 

essmen say they have found the money needed to complete exhibits at the museum a 

t the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in western Nebraska. 

Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., had 

asked the park service for the $730,000 needed to complete the exhibits at the 

monument in Sioux County some 35 miles north of Scottsbluff. 

No permanent exhibits have been completed for the $1 million monument cente 

r. But the park service on Wednesday agreed to fund the project, the congressmen 

said. 

"(We)have been assured by park service officials that they will accelerate 

work on the exhibits with a target completion date a year and a half from now," 

Exon and Kerrey said in a statement. "Compared to earlier estimates of up to 10 

years for completion, we think this is a tremendous development.



"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the (Capt. James) Cook Colle 

ction are steeped in history," Exon said in a statement. "They deserve to be di 

splayed properly and seen by people throughout the U.S." 

The good news comes after a push by the local Friends of Agate Fossil Beds 

Inc., a group that had raised $390,000 to help build the center at the monument. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Money available for Agate Fossil Beds 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - National Park Service officials and three Nebraska congressmen 

say they have found the money needed to complete exhibits at the museum at the 

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in western Nebraska. 

Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. 

, had asked the park service for the $730,000 needed to complete the exhibits at 

the monument in Sioux County some 35 miles north of Scottsbluff. 

No permanent exhibits have been completed for the $1 million monument 

center. But the park service on Wednesday agreed to fund the project, the congre 

ssmen said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[To get new jobs 

TEXT[Omaha, Neb. (AP) - Nearby Offutt Air Force Base will have 49 new full-time 

military jobs early next year, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Wednesday. 

The positions will transfer from Eareckson Air Station in Alaska, Exon said 

in a statement. The Air Force has decided to deactivate two operations responsi 

ble for space surveillance and the detection of foreign missile tests at the Ala 

ska station, he said. 

The transfers are expected to come i'm the 16th Space Surveillance Squadron 

. 




SOUR[McCook Gazette 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Regulators want train tracking

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Railroad regulators want Congressional support for a comp 

uterized tracking system they say could have prevented 116 train accidents - inc 

luding one in Nebraska - and saved 30 lives over the past five years. 

The new technology can override an engineer's controls and halt a trai 

n headed for danger. The Federal Railroad Administration is committed to impleme 

nting the system by the year 2000 in the most high-risk, high-use corridors, FRA 

Administrator Jolene Molitoris said Wednesday. 

The agency decided against mandating the "positive train control" syst 

em nationwide because the cost would approach $1 billion, she said. 




on, she said. 

"Our goal is to have the PTC on the most important, high-use, high-risk cor 





The PTC computer system can apply brakes to slow or even stop trains when n 



a constantly updated database of train orders, work orders and speed restrictio 

ns. 




"We believe the best way to spur development of PTC is not necessarily by r 

ulemaking," she said. "The biggest win for all of us would be voluntary PTC depl 

oyment." 

Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb., chairman of the Subcommittee on surface transportatio 

n, and Rep. Al Swift, D-Wash., chairman of the House subcommittee on transportat 

ion and hazardous materials, said they welcomed the findings. 


Two rail workers were killed June 8 when one train rear-ended another near 

Thedford, Neb. Two other crewmen jumped to safety from a third train that plowed 

through the wreckage. 

Five rail workers died in November in the head-on train crash at Kelso in W 

ashington state. 

The deadliest crash since 1990 was near Gary, Ind., in January 1993 when on 

e commuter passenger train collided with another, killing seven. 

All of those deaths could have been avoided with the computer tracking, the 

report to Congress said. 

"It's clear that the recent fatal crash (in Nebraska) could have been avoid 

ed if this developing technology had been in place," Exon said. 

Swift noted the rail industry "is moving forward on its own." 

"Today it is not a question of whether advanced train controls are a good i 

dea. It's when and under what circumstances they will be implemented," he said. 

"The work that Burlington Northern and Union Pacific are conducting in the 

Pacific Northwest will greatly reduce the possibility of more accidents occurrin 

g like the tragedy in Kelso." 

Union Pacific Railroad is based in Omaha, Neb. 

The FRA is requesting $400,000 for the next fiscal year to launch a two-yea

analysis of corridors that would most benefit immediately from the computer sy 

stem, Molitoris said. 

High-use lines with passenger trains and hazardous materials will get top p 

riority, she said. 

The FRA also wants $11.5 million next year to start a multi-year agreement 

with private railroads to test the systems. In addition, the agency wants $650,0 

00 to research train control technology, she said. 




SOUR[Hemingford Ledger 

BK#[ 

HDLN[CRP lands are eligible 

TEXT[A decision announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pen CRP lands 

for haying and grazing as requested by Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon means r 

elief is in sight for Nebraska livestock producers suffering from a hot and dry 

summer. 

Kerrey and Exon praised the decision by Agriculture Secretary Mike Esp 

y to authorize emergency haying and grazing of land currently being held idle un 

der the Conservation Reserve Program. The senators sent a letter to Espy June 17 

requesting the land be considered for use because of dry conditions caused by a 

significant lack of rainfall. 

"This is no substitute for rain, but this move will being some relief 

for Nebraska's livestock producers," Kerrey and Exon said. "We will continue to 

fight to protect Nebraska's livestock producers and help them, through a hot and 

dry summer." 

Counties that are affected by this season's hot and dry conditions can 

now apply to USDA for permission to sue CRP land for the purpose of alleviating 

a livestock feed emergency. Individual portions of a county may also apply for 

relief. 




SOUR[Cairo Record 

BK#[ 

HDLN[FFA Members Attend Conference 

TEXT[Denise Williams and Daniel Christensen, both of Dannebrog, members of the C 

entura FFA Chapter, attended the 1994 Washington Leadership Conference in the na 

tion's capital. The conference is an activity of the National FFA Organization i 

n cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. 



in their chapters and communities. Sessions on self-confidence, goal-setting, a 

nd team-building were combined with discussions on personal development, motivat

ion, and citizenship to help members become effective leaders in the science, bu 

siness and technology of agriculture. 




A highlight of the week was a visit made to the offices of Senators Exon an 

d Kerrey. 

The chapter's FFA advisor is Miss Barb Buresh and the trip to the conf 

erence was sponsored by numerous sponsors from the community. 

P\C[c 




BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Help Pass 'Big Labor's Strike Bill' 

TEXT[Nebraska Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon voted to help pass organized labor 

's so-called "Anti-Striker Replacement Worker" bill (S. 55), voting to shut down 

a Right to Work-backed filibuster against S. 55. 

Despite heavy pressure by union lobbyists and the White House to corral eve 

n more votes, strike bill backers fell 7 votes short of the 60 needed to invoke 

"cloture" and kill the filibuster. A second cloture vote was set. 

"Americans oppose this strike bill two to one," said National Right to Work 

Committee President Reed Larson. "But when it came time to choose between the B 

ig Labor special interests who bankroll their campaigns and the citizens who ele 

cted them to office, Sens. Kerrey and Exon turned their backs on Nebraska and th 

e 11,000 Nebraskans who signed petitions opposing the strike bill. 

"Instead, Sens. Kerrey and Exon did exactly what Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton 

and the AFL-CIO bosses told them to do." 

The strike bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy, would coerce workers to str 

ike. S. 55 would force employers to fire new employees hired during a strike and 

punish workers who stay on the job during a strike by stripping them of pay rai 

ses and promotions as soon as the strike is over. 

The House passes the strike bill last June. President Clinton has promised 

to sign the measure. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey announce RDA loan for City 

TEXT[United States Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Wednesday that the 

City of Wymore has been awarded a loan to complete improvements to its water sy 

stem. 

The Rural Development Administration (RDA) has approved a loan of $29,

000 to finish developing a well and constructing a new water line in the city. 

The city will pay 4.5 percent interest on the loan over a period of 40 

years. 




SOUR[Superior Express 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators ignore voters 

TEXT[This week Nebraska's two senators, James Exon and Bob Kerrey helped pass or 

ganized labor's push-button strike bill. They ignored a majority of Nebraskans w 

hen they voted Tuesday to end a right-to-work backed filibuster. 

Despite heavy pressure by union lobbyists and the White House to corral eve 

n more votes, strike bill backers fell seven votes short of the 69 needed to inv 

oke "cloture" and kill the filibuster. 

We believe most Nebraska and Kansas residents, and a majority of all other 

Americans, oppose this strike bill. But when it came time to choose between the 

special interests who are often willing to bankroll a campaign and the citizens 

who elected them to office our Nebraska senators turned their backs on the home 

folks. How will they explain their actions to the 11,000 Nebraskans who signed p 

etitions opposing the bill? 

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy, would coerce workers to strike. It 

would force employers to fire new employees hired during a strike and punish wo 

rkers who stay on the job during a strike by stripping them of pay raises and pr 

omotions as soon as the strike is over. 

The House passed the strike bill last June and President Clinton has promis 

ed to sign the measure. 

We are glad Kansas Senators Robert Dole and Nancy Kassenbaum have opposed t 

he measure. 

We don't oppose workers' rights to organize and form unions. In our history 

, such unions have often been necessary to protect the workers from profit greed 

y management. However, we believe workers who do not want to join a union and ma 

nagement also have rights. To pass this legislation will mean the loss of both w 

orker and owner rights. 



AUTH[Lisa Burgess 

SOUR[New York Journal of Commerce 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Both sides in ICC Debate Cite Rail Role In Arguments 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - While Congress debates the role of the Interstate Commerce Com 

mission in truck regulation, the agency's second major area of responsibility - 

railroads - is being used as ammunition by both sides of the argument over wheth 

er the ICC should be abolished.

Critics say the agency's rail functions belong elsewhere, specifically 

within the Department of Transportation. The commission's supporters 

reply that the ICC's expertise in its rail regulation duties, including reviewin 

g proposed mergers, justifies its existence, at least for now. 

The ICC was originally created in 1887 to address the effects of the r 

ailroads' monopoly power over the nation's freight, which left some shippers cap 

tive to rail service available from only one railroad. 

Today, debate centers over the question of how many captive shippers r 

emain. The widespread growth of alternative shipping modes, especially trucking, 

has led some opponents of the ICC's rail regulatory powers to argue that the ag 

ency's charter to protect captive shippers is moot. 

"Upwards of 90% of railroad freight now moves under contract," 

said an ICC attorney. "Where are the captive shippers? We don't get those (rate 

appeal) cases. Odds are, if you're captive, you're going to pay a high rate no m 

atter what. The point is, in 1994, your freight will move, one way or the other. 

" 

The ICC is presiding over an industry whose number of major players ha 

ve been cut in half in 20 years. Bankruptcies and mergers have reduced the numbe 

r of Class I railroads from 20 to 10 in a decade. Employment has decreased about 

58% since the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, which limited the commission's authori 

ty to determine the reasonableness of railroad rates. 

There is one rail growth area: the short-line and regional railroad in 

dustry. Small and medium-sized railroads account for about 11% of total railroad 

employment and nearly 25% of the nation's 174,000-mile rail system. Most of the 

new short-line and regional railroads are created from marginal lines purchased 

from the large railroads that otherwise would have abandoned them. 

The Staggers Act, along with the Railroad Revitalization and Regulator 

y Reform Act of 1976, deregulated much of the railroad industry. The ICC continu 

es to play a significant regulatory role for railroads but not as much as it onc 

e did. 

Railroads appreciate the ICC, said Ray Chambers, spokesman for the Reg 

ional Railroads of America. "The primary reason is that, as rail carriers, we in 

teract so much with each other," Mr. Chambers said. "You have to have some sort 

of neutral, quasi-independent body out there. I like the commission the way it i 

s now, with several administrators. If you moved its rail functions to DOT, ever 

ything would be politicized." 

One of the agency's most significant powers is the right to approve or 

kill proposed mergers. The impact of their decisions can have a tremendous impa 

ct on the industry and the nation. For example, the recently announced merger pl 

an involving Burlington Northern Inc. and Santa Fe Pacific Corp. would create th 

e single largest railroad in the nation, operating more than 31,000 miles of tra 

ck in 27 states and two Canadian provinces. 

ICC critics say the commission is too slow and its merger procedures a 

ntiquated. Railroad merger cases can take the commission as long as 31 months to 

decide for combinations, like the Sante Fe and Burlington Northern, that invoic 

e two major carriers. 

"lt's hard to tell why the Transportation Department, the Department of Jus 

tice or even the Federal Trade Commission can't look at a merger as well as we d 

o," an ICC official said. "They look at other mergers. And Justice can run a med 

iation and negotiation, which is a more modern alternative." 

Others say that the ICC is the only federal agency with the staff expertise

and experience to deal with mergers on the scale of the Sante Fe and Burlington 

Northern. Those railroads announced their engagement June 30, two weeks after t 

he House voted to sunset the ICC. Several commission officials privately reacted 

to the news with joy, saying that they were breathing easier having been told b 

y Senate aides that lawmakers were unlikely to kill the commission until such a 

major merger was completed. 

Most of the ICC's rail-rate regulatory powers have lost their punch. In the 

late-1980s, rule-making stemming from the Staggers Act, the commission determin 

ed that railroads must pass on cost savings from improvements in productivity to 

their customers. In response, the carriers stopped taking general rate increase 

s. They also avoided the full effect of the commission decision by shifting the 

criteria used in contract escalator clauses as they come up for renewal. 

The ICC controls entry-and-exit permission for the rail industry, another f 

unction which some free-market advocates say is unnecessary. 

"Why does anyone need permission to form business arrangements when they do 

n't threaten competition?" the ICC attorney said. As for abandonments, "we take 

companies who feel they are losing money on a service, and basically piddle arou 

nd. If the service is worth saving, someone should save it, but probably not the 

railroad doing it now. Why do you need a regulatory agency to do that?" 

One argument in favor of maintaining the ICC's rail role is that its disrup 

tion would spotlight the terms of asset sales by large carriers seeking to reduc 

e expenses to non-union small railroad operators with lower operating costs. Tha 

t trend more than doubled the number of small railroads from 212 in 1970 to appr 

oximately 550 today, according to the American Short Line Railroad Association. 

The agency retains the power to decide whether those sales should be accomp 

anied by separation payments to workers. Rail labor has contended the agency ski 

rted both the law and its regulations in hundreds of past cases by allowing buye 

rs to form non-carrier holding companies that controlled several small carriers. 




SOUR[Lyons Mirror-Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Local Farmers Meet with Governor Nelson 

TEXT[ 

Many farmers gathered at Cooney Fertilizer in Walthill last Thurs. to meet 

with Governor Ben Nelson and representatives from Senator Bob Kerrey's and Senat 

or Jim Exon's offices. Governor Nelson spoke on what federal disaster aid farmer 

s might expect for the hail and wind damage that hit many area farms a few weeks 

ago. 

The results were disappointing and left many farmers pessimistic. Whil 

e Lyons farmer, Ron Brovont felt the meeting provided feedback about what Govern 

or Nelson will try to do, Brovont is not certain about the possibilities for fed 

eral disaster relief. 

"I'm kind of optimistic. l think we're going to be left out to dry, myself, 

" he said. 

Lyons farmer, Ray Peterson, was also in attendance and is also not looking fo 

r much assistance.

Disaster assistance must come from a federal level. "Disasters are never a 

budgeted area. It has to be big enough to cripple an area, Peterson said. 

Peterson also pointed out that Nebraska is at a disadvantage by comparing t 

his area to the rest of the United States, "We're just a few little farmers gett 

ing splattered in Northeast Nebraska. It doesn't make headlines" Peterson said. 

Peterson believes that the fact the damage did not make national headlines 

and the small number representatives Nebraska has in Congress, places this area 

at a disadvantage for any hope of disaster assistance. 

Richard Appleby, also a Lyons farmer, felt that while the disaster was a sh 

ocking thing for the community of Lyons and very negative thing. I don't know wh 

at the outcome will be he said. 

"Budget constraints are ongoing in all aspects of government. They're tryin 

g to cut back on their farm programs and disaster assistance is thing that they 

phase out," he said. 

Lyons farmer Chuck Myers felt that Governor Nelson was realistic about 

what he explained to farmers. 

While in Walthill, Myers looked at other farms and saw many areas that 

were completely wiped out. "We could possibly see 1/2 crop if we're lucky. Up t 

here they already know that they are wiped out. You couldn't tell what had been 

planted originally, he said. 

Coverall, Myers felt that many farmers were understanding and did not 

go with false hopes. "It helped farmers hit by hailstorms to hear a realistic vi 

ew," he said. 

Arlyn Panko, County Executive Director for the Thurston County Agricul 

tural Stabilization and Conservation Service, was also in attendance at the meet 

ing. 

Panko felt that if Thurston County is officially declared a disaster c 

ounty, farmers in Burt County will also receive assistance through low interest 

Farmers Home Administration (FHA). 

However, some farmers believe that low interest loans from FHA will be 

difficult to come by. 

"You have to be hurt so bad that it threatens to destroy your business. If 

you can prove that the damage will cost you your business then you may possibly 

qualify." Peterson said. 

Although the possibility of low interest loans is an option, whether o 

r not Thurston County is officially declared a disaster county is still undecide 

d. 

Panko has been informed through the news that Thurston County was decl 

ared a disaster county, but it has not beer official through the government yet 

. Panko expects this decision possibly next week. 



AUTH[Stephanie Hall 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Panel Votes to Keep ICC But Cut Its Funding 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The Interstate Commerce Commission survived a key threat to it 

s existence Wednesday when a Senate subcommittee voted to continue funding the a 

gency - but at only two-thirds of its current level.

Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., who many had expected to lead the charge 

to eliminate the agency, supported the move to fund the ICC next year, but made 

clear that he saw it only as a short-term reprieve. 

The Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee voted unanimousl 

y to cut the ICC's funding from the General Treasury by $13.525 million, a reduc 

tion of 31% from the $44.5 million requested in President Clinton's budget. The 

committee also voted to cut agency staffing 31% and set aside another $5.425 mil 

lion for severance pay. That amounts to about $27,000 for each affected employee 

. 

The actual budget cut would be greater if Congress also passed a pendi 

ng Senate bill to substantially deregulate trucking. In addition to its direct f 

unding, the ICC is allowed to collect about $8 million in users fees. Much of th 

at is for services that would be eliminated if a deregulation measure is passed. 

The ICC funding was part of a much larger DOT budget package that allocates 

$3.67 billion for the Coast Guard, $19.9 billion for highway funding and $772 m 

illion for Amtrak operations and capital improvements. 

Although members of the subcommittee were careful not to endorse any specif 

ic policy legislation concerning the agency's functions, the funding and staff l 

evels approved match those of the bill introduced earlier this month by Sen. J. 

James Exon, D-Neb., to end truck-rate filing and streamline the process for moto 

r-carrier licensing. 

"This budget provides for the orderly transfer of ICC functions," Sen. D'Am 

ato said. "I believe that in time all of its duties will be assumed by the DOT, 

but we have provided the means to do it through an orderly 

process." 

Momentum for a smaller ICC continues to build in both chambers of Congress 

. Today the full Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to meet and approve 

the subcommittee action. 

There are tentative plans for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportati 

on Committee to vote next Tuesday on Sen. Exon's bill to reduce the ICC's respon 

sibilities, and the House committees that have jurisdiction over the ICC are exp 

ected to hold a hearing on Sen. Exon's bill early next week. 

Even with the defection of Sen. D'Amato, Senate Republicans are still expec 

ted to mount a challenge on the Senate floor to ax the agency's budget. Sens. Ja 

ck Danforth, R-Mo. and Trent Lott, R-Miss., are expected to introduce such an am 

endment. 



AUTH[The Gazette Staff 

SOUR[Billings Gazette 

BK#[ 

HDLN[ICC saved by Senate Subcommittee 

TEXT[A Senate subcommittee has blocked attempts to eliminate the Interstate Comm 

erce Commission, although the agency absorbed a 30 percent budget cut. 

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation decide Wednesday t 

o keep the ICC intact, blocking a House of Representatives attempt to eliminate 

the agency. 

U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., praised the subcommittee's decision to ke

ep the ICC, despite a 30 percent budget cut that leaves the agency with $30 mill 

ion for next year. 

"In Montana, its role has been particularly important because we are a 'cap 

tive shipper,' - 94 percent of the grain movement in our state is handled by a s 

ingle railroad, Burlington Northern," Burns said in a news release. 

Last month the House voted to eliminate the ICC and transfer its functions 

to the Department of Transportation. 

The funding reductions aren't expected to hinder the ICC's ability to overs 

ee rail transportation, Burns said. The subcommittee moved on the funding reduct 

ions in anticipation of congressional approval of a proposal by Sen. James Exon, 

D-Neb., to deregulate the trucking industry, diminishing the ICC's oversight re 

sponsibility for the trucking industry. 



AUTH[Robert Naylor, Jr. 

SOUR[Casper Star-Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate again rejects striker bill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Proponents of legislation to outlaw the permanent replacement 

of striking workers pledged to keep fighting Wednesday after the Senate effectiv 

ely killed the bill for this year. 

Senators refused, for a second time, to allow final action on the measure, 

endingits chances for adoption as a separate bill this year. 

But Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, prime sponsor of the Workplace Fairness Act, sa 

id he would try to attach it to legislation favored by opponents. 

"We have not given up," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said after the vote. "This 

is not the end of this." 

A roll call vote on the Workplace Fairness Act again fell seven votes short 

of the 60 needed to end a Republican-led filibuster. Metzenbaum and other backe 

rs knew they lacked the votes to pass the bill, which was this year's top legisl 

ative priority for organized labor. 

AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland said in a statement that the vote represent 

ed "another notch on the hired guns of the special interests who benefit from a 

denial of worker rights." 

The final vote was 53-46 in favor of ending the filibuster, in which oppone 

nts use stalling tactics to block legislation. The tally Tuesday was 53-47, but 

Georgia Republican Paul Coverdell, who had voted against the bill, did not vote 

Wednesday. 

The fight over the striker replacement legislation has been 

at the center of a bitter tug-of-war on Capitol Hill between business and organi 

zed labor. Neither side gave an inch. 

"The two sides were involved in trench warfare with neither really seeking 

a workable compromise," said Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., who supported the legislat 

ion. 

"We in the Congress of the United States should look at ourselves as more o 

f a referee to try and work out something constructive, rather than just choosin 

g sides between labor and management," he said. 

Labor Secretary Robert Reich said the Clinton administration had "worked ex

ceedingly-hard" to get the legislation passed and had sought a compromise suitab 

le to both sides. He said the administration would continue its efforts "if a c 

ompromise is available and feasible." 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, however, said the business community "re 

gards this as a no compromise issue." 

Proponents of the legislation argued it would level the playing field 

between management and labor, but opponents said it would choke off the ability 

of employers to survive strikes and send jobs overseas. 

Federal law gives workers the right to strike and forbids their replac 

ement if the walkout is over alleged unfair labor practices. The bill would have 

extended that protection to strikes called over economic issues. 

The House adopted similar legislation last year. 



AUTH[Scott Sonner 

SOUR[Albany Democrat-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[System could avert train crashes 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - A computerized railroad tracking system that could overri 

de the engineer's controls and halt a train headed for danger would save lives a 

nd prevent dozens of accidents, like the fatal crash last fall at Kelso, Wash., 

regulators say. 

The Federal Railroad Administration said in a report to Congress on Wednesd 

ay that the new technology would have prevented 116 train wrecks and saved 30 li 

ves over the past five years. 

The agency intends to implement the computer system by the year 2000 in the 

most high-risk, high-use corridors, said FRA Administrator Jolene Molitoris. 

She said the agency decided against mandating the "positive train control" 

system nationwide because the cost would approach $1 billion. 


the computer tracking, like a pilot-test the Burlington Northern Railroad and t 

he Union Pacific Railroad has launched on 600 miles of high density lines in Ore 

gon and Washington, she said. 

"Our goal is to have the FTC on the most important, high-use, high-risk cor 


The FRA also will offer support to Amtrak in implementing the system in a N 

ortheast corridor so passenger trains can run between Boston and New York City a 

t 150 mph, Molitoris said. 

The PTC computer system has the capability to apply brakes to slow or even 

stop trains when necessary to enforce speed restrictions and avoid collision. 


a constantly-updated database of train orders, work orders and speed restrictio 

ns. 

At the request of Congress, Molitoris presented lawmakers with a report on 

railroad communications and train control, saying implementation of the computer 

ized system would be a "quantum leap forward." 

"We believe the best way to spur development of PTC is not necessarily by r 

ulemaking," she said "The biggest win for all of us would be voluntary PTC deplo

yment." 

Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Senate subcommittee on surface tra 

nsportation, and Rep. Al Swift, chairman of the House subcommittee on transporta 

tion and hazardous materials, said they welcomed the findings. 


Two people were killed on June 8 when two trains collided at Norway, Neb. F 

ive rail workers died last November in a head-on train crash in Washington state 

. 

The deadliest crash since 1990 was near Gary, Ind., in January 1993 when on 

e commuter passenger train collided with another, killing seven. 

All of those deaths could have been avoided with the computer tracking, the 

report to Congress said. 

The FRA is requesting $400,000 for the next fiscal year to launch a two-yea 

r analysis of corridors that would most benefit immediately from the computer sy 

stem, Molitoris said. 

High-use lines with passenger trains and hazardous materials will be the pr 

iority, she said. 

The FRA also wants $11.5 million next year to initiate a multi-year with pr 

ivate rail wants $650,000 to research train control technology, she said. 



AUTH[Glen Bowker 


BK#[ 

HDLN[High price, little cooperation end bid to buy rail line 

TEXT[NELIGH-Efforts to restore service on the railway line between Norfolk and O 

akdale have failed, according to Keith White Jr., spokesman fir the Eastern Ship 

pers Association. 

The Deadline for the group to buy the track segment from the Rails to Trail 

s Conservancy was July 7, said White, who is co-owner of White Grain Co., of Ne 

ligh and Oakdale and a member of the Nebraska Railway Council. 

The conservancy recently acquired most of the former Chicago & North Wester 

n line from Norfolk to Chadron and is turning it over to the Nebraska Game and P 

arks Commission for conversion into a hiking trail. 

A number of factors blocked the purchase of the Norfolk-Oakdale line by the 

group of interested shippers from Battle Creek, Meadow Grove, Tilden and Oakdal 

e. 

He said the conservancy paid about $17,000 per mile for the line. But the 

conservancy asked the shippers' group to pay $28,000 per mile to acquire the sho 

rt line -- a total markup of more than $300,000. 

White also said no cooperation was offered by an official from Union Pacifi 

c Railroad, which controls connecting track at Norfolk. 

"He told me basically that the Union Pacific was not going to see this line 

opened up, that we would not get a favorable shipping rate, that they would not 

give us equipment and they would not give us service," White said. "We needed 

a rate of four to five cents per bushel to make the line available to us, and th 

ey quoted us 12 cents per bushel." 

The rate referred is the charge to transport a bushel of corn from Oakdale 

to Norfolk and to connect with the Nebraska Central rail line, which connects wi

th the Union Pacific line at Columbus. White said the Union Pacific spokesman a 

lso was speaking on behalf of the Nebraska Central line, whose trackage is owned 

by the Union Pacific. 

White cited other earlier events that also contributed to the demise of the 

Norfolk-to-Chadron line. The original group formed to try to resurrect the rai 

l line was the Northern Nebraska Rail Preservation Association (NNRPA), headed b 

y Don Coash of Bassett. 

White said a member of that group, Glen Price, who is a Gordon grain shippe 

r, along with Gov. Ben Nelson, the C&NW and the conservancy made an agreement th 

at gave Price 90 miles of the western end of the rail line for free. It is now 

the Nebkota short line. 

"The rest of the NNRPA group had no prior knowledge of that deal whatsoever 

," White said. 

"That action segmented the line, stopping the potential for all overhead tr 

affic not generated on the line," he said. "Severing the line also allowed the C 

&NW to go before the Interstate Commerce Commission and move for abandonment and 

destruction of the line, and the eastern rail line shippers were left high and 

dry." 

Nelson promised he would work to preserve rail service to northern Nebraska 

, but then endorsed the abandonment and rails-to-trails agreement, White said. 

"He said the trail will be good for economic development, but I think he is 

living in the wrong century. On his watch we have lost service on 227 miles of 

railroad," White said. 

White also expressed frustration with U.S. Sen. J. J. Exon, chairman of the 

Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation. 

"In spite of our calls to him, he has done nothing to help us. Now he says 

he wants to introduce legislation to help us maintain rail service - after the d 

eadline has passed," White said. 

He said the shippers group also received no help from U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey 

or U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett, but said state Sen. M.L. Dierks of Ewing did his best 

to save the line. 

Local community-leaders and newspapers west of Norfolk also have shown litt 

le interest in maintaining rail service, he said. 

But nearly all adjoining landowners are opposed to the trails concept and n 

ow will lose access to the abandoned right-of-way, he said. 

The conservancy should profit from the purchase of the line and sale of the 

rails and ties, White said. But he predicted the right-of-way being given to th 

e state will end up being a liability requiring weed control, fencing and other 

maintenance. 

"I predict the Rails to Trails people will be back in a year asking for abo 

ut $5 million in funding to build this trail," White said. 



AUTH[Sara Hammer 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Fossil beds exhibits on priority list 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF - An assurance from the National Parks Service Wednesday that A

gate Fossil Beds exhibits should be complemented in 1 1/2 years is something to 

cheer about, the president of Friends of Agate said Wednesday. 

Paul Hofmeister, who learned of the parks service's commitment in a letter 

Wednesday from U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, said he looks forward to fini 

shing the park project. 

In the letter, the senators said the Parks Service committed to stepping up 

work on the Agate exhibits with a target completion date of 1 1/2 years. 

U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., also confirmed Wednesday that he received c 

ommitments from the parks service. 

In a press release, Barrett quoted Dave Gwen, associate regional director o 

f the parks service, as saying, "We're looking forward to getting this project d 

one much sooner than we expected. We appreciate the push (by local supporters.) 

Instead of getting it done in 10 years or more, we're now looking at a year an 

d a half.Wednesday's confirmations from Nebraska's political delegation in Washi 

ngton follow a July 6 visit to Agate by John Reynolds, deputy director of the Na 

tional Parks Service. During the visit, Reynolds said he would search alternati 

ve sources of funding for the $790,000 needed to finish exhibits of fossils and 

the Capt. James Cook collection. 

Since then, Reynolds assured Exon and Kerrey that the project deserved to p 

roceed on a faster track. 

"Compared to earlier estimates of up to 10 years for completion, we think t 

his is a tremendous development," the Senators said in their letter to Hofmeiste 

r. 

Earlier this year, Hofmeister asked Kerrey and Exon for help to schedule th 

e visit. He said the group raised more than $400,000 for the museum and spent a 

bout $160,000 on castings of fossils. Members relied on a commitment from the P 

ark Service to finish the exhibits for the museum. 

"I guess the most pleasing thing is that they decided to honor what was a c 

ommitment we received several years ago," Hofmeister said. He thanked the polit 

ical delegation for the chance to show that the project was too important to let 

sit for 10 years. 

"It's been a long process and very frustrating for the last 1 1/2 years," H 

ofmeister said. 

The Friends group continues to accept donations, which will be used to supp 

ort the museum. Money raised by the Friends group will be frozen until the grou 

p receives a written agreement that the Parks Service will complete the exhibits 

, Hofmeister said. 

When exhibits are finished, Hofmeister said the makeup of the Friends of Ag 

ate Fossil Beds board of directors likely will change. "It will be nice to fini 

sh it," he said. 




SOUR[Yankton Press Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Congressmen report fossil bed funding to be found 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Exhibits at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in w 

estern Nebraska will be completed within 18 months with the help of National Par

k Service funding, three Nebraska congressmen said Wednesday 

Democratic Sens. J. J. Exon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Barrett, R-Neb., have a 

sked the park service for the $730,000 needed to complete the exhibits at the mo 

nument in Sioux County some 35 miles north of Scottsbluff. 

No permanent exhibits have been completed for the $l million monument cente 

r. But the park service on Wednesday agreed to fund the project, the congressmen 

said. (We) have been assured by park service officials that they will accelerat 

e work on the exhibits with a target completion date a year and a half from now, 

" Exon and Kerrey said in a statement. "Compared to earlier estimates of up to l 

0 years for completion, we think this, is a tremendous development." 



"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the (Capt. James) Cook Colle 

ction are steeped in history," Exon said in a statement. "They deserve to be dis 

played properly and seen by people throughout the U.S." 

The good news comes after a push by the local Friends of Agate Fossil Beds 

Inc., a group that had raised $390,000 to help build the center at the monument. 



AUTH[Mike McCoy 

SOUR[Wahoo Newspaper 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Health Services Hires New Doctor 

TEXT[A new physician was hired at a special meeting of the Saunders County Healt 

h Services (SCHS) Board last Thursday. 

But a stipulation in her employment contract may prevent the new doctor fr 

om ever practicing medicine in Saunders County. 

According to SCHS Director Carol Varland, Dr. Nalla Haroon accepted a stand 

ing contract offer last week. 

The offer was made with the understanding that Dr. Haroon obtain a "wo 

rk" VISA from the Department of Agriculture U.S. Information Agency and the Immi 

gration Naturalization Services. 

A native of Pakistan, Dr. Haroon has resided in the United States, under a 

"training" VISA, since 1989. Training VISA's are commonly issued to foreign stud 

ents like Dr. Haroon who wish to take advantage of educational opportunities in 

the U.S. 

In order for any non-citizen to legally obtain employment in the 

U.S., they must first apply for and then receive a "work" VISA.According to Varl 

and, Dr. Haroon is in the process of applying for such a VISA, at this time. 

"Right now we're gathering letters from Senator Bob Kerrey, Senator Jim Exo 

n and the State Department to support her coming to our area, 

said Varland. 

Generally, a "work" VISA takes approximately six-months to be approved. 

"That's why it seems we're rushing things," added Varland, who said the imp 

ending waiting period played a major factor in the Board's decision to offer Dr. 

Haroon a contract right away. 

"The board wanted to get the (VISA) application process rolling as soon as 

possible."

A 1983 graduate of the King Edward Medical College at the University of the 

Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan, Dr. Haroon is licensed to practice medicine in the 

State of Nebraska and Illinois. 

More recently, she completed a Gastrointestinal Clinical research fellowshi 

p at the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Omaha in June. 

Dr. Haroon's specialty is Gastro Intestinal Medicine. She is Board eligible 

in Internal Medicine. 

She speaks fluent English, according to Varland, and if her application for 

a "work" VISA is approved, she could be the first female doctor to ever hold em 

ployment at the Saunders County facility. 

"I think it's exciting to have a female physician on staff," stated Va 

rland on Haroon's hiring. 

"I know there has been a physician's assistant, but I'm pretty sure the hos 

pital has never had a female doctor here before." 

Because of the present status of her VISA, Dr. Haroon will be unable t 

o practice medicine in Saunders County until her "work" VISA is approved, added 

Varland. 

Dr. Haroon has covered the E.R. at the Saunders County Community Hospi 

tal, periodically, since the resignation of the late Dr. Seward Boyd, Jr. on Jun 

e 9. 

As part of it's ongoing process to attract doctors to Saunders County, 

SCHS will continue it's physician recruitment effort, according to Varland. 

Not counting Dr. Haroon, three doctors and one physician's assistant s 

erve the Saunders County Community Hospital, at this time. 



AUTH[Greg Schleppenbach 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Good news-bad news scenario 

TEXT[Without a doubt, the health care reform debate has dominated Congressional 

action for the last several months and there are certainly some disturbing devel 

opments which I will discuss in this column. However, before I discuss health ca 

re, I want to mention a positive development that came out of the U.S. House of 

Representatives. On June 29, the House passed the Fiscal Year 1995 Labor/Health 

and Human Services Appropriations Bill (HR 4606) with the current Hyde Amendment 

intact. 

The Hyde Amendment has for years prohibited the use of government 

funds to pay for abortions except if the mother's life was in danger. Last year 

, regrettably, Congress expanded the Hyde Amendment exception to include payment 

for rape and incest abortions. This year the pro-abortion lobby again wanted to 

eliminate the Hyde Amendment altogether or expand the exceptions to include "Me 

dically necessary" or "health" abortions, which in reality would equate to abort 

ion-on-demand. 

Fortunately, an agreement was made by both sides of the issue to 

leave the Hyde Amendment alone, apparently knowing that the abortion funding bat 

tle would be waged in the health care reform debate. This brings me to the bad n

ews. So far, four health care bills have been voted out of various committees an 

d every one of them includes a mandate requiring abortion coverage. Under these 

bills, every citizen and all employers--including all Catholic institutions--wou 

ld be required to pay for abortions; Catholic hospitals would be forced to make 

abortion referrals and would be increasingly marginalized for their refusal to p 

erform abortions; and state policies that restrict insurance coverage for aborti 

on would be invalidated. (It should be noted that none of the Senate bills conta 

ined a conscience provision, but it is insufficient to alleviate our concerns. 

Needless to say, including abortion in any health care plan would be a 

n abomination--wrongly elevating abortion to a level with legitimate health care 

services and giving the abortion industry a level of respectability that it has 

never had. One of the greatest lies ever perpetrated upon society is the abort 

ion industry's euphemism that "abortion equals women's health care" or "reproduc 

tive health care." Regardless of whose statistics are used, more than 9 out of 1 

0 abortions performed in the U.S. are done for reasons totally unrelated to the 

physical or mental health of the mother--they are done for social or economic co 

nvenience. Abortion is elective surgery and has no place in genuine health care 

reform--and most Americans agree with this position. 

A recent University of Cincinnati poll revealed that roughly 70 p 

ercent of respondents oppose including abortion in health care. In this same pol 

l, respondents were asked which of 23 possible benefits they would be willing to 

pay extra to include in a national health plan. Abortion ranked 21 out of the 2 

3 choices. 

It is critical that Nebraskans voice their opposition to an abort 

ion mandate in health care to our federal representatives. The debate is going o 

n now and the House and Senate floor votes could occur in July or early August. 

Please write or call our 2 senators (Exon and Kerrey) and YOUR representative ( 

Bereuter-lst District; Hoagland-2nd District; or Barrett-3rd District) with the 

following message or your own: 

"Please oppose any health care bill that does not exclude abortio 

n as a mandated benefit. Abortion is not health care as over 9 out of 10 abortio 

ns in the U.S. are done for reasons totally unrelated to the physical or mental 

health of the woman." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hopeful Funding for B-2 will survive 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he is optimistic that House and S 

enate negotiators will agree to spend $75 million next year to keep B-2 bomber p 

roduction lines open. 

"With the uncertainty in the world today, I certainly believe that we can d 

o a selling job on this as an insurance policy," Exon said. 

Congress has voted to end the B-2 program after completing the 20 planes no 

w in the pipeline. Additional bombers would cost from $800 million to $1 billion 

each. 

But B-2 advocates like Exon contend that it doesn't make sense to close pro 

duction lines entirely until it is clear that the United States will not need ad 

ditional planes. Exon said it would cost more than $600 million to restart produ

ction after parts suppliers have gone out of business or shifted production. 

"Seventy-five million dollars is a lot of money," Exon said. "But if we sho 

uld decide that we need more B-2s, then $75 million would be a bargain" 

The Senate approved the $75 million for the B-2 program, plus $75 million m 

ore to buy spare parts for the existing planes. The House did not provide the B- 

2 funding. 

Exon, the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, m 

ade his remarks as a panelist at a Capitol Hill seminar on military air power. H 

e is chairman of the subcommittee on nuclear deterrence, arms control and defens 

e intelligence. 

Exon told the group of defense contractors, military officials, policy anal 

ysts and congressional staff members that the Pentagon and Congress have not agr 

eed on the future of the U.S. bomber force. 

"That's a pretty sorry situation," he said. 

Exon said he believes that high-tech airplanes and "smart" bombs cannot sub 

stitute for ground and naval forces needed to hold land and sea positions. 

But he said the B-2 - designed to carry nuclear weapons and penetrate Sovie 

t air defenses during the Cold War could be useful in today's conflicts because 

of its range and radar-evading capabilities. 

"The beauty of the B-2 is that it can take off from the U.S., essentially w 

ithout air cover, essentially without refueling, and carry out a mission"' Exon 

said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Medal of Honor winner gets park 

TEXT[ 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A South Omaha park will be dedicated July 30 to the late M 

iguel Hernandez Keith, a Medal of Honor winner from Omaha. 

The Mexican-American Veterans, American GI Forum of Nebraska and the Marine 

Corps League will participate in the dedication. 

Medal of Honor winner Sen. Bob Kerrey, Sen. Jim Exon, Keith's family member 

s and others have been invited to the ceremonies, organizers say. 

Keith was a 19-year-old Marine corporal when he was wounded three times but 

, before dying, helped fight off a Viet Cong attack on a command post in Vietnam 

on May 8, 1970. 

Medal of Honor winner Julian Adams of San Antonio, Texas, will speak at the 

dedication. 



AUTH[

SOUR[Press Dakotan, Yankton, SD 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Offutt AFB To Receive 49 Transfers 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Offutt Air Force Base will have 49 new full-time militar 

y jobs early next year, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Wednesday. 

The positions will transfer from Eareckson Air Station in Alaska, Exon 

said in a statement. The Air Force has decided to deactivate two operations res 

ponsible for space surveillance and the detection of foreign missile tests at th 

e Alaska station, he said. 

The transfers are expected to come from the l6th Space Surveillance Sq 

uadron. 



AUTH[Gerry Switzer 


BK#[ 

HDLN[End of Cable TV monopolies will cut rates-TVA chief 

TEXT[Nebraska consumers could see a 30 percent cut in cable television rates wit 

h a breakup of the monopoly in the cable industry, 

according to Gary Frink, president of Television Viewers America (TVA), 

-a national cable consumer organization. 

In Lincoln as part of a nationwide tour to urge support for legislation tha 

t could bring about lower rates, Frink is urging Nebraskans to contact Nebraska 

Sen, Jim Exon, a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation 

Committee. 

He said that committee next week will be considering an amendment to pendin 

g legislation that would hasten the implementation of a breakup of the cable tel 

evision monopoly that currently exists in most locations. 

The Senate is currently considering legislation that would address telephon 

e company competition in cable TV, but this legislation may actually delay compe 

tition unless it is changed, said Frink. 

Frink's organization is joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA) 

in supporting an amendment that would allow more immediate competition in cable 

television, he said. The amendment would result in everybody competing against 

everybody else,he said. 

If the pending legislation is to benefit consumers by making competition i 

n cable TV a reality, then the amendment being proposed by Sens. John Breaux of 

Louisiana and Robert Packwood of Oregon must be adopted, said Frink. Otherwise, 

consumer savings on cable service could be delayed for years, he said" 

"We consumers want competition, and we want it immediately," he said. 

"Between 1986 and 1993, basic cable TV rates in 10 of Nebraska's largest ci 

ties increased an average of 99 percent," he said. 

For example, Frink said, basic cable TV in Lincoln in 1986 was $11.95 per m 

onth. The rate has gone up 94 percent to the 1993 rate of $23.2O, which includes 

limited basic and basic service. 

The rate change has not climbed as dramatically in Omaha, which has seen on 

ly a 32 percent increase from $12.50 in 1986 to $16.50 in 1993. Omaha is an exam 

ple of how even the potential for competition benefits cable television consumer

s, said Frink. 

In Omaha, with the local telephone company preparing to test video dial ton 

e service among Omaha residents, cable television rates increased much less than 

in other parts of the state, he said. 

The Lincoln Telephone Company is monitoring the proposed legislation now be 

fore the Senate and will continue to evaluate business opportunities in the vide 

o market, said Elaine Carpenter, LT&T communications director. 

Frink said his organization played a significant role in passing the 1992 C 

able Act, but regulations evolving from that act have been a "disappointment." 

"Congress promised big rate cuts as a result of the Cable Act, but the real 

ity is that many cable subscribers in Nebraska and across the country have seen 

their rates go up, not down," he said. 

According to the Federal Communications Commission, one-third of cable subs 

cribers nationwide saw their rates climb after the 1992 Cable Act was implemente 

d last September. In February, the FCC announced a new round of cable TV rate re 

gulations. 

Frink said that because FCC regulations do not prohibit retiring, cable pro 

viders can continue to raise rates by simply shuffling channels and in-creasing 

rates for the new tiers. Retiring is changing the number of channels or content 

of different levels of service, he explained. 

Regulation of the basic tier of service is left up to a local franchising a 

uthority which may not have the expertise or resources to ensure fair rates, acc 

ording to Frink. 

Lincoln Cablevision general manager Dick Bates said that it is "unrealistic 

" to assume that deregulation will not become a reality In the near future. "De 

regulation will come sooner or later." 

In response to TVA's campaign, Bates said Cablevision remains "neutral" 

"We are comfortable that we provide a good quality service. Competition doe 

sn't scare us all that much, as we will continue to compete with our high qualit 

y product," he said. 

He said the cost for Cablevision's service including the new Fox cable netw 

ork station added June 1 is $20.49 plus tax and the local city franchise fee, wh 

ich "probably brings it up to the $23.20 rate" to which Frink refers in TVA's ra 

te comparisons. 




SOUR[Sidney Telegraph 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Agate Fossil Bed Funding Found 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) -National Park Service officials and three Nebraska congressmen 

say they have found the money needed to complete exhibits at the museum at the A 

gate Fossil Beds National Monument in western Nebraska. 

Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., had 

asked the park service for the $730,000 needed to complete the exhibits at the 

monument in Sioux County some 35 miles north of Scottsbluff. 

No permanent exhibits have been completed for the $1 million monu 

ment center. But the park service on Wednesday agreed to fund the project, the c

ongressmen said. 

"(We) have been assured by park service officials that they will accel 

erate work on the exhibits with a target completion date a year and a half from 

now," Exon and Kerrey said in a statement. "Compared to earlier estimates of up 

to 10 years for completion, we think this is a tremendous development." 

Park service deputy Director John Reynolds said the funding was likely 

after a July 6 visit to the monument, though the funds must be approved by Cong 

ress. 

"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the (Capt. James) Cook 

Collection are steeped in history," Exon said in a statement. "They deserve to b 

e displayed properly and seen by people throughout the U.S. 

The good news comes after a push by the local Friends of Agate Fossil 

Beds Inc., a group that had raised $390,000 to help build the center at the monu 

ment. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Governments lack new info technology 

TEXT[ 

Consider these advances in information technology taking shape in Nebraska. 

* Sen. Bob Kerrey is working to make Nebraska a leader in classroom compute 

rs. 

* Teams have formed in Harlan County, Kearney and Franklin to lead rural Ne 

braskans to the on-ramp of the superhighway. 

* Elsewhere, many Nebraska businesses already are leaders in their fields b 

ecause they have mastered the latest communications technology. 

Capitalizing on technology is not new to this agricultural state. 

At the turn of the century, the latest advancements in tillage equipment he 

lped turn Nebraska's prairies into fertile croplands. Today, satellite technolog 

y allows sandhills cattle ranchers to track each heartbeat of commodities market 

s. 

These and other advancements suggest Nebraska is in a strong 

position to prosper in tomorrow's information age. 

There are pockets in Nebraska, however, that are sorely lacking in modern i 

nformation technology, and those deficiencies will certainly be handicaps later 

when the superhighway officially opens for business. 

WE'RE SPEAKING about many of the state's local and county governments. 

Although their counterparts in the private sector use the most advance 

d computers and communications systems, many employees of Nebraska's smaller gov 

ernmental entities are still pushing pencils, across ledger sheets. 

Such outdated methods are prevalent in many assessors' offices. Old-fa 

shioned ways are contributing to the state's property valuation crisis. 

Just think of the ways automation could help Nebraska solve its equali 

zation problems. 

The information deficit sometimes afflicts both local and state government 

operations.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles, for instance, relies on county 

courts to provide information about drunk driver convictions and driver's licen 

se suspensions Such information aids state and local law enforcement agencies in 

making roads safer, but the chain of information is sometimes severed. 

Consequently, state troopers might not know they have pulled over a dr 

iver whose license is suspended, or courts may be unaware of a suspect's prior D 

UI convictions. 

Such fundamental communications breakdowns and technological shortcomings m 

ust be resolved today so government can operate efficiently and enter confidentl 

y onto the information superhighway tomorrow. 



AUTH[Andrea Wolfe 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Agate Funding Expedited 

TEXT[National Park Service officials have decided to expedite funding for the ex 

hibits at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument thanks to a visit of the site by J 

ohn Reynolds, deputy director of the service, on July 6. Completion of the exhib 

its is expected to occur in about a year and a half instead of the original ten 

years as was earlier estimated. 

"This is an important development for our entire state," commented Congress 

man Bill Barrett. "It shows what cooperation between the federal government and 

private citizens can accomplish. All the local peopled should be commended for t 

heir patience and diligence." 

Barrett explained in a news release the $730,000 in funding won't affect th 

e federal budget because the funds had already been appropriated. 

U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, praised the Friends of Agate Fossil 

Beds, Inc. for their $300,000 collected in private fundraising to help with the 

project. "All this progress would not have been possible without coordinated sup 

port at every step from the Friends group," Exon and Kerrey wrote in a letter to 

Paul E. Hofmeister, leader of the group. 

"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the Cook Collection are steeped 

in history'," Exon said. "They deserve to be displayed properly and seen by peo 

ple throughout the U.S." 

"The Agate Fossil Beds is a national treasure and a valuable asset to Nebraska 

's tourism industry, Kerrey said. "I am pleased we were able to convince the Par 

k Service officials to accelerate their work on this important project." 




SOUR[Journal of Commerce 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Trucking Reform

TEXT[JOHN KASICH, the Ohio congressman who is gunning for the Interstate Commerc 

e Commission, isn't a popular man in official Washington these day's. His campai 

gn to shut down the ICC has drawn fire from the Clinton administration, committe 

e chairmen in Congress, industry lobbyists, union officials and, of course, the 

ICC itself. 

But whether Mr. Kasich wins or loses his fight with the ICC - he won in t 

he House but is almost certain to lose in the Senate and in a subsequent confere 

nce committee - he has set in motion a welcome and long overdue process: the fin 

al deregulation of the trucking industry. 

Not that Mr. Kasich set out to win fame as a trucking reformer. Rather, his 

goal in attacking the ICC was budgetary: close the agency, save taxpayers some 

money and set a strong precedent for broader budget-cutting. 

That plan, at least for this year, has been all but stopped by the ICC's su 

pporters. But along the way, Mr. Kasich has performed a vital public service: By 

convincing the full House to approve his ICC sunset bill last month, he sent a 

shock wave through the transportation committees in Congress. Suddenly, lawmaker 

s like Sen. Jim Exon were willing to support a trucking reform bill - not becaus 

e they thought it was good for transportation, but because it seemed a necessary 

step to take the heat off the ICC. 

Whatever the motives, the Exon bill does some good things, n 

otably abolishing truck rate filing. It has a good chance of passing the Senate, 

and a companion version may be introduced in the House soon. 

It's important to understand how Mr. Kasich has operated these la 

st few weeks, since it shows what a quagmire congressional committees often beco 

me. Mr. Kasich, in fact, first sought action through the House Public Works and 

Transportation Committee, among others; when he got no response, he took his ICC 

sunset plan to the House floor, where he won by a comfortable margin. 

Just before that vote - and in the days after - Mr. Kasich was wi 

dely vilified for sidestepping normal House procedures. He was accused of sowing 

anarchy by first cutting the ICC's funding and only then beginning the debate o 

n reassigning its remaining duties. Lawmakers and lobbyists demanded a more "ord 

erly" process. 

Order, however, sometimes is a front for inaction in Congress. Tr 

ucking legislation is exhibit A. 

Since the mid-1980s, at least half a dozen bills have been introd 

uced to end the worst feature of truck regulation: filing rates with the ICC, a 

costly and utterly meaningless practice in a competitive, market-driven industry 

. 

What happened to those bills? Nothing. Beginning in 1983, every e 

ffort to complete the trucking reforms started with the Motor Carrier Act of 198 

0 died in committees. Why? Opposition from the Teamsters union, from skittish tr 

uckers uncomfortable with too much competition and from politicians who hated ai 

rline deregulation and saw trucking reform as more of the same. 

Karen Borlaug Phillips, whose article on the ICC appears nearby, 

helped write some of those trucking reform bills in the early 1980's as a Senate 

staff member. She wrote another one in 1991 as a member of the Interstate Comme 

rce Commission, joined by then-Commissioner Ed Emmett. All those bills died in c 

ommittees. 

Against that background, Mr. Kasich's "smoke-them out" tactic in 

the House was an effective legislative technique and, as it turns out, good thea 

ter. It has been illuminating to watch Sen. Exon, who has virtually ignored truc 

king deregulation during his years as chairman of the Senate Surface Transportat

ion Subcommittee, tout his new truck reform bill as a way to "improve transporta 

tion efficiency" and save taxpayer dollars." 

If, in fact, Congress had ended truck rate filing a decade ago, t 

hose savings already would have amounted to billions of dollars. Just as importa 

nt, ending rate filing in 1985 largely would have prevented the truck rate under 

charge crisis, which developed because of discrepancies - real and imagined - in 

filed rates. Undercharge disputes have cost the economy uncounted billions in p 

hony freight charges, legal bills and court costs. 

The last few weeks have been a heady time for free marketers in t 

rucking. A bill passed by the Senate last month effectively would deregulate tru 

ck service within a state's borders, an area not covered by interstate trucking 

reform in 1980. And now the Exon bill would end the worst of the remaining feder 

al controls. It's not hard to understand why both bills are winning support. It' 

s much harder to understand why it has taken Congress more than a decade to cons 

ider them. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Offutt to gain from job cuts in Alaska 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Offutt Air Force Base will have 49 new full-time military jobs 

early next year, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Wednesday. 

The positions will transfer from Eareckson Air Station in Alaska, Exon 

said in a statement. The Air Force has decided to deactivate two operations res 

ponsible for space surveillance and the detection of foreign missile tests at th 

e Alaska station, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[New Jobs Coming 

TEXT[Omaha Neb. (AP) - Offutt Air Force Base will have 49 new full-time military 

jobs early next year, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Wednesday. 

The positions will transfer from Eareckson Air Station in Alaska, Exon said 

in a statement. The Air Force has decided to deactivate two operations responsi 

ble for space surveillance and the detection of foreign missile tests at the Ala 

ska station, he said. 

The transfers are expected to come from the 16th Space Surveil-lance S 

quadron. 

P\C[c


AUTH[Ellen Goodman 

SOUR[Burlington, VT Free Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Double Standards are Irritating 

TEXT[Over the years, the United States Congress has developed a nasty habit of p 

assing laws that apply to everyone except the people who pass them. 

To this day, they uphold a double standard that frees them from their 

own laws about workplace safety and discrimination. And this summer, if no one n 

otices, they may devise a health care policy that leaves them equally untouched. 

Someone has to tell these folks that what's good for the governed is good for t 

he governors. 

In that spirit, allow me to present a modest proposal. 

As the arcane and incomprehensible debate about health care reform com 

es within the normal range of human hearing, to emerge is between those who want 

health care to cover every American sooner and those who want it to cover most 

Americans sooner or later. 

In the Senate especially, this has become a struggle between "universa 

lists" and "incrementalists." Right now, senators who favor covering about 95 pe 

rcent of us have won the coveted political title of "moderate." 

The Five Percent Difference sounds like a small compromise. 

It sounds smaller, for example, than the number it represents: 15 million Americ 

ans. None of these people, of course, are senators. 

In case you haven't noticed, members of Congress already have universa 

l health coverage. One hundred percent of the 100 Senators are eligible to join 

the federal health care alliance which allows them to choose between plans and d 

octors, with no exclusion for pre-existing conditions. Only one reform proposal 

- Sen. Ted Kennedy's - offers Congress' plan as one of our choices. 

Under my proposal, however, senators who are willing to settle 

for the 95 percent solution must also apply it to themselves. Before voting agai 

nst a universal plan, they will be required to present the names of five colleag 

ues - exactly 5 percent - who will immediately lose coverage. 

Consider the health care profile of the Senate. If this HighRisk Hundred we 

re looking for an insurer of their own, they'd be rejected faster than The Ameri 

can Bungee-Jumping Association 

As it is now, the Senate consists of 94 men and six women with an average a 

ge of 58. The majority are lawyers by training who lead a sedentary work life pu 

nctuated by months spent in the ultimate Type A activity: running for office. 

There are enough pre-existing conditions among this cohort group to fill a 

medical text. We don't know how many are staying in their jobs because they don' 

t want to lose their health insurance. 

Faced with the requirement of naming names, senators could eliminate their 

colleagues by age. They could write off the five oldest members of the Senate be 

ginning with the 91 -year-old Strom Thurmond and the quartet - Howell Heflin, Wi 

lliam Roth, James Exon. Jesse Helms - born in l92l. 

The senators could also exclude cohorts by disease. They could go over the 

quota by choosing senators with a history of heart ailments. Or they could disqu 

alify the quintet -including the leader of the Clinton opposition, Bob Dole - wh 

ose "pre-existing condition" is prostate cancer. 

The Senate, like the country, has its share of families that would be

virtually uninsurable. Florida's Connie Mack runs down his family's history this 

way: He's had skin cancer, his daughter's had cervical cancer, his wife and mot 

her have both had breast cancer. Is there a senator who is willing to cut the Ma 

cks off the rolls? 

Of course, there are other candidates. Delaware's Joe Biden had an ane 

urysm. Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter had an awfully pricey brain tumor. 

Maybe it's easier to triage by lifestyle. Kentucky's Wendell Ford stil 

l smokes. Ohio's John Glenn still flies small planes. Oregon's Bob Packwood - no 

, lunging at women (lunge-itis?) is not a pre-existing condition - admitted a pr 

oblem with alcohol. 

Those are the easy calls. 

If this proposal sounds much too personal, that's the point. A senator 

who can't cut five colleagues face-to-face shouldn't be cutting 15 million cons 

tituents anonymously. Health care is about real people. 

The Five Percent Difference isn't going to come from the rich - surely 

not the Senate millionaire's club - or from the poor or very old. It will come 

from the working class and those who are 

and those who are or could be between jobs. Over a lifetime a whole lot of Amer 

icans will pass through that tiny percentage. 

The truth is that we'll either get universal coverage or universal ins 

ecurity. This is the time when the fully covered Congress with its cushy health 

plan paid largely by its employers - us - should consider the Golden Rule of Reelection. 

Do unto others - all others - as you have already done unto yourselves 

. 




SOUR[Yankton Press Dakota 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Officials Hail EPA Gasoline Decision 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A federal decision requiring the use of cleaner-burning 

gasoline in the nation's smoggiest areas means big bucks for Nebraska corn farme 

rs, state officials say. 

The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it will require that gaso 

line used in areas with severe air pollution contain more oxygen to make it burn 

cleaner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources. 

The decision is good news for the ethanol industry. The corn-based additive 

is the only renewable oxygenate that can currently meet the volumes demanded by 

the clean gasoline program. 

"The program, when full implemented, is a clear winner," Gov. Ben Nelson sa 

id. "It will clean the air in smoggy U.S. cities, create jobs in rural America a 

nd grow the economy." 

There is $500 million worth of ethanol plans under construction in Nebraska 

, in addition to the five plans already built, said Nelson spokeswoman Karen Kil 

garin. The state now can produce 100 million gallons of ethanol each year. 

The ethanol industry is expected to add some 4,500 jobs in the next two yea 

rs, Nelson said. 

"This decision will lead to the production of more ethanol, which will be a

oon to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen our de 

pendence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

Beginning In January, at least 15 percent of all oxygenates in gasoline mus 

t come from renewable sources like ethanol or an ethanol derivative called ETBE. 

The amount increases to 30 percent in 1996. 

The program may be challenged by Congress or in court by oil companies, whi 

ch have favored a petroleum-based oxygenate made from methanol. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said the phase-in indicates a wavering 

commitment to the program by President Clinton. 

"While this requirement is good news for agriculture, it is not the great n 

ews we had been promised last December," Bereuter said. "It's too bad the admini 

stration is forcing farmers to accept half of a promised loaf." 

Administration officials have said the phase-in is to ensure adequate suppl 

ies, but Bereuter said it could cost Nebraska farmers more than $50 million. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said he would have preferred an immediate 30 per 

cent requirement by the EPA, but he called Thursday's decision a good compromise 

. 

"I'm pleased the EPA finally recognized the importance of ethanol to the na 

tion's clean air and energy policies," he said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Nebraska farmers could net an additional $100 

million a year because of the program. 

"It's a big win. Absolutely," Kerrey said. "There's just no down side." 

Nelson, who heads the 19-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition, applauded the 

EPA's decision, saying it would help Nebraska farmers and the state's corn indus 

try. 

An additional 230 million bushels of corn may be needed to make the require 

d ethanol when the program goes into full effect in 

1996. 

Reformulated gasoline will account for about one-third, or some 37 billion 

gallons, of the gasoline sold annually in the United States. It is expected to a 

dd 3 cents to 5 cents a gallon to the cost of gasoline. 

The EPA's decision also was hailed by officials of the Nebraska Corn Board 

and by the 3,000-member Nebraska Corn Growers Association. Association President 

Richard Plock called the decision a "major victory" for corn farmers. 



AUTH[UP 

SOUR[Omaha World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[How They Voted 

TEXT[o Here is how Nebraska and Iowa senators voted in the 52-48 roll call by wh 

ich the Senate endorsed President Clinton's policy of adhering to the U.N. arms 

embargo on Bosnia. A "yes" vote was in favor of the embargo: 

Yes: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

No: Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

þ How the senators voted earlier on a competing proposal, which failed 50-50, to 

order Clinton to abandon the embargo. A "yes" vote was to abandon the embargo: 

Yes: Grassley. 

No: Exon, Harkin, Kerrey.

þ How the senators voted on the 55-45 roll call by which the Senate retained $15 

0 million in the defense bill for the B-2 bomber program. A "no" vote was a vote 

to retain the money: 

Yes: Harkin. 

No: Exon, Grassley, Kerrey. 



AUTH[Alison Watkins 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators applaud plans to expand ethanol use 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Jim Exon, D-Neb., praised the Environmental Protection Agency' 

s decision Thursday to expand use of ethanol as "the best news farmers and the N 

ebraska economy has had for a long time." 

The EPA announced that renewable fuels, such as corn-based ethanol, must pr 

ovide at least 30 percent of the oxygen content in the nation's cleaner-burning 

gasoline. This requirement would be phased in at 15 percent during 1995 and 30 p 

ercent thereafter. 

The 30 percent requirement applies only to reformulated or cleaner fuels, w 

hich account for less than 2 percent of all fuel sold in the United States. Use 

of the cleaner burning fuels will be required in nine cities with the highest sm 

og levels. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said that this rule "took courage to implement" an 

d credited President Clinton "for following through on a campaign promise." 

KERREY'S OFFICE estimated that the decision could "bring an additional $100 

million a year to Nebraska farmers and create new jobs and economic opportuniti 

es at ethanol plants across the state." 

There are two ethanol plants in operation, in Columbus and Hastings, and fo 

ur plants are under construction in York, Blair, North Platte and Aurora, at a c 

ost of $500 million, Kerrey said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said in a press release that he was disappointe 

d that the Clinton administration decided not to set an immediate 30 percent req 

uirement for renewable fuels such as ethanol. 

Commenting on the phase-in, Bereuter said, "I'm afraid this backtracking si 

gnals that President Clinton's commitment to ethanol is wavering. It makes me qu 

estion how vigorously the administration will defend this program once it is imp 

lemented." 

BUT NEBRASKA Gov. Ben Nelson, chairman of the Governors Ethanol Association 

, said, "A phased-in use of renewable fuels will allow additional time for produ 

cers to add the needed capacity to their plants and keep supply and prices stabl 

e. We would have preferred to have the program implemented in full the first yea 

r. But the phase-in will lead to the same excellent result." 

Richard Plock, president of the Nebraska Corn Grower's Association, said th 

e EPA ruling was the "tip of the iceberg" of opportunities for Nebraska farmers 

and could stimulate additional ethanol plant development in the state.




SOUR[Norfolk Daily News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[EPA's ethanol decision called à clear winner' 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska Democrats and farm officials on Thursday cheere 

d a federal decision to require the use of cleaner-burning gasoline in the natio 

n's smoggiest cities. 

"This decision will lead to the production of more ethanol, which will 

be a boom to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen o 

ur dependence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

The Environmental Protection Agency said it will require that gasoline 

used in areas with severe air pollution contain more oxygen to make it burn cle 

aner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources. 

The decision is good news for the ethanol industry. The corn-based add 

itive is the only renewable oxygenate that can currently meet the volumes demand 

ed by the clean gasoline program. 



"It's a big win, Absolutely," Kerrey said. "There's just no downside." 

Gov. Ben Nelson, who heads the 19-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition, appla 

uded the decision, saying it would help Nebraska 'farmers and the state's corn i 

ndustry. 


d ethanol when the program goes into full effect in 1996. 

"The program, when fully implemented, is a clear winner," Nelson said. 

"It will clean the air in smoggy U.S. cities, create jobs in rural America and 

grow the economy." 

The ethanol industry is expected to add some 4,500 jobs in the next tw 

o years, Nelson said. 




SOUR[Lincoln Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans hail ethanol decision 

TEXT[Officials say Nebraska, the state that helped pioneer the use of corn-based 

ethanol blended motor fuels, is in position to capitalize on the ethanol victor 

y Thursday. 



cleaner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources and the 

decision is good news for the ethanol industry. 

The corn-based additive is the only renewable oxygenate that can currently 

meet the volumes demanded by the clean gasoline program. 

"The program, when full implemented, is a clear winner," Gov. Ben Nelson sa

id. "It will clean the air in smoggy U.S. cities, create jobs in rural America a 

nd grow the economy." 

About $500 million worth of ethanol plants are under construction in Nebras 

ka, in addition to the five plants already built, said Nelson spokes-woman Karen 

Kilgarin. 

The state now can produce 100 million gallons of ethanol each year. 




be a boon to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen o 

ur dependence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

Beginning in January, at least 15 percent of all oxygenates in gasoline mus 



Despite Thursday's triumph for ethanol supporters, the battle over market s 

hare for fuels will continue. The program may be challenged by Congress or in co 

urt by oil companies, which favor a petroleum-based oxygenate made from methanol 

. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, raised concern about the phase-in plan 

and said it indicates a wavering commitment to the program by the Clinton admini 

stration. 


ews we had been promised last December," he said "It's too bad the administratio 

n is forcing farmers to accept half of a promised loaf. This backtracking signal 

s that President Clinton's commitment to ethanol is wavering. It makes me questi 

on how vigorously the administration will defend this program once it is impleme 

nted." 



Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, said he would have preferred an immediat 

e 30 percent requirement by the EPA, but he called the decision a good compromis 

e. 



'It's a big win. Absolutely," Kerrey said. "There's just no downside." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State officials hail ethanol decision 

TEXT[ 

OMAHA (AP) - A federal decision requiring the use of cleaner-burning gasoli 

ne in the nation's smoggiest areas means big bucks for Nebraska corn farmers, st 

ate officials say. 

The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it will require that 

gasoline used in areas with severe air pollution contain more oxygen to make it 

burn cleaner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources.

The decision is good news for the ethanol industry. the corn-based add 

itive is the only renewable oxygenate that can currently meet the volumes demand 

ed by the clean gasoline program. 

"The program, when full implemented, is a clear winner,"Gov. Ben Nelson sai 

d. "It will clean the air in smoggy U.S. cities, create jobs in rural America an 

d grow the economy." 

There is $500 million worth of ethanol plans under construction in Nebraska 

, in addition to the five plans already built, said Nelson spokeswoman Karen Kil 

garin. The state now can produce 100 million gallons of ethanol each year. 




be a boon to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen ou 

r dependence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb;Beginning in Jan 

uary, at least 15 percent of all oxygenates in gasoline must come from renewable 

resources like ethanol or an ethanol derivative called ETBE. The amount increas 

es to 30 percent in 1996. 


ch have favored a petroleum based oxygenate made from methanol. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said the phase-in indicates a wavering commitme 

nt to the program by President Clinton. 



stration is forcing framers to accept half of a promised loaf." 





. 

"I'm pleased the EPA finally recognizes the importance of ethanol to the na 


Sen' Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Nebraska farmers could net an additional $100 


"It's a big win. Absolutely," Kerrey said. "There's just no downside." 

Nelson, who heads the 19-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition, applauded the 

EPA's decision, saying it would help Nebraska farmers and the state's corn indus 

try. 

An added 230 million bushels of corn may be needed to make the required eth 

anol when the program goes into full effect in 1996. 


gallons, of the gasoline sold annually in the Unites States. It is expected to a 

dd 3 cents to 5 cents a gallon to the cost of gasoline. 

The EPA's decision also was hailed by the officials of the Nebraska Corn Bo 

ard and by the 3,000-member Nebraska Corn Growers Association. Association Pres 

ident Richard Plock called the decision a "major victory" for corn farmers. 




SOUR[Grand Island Independent

BK#[ 

HDLN[Legislators hail decision 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska legislators on Thursday cheered a federal decision to 

require the use of cleaner-burning gasoline in the nation's smoggiest cities. 

"This decision will lead to the production of more ethanol, which will be a 

boon to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen our de 

pendence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim 

Exon, D-Neb. . 

The Environmental Protection Agency said it will require that gasoline used 

in areas with severe air pollution contain more oxygen to make it burn cleaner. 

Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources. 






"While this requirements good news for agriculture, it is not the great new 

s we had been promised last December," Bereuter said. "It's too bad the administ 

ration is forcing farmers to accept half of a promised loaf." 

But Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Nebraska farmers could net an additional 

$100 million a year because of the program. 

"It's a big win. Absolutely," Kerrey said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bill would provide funds for wetlands 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND(AP)-- The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has voted to ad 

vance to the full Senate a bill that would provide Nebraska with $1 million in f 

ederal funds for wetlands enhancement. 

The funding will help restore wetlands across the Rainwater Basin, accordin 

g to Sen. Bob Kerrey, who requested the funds. 

THE MONEY would be used solely to purchase land, according to Harvey Wittmi 

er of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional office in Denver, Colo. 

Wildlife officials hope to buy 1,500 acres in the basin, a 17-county area i 

n central Nebraska. 



AUTH[Dave Zelio 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Not everyone excited about ethanol plans 

TEXT[OMAHA--A federal decision requiring the use of cleaner-burning gasoline in 

the nation's smoggiest areas means big bucks for Nebraska corn farmers, state of

ficials say. 



cleaner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources. 

THE DECISION is good news for the ethanol industry. The corn-based additiv 

e is the only renewable oxygenate that can currently meet the volumes demanded b 

y the clean gasoline program. 

"The program, when fully implemented, is a clear winner," Gov. Ben Nelson s 

aid. "It will clean air in the smoggiest U.S. cities, create jobs in rural Amer 

ica and grow the economy." 

There is 500 million worth of ethanol plants under construction in Nebraska 

, in addition to the five plants already built, said Nelson spokeswoman Karen Ki 

lgarin. The state can now produce 100 million gallons of ethanol each year. 

THE ETHANOL industry is expected to add some 4,500 jobs in the next two yea 


"This decision will lead to productions of more ethanol, which will be a bo 

on to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen our depen 

dence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 





ch have favored a petroleum-based oxygenate made from methanol. 

REP. DOUG Barrater, R-Ne., said the phase-in indicates a wavering commitmen 

t to the program by President Clinton. 


ews we had been promised last December," Bereuter said. "It's too bad the admin 

istration is forcing farmers to accept half of a promised loaf." 

Administration officials have said that the phase-in is to ensure adequate 

supplies, but Bereuter said it could cost Nebraska farmers more than $50 million 

. 

REP. BILL Barrett, R-Neb., said he would have preferred an immediate 30 per 


. 





"It's a big win. Absolutely," Kerrey said. "There's just no downside. 

NELSON, WHO heads the 19-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition, applauded the 

EPA's decisions, saying it would help Nebraska farmers and the state's corn indu 

stry. 

An additional 230 million bushes of corn may be needed to make the required 

ethanol when the program goes into full effect in 1996. 


gallons, of the gasoline sold annually in the United States. It is expected to 

add 3 to 5 cents a gallon to the cost of gasoline. 


and by the 3000-member Corn Growers Association. Association president Richard 

Plock called the decision a "major victory" for corn farmers.




SOUR[Billings Gazette-Montana 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate barely endorses Bosnia arms embargo 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) President Clinton ducked an embarrassing congressional rebu 

ke over his handling of foreign policy on Friday as the Senate endorsed the cont 

inued arms embargo against Bosnia by the smallest of margins. 

By a 50-50 roll call, senators rejected a proposal by Senate Minority Leade 

r Bob Dole, R-Kan., that would have ordered Clinton to immediately abandon the U 

nited Nations arms ban. A majority is required to pass legislation... 

...Supporters, including Sen. James Exon, D-Neb.,: called the extra money " 

an insurance policy." 

The Senate voted last year to build just 20 B-2s at: a cost of $44.4 billio 

n. 



AUTH[David C. Breeder 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate won't ground B-2 production 

TEXT[Washington - The Senate refused Friday to close the production line for the 

B-2 bomber after the last of 20 bombers is completed. 

The vote was 55-45 with Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, voting to close the produc 

tion line. Voting to keep it open were Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Sen. Bob -Kerrey 

, D-Neb.; and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

"The $75 million that we have in this program is to keep that line warm"' s 

aid Exon, second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

"I have consistently argued that terminating the B-2 stealth bombers at 20 

planes may be premature," Exon said. "The importance of projecting air power ove 

r great distances in a stealthy manner 

is stronger than ever." 

The B-2 has been designated a stealth bomber because of equipment that enab 

les it to evade enemy radar. 

Harkin said he would have preferred to spend the B-2 money on other program 

s. 

"I just think we are wasting so much of our money on the military when we d 

on't need to," Harkin said. 

Harkin said he wants to maintain a defense industrial base with the project 

s that would benefit all sectors of the economy. 

"I proposed taking 1 percent of money spent on atomic-energy activities and 

shift it into renewable energy," Harkin said. "I got 45 votes, and it only invo 

lved $33 million." 

Harkin said he advocates spending some defense expenditures to research and 

development of energy projects including wind-powered devices and photovoltaic 

sources.

The debate was waged as the Senate considered legislation authorizing $263. 

3 billion in military programs for fiscal 1995, which begins Oct. 1. The Senate 

approved the overall measure on a voice vote late Friday night and will have to 

write compromise legislation with the House. 

Exon, chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on nuclear deterrence, ar 

ms control and intelligence oversight, said he questioned an administration prop 

osal that would limit the total bomber force to 100 planes. 

"It is still a troubling and uncertain world, and we must move ahead with s 

ufficient discretion and forethought," Exon said. 

He said the current force consists of 97 B-1 bombers and 120 B-52 bombers. 

Exon said the Defense Department authorization bill this year calls for spe 

nding $270 billion in 1995, $10 billion less than last year. 

In other votes, the Senate approved 52-48 a proposal by Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga 

., endorsing President Clinton's decision to keep obeying the United Nations ar 

ms embargo against Bosnia 

The Senate rejected 50-50 a competing plan by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., orderi 

ng Clinton to let weapons flow immediately. The 50-50 vote was short of the maj 

ority needed to pass. 

Vice President Al Gore presided over the Senate during votes on the arms em 

bargo. His deciding vote proved unnecessary. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., voted in favor of the Dole proposal. Exon, 

Harkin and Kerrey voted against it. 

Exon, Harkin and Kerrey voted for Nunn's proposal. Grassley voted against i 

t. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators vote no on defense issues 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Nebraska's Democrat senators cast a pair of "no" votes Fr 

iday on two roll calls by which the Senate refused to cut $150 million from the 

defense bill for B-2 bombers and abandon the United Nations arms embargo against 

Bosnia. 

Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon cast "no" votes in the 55-45 roll call by whic 

h the Senate voted against removing funding to keep production lines ready for t 

he possible production of additional B-2 bombers. 

Voting "yes" were 37 Democrats and 8 Republicans. Voting "no" were 19 Demo 

crats and 36 Republicans. 

The Nebraskans again voted no in a 50-50 roll call by which the Senate reje 

cted a measure by Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., that would have ordered Pres 

ident Clinton to immediately abandon the United Nations arms embargo against Bos 

nia. A majority is required for a measure to be approved. 


crats and 7 Republicans.



AUTH[edit. 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Needed Product Liability Changes Stalled Again, and Kerrey Helps 

TEXT[The country needs product liability reform. But a moderate and reasonable r 

eform bill was torpedoed - again - in the U.S. Senate before it could be fully d 

ebated. Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey was among those who sank it... 

...Still, Kerrey voted against bringing the question to debate. The vote wa 

s 57-41, three short of the number needed to end the filibuster. Nebraska Sen. J 

. James Exon voted to bring the legislation to the floor. 

So product liability reform is dead for another year. That's a sad develop 

ment. But it was just the outcome desired by the lawyers who, under the current 

system, earn huge fees by convincing juries to stick it to manufacturers and di 

stributors who are perceived to have deep pockets. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators vote 'no' on Bosnia 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Nebraska's Democrat senators cast a pair of "no" votes Fr 

iday on two roll calls by which the Senate refused to cut $1550 million from the 

defense bill for B-2 bombers and abandon the United Nations arms embargo agains 

t Bosnia. 

Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon cast "no" votes in the 55-45 roll call by whic 

h the Senate voted against re-moving funding to keep production lines ready for 

the possible production of additional B-2 bombers. 

Voting "yes" were 37 Democrats and 8 Republicans. Voting "no" were 19 Democ 

rats and 36 Republicans. 

The Nebraskans again voted no in a 50-50 roll call by which the Senate reje 

cted a measure by Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., that would have ordered Pres 

ident Clinton to immediately abandon the United Nations arms embargo against Bos 

nia. 


crats and 7 Republicans. 

In an issue that cuts across party lines, lawmakers approved a measure by S 

ens. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., and John Warner, R-Va., saying the United States should wo 

rk for peace in the Balkans and only consider lifting the embargo along with its 

allies later. 

Vice President Al Gore presided over the Senate, although his deciding vote 

, in the end, proved unnecessary. 

Rejection of the Dole amendment saved Clinton and the U.N.- at least for no 

w- from a major embarrassment, because the House voted three weeks ago to order 

him to ignore the U.N. embargo.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon has Norfolk on itinerary 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon will be making a stop in Norfolk Tuesday. 

Exon, who also will visit Columbus and Wayne that day, will be at Prenger's 

at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday. 

He will be meeting with members of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerc 

e's board of directors, Action Council, Legislative Action Council, Small Busine 

ss Council and Transportation Council. 

The meeting is open to the public. Exon will make some opening remarks and 

then field questions from persons attending. 

Exon also will meet with members of the Cornhusker Youth Leadership pr 

ogram and make a few other stops while in Norfolk. 




SOUR[Rapid City Journal-SD 

BK#[ 

HDLN[B-1Bs, Ellsworth's Rushmore Center to get S.D. funding 

TEXT[Ellsworth Air Force Base will get $4.5 million for construction and demolit 

ion as part of a $263.4 billion defense budget package passed by the Senate late 

Friday. 

The funding is for the fiscal year starting in October. Now, compromise leg 

islation must be written with the House. 

South Dakota's Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle offered the amendment to authori 

ze the Ellsworth projects. He was joined by Sen. Larry Pressler, R-S.D. 

The funding is for the second of the three-phase Rushmore Center project. 

The work is consolidating administrative offices and demolishing 10 World War II 

-era facilities. The first phase received $6.2 million. 

"Upgrading facilities at Ellsworth ensures its place in the Air Force's lon 

g range strategic planning," Pressler said. "The new construction will help stre 

amline administrative functions. The project also will provide longterm flexibil 

ity for future mission shifts and requirements." 

As a part of the same bill, Daschle said the senators directed the Secretar 

y of Defense to not retire any B-1B bombers. The bill also directs the Air Force 

to fully fund the conventional upgrades for the entire B-1B fleet. 

Senators also voted to abandon Congress' year-old decision to build only 20 

B-2 bombers. By a 55-45 vote, they retained $150 that will let contractors who 

build the expensive, radar evading plane keep their assembly lines ready in case 

any additional planes are ordered. 

Supporters, including Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., called the extra money "an i 

nsurance policy." The Senate voted last year to build just 20 B-2s at a cost of 

$44.4 billion.

Senators also voted 88-12 to move up to April the date when military retire 

es would receive their 1995 pension cost-of-living increases. The date was rolle 

d back by six months last year as a part of President Clinton's deficit-reductio 

n package. Senators decided to advance it again so military and federal civilian 

retirees would receive increases at the same time. 

And the bill provides funding for research into the Persian Gulf Syndrome, 

the name for the mysterious illness affecting many veterans of operation Desert 

Storm. The studies will include research into health effects of an anti-nerve ag 

ent distributed to almost 700,000 American soldiers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Divided Senate backs arms ban 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton ducked an embarrassing congressional re 

buke over his handling of foreign policy on Friday as the Senate endorsed the co 

ntinued arms embargo against Bosnia by the smallest of margins. 

By a 50-50 roll call, senators rejected a proposal by Senate Minority Leade 

r Bob Dole, R-Kan., that would have ordered Clinton to immediately abandon the U 

nited Nations arms ban. A majority is required to pass legislation. 

Nebraska's Democratic senators, Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, voted against the 

Dole measure. 

Moments earlier, lawmakers vote 52-48 to back the U.N. sanctions, for now. 

But the measure included a proviso: It urge Clinton to join with U.S. allies to 

consider lifting the embargo if the Serbs attack Bosnian safe areas or don't neg 

otiate for peace. 

The Clinton administration declared victory, as Press Secretary Dee Dee Mye 

rs welcomed the vote as "a confirmation of the president's Bosnia policy." 

But Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn, D-Ga., who sponsored 

the successful provision with Sen. John Warner, R-Va., was less upbeat. 

"The Senate is frustrated and does not agree by a very large majority with 

the arms embargo," Nunn said afterward. "The overwhelming sentiment is to have a 

n approach that will end up lifting the arms embargo." 

Dole credited heavy White House lobbying for his defeat and said,"With all 

that pressure we still got 50 votes. We'll try it again." 

The vote came as Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, in a letter to s 

enators, promised that the United States would ask the U.N. Security Council to 

end embargo if the Bosnian Serbs don't move toward a peace agreement. 

The Senate's vote on Bosnia may have spared Clinton a veto fight with Congr 

ess because three weeks ago, the House voted 244-178 to require him to abandon t 

he embargo. 

Vice President Al Gore presided over the Senate as it voted Friday in case 

his vote was needed to break a tie. In a fight over the same issue in May, a div 

ided Senate narrowly approved both measures, leaving the chamber's stance unclea 

r. 

Opponents of Dole's measure said it would not hasten peace, as its supporte

s hoped. 

"There will be many more deaths, much more ethnic cleansing, and it will th 

en become an American War, and we'll be back here with a request to send America 

ns over there," said Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine. 

The debate waged as the Senate considered legislation authorizing $263.3 bi 

llion in military programs for fiscal 1995, which begins Oct. 1. 

In the same bill, senators voted to abandoned Congress' year-old decision t 

o build only 20 B-2 bombers. By 55-45, they voted to retain $150 million in the 

legislation that will let contractors who build the expensive, radar-evading pla 

ne keep their assembly lines ready in case additional planes are ordered. 

Supporters, including Nebraska's Exon, called the extra money "an insurance 

policy." Kerrey also voted with the Senate-majority. 

The Senate voted last year to build just 20 B-2s at a cost of $44.4 billion 

. 



AUTH[James Bovard 

SOUR[Baltimore Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Don't Like Children's TV? So Use the Off Switch! 

TEXT[If someone proposed to solve the problem of children smoking cigarettes by 

forcing tobacco companies to create new low nicotine brands especially for child 

ren, that person would be ridiculed even in Washington. Yet, if someone proposes 

to solve the problem of children going brain-dead from watching too much televi 

sion by dictating federal standards for children's TV, that person is hailed as 

a social savior. 

As the Federal Communications Commission prepares to impose onerous burdens 

on the nation's broadcasters and cable companies, a re-examination of the Child 

ren's Television Act is long overdue. 

In 1968, Congress created public broadcasting networks in part to provide e 

ducational programming for children and teen-agers. In 1990, Congress decided th 

at commercial television stations and networks did not provide enough healthy fa 

re for youngsters and enacted the Children's Television Act to force them to do 

more. 

Though the act threatened license revocations for violators, the law did no 

t define educational and informational programming." The New York Times noted th 

at the Children's Television Act is notoriously vague." Congress and the FCC tol 

d television stations to jump through the hoops - but did not tell the broadcast 

ers where the hoops were, how high they were, or in which direction they had to 

jump. 

The Children's Television Act decreed that television programs for kids cou 

ld not have more than 12 minutes of commercials per hour on weekdays or more tha 

n 10.5 minutes of commercials per hour on weekends. The restrictions on ad times 

may have been enacted partly to protect the dignity of elected representatives. 

Sen. Jim Exon, a Nebraska Democrat, complained to his colleagues: "On more than 

one occasion, my grandchildren, under 4 years of age, have stood up and asked f 

or silence in the room when [the station] went to a commercial." 

WTTA of St. Petersburg, Fla., was fined $10,000 for exceeding the official 

limits for commercials by 2 1/2 minutes in one hour and by 1 1/2 minutes in anot 

her. The FCC delayed renewing the licenses of six television stations last year

ecause the stations had not proved they were providing sufficient broadcast nu 

trients for children. 

It is ironic to read the threatening language of notices from Edythe Wise, 

chief of the investigations branch of the FCC's Mass Media Bureau's Enforcement 

Division. In January 1993, chief enforcer Wise informed WTBS (the Turner Broadc 

asting System Superstation) that it was guilty of 15 seconds too many commercial 

s on a Jan. 14, 1992, broadcast of "Tom and Jerry's Funhouse." 

Ms. Wise also pronounced KWGN-TV of Denver guilty of one minute's worth of 

excessive commercials during broadcasts of "Dennis the Menace" and "Merrie Melod 

ies"... 




SOUR[Ogallala Keith Co. News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon push for opening of grazing lands 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-Anticipating a hot and dry summer, Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim E 

xon have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite Nebraska's request 

s to open up land currently held idle under the conservation Reserve Program. 

In a letter sent Friday to Grant Buntrock, administrator of the Agricu 

ltural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Kerrey and Exon said this year's 

lack of rainfall is becoming a significant problem for Nebraska's livestock prod 

ucers, especially in Western Nebraska. They said they were already receiving req 

uests from producers that CRP acres he opened for haying and grazing. 

"We are writing today to urge that ASCS-Washington be prepare to act e 

xpeditiously on the request we anticipate from the Nebraska State ASCS Committee 

to allow use of CRP ground in designated counties suffering from dry conditions 

," the letter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon to visit Columbus Tuesday 

TEXT[Columbus- Sen. Jim Exon will visit Columbus Tuesday. 

He will be at Minnesota Corn Processors for a tour from 

10:30-11:15 a.m. and will give a speech at the Rotary Club luncheon at the Elks 

Club from noon-1 p.m. 



AUTH[David Cawthorne and Robert James 

SOUR[Traffic World

BK#[ 

HDLN[Filed-rate doctrine may be scrapped as supporters scramble to save ICC 

TEXT[Senate Democrats scrambling to save the Interstate Commerce 

Commission from the budget ax are drafting legislation that would keep the agenc 

y's doors open, but exempt trucking companies from the much maligned "filed-rate 

doctrine." 

An outline of the legislation obtained by Traffic World suggests indiv 

idual motor carriers would be granted an exemption from sections 10701 and 10762 

of the Interstate Commerce Act, which requires carriers to file tariffs and cha 

rge only the rates included on those tariffs. It's unclear, however, whether rat 

e bureaus would be exempted from filing, although the outline does call for rete 

ntion of the antitrust immunity conferred on these bureaus that allows the indus 

try to collectively set rates. 

The proposal, crafted by surface transportation subcommittee Chairman 

J. James Exon, D-Neb., and slated for discussion at an ICC oversight hearing on 

July 12, comes amid an industry-wide lobbying blitz to salvage the 107-year-old 

agency's budget, which was eliminated earlier this month by the House of Represe 

ntatives. Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee sources say Chair-ma 

n Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. plans to restore the agency's funding during a mark-u 

p session next week and let the ICC's critics and supporters "fight it out" on t 

he Senate floor. 

"It doesn't make much sense to eliminate the agency, but leave the law 

s it administers on the books," said a transportation subcommittee staffer. "I t 

hink Sen. Lautenberg would prefer to defer to Exon and (Commerce Committee Chair 

man Ernest) Hollings to come to the defense of the agency." 

Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., who nearly won elimination of the agency la 

st year, plans to try and repeat the House's recent move to kill the commission 

and transfer its duties to the Transportation Department when the appropriations 

bill comes to the floor next month. Exon and Hollings, D-S.C., likely will be t 

he point men for the agency. 

According to its outline, the Exon proposal also would give the ICC th 

e power to exempt individual types of traffic moving by truck from agency rate c 

ontrols. The agency already has the power to do this on rail traffic and has use 

d it extensively. The Transportation Department and GAO urged this power be exte 

nded to the trucking area... 

...Another provision would eliminate remaining ICC entry barriers into 

the trucking industry. Under the new approach applicants would be able to obtai 

n operating authority merely by showing they meet DOT safety requirements and ha 

ve insurance coverage. 

The provisions contained in the outline appear similar to legislative propo 

sals sent to Congress in 1991 by ICC Vice Chairman Karen Phillips and then-commi 

ssioner Emmett. 

"I have long maintained that additional reform of the ICC's trucking respon 

sibilities is needed. Many of our trucking functions no longer serve a purpose a 

nd should be eliminated," said Phillips. 

"The House vote sent a strong message that at least one house of Congress t 

hinks some functions we preform are no longer necessary. Enactment of legislati 

on would be a good response to this message," Commissioner Linda J. Morgan said 

during an interview."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce Grant to Youth Emergency Services 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announc 

ed recently that Youth Emergency Services in Omaha has received $42,440 from the 

federal government to help run its shelter for runaway and homeless youths. 

"For a variety of reasons, many young people run away from home. Others hav 

e never really had a place to call home," Sens. Exon and Kerrey said. "Counselor 

s at Youth Emergency Services can help these young people find direction in thei 

r lives." 

The federal Department of Health and Human Services awarded the grant. 




SOUR[Fairbury Journal News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Youth Beat-4-Hers Travel to Washington (PHOTOS) 

TEXT[Jefferson County teens who traveled to Washington, D.C., for the 4-H Leader 

ship Conference visited many sites in the area and met with Nebraska senators Ja 

mes Exon and Bob Kerrey. Right: Jeff DeFrain presents Fairbury Brand Bacon Bits 

to Sen. Exon; Above: Kim Schultis, left and Lori Preter catch a few winks with a 

friend from Gage County on the bus carrying them during a tour of the city; Bel 

ow: Members of the Gage, Jefferson and Saline counties delegation, including Jef 

f DeFrain, kneeled, make etchings from the Vietnam Memorial wall. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[$15 Million Grant 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said the federal gover 

nment has awarded Nebraska a $ 15.24 million grant for housing and economic deve 

lopment across the state. 

The money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) m 

akes loans and grants available to local governments for building and rehabilita 

ting housing and for economic, community and business development projects. 

This grant provides money to local governments throughout Nebraska exc 

ept for Lincoln and Omaha, which receive their own allocation from HUD.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Prevails on B-2 Bomber in Senate Vote 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. Recently, the Senate turned back an attempt 

to eliminate an initiative by U.S. Senator Jim Exon to retain the option to keep 

open the B-2 bomber production line until the Clinton Administration completes 

its ongoing military force structure review. On a vote of 45-55, the Senate reje 

cted the amendment 

to the 1995 National Defense Authorization Bill to eliminate Exon's plan. 

"I have consistently argued that terminating the B-2 stealth bomber at 

20 planes may be premature," Exon said. "At a time when we are pulling back ou 

r forces from bases overseas, the number of international hotspots grows. The im 

portance of projecting air power over great distances in a stealthy manner is st 

ronger than ever." 

Exon successfully argued that it is a matter of fielding the most capable p 

lane for the mission. One B-2 can perform the mission of dozens of strike, fight 

er and bomber aircraft at less risk to our pilots. In the long run, the B-2 is t 

he most cost-effective plane for the mission. 

Exon, chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Nuclear Deterrence, Ar 

ms Control and Intelligence Oversight, questioned the Administration position of 

limiting the total bomber force to 100 planes. He has requested a complete revi 

ew by the Administration and the Pentagon of the required total bomber force and 

its mix of aircraft "It is still a troubling and uncertain world," Exon said, " 

and we must move ahead with sufficient discretion and forethought." 



AUTH[Nathan Kreps 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon tours Columbus sites; warns of Russian problems 

TEXT[COLUMBUS - Growing nationalism in Russia is an eerie reminder of pre-World 

War II Germany, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon told the Columbus Rotary Club Tuesday. 

The Cold War may be over, Saddam Hussein may have been temporarily def 

eated and North Korea and South Korea may be speaking, he said, but the United S 

tates can't afford to relax because the world is still a dangerous place. 

EXON POINTED to Libya, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, the former Soviet Unio 

n, Palestine and India as hot spots that need to be handled delicately. While he 

supports cutbacks in defense spending, Exon said the cuts must be done carefull 

y. 

"There's only so far we can go," he said. 

The rise of people like Russian nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky is 

particularly bad because he strikes a chord with Russian people who are looking 

for someone to blame for their problems, Exon said. 

Nationalism in itself is not bad, he said, but when it is mixed with p

olitics it can be disastrous, as it was in Germany, Italy and Japan before World 

War II. 

THE SOVIET Union switched from Communism to the free enterprise system 

before it was ready for the change, Exon said, and that caused economic problem 

s that fell far short of expectations. Crime also increased with Russia's new wa 

y of life. 

"I don't know how bad it is," he said. "It's essential that we do what 

we can to encourage people in the former Soviet Union to get back on their feet 

." 

Exon didn't know if the problems could be solved without bloodshed. 

We have to pray they are solvable, but history shows us that most of t 

hese things are not solvable without war,' he said. 

BECAUSE OF that instability and the problems in other countries around the 

world, Exon said the United States must be ready to defend itself. 

"No one would dare attack us today, nuclear-wise," he said. "We must maint 

ain that nuclear superiority." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon., Kerrey Announce Grant To Panhandle 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced recently 

that Panhandle Community Services in Gering has received $50,000 from the feder 

al government to help run its shelter for runaway and homeless youths. 

"Many troubled young people need a safe place to stay while they work throu 

gh their problems," Senators Exon and Kerrey said. "We believe professional cou 

nselors can help these young Nebraskans learn to communicate with their families 

, so that the turbulence of adolescence doesn't follow them into adulthood. " 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the grant. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Bill Would Save ICC and $50 Million 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senator Jim Exon has introduced legislation to stre 

amline trucking regulations, save $50 million over five years and save the indep 

endence of the federal Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). 

Exon's bill would grant the ICC authority to eliminate unnecessary and cost 

ly trucking regulations and would save money by eliminating some of the ICC's fu 

nctions. 

This will provide an opportunity to save real money, rather than just 

shuffle expenses from one agency to another," Exon said. 

Exon's bill would end the practice of filing individual trucking company ta 

riffs with the ICC and would limit some entry level regulations affecting insura

nce and safety. 

In addition, the Exon bill instructs the Secretary of Transportation and th 

e ICC to review additional cost-saving measures as well as to consider merging t 

he ICC with the Federal Maritime Commission. 

Exon will chair a hearing on the future role of the ICC and his reform agen 

da on July 12th. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon raises questions about fleeing Haitians 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said Tuesday that it appears no one knows what to do abo 

ut the number of Haitians escaping to the United States, but that something need 

s to be done soon. 

The flow of Haitians heading to the United States needs to be halted, the N 

ebraska Democrat said in Norfolk. 

He said he has one problem with an announcement from the White House on Tue 

sday that Haitians found eligible for political asylum would be sent to "safe ha 

ven" camps in Panama instead of to the United States. 

He said he fears that word will spread quickly that Haitians should attempt 

to leave because they will at least make it to Panama. 

He said it may sound heartless, but America cannot and should not allow imm 

igrants to evade immigration laws by landing and then demanding to stay. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats will gather 

TEXT[NORTH PLATTE (AP) - Gov. Ben Nelson and Sen. Bob Kerrey are among the featu 

red speakers Saturday at the Nebraska Democratic Convention. 

Norm Otto, former chief of staff for then-Gov. Jim Exon, will be keyno 

te speaker at the event luncheon in the North Platte Holiday Inn. The veteran ai 

de who also ran Exon's Nebraska office when he was elected to the U.S.Senate wil 

l speak about reinventing government. 

Farmer Lincoln County Democrat chairman Linn Kosbau, who is organizing 

the event, said he expects between 300-350 people to 

attend. 




SOUR[North Platte Telegraph 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Democratic convention to be in NP 

TEXT[Democratic candidates running for state and federal offices will be in Nort 

h Platte this weekend for the Nebraska Democratic Convention. 

Jim Otto, the former chief of staff for Sen. J.J. Exon when he was governor 

of Nebraska will be the keynote speaker at the Saturday luncheon at the North P 

latte Holiday Inn. His speech is about reinventing government. 

Former Lincoln County chairman Linn Kosbau, who is organizing the event, sa 

id he expects between 300-350 people to attend. 

"We plan to have a very unified convention," he said. 

"There aren't any real controversial subjects that we're dealing with this year. 

" 

State delegates will begin arriving Friday, with registration beginning aro 

und 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn. Also Friday, members of the platform, credential 

s and rules committees will begin their respective sessions. 

Saturday is the big day for the convention. Registration 

Saturday is from 7:30-10 a.m. and caucuses for the first, second and third distr 

icts begin at 8:30 a.m. Also, elections for district officers will be conducted. 

The convention formally begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. Sen. Bob Kerrey is the 

first scheduled speaker at 10:20 a.m. followed by state auditor John Brelow. Go 

v. Ben Nelson is slated to speak around 12:30 p.m. Also scheduled throughout the 

day are reports from the three committees. 

Saturday will conclude with a social hour and banquet Saturday night with e 

ntertainment provided by Frontier Revue and North Platte resident Barbara Cummin 

gs, who will perform Western songs. 

On Sunday, Lt. Gov. Kim Robak will headline the speakers at 9:30 a.m. Sunda 

y. Following Robak are state treasurer Dawn Rockey, attorney general-hopeful Ste 

ve Scherr and secretary of state-hopeful -Alan Eurek. The convention will conclu 

de around noon or 1 p.m. Sunday. 




SOUR[Fremont Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon worried about policy on Haitians 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon says he is worried that a new White House policy on Hait 

ians will encourage the people of that country to emigrate to the United States. 

The decision to send Haitians eligible for political asylum to "safe haven" 

camps in Panama instead of to the United States could lead more to leave, think 

ing they will at least make it to Panama, Exon said Tuesday during a visit to No 

rfolk. 


ebraska Democrat said. 

P\C[




BK#[ 

HDLN[Haitian policy worries Exon 



The decision to send Haitians eligible for political asylum to "safe h 

aven" camps in Panama instead of to the United States could lead more to leave, 

thinking they will at least make it to Panama, Exon said Tuesday during a visit 

to Norfolk. 

The flow of Haitians heading to the United States needs to be halted, 

the Nebraska Democrat said. 

He said it may sound heartless, but America cannot and should not allo 

w immigrants to evade immigration laws by landing and then demanding to stay. 

Earlier Tuesday, Exon toured the Minnesota Corn Processors ethanol pla 

nt in Columbus. 

He praised the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency last wee 

k that heavily polluted areas will be required to use cleaner-burning gasoline - 

including gas reformulated with ethanol - calling it a big victory for farmers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Worried About New Policy On Haitians 



The decision to send Haitians eligible for political asylum to "safe h 

aven' camps in Panama instead of to the United States could lead more to leave, 

thinking they will at least make it to Panama, Exon said Tuesday during a visit 

to Norfolk. 


ebraska Democrat said. 

He said it may sound heartless, but America cannot and should not allo 

w immigrants to evade immigration laws by landing and then demanding to stay. 

Earlier Tuesday, Exon toured the Minnesota Corn Processors ethanol pla 

nt in Columbus. 

He praised the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency las 

t week that heavily-polluted areas will be required to use cleaner-burning gasol 

ine - including gas reformulated with ethanol - calling it a big victory for far 

mers. 

He said the oil industry likely will challenge the decision, but that he do 

ubts it will succeed. 

On another issue, Exon told the Columbus Rotary Club that growing nati 

onalism in Russia is an eerie reminder of pre-World War Il Germany. 

The rise of Russian nationalism leader Vladimir zhirinovsky is particu

larly worrisome because Russians are looking for someone to blame for their prob 

lems, Exon said. 

Nationalism mixed with politics can be disastrous, he said, pointing t 

o Germany, Italy and Japan before World War II as examples. 

The Soviet Union's switch from Communism to a free enterprise system c 

ame before the country was ready and caused economic problems as well as increas 

ed crime, Exon said. 

He said be is unsure if the problems can be solved without bloodshed. 

"We have to pray they are solvable, but history shows us that most of 

these things are not solvable without war," he said. 



AUTH[(AP) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[New Policy on Haitian refugees worries Exon 



The decision to send Haitians eligible for political asylum to "safe haven" 

camps in Panama instead of to the United States could lead more to leave, think 

ing they will at least make it to Panama, Exon said Tuesday during a visit to No 

rfolk. 

The flow of Haitians heading to the United States needs to be halted the Ne 

braska Democrat said. 

He said it may sound heartless, but America cannot and should not allow imm 

igrants to evade immigration laws by landing and then demanding to stay. 

Earlier Tuesday, Exon toured the Minnesota Corn Processors ethanol plant in 

Columbus. 

He praised the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency last wee 

k that heavily-polluted areas will be required to use cleaner-burning gasoline - 

including gas reformulated with ethanol - calling it a big victory for farmers. 

He said the oil industry likely will challenge the decision, but that he do 

ubts it will succeed. 

On another issue, Exon told the Columbus Rotary Club that growing nationali 

sm in Russia is an eerie reminder of pre-World War II Germany. 

The rise of Russian nationalism leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky is particularly 

worrisome because Russians are looking for someone to blame for their problems, 

Exon said. 

Nationalism mixed with politics can be disastrous, he said, pointing to Ger 

many, Italy and Japan before World War II as examples. 

The Soviet Union's switch from Communism to a free enterprise system came b 

efore the country was ready and caused economic problems as well as increased cr 

ime, Exon said. 

He said he is unsure if the problems can be solved without bloodshed. 

"We have to pray they are solvable, but history shows us that most of these 

things are not solvable without war," he said.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Cheloha will manage Combs' House race 

TEXT[First District Democratic congressional candidate Patrick Combs said he has 

hired Omaha attorney Jack Cheloha as campaign manager. 

Cheloha, a native of Columbus, was affiliated with the firm of Kennedy Holl 

and Delacy and Svoboda. He previously worked in the campaigns of Sen. Jim Exon a 

nd Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 




SOUR[Elwood Bulletin 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln Memorial a special site for Coaer 

TEXT[Greta Wray Coaer of Elwood was one of three Gold Star Mothers who attended 

a special ceremony at Veterans Memorial Gardens in Antelope Park in Lincoln on J 

une 4. The three Gold Star Mothers, many family members and friends gathered at 

the unveiling of the Korean War Memorial. Also unveiled were memorials for World 

War Two, Naval Armed Guard and K-9. 

...Speakers during the ceremony included the Chairman of the Veterans Memor 

ial Committee, Lincoln Mayor Jim Morgan, Senators-Kerrey and Exon and other offi 

cials. Mrs Coder said that she especially enjoyed the music provided by the "Not 

ables", a military band from Offutt Air Force Base... 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Marketing meeting draws 1000 cattlemen 

TEXT[LINCOLN-An estimated 1,000 cattlemen, primarily feeders, from Nebraska and 

surrounding cattle states attended the "Zero Tolerance and Industry Concentratio 

n Strategy Meeting" hosted by the Nebraska Cattlemen association Wednesday in Om 

aha. They heard updates from experts, discussed the issues and then developed se 

ven mandates on two pressing industry issues - zero tolerance meat inspection an 

d industry concentration and its effect on the cattle market. Because the meetin 

g consensus will be forwarded to NC, the National Cattlemen's Association, other 

state cattlemen's associations and appropriate agencies and elected officials. 

The points are sure to be discussed at the NCA Midyear Meeting July 20-23 in Den 

ver... 

...CFTC And Department of Justice Investigation: The group issued a mandate 

to NCA, the NC and other state affiliates that Nebraska Senators Bob Kerrey and

Jim Exon conduct a congressional investigation to determine if the CFTC is prop 

erly carrying 

out its regulatory job. And, that they also determine if the Department of Justi 

ce is effectively fulfilling its role in regard to antitrust compliance. 

The Nebraska Cattlemen association conducts producer education and leg 

islative and regulatory monitoring services, and represents cattle breeders, pro 

ducers and feeders through 50 county and local cattlemen's associations. 




SOUR[Leigh World 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Derrick Lich Receives Award (PHOTO) 

TEXT[Derrick Lich son of Terry and Darlene Lich of Madison and grandson of Mr. a 

nd Mrs. Leo Groteluschen of Leigh received his Eagle Scout award at a Ceremony S 

unday June 26 at Trinity Lutheran Church Madison followed by a reception at the 

Madison City Auditorium. 

Many attended the ceremony and he received congratulations from Presid 

ent and Mrs. Clinton, Senator Kerrey, Senator Exon, Governor Nelson, Rep. Barret 

t, and Bereuter. 




SOUR[Hemiford Ledger 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants for family practice Doctors 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced federal grants to Nebraska's tw 

o medical schools. 

One is a $133,268 grant for the Creighton University School of Medicine to 

provide additional training in family practice medicine. It will allow Creighton 

to include training in family practice medicine in the curriculum studies by fi 

rst and second year medical students. 

Creighton's goal is for 25 percent of its graduates to enter family practic 

e. 

The second grant is to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, also in O 

maha. The $243,130 grant has been awarded to encourage doctors at the University 

to conduct more research about family practice medicine. 




SOUR[Washington Post 

BK#[ 

HDLN[General to Retire at Lower Rank in Dispute

TEXT[A three-star general who had n the subject of a heated debate 

on Capitol Hill has opted for retirement at a two-star rank, the Air Force said 

yesterday. 

Lt. Gen. Buster Glosson, who wore three stars during his tenure as one of t 

he Air Force's highest-ranking generals, voluntarily decided to retire at the lo 

wer level effective July 1, a spokeswoman said... 

...Sen. J. James Exon (Neb.), the second-ranking Democrat in the Armed Serv 

ices Committee, recently said, of the dispute, "It's one of the toughest promoti 

on questions we faced. You've got reputable people on both sides of the issue ev 

idently saying different things." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[PCS Receives Federal Funding 

TEXT[U.S. senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced recently that Panhandle Com 

munity Services in Gering has received $50,000 from the federal government to he 

lp run its shelter for runaway and homeless youth. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the 

grant. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Relief in sight for Nebraska producers 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Relief is in sight for Nebraska livestock producers, U.S. Sens 

. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon say. 

The Nebraska Democrats on Wednesday praised the U.S. Department of Agr 

iculture's decision to open Conservation Reserve Program lands for haying and gr 

azing. 

"This is no substitute for rain, but this move will bring some relief 

for Nebraska's livestock producers," Kerrey and Exon said in a joint statement. 

The senators asked Agriculture secretary Mike Espy in a letter on June 17 t 

o open the lands because of dry conditions caused by a significant lack of rainf 

all. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Schools Across Nebraska Will Benefit From Chapter I

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) said schools across Nebraska will benefit from 

two provisions the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee approved this wee 

k. 

One is an agreement to continue to make federal money available for school 

districts throughout Nebraska to provide services for children from low-income f 

amilies. Under this program, called Chapter I, the money goes to schools that ha 

ve high concentrations of low-income students. 

The Senate committee authorized funding to remain at its current level. 

The Labor Committee also approved a revised formula for Impact Aid that wil 

l benefit school districts where there are large amounts of federally-owned prop 

erty. In Nebraska, school districts such as Bellevue, the home of Offutt Air For 

ce Base, and those on Native American reservations receive federal Impact Aid fu 

nds to compensate for the loss of property tax revenue they would otherwise rece 

ive. 



AUTH[Jerry Guenther 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Foreign relations deserve more attention 

TEXT[With all the problems the nation currently faces, not enough attention is b 

eing given to the area of foreign relations, said U.S. Sen. J. James Exon while 

in Norfolk Tuesday afternoon. 

Exon said he still believes that the primary responsibility of the fed 

eral government is to provide security for the nation. 

He made the comments during a meeting Tuesday afternoon at Prenger's t 

hat was attended by about 30 representatives from the Norfolk Area Chamber of Co 

mmerce. Exon later also spoke to members of the Cornhusker Youth Leadership Coun 

cil. 

Exon, who is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, said that becaus 

e the Cold War with the Soviet Union is over, many citizens seem to have forgott 

en about international problems that still occur in just about every part of the 

world. 

For example, just five years after World War II, which was supposed to end 

all wars, the Korean War began, he said. Seven years after the Korean War, the U 

nited States became involved in Vietnam, Exon said. 

Today, there are "trouble spots" in Korea, Iran, Libya, Africa, North Korea 

, Haiti, Bosnia and the possibility of civil war in the former Soviet Union, Exo 

n said. Even more troubling is that many of these nations have or are close to d 

eveloping nuclear capabilities, he said. 

Perhaps the most dangerous situation exists in North Korea, Exon said. The 

United States cannot afford to let North Korea become a nuclear power, but deter 

mining how to prevent that is difficult, he said. 

"Do we go to war?" Exon asked. 

Exon said he believes President Bill Clinton has been following the right c 

ourse with North Korea. It is important to resolve the dispute without going to 

war, but the dispute must be resolved in the United

States' favor, he said. Although the United States cannot be the world police fo 

r every international dispute, it must be available to provide assistance in som 

e situations, Exon said. 

In Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, an outbreak of crime 

and racketeering has occurred, Exon said. 

Exon who recently toured Russia said crime wasn't much of a 

problem under the communist form of government because suspected criminals weren 

't given a trial. 

"They just took them out and shot them," he said. 

Unfortunately, he said, nations that move to free-enterprise market systems 

also experience many of the same problems with crime that the United States onc 

e faced or still faces. 

In discussing Haiti, Exon said the United States cannot afford to let Haiti 

ans come into the nation without following immigration laws. 

Exon said the United States must become more stringent on enforcing its imm 

igration laws because it cannot afford to let all the world's refugees move here 

. Once the nation opens itself up to accepting all persons facing adversity, ref 

ugees from all around the world will begin arriving, he said. 

As inhumane as it might sound, the best thing the nation could do would be 

to return the refugees to Haiti, Exon said. 

Exon, who answered many questions from the audience on health care, said he 

credits the president and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for having the init 

iative to get the nation examining the issue. 

Exon said he will not support any plan, including the president's, unless 

he is convinced the United States can afford it. Although Exon said it is widel 

y accepted that Clinton's health-care plan doesn't have any chance to become acc 

epted, it did at least outline how the nation was to pay for the costs to implem 

ent it. 

Exon said he also plans to introduce legislation this fall that would provi 

de assistance for short-line railroads. 

Such legislation, if approved, would make funds available to help groups in 

terested in purchasing abandoned railroad tracks, such as a portion of the aband 

oned line between Norfolk and Chadron, he said. 

Several groups recently have organized to purchase portions of the line to 

help make it possible for farmers and elevators to transport their grain to mark 

et. 



AUTH[Ltred 

SOUR[Alliance times herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Voice Of The People 

TEXT[A few weeks ago, Merry Rachetts spoke from her heart for us ("As Labor Sees 

It") - Nebraska's railroad employees and our families. She spoke truly and, qui 

te rightly, impatiently. 

She expressed the outrage we all feel when death visits our workplace. 

She directed our attention away from the statistics of "acceptable ris

k" to the reality of a family suddenly deprived of a loved one, to the unfairnes 

s of being killed doing dangerous work for only one reason - to provide a better 

life for a family. 

We must also speak from our heads. 

And impatience must be cut with a measure of another reality, the real 

ity of democracy. 

Change often takes too much time, but that is because in this free cou 

ntry, we have a chance to participate. 

Participation stretches the time it takes to make decisions. 

We sometimes cannot accept this as right, but we must also accept it a 

s real if we are to get the changes we deserve. 

While we are thinking with our heads, let us revisit the way Senator J 

im Exon - who drew some of Ms. Rachetts' fire - as represented us in this long p 

rocess of democratic change. 

Senator Exon has: 

Been the leading proponent to retain the Federal Employers Liability Act (F 

ELA), the law which holds railroads accountable for injuries to employees as a r 

esult of unsafe and uncorrected working conditions. This, more than any other la 

w has focused rail corporations on safety procedures. 

Labored to help work out changes we need in the "Hours of Service Act." He 

knows we must act to address the fatigue factor, improved communications systems 

and qualifications of personnel. He knows management must work and train to bri 

ng their personnel out of the militaristic mind-set of the past into the coopera 

tive work patterns demanded by global competition. 

Incorporated into law language mandating end of train detonating devic 

es. Ironically, had railroads used these devices in Nebraska last year, two majo 

r collisions would have been prevented. 

Worked successfully for regulation of long and heavy trucks on our highways 

to keep roads from becoming killing alleys. 

Was the architect for "fairness" and helped include "Confidentiality," "Ret 

est," "Collection Process," into the drug testing mandates when they were being 

constructed. 

Is unmoving in his position to keep the Railroad Retirement System funded a 

nd complete, while the administrations continue to try to splinter and fracture 

the system. 

Been there for us through the 12 long years of "Reagan Ruin" and its slashand-bum 

mentality toward safety rules. 

No, change cannot come quickly enough when our lives and families are at st 

ake. But we must not blame the very people who stand impatiently with us in the 

messy processes of democracy. Senator Jim Exon has been such a friend and advoca 

te. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon praise USDA decision to open CRP lands 

TEXT[U.S. U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon on wednesday praised the U.S. Depar

tment of Agriculture's decision to open Conservation Reserve Program lands for h 

aying and grazing. 

"This is no substitute for rain, but this move will bring some relief for N 

ebraska's livestock producers," the Nebraska Democrats said in a joint statement 

. 

The emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acreage wi 

ll be permitted in areas where the weather has caused feed shortages, the depart 

ment said. 

Kerrey and Exon asked Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy in letter on June 17 

to open the lands because of dry conditions caused by a significant lack of rain 

fall. 

Counties affected by hot and dry conditions can apply to the USDA for permi 

ssion to use CRP lands to alleviate a livestock feed emergency, the statement sa 

id. 

The determination of eligible counties will be made in Washington based on 

recommendations from state and county committees of the Agricultural Stabilizati 

on and Conservation Service. 




SOUR[O'Neill Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate approves rural economic development bill 

TEXT[ U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-Ne) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) hailed Senate passage 

of a bill to spur economic development in Nebraska and other Northern Great Plai 

ns states. 

Exon and Kerrey co-sponsored the bill which calls for forming the Northern 

Great Plains Rural Development Commission. 

The commission would study and recommend ways to develop the economies of rural 

Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and North and South Dakota. The bill heads to the Hou 

se for approval. 

The bill would create a commission with 10 members: one appointed by t 

he governor of each state, and one from each state appointed by the U.S. Secreta 

ry of Agriculture. 

Commission members would hold hearings, conduct studies and determine how t 

o promote economic development on a regional basis. The commission would "sunset 

" in two years. 

"Nebraska and its neighboring states share much in common, "Exon said. "We 

are making a commitment to work together on long-range projects to 'grow' our ru 

ral economies." 

"Nebraska prospers when rural communities do," Kerrey said. 'This bill 

will help all Nebraskans by providing opportunities for rural communities to gr 

ow economically." 




SOUR[O'Neill Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol Victory for Nebraska 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon called the government's adoption of a new gasoline formu 

la favoring ethanol "the best news for farmers and our Nebraska economy in a lon 

g, long time." 

"I have been a proponent of ethanol since I was governor of Nebraska, and h 

ave been working to promote ethanol use for 16 years in the Senate," Exon said. 

"This spring, I blasted "big oil" and the environmentalists for attempting to b 

lock this renewable resource from becoming a major player in the fuel market." 

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adopted a rule which 

calls for more oxygen Content in reformulated gasoline. Meter a one-year phase-i 

n at 15 percent, 30 percent of the oxygen content in the future must come from r 

enewable sources such as ethanol. 

Exon was the first ethanol leader to embrace the phased-in approach that wa 

s announced by the EPA. 

"My early support for the phased-in proposal obviously was the better part 

of discretion in our efforts to obtain more ethanol use," Exon said. "I'm glad w 

e were victorious in persuading the Administration to accept our position." 

"As a country, we need to lessen our dependence on foreign and domestic oil 

," Exon said. "This decision will lead to the production of more ethanol, which 

will be a boon to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will less 

en our dependence on foreign oil imports." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson, Kerrey to speak at event 

TEXT[NORTH PLATTE (AP)- Gov. Ben Nelson and Sen. Bob Kerrey are among the featur 

ed speakers Saturday at the Nebraska Democratic Convention. 

Norm Otto, former chief of staff for then-Gov. Jim Exon, will be keynote sp 

eaker at the event luncheon in the North Platte Holiday Inn. The veteran aide wh 

o also ran Exon's Nebraska office when he was elected to the U.S. Senate will sp 

eak about re-inventing government. 

On Sunday, Lt Gov. Kim Robak, state treasurer Dawn Rockey, attorney general 

-hopeful Steve Scherr and secretary of state hopeful Alan Eurek are set to speak 

. 

Former Lincoln County Democrat chairman Linn Kosbau, who is organizi 

ng the event, said he expects between 300-350 people to attend. 




SOUR[Falls City Journal

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon prevails on B-2 vote 

TEXT[ WASHINGTON, D. C.--The Senate has turned back an attempt to eliminate an 

initiative by U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D. Neb) to retain the option to keep open t 

he B-2 bomber production line until the Clinton Administration completes its on 

going military force structure review. On a vote of 45-55. the Senate rejected 

the amendment to the 1995 National Defense Authorization Bill to eliminate Exon' 

s plan. 

"I have consistently argued that terminating the B-2 Stealth bomber at 20 p 

lanes may be premature," Exon said. "At a time when we are pulling back our forc 

es from bases overseas, the number of international hot spots grows. The importa 

nce of projecting air power over great distances in a stealthy manner is stronge 

r than ever." 

Exon successfully argued that it is a matter of fielding the most capable plan 

es for the mission One B-2 can perform the mission of dozens of strike fighter a 

nd bomber aircraft at less risk to our pilots. In the long run the B-2 is the mo 

st cost effective plane for the mission, he contended. 

Exon, chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Nuclear Deterrence, Arms 

Control and Intelligence Oversight, questioned the Administration position of li 

miting the total bomber force to 100 

planes. He has requested a complete review by the Administration and the Pentago 

n of the required total bomber force and its mix of aircraft. 

"It still is a troubling and uncertain world," Exon said, "and we must 

move ahead with sufficient discretion and forethought." 



AUTH[David Kotok 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Rally Crowd Opposes President's Health Plan 

TEXT[Organizers of a rally against President Clinton's health-care plan said Thu 

rsday that they oppose any further government involvement in the nation's health 

-care system. 

Neither Ally Milder, representing Citizens for a Sound Economy, nor Rosalie 

Shepherd, director of United We Stand Nebraska, said she favored doing away wit 

h either the Medicare program for the elderly or the Medicaid plan for the poor. 

"We've got enough," Mrs. Shepherd said at the rally site in the parking lot 

at 7701 Pacific St. Medicare and Medicaid prove that the government can't provi 

de care efficiently and economically, she said. 

Ms. Milder said the two federal programs amount to "enough government inter 

vention." 

The only candidate who attended and spoke at the event that attracted about 

50 people was Jan Stoney, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. Ms. Milder 

said officeholders and candidates were invited. 

However, spokesmen for Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon both D-Neb., said no 

invitation was received at their offices. An aide to Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb, 

, said the only notice the Omaha congressman received was a copy of the rally fl

ier. 

In a prepared statement, state Democratic Chairman Joe Bataillon suggested 

it was more than a coincidence that the event was across the street from Kerrey' 

s Omaha office. Kerrey has come under criticism from Democrats for supporting th 

e health-care proposal of Sen. John Chafee, R-RI., Battalion said. 

"This whole barbecue stinks, and it isn't the smell of roasting hot dogs," 

Bataillon said in his statement. 

Mrs. Shepherd said the location was chosen because it is the parking lot ou 

tside the Omaha office of United We Stand Nebraska, part of the national group f 

ounded by Ross Perot. 

Not everyone who attended was opposed to the Clinton proposal for universal 

health coverage. Martin Kohlmeier, a 66-year-old Benson neighborhood resident, 

said he supports the Clinton plan; "Costs have to be controlled some way, Kohlme 

ier said. 

But Dan Bolshaw, who lives near 68th and Leavenworth Streets, got more enco 

uragement from the crowd when he told Mrs. Stoney that he opposes all health-car 

e plans. 

"What little government involvement we have, we should get out of it," Bols 

haw said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Congressman Line Up On health care issues 

TEXT[Nebraska Congressman Doug Bereuter can't remember a topic in his 16 years i 

n Congress that has drawn the mail and telephone calls from constituents that th 

e health care issue has generated. 

Bereuter, a Republican from Utica, has spent the week listening to constitu 

ents at 15 town hall meetings, the first time the veteran lawmaker has focused h 

is annual sessions on a specific issue. 

Constituents also have offered their opinions in record numbers by mail, he 

said. 

"I have had more mail on this issue than any issue I've faced," he said. 

The cost of health insurance for self-employed farmers emerged as the top c 

oncern at Bereuter's agricultural meetings in his eastern Nebraska district this 

year, he said. 

Last March, some 8,250 constituents responded to a legislative questionnair 

e that included a survey of their views about the Clinton health-care reform pla 

n. 

Results: 61.6 percent opposed; 13.8 percent in favor. 

Bereuter said people are concerned about questionable cost estimates, incre 

ased bureaucracy and a belief that "the federal government doesn't do anything w 

ell." 

He said people worry about their loss of choice in terms of physician or ho 

spital or insurance plan. Health care rationing, employer mandates on small busi 

nesses and the affordability of health care and health care insurance. 

Bereuter said he agrees with the majority of his constituents who are" tell

ing him that "the Clinton plan is not in the best interests of the country." 

He said his fear is that reforms like the Clinton plan "could be very harmf 

ul to health care quality (and) could destroy some of the best things about heal 

th care in our country. 

Bereuter said he can't support any of the five plans on the Senate or House 

floor, at least not totally." 

At this point, "the one that comes closest" to meeting his criteria is the 

compromise plan that cleared the Senate Finance Committee. "But it makes more ba 

sic changes in health care delivery than most Americans are comfortable with," h 

e said. 

Bereuter said he favors doing some health-care insurance reform now and enc 

ouraging states to do more experimentation "before we jump to comprehensive nati 

onal reform." 

He said he'll oppose employer mandates, but support "some cost containment 

elements," including tort reform aimed at excessive malpractice costs. 

Meanwhile, opponents of the Clinton plan gathered in an Omaha parking lot T 

hursday to say they don't want any further government involvement 

"We've got enough," said Rosalie Shepherd, director of United We Stand Nebr 

aska. 

She said she favors doing away with either the Medicare program for the eld 

erly or the Medicaid plan for the poor. The two programs simply prove that gover 

nment can't provide care efficiently and economically, she told a crowd of about 

50 people. 

Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate Jan Stoney attended the rally. 

Spokesmen for Democrat Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, and Democrat Rep. Pet 

er Hoagland said they were not invited. 

State Democratic Chairman Joe Bataillon said it was more than just coincide 

nce that the event was across the street from Kerrey's Omaha office. Kerrey has 

been criticized for his health-care stand. 

But Mrs. Shepherd said the location was chosen because it's outside her off 

ice. 

P/C[ 


AUTH[DAVID HENDEE 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Wheat War has reached the White House 

TEXT[A quiet wheat war between the United States and Canada escalated Friday to 

President Clinton's desk. 

ln a ruling that now goes to Clinton. A federal trade panel said a flood of 

Canadian wheat shipments to the United States is crippling U.S. farm programs a 

nd said imports should be curbed. 

Clinton could retaliate by imposing quotas or tariffs, or he could do nothi 

ng. 

The decision by the International Trade Commission was hailed as a victory 

by wheat growers. 

"This levels the playing field in North America." said Dave Frey, assistant 

administrator of the Kansas Wheat Commission in Manhattan. "Wheat has been flow

ing south - like gravity was pulling it down - and there was little we could do 

to about it." 

ln its decision, the bipartisan panel held that the surge in wheat imports 

over the last four years drove down wheat prices in the United States, increased 

U.S. government crop subsidies to farmers and requires retaliatory restrictions 

. 

Commissioners said they met the legal requirement of finding that imports c 

aused "material interference" with the U.S. wheat subsidy program. 

"Imports have resulted in lower prices in the domestic market," Commissione 

r David Rohr said. "Imports are compromising" the integrity of the U.S. wheat su 

bsidy program and are hurting what he described as family farmers in northern-ti 

er wheat states. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said the recommendations could strengthen the ha 

nd of U.S. trade and agricultural officials in resolving differences with Canada 

over trade in wheat and other agricultural goods. 

"The fact that Canadian wheat imports into the United States have nearly do 

ubled since 1991 demands that we take action," said Barrett, whose district incl 

udes the majority of Nebraskans wheatland. 

At stake is two-way trade between the U.S. and Canada, which exceeds more t 

han $210 billion a year. Agricultural trade represents about $10.9 billion, or a 

bout 5 percent of the total. 

The decision disappointed the quasi-governmental agency that markets most o 

f Canada's wheat and has been blamed by wheat growers in the United States for c 

ausing the dispute. 

"It's unclear what impact the decision will have and it'll be tough for the 

president." said Bob Roehle, spokesman for the Canadian Wheat Board in Winnipeg 

, Manitoba. "He (Clinton) could impose a tariff or quota for a short term, keepi 

ng in mind the factors that led to this situation. 

"We understand that the president was under political pressure. The investi 

gation fulfilled his obligation to the northern tier states to do something." 

The ITC commissioners, three Democrats and three Republicans, will report t 

heir formal findings and recommendations to Clinton by next Friday. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, a Nebraska Democrat who has urged the Clinton administratio 

n to stop the surge of Canadian wheat into the United States, said he looked for 

ward to Clinton's decision. 

"I had hoped the ITC finding would have been more explicit, but it is clear 

they did not dismiss the complaints that I and others had lodged," Exon said. 

Canada has threatened to retaliate against shipments of U.S. wine, whiskey, 

canned foods and other products. If the United States proceeds with its threats 

. 



AUTH[CRAIG JONES 

SOURCE[North Platte Telegraph 

HDLN[Dems urged:speak out on values 

TEXT[Government should not do anything that weakens the basic values of life fam 

ily, faith and forgiveness according to the keynote speaker at the 1994 State De 

mocratic Convention.Former North Platte resident Jim Otto told about 400 people

at the North Platte Holiday Inn Saturday that Democrats need to speak out more a 

bout the basic values of life, because these values have "somehow been associate 

d with the Republican party. 

" When you ask the public, those are Republican values and that's not true-th 

ey're American values." 

He said the faith issue has been given to the Republicans. In his opinion i 

t is not correct to use the phrase "religious right." Radical right is the corre 

ct phrase he said. He also encouraged. Democrats to refrain from blaming current 

problems on 12 years of past Republican administration and accept their share o 

f the problems. 

"If we don't, we'll look like hypocrites to our Republican friends," he sai 

d. "There are some Republicans who are not comfortable with the party's shift to 

the radical right and are probably going to vote Democrat if we can show them l 

eadership ..." 

Another "American issue" is the question of reinventing government, accordi 

ng to Otto. He said two basic questions must be considered in the process -- " H 

ow should the government work and what should government do?" 

"Everybody wants government to work better and be less cumbersome," he 

said. "As a result of the book, 'Reinventing Government,' and the desire of the 

people to make it work, the Clinton Administration through Vice President Gore 

has come up with a National Performance Review to give specific direction to fed 

eral government and agencies to work more efficiently." 

Otto said there is an effort going on to limit the levels of governmen 

t, and cited as an example the Kansas City regional office of the Small Business 

administration, which went from 60 employees two years ago to approximately 10. 

"There is a tremendous effort to eliminate unneeded levels of manageme 

nt in this administration, to give people power in the jobs they do," Otto said 

. "The emphasis is to tie everything to results." 

What government should do enters into the political side said what Con 

gress finally works out comes down to each individual because. The individual de 

termines who he or she supports for office. As a result, it is important for peo 

ple to have an idea of what they think the government should do, he said. 

"It will come down to hard choices," Otto said. "We can't afford every 

thing we think government should do for us. 

"The party that makes the most sense on those choices within the issues - wha 

t government should and must do - will be the party that leads America into the 

next century." 

In accepting the party's nomination, Gov. Ben Nelson also talked about 

values. He said people attending the convention have backgrounds and achievemen 

ts that are as diverse as the Nebraska landscape, but share a number of things i 

n common. 

"As Nebraskans, we believe in Nebraska values," he said. "They believe in k 

eeping promises, they believe in hard work and sticking to a job... 

"But most of all they believe in doing the right things." 

When Jim Otto speaks about politics, it comes from years of experience and 

influence from his father, Norm. 

While addressing the 1994 State Democratic Convention on Saturday, he said 

his first political experience was stumping for his father, who was seeking a se 

at in the Nebraska Unicameral in 1954. As a 5 year-old, Jim Otto rode his tricyc 

le around the streets of Kearney with a sign proclaiming, "Vote for Daddy." 

Norm Otto won the seat in the legislature and went on to serve as chief of

staff for Nebraska governors Frank Morrison and J. James Exon. 

As a resident of North Platte from 1978 to 1988, Jim Otto worked in the pri 

vate agriculture business field and later in the North Platte office of the stat 

e Department of Economic Development. He is now co 

ordinator of economic development for the city of Lincoln. 



AUTH[David Lynch 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon supports B-2 'insurance policy' 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Convinced that the Clinton administration's defense policy is 

in "total disarray," Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., the ranking Democrat on the Senate A 

rmed Services Committee, recently helped convince the Senate to take out a $75 m 

illion "insurance policy" on the controversial B-2 "Stealth" bomber. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who looks to his senior colleague for direction on 

defense issues, followed Exon's lead and voted against an amendment that would 

have withdrawn the "insurance policy" from the annual legislation authorizing de 

fense expenditures. 

The amendment was defeated 45-55, and is considered a mild slap in the 

face to the Clinton administration and Defense Secretary William Perry, who hav 

e insisted there is no need to go beyond the 20-bomber cap on B-2 production. 

However, chances are believed to be slim for an amendment calling for 

the expenditure of $150 million on spare parts and to keep the B-2 production li 

ne "warm," to survive a House-Senate conference committee that will work out dif 

ferences between the two bills passed by the individual houses of Congress. The 

House-passed bill did not contain any such money for the B-2. 

Exon said in the Senate floor debate on the amendment that the actual 

figure for keeping the production line warm is $75 million, because the other $7 

5 billion is earmarked for spare parts for the Stealth Bomber. 

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the sponsor of the amendment that would delete th 

e additional funding for the B-2, argued the Stealth Bomber is like the Energize 

r bunny because it "just keeps going and going and going." 

Levin said the B-2 should be capped at 20, as the Congress and Armed Servic 

es Committee members have agreed. 

He quoted Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., the chairman of the committee, as saying in 

1992: "Let us conclude the B-2 program at 20 as requested and put this divisive 

issue finally behind us." 

Levin quoted Exon as saying: "Let us give it a decent burial as far as new 

procurement is concerned by cuts at 20." 

Nunn took the floor to clarify his historical position on the Stealth Bombe 

r. He went back to a Sept. 10, 1993, quote in which he said: "It is no secret th 

at I do not believe that limiting the B-2 to 20 was the wise decision. I have sa 

id that before. I will say it again. But if we are going to have more than 20 B- 

2s, it would have to only be done after very thorough deliberation and debate. I 

n my view, it should be done if there are tradeoffs of the largest savings that 

the B-2 renders us, as opposed to the alternative means of delivering long-range

strike power." 

Exon emphasized that by supporting and voting for the "insurance policy," h 

e was not making a commitment to purchasing more than 20 B-2s. 

The "insurance policy" is necessary because the Clinton administration does 

not seem to know what its defense posture should be, what the mix of weapons sh 

ould be. 

And, the "Air Force and (Department of Defense) leaders have privately made 

it known that they welcome additional B-2 funding, but they are not willing to 

expend political capital by formally requesting the funds," Exon said. 

Levin quoted Secretary Perry to counter Exon: "We should recognize now that 

any additional money to sustain the B-2 line would only be the tip of a budget 

wedge." 



AUTH[Henry J. Cordes 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Nelson Keep Emphasis Off Opponents 

TEXT[North Platte, Neb. - U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey and Gov. Nelson made their cases 

or re-election Saturday with barely a discouraging word about their Republican o 

pponents. 

In making their case for second terms during the State Democratic Conventio 

n at the North Platte Holiday Inn, both chose to emphasize what they said were t 

heir accomplishments in office. 

Kerrey and Nelson rarely even alluded to their opponents- Jan Stoney and Ge 

ne Spence, respectively- and never mentioned them by name in speeches before 400 

Democrats. 

"Words by themselves don't cut it, don't deliver," Kerrey said later in an 

interview. 

Both Kerrey and Nelson said they have delivered. 

Kerrey emphasized the ways he says he has helped Nebraskans in need- from g 

etting a job program launched in north Omaha to building an early childhood educ 

ation center in Hastings. 

Nelson told delegates that he has kept the promises he made four years ago 

when he was a little-known challenger to Gov. Kay Orr, a Republican. 

Included, he said, are a state lottery, a tax cut for low- and middle-incom 

e Nebraskans and reduced growth in state spending. 

Nelson also cited his accomplishmentsin explaining to the delegates why he 

had earned the chance to serve four more years. 

Joe Bataillon of Omaha, the state party chairman, gave another explanation 

for why Saturday's session was almost devoid of political pots at the rival part 

y. 

"There has to be a threat first," Bataillon said in an interview. "Their ca 

mpaigns are in total disarray." 

Battaillon said Mrs. Stoney still appears to be searching for an issue to r 

un on, while Spence is "fighting internal battles" in his campaign. 

Nelson acknowledged in an interview that with polls showing both Kerrey an 

d Nelson leading, Democrats are feeling good as they head into the fall campaign 

.

"But I don't see any complacency among this group," he said 

Bataillon said U.S. Representative Peter Hoagland is one Democrat who is fa 

cing a tough challenge. He said he believed Hoagland would prevail over Republi 

can challenger Jon Christensen once the candidates got their messages out. 

Hoagland did not attend the convention. 

Another theme of the convention speakers Saturday was the Democratic Party 

is a party of faith, religion and values. 

Jim Otto a Lincoln Democrat and the son of Norm Otto, the longtime aide to 

Sen. J.J. Exon, said Democrats should not let the "radical right" religious wing 

of the GOP paint Democrats as not having values. 

"Just because we live our faiths humbly, by example, does not mean we are n 

ot religious," Otto told delegates. 

Kerrey opened the convention with a speech that reinforced what he said wer 

e traditional Democratic values: Serving the poor and helping the downtrodden. 

"We believe are not numbers, not statistics, not something that can be dep 

reciated like a building," he said. 

Even as government now seeks to cut the deficit and make needed reforms in 

entitlements, Kerrey said, it must not lose sight of helping those in need. 

He said that is what he has done since going to Washington. 

He cited several examples including Head Start centers, job programs, socia 

l service centers, and his recent initiative to improve Omaha black students' pe 

rformance in mathematics. 

"One of the things you will not hear my opponent say is that we have not go 

tten anything done," Kerrey said. 

"And the reason is that we have been conscience from day one that there is 

power in this office, and we have chosen to use that power to help people." 

Kerrey also defended his vote last summer on the Clinton budget bill, sayin 

g he supported it because it was right. 

After his speech, Kerrey said in an interview that Mrs. Stoney probably had 

talked about the tax increases in the budget bill during the GOP convention in 

Lincoln on Saturday. 

"She's mad about the tax," Kerrey said. "It affected her, and that's unfort 

unate." 

Kerrey said the tax issue is not selling with Nebraskans. 

He said Nebraskans are starting to realize that the income-tax increase aff 

ected only those with incomes over $190,000; that the Social Security tax increa 

se affected a small number of higher-income people; and that the gas prices are 

lower now than before the 4.3 cent increase in gasoline taxes called for in the 

bill. 

The convention is to wrap up this morning, when Democrats put the final pla 

nks in their state platform. 



AUTH[Harold W. Andersen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Mrs. Exon Is Agile On Sub 

TEXT[I can offer personal testimony to the fact that Pat Exon, wife of Nebraska

Sen. Jim Exon, is recovering very nicely from hip surgery. 

Senator and Mrs. Exon were among a group of Nebraskans 

who enjoyed a day's cruise - including several hours under water - on board the 

Navy's newest nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed Trident submarine, the USS Nebra 

ska. 

The ship had been temporarily docked at Cocoa Beach, FL. As we moved o 

ut into the Atlantic to reach dive-depth water, the guests from Nebraska were in 

vited, two or three at a time, to come topside and enjoy the view from the bridg 

e. 

As the ship's official sponsor, Mrs. Exon wanted to take part in all o 

f the activities planned for the visitors. But getting to the bridge involved cl 

imbing three separate metal ladders - the kind that go straight up and have meta 

l handrails to help keep you from falling either down or backwards as you take c 

areful step after careful step. 

I'm happy to report that Pat Exon, who had undergone hip replacement s 

urgery last December, handled both the climb and the descent (which is not all t 

hat easy, either) very well indeed. 

Mrs. Exon also went one step furthcr than any other visitor: She 

planted a congratulatory kiss on the cheek of Capt. C. B. Beckman, a recent brid 

e-groom. 

The day's cruise ended the pre-deployment training for the gold crew o 

f the USS Nebraska. Within hours after our party of visitors left the ship, the 

sub and her 24 nuclear-armed missiles moved out to sea on her first official dep 

loyment. 

For approximately six weeks, USS Nebraska and her 165-man gold crew wi 

ll stay submerged, moving about in a large area if the Atlantic, receiving news 

summaries and other information by radio but surfacing and broadcasting messages 

only in case of emergency. 

During a briefrng for the Nebraska visitors, Capt. Norm Marks, chief o 

f staff for Submarine Group 1O headquartered at Kings Bay, Ga., said that of the 

seven state-named nuclear subs whose home port is Kings Bay, homestate support 

given to the USS Nebraska is clearly the strongest. 

"You folks do it right," said Capt. Marks, who built a number of Nebra 

ska friendships during two years of duty as part of the Navy contingent at Offut 

t Air Force Base. 

Capt. Beckman, incidentally, will be leaving his USS Nebraska command 

next month. He is not sure of his next assignment but thinks it might be Japan. 

Wherever he is assigned, he hopes that it will enable him to be with his recent 

bride, who is also a Navy officer and is assigned to duty on the island of Crete 

- a good many nautical miles from Kings Bay, Ga. 

The senior commander of the USS Nebraska during its pre-deployment years. C 

apt. W. R. Hansell, commander of the blue crew, gave up his command June 30. At 

his request, he will be assigned duty at Strategic Command headquarters in Belle 

vue. 

Speaking by telephone to the group of Nebraskans before their day's cruise, 

Capt. Hansell said his acquaintance with Nebraska and Nebraskans had persuaded 

him and his wife, Jean that Nebraska is the kind of place "where we'd like to ra 

ise our children." The Hansells have two children, William and Janis. 

During the day's cruise, the Nebraska visitors responded enthusiastically t 

o the invitation to ask questions. One question: 

Is smoking allowed?

Yes, but on a very limited basis, Capt. Beckman replied. There is a very re 

stricted area and a limit on the number of cigarettes per smoker. 

Mrs. Exon said she and her husband have reached an understanding in regard 

to his pipe smoking. 

"Jim goes to the garage to smoke," Mrs. Exon said. To which Nebraska's 

senior senator responded: 

"I don't just go there. You send me there." 




SOUR[Pacific Shipper (SF, CA) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[none 

TEXT[On July 12, the Senate Commerce Committee and Senator James Exon (D-NE) wil 

l conduct hearings on the future of the Interstate Commerce Commission. This is 

in response to the recent House vote to eliminate funding for the ICC and transf 

er all functions to the Department of Transportation. According to spokesmen for 

the National Industrial Transportation League, Senator Exon's plan is to save t 

he ICC by eradicating most of the agency's regulatory authority over the truckin 

g industry. The NITL stated that 

Exon has said that getting rid of some truck functions, such as the filed rate d 

octrine, would go a long way toward that end. Karen Phillips, vice chairman of 

the ICC and co-author of a proposal which would accomplish Senator Exon's goal, 

had maintained the need to jettison most motor carrier regulatory functions for 

some time. She and commissioner Linda Morgan are working with the Senate staff 

to address possible alternatives for ICC funding and trucking legislation. ICC 

chairman Gael McDonald has also indicated support for further deregulation of th 

e motor carrier industry. Also, the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation of th 

e House Public Works and Transportation Committee has announced hearings on July 

20 on the intrastate trucking deregulation part (sec. 211) of S. 1491, the Airp 

ort Improvement Act. As reported in these pages and elsewhere in the trade press 

, section 211 will deregulate related intrastate motor carrier operations of all 

air cargo carriers. As passed by the Senate, it does not deregulate all intrast 

ate trucking, but full committee chairman Norm Mineta (D-CA) has indicated that 

he sees the Senate passed language as the "minimum" deregulation language. The h 

earings will focus on the need for total economic intrastate deregulation and th 

e hardships imposed on the independent and private carriers if they were forced 

to compete in a regulated environment while their larger competitors are deregul 

ated. Both of these legislative initiatives .are given good chances for passage 

as the House and Senate seem disposed toward new deregulation initiatives. The N 

ITL has told its members that it will remain actively involved in these efforts. 




SOUR[Traffic World (WDC) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[none

TEXT[Sen. J.James Exon D-Neb. introduced legislation to save the Interstate Comm 

erce Commission by doing away with its 

last responsibilities for trucking deregulation. The measure would cut about a t 

hird of the imperiled agency's budget. Meanwhile, a House subcommittee scheduled 

hearings into a proposal to preempt state regulation of motor carriers. 



AUTH[Cindy Connolly 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Midwest Express Begins Nonstop Service to D.C. 

TEXT[ A group of seasoned travelers, including Sens. JJ. Exon and Bob Cairo, 

boarded a jet Sunday at Eppley Airfield to usher in nonstop air service between 

Omaha and Washington, D.C. 

For the next two hours and 45 minutes they were to relax in roomy leather s 

eats, dine on Alaskan salmon or chicken saltimbocca and if the weather in Omaha 

was any indication, look out at clear blue skies. 

The senators and 18 travel agents were among 37 people on the maiden voyage 

of Midwest Express Airlines Flight 58 the first uninterrupted run from Omaha to 

Washington, D.C., in years. 

The 5:15 p.m. flight to Washington National Airport will be one of two Midw 

est Express nonstop flights each day from Omaha to the nation's capital and back 

. It was scheduled to arrive in Washington at 9 p.m. and depart for Omaha 15 min 

utes later, touching down at Eppley at 10:55 p.m. 

An earlier flight, which began Monday, leaves Omaha at 7:10 a.m., arriving 

in Washington at 10:55 pm. It departs from Washington at 10:55 a.m. and arrives 

in Omaha at 12:3Op.m. 

The Washington flights are an addition to Midwest's expansion into Omaha si 

nce the Milwaukee-based airline began operations at Eppley in May. 

Eppley will gain 51 flights per week once Midwest reaches full operation in 

October. The schedule includes daily nonstop flights to Los Angeles and, daily 

nonstop flights, except Sundays, to Newark, NJ., near New York City. Travelers t 

o some other destinations will stop in Milwaukee. 

Nonstop weekend flights to San Diego also are available and flights to Las 

Vegas are to be added later. 

Midwest Express President Tim Hoeksema said at a press conference Sunday at 

Eppley that Omahans have given the airline great support. 

"Our loads have been gradually increasing They're exceeding our expectation 

s and we're really thrilled," he said. "I'd like to say a great big thank you to 

all of the Omaha travelers who have supported us in the last eight weeks." 

Hoeksema gave special thanks to Willie Theisen, chairman of the Omaha Airpo 

rt Authority, and Donald Smithey, the executive director. He also thanked Cairo 

and Exon for their support, handing them models of the DC-910 they were about to 

board. 




SOUR[Holdrege Citizen 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nonstop flights are now offered 

TEXT[OMAHA - After years without it, non-stop flights from Omaha to Washington, 

D.C., are being offered at Eppley Airport. 

Midwest Express had two nonstop flights a day to the nation's capital and b 

ack. U.S. Sens. Bob Cairo and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., and 18 travel agents were 

among 37 people on the inaugural flight Sunday from Omaha. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson requests Disaster status for area counties 

TEXT[ OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Gov. Ben Nelson has decided to request federal disa 

ster status for a third Nebraska county in the wake of a June hail storm that se 

verely damaged crops. 

The request sent Friday to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy is for Dako 

ta County, Nelson said. Earlier this week, the disaster request was sent by Nels 

on to the USDA for Dixon and Thurston counties. 

If the declaration is approved, farmers in the three counties may apply for 

low-interest loans from the Farmers Home Administration. Farmers in Cedar, Wayn 

e, Cuming and Burt counties also would be eligible for the emergency loans. 

A county must lose 30 percent of a single commodity, like a crop, to be eli 

gible for federal aid. 

Corn and soybean crop losses from the June 25 storm amounted to 44 percent 

of the total acreage planted in Thurston County, according to early figures comp 

iled by the state Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. 

Damaged corn in Dakota County amounted to 34 percent, the ASCS figures foun 

d. 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Cairo, both Nebraska Democrats, on Thursday als 

o sent a letter to Espy urging quick approval of the disaster requests. 

P/C[P 


AUTH[editorial 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Affordability 

TEXT[In his appearance in Norfolk a few days ago, Sen. J. J. Exon indicated he w 

ill not support any health plan, including that of President Clinton, unless he 

is convinced the United States can afford it. It is a good philosophy - one whic 

h should be applied to all government programs. 

Affordability, however, is not easily defined. The standard is unusually fl 

exible in the case of the federal government because it has the ability to incur 

huge debts, therefore perpetually postponing any final accounting.

And there are always crises - environmental, national security, natural dis 

asters - which demand spending of "whatever it takes." Health care is now consid 

ered by some people to be in that category, but whatever it takes may turn out t 

o be something far beyond the mid-range estimate of $800 billion extra over the 

next six fiscal years for the Clinton plan. 

Affordability may have been a test about Medicare, the program which insure 

s health care for America's elderly, when it was created in 1965. Actuaries at t 

he time indicated the costs might reach $9 billion to $12-billion by 1990. They 

were $107 billion. No one has been penalized for the faulty forecasts. 

In health matters, there is a desire to ignore costs and prescribe any trea 

tment or perform any procedures which offer life-saving potential. That is becau 

se no monetary value can or should be put on a human life. Yet decisions about c 

osts and benefits do have to be made. And the more the government becomes involv 

ed to set standards and pay the bills, the more standardized those decisions hav 

e to become; the more costly to taxpayers they will be. 

If the government attempts to fix prices to ensure affordability, it will f 

ail just as all price control plans have in the past. If it attempts through tax 

ation or mandates on employers to provide insurance coverage for all, without re 

gard to health risks, it inflates demands for health care, thereby driving costs 

higher. 

Total health care costs in America are unlikely to go down. That is because 

better quality of care is increasingly available, and everyone who becomes ill 

wants the best that modern medicine offers. Having individuals determine what is 

best and what is affordable is the only way that effective cost discipline can 

be imposed. 

It must be a collective decision of individuals, not that of government, to 

determine whether to continue to spend a trillion dollars (about 14 percent of 

the nation's total output of goods and services) on health care in 1994. The mor 

e that government does directly to intervene to control costs or specify treatme 

nts and subsidize health care, the more likely it is that total costs will rise, 

the quality of care reduced and choices diminished. 

It is time to inject into the health care debate the principle that freedom 

of individuals to choose is important, too. 

P/C[ 


AUTH[N/A 

SOUR[Washington D.C. Traffic World 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate gets trucking deregulation bill 

TEXT[Legislation to eliminate most federal trucking regulation, including tariff 

-filing by individual companies, has been introduced in the Senate. 

A House subcommittee, meanwhile, has scheduled hearings on a provision in a 

viation funding legislation that would preempt state rate and entry controls ove 

r most intrastate truck shipments. 

The Senate bill, S. 2275, was introduced by Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., and Se 

n. Robert Packwood, R-Ore. Exon is chairman of the Commerce subcommittee having 

jurisdiction over ICC matters, while Packwood long has advocated reducing ICC ra 

te and entry controls over truckers. 

The Exon-Packwood bill eliminates tariff-filing requirements for individual

truck companies. These requirements are retained, however, for collectively set 

rates and commodity classifications, and household goods traffic. 

The bill also further loosens ICC entry controls, permitting new trucking c 

ompanies to obtain ICC operating authority by showing they are capable of comply 

ing with Department of Transportation safety requirements and have insurance cov 

erage. 

The legislation also gives the ICC the power to eliminate all economic regu 

lation for specific types of truck traffic should it find that competition is ad 

equate to protect shippers from market abuse. 

Congress gave the ICC such exemption authority for rail traffic in the 1980 

Staggers Act. DOT and the General Accounting Office have urged Congress repeate 

dly to extend this power to trucking. 

DOT also is required to do a study on the feasibility and efficiency of mer 

ging the ICC with the Federal Maritime Commission. DOT and the ICC also must rep 

ort to Congress whether further efficiencies can be achieved by reducing the age 

ncy's powers over the barge, railroad and trucking industries. 

The legislation is intended as an alternative to last month's House vote to 

abolish funding for the ICC while transferring its responsibilities intact to D 

OT or other agencies. 

Exon said his approach would provide needed reforms in trucking regulation 

while preserving the various ICC powers that still are needed. 

Exon said the fate of intrastate truck deregulation and the ICC are intertw 

ined. "If the Senate favors intrastate trucking deregulation, it cannot allow th 

e Interstate Commerce Commission to die," he said. 

The surface transportation subcommittee of the House Public Works and Trans 

portation Committee, meanwhile, has scheduled a July 20 hearing on the intrastat 

e preemption issue. 

While hearings aren't necessary for the measure to become law as part of th 

e Airport Improvement Program bill, they are deemed important by subcommittee Ch 

airman Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va., to allow legislators to get more information on 

the proposal before they vote on it. 



AUTH[William B. Cassidy 

SOUR[Alexandria, VA Transport topics 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Offers Decontrol proposal 

TEXT[ The filed rate doctrine and other interstate trucking regulations woul 

d be eliminated under a bill introduced by Sen J.James Exon (D-Neb.) July 1. 

Sen. Exon offered his "Trucking Industry Regulatory Reform Act" as a compro 

mise with those calling for the sunset of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Th 

e House voted 234-192 June 16 to zero-fund the ICC and transfer its duties to th 

e Department of Transportation (TT, 6-20-94, p. 1). 

The Exon bill would kill rate filing requirements for individual trucking c 

ompanies, while allowing rate bureaus to continue filing rates collectively, and 

it would limit entry review to insurance and safety requirements. 

Household goods carriers would be exempted from the legislation's reforms. 

Significantly, the ICC would get the same exemption authority over most tru 

cking matters that it currently holds in rail transportation.

That means the commission could in effect rewrite legislation through the r 

ulemaking process, rather than waiting for Congress to act. 

The bill also requires the secretary of transportation to review ICC operat 

ions in a search for farther savings, and to report to Congress on the feasibili 

ty of merging the ICC and Federal Maritime Commission. 

Eliminating rate filing and streamlining entry requirements could save $50 

million over five years, Sen. Exon said. A General Accounting Office study relea 

sed last month claimed that eliminating economic regulation of all interstate tr 

ucking could save up to $19 million annually. 

Republican opponents of the ICC in the House argued that eliminating the ag 

ency would save up to $150 million over five years. 

Sen. Exon called on the Senate to retain the agency, while reducing its reg 

ulatory role. The effective administration of the Negotiated Rates Act of 1993, 

passed to resolve the undercharge crisis, depends on the ICC, he said. 

"Congress should not legislate by sniper fire. Bits and pieces of transport 

ation regulation are being shot off with little thought about the overall contex 

t or how any one action affects overall policy." 

The future of the ICC and trucking reform legislation will be debated in a Senat 

e committee hearing July 12. 


AUTH[Fred Thomas 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Dedication of Keith park to be July 30 

TEXT[A South Omaha park will be dedicated July 30 to Miguel Hernandez Keith, an 

Omahan who won the Medal of Honor. 

Three groups, the Mexican-American Veterans, American GI Forum of Nebraska 

and the Marine Corps League, will participate in the 11 a.m. dedication, along w 

ith public officials. 

The seven-acre park is at 2909 W St. Part of the South Industrial Park prop 

erty, it was given to the city in 1989. lt has been called the South Omaha Indus 

trial Park, but the City Council voted last September to name it for Keith. 

As a 19-year-old Marine corporal, Keith was wounded three times - twice by 

gunfire and once by a grenade blast but, before dying, he helped fight off a Vie 

t Cong attack on a command post in Vietnam May 8, 1970. 

Julian Adams, a Medal of Honor winner from San Antonio, Texas, will speak a 

t the dedication and at a Mexican-American Veterans reunion banquet July 30. 

Members of Keith's family, Sens. Bob Cairo and J.J. Exon and others have be 

en invited to participate in the dedication, said Charles I. Gomez, master of ce 

remonies. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter, Hoagland split on Haitian Policy

TEXT[ Washington - Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., predicted Tuesday that the Un 

ited States would take military action in Haiti to restore the country's first d 

emocratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 

It's a tragic mistake," Bereuter said in an interview. "It probably will ha 

ppen when Congress is in recess." 

An Aug. 15 to Sept. 6 recess is scheduled. 

In a speech later in the House of Representatives, Bereuter said: 

"The notion of a military action to restore democracy and order to Haiti is 

fatally flawed because, quite frankly, there is no order to restore. 

Bereuter, a member of the House introduced legislation that would establish 

an international conservatorship in Haiti to build institutions needed for demo 

cracy. 

"Certainly, the inducements could be found that would lead the Haitian lead 

ership to accept such a conservatorship while their nation is being rebuilt," Be 

reuter said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sa 

id he would oppose sending U.S. military forces to Haiti to oust the country's m 

ilitary dictatorship. 

"I don't believe we are close to an invasion there," Exon said. "I think th 

at would be the wrong thing to do." 

However, Exon said, if there is any involvement of U.S. forces in Haiti it 

should be under the auspices of the United Nations. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb.. said: "I think we ought to go in, take those t 

hugs out, reinstate Aristide and then get out. I don't like to see this go on in 

definitely." 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said he would not support U.S. military action i 

n Haiti at this time. 

"I think there will be an effort to lift the embargo for humanitarian purpo 

ses, Barrett said. "Then I think there will be some conversations about allowing 

amnesty for the military leaders. 

Finally, if it doesn't work, there will be military action." 

Sen. Bob Cairo, D-Neb., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said 

: "The last time we invaded Haiti in the early part of this century we stayed fo 

r 20 years. That should give, us some pause as we think about intervening again. 

" 

P\C[C 


AUTH[Helen E. Hamilton, ltr ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Answer Please 

TEXT[I contacted the offices of Sen. Exon, Sen. Cairo and Rep. Bereuter during t 

heir spring break with questions concerning the federal excise tax on gasoline a 

nd other transportation fuels. Bereuter explained that this money being raised i 

s deposited in the general revenue fund. 

Will that money be there in five years or is it being spent? 

To date, I have only heard from Bereuter, who answered my questions in a mo 

st satisfactory manner.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Commodities Forum to be held in Fremont 

TEXT[The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal regulatory agency tha 

t oversees the nation's commodities markets, will hold a public forum Saturday i 

n Fremont. 

The forum will examine recent trends in grain and livestock prices, Senator 

Bob Cairo and Jim Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Wymore to receive Federal Loan for water project 

TEXT[WYMORE,Neb.(AP) Wymore has received a $29,000 federal loan to complete work 

on a water project, said Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Cairo, both D-Neb. 

The Rural Development Administration loan, at 4.5 percent interest over 40 

years, will "help us get the project finished," Wymore Mayor Roxanne Zvolanek sa 

id. 

She said $300,000-plus project has been in the works for about two years an 

d is expected to be completed soon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Wymore gets $29,000 loan to help finish water project. 

TEXT[WYMORE - The city of Wymore has received a $29,000 federal loan to complete 

work on a water project 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon (D-Neb.) and Bob Cairo (D-Neb.) announced that the loan 

has been awarded by the Rural Development Administration. 

"The loan will definitely help us get the project finished," Wymore Mayor R 

oxanae Zvolanek said. 

The money will be used to finish work on a well and construction of a new w 

ater line in Wymore. The city will pay 4.5 percent interest on the loan over a p 

eriod of 40 years. 

Zvolanek said the extra funds were needed because the cost of the project w 

ill be more than had been originally projected. 

She said the more than $300,000 project has been in the works for about two 

years and is expected to be completed soon.



AUTH[Arthur B. Shenefelt, ltr ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Why we should keep the ICC 

TEXT[How ruthless, long-winded and mindless the clamor for shutting down the Int 

erstate Commerce Commission has been "Shut Down the ICC," June 24, Page 6A). The 

attacks began at Harvard and in so-called business journals of the late 1950s a 

nd 1960s and continue today. It now seems the ICC's opponents will have their wa 

y. 

That paragon of traditional virtue, Barney Frank, whom you quote in your ed 

itorial, will learn in its absence what an ICC did, what It still might have don 

e and what a new, unfocused mess of agencies will be forced to address - and be 

unable to cope with. Indeed, we will have to create a new ICC. But it will offer 

nothing of the clear public scrutiny and efficient public record of the agency 

Mr. Frank helped kill. 

As with a new U.N. Charter Convention once advocated, none dare be convened 

because what little we had would be destroyed. And by the same argument, in the 

face of our increasing diversity, cross currents and the dismal lack of histori 

cal perspective abroad in the land today, we could not create an American govern 

ment again given the necessity and the chance. 

"Transportation will continue," you say. It certainly will. Carriers owning 

shippers and vice versa through incestuous cross-holding relationships, like th 

at of the first Rockefeller oil with railroads that caused the formation of the 

ICC in 1887. Your readers will be forced to pay different, hidden rates than the 

ir competitor neighbors. 

Transportation in America goes on. Its Indian trails proliferate in weed-in 

fested, ever messier jungles. States are given more authority, more easily manip 

ulated, even over global and international (Mexico and Canada) commerce. 

There never has been anyone to tell the story of the ICC carefully, accurat 

ely and systematically on Capitol Hill or in the media. But drumbeaters of the o 

ther sort have been out en masse for decades. And they have won. A shame for the 

nation. So, as you fight for special rates like those the fellow sitting next t 

o you gets; as you watch mergers and neat fixes work between holding companies, 

selected shippers and carriers; as companies out-contract maintenance and worker 

s' rights, see if you can find out exactly what is going on and what is in the A 

merican public's best interest. Forget it pal You are on your own. 



AUTH[Stephanie Nall and Lisa Burgess 


BK#[ 

HDLN[ICC seen likely to shrink but Survive 

TEXT[The House has voted to eliminate all funding for the Interstate commerce Co 

mmission beginning Oct. 1. The House vote did not include any specifics on what 

would happen to the ICC functions. If the Senate goes along with the funding eli 

mination, Congress must pass legislation eliminating or moving the functions. Sc 

enarios and probabilities listed are based on interviews with congressional, ICC

and industry sources: 

1. Action: Nothing changes. 

Probability: Very unlikely. 

2. Action: Congress passes a bill drafted by Sen J. James Exon that eliminates t 

ruck-tariff filings and application for licenses. 

Agency size and caseload reduced. About $17 million would be saved. ICC wou 

ld retain limited authority over trucking mergers. license revocation and rate a 

djudication Rail regulatIon 

authority would remain the same. 

Probability: Very high 

3. ACTION: Exon bill amended to delete all trucking responsibilities. 

Probability: high 

4. ACTION:Number of commissioners is reduced from five to three to reflect small 

er caseload and agency. Savings would be more than $1 million per year. 

Probability:high especially if Exon bill passes. 

5. Action:ICC folded into Department of transportation as an independent regulat 

ory body, similar to the federal Energy Regulatory Commission within the departm 

ent of Energy. 

Probability:Low unless advocates can demonstrate that such a move will act 

ually save money. 

6. Action:Merge the ICC with the federal maritime Commission or another independ 

ent regulatory agency. The exon bill requires transportation secretary Federico 

Pena to report the feasibility of this option. 

Probability:maybe. FMC sources say the agency is not enthusiastic. 

7. Action:Sunset the ICC and move all of its functions to other agencies. 

Probability:low especially in light of the pending Burlington Northern-San 

ta Fe rail merger. 



AUTH[Stephanie Nall & Lisa Burgess 

SOUR[NY Journal of Commerce 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Reduction To Rail Only Agency Sought 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The Interstate Commerce Commission will be around after Oct. 1 

, but as a much smaller agency and totally devoted to rail regulation, most cong 

ressional transportation sources predict. 

In June the House voted 234-192 to eliminate all ICC funding, and a number 

of senators seemed poised to support that move. 

The situation changed, however, when a key Senate supporter of the ICC prop 

osed instead to eliminate most truck-tariff regulation and streamline the commis 

sion. 

The new push for intrastate and interstate trucking deregulation isn't due 

to a burgeoning devotion to free-market economics - but is merely a tactic deeme 

d necessary by Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., to save the rail functions of the ICC 

and prevent the agency's elimination. 

Today, the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the Commerce, Scie 

nce and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on a bill by Sen. Exon to f 

urther deregulate the trucking industry. The bill would allow the ICC to continu

e as an agency devoted mostly to railroad regulation. 

The push for deregulation delights those who say that eliminating the need 

to file tariffs would be a multibillion-dollar boost to the economy, far outweig 

hing the ICC's $53 million budget. 

But others, including Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, and a group of Republican s 

enators, will push for further savings and to continue the fight eliminate the I 

CC totally and transfer any remaining functions to the Department of Transportat 

ion. 

"Getting rid of government regulations is a good thing, a positive thing, b 

ut it isn't enough," Rep. Kasich said Monday. "If we don't have the capability t 

o bring change to a dinosaur like the ICC, how do they think we can deal with en 

titlement?" 

Sen. Exon, chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee, has often s 

aid he is no fan of further deregulation. 

Yet he was the primary sponsor of the Senate bill cutting back on trucking 

deregulation. He is doing so, he says, only to save the more important rail regu 

latory functions of the ICC. 

ICC Vice Chairman Karen Phillips and Commissioner Linda Morgan helped Sen. 

Exon write the compromise legislation. The bill has the reluctant support of ICC 

Chairman Gael McDonald. J.J. Simmons III, the fourth commissioner, would not co 

mment on the proposal, but is thought to still oppose any reduction in regulatio 

n. 

Sen. Exon describes his bill as a compromise that "represents fundamental r 

eform in trucking regulation. It also offers the Congress an opportunity to save 

real money, rather than just shuffle expense from one agency to another." 

He said that the partial deregulation he is proposing would result in savin 

gs of $50 million over five years and is a way to circumvent the "harsh, rash an 

d what could prove to be expensive action of the House of Representatives to def 

und the ICC" without first getting rid of any regulations. 

Rep. Norman Mineta, chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation C 

ommission, is among those who think the approach taken by the House to eliminate 

funding first and rethink responsibilities later is backwards and wrong. 

"There is no doubt that if your amendment were enacted and no other changes 

in law were made, we would have chaos which would not serve the interests of an 

yone," Rep. Mineta said in a Monday letter to Rep. Kasich. 

A number of ICC supporters also criticize the elimination of the agency. sa 

ying that merely transferring the functions to DOT would not save any money. 

"What do I say to those arguments?" Rep. Kasich said. "I tell them to suck 

it up and realize they didn't win. It is a silly argument. They had plenty of ti 

me to do it in a way they consider orderly. There have been bills in for years t 

o do these things. They ignored the bills. But I think even if we didn't transfe 

r any functions - even if we only nail shut the door of the ICC and do nothing e 

lse the nation will manage to creep along." 

"The Exon bill is a very positive step forward," Ms. Phillips said. "It wou 

ld eliminate regulations that no longer serve a useful public purpose, and would 

give the commission authority through the exemption process to make additional 

trucking reforms, as appropriate." 

Ms. Morgan agreed. 

"I feel as if the bill gets to the guts of what people are concerned about, 

" she said. "It makes sense." 

Commissioner Simmons did voice concern that eliminating the ICC's trucking 

functions "could disadvantage small truckers." Such independent operators, Mr. S

immons said, rely on the ICC to help them set and collect fair fees for their se 

rvices and without such aid may be forced out of business. 

Former Commissioner Gregory Walden is an advocate of a consolidation within 

DOT, arguing that regulation should be overseen by those who answer to the pres 

ident, rather than by unelected bureaucrats. 

"The Exon bill is good, but not quite there," Mr. Walden said. "I'm afraid 

it will take the wind out of the sails of consolidation." 

Other than Mr. Walden and the congressional budget cutters, supporters for 

the plan to eliminate the agency are hard to find. 

Many shippers support more trucking deregulation, but want the security of 

the ICC policing rail matters where they say the prospect for market abuse is mu 

ch better. 

Within the rail and trucking industries, companies are split on whether mor 

e deregulation is good or bad. But all agree on one point. The ICC should not be 

eliminated until Congress decides what it do with the regulations it must still 

live with. 




SOUR[Omaha World Herald Bureau 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha executives back Exon's ICC legislation 

TEXT[Washington - Two transportation company executives from Omaha testified Tue 

sday in favor of legislation introduced by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., to preserve t 

he Interstate Commerce Commission. 

Union Pacific opposes elimination of the Interstate Commerce Commission and 

congratulates Senator Exon on his proposal to streamline the agency." said Jame 

s Dolan, vice president-law for the Omaha railroad. 

Edward Trout, president of Cornhusker Motor Lines, Omaha, praised Exon's pr 

oposal to consider merging the ICC and the Federal Maritime Commission. 

"Our industry continues to evolve toward seamless transportation using truc 

ks, rail and water," Trout said. "It makes sense that the oversight authority ev 

olve in the same manner to produce an 'Intermodal Commerce Commission.'" 

Exon said the ICC, established in 1887. "has protected consumers and compet 

ition from being crushed by brute economic power." 

He said the ICC has prevented rural areas from losing rail service while en 

suring that transportation industry mergers were in the public interest. 

Exon told the surface transportation subcommittee hearing that his bill wou 

ld reduce federal trucking regulations, saving $50 million over five years. 

The bill would end a federal requirement that truck companies submit rates 

to the ICC for shipments not covered by shipper-carrier contracts. 

It also would allow anyone to enter the trucking business, subject to obtai 

ning required levels of insurance. 

Trout said the trucking industry will continue to need the ICC to enforce f 

ederal regulations that have remained since transportation industries were dereg 

ulated in the 1980s. 

He said these regulations include one making it a criminal offense for a ca 

rrier to offer a shipper a rebate for extra business or special privileges. 

"We need rules like this to keep us all on our toes," Trout said.

The Union Pacific's Dolan said rail-roads oppose an alterative plan that wo 

uld shift all ICC functions to the Department of Transportation. 

"The commission's staff has in-depth expertise in rail matters," Dolan said 

. "The ICC's rail functions are largely adjudicatory. We strongly believe that t 

hey are better performed by a neutral, independent agency than in the political 

environment of a Cabinet department." 

Opponents of Exon's bill included Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, who testified t 

hat deregulation left the ICC with no mission. 

Kasich said the Congressional Budget Office estimated that up to $50 millio 

n a year could be saved by transferring the ICC to the Transportation Department 

. 

"As far as the rail functions of the ICC are concerned. we maintain they co 

uld easily be turned over to the Federal Railroad Administration in the DOT," Ka 

sich testified. 

He said elimination of the ICC would cut 600 employees from the payroll of 

the executive branch of government. 

"Whether those personnel come from the ICC or the DOT is a matter to be det 

ermined by the transportation secretary and Congress," Kasich said. "It should 

be a manageable number in a department of 68,000 people." 




SOUR[Alliance Times Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon vote for stop of Filibuster on striker bill 

TEXT[ - Nebraska's two Democratic senators voted with their party Tuesday to try 

to stop a filibuster on legislation to stop employers from permanently replacin 

g striking workers, but the attempt fell seven votes short. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon were among 50 Democrats who voted to stop the 

Senate filibuster. Three Republicans joined in the effort but the 53-47 vote wa 

s short of the 60 "yes" votes needed to end the filibuster. 

P/C[ 




BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon and Barrett Applaud EPA's Decision 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--Sens.Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon and Rep. Bill Barrett applau 

ded the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of ethanol. 

The landmark decision could bring an additional $100 million a year to Nebr 

aska farmers and create new jobs and economic opportunities at ethanol plants ac 

ross the state, Kerrey said. 

"Thanks to many years of hard work by corn growers and ethanol proponents, 

our objective has been reached," he said. "This opens a new frontier for Nebrask 

a."

Exon called the decision "the best news for farmers and our Nebraska,econom 

y in a long, long time." 

He added, "I have been a proponent of ethanol since I was governor of Nebra 

ska and have been working to promote ethanol use for 16 years in the Senate." 

Said Barrett, "Ethanol is pro-environment, pro-agriculture, pro-economic de 

velopment and pro-budget deficit reduction. Expanded ethanol production is criti 

cally important to farmers and rural communities throughout the country, and red 

uction of oil imports that widespread use of ethanol will bring will benefit the 

entire country. 

"This means tens of millions of dollars a year for corn farmers and new job 

s and opportunities for our rural communities," added Kerrey. "In addition, this 

is the right decision for the environment and for our energy security. Presiden 

t Clinton should be commended for making good on his promise that ethanol will h 

ave a prominent role in his administration's energy policy." 

"My early support for the phased-in proposal obviously was the better part 

of discretion in our efforts to obtain more ethanol use," Exon said. "I'm glad w 

e were victorious in persuading the administration to accept our position." 

Barrett said the announcement should mark the end of an ongoing debate over 

what kind of oxygenate industry should be allowed to use and whether corn-based 

ethanol should be given preference over traditional petroleum-based methanol. 

The new reformulated gasoline will account for about one-third, or about 37 

billion gallons, of all gasoline sold in the United States beginning in January 

. 

In addition, the EPA regulations will produce a new generation of gasoline 

that is hoped to reduce air pollution by as much as 15 percent from current gaso 

line by adding more oxygen to the fuel. 

Kerrey has been a strong supporter of ethanol since his term as governor of 

Nebraska. He has fought to ensure a role for ethanol and ETBE under the reformu 

lated gasoline provisions of the 1990 Clean Air Act. 

"I worked for and would have preferred the entire 30 percent requirement to 

be implemented immediately, but this is a good compromise," Barrett said. 


tion's clean air and energy policies," Barrett concluded. 




SOURCE[ St.Paul Phonograph-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Centura FFA members attend Washington Leadership Conference. 

TEXT[Daniel Christensen and Denise Williams, members of the Centura FFA Chapter, 

attended the 1994 Washington Leadership Conference held in the nation's capital 

. The conference is an activity of the National FFA Organization in cooperation 

with the U.S. Department of Education. 



in their chapters and communities. Sessions on self confidence, goal setting, a 

nd team building were combined with discussions on personal development, motivat 

ion, and citizenship to help members become effective leaders in the science, bu 

siness and technology of agriculture.




A highlight of the week was a visit made to the offices of Senators Ex 

on and Kerrey. 

The chapter's FFA advisor is Barbara Buresh. 

The trip to the conference was sponsored by many sponsors from the communit 

y. 

P/C[ 



SOUR[Howells Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon introduces transportation legislation 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has introduced legislation to streamline truck 

ing regulations, save $50 million over five years and save the independence of t 

he federal Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). 


ly trucking regulations and would save money by eliminating some of the ICC's fu 

nctions. 

"This will provide an opportunity to save real money, rather than just shuf 

fle expense from one agency to another," Exon said. 

Exon's bill would end the practice of filing individual trucking company ta 

riffs with the ICC and would limit some entry level regulations affecting insura 

nce and safety. 

In addition, the Exon bill instructs the Secretary of Transportation and th 

e ICC to review additional cost-saving measures as well as to consider merging t 

he ICC with the Federal. 

Exon will chair a hearing on the future role of the ICC and his reform agen 

da on July 12. 




SOUR[Burwell Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[The Flag of the United States of America 

TEXT[The plaque Says: This is to certify that the accompanying flag was flown ov 

er the United States Capitol on May 30, 1994, Memorial Day, at the request of th 

e Honorable J.James Exon, United States Senator. 

This flag was flown in memory of all the veterans at the Cottonwood Ce 

metery, Burwell, NE. 

The guys holding the flag were called upon to help with the dedication 

of the monuments July 2nd. That was the day the flag arrived. They are Mick Sim

pson, Russell Petersen, Zeke Lowery, Carl Olson, Bud Bratka, Elton Striker and L 

arry Dzingle. (Russell Petersen, Commander of the Color Guard, is holding the pl 

aque.) 

The Color Guard members that weren't called upon to help that day are 

Harley Jurgensen, Harry Gaukel, Doyle Bauman, Jim Clabaugh, Terrell Sanders, Ans 

on Kinney, Vern Perrott, Varley Petersen, Norvel Petersen, Zane Gregory, Bill We 

ber and Clay Lytle. 

Curious on how this flag and all happened? Well...as you're all aware 

of the Avenue of flags and I'm sure you all realize these Color Guard guys, plus 

more that help with the Avenue that aren't in the Color Guard and their wives a 

re real proud and dedicated to this Avenue of Flags. 

About three weeks before Memorial Day, Reita Petersen started making c 

alls for people from a distance to come and participate on Memorial Day. She sta 

rted by calling three different TV stations. None were interested. 

Then a call went to Senator Exon's office and who do you talk to there 

? Doris Petersen, niece of Russell, of course. Well...had the Senator been comin 

g to Nebraska for the holiday he might of made it but he had engagements oversea 

s. Doris said it was probably too late to get any dignitaries for '94, but if we 

wanted a flag she would arrange it for us. It was decided this flag should fly 

over the United States Capitol Building Memorial Day 1994 and thereafter be flo 

wn at the head of the Avenue of Flags in the Cottonwood Cemetery, Burwell, NE. e 

very Memorial weekend. 

The flag and plaque are being displayed in the back wall of the Legion 

Club. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lona tank at National conference 

TEXT[Lona Tank of the North Bend Central FFA Chapter attended the 1994 Washingto 

n Leadership Conference in the nation's capital. The conference is sponsored by 

theNational FFA Organization in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Educatio 

n. 

The week-long program helps FFA members improve their leadership skill 

s, develop an understanding of the nation's heritage and prepare for leadership 

roles in their chapters and communities. 

Sessions on self-confidence, goalsetting, and team building were combined w 

ith discussions on personal development, motivation and citizenship to help memb 

ers become effective leaders in the science, 

business and technology of agriculture. 

Visits to Mont Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National 

Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial and other historic sites in Washington were in 

cluded in the conference. A highlight of the week was a visit Tank made to the o 

ffices of Senators James Exon and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska.



AUTH[Lisa Burgess and Stephanie Nall 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Reduced Role seen for ICC in Trucking 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - When the dust finally clears and the debate over the future of 

the Interstate Commerce Commission is settled, lawmakers are expected to have c 

ut away much of the agency's oversight of the trucking industry. 

Reaction to the change - which would strip the agency of more than one 

-third of its responsibilities - ranged from gleeful support to rebellion. But v 

irtually everyone in industry and government agrees that trucking deregulation i 

s about to undergo its second major wave. 

Representatives of the Clinton administration, shippers, railroads, th 

e ICC and some trucking interests supported the notion of further trucking dereg 

ulation during a Tuesday hearing of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee of t 

he Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. 

But two Republican members of the House of Representatives were alone 

among 22 witnesses in advocating that the ICC be eliminated with its functions t 

ransferred to the DOT. 

The ICC regulates more than 53,000 trucking companies, close to 25% of 

the nation's total trucking industry. Before 1980, the ICC exerted even greater 

control allowing carriers to enter the market only if they could prove that the 

service was needed. At that time. shippers and rival carriers could easily prot 

est rates filed by trucking companies, leading to extended and expensive agency 

proceedings just to change trucking rates. 

The situation was eased significantly in 1980. when Congress passed the Mot 

or Carrier Act. The legislation cleared the path for more motor carriers to hold 

contract authority, giving them both flexibility to tailor their customer servi 

ce and exempting them from filing rates with the ICC. 

Before the act was passed. one-third of all ICC-authorized trucking firms h 

eld contract authority, and those firms were limited to servicing only eight shi 

ppers. By 1993, 80% of ICC-regulated carriers held contract authority. with no s 

hipper limit. 

Nevertheless, the customers of trucking companies continue to call for the 

total elimination of tariff filing and license applications at the ICC, saying i 

t would reduce the shipping cost they pay by billions of dollars annually. 

Industry would not be the only direct beneficiary of such a change. Sen. J. 

James Exon, D-Neb., said the trucking deregulation bill he introduced July 1 wo 

uld save taxpayers $50 million over five years if the ICC dropped truck tariff a 

nd license filings. 

Karen Phillips, vice chairman of the ICC and long an advocate of trucking d 

eregulation, says the time has come for the ICC to release most of its trucking 

responsibilities. She said that under the Exon bill, the ICC would still retain 

its right to oversee trucking mergers, impose cargo liability requirements, revo 

ke certifications under circumstances such as a lack of insurance and retain aut 

hority to adjudicate individual rate complaints. 

"I think what will happen is that the independent marketplace will eventual 

ly take over most of these functions," Ms. Phillips said. "This bill provides fo 

r a logical, thoughtful transition to that point." 

Louis Gitomer, former head of the ICC's Motor Section of the Office of Proc

eedings, now in private practice, agreed that many of the ICC's current trucking 

duties do not belong at the agency. Rate filing is the principal activity that 

can be dope away with entirely, Mr. Gitomer said, "as long as we have freedom of 

entry." 

ICC Chairman Gail McDonald agrees that truck tariffs are probably on the wa 

y out. 

"Tariff filing, well-administered, could provide some benefits for that 15% 

of the industry which it applies to," Mrs. McDonald said. 

"But my most recent experiences with Congress is that they no longer want to pay 

for tariff filings." 

Commissioner J.J. Simmons said that eliminating tariff filings could force 

some small independent operators out of business. 

Most shippers agree with Commissioner Simmons. Transportation unions, fearf 

ul that deregulation will result in lost jobs, have also lined up in favor of re 

taining the commission's trucking oversight powers. 

Because some parts of the trucking industry favor further deregulation and 

other parts strongly oppose it, the American Trucking Associations has had to wa 

lk a fine line. 

ATA President Thomas Donohue says the important thing is balancing all the 

competing interests. "Our objective is very simple. We want everyone protected, 

not just big carriers. 

Mr. Gitomer counsels caution, saying that Congress must make carefuL choice 

s between reassigning ICC truck duties to other agencies or eliminating the unde 

rlying regulations. One such area, and the subject of hot debate, is the ICC's t 

ruck-safety responsibilities. 

While the Department of Transportation sets insurance requirements and cond 

ucts safety inspections for the country's 260,000 motor carriers, the ICC verifi 

es insurance and safety compliance for those trucking firms under its province, 

and issues operating certificates for those companies that are qualified. 

Former ICC Commissioner Gregory Walden, who advocates transferring ICC func 

tions to the DOT, said that moving safety entirely under the province of DOT mak 

es sense. He said DOT already has the authority to ground an operation for being 

unsafe. "Why have two agencies do that?" 

Mr. Walden asked. "Put it in one agency and eliminate the overlap and any commun 

ications problems. If anything goes wrong there would be no finger pointing." 

ICC Chairman Gail McDonald disagrees. 

"I think we do a very good job of dealing with (safety) here," Mrs. McDonal 

d said. "Our program is more detailed and active in terms of monitoring insuranc 

e more closely (than DOT). Unless DOT were willing to do that as thoroughly as w 

e do, I see no reason it should be moved." 



AUTH[Stephanie Nall 

SOUR[New York Journal Of Commerce 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Undercharge Cases Over Half Agency's workload 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-As congress debates sunsetting the Interstate Commerce Commissio 

n, a law it passed just last year to end the legal controversy over retroactive

truck rate claims accounts for more than one-half of the agency's caseload. 

The Negotiated Rates Act - a law passed solely to clean up problems resulti 

ng from partial trucking deregulation in 1980 - is widely touted as one of the b 

est reasons to save the commission. 

Undercharges are the difference between the amount originally billed and pa 

id bye a shipper and a higher amount now claimed by estates of failed trucking c 

ompanies. 

Currently, undercharges represent 335 of 656 cases pending before the commi 

ssion. About one-third of the undercharge cases, however could be dismissed at a 

ny time inout-of-court settlements, and another 

175 are ready for a decision by commission, according to the ICC. 

Kenneth Meade, a transportation analyst with the Congressional government 

Accounting Office told a senate panel Tuesday that the cases use much of the ag 

ency's resources now but should be wrapped up within a few years. 

Truck rate undercharges became a multi-billion"dollar problem for tens of t 

housands of U.S. businesses when bankrupt motor carriers began suing customers f 

or the additional charges on shipments made and paid for earlier. 

The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 allowed trucking companies for the first time 

to negotiate rates with shippers, but still required them to file the rates at 

the ICC. Many carriers in precarious financial condition did not file those rate 

s. After some entered bankruptcy, trustees sued former customers saying they owe 

d more money because they didn't pay the filed rate. 

After the Supreme Court upheld the filed rate doctrine in 1990, bankruptcy 

trustees broadened the types of charges brought, often seeking additional sums s 

aying that although a rate had been filed at the commission it was flawed for on 

e reason or another and therefore invalid. 

The ICC has opposed those expanded claims in court, and with very few exce 

ptions, has been successful. 

Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommi 

ttee of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, at a panel hearing T 

uesday blamed former ICC members for the crisis, saying that despite the warning 

s from Congress, the commission had failed to enforce the filed-rate doctrine, p 

recipitating the legal battles. 

Congress, too, shares responsibility, for the problem through its inconsist 

ency. In 1982, the House Appropriations Committee told the commission to use its 

enforcement funding on major problems, such as 

safety and coercion of truck drivers and to stop enforcing 

regulations such as filed rates. 

Sen. Exon has introduced legislation to end truck rate filings, but says th 

e ICC is needed to clean the past mess. 

While most shippers affected by the problem, along with most mission officials 

, agree with that assessment, some ICC attorneys and former agency employees ar 

gue that the work could be transferred to another agency. 

"We have done the homework and the commissioners have set agency policy - U 

.S. government policy - for dealing with each type of undercharge case," one age 

ncy attorney said. "We have standards, lead cases to follow and court precedents 

backing us up. A handful of attorneys could do this at DOT." 

Of the 335 cases, nine will be dismissed without further review based on a 

Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. Another 91 are being held in abeyance wh 

ile the two sides negotiate a settlement. All evidence has been received in ano 

ther 175 cases. Decisions in those cases are being drafted by agency attorneys,

eviewed or being decided by the commissioners. 

More evidence must be received in another 60 cases. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Witnesses Line Up to Defend ICC From Legislators Wielding the Ax 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The embattled Interstate Commerce Commission received a boost 

Tuesday from a long line of witnesses, including representatives of the Clinton 

administration, shippers, rail and trucking interests, who all told the Surface 

Transportation Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation C 

ommittee that a smaller ICC should be allowed to survive as an independent agenc 

y. 

Only Republican Reps. John Kasich of Ohio and Joel Hefley of Colorado testi 

fied that eliminating the agency and sending its remaining functions to the Depa 

rtment of Transportation was a good idea. 

The House, by a 234-192 vote, in June endorsed a plan by Reps. Kasich and H 

efley to eliminate all funding for the ICC after Oct. 1. 

Rep. Kasich told the senators that he is not just out to eliminate the ICC. 

"I'm going after the ICC now. I'm going after whole departments later," Rep 

. Kasich said. "People who work at the (Federal) Maritime Commission should get 

a little nervous. I'm going after them next." 

The Teamsters union, in a statement, said highway safety and the nation's t 

rucking industry would both be "jeopardized" by elimination of the ICC. 

"At a time when our nation's highways will face a dramatic rise in unsafe M 

exican trucks after the passage of Nafta (the North American Free Trade Agreemen 

t), we need a strong agency to make sure that all trucking companies are capable 

of operating safely," said Ron Carey, Teamsters president. "We should strengthe 

n the ICC, not weaken it." 

At the same time, a federal law requiring that truck tariffs be filed at th 

e ICC won little support, as some 20 witnesses told the senate panel the require 

ment should be wiped off the books. 

Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the subcommittee, and Sen. Robert P 

ackwood, R-Ore., introduced a bill July 1 that would further deregulate the truc 

king industry. 

The bill would eliminate truck rate filings, give the ICC authority to dere 

gulate trucking further on its own, and instructs the secretary of transportatio 

n to study merging the ICC with the Federal Maritime Commission. 

Sen. Exon provided a strong defense of the agency, saying it was needed to 

ensure that safe, affordable and fair transportation services are available to a 

ll Americans. 

"Let us fix what is broken, not break what works," Sen. Exon said. 

Joseph M Clapp, chairman of Roadway Services Inc., who testified on behalf 

of his company, Yellow Corp. and Overnite Transportation, was typical in his sup 

port of both the Exon proposal and the survival of the ICC. 

"Mr. Chairman, 15 years ago I was not a proponent of deregulation," Mr. Cla 

pp said. "Today I am a proponent of a free market in transportation. I believe t

hat many of the ICC's functions are no longer necessary and should be eliminated 

, or revised to better reflect the needs of carriers and shippers today." 

ICC Chairman Gail McDonald told Sen. Exon and the five Republican senators 

present that she supports the deregulation envisioned by the proposal, but she a 

rgued that the commission's political independence was vital to fair adjudicatio 

n of transportation disputes. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Park dedication to honor Omaha Medal of Honor Winner Keith 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - A South Omaha park will be dedicated July 30 to the late Migue 

l Hernandez Keith, a Medal of Honor winner from Omaha. 

The Mexican-American Veterans, American GI Forum of Nebraska and the Marin 

e Corps League will participate in the dedication. 

Medal of Honor winner Bob Kerrey, Sen. Jim Exon, and Keith's family member 

s have been invited to the ceremonies, organizers say. 

Keith was a 19-year old Marine corporal when he was wounded three times bu 

t, before dying, helped fight off a Viet Cong attack on a commandpost in Vietnam 

on May 8, 1970. 




SOUR[Yankton Press Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Wymore Water Project Receives Loan 

TEXT[WYMORE, Neb. (AP) - Wymore has received a $29,000 federal loan to complete 

work on a water project, said Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 

The Rural Development Administration loan, at 4.5 percent interest over 40 

years, will "help us get the project finished," Wymore Mayor Roxanne Zvolanek sa 

id. 

She said $300,000-plus project has been in the works for about two years an 

d is expected to be completed soon. 



AUTH[George Embrey 

SOUR[Columbus Dispatch 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kasich sees his bill to abolish ICC all but dead in Senate

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Rep. John R. Kasich conceded yesterday that the Senate likely 

will crush his House approved bill to abolish the Interstate Commerce Commissio 

n this year. 

Kasich was in a packed Senate hearing room as ICC commissioners, President 

Clinton's officials and come 250 lobbyists and other commission supporters gathe 

red to oppose his efforts. Chairman Jim Exon, D-Neb., of the Senate Surface Tran 

sportation Subcommittee, said the opponents of killing the ICC are the "Who's Wh 

o of the American transportation industry," ranging from the national trucking a 

nd railroad associations to the Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics, WIFE. 

Kasich, R-Westerville, and Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., testified before the 

subcommittee that their House-approved effort to abolish the ICC was a test of t 

he ability of Congress to end any regulatory agency or spending program. 

Kasich said the 1980 end of trucking regulation and most railroad rule-maki 

ng by the ICC already had cut the agency's staff from 1,946 to 619 this year. "w 

ith further deregulation, much of the ICC's reason for being Would vanish," he s 

aid. 

"These are days when the popular thing to do is to go back home and tell pe 

ople, 'Boy, I'm going to eliminate government,'" Exon told Kasich. 

"If you really want to be popular, I would suggest you introduce legislatio 

n in the House to do away with the biggest and most wasteful part of government 

altogether - the House of Representatives," he said with a laugh. 

Kasich reported that the national wave of efforts to adopt term limits for 

members of Congress shows how "enraged" Americans are at the inability of Congre 

ss to get a grip on spending. 

"I know we're going to lose this vote in the Senate. But we won in the Hous 

e this year, we'll win in the House next time and, one day. we'll win in the Sen 

ate," Kasich said. 

Exon, however, said the ICC, established in 1887, helped build the world's 

best transportation system. "In a real sense, our great nation is the United Sta 

tes of mobility," he said. 

Exon said he and Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., top minority subcommittee membe 

r, are co-sponsoring the "Trucking Regulatory Reform Act." It would cut ICC powe 

r over new trucking companies and streamline the ICC further but preserve the co 

mmission. 

Exon also said he is studying how to merge the ICC with the U.S. Maritime C 

ommission - a proposal he described as "the surf and turf option." 

Some Republican subcommittee members praised the Kasich effort. "We've got 

to be more innovative," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. "They're a brea 

th of fresh air," said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, about Kasich and Hefley. 

But Packwood questioned whether Kasich and Hefley merely were proposing "me 

rger for merger's sake" 

by continuing some current ICC regulatory functions, only in the Transportation 

Department "We should not merely shift the peas around under the shell," he said 

. 



AUTH[David Broder and Helen Dewar 


BK#[

HDLN[Hill Hears Hometown Health Advice 

TEXT[The hometown view of health carer reform is increasingly focused on what it 

may do to families, not for them, according to members of Congress back from In 

dependence Day meetings with their constituents. 

The picture is still mixed, as Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) discovered during 

a parade in Billings. "On one side, people said, 'Pass the Clinton plan. I need 

help.' On the other, 'Don't pass health care reform. I got everything.' 

But with conflicting messages about President Clinton's proposal filling th 

e airwaves and confusion about the specifics of the five different bills approve 

d by congressional committees last month, "a fear of the unknown dominates," sai 

d Rep. Scotty Baesler (D-Ky.), one of the moderates who will probably decide wha 

t passes when the House debates health care next month. "Rather than take a chan 

ce on what they don't know," the former Lexington mayor said, "they'd rather tak 

e a chance on what they have. 

Across the country in Yakima, Wash., another freshman Democrat, Rep. Jay In 

slee, found people "very uncertain what it is we're going to vote on. People do 

want reform, but it's one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake. They've 

got that `show-me' Missouri attitude." 

In his rural Missouri district, Rep. Pat Danner (D) said, "What I found was 

great fear, anxiety and skepticism of what it [health care reform] would mean f 

or the future. I had a meeting with seniors who are on Medicare who said they di 

dn't want government in the health business. I know that's a contradiction in te 

rms, but they were adamant." 

A fourth freshman, Rep. Karan English (D-Ariz.), who voted to support a Cli 

nton-like health bill out of the Education and Labor Committee, found a more sup 

portive attitude at home in Flagstaff. "People are starting to realize how compl 

ex it is," she said. "Mostly, they were just asking what would be in the package 

, but they took real hope from the fact that it was still moving. I didn't hear 

one comment that we shouldn't do health care this year." 

But her classmate, Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.), said that in his district, whe 

re black voters predominate, "I heard a lot of 'We need to do something about it 

, but we don't need to go overboard. Repair it, but be sure you don't break it f 

urther.' 

The tone of caution among these freshman Democrats was not as prevalent on 

the Senate side, where many veterans long ago staked out positions. 

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), a proponent, said, "People are saying, 'Look, we' 

ve heard the debate, so just do it, and if you don't do it watch out.' "Sen. Dan 

Coats (R-Ind.), an opponent, said, "I was surprised at the number of people who 

were strongly opposed to the Clinton plan or to any plan with government contro 

l. I was surprised at the number of people who are satisfied with what they have 

and the strength of their views on the subject." 

What all this suggests is that the political question is being reduced to a 

judgment among those with health insurance whether "reform" will help or hurt t 

hem. 

Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) said, "People still have a lot of questions, e 

specially those who already have good health care coverage and don't want to see 

it singled out for taxation or get reduced. I heard a lot of that - `Don't redu 

ce what have.' These people are the base of support we have to have for health c 

are reform to get enacted." 

Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), part of the shaky 20-18 majority that 

cleared the health care bill from the House Ways and Means Committee, said, "Peo

ple support the idea of universal care, but they are apprehensive that we not de 

tract from what they have." 

Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.) found that "people are more and more unsure of 

what it means to them." 

Republicans are less ambivalent on the issue. Most of them agree with Coats 

that their constituents are opposed to any big change. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich 

.), who spent weeks futilely trying to frame a bipartisan compromise in the Ener 

gy and Commerce Committee, said that at this point, his corner of southwest Mich 

igan would settle for cleaning up some of the insurance practices, putting more 

money into medical research and leaving the rest alone." 

Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) found "health care isn't mentioned that often, com 

pared to taxes and violent crime, but people are concerned whether government ca 

n run the system - and what it would cost them." 

The question is, whether House Democratic leaders, who want to try to pass 

a bill embodying Clinton's plan to guarantee universal coverage through assessme 

nts on all employers, will find enough support among middle-road Democrats to pa 

ss the measure over expected unanimous Republican opposition. 

The tone of the comments was not encouraging, especially among the 50 

freshman Democrats. Rep. Frank Tejeda (D-Tex.) found his ,San Antonio constituen 

ts more worried about possible base closings at home and military confrontations 

in Haiti and Korea than about health care. 

Second-term Rep. Calvin M. Dooley (D-Calif.) said, "In my part of Californi 

a (the agricultural Central Valley), there's a lot of concern that the president 

is trying to do too much. Most people agree there ought to be some reform ...bu 

t I think they want something more incremental. When 85 percent of the people ar 

e covered, and they are the most politically active, the ones we hear from, they 

are concerned that the health care they currently enjoy might be jeopardized by 

a major overhaul. As the issue has matured, people are evaluating the effect on 

their own lives. And they are becoming more cautious." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators vote to end filibuster 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska's two Democratic senators voted with their part 

y Tuesday to stop a filibuster on legislation to stop employers from permanently 

replacing striking workers, but the attempt fell seven votes short. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon were among 50 Democrats who voted to stop the 

Senate filibuster. Three Republicans joined in the effort but the 53-47 vote wa 

s short of the 60 "yes" votes needed to end the filibuster. 



AUTH[Jeff Bahr 


BK#[

HDLN[Cable Debate 

TEXT[Since the 1992 Cable Act failed to control cable rates, the president of th 

e Television Viewers of America says greater competition is the only way to lowe 

r cable prices. 

Gary Frink, who was in Omaha this week, said the federal government has cre 

ated an unregulated cable monopoly, which has given the industry freedom to rais 

e rates "ad infinitum" and "ad nauseum." 

If competition were allowed in the cable television industry, rates would d 

rop 3O percent, Frink predicted. 

He urged consumers to support Senate Bill 2111, sponsored by Sen. John Brea 

ux, D-La., and Bob Packwood, R-Ore. The bill would provide for full-scale compe 

tition in the telecommunlcations industry, beginning one year after its enactmen 

t. 

Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, w 

hich will consider the bill. 

Television Viewers of America has received contributions from broadcasters 

and wireless cable operators. 



AUTH[Steve Daily, ltr ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Maybe House will cut bomber appropriations 

TEXT[I thought my day was going pretty fair in spite of the heat until I came up 

on an article in my Sunday Telegraph concerning the B-2 Stealth bomber, which I 

had assumed was a dead duck. It has already cost our treasury in the neighborhoo 

d of $40-5O 

billion, and I'm quite positive has never passed the test of radar evasion which 

was to make it worth part of the $840 million each. Of course, that was the est 

imate about two years ago. It could be nearer to $2 billion each now. Our senior 

senator J. Jim. Exon, the ranking Democrat of the Armed Services Committee, hel 

ped convince the Senate to take out a $75 million "insurance policy" to keep the 

production line warm. But there is. another $75 billion earmarked for "spare pa 

rts" for the Stealth bomber. 

Also against the wishes of President Clinton and Defense Secretary William 

Perry who want to hold the number of B-2s at 20, Exon and his followers want at 

least 25. 

I had the assumption in the past year. that the dream of the B-2 was about 

a dream of the past. ln fact, I had quit corresponding with Sen. Exon on the sub 

ject, but he and some of his followers, including Senator Kerrey, decided to boo 

st the national debt some more. 

I still have pretty strong hopes that the House of Representatives may down 

somewhat on the appropriation for the B-2. But I would never bet what might tak 

e place in our federal government.




SOUR[Lexington Clipper-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Inspection, marketing meeting draws 1,000 cattlemen 

TEXT[About 1,000 cattlemen, primarily feeders, from Nebraska and surrounding cat 

tle states attended the recent "Zero Tolerance and Industry, Concentration Strat 

egy Meeting hosted by the Nebraska Cattlemen Association in Omaha. 

Members heard updates from experts, discussed the issues and developed sev 

en mandates on two pressing industry issues: zero tolerance meat inspection and 

industry concentration and its effect on the cattle market. Because the meeting 

was a large ad hoc group the points on consensus will be forwarded to NC, the Na 

tional Cattlemen's Association, other state cattlemen's associations and appropr 

iate agencies and elected officials. The points are sure to be discussed at the 

NCA Midyear Meeting July 20-23 in Denver. 

Implementation of spray/wash technology: The group endorsed the National C 

attlemen s Association's Zero Tolerance Act Plan for the implementation of wash/ 

spray procedures, if proven effective, to better ensure the wholesomeness, clean 

liness and quality of beef. 

This strategy addresses the points of reference as submitted in the Junee 1 

4 request as prescribed by Texas Cattle Feeders, and joined by Nebraska Cattleme 

n, Kansas Livestock, Iowa Cattlemen, Colorado Cattle Feeders and Oklahoma Cattle 

men associations. 

If the strategy falls to achieve implementation of the wash/spray procedure 

s by Oct. 1, the group will ask NCA to take legal action to expedite implementat 

ion of new technology. 

The group requested that the NC and other state associations, take legal ac 

tion, if the prior objectives of the mandate have not been met. 

Packers and Stockyards Administration: The group issued a mandate to NCA, t 

he NC, other state affiliates, and the appropriate government agencies to pursue 

regulatory jurisdiction by Packer and Stockyards Administration in packing plan 

ts of 1,000 head/day or more. Responsibilities of P&SA inside the packing plant 

would include, but would not be limited to: 

- Authority to audit all records of carcass and fabricated weights, both ho 

t and cold. 

- Oversight regarding condemnations, regrades, and outlier cattle, such as 

light and heavy-weight carcasses, dark cutters, stags, hard-bones etc. 

- Authority to establish a "standard hot carcass" and authority to eliminat 

e excessive trimming practices. 

- Authority to oversee hot-fat trimming in applicable plants. 

- Authority to audit carcass yields and yield variations within plants, bet 

ween plants, between packing companies, and within the packing industry. 

Each of the aforementioned plants should be required to have at least one P 

&SA inspector on the premises at all times during the hours of operation. 

Inspection Uniformity: The group issued a mandate to NCA, the NC, other sta 

te affiliates and appropriate governmental agencies that all meat processed in t 

he United States meet the same standards for safety and percent water content. 

Short Position Limits For Packers: The group issued a mandate to NCA, the N 

C and other state affiliates, the CME, and the CFTC to set position limits on a 

packing entity's net short position to a maximum of 300 contracts when the nearb

y futures contract becomes the front option, and furthermore revert position lim 

its back to the previous limits prior to August 1993. 

If the points of the mandate cannot be brought about by the CME and the CFT 

C, the group questions the economic feasibility of the live cattle contract 

Large Trader Commitment Reports: The group issued a mandate to the CFTC and 

the CME to provide a more detailed account of large traders' commitment in thei 

r weekly reports. The report should include a breakdown of long and short positi 

ons held by producers, packers and commodity funds in addition to the traditiona 

l breakdowns of commercial and non-commercial positions. 

Justice Department: The group issued a mandate to NCA, the NC, other state 

affiliates, the U.S. Justice Department, and the Federal Trade Commission to pur 

sue a formal investigation into packer concentration and competition under antit 

rust acts or other laws and regulations pertaining to anti-trust and unfair trad 

e practices. 

CFTC and Department of Justice Investigation: The group issued a mandate to 

NCA, the NC and other state affiliates that U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon 

conduct a congressional investigation to determine if the CFTC is properly carry 

ing out its regulatory job. And, the group asked that they also determine if th 

e Department of Justice is effectively fulfilling its role in regard to antitrus 

t compliance. 

The Nebraska Cattlemen Association conducts producer education and legislat 

ive and regulatory monitoring services, and represents cattle breeders, producer 

s and feeders through 50 county and local cattlemen's associations. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Harkin decries striker-replacement vote 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said it was "a dark day" last week wh 

en the Senate voted to block consideration of a bill that would prevent business 

from hiring permanent replacements for striking workers. 

"There is no real right to strike because, if you strike, you are permanent 

ly replaced." Harkin said. "I will fight for this control until the day I die." 

Under current law, workers who strike for economic reasons can be permanent 

ly replaced and lose their jobs even if they eventually end their. Although mos 

t striking workers are not permanently replaced, labor unions contend that the t 

hreat of replacements has given the upper hand to management in labor negotiatio 

ns. 

Supporters of the current law say a change would lead to more strikes and l 

abor unrest. 

"Management would be stripped of their defensive weapons and risk-free stri 

kes would be guaranteed," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

The Senate voted 53-47 - short of the 60 votes needed - to end a filibuster 

that prevented votes on the bill or amendments. The House passed the bill earli 

er this year. 

Harkin and Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., voted to allow cons 

ideration of the bill, Grassley voted against.

After the vote, Exon took the Senate floor to criticize both sides for refu 

sing to compromise. 

Capitol Votes -- 

"It pains me to see and hear much of the same old invective on this issue," 

Exon said. "l have always felt there was some middle ground. It is time for rea 

son and a workable compromise." 

Exon said he would have offered an amendment to create a short-term ban on 

permanent replacements, perhaps for 60 days, and then allow permanent replacemen 

ts to be phased in over the rest of the year. 

Such a plan would produce more of a balance between labor and management th 

an the current all-or-nothing rules governing strikes and replacement workers, h 

e said. 

Under his proposal, Exon said, "an employer has an immediate incentive to b 

argain. Unions, however, know that with each passing day their position is under 

mined by more permanent replacements and that the clock continues to run." 

But Exon said his idea did not catch on because supporters and foes of the 

striker replacement bill were too "involved in trench warfare," 

Other Senate Votes: 

Foreign Relations 

- 89-8 to pass an amendment offered by Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the fisca 

l 1995 foreign operations spending bill. The amendment would withhold aid to Rus 

sian until it removes its troops from the Baltic states. 

For: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

- 57-42 to kill an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, 

R-Kan., that would have established a bipartisan congressional commission to re 

view U.S. policy toward Haiti. 

For killing the amendment: Kerrey, Harkin. 

Against: Exon, Grassley. 

House Votes: 

Wilderness Protection 

- 239-183 to pass an amendment offered by Larry LaRocco, D-Idaho, to a b 

ill to protect California desert areas. The LaRocco amendment would allow huntin 

g in parts of the Mojave Desert covered by the bill. 

For: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iow 

a; Neal Smith, D-Iowa; Fred Grandy, R-Iowa. 

Against: Peter Hoagland, D-Neb. 

- 207-190 against an amendment offered by Bruce Vento, D-Minn., that eve 

ntually would have banned livestock grazing on protected lands in the Mojave Des 

ert and Death Valley. 

For: Hoagland, Grandy. 

Against: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith. 

- 281-148 to pass an amendment offered by W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, D-La., th 

at would ensure higher values for new wilderness lands now held by private prope 

rty owners. The amendment would require government appraisers to assess the valu 

e of land without considering land-use restrictions or the presence of endangere 

d species. 

For: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy and Hoagland. 

District of Columbia

-213-210 to pass the $720 million fiscal 1995 spending bill for the D 

istrict of Columbia. The bill passed only after passage of an amendment requirin 

g the city to cut $150 million from next year's budget. 

For: Hoagland, Smith. 

AgaInst: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

-251-176 to approve an amendment offered by Joe Barton, R-Texas, that would 

ban the city from implementing a law that permits unmarried couples to register 

with the D.C. government as domestic partners. 

For: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Against: Hoagland, Smith. 

Spending Cuts 

-342-69 to pass a bill that would give the president "enhanced rescission" 

authority to propose spending cuts. Congress would have to vote on the cuts, unl 

ike current law which allows Congress to ignore such presidential requests. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Against: Smith. 

- 298-121 to pass an amendment offered by Charles Stenholm, D-Texas, that w 

ould expand the rescission authority to targeted tax benefits, allow separate vo 

tes on specific cuts, and make the change permanent. The original bill would hav 

e applied only to fiscal 1995 spending bills. 


Against Smith. 

- 218-205 against an amendment offered by Gerald Solomon, R-N.Y,, that woul 

d have made the presidential rescissions automatic unless Congress disapproved. 

For: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Against: Hoagland, Smith. 



AUTH[David E. Lynch 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: House wouldn't fare much better than ICC 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb., with his usual brusque dispatch, was sug 

gesting that a House member who last month won House passage of legislation to s 

hut down the Interstate Commerce Commission "do away with the House of Represent 

atives and leave the ICC to do its work." 

Exon was offering that suggestion during a hearing last week of his Senate 

subcommittee on surface transportation, which has jurisdiction over the ICC. 

The Exon committee at the time was meeting on a trucking regulatory reform 

proposal by Exon and Sen, Bob Packwood, R-Ore., which would ease trucking regula 

tions and adjust the ICC's role, including a possible merger with the Federal Ma 

ritime Commission. 

"I like to refer to this as the Surf and Turf Option," Exon said to the app 

arent joy of the packed committee room. 

Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, a prime sponsor of the legislative motion that st 

ripped all federal funding for the ICC on a 234-192 vote on June 16, insisted it

is too late to reform the ICC and it should be scuttled. He ventured that if th 

e public were allowed to vote on the proposal, the ICC would be defeated 90-10 p 

ercent. 

Exon, who has long championed the ICC for protecting consumers and competit 

ion, asked Kasich what the vote would be if the American public were asked to de 

cide on the fate of the U.S. Congress. Kasich, ranking Republican on the House B 

udget Committee and a most active supporter of dramatic budget cuts, did not off 

er an estimate on how such a vote on Congress would come out. 

Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., vice chairman of Nebraska Democratic Sen. Bob Ke 

rrey's entitlement reform commission, wore a bemused smile during the debate bet 

ween Exon and Kasich. 

In his opening statement, Danforth had said he recently visited Newport, R. 

I., where he toured some of the seaside mansions that have become too expensive 

for private citizens to keep up and now serve as museums, with ticket booths out 

front. He went on to suggest that the ICC building is one of the most architect 

urally interesting buildings on the Mall between the Capitol and the White House 

and it should be retained as a museum, with a ticket booth on the Mall. 

In addition, he said, the five ICC commissioners could be on display with t 

heir staff, who can hand them paper, "blank paper." 

Danforth compared the ICC to a bar of soap that has become thinner and thin 

ner from constant use, "and you wonder why you don't just throw it out." With th 

at image in mind, Danforth suggested "that if we don't throw (the ICC) out, we s 

hould make it into a museum." 

As a senator from a state where railroads and trucking are dominant industr 

ies and as chairman of the subcommittee that has jurisdiction over surface trans 

portation, Exon - despite the surf and turf reference - found little to laugh ab 

out. 

"Let us fix what is broken, not break what is working," Exon cautioned. 

Packwood warned that those who want to end the ICC might not like what they 

see in the aftermath of such a move. The ICC, he said, should be given an "E" f 

or excellence, not an "E" for execution. 

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont, said the recent proposed merger of the Burlingto 

n, Northern and the Santa Fe railroads "breathed new life into the ICC" for him 

because it will be needed to protect consumers and shippers in his state from mo 

nopolistic rail rates. 

Exon read a long list of business and agriculture groups that opposed the c 

losing of the ICC, and Kasich said the list proved his point. Kasich noted it wa 

s crowded with the names of special interest groups and did not include the taxp 

ayers. 

Exon took issue with that response, saying he hoped Kasich was not suggesti 

ng anyone who supports the ICC is "in the pockets of the lobbyists." Exon also p 

ointed out that the groups on his list represent taxpayers. 

Kasich conceded he does not expect the Senate to ratify his effort to scutt 

le the ICC. 

"I know we'll lose this vote in the Senate this year", and for some years i 

nto the future, "but we'll eventually win it," he warned. 



AUTH[AP


BK#[ 

HDLN[Trade Official: Cattle Prices Not Influenced 

TEXT[Fremont, Neb. (AP) Studies indicate meatpackers did not manipulate the catt 

le market when prices dropped between April and June, the acting chairman of the 

Commodities Futures Trading Commission said Saturday. Oversupply of beef combin 

ed with low demand from consumers caused the price drops, Barbara Holum told abo 

ut 80 people gathered at a public meeting on the futures markets. 

The studies weren't completed, but preliminary results indicate 

no manipulation, officials said. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, both D-Neb., asked Ms. Holum, a former Neb 

raskan, and representatives of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago B 

oard of Trade to meet with Nebraska farmers and ranchers. 

Some cattle producers expressed frustration at supplying produce for the m 

arkets but having little say in the way the markets work. 

"We have the least influence and least say in how the system is set up, bu 

t are the most greatly affected," said John Dittrich, a farmer from northeast Ne 

braska. 

Don Knobbe of West Point, representing the Nebraska Cattlemen, said produc 

ers deserve some of the blame because many feedlot operators hold cattle a week 

longer than necessary in hopes of higher prices. 

That adds as much as 25 pounds per head to the tonnage of beef being produ 

ced and placed on the market, he said. 

Some ranchers have argued that major meatpackers dominate the market and c 

an manipulate prices. 

"The instability that has shaken both the grain and livestock markets over 

the past few months has caused many to ask whether more than the fundamentals o 

f supply and demand are behind gram prices," Kerrey has said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[No futures manipulation seen 

TEXT[FREMONT (AP) - Studies indicate there was no cattle market manipulation by 

major meatpackers when futures prices dropped between April and June, the acting 

chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission said Saturday. 

Oversupply of beef, combined with low demand from consumes caused the price 

drops, Barbara Holum told about 80 people gathered at a public meeting on the f 

utures markets. 

The studies haven't been completed, but preliminary results indicate no man 

ipulation, officials said. 

U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., asked Holum and representa 

tives of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade to meet 

with the Nebraska farmers and ranchers after an outcry over price instability in 

the grain and livestock markets.

Some ranchers have argued that major meatpackers dominate the market and ca 

n manipulate prices. 

"The instability that has shaken both the grain and livestock markets 

over the past few months has caused many to ask whether more than the fundamenta 

ls of supply and demand are behind grain prices," Kerrey said before the meeting 

. "This meeting will give us the opportunity to address those concerns and to ge 

t some answers." 

Kerrey acted as moderator of the meeting. 

A commodity researcher at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Paul Peterson, q 

uoted a U.S. Department of Agriculture livestock slaughter report from May that 

showed beef production was up 7 percent from last year. He cited other reports t 

hat showed it was the highest May inventory for cattle on feed since 1973. 

Commodities groups in Nebraska questioned Saturday whether futures markets 

accurately reflect supply and demand and whether limits should be placed on the 

amount of trading each day on commodities. 

Some cattle producers expressed frustration at supplying produce for the ma 

rkets but having little say in the way the markets work. 

A Nebraska Cattlemen representative said producers deserve some of the blam 

e for the lower prices. 

Many feedlot operators hold cattle a week longer than necessary in hopes of 

getting a higher price, said Don Knobbe of West Point. 





BK#[ 

HDLN['Supply and Demand?' 

TEXT[FREMONT (AP) - Studies indicate there was no cattle market manipulation by 

major meatpackers when futures prices dropped between April and June, the acting 

chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading Grain said Saturday. 

Oversupply of beef combined with low demand from consumers caused the price 

drops, Barbara Holum told about 80 people gathered at a public meeting on the f 

utures markets. 

The studies weren't completed, but preliminary results indicate no manipula 

tion, officials said. 


tives of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade to meet 

with Nebraska farmers and ranchers after an outcry over price instability in the 

grain and livestock markets. 

Some farmers and ranchers have argued that major meatpackers dominate the m 

arket and can manipulate prices. 

"The instability that has shaken both the grain and livestock markets 

over the past few months has caused many to ask whether more than the fundamenta 

ls of supply and demand are behind grain prices," Kerrey has said. "This meeting 

will give us the opportunity to address those concerns and to get some answers. 

" 

- Kerrey acted as moderator of the meeting.

- A commodity researcher at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Paul Peterson, quot 

ed a USDA livestock slaughter report from May that showed beef production was up 

7 percent from last year. He cited other reports that showed it was the highest 

May inventory for cattle on feed since 1973. 

Peterson blamed the lower beef prices on a glut in the market and a drop in c 

onsumer demand. 

"We're cranking out a lot of beef," he said. "Not only are we turning out mor 

e tonnage, we are putting more cattle in feedlots." 

Commodities groups in Nebraska questioned Saturday whether futures markets ac 

curately reflect supply and demand and whether limits should be placed on the am 

ount of trading each day on commodities. 

Some cattle producers expressed frustration at supplying produce for the ma 

rkets but having little say in the way the markets 

work. 

"We have the least influence and least say in how the system is set up, but 

are the most greatly affected," said John Dittrich, a farmer from northeast Neb 

raska. 

A Nebraska Cattlemen representative said producers deserve some of the blam 

e for the lower prices. 

Many feedlot operators hold cattle a week longer than necessary in the hope 

s of getting a higher price, said Don Knobbe of West Point. 

Knobbe said that adds as much as 25 pounds per head to the tonnage of beef 

being produced and placed on the market. 

"In agriculture, we have a tendency to produce what we want to produce, not 

what the world wants," Knobbe said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Barrett was state's sole vote for space station 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, is one of the most fiscally 

conservative members of the Nebraska congressional delegation, but he's also th 

e only member of the delegation who has consistently supported the National Aero 

nautics and Space Administration's $28.4 billion space station. 

"I'm the only one (in the delegation) who had the right reading on the spac 

e station," said Barrett, who cast the only Nebraska colleagues say is a good id 

a but well beyond the federal government's budget. 

"I look at it as putting us on the cutting edge of technology, which is a g 

ood vote any time," Barrett said. 

Space exploration has already repaid its cost in the development of microch 

ips, lasers, medical scanners and virtually all the computer technology that is 

found throughout American culture, Barrett said. 

"I think of it as an investment in the future. We've got a responsibility 

to future generations to continue this exploration. And while it may look expen 

sive now, every dollar spent by NASA brings seven dollars in return to society," 

he said. 

Nebraska's two Democratic senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, have voted agai

nst the space station in the past and plan to vote against it when the appropria 

tions bill comes over to the Senate later this month. 

Kerrey, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Entitlement and Tax Refo 

rm, dismisses the program as "a waste of money." He would prefer that if the go 

be used to subsidize the launching of commercial satellites. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Feltys are Eagle Scouts 

TEXT[A pair of twins earned Scouting's highest honor Sunday afternoon at the Mou 

nt Calvary Lutheran Church, 

Brian Felty and Aaron Felty, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Felty of Holdr 

ege, became Eagle Scouts at the Eagle Court of Honor. 

Both youths have advanced up the Scouting order, from the rank of Bobc 

at in Cub Scouts to the top Eagle honors. 

Each Scout has earned 24 merit badges and has received the Compass Poi 

nts Award, God and Family Award, World Conservation Award and Junior Cope. 

During his scouting career, Brian served as a denner, assistant patrol 

leader, historian, instructor and assistant senior patrol leader. 

Aaron was a librarian, bugler, patrol leader, quartermaster, patrol le 

ader and instructor, 

Both Scouts have been active in camping, having attending summer camp 

at Camp Opal Springs, Rocky Mountain Scout Camp in Philmont, N. M. and Camp Ben 

Delanor in Colorado. They both attended the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. 

Hill in 1993. 

Eagle projects are an important part of the qualifications. 

For his project, Brian built two wooden picnic tables with the help of 

other scouts and donated them to the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. 

Aaron built two park benches and two small redwood tables with the hel 

p of other scouts, also for the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. 

During Sunday's ceremony, letters of recognition were read from Presid 

ent Clinton, Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, Gov. Ben Nelson and Holdrege Mayor 

Jim Van Marter. 

Both Scouts are members of Troop 216. A reception was held in the chur 

ch following the ceremony. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha park to be dedicated to Medal of Honor winner 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - A South Omaha park will be dedicated July 3O to the late Migue 

l Hernandez Keith, a Medal of Honor winner from Omaha.

The Mexican-American Veterans, American GI Forum of Nebraska and the Marine 

Corps league will participate in the dedication. 

Medal of Honor winner Sen. Bob Kerrey, Sen. Jim Exon, both D-Neb., Keith's 

family members and others have been invited to the ceremonies, organizers say. 

Keith was a 19-year-old Marine corporal when he was wounded three times but 

, before dying, helped fight off a Viet Cong attack on a command post in Vietnam 

on May 8, 1970. 

Medal of Honor winner Julian Adams of San Antonio will speak at the dedicat 

ion. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Meatpackers cleared in futures price drop 

TEXT[FREMONT (AP) - Studies indicate there was no cattle market 

manipulation by major meatpackers when futures prices dropped between April 

and June, the acting chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission sai 

d. 


drops, Barbara Holum told about 80 people gathered at a public meeting Saturday 

. The studies mentioned weren't completed, but preliminary results indicate no 

manipulation, officials said. 


tives ofthe Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade to meet w 

ith Nebraska farmers and ranchers after an outcry over price instability in the 

grain and live stock markets. 



AUTH[Robert P. James 

SOUR[Traffic World 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Bill to save ICC but gut its regulatory powers over trucking industry gains 

favor in Senate 

TEXT[Clearly unhappy with a plan to close down the Interstate Commerce Commissio 

n, yet aware that retaining the status quo may be nearly impossible, a growing g 

roup of senators and industry executives are signing on to a compromise proposal 

that would eliminate the agency's remaining regulation of motor carriers. 

H.R. 2275, introduced by Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., would save about $8 mi 

llion next year and up to $50 million over the next five years by doing away wit 

h the filed-rate doctrine and entry filings. Apparently anticipating Exon's plan 

s, the Senate's transportation appropriations subcommittee rejected the House's 

vote to eliminate all funding for the agency and transfer its functions to the T 

ransportation Department. However, appropriators cut 31 percent from the Clinton 

administration's 1995 ICC budget request and called for a 31 percent reduction

in staffing at the agency. 

"It no longer will be business as usual at the Interstate Commerce Commissi 

on," said subcommittee Chairman Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. "Substantial changes mu 

st be made and the authorizing committees will need to implement serious reforms 

." The authorizing committees in this case are the Senate Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation; and House Public Works and Transportation, and Energy and Comme 

rce panels. 

Exon, who chairs Commerce's surface transport subcommittee, said his bill m 

akes the reforms needed. He said he "won't be leading the charge of the bulls" t 

o dismantle the ICC. "We must not only consider the costs of our actions, but th 

e public good." 

The bill eliminates tariff-filing requirements for individual truck lines, 

but retains them for collectively set rates, commodity classifications, and hous 

ehold goods carriers. It also loosens ICC entry controls by permitting new lines 

to obtain operating authority by showing they have insurance and can comply wit 

h DOT safety requirements. 

The legislation also gives the ICC the power to eliminate all economic regu 

lation for specific types of truck traffic if competition proves adequate to pro 

tect shippers from discrimination. The ICC already has that power for railroads. 

Lastly, the bill calls for a study of consolidating the ICC with the Federa 

l Maritime Commission. 

"While we have not chosen this approach, there are many in Congress and ind 

ustry who contend the only way to achieve meaningful trucking reforms at the ICC 

is to threaten its overall existence. Fortunately there is an opportunity to ac 

hieve the best of possibilities." National Transportation League President Edwa 

rd Emmett said, referring to the Exon bill. 

ICC Commissioner Linda Morgan told the subcommittee the agency endorses the 

Exon bill. "It provides a vital opportunity to address the future of the ICC an 

d its authority." 

"Regardless of whether Congress decides to sunset the ICC or not; I would u 

rge you to reduce economic regulation of the trucking industry as provided in H. 

R. 2275," Vice Chairman Karen B. Phillips added. 

Trucking associations endorsed Exon's plan as well, but with reservations. 

The bill, American Trucking Associations President Thomas Donohue said, "pr 

ovides the foundation for meaningful regulatory reform." But he said ATA still s 

upports tariff filing "because they help avoid unnecessary litigation and provid 

e for an orderly, integrated nationwide trucking industry." 

However, Donohue added, ATA could support doing away with filing if its ben 

efits could be retained. One possible way to do that would be to require that ra 

tes still be kept open at a carrier's office and that Congress decree only those 

rates be charged and collected. 

Truckers, however, have serious problems with the waiver authority granted 

by Exon's bill. "Granting the ICC unbridled exemption authority and terminating 

tariff filing would not serve the public interest," Martin Foley, executive dire 

ctor of the National Motor Freight Association told the panel. 

Donohue added that ATA believes the exemption provision is too broad. "This 

power could be used to frustrate the intent of Congress and eliminate various a 

spects of federal regulation which are essential to the operation of an integrat 

ed, national trucking industry." 

Action on the bill will have to come quickly. The appropriations bill is ex 

pected to hit the Senate floor this week. Republicans then will try to follow th 

eir House counterparts' lead and kill the ICC's funding.

While that effort will be led by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., the top mino 

rity member of the transport subcommittee, the real key to the "kill the ICC" mo 

vement will be Missouri Sen. John Danforth, the ranking Republican on the Commer 

ce committee. He spearheaded a similar push last year and lost by 14 votes. 

Danforth hasn't decided on his view of Exon's plan yet, his top aides say. 

The senator was out of town until minutes before last week's hearings and then l 

eft shortly after the session began. But considering his past zeal for trying to 

kill the agency, one aide said, "I doubt anything that happened (last week) wil 

l change his intentions." 

However, one option that may persuade Danforth is a proposal being circulat 

ed to reduce the number of ICC commissioners from five to three under Exon's pla 

n. A reduction in the number of commissioners is warranted, the reasoning goes, 

due to the significantly reduced responsibilities 

for the ICC. 



AUTH[Editorial 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Wrong Choice 

TEXT[When it was time to be counted on the issue of handing more power to union 

bosses or siding with management and unorganized labor, Nebraska's two senators 

made the wrong choice. 

It was a choice inconsistent with the state's right-to-work philosophy embo 

died in its constitution. The right to work without regard to union membership, 

and freely to join or refrain from joining strikes or other protests and hang on 

to one's job, should be fundamental in all of America. Unfortunately, such right 

s are protected unevenly, depending on state law. Nebraska workers do have neede 

d protection, and they have lost none of it because the striker replacement bill 

has been defeated. 

Sens. J. J. Exon and Bob Kerrey chose to do the bidding of the Senate's Dem 

ocratic leadership and follow the Clinton example in the matter of striker repla 

cements. The legislation which the president promised to sign would have prohibi 

ted American business enterprises from firing striking union members and replaci 

ng them. 

That action is already prohibited when unfair labor practices are involved, 

but not when the customary differences about wages, benefits or work rules are. 

It defies common sense to conclude that full job rights must continue under all 

circumstances involving labor protests. Federal authorities have already gone t 

oo far in excusing thuggery associated with labor protests. 

The legislation would have shifted the existing labor-management balance he 

avily toward union bosses, and in doing so encouraged irresponsible strikes, the 

reby jeopardizing American productivity. 

This should not be a partisan issue, but on the national scene, the Democra 

tic Party's debts to union bosses have made it so. Thus it was left to the GOP m 

inority in the Senate to challenge the opponents, and force them to come up with 

a three-fifths majority in order to pass their bill. They failed. 

It might have been a defeat for President Clinton, as was said following th 

e votes on the issue. Organized labor's leaders may also consider it a defeat. B

ut for all American workers who wish to retain control of their lives and liveli 

hoods, union and non-union alike, it should be regarded as an important victory. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[No market abuse, study says 

TEXT[FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - Studes indicate there was no cattle market manipulatio 

n by major meatpackers when futures prices dropped between April and June, the a 

cting chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission said. 


drops, Barbara Holum told about 80 people gatheared at a public meeting Saturda 

y on the futures markets. 

The studies weren't completed, but preliminary results indicate no manipula 

tion, officials said. 

U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., asked Ms. Holum and repres 

entatives of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade to m 

eet with Nebraska farmers and ranchers after an outcry over price instability in 

the grain and livestock markets. 

Some ranchers have argued that major meatpackers dominate the market and ca 

n manipulate prices. 

"The instability that has shaken both the grain and livestock markets over 

the past few months has caused many to ask whether more than the fundamentals of 

supply and demand are behind grain prices," Kerrey has said. "This meeting will 

give us the opportunity to address those concerns and to get some answers." 

Many feedlot operators hold cattle a week longer than necessary in the hope 

s of getting a higher price," said Don Knobbe of West Point. 

Knobbe said that adds as much as 25 pounds per head to the tonnage of beef 

being produced and placed on the market. 

"In agriculture, we have a tendency to produce what we want to produce, not 

what the world wants," Knobbe said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Crime commission receives grant 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) U.S.Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both Nebraska Democrats, anno 

unced Monday that the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justic 

e has been awarded a $2.81 million federal grant to fight drug abuse and violent 

crime. 

The money will go toward detecting and prosecuting drug and violent crime o 

ffenders throughout Nebraska. It also will help fund anti-drug 

programs in the state.





BK#[ 

HDLN[State gets grant 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb7(AP) - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both Nebraska Democra 

ts, announced Monday that the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Crimina 

l Justice has been awarded a $2.81 million federal grant to fight drug abuse and 

violent crime. 


ffenders throughout Nebraska. lt also will help fund anti-drug programs in the s 

tate. 



AUTH[World-Herald Bureau 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Anti-Crime Grant 

TEXT[Washington - A $2.81 million federal grant has been awarded to the Nebraska 

Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Ker 

rey, both D-Neb., said the money will be used to fight drug abuse and violent cr 

ime. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's war on crime, drugs gets boost from $2.81 million grant 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both Nebraska Democrats, a 

nnounced Monday that the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Jus 

tice has been awarded a $2.81 million federal grant to fight drug and violent cr 

ime abusers. 


ffenders throughout Nebraska. It also will help fund anti-drug programs in the s 

tate. 




SOUR[New York Journal of Commerce

BK#[ 

HDLN[What's next for the ICC? 

TEXT[IF ALL GOES AS EXPECTED, the House and Senate soon will approve bills that 

keep the Interstate Commerce Commission around for at least another year. After 

a June vote by the full House to kill the agency's funding on Oct. 1, Congress n 

ow seems poised to grant the ICC an 11th hour reprieve. But rather than ending t 

he debate over the commission and its future, the congressional about-face is ju 

st the beginning of a closer - and much-needed - look at what the ICC does. 

From the beginning of the current fight to sunset the agency - launche 

d in early June by Reps. John Kasich and Joel Hefley - the commission's supporte 

rs have argued against a rush to judgment. Indeed, at a meeting with this newspa 

per's editorial board last week, the ICC's four commissioners, especially Karen 

Phillips, criticized the House's "slash and burn" approach toward the ICC. The K 

asich-Hefley plan would strip the agency's funding first, transfer its duties to 

the Department of Transportation and only then evaluate the ICC's role. 

Mr. Kasich's shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later strategy is hardly a 

model of legislative deportment. Still, it was necessary - and remarkably effect 

ive - in forcing Congress to focus on the ICC and some of the pointless laws it 

enforces, especially in trucking. Commissioner Linda Morgan, in fact, acknowledg 

ed last week that Congress hasn't done a comprehensive review of the ICC in year 

s. 

A bill introduced earlier this month by Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Packwoo 

d starts that process. If approved, it would end the rule that trucking companie 

s file their rates with the ICC. That would save the government $13.5 million a 

year in administrative costs; trucking companies would save billions more in fil 

ing expenses and clerical overhead. With the trucking industry and its customers 

now benefiting from open entry and vigorous competition, rate filing makes no s 

ense. 

The ICC's future, however, may well be determined by a pair of studies 

required under the Exon-Packwood bill. The first orders the Department of Trans 

portation to examine the merits of a merger between the ICC and the Federal Mari 

time Commission. The second calls for a joint ICC-DOT review of the commission's 

remaining responsibilities, with an eye toward "enhancing efficiency in governm 

ent." Both studies must be completed in six months. 

There's reason to doubt whether these reports will be objective or cri 

tical in evaluating the ICC; indeed, both the Transportation Department and the 

commission staunchly support an ongoing, independent ICC. The studies would have 

more credibility if they were conducted by an outside agency. Still, an obvious 

whitewash would only strengthen 

the hand of the agency's critics, not relieve pressure on the commission. 

Wherever the studies are done, they must take a hard look at the core 

issue in this debate: the purported benefits of the ICC's independence from exec 

utive branch influence. 

Those benefits are far from clear. Congress, indeed, has been remarkab 

ly inconsistent over the years in deciding which duties belong to independent vs 

. cabinet-level departments. Consider this: The National Transportation Safety B 

oard, an independent agency, has the essential task of investigating transportat 

ion accidents. But unlike the ICC and most other independent agencies, the board 

has no authority to write or enforce rules. The Transportation Department regul 

ates safety, and it can accept or reject board recommendations as it sees fit. O 

n balance, however, DOT accepts many of the board's recommendations and does a g

ood job of overseeing transportation safety. 

What does this say about the roles and importance of independent and e 

xecutive agencies? It suggests that the responsibilities of the two often overla 

p, and that laws, properly written by Congress, can be enforced just as impartia 

lly by executive branch departments like DOT as they can by independent agencies 

like the ICC. 

The commission, then, still bears the burden of proving that its indep 

endence is necessary and worth the cost. 



AUTH[Los Angeles Times 


BK#[ 

HDLN[President hints deal possible on Health Care 

TEXT[Boston - Striking a new, conciliatory tone on health care that caught his c 

ongressional allies by surprise, President Clinton appeared Tuesday to water dow 

n his demand for guaranteed health 

coverage for everyone. 

For weeks, members of Congress have been arguing about whether Clinton's de 

mand for health care for all citizens had to mean, literally, care for everyone 

- a goal that almost certainly cannot be achieved without a law requiring compan 

ies to provide insurance for all workers - or whether the White House would acce 

pt something less, such as insurance for 95 percent of Americans. 

And for weeks, White House officials strenuously have refused to get into t 

hat argument, fearing that to clarify their stance would evaporate the ambiguity 

that might be needed to reach compromise on Capitol Hill. 

Clinton changed that Tuesday. 

Speaking at the annual conference of the nation's governors, Clinton said h 

e recognizes that any piece of legislation would fall short of truly covering ev 

eryone and that he would be satisfied if Congress can pass a bill that moves in 

the direction of universal coverage. 

"We know we're not going to get right at 100 percent (coverage) but we know 

that you've got to get somewhere in the ballpark of 95 percent or upwards," he 

said. The comment was in response to a question from a Republican governor. 

Clinton also said he would accept a plan that did not have the requirement 

for companies to cover all workers, the so-called employer mandate. 

"I would not rule out a health bill that didn't have an employer mandate in 

it," the president said, adding the qualifying phrased "if we knew that we were 

moving toward full coverage and we had some evidence that it would work." 

The president has said similar things about the mandate in the past, but th 

e timing of his remarks, combined with the language suggesting that 95 percent w 

ould be enough, set off a furor of spin and counterspin that consumed official W 

ashington for much of the day. 

Conservatives and moderate Democrats seized on the president's words as a s 

ign of illingness to compromise. 

Liberal Democrats, members of the congressional leadership and some of Clin 

ton's aides insisted his words meant less than they appeared to.

"It means we can get a bill...This is a big day," said Finance Committee Ch 

airman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y. His committee dealt the Clinton plan its 

most serious setback by passing a bill that does not include an employer mandate 

or reach universal coverage. 

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., the leading foe of the Clinton hea 

lth plan, read a transcript of the president's comments before a cluster of micr 

ophones and a bank of television cameras. Dole said Clinton appeared to be "inch 

ing in our direction." 

"Good for him!" said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. "Until the president said somet 

hing like that, l think we were dead in the water." 

But Clinton's words stunned his allies in Congress, where House and Senate 

leaders are at a delicate moment in their effort to put together legislation tha 

t retains the employer mandate. 

Many of the Clinton plan's supporters insisted publicly that his comments were 

not a change of position, but off the record several indicated that they were f 

urious. 

By Tuesday evening, after watching Clinton's rerarks echo across the nightl 

y network news programs White House officials were sufficiently worried to have 

chief of staff Leon Panetta issue a statement trying to clarify what Clinton had 

said. 

"The president's bottom line is what it's always been - guaranteed health c 

overage for every American. And that's what he said to the governors today," Pan 

etta said. "Are we willing to discuss ways to guarantee universal coverage? Abso 

lutely. Are we changing the goal? Absolutely not." 



AUTH[Robert Shogan and Karen Tumulty of the Los Angeles Times 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton relaxes health demands 

TEXT[BOS -Striking a new, conciliatory tone on health care that caught his congr 

essional allies by surprise, President Clinton appeared Tuesday to water down hi 

s demand for guaranteed health coverage for everyone. 

For weeks, members of Congress have been arguing about whether Cl 

inton's demand for health care for all citizens had to mean, literally, care for 

everyone - a goal that almost certainly cannot be achieved without a law requir 

ing companies to provide insurance for all workers - or whether the White House 

would accept something less, such as insurance for 95 percent of Americans. 

And for weeks, White House officials strenuously have refused to 

get into that argument, fearing that to clarify their stance would evaporate the 

convenient ambiguity that may be needed to reach a compromise on Capitol Hill. 


Speaking at the annual conference of the nation's governors, Clinton s 

aid he recognizes that any piece of legislation would fall short of truly coveri 

ng anyone and that he would be satisfied if Congress can pass a bill that moves 

in the direction of universal coverage. 

"We know we're not going to get right at 100 percent (coverage), but w 

e know that you ve got to get somewhere in the ballpark of 95 percent or upwards

," he said. The comment was in response to a question from a Republican governor 

who asked whether he would settle for something less than universal, employer-f 

inanced coverage. 

Clinton also said he would accept a plan that did not have the requirement 

for companies to cover all workers, the so-called employer mandate. "I would not 

rule out a health bill that didn't have an employer mandate in it," the preside 

nt said, adding the qualifying phrase, "if we knew that we were moving toward fu 

ll coverage and we had some evidence that it would work." 

The president had said similar things about the mandate in the past, but th 

e timing of his remarks, combined with the language suggesting that 95 percent w 

ould be enough, set off a furor of spin and connterspin that consumed official W 

ashington for much of the day. 

CONSERVATIVES and moderate Democrats seized on the president's words a 

s a welcome sign of willingness to compromise. Liberal Democrats, members of the 

congressional leadership and some of Clinton's own insisted his words meant les 

s than they appeared to. 

It means we can get a bill...This is a big day," proclaimed Finance Committ 

ee Chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., whose panel dealt the Clinton plan 

its most serious setback to date by passing a bill that does not include an empl 

oyer mandate and does not reach universal coverage. 

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan,, the leading foe of the Clinton hea 

lth plan, was so taken with the president's comments that he read a transcript o 

f them before a cluster of microphones and a bank of television cameras. Dole sa 

id Clinton appeared to be "inching in our direction." 

"Good for him!" exclaimed J. James Exon, D-Neb., a leading committee Democr 

at. Until the president said something like that, I think 

"We're dead in the water." 

But Clinton's words stunned his allies in Congress, where House and Senate 

leaders are at an extraordinarily delicate moment in their effort to put togethe 

r legislation that retains the controversial employer mandate. 

MANY OF the Clinton plan's supporters insisted publicly that his comments d 

id not mark a change of position, but off the record, several indicated they wer 

e furious. 

I guess there's going to be some clarification," said Senate Labor Committe 

e Chairman Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., trying to put the best face on the presid 

ent s comments. 

Clinton did try a clarification later in the day, but his remarks to report 

ers provided little additional guidance. 

I think you have to have a universal coverage goal because if you don't hav 

e the idea of trying to essentially have functionally full coverage - whatever t 

hat is, it's a very high percentage - then the rest of these reforms will not wo 

rk," Clinton said. 

The reason Clinton's remarks hit such a nerve is their delivery at a time t 

hat the congressional Democratic leadership has been delicately trying to piece 

together compromise bills that can pass. 

White House Strategists have been hoping to pass a bill in the House that c 

ontains an employer mandate, giving themselves leverage for an eventual compromi 

se with whatever bill emerges from the Senate, which is more conservative. 

But many House members have strongly resisted the idea of voting for such a 

controversial measure preciseIy because they think the White House would only a 

bandon the idea later, forcing them to cast a politically dangerous vote for nau 

ght. Clinton's words only heightened those fears.

In his remarks Tuesday, Clinton went out of his way to praise Dole who pre 

ceded him at the podium, for his commitment to produce some form of health legis 

lation. Dole was for the most part characteristically caustic in discussing Clin 

ton's own efforts. 



AUTH[Bill Kreifel 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson would donate jackpot to charity 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson's re-election bid won't be on the line when Nebraska Joins 

the Powerball computer game Thursday morning. 

Nelson will buy the first of those number combination tickets when the 

y go on sale at 6:30 a.m. Thursday. And if no one wins tonight's drawing in Des 

Moines for the multistate jackpot of $28 million, the prize will climb to about 

$33 million for the Saturday night drawing, in which the number combos purchased 

in Nebraska will be included for the first time. 

What if Nelson wins? 

Would be give up the Governor's Mansion and buy two or three of his own in 

Hawaii? 

Would he forego the joys of politics for a life of boredom on the beach? 

Apparently not. 

Dara Troutman of Nelson's press office said that should he win, he has deci 

ded to give the money to charity. 

Nelson is scheduled to purchase the firs Powerball ticket during a ceremony 

at a Hy-Vee food store in Omaha. Tickets simultaneonsly will go on sale at more 

than 5OO other retail outlets across the state. 

Nelson also bought Nebraska's first instant win, scratch-off state lottery 

ticket, which was sold during ceremonies at the Bob Devaney Sports Center at 12: 

01 a.m. on Sept. 10, 1993. 

That game - "Nebraska Match 3" - offered top prizes of $5,000. And though h 

e didn't win with his ticket, he also said before he bought it that if it was wo 

rth anything, he would donate the money to charity. 

Troutman said the same give-away plan applies to Nelson's upcoming encounte 

r with Powerball, "although he doesn't have much fear of wiuning." 

She said he has purchased two of Nebraska's instant win tickets so far, "an 

d struck out both times." And during the National Governors' AssoeiatioD meeting 

in Boston, he received two Massachusetts lottery tickets in a gift packet, "and 

he didn't win on those either. So he's not terribly optimistic" that his luck 

will change with Powerball, Troutman said. 



AUTH[Robert Shogan and David Lauter 

SOUR[Pinole West County Times 

BK#[

HDLN[Clinton signals he migh compromise on health coverage 

TEXT[BOSTON - Striking a new, conciliatory tone on health care that caught his c 

ongressional allies by surprise, President Clinton appeared Tuesday to water dow 

n his demand for guaranteed health coverage for everyone. 

Speaking at the annual conference of the Nation's governors, Clinton s 

aid he recognizes that any piece of legislation would fall short of truly coveri 

ng everyone and that he would be satisfied if Congress can pass a bill that move 

s in that direction. 

"We know we're not going to get right at 100 percent (coverage) but we 

know that you ve got to get somewhere in the ballpark of 95 percent or upwards, 

" he said. 

The comment was in response to a question from a Republican governor w 

ho asked whether he would settle for something less than universal, employer-fin 

anced coverage. 

Clinton also said he would accept a plan that does not require compani 

es to cover all workers, the so-called employer mandate. 

"I would not rule out a health bill that didn't have an employer manda 

te in it," the president said, adding the qualifying phrase, "if we knew that we 

were moving toward full coverage and we had some evidence that it would work." 

For weeks, members of Congress have been arguing about whether Clinton 

's demand for health care for all citizens had to mean care for everyone or whet 

her the White House would accept something less, such as insurance for 95 percen 

t of Americans. 

And for weeks, White House officials strenuously have refused to get i 

nto that argument, fearing that to clarify their stance would evaporate the conv 

enient ambiguity that may be needed to reach compromise on Capitol Hill. 


The president had said similar things about the mandate in the past, b 

ut the timing of his remarks, combined with the language suggesting that 95 perc 

ent would be enough, set off a furor of spin and counterspin. 

The war of words left unclear by day's end whether Clinton had deliber 

ately set out to signal new flexibility in his position or whether he had merely 

succumbed to his periodic, and politically dangerous, habit of thinking out lou 

d. 

Whichever the case, the subject consumed official Washington for much 

of the day. 

Conservative and moderate Democrats seized on the president's words as 

a welcome sign of willingness to compromise. 

Liberal Democrats, members of the congressional leadership and some of Cli 

nton's own aides insisted his words meant less than they appeared to mean. 

"It means we can get a bill....This is a big day," proclaimed Finance 

Committee Chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., whose panel dealt the Clinto 

n plan its most serious setback to date by passing a bill that does not include 

an employer mandate and does not reach universal coverage. 

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., the leading foe of the Clinto 

n health plan, was so taken with the president's comments that he read a transcr 

ipt of them before a cluster of microphones and a bank of television cameras. 

Dole said Clinton appeared to be "inching in our direction." 

"Good for him!" exclaimed J. James Exon, I)-Neb., a leading conservati 

ve Democrat. "Until the president said something like that, I think we were dead 

in the water."

But Clinton's words stunned his allies in Congress, where House and Se 

nate leaders are at an extraordinarily delicate moment in their efforts to put t 

ogether legislation that retains the controversial employer mandate. 

Many of the Clinton plan's supporters insisted publicly that his comments d 

id not mark a change of position but off the record several indicated that they 

were furious. 

"I guess there's going to be some clarification," said Edward Kennedy, 

D-Mass., chairman of the Senate labor and Human Resources Cornmittee, trying to 

put the best face on the president's comments. 

Clinton did attempt to clarify what he meant later in the day but his 

remarks to reporters provided little additional guidance. 

"I think you have to have a universal coverage goal because if you don 

't have the idea of trying to essentially have functionally full coverage - what 

ever that is, it's a very high percentage - then the rest of these reforms will 

not work," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Law group to get anti-crime funds 

TEXT[Omaha, Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both Nebraska Democr 

ats, announced that the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Just 

ice has been awarded a $2.81 million federal grant to fight drug abuse and viole 

nt crime. 

The money will go toward detecting and prosecuting drug and violent came of 

fenders throughout Nebraska. 




SOUR[The Miami Herald: International Edition 

BK#[ 

HDLN[none 

TEXT[Sen. J. James Exon has introduced a bill that would reduce markedly the tru 

ck regulatory functions of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The Nebraska Demo 

crat's legislation also would require a study next year on the feasibility of me 

rging the ICC with the Federal Trade Commission. 

It's what I like to call my surf-and-turf option," says Sen. Exon, chairman 

of the surface transportation subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and 

Transportation Committee. 

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, w 

ill visit York County Saturday accompanied by Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon. 

The senators plan to attend the York county fair. 

"It is my hope - my intention - that we come away from this weekend with en 

ough insight and enough information to do the right things in the 1995 farm bill

," Kerrey said. 

On Saturday night Leahy will attend a campaign fund-raising barbecue for Kerr 

ey at the home of Marv and Barb Nielsen southeast of York from 5 to 7 p.m. The e 

vent ill be $30 per person or $50 per family. 




SOUR[Bellevue Leader 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Bad news for Alaska, good news for Offutt 

TEXT[Offutt Air Force Base will receive 49 new full-time military jobs under an 

Air Force plan to deactivate two operations in Alaska 

U.S. Sen. J. James Exon announced the development July, 13 in a press 

release issued from Washington, D.C. 

The Air Force is shutting down two operations responsible for space su 

rveillance and detection of foreign missile sites at Eareckscn Air Station in Al 

aska. 

As a result, Eareckson is scheduled to lose 565 full-time military pos 

itions and 10 civilian positions. The station will gain 110 civilian contractor 

personnel. 

The positions to be transferred to Offutt will come from the 16th Spac 

e Surveillance Squadron. 

Exon said the transfer is good news for Offutt. 

"I am encouraged that the role of Offutt in meeting the challenges of 

the 21st century continues to grow," Exon said. 

Offutt already is slated to receive up to 750 new jobs when it gains a 

Defense Department finance and accounting center. 

Exon said the 49 new arrivals should be in place by early next year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Leahy, Vermont, to visit York Co. fair 

TEXT[Sen, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee 

, will visit York County Saturday accompanied by Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon. 

The senators plan to attend the York county fair. 

"It is my hope - my intention - that we come away from this weekend with en 

ough insight and enough information to do the right things in the 1995 farm bill 


On Saturday night Leahy will attend a campaign fund-raising barbecue for Ke 

rrey at the home of Marv and Barb Nielsen southeast of York from 5 to 7 p.m. Th 

e event will be $30 per person or $50 per family.



AUTH[Strike Title 10 Coalition 

SOUR[Omaha World-Herald, advertisement 

BK#[ 

HDLN[none 

TEXT[ SENATOR EXON, 

HELP KEEP WORKERS' COMPENSATION 

OUT OF HEALTH CARE REFORM 

THE PROBLEM: 

President Clinton's health care package includes a section called Title 10 

that would turn over control of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation System to the 

President's national health care plan. Supporters claim this will reduce costs. 

on 

But here's what it will really do: 

þ Increase employer costs 

þ Take control away from Nebraska and give it to Washingt 

þ Hurt jobs here in Nebraska 

þ Increase the potential for fraud and abuse 

THE SOLUTION: 

Strike Title 10 Before It Strikes 

Nebraska's Employers. 

What Nebraska's Employers Can Do: Call the STRIKE TITLE 10 

ACTION HOTLINE at 1-800-829-0071, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., as soon as possible 

. Ask to speak to Senator Exon's office, and tell him that Nebraskans know what' 

s best for Nebraska. We don't need any more "help" from Washington. Tell Senator 

Exon to strike Title 10 before it strikes you! 

KEEP NEBRASKA'S COMP COSTS DOWN 

CALL 1-800-829-0071 

Sponsored by Strike Title 10 Coalition, an organization of 

over 2,000 insurance companiesand more than 270,000 independent agents and comme 

rcial insurance brokers. 




SOUR[York News-Times

BK#[ 

HDLN[$1.78 million available to small and medium manufacturing firms 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The federal government has awarded $1.78 million to the 

Nebraska Department of Economic Department to help small and medium-sized manufa 

cturing firms shift from defense to civilian production. 

The grant will pay for the creation of the Nebraska Industrial Competi 

tiveness Service, which will help provide assistance to such businesses, U.S. Se 

ns. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said Wednesday. 

The grant is being awarded by the National Institute of Standards and techn 

ology in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense. 




SOUR[Stromsburg Polk County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Agriculture Chief To Attend Kerrey Fundraiser in York 

TEXT[The Chairman of U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee will accompany Nebraska 

Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon to York this Saturday for a tour of York County 

. 

Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont arrives in Omaha on Saturday for a tw 

o-day stay. A 19-year member of the Senate, Leahy chairs the Senate Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. He also chairs the Appropriations Subcommi 

ttee on Foreign Operations and the Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology and Law. 

I am pleased to have Senator Exon and Senator Leahy come back to Nebra 

ska with me," Kerrey said. "This will give Chairman Leahy an opportunity to see 

first hand the needs of the Nebraska farmers that I have been fighting for." 

Kerrey said bringing Leahy to Nebraska, particularly with events like 

the York County Fair being held throughout the state, helps them prepare for the 

1995 Farm Bill. 

"Dealing with the Nebraska Agricultural Community during these events 

of, essentially, a celebration of the state's rich farming heritage - it reinfor 

ces the belief that we must not fail in our attempt to hammer out an equitable f 

arm policy," Kerrey said. 

Kerrey, Leahy and Exon will be in attendance for a barbecue, in Kerrey 

's honor, held at the home of Marv and Barb Nielsen, southeast of York, from 5 p 

.m. to 7 p.m. The event is open to the public at $30 per person or $50 for the w 

hole family. Children are admitted free. 




SOUR[Schuyler Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Derrick Lich received Eagle Scout award 

TEXT[Derrick Lich, son of Terry and Darlene Lich, Madison, and grandson of Leo a

nd Donna Groteluschen of Leigh, received his Eagle Scout award in a ceremony con 

ducted at Trinity Lutheran Church, Madison, on June 26. He was honored at a rece 

ption following at the Madison City Auditorium. 

Many attended the ceremony, and the honoree received congratulations from P 

resident and Mrs. Clinton, Senator Robert Kerrey, Senator J. J. Exon, Governor B 

en Nelson, and Congressmen Bill Barrett and Doug Bereuter. 

Lich joined Tiger Cubs when he was in the first grade. Later he became 

a Cub Scout member, achieving the Arrow of Light, the highest rank in Cub Scout 

s. 

In 1990, Derrick joined Scout Troop 135. He has since earned 102 merit 

s out of a possible 121 merits, only 21 of which are required to become an Eagle 

Scout. 

A junior at Madison High School, he has been an honor student since hi 

s freshman year. He played football his freshman and sophomore years. 

He plans to remain in scouting and attain more merits. He would like t 

o attend college and major in civil engineering. 




SOUR[Stromsburg Polk County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce Grants For Family Practice Medicine 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced federal grant 

s recently to Nebraska's two medical schools. 

One is a $133,268 grant for the Creighton University School of Medicin 

e to provide additional training in family practice medicine in the curriculum s 

tudied by first and second-year medical students. 

Creighton's goal is for 25 percent of its graduates to enter family pr 

actice. Among this year's graduating class of 104 medical students, 18 students 

- or approximately 17 percent - chose family practice. 

The second grant is to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, also 

in Omaha. The $243,130 grant has been awarded to encourage doctors at the Unive 

rsity to conduct more research about family practice medicine. 

Both grants are awarded through the federal Department Health and Huma 

n Services. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State gets grant for economic shift 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP)-The federal government has awarded $1.78 million to the Nebraska 

Department of Economic Development to help small and medium-size manufacturing 

firms shift from defense to civilian production.

The grant will pay for the creation of the Nebraska Industrial Competitiven 

ess Service, which will help provide assistance to such businesses, U.S. Sens. J 

im Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said Wednesday. 

The grant is being awarded by the National Institute of Standards and Techn 

ology in cooperation with the UPS. Department of Defense. 




SOUR[Chappell Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Cable TV Advocate Visits Nebraska 

TEXT[Nebraska consumers could see a 30% cut in their cable TV rates with increas 

ed cable competition according to Gary Frink, president of the national cable co 

nsumer organization Television Viewers of America. But, Frink warns that unless 

changes are made to legislation currently before the U. S. Senate, these savings 

may be delayed for years. 

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed legislation to open up c 

ompetition in cable TV by a lopsided 423-4 margin, and the U.S. Senate Commerce 

Committee will consider the issue within the next several weeks. 

"Basic cable TV rates in Nebraska have increased dramatically. Between 198 

6 and 1993 basic cable TV rates in ten of Nebraska's largest cities increased an 

average of 99 percent," said Frink, who is talking to consumers in Nebraska thi 

s week. "Now is the time for Nebraska consumers to tell their Senators enough i 

s enough. We need competition in cable TV now." 

According to Frink, Omaha is an example of how even the potential for compe 

tition benefits cable television consumers. With the local telephone company pre 

paring to test video dial tone service among Omaha residents, cable television r 

ates in Omaha increased 38% between 1986 and 1993. During the same period cable 

rates in other Nebraska cities where competition does not exist increased by as 

much as ###%. 

For Mr. Frink, whose organization played a significant role in passing the 

1992 Cable Act, regulations have been a disappointment. "Congress promised big r 

ate cuts as a result of the Cable Act, but the reality is that many cable subscr 

ibers in Nebraska and across the country have seen their rates go up, not down." 

said Frink. 

According to the FCC, one-third of cable subscribers nationwide saw their r 

ates climb after the 1992 Cable Act was implemented last September. In February, 

the FCC announced a new round of cable TV rate regulations. 

But regulation will never be as effective at lowering rates and improving s 

ervice as competition, according to Frink, and that's the problem. "What we con 

sumers need from Congress is more competition in cable TV. In the few areas wher 

e fair, equal competition in cable services exists, rates are 30% below the nati 

onal average," said Frink. 

Consumers agree with Frink. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed by the 

National Consumers League favored competition between telephone and cable compan 

ies in providing cable television service. And 68 percent said Congress should c 

hange the law to allow phone company competition in cable television. 

The U.S. Senate is currently considering legislation, S. 1822, that would a

ddress telephone company competition in cable TV, but, according to Frink, this 

legislation may actually delay competition unless it is changed. TVA joins the 

Communication Workers of America (CWA) in supporting an amendment by Senators Br 

eaux (D-LA) and Packwood (R-OR) that would allow competition in cable TV more im 

mediately. 

"If S. 1822 is going to benefit consumers by making competition in cable TV 

a reality, then the Breaux/Packwood amendment must be adopted," said Frink. "W 

e consumers want competition, and we want it immediately. Unless the Breaux/Pack 

wood amendment is added that won't happen." 

Frink encourages Nebraska consumers to contact Sen. James Exon, a member of 

the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and urge him to chan 

ge S. 1822 to allow all potential providers to compete equally and immediately i 

n the cable TV business by incorporating the Breaux/Packwood amendment. 

Nebraska consumers interested in finding out more about TVA's efforts to re 

duce rates and increase service in the cable television marketplace should call 

1 -(800)-TVA-INFO. 



AUTH[Mary Kay Roth 


BK#[ 

HDLN[LPS officials assess impact of cuts as budget is fine-tuned 

TEXT[As the axe hangs over their heads, officials in programs throughout the Lin 

coln Public Schools system are scrambling to make ends meet. 

Although the Lincoln School Board tentatively agreed to restore some funds 

to a few programs proposed for the chopping block, it appears cuts will reverber 

ate throughout the district from summer school to athletics, from the gifted pro 

gram to busing. 

"I am really disheartened," said Becky Wild, in charge of summer school at 

LPS. 

"I UNDERSTAND that summer school is a natural place to cut, but we're just 

now moving in the right direction...our teachers are getting much more creative. 

" 

The school board will not approve a final budget until Tuesday, but it appe 

ars summer school may disappear at the elementary and middle-school levels - and 

be offered to high school students for higher fees to make the program self sup 

porting. 

Wild said she is not certain a self-supporting program will actually save m 

oney. 

"I think this could be more costly to our patrons than they think," she war 

ned. 

She cited the two-week driver's education classes for summer which were mad 

e self-supporting and now cost $175. "We have not sat down and figured it out y 

et, though it certainly can be done, but I'm afraid we won't see a very good res 

ponse." 

FUNDING FOR the new program, meanwhile, will tentatively be cut from $345,0 

00 to $200,000, which probably means postponing implementation at the secondary 

level.

Marilyn Moore, associate superintendent of instruction at LPS, said 

this week that if you must cut the program, it makes sense to divide implementat 

ion into the two age levels. 

Under a scaled-down $200,000 program, facilitators for the coming scho 

ol year's gifted program would he hired only at the elementary level. 

At LPS transportation, proposed cuts of $100,000 would mean removing p 

araprofessionals from most of the buses for regular education. 

"We'll just have to expect driver to handle it on their own," according to 

Jean Mann, director of LPS transportation. 

She explained that Paras are now used on some buses with middle school 

students, but mostly for those filled with children in the lower grades. 

"IF WE HAVE 10 to 15 kids, that's easy to manage, but not when you hav 

e 30 kindergartners on one bus. Mostly you need paras just to make them sit down 

." 

"Paras generally help the smaller children board the bus, put on their seat 

belts and make sure they keep them on, Mann explained. "It saves a lot of time. 

" 

However, she added, "we probably just won't do that anymore." 

Karen Hand explained that, due to the $50,000 in proposed cuts for activiti 

es and athletics at LPS, transportation would no longer be provided to ninth-gra 

ders for competition within the city. 

Those games are often scheduled around 5 p.m., a difficult time for parents 

to transport kids, Hand explained. 

"But we'll just have to make ninth-graders act like high school students," 

she said. "It will be an inconvenience." 

She explained that the department had tried not to make cuts on items that 

were not absolutely critical to the program. "We didn't want to take away oppor 

tunities for kids to participate." 

Wild said it was important to stay optimistic. 

"We need to be more creative," she said. 

She cited more independent study courses and programs such as rebates offer 

ed to summer school students at Lincoln High last year if they finished the cour 

se early. 

"We definitely haven't explored everything we could do." 




SOUR[Rapid City Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Wrong point to waver on 

TEXT[In recent days, President Clinton has given indications of wavering on his 

insistence that any health care reform bill that Congress sends him includes cov 

erage for everyone. 

In a speech to a conference of the nation's governors Tuesday, Clinton 

said he could accept a bill that expands health insurance coverage from the cur 

rent level of about 85 percent of Americans to "somewhere in the ballpark of 95 

percent or upwards."

Supporters of his health care plan immediately cringed. Up to this poi 

nt, the president has said that his entire proposal was negotiable except for on 

e point: universal coverage. 

And nothing has changed. He should stick to it. 

Too much of what is wrong with America's health care system is because 

too many people are not covered or are undercovered by health insurance. 

And now, when those people need medical care that they can't afford, t 

hey aren't turned away. They get cared for and everyone else pays. 

It makes sense that all Americans should have insurance or, at least, 

have responsibility for their own health care costs. It makes sense - for their 

good and for everyone's. 

Clinton and Robert Dole, Senate Republican leader, who also spoke to t 

he governor's conference, both said they want Congress to forego its August rece 

ss if necessary to complete work on a health care reform bill. 

Meanwhile, Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., is urging that Clinton and congres 

sional leaders from both parties hole up at Andrews Air Force Base and hammer ou 

t a compromise bill. 

The effort toward arriving at a health care reform bill is headed into 

the stretch run. 

There are still major questions to be resolved. But it would be a poor 

time for the president to drop the one element of his proposal that is the most 

necessary - ensuring that all Americans are covered. 



AUTH[Christopher Connell 

SOUR[San Francisco Examiner 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Demos to rework health package 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Democratic congressional leaders have told President Clinton t 

hey are abandoning many of his key health care proposals and will come up with a 

reform plan of their own that is "less bureaucratic, more voluntary and phased 

in over a longer period of time." 

Clinton said Friday he welcomes the changes. 

"We listened to the American people. All of us did," Clinton said, echoing 

comments the night before by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine. 

Clinton said that he had been willing to compromise on many elements of the 

plan all along but that his bottom-line goal is still coverage of all Americans 

. 

"I'm still waiting for someone else to produce a bill ... that achieves uni 

versal coverage," he said. 

"The leaders reaffirmed their belief that our objectives should stay the sa 

me," Clinton said. "The burden is on those who think they have a better idea." 

Mitchell and other Democratic leaders met with Clinton and his 

wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the chief architect of the administration's plan, 

in the Oval Office Thursday night. Following the 90-minute session, the lawmake 

rs said any new plan will retain Clinton's goal of coverage for all Americans. 

House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., said the approach was imbued with "a n 

ew spirit" focusing on specific goals of health care reform and reflecting criti

cisms of Clinton's original health care proposals. 

Foley, Mitchell and House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., said bot 

h the president and the first lady had enthusiastically embraced the proposal. 

Congress is pointing toward an August showdown on whether reform will provi 

de health coverage for all Americans, and how expanded coverage would be finance 

d. 

"We've listened to America; we've listened to Republicans as well as Democr 

ats," Mitchell said. 

"And we told the president that we're going to suggest different 

approaches to achieve the same objectives." 

"Our plans will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary, and will be phased in 

over a longer period of time," Mitchell said. 

None of the leaders elaborated on specifics, but they suggested 

that the changes - including how the plan would be financed - would be significa 

nt. 

Foley said Friday that under the measure being written in the House, there 

would be some "slight possible delay" in achieving full coverage beyond the 1998 

target contained in a bill passed by the House Ways and Means Committee. 

He added only that there would be "guaranteed insurance for Americans with 

employer mandates." 

John Rother, director of legislation and policy for the American Associatio 

n of Retired Persons, said he expects the leadership bills will take "a couple o 

f years longer" to achieve universal coverage than the 1998 deadline in Clinton' 

s original bill and three of the committee-passed plans. 

Rother said the Democratic leaders were distancing themselves from the 

president's original, unpopular plan. 

"There's a lot of public confusion that health reform equals the Clint 

on bill," he said. "They are trying to get the public to take a fresh look" at t 

heir own plans, which will be "quite different." 

On the most controversial of provisions, Foley said Thursday that the 

House will vote on a requirement for businesses to pay for some portion of insur 

ance coverage for workers. 

Mitchell made no such pledge, but when asked whether the so-called emp 

loyer mandate would be excluded in his bill, he said, "It should not sound that 

way because that's not the way it is." 

Clinton proposed employers pay 30 percent of the cost of insuring work 

ers and their families. 

The House bill is likely to provide additional protection for small fi 

rms and give them more time to comply; in private meetings, Mitchell has broache 

d the idea of employers paying 50 percent of the cost of insuring workers, but n 

ot their families, an approach that key moderate Democrats find more appealing. 

Mitchell said the goals of Clinton's original proposal would remain un 

changed, including insurance coverage for all Americans that could not be cancel 

ed. 

He said it also would emphasize preventive and timely care while "main 

taining the highest possible quality ... individual choice of physicians and pro 

viding choice in health insurance plans." 

The three leaders said there would be differences in the Senate and Ho 

use versions that the Democrats planned to develop and they acknowledged that mo 

st of the details had yet to be worked out. 

Democratic leaders had spent the day sounding out House and Senate mem 

bers in private about what was needed to win their votes before heading to the W

hite House for the meeting with Clinton. 

The Senate Finance Committee was expecting a grim report from the Cong 

ressional Budget Office on the red ink in its proposal to get 95 percent of Amer 

icans covered by 2002 through insurance reforms and subsidies. 

Without the mandates in Clinton's proposal that employers pay the bulk 

of their workers' insurance premiums, moderate Democrats supporting the Senate 

committee's plan were reportedly talking about having to come up width up to $10 

0 billion in new taxes. 

One Democratic senator even urged Clinton to hole up at a suburban Air 

Force base with leaders from both parties to thrash out a compromise at a healt 

h care summit. Former President George Bush did just that in 1990 on the federal 

budget and ended up reneging on his 1988 campaign pledge not to raise taxes. 

"I think the only way the Newt Gingrichs and the George Mitchells of t 

he world together is for the president to put them in the room together and say, 

'OK, ladies and gentlemen, let's work something out; if not, let's call it quit 

s,"' Sen. James Exon D-Neb, said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats lay out health plan 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Democratic Congressional leaders who met with President Clinto 

n said they will abandon many of Clinton's key health care proposals under a ref 

orm plan of their own. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., Senate Majority Leader George Mitche 

ll and House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt said late Thursday that both Clint 

on and his wife, Hillary, had enthusiastically embraced the proposal. 

The leaders said their plan will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary 

and phased in over a longer period of time. But any new plan will retain Clinton 

's goal of coverage for all Americans, they said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., had said before the congressional leaders' anno 

uncement that Clinton should hold a summit with leaders in Congress if he wants 

to salvage some form of his health care reform plan. 

"I told him the only way it can happen this year with some sort of sum 

mit meeting. He said it was an interesting proposal," Exon had said after a 40-m 

inute meeting Thursday with Clinton. 

Exon, who couldn't be reached immediately for comment after the congre 

ssional leaders met with Clinton, said the president promised to consider his su 

ggestion of a health summit at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. 

Clinton wooed Democratic senators in private meetings at the White Hou 

se. Exon said he met with Clinton at the president's request. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant awarded to help replace military contracts 

TEXT[D.C. -- U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-Neb.) and Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), announced 

today that the federal government has awarded $1.78 million to the Nebraska Depa 

rtment of Economic Development to help small and medium-sized manufacturing firm 

s throughout the state to shift from defense products to civilian goods. 

The grant will provide funding for two years to create the Nebraska In 

dustrial Competitiveness Service, coordinating the efforts of the University of 

Nebraska, the state's community colleges and other organizations to provide tech 

nical assistance to companies around the state. It will serve manufacturing firm 

s much like the university extension service has served farmers for many years. 

The grant is being awarded by the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology in coordination with the Department of Defense. 

"Small and medium-sized manufacturing firms are an important segment o 

f Nebraska's economy," Exon and Kerrey said. "This initiative will help Nebraska 

firms become more competitive in the global marketplace. It will also strengthe 

n the bond between Nebraska businesses, communities and higher education." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Endorse Combs for House 

TEXT[Lincoln- Gov. Nelson, Nebraska's two U.S. senators, a former governor and a 

former lieutenant governor have endorsed Democratic congressional candidate Pat 

rick Combs of Lincoln. 

Combs is challenging Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., in the 1st District. 

U.S. Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, who were both former governors, former 

Gov. Frank Morrison and former Lt. Gov. Don McGinley joined Nelson in endorsing 

Combs recently. The officials are all Democrats. 

Morrison said that Combs, a partner in a family used-car business, had a sm 

all-business background that is lacking in Congress. 

"Moreover, he has support in both Republican and Democratic circles," Morri 

son said in a press release. "He is positioned to lead a new generation to Washi 

ngton." 

Exon and Kerrey cited Combs' commitment to balance the federal budget, and 

his support for reforms of the nation's criminal justice and health-care systems 

. 




SOUR[Omaha Morning World-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon to Clinton: Talks Needed

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., called Thursday for President Clinton 

and congressional leaders to holda "summit meeting" to negotiate a bipartisan co 

mpromise on health care. 

Exon said he made his suggestion during a 40-minute meeting Thursday with C 

linton at the White House. He said Clinton could meet for a weekend at Camp Davi 

d with 20 or so Democrats and Republicans. 

"He said it was an interesting proposal," Exon said. 

Unless Clinton does that, Exon said, it is unlikely that the president and 

Congress will reach agreement this year on health-care legislation. 

Four congressional committees have advanced health-care bills. Now Senate a 

nd House leaders are working to merge the proposals for floor action. "There are 

a lot of worthy suggestions, but no one has come up with anything as of now tha 

t is likely to get enough votes to pass," Exon said he told Clinton. "I said, 'G 

ridlock has taken over, and the way I think that you can break gridlock is to pr 

ovide the leadership, Mr. President, by saying you're willing to listen.'" 

Exon said the bill advanced earlier this month by the Senate Finance Commit 

tee would be a good basis for compromise because it is the most moderate of the 

committee proposals. But he said the measure lacks adequate cost estimates and c 

ould add to the federal budget deficit. 

"It has to be paid for if it's going to get my vote," he said. 

Cost Concerns Kerrey, Too 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he also wants changes in the Senate Finance p 

roposal that emphasize cost containment, even at the expense of covering all Ame 

ricans. 

"Let's come strong on the need to balance spending with revenues," he said. 

The Senate should strengthen provisions that would require Congress to bala 

nce the government's health care each year by reducing health-care spending or f 

inding additional revenues, Kerrey said. 

Once Congress proves that it can handle that task, he said, the public woul 

d be more willing to support changes needed to reach universal coverage. 

"Citizens don't trust that the Clinton bill will get to universal coverage 

in a way that they can afford," he said. 

Hoagland Sees No Consensus 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said he is not optimistic that Congress will r 

each any agreement this year on a bill he can support. Instead. he said, it may 

be better to do nothing and allow market forces to operate in the health-care ma 

rket for several years. 

"On an issue as big as this, there needs to be a bipartisan consensus," he 

said. "We're not there yet. I just don't see a consensus bill. That's probably a 

good thing. If the country's not ready for a bill, we shouldn't pass one." 

Hoagland said the underlying question for Congress in all health-care legis 

lation is: "How do you finance those premiums you're going to pay for the poor p 

eople?" 

One solution is to require businesses to provide benefits to employees, but 

there is significant opposition in Congress to such an employer mandate - a mes 

sage that Exon said he gave Clinton. 

But the federal government also would be hard-pressed to pick up the tab fo 

r health insurance subsidies without creating a costly new entitlement. 

"It doesn't do us any good to come up with a bill that's not funded," Hoagl 

and said. "They may develop a bill I can vote for, but I doubt it." 

Exon said he favors passage of a bill without an employer mandate, but with

provisions for adding a modified employer mandate in the future if market refor 

ms do not produce cost savings. Under such a plan, employers might have to pay a 

minimum of 50 percent of worker health benefits, just as businesses now cover h 

alf of the Social Security tax payment. 

"I haven't heard any complaints about Social Security, which has mandates i 

n it," he said. 

Exon said other ways to finance health-care reform may not require an emplo 

yer mandate. But he said everyone should realize that "this is not going to be a 

free ride." 




SOUR[Stanton Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[PHOTO 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon (D-NE) and his wife, Pat, recently toured the USS Nebraska in 

Port Canaveral, Fla. Mrs. Exon is the sponsor of the submarine named for the Co 

rnhusker State. The USS Nebraska is "home ported" in King's Bay, Georgia. U.S. N 

avy photo. 



AUTH[Don Phillips 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate votes to cut ICC Budget more than %30 

TEXT[The Senate voted yesterday to cut the Interstate Commerce Commission's budg 

et by more than 30 percent, guaranteeing at least a major restructuring of the n 

ation's oldest regulatory body. 

The budget cut was contained in a $38.7 billion fiscal 1995 appropriations 

bill for the Transportation Department and related agencies. It now goes to a co 

nference with the House, which voted earlier to eliminate the ICC. 

"It will no longer be business as usual at the Interstate Commerce Commissi 

on," said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ.), chairman of the Senate Appropriation 

s transportation subcommittee. 

The Senate bill, which passed 91 to 9, would appropriate $30.3 million to t 

he agency, $13.5 million less than the Clinton administration's request and $14. 

6 million less than last year. The bill would cut 194 of the agency's current 62 

2 staff positions. 

If the ICC survives the House-Senate conference, as now seems likely, it is 

certain to be relieved of most of its remaining responsibilities for trucking r 

egulation, leaving oversight of railroad mergers, track abandonments and other r 

ail matters as its main duties. 

A bill to do just that has been introduced by Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.).

The Exon bill, among other things, would end the requirement for truckers to fil 

e freight rates with the ICC. Little use is made of the filed rates anymore. 

The threat to the ICC's existence was engineered by two House Republicans - 

John R. Kasich of Ohio and Joel Hefley of Colorado. To the surprise of many, th 

e House voted 234 to 192 on June 16 to "zero-out" the ICC appropriation, and thu 

s kill the agency. 

That would mean that all necessary ICC functions would be transferred to th 

e Transportation Department, the Justice Department or other agencies by Oct. 1, 

the beginning of the fiscal year. No effort was made in the Senate to eliminate 

the agency. 

Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), ranking minority member of the transportatio 

n subcommittee, said the subcommittee considered that House action too abrupt. 

"We thought we had to deal with this in a way that would provide an orderly 

transition," D'Amato said. 




SOUR[Portland Oregonian 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Demos to craft new health care plan 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Democratic congressional leaders told President Clinton on Thu 

rsday night that they were abandoning many of his key health care proposals and 

would come up with a reform plan of their own that is "less bureaucratic, more v 

oluntary and phased in over a longer period of time." 

Any new plan, however, will retain Clinton's goal of coverage for all Ameri 

cans, the leaders said after emerging from a 90-minute meeting in the Oval Offic 

e with Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, the chief architect of the 

administration's plan. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., said the approach is imbued with "a new spirit 

" focusing on specific goals of health care reform and reflecting criticisms of 

Clinton's original health care proposals. 

Foley, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and House Majority leader Richard 

Gephardt of Missouri said both Clinton and his wife had enthusiastically embrace 

d the proposal. 

"The president is ready to go and ready to fight," said White House officia 

l George Stephanopoulos after listening to the three leaders explain their propo 

sal. 

"We've listened to America; we've listened to Republicans as well as Democr 

ats," Mitchell said. "And we told the president that we're going to suggest diff 

erent approaches to achieve the same objectives." 

"Our plans will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary, and will be phased in 

over a longer period of time," Mitchell said. 

None of the leaders elaborated on the specifics of how what they plan to de 

velop will differ from Clinton's plan, but they indicated that the changes will 

be significant. 

Mitchell said the goals of Clinton's original proposal will remain unchange 

d, including insurance coverage for all Americans that could not be canceled. 

He said it also would emphasize preventive and timely care while maintainin

g the highest possible quality ... individual choice of physicians and providing 

choice in health insurance plans." 

The three leaders said there will be differences in the Senate and House ve 

rsions that the Democrats plan to develop and acknowledged that most of the deta 

ils have yet to be worked out. 

Democratic leaders had spent the day sounding out House and Senate members 

in private about what was needed to win their votes before heading to the White 

House for the meeting with Clinton. 

The Senate Finance Committee was expecting a grim report from the Congressi 

onal Budget Office on the red ink in its proposal to get 95 percent of Americans 

covered by 2002 through insurance reforms and subsidies. 

Without the mandates in Clinton's proposal that employers pay the bulk of t 

heir workers' insurance premiums, moderate Democrats supporting the Senate commi 

ttee's plan were reportedly talking about having to come up with up to $100 bill 

ion in new taxes. 

One Democratic senator even urged Clinton to hole up at a suburban Air Forc 

e base with leaders from both parties to thrash out a compromise at a health car 

e summit. Former President Bush did just that in 1990 and ended up reneging on h 

is 1988 campaign pledge not to raise taxes. 

Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., recommended a 50-50 premium split between employer 

s and employees instead of 80-20. 

Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., emerged from his own meeting with Clinton 

to question Exon's proposal for a summit. "Everyone is in touch with each other 

already," he said. 

Hollings said the problem is all the plans now on the table are "about $200 

billion shy" of being paid for. 

Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and Education 

Secretary Richard Riley teamed up earlier with Sens. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn 

, and Patty Murray, D-Wash., to plead for coverage for children. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Reserve unit is supported by Hoagland 

TEXT[Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., told Pentagon officials Thursday that they sho 

uld not close an Army Reserve medical unit that is based in Omaha. 

In a letter to Secretary of the Army Togo West, Hoagland asked that Army offi 

cials reconsider their decision to deactivate the 420-member 82nd Field Hospital 

. 

Closing the unit or replacing it with a smaller one would not good for the mi 

litary or the local community, Hoagland said. 

"The 82nd Field Hospital has historically provided a high level of medical su 

pport to Army, Army Reserve and National Guard units," Hoagland said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., also is working on the issue. 

Exon told leaders of the 82nd that he has contacted top Pentagon officials to 

make sure that decisions to deactivate units are "made in an equitable and just

ified manner." 

Army Reserve officials have said the 82nd was selected to be closed, or possi 

bly trimmed, because of the efforts to shrink the nation's military. 

Hoagland said Omaha offers the unit a strong recruiting base with two medical 

schools, two universities, 13 civilian hospitals, two trauma centers, two gover 

nment hospitals and three major nursing schools. 

The Omaha area also is a good location for the unit because it could easily a 

nd quickly transport its troops and equipment by taking advantage of nearby Offu 

tt Air Force Base, a major airport, major railroad lines and Inter-state highway 

s, Hoagland said. 




SOUR[Falls City Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Sizeable grant to fight drug abuse 

TEXT[WASHINGTON--U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska announced today 

that the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice has been aw 

arded a $2.81 million federal grant to fight drug abuse and violent crime. 

Money from the grant will be put toward detecting, apprehending and prosecuti 

ng drug and violent crime offenders throughout Nebraska. It also will provide mo 

ney for anti-drug programs in the state, such as training law enforcement office 

rs for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democratic leaders lay out own health reform plan 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Democratic congressional leaders who met with President Clinto 

n said they will abandon many of Clinton's key health care proposals under a ref 

orm plan of their own. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and 

House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt said late Thursday that both Clinton and 

his wife, Hillary, had enthusiastically embraced the proposal. 

The leaders said their plan will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary and pha 

sed in over a longer period of time. But any new plan will retain Clinton's goal 

of coverage for all Americans, they said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., had said before the congressional leaders' announcemen 

t that Clinton should hold a summit with leaders in Congress if he wants to salv 

age some form of his health care reform plan. 

"I told him the only way it can happen this year with some sort of summit mee 

ting. He said it was an interesting proposal," Exon had said after a 40-minute m 

eeting Thursday with Clinton. 

Exon, who couldn't be reached immediately for comment after the congressional

leaders met with Clinton, said the president promised to consider his suggestio 

n of a health summit at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. 

"I think the only way to bring the Newt Gingrichs and the George Mitchells of 

the world together is for the president to put them in the room together and sa 

y, 'OK, ladies and gentlemen, let's work something out; if not, let's call it qu 

its,'" Exon said in Washington after the meeting. 

Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., emerged from his own meeting with Clinton to 

question Exon's proposal for a summit. "Everyone is in touch with each other al 

ready," he said. 

Clinton wooed Democratic senators in private meetings at the White House. Exo 

n said he met with Clinton at the president's request. 

In a telephone call later with Nebraska reporters, Exon bemoaned the lack of 

Budget estimates for health reform proposals. Legislation approved earlier this 

month by the Senate Finance Committee still awaits estimates from the Congressio 

nal Budget Office. 

"The Finance Committee bill is a good basis for compromise, but as far as I k 

now, there's no cost estimate for that bill," Exon said. 

"I won't vote for a bill that's going to be a budget-buster," said Exon, a me 

mber of the Senate Budget Committee. 

Clinton's original plan to require employers to pay 80 percent of their worke 

rs' health care insurance premiums will not pass the Senate, Exon said. 

"I told the president that he must recognize that compromise is necessary," h 

e said. 



AUTH[Greg Schleppenbach 

SOUR[Omaha Catholic Voice 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Good news: Hyde amendment. Bad news: health reform bills 

TEXT[Without a doubt, the health care reform debate has dominated congressional 

action for the last several months and there are certainly some disturbing devel 

opments which I will discuss in this column. However, before I discuss health ca 

re, I want to mention a positive development that came out of the U.S. House of 

Representatives. On June 29, the House passed the Fiscal Year 1995 Labor/Health 

and Human Services Appropriations Bill (HR 4606) with the current Hyde Amendment 

intact. 

The Hyde Amendment has for years prohibited the use of government funds to pa 

y for abortions except if the mother's life was in danger. Last year, regrettabl 

y, Congress expanded the Hyde Amendment exception to include payment for rape an 

d incest abortions. This year the pro-abortion lobby again wanted to eliminate t 

he Hyde Amendment altogether or expand the exceptions to include "medically nece 

ssary" or "health" abortions, which in reality would equate to abortion-on-deman 

d. 

Fortunately, an agreement was made by both sides of the issue to leave the Hy 

de Amendment alone, apparently knowing that the abortion funding battle would be 

waged in the health care reform debate. This brings me to the bad news. So far, 

four health care bills have been voted out of various committees and every one 

of them includes a mandate requiring abortion coverage. Under these bills, every

citizen and all employers including all Catholic institutions would be required 

to pay for abortions; Catholic hospitals would be forced to make abortion refer 

rals and would be increasingly marginalized for their refusal to perform abortio 

ns; and state policies that restrict insurance coverage for abortion would be in 

validated. (It should be noted that one of the Senate bills contained a conscien 

ce provision, but it is insufficient to alleviate our concerns). 

Needless to say, including abortion in any health care plan would be an abomi 

nation - wrongly elevating abortion to a level with legitimate health care servi 

ces and giving the abortion industry a level of respectability that it has never 

had. One of the greatest lies ever perpetrated upon society is the abortion ind 

ustry's euphemism that "abortion equals women's health care" or "reproductive he 

alth care." Regardless of whose statistics are used, more than 9 out of 10 abort 

ions performed in the U.S. are done for reasons totally unrelated to the physica 

l or mental health of the mother - they are done for social or economic convenie 

nce. Abortion is elective surgery and has no place in genuine health care reform 

- and most Americans agree with this position. 

A recent University of Cincinnati poll revealed that roughly 70 percent of re 

spondents oppose including abortion in health care. In this same poll, responden 

ts were asked which of 23 possible benefits they would be willing to pay extra t 

o include in a national health plan. Abortion ranked 21st out of the 23 choices. 

It is critical that Nebraskans voice their opposition to an abortion mandate 

in health care to our federal representatives. The debate is going on now and th 

e House and Senate floor votes could occur in July or early August. Please write 

or call our two senators (Exon and Kerrey) and your representative (Bereuter - 

1st District; Hoagland -2nd District; or Barrett - 3rd District) with the follow 

ing message or your own: 

"Please oppose any health care bill that does not exclude abortion as a manda 

ted benefit. Abortion is not health care as over 9 out of 10 abortions in the U. 

S. are done for reasons totally unrelated to the physical or mental health of th 

e woman." 

Exon and Kerrey can be written to at: U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510. Be 

reuter, Hoagland and Barrett can be written to at: U.S. House of Representatives 

, Washington, D.C. 20515. Phone numbers are as follows: Exon 202-224-4224; Kerre 

y - 202-224-6551; Bereuter - 202-225-4806; Hoagland - 202-225-4155; Barrett 202- 

225-6435. 

Please remember the old saying that the only thing necessary for evil to exis 

t and thrive is for good people to do nothing. Don't delay - contact your repres 

entative now! 




SOUR[New York Daily Challenge 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator calls on Clinton for Health Care Summit 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - A key Democratic senator told President Clinton Thursday he sh 

ould call the warring parties in Congress on health care reform into a high-stak 

es summit to try to hammer out a compromise on the issue. 

James Exon, a Nebraska Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said the heal

th care reform effort has so many diverse proposals and complications that it wi 

ll take a summit to work out a compromise deal. 

"This health care plan is the biggest political gorilla that we've ever seen. 

It's so big that it makes King Kong look like a teddy bear," Exon told reporter 

s after meeting Clinton at the White House. 

Exon said Clinton thought his idea was an interesting concept and would give 

it some thought. 

But Senator Fritz Hollings, South Carolina Democrat, questioned the need for 

such a summit after emerging from a meeting with Clinton. 

"Why have a summit?" he said. "Everybody's in touch with everybody." 

Exon said his idea is to put the Democratic and Republican leadership of the 

House of Representatives and the senate into a place like the presidential mount 

ain retreat of Camp David for a weekend working on a deal. 

"If the president can call that group into a meeting with everything on the t 

able, and try to come up with some kind of compromise, in my opinion that's the 

only way we're going to resolve this matter in having a health care plan this ye 

ar. If not it's going to go by the board," Exon said. 

The last such summit was in 1990 when then-President George Bush's top aides 

met congressional leaders at Andrews Air Force Base to reach a compromise on bud 

get spending caps. Bush was later castigated for having broken his "no new taxes 

" pledge. 

Congress is attempting to come up with a bill that Clinton can sign by mid-Au 

gust. Clinton set off a firestorm Tuesday when he appeared to soften his stance 

in favor of a plan that would guarantee health insurance for all Americans. 

Clinton and his top aides since then have embarked on a big effort to reaffir 

m that he still supports health care for all, known in Washington as "universal 

coverage." 

Exon said what has been left out of most discussions of health care reform is 

the cost. 

"I don't care if you tax cigarettes $5 a pack, you're not going to have enoug 

h money to pay for these plans that everybody is advancing," he said. 

Exon also said Clinton said he would give serious consideration to changing t 

he percentage on his proposal for employers to pay 80 percent of insurance premi 

ums' cost and workers the remaining 20 percent. 




SOUR[Connecticut Post 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Insurers rip Clinton health plan anew 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Harry and Louise, insurers' twin scourges of the Clinton 

health plan, launched a fresh attack Thursday on two ideas Congress has come up 

with: taxing high-cost health plans and letting millions of Americans under age 

65 into Medicare. 

The Health Insurance Association of America in its latest Harry and Louise ad 

, trained its fire at the proposal to impose a new tax on the 40 percent of heal 

th plans with the most expensive benefits.

In the newest salvo in a $14 million advertising war, Louise's sister bemoans 

the tax as unfair to workers who gave up wage increases for better benefits. 

Meanwhile, top business executives held dueling news conferences defending or 

denouncing the notion that the government could force them all to buy insurance 

for their workers. 

Several dozen CEOs joined Democratic leaders at a news conference to speak up 

for making all employers buy health insurance, just as their corporations do. 

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler spent nearly $6 billion last year to cover 

2.8 million people, said Andrew Card, president of the American Automobile Manuf 

acturers Association. 

"We have moved aggressively to control our health costs, but we cannot contro 

l health costs shifted to us because of those who do not lay their fair share," 

said Card, a former Transportation secretary. 

But at a downtown hotel, restaurant executives and other business leaders acc 

used Kennedy and other Clinton allies of "vicious attacks" and strongarm tactics 

against fast-food chains for not covering all their American workers as they do 

abroad. 

And an anti-mandate group called the Coalition for Jobs and Health Care was r 

unning newspaper ads saying that a hot dog, fries and soda that costs $4 in Pari 

s, Texas, goes for $6.88 in Paris, France, because of Europe's costly health-cov 

erage mandates. 

On another note, Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., urged President Clinton to hole up 

at a suburban Air Force Base with leaders from both parties to thrash out a comp 

romise on health reform. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon calls for health summit 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., today renewed his call for a summit on 

health reform between President Clinton and congressional leaders. 

"By and large, we aren't going to have much of a chance of getting anything d 

one this year unless the president gets all the leadership together," Exon said. 

"It's still going to take something like that to build consensus on a plan that 

will pass." 

Clinton's plan to have businesses pay 80 percent of their workers' health car 

e premiums is unlikely to pass the Senate, Exon said by telephone from Washingto 

n, D.C. 

His comments come after a late Thursday meeting between Democratic congressio 

nal leaders and Clinton. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and 

House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt said Clinton and his wife, Hillary, welco 

med their plan to abandon many of Clinton's key health care proposals under a re 

form plan of their own. 

The leaders said their plan will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary and pha 

sed in over a longer period of time. But any new plan will retain 

Clinton's goal of coverage for all Americans, they said.

Exon said he discussed elements of the new plan with Mitchell earlier Thursda 

y. But he again said Clinton should hold a summit with leaders in Congress if he 

wants to salvage some form of his health care reform plan. 

"I told him the only way it can happen this year with some sort of summit mee 

ting. He said it was an interesting proposal," Exon said after a 40-minute meeti 

ng Thursday with Clinton. 

The president promised to consider his suggestion of a health summit at Andre 

ws Air Force Base near Washington, Exon said. 

Clinton wooed Democratic senators in private meetings at the White House. Exo 

n said he met with Clinton at the president's request. 

Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., emerged from his own meeting with Clinton to 

question Exon's proposal for a summit. "Everyone is in touch with each other al 

ready," he said. 

Exon bemoaned the lack of budget estimates for health reform proposals. Legis 

lation approved earlier this month by the Senate Finance Committee still awaits 

estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. 

"The Finance Committee bill is a good basis for compromise, but as far as I k 

now, there's no cost estimate for that bill," said Exon, a member of the Senate 

Budget Committee. "I won't vote for a bill that's going to be a budget-buster." 

Exon said one solution could be to require employers to pay at least half o 

f health care premiums and place a payroll tax on businesses that~, don't pay. 



AUTH[R. Jeffrey Smith 


BK#[ 

HDLN[U.S. Considers Tin Nuclear Explosion Tests to Be Deferred Until After Talks 

TEXT[Senior Clinton administration officials are considering ordering a series o 

f scientific experiments that would produce extremely small nuclear explosions b 

ut deferring them until the world has completed negotiations on two treaties des 

igned to curb nuclear arms. 

The proposal's intent is to put off the small explosions just long enough t 

o avoid the politically awkward spectacle of triggering new nuclear blasts durin 

g the talks scheduled to begin in earnest next,year, according to several U.S. o 

fficials. Under negotiation will be a comprehensive ban on larger, nuclear explo 

sions and the renewal of a treaty meant to bar the spread of nuclear weapons. 

The proposal has generated wide debate within the administration, with advo 

cates claiming the experiments are militarily necessary even if they are politic 

ally awkward; critics, meanwhile, claim they will violate the spirit of the comp 

rehensive test ban and undermine U.S. efforts to halt the spread of nuclear arms 

to other countries. 

Representatives of the Defense Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are 

expected to present arguments in favor of the scientific experiments at a White 

House meeting scheduled for today, according to several officials who spoke on 

condition they not be named. 

Representatives of the State Department, Energy Department and Arms Control 

and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) are expected to argue at the meeting in favor of 

indefinitely deferring such experiments, making it much less likely they will be

conducted, the officials said. 

The scientific experiments at issue are known as "hydronuclear tests," whic 

h have long been used by U.S. nuclear weapons engineers to verify their bombs wi 

ll operate as designed. According to a recent study by the Congressional Budget 

Office, the Energy Department has considered spending up to $40 million annually 

for the next five years to conduct "experiments such as hydronuclear tests" at 

the Nevada Test Site. 

The experiments are conducted by detonating a mock nuclear warhead containi 

ng such a small amount of fissile material that the blast releases only a minute 

amount of nuclear energy. While the bomb exploded at Hiroshima, Japan, in World 

War II had a force roughly equivalent to exploding 15 tons of TNT, for example 

, the explosive force of a "hydronuclear" explosion is typically in the range of 

a few tens of pounds of TNT. 

The Clinton administration has endorsed achievement of a comprehensive ban 

on nuclear tests, but it has not so far specified whether such a ban should enco 

mpass the low-yield hydronuclear experiments. 

In preliminary negotiations in Geneva, France and Russia have argued not on 

ly in favor of allowing such experiments, but also for adding a provision to any 

treaty making clear their experiments could unintentionally explode with a forc 

e equivalent to as much as 10 tons of TNT. Weapons scientists at Los Alamos Nati 

onal Laboratory have argued that hydronuclear experiments do not constitute what 

is commonly considered a nuclear test. They claim that by conducting such exper 

iments over a long period, scientists can monitor the operation of nuclear weapo 

ns to check for any unanticipated deterioration. 

But Sens. J. James Exon,(D-Neb.), Mark O. Hatfield,(R-Ore.), Claiborne Pell 

(D-R.I.) and Paul Simon (D-Ill.) recently wrote President Clinton arguing again 

st allowing such experiments on grounds they are "similar in virtually all respe 

cts to higher-yield nuclear testing" and will discourage other nations from comp 

lying with "what will be widely seen as a fraudulent testing moratorium." In int 

ernal administration discussions, ACDA officials asserted such experiments would 

be illegal under a comprehensive ban, but legal experts at other agencies disag 

reed, officials said. 

As a result, a classified options paper circulated by National Security Cou 

ncil staff member Robert Bell for today's meeting gave policymakers a choice of 

four options: beginning hydronuclear experiments now, conducting them after an i 

nternational conference in April 1995 to renew the nuclear Non-Proliferation Tre 

aty, conducting them after achievement of a global treaty banning larger nuclear 

explosions or deferring any decision indefinitely. 



AUTH[Don Phillips 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Votes to Cut ICC Budget More Than 30% 

TEXT[The Senate voted yesterday to cut the Interstate Commerce Commission's budg 

et by more than 30 percent, guaranteeing at least a major restructuring of the n 

ation's oldest regulatory body.

The budget cut was contained in a $38.7 billion fiscal 1995 appropriations 

bill for the Transportation Department and related agencies. It now goes to a co 

nference with the House, which voted earlier to eliminate the ICC. 

It will no longer be business as usual at the Interstate Commerce Commissio 

n," said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Appropriation 

s transportation subcommittee. 

The Senate bill, which passed by 91 to 9, would appropriate $30.3 million t 

o the agency, $13.5 million less than the administration's request and $14.6 mil 

lion less than last year. The bill would cut 194 of the agency's current 622 st 

aff positions. 

If the ICC survives the House-Senate conference, as now 

seems likely, it is certain to be relieved of most of its remaining responsibili 

ties for trucking regulation, leaving oversight of railroad mergers, track aband 

onments and other rail matters as its main duties. 

A bill to do just that has been introduced by Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.). 

The Exon bill, among other things, would end the requirement for truckers to fil 

e freight rates with the ICC. Little use is made of the filed rates anymore. 

The threat to the ICC's existence was engineered by two House Republicans-J 

ohn R. Kasich of Ohio and Joel Hefley of Colorado. To the surprise of many, the 

House voted 234 to 192 on June 16 to "zero-out" the ICC appropriation, and thus 

kill the agency. 

That would mean that all necessary ICC functions would be transferred to th 

e Transportation Department, the Justice Department or other agencies by Oct. 1, 

the beginning of the fiscal year. No effort was made in the Senate to eliminate 

the agency. 

Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), ranking minority member of the transportatio 

n subcommittee, said the subcommittee considered that House action too abrupt. 

"We thought we had to deal with this in a way that would provide an orderly 

transition," D'Amato said. 




SOUR[Cumberland, MD Times-News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Democratic leaders map own health reform plan 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic congressional leaders told President Clinton T 

hursday night they were abandoning many of his key health care proposals and wou 

ld come up with a reform plan of their own that is "less bureaucratic, more volu 

ntary, and phased in over a longer period of time." 

However, any new plan will retain Clinton's goal of coverage for all Americ 

ans, the leaders said alter emerging from a 90-minute meeting in the Oval Office 

with Clinton and his wife, Hillary, the, chief architect of the administration' 

s plan. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., said the approach is imbued with "a new s 

pirit" focusing on specific goals of health care reform and reflecting criticism 

s of Clinton's original health care proposals. 

Foley, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and House Majority Leader Ric

hard Gephardt of Missouri said both Clinton and his wife had enthusiastically em 

braced the proposal. 

"The president is ready to go and ready to fight," said White House of 

ficial George Stephanopoulos after listening to the three leaders explain their 

proposal. 

We've listened to America; we've listened to Republicans as well as De 

mocrats," Mitchell said. "And we told the president that we're going to suggest 

different approaches to achieve the same objectives." 

"Our plans will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary, and will be phas 

ed in over a longer period of time," Mitchell said. 

None of the leaders elaborated on the specifics of how what they plan 

to develop will differ from Clinton's plan, but they indicated that the changes 

will be significant. 

"There will be important differences between the legislation introduce 

d in the Senate and the House of Representatives than that outlined in the origi 

nal Health Security Act outlined by the president," Foley said. 

Mitchell said the goals of Clinton's original proposal will remain unc 

hanged, including insurance coverage for all Americans that could not be cancele 

d. 

He said it also would emphasize preventive and timely care while "main 

taining the highest possible quality ..., individual choice of physicians and pr 

oviding choice in health insurance plans." 

The three leaders said there will be differences in the Senate and Hou 

se versions that the Democrats plan to develop and acknowledged that most of the 

details have yet to be worked out. 

Democratic leaders had spent the day sounding out House and Senate mem 

bers in private about what was needed to with their votes before heading to the 

White House for the meeting with Clinton. 

The Senate Finance Committee was expecting a grim report from the Cong 

ressional Budget Office on the red ink in its proposal to get 95 percent of Amer 

icans covered by 2002 through insurance reforms and subsidies. 

Without the mandates in Clinton's proposal that employers pay the bulk 

of their workers' insurance premiums, moderate Democrats supporting the Senate 

committee's plan were reportedly talking about having to come up with up to $100 

billion in new taxes. 

One Democratic senator even urged Clinton to hole up at a sub-urban Ai 

r Force base with leaders from both parties to thrash out a compromise at a heal 

th care summit. Former President Bush did just that in 1990 and ended up renegin 

g on his 1988 campaign pledge not to raise taxes. 

"I think the only way to bring the Newt Gingrichs and the George Mitch 

ells of the world together is for the president to put them in the room together 

and say, 'OK, ladies and gentlemen, let's work something out; if not, let's cal 

l it quits,"' said Sen. James Exon, D-Neb. 

Exxon also recommended a 50-50 premium split between employers and emp 

loyees instead of 80-20. 

Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., emerged from his own meeting with Cli 

nton to question Exon's proposal for a summit. "Everyone is in touch with each o 

ther already," he said. 

Hollings said the problem is all the plans now on the table are "about 

$200 billion shy" of being paid for. 

Vice President Al Gore spoke up again for covering everyone; 

that less isn't fair.




SOUR[Twin Falls, ID Times News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Health reform: Insurers attack, politicians debate 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Harry and Louise, insurers' twin scourges of the Clinton 

health plan, launched a fresh attack Thursday on two ideas Congress has come up 

with: taxing high-cost health plans and letting millions of Americans under age 

65 into Medicare. 

Meanwhile, several dozen corporate chief executives joined top Democrats in 

defense of the embattled idea of making all businesses buy health insurance. Se 

n. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said it was nice to see "the yaysayers" of the bu 

siness community speaking out on the Hill. 

Another Democratic senator urged President Clinton to hole up at a suburban 

Air Force Base with leaders from both parties to thrash out a compromise at a h 

ealth reform summit. 

And the secretaries of health and education made an appeal for universal co 

verage on behalf of America's children, almost 9 million of whom have no insuran 

ce. 

Arguments for and against health reforms were simmering all over town as De 

mocratic leaders kept sounding members out in private about what is needed to wi 

n their votes. 

The Senate Finance Committee was awaiting what was expected to be a grim re 

port from the Congressional Budget Office on the red ink in its proposal to get 

95 percent of Americans covered by 2002 through insurance reforms and subsidies. 

The Health Insurance Association of America, in its latest Harry and Louise 

ad, trained its fire at the proposal to impose a new tax on the 40 percent of h 

ealth plans with the most expensive benefits. 

In the latest salvo in a $14 million advertising war, Louise's sister bemoa 

ns the tax as unfair to workers who gave up wage increases for better benefits. 

The insurers also are recycling an earlier ad against price controls, and r 

unning print ads in Capitol Hill publications decrying the House Ways and Means 

Committee's plan to expand Medicare to cover the poor, the uninsured and some fi 

rms with up to 100 employees. 

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., architect of the plan to expand Medicare, said t 

he insurers were "perfectly willing to leave people bleeding on the streets with 

out any medical care as long as their profits are protected." 

Meanwhile, several dozen CEOs joined Democratic leaders at a news conferenc 

e to speak up for making all employers buy health insurance, just as their corpo 

rations do. 

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler spent nearly $6 billion last year to cove 

r 2.8 million people, said Andrew Card, president of the 

American Automobile Manufacturers Association. 

"We have moved aggressively to control our, health costs, but we cannot con 

trol health costs shifted to us because of those who do not pay their fair share 

," said Card, a former Transportation secretary.

Safeway covers most of its 85,000 supermarket workers, but chief executive 

Steven A. Burd said it may have to scale back if rival chains don't buy insuranc 

e for their workers. 

"As we begin to lose market share to those companies, we have to respond in 

some way," he said. 

House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt said reform will lower health care c 

osts and "free up tens of billions of dollars in private capital for investment 

or higher wages. 

Clinton wooed Democratic senators' in private meetings at the White House. 

Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., said the president promised to consider his sugges 

tion of a health summit at Andrews Air Force Base. 

"I think the only way to bring the Newt Gingrichs and the George Mitchells 

of the world together is for the president to put them in the room together and 

say, ÒK, ladies and gentlemen, let's work something out; if not, let's call it 

quits,'" said Exon. He also recommended a 50-50 premium split between employers 

and employees instead of 80-20. 

Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., emerged from his own meeting with Clinton 

to question Exon's proposal for a summit. "Everyone is in touch with each other 

already," he said. 

Hollings said the problem is all the plans now on the table are "about $200 

billion shy" of being paid for. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats to head health-care reform 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Democratic congressional leaders who 

met with President Clinton said they will abandon many of Clinton's key health c 

are proposals under a reform plan of their own. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., Senate Majority Leader George Mitche 

ll and House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt said late Thursday that both Clint 

on and his wife, Hillary, had enthusiastically embraced the proposal. 

The leaders said their plan will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary 

and phased in over a longer period of time. But any new plan will retain Clinton 

's goal of coverage for all Americans, they said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., had said before the congressional leaders' announcem 

ent that Clinton should hold a summit with leaders in Congress if he wants to sa 

lvage some arm of his health care reform plan. 

I told him the only way it can happen this year is with some sort of s 

ummit meeting. He said it was an interesting proposal," Exon had said after a 40 

-minute meeting Thursday with Clinton. 






and say, ÒK, ladies and gentlemen, let's work something out; if not, let's cal 

l it quits,"' Exon said in Washington after the meeting.


nton to question Exon's proposal for a summit. "Everyone is in touch with each o 

ther already," he said. 

In a telephone call later with Nebraska reporters, Exon bemoaned the l 

ack of budget estimates for health reform proposals. Legislation approved earlie 

r this month by the Senate Finance Committee still awaits estimates from the Con 

gressional Budget Office. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon air service law passes Senate 

TEXT[The Essential Air Service law, passed by the U.S. Senate Thursday as a part 

of the transportation appropriations bill will insure federally subsidized air 

service to Hastings and other Nebraska cities, according to a release from the o 

ffice of Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

Exon is the author of the law that will provide $33.4 million to maint 

ain air service in small and mid-sized cities throughout the country. 

Other cities in Nebraska covered under the law are Alliance Chadron Ke 

arney, McCook North Platte and Scottsbluff. 

The Senate must vote to fund the program each year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Administration, Kerrey, Exon to defend expanded ethanol use 

TEXT[(AP) - The Clinton administration and other ethanol supporters are trying t 

o fend off an expected attack in the Senate next week on the government's plan t 

o expand use of the corn-based fuel additive. 

Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La., intends to offer an amendment to a spending b 

ill from the Senate floor to block the Environmental Protection Agency's so-call 

ed ethanol mandate. 

His amendment cleared a Senate Appropriations subcommittee by an 8-3 vote o 

n July 14. But he withdrew it before a full committee vote later that day, and i 

s seeking clarification from the Congressional Budget Office on the amendment's 

cost. 

The Senate could begin debate on the spending bill as early as Tuesday. 

"The Administration believes that it is inappropriate to legislate statutor 

y restrictions through the appropriations process and will strongly oppose any a 

ttempts to interfere with the EPA's implementation or enforcement of the rule," 

the agency's chief, Carol Browner, wrote an ethanol supporter, Sen. Tom Harkin,

D-Iowa. 

"Our actions are consistent with long-standing Congressional support for re 

newable motor fuels and this Administration's environmental and energy goals," s 

he wrote in the letter, dated Thursday. 

President Clinton sent a similar letter Friday to Senate Majority Leader Ge 

orge Mitchell of Maine. Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb., said Clinton sent the letter at Ex 

on's urging. 

Harkin, who takes the Johnston threat seriously, said the letter would add 

to support for ethanol. Harkin has been talking with some of the 47 Senators who 

in March signed a letter opposing the ethanol proposal. 

The EPA decided June 30 to require that part of the oxygen-boosting additiv 

e in cleaner-burning gasoline come from a renewable source - in effect ethanol. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democratic Leaders Meet with Clinton 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Democratic congressional leaders who met with President 

Clinton said they will abandon many of Clinton's key health care proposals under 

a reform plan of their own. 

House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell an 

d House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt said late Thursday that both Clinton an 

d his wife, Hillary, had enthusiastically embraced the proposal. 

The leaders said their plan will be less bureaucratic, more voluntary and p 

hased in over a longer period of time. But any new plan will retain Clinton's go 

al of coverage for all Americans, they said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., had said before the congressional leaders' announcem 

ent that Clinton should hold a summit with leaders in Congress if he wants to sa 

lvage some form of his health care reform plan. 

"I told him the only way it can happen this year with some sort of sum 

mit meeting. He said it was an interesting proposal," Exon had said after a 40-m 

inute meeting Thursday with Clinton. 






and say, 'OK, ladies and gentlemen, let's work something out; if not, let's cal 

l it quits," Exon said in Washington after the meeting. 


nton to question Exon's proposal for a summit "Everyone is in touch with each ot 

her already," he said. 

Clinton wooed Democratic senators in private meetings at the White Hou 

se. Exon said he met with Clinton at the president's request. 

In a telephone call later with Nebraska reporters, Exon bemoaned the l 

ack of budget estimates for health reform proposals. Legislation approved earlie 

r this month by the Senate Finance Committee still awaits estimates from the Con 

gressional Budget Office.

"The Finance Committee bill is a good basis for compromise, but as far 

as I know, there's no cost estimate for that bill," Exon said. 

"I won't vote for a bill that's going to be a budget-buster," said Exo 

n, a member of the Senate Budget Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol supporter 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration and other ethanol supporters a 

re trying to fend off an expected-attack in the Senate next week on the governme 

nt's plan to expand use of the corn-based fuel additive. 

Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La., intends to offer an amendment to a spending b 

ill from the Senate floor to block the Environmental Protection agency's so call 

ed ethanol mandate. 

His amendment cleared a Senate Appropriations subcommittee by an 8-3 vote J 

uly 14. But he withdrew it before a full committee vote later that day and is se 

eking clarification from the Congressional Budget Office on the amendment's cost 

. 

The Senate could begin debate on the spending bill Tuesday. 




the agency's chief, Carol Browner, wrote an ethanol supporter, Sen. Tom Harkin, 

D-Iowa. 

"Our actions are consistent with longstanding Congressional support fo 

r renewable motor fuels and this Administration's environmental and energy goals 

," she wrote in the letter, dated Thursday. 

PRESIDENT CLINTON sent a similar letter Friday to Senate Majority Lead 

er George Mitchell of Maine. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Clinton sent the letter 

at Exon's urging. 


to support for ethanol. Harkin has been talking with some of the 47 senators who 



e in cleaner-burning gasoline come from a renewable source - in effect, ethanol. 

The new fuel, with higher concentrations of oxygen, is required beginning i 

n January for nine cities with the worst air pollution. Meanwhile, 11 Northeaste 

rn states and Texas, Kentucky and the District of Columbia have agreed to requir 

e the gasoline in areas of severe air pollution. 

In 1995, 15 percent of the oxygenate in the cleaner fuel must come fro 

m renewable sources, the EPA said. The level rises to 30 percent after that. In 

the near term, ethanol is the only renewable source that can be produced in the 

volumes needed to meet the clean gasoline goals. 

OPPONENTS OF the ethanol mandate contend that the markets should determine

which additive is used and that the more expensive ethanol will increase gasolin 

e prices. Supporters say that without the-rule, the petroleum-based MTBE, which 

is made from methanol, would dominate the multibillion-dollar oxygenate-market, 

Two petroleum groups sued the government July 13 seeking to overturn the et 

hanol requirement. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon pushes health summit 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon on Friday renewed his call for a summit on healt 

h-care reform between President Clinton and congressional leaders. 

"By and large, we aren't going to have much of a chance of getting any 

thing done this year unless the president gets all the leadership together," Exo 

n said. It's still going to take something like that to build consensus on a pla 

n that will pass." 

Clinton's plan to have businesses pay 80 percent of their workers' 

health-care premiums is unlikely to pass, Exon said by telephone from Washington 

, D.C. 

Exon bemoaned the lack of budget estimates for health-reform proposals 

. Legislation approved earlier this month by the Finance 

Committee still awaits estimates the Congressional Budget Office. 

"The Finance Committee bill is a good basis for compromise, but as far 

as I know, there's no cost estimate for that bill," said Exon, a member of the 

Senate Budget Committee. "I won't vote for a bill that's going to be a budget bu 

ster." 

Exon said one solution could be to require employers to pay at least half o 

f health-care premiums and place a payroll tax on businesses that don't pay. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon see push by democrats on health 

TEXT[ Washington - Democratic congressional leaders, especially those in the 

Senate, are moving closer to proposing health-care bills that can win bipartisa 

n support Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, both D-Neb., said Friday. 

The two senators commented after Democratic leaders met Thursday evening wi 

th President Clinton on a "new approach" to health-care legislation. 

"It's a very important movement on the part of the Democratic leadership," 

Kerrey said. "They're saying, 'We agree with Republicans. We should use the mar 

ket to achieve cost savings, as opposed to a lot of increased government regulat 

ion and devices. 

Exon said the Clinton administration is "beginning to understand that some

significant changes are going to have to be made in their proposal." 

In the Senate, Exon said, Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, probabl 

y will propose a bill that resembles the Senate Finance Committee's legislation. 

But Exon, who met this week with Clinton and Mitchell, said the Mitchell pl 

an might include some future requirement that businesses pay for employee health 

benefits, which is not in the Senate Finance proposal. 

Such an employer mandate might take effect in the year 2000 under cert 

ain conditions: if too many people remained uninsured; if the federal government 

could not afford insurance subsidies for low-income people; and if Congress did 

not take other steps to resolve those problems. 

Exon said the conditional employer mandate would not be the 80 percent 

payment required in the Clinton plan, but a 50 percent contribution. There woul 

d be exceptions for small businesses, who instead would face a 1 percent to 2 pe 

rcent payroll tax. 

Kerrey, who met for two hours Thursday with a White House lobbyist, sa 

id he and other members of the bipartisan "mainstream coalition" that created th 

e Senate Finance bill do not want an employer mandate. 

Instead, he said, the Mitchell bill should have tougher pay-as-you-go 

requirements. 

In the House, Democratic leaded are drafting a bill based on legislati 

on advanced by the House Ways and Means Committee. That bill has an employer man 

date and a new government health program to cover many of the uninsured. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said he was among four Democrats who oppo 

se that approach who met Friday with Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo. Gep 

hardt told the group that the government program would compete with private heal 

th plans, keeping pressure on them to reduce costs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Repeats Ethanol Support 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton repeated Friday his support for the Environm 

ental Protection Agency's new pro-ethanol rule, saying that he opposed congressi 

onal efforts to undermine it. 

The EPA recently required the use of renewable oxygenates like corn-based e 

thanol in new clean-blended gasoline in certain cities, starting in 1995. The EP 

A rule assures a 15 percent market for ethanol in 1995 and a 30 percent market s 

tarting in 1996. 

Clinton wrote his letter to Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine 

, after a request Thursday by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. Exon met with the president 

at the White House. 

"I am aware of the attempts by some in Congress to block implementation and 

enforcement of EPA's rule calling on renewable oxygenates," Clinton wrote. "I s 

trongly oppose any attempts to interfere with EPA's implementation or enforcemen 

t of this rule." 

Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, D-La, has said he plans to offer a Senate floor a

mendment to block implementation of the EPA rule. An oil industry ally, Johnston 

attempted to add his amendment in the Senate Appropriations Committee, but with 

drew the proposal after Sens. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, threaten 

ed to stall consideration of the overall legislation. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Area Senators back cash over food stamps 

TEXT[ Washington - All four Nebraska and Iowa senators voted last week in fa 

vor of allowing states to give poor people cash or wage subsidies instead of foo 

d stamps. 

The Senate voted 63-34 for an amendment offered by Sens. John McCain, R-Ari 

z., and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and others that eliminated a proposed ban on the cas 

h payments, which some states have adopted in overhauling their welfare systems. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee had included the ban in its $68 billion 

fiscal, 1995 spending bill. 

"Listen to the people who are governing the states, who have unanimous 

ly said this cash-out existing program should continue," Kerrey said in a Senate 

speech. 

Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Tom Harkin, D-I 

owa, also voted for the McCain-Kerrey amendment. 

Opponents said the food stamp funds should be used only to provide poo 

r families,with adequate food and should not be diverted to other purposes. 

But advocates said states have been successful in establishing program 

s to pay food stamp recipients in cash in order to help them learn and exercise 

personal responsibility. Nebraska plans to start a similar program. 

OTHER SENATE VOTES: 

Agriculture Spending 

- 92-8 to pass the overall spending bill for the Department of Agriculture. 

For. Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

- 63-37 to kill an amendment offered by Hank Brown, R-Colo., that would hav 

e eliminated subsidies to protect tobacco companies from foreign imports. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

- 54-41 to pass an amendment offered by Jesse Helms, R-N.C., that would rei 

nstate an Agriculture Department employee who Helms said was transferred because 

he criticized the Clinton administration's policy on homosexual rights. 

For: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 

Against: Harkin. 

- 100-0 to pass an amendment offered by Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., that would pr 

event any federal agency from firing or demoting an employee solely on the basis 

of public disagreement with administration policy. 

For: Exon, Kerrey. Grassley, Harkin. 

- 62-38 to pass an amendment to maintain the Agriculture Department's marke 

t promotion program, which provides funds to trade associations to boost product 

sales and exports.

For: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 


- 76-23 to pass an amendment offered by Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., that would al 

low Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy to close 19 research centers. 


Transportation Spending 

- 91-9 to pass a $14.3 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Depar 

tment of Transportation. 


- 72-28 to kill a motion by Robert Smith, R-N.H., that would have sent the 

bill back to the Senate Appropriations Committee with instructions to cut $740 m 

illion. 

- To kill the motion: Exon, Kerrey. Harkin. 

Against: Grassley. 

- 77-23 against an amendment offered by John McCain, R-Ariz., that would ha 

ve cut $40 million earmarked in the bill for a New York City train station proje 

ct. 

Against Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, 

Harkin. 

the total intelligence budget. 

For: Smith. 

Against Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, 

Lightfoot, Grandy. 

- 315-106 against an amendment offered by Bernard Sanders, a Vermont indepe 

ndent, that would have cut funding for intelligence operations. 

Against Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, 

Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

- 406-18 against an amendment offered by Barney Frank, D~Mass., that would 

have cut funding for drug interdiction programs by $100 million. 

Against Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett. 

Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Child Nutrition 

372-40 to reauthorize various child nutrition programs, such as the school 

lunch program. The federal government will spend an estimated $7.5 billion on th 

e programs this year. 

For: Bereuter. Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Entitlement Programs 

- 316-107 to pass a bill that would require the White House budget office t 

o set spending targets for all entitlement programs except Social Security. The 

president would have to recommend either spending cuts or tax increases if spend 

ing were to exceed those targets by more than one-half of one percent; Congress 

then would have to vote on the president's recommendation. 

For: Hoagland, Barrett, Smith. 

Against Bereuter, Lightfoot. Grandy. 

- 233-194 against an amendment offered by John Kasich, R-Ohio, that woul 

d have required a binding annual budget resolution, instead of the current nonbi 

nding budget plan. Under the Kasich plan, the budget blueprint would need the pr 

esident's approval. Automatic spending cuts would take effect if congressional c

ommittees did not take action. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot. 

Against Smith. 

Not voting: Grandy. 

- 392-37 against an amendment offered by Charles Stenholm, D-Texas, that wo 

uld have established a formula for cutting entitlement spending by $150 billion 

over the next five years. 

For: Grandy. 

Against Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Gay Rights Dominate AG debate 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - When Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., was chairman of the Senate Agri 

culture Committee from 1981 through 1986, the rap against him was that he didn't 

seem to be very interested in agricultural matters, except for tobacco. 

Helms always has been more concerned about foreign relations and what he of 

ten refers to as the moral decay of the United States, putting much of the blame 

for that on the growing influence of the gay and lesbian communities 

Last week, he became a major participant in the debate over the $68 billion 

agriculture appropriations bill which didn't surprise his critics In the agricu 

lture community, because Helms wasn't talking about farming, he was talking and 

talking about homosexuals and lesbians. 

In fact, gay rights in the U.S, Department of Agriculture dominated much of 

the debate on the agriculture appropriations bill, with the Senate finally appr 

oving amendments that would prohibit the use of any federal funds to recruit hom 

osexual or lesbian employees, or to remove employees who oppose the gay lifestyl 

e. 

Both provisions were sponsored and debated at great length and with great e 

motion by Helms, who has been warring with the gay community for years. 



AUTH[David E Lynch 

SOUR[Lincoln Journal Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Gay Rights Dominate AG debate 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - When Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C was chairman of the Senate Agricu 

lture Committee from 1981 through 1986, the rap against him was that he didn't s 

eem to be very interested in agricultural matters, except for tobacco. 

Helms always has been more concerned about foreign relations and what 

he often refers to as the moral decay of the United States, putting much of the 

blame for that on the growing influence of the gay and lesbian communities.

Last week, he became a major participant in the debate over the $68 billion 

agriculture appropriations bill which didn't surprise his critics in the agricu 

lture community, because Helms wasn't talking about farming, he was talking and 

talking about homosexuals and lesbians. 

In fact, gay rights in the U.S. Department of Agriculture dominated much of 

the debate on the agriculture appropriations bill, with the Senate finally appr 

oving amendments that would prohibit the use of any federal funds to recruit hom 

osexual or lesbian employees, or to remove employees who oppose the gay lifestyl 

e. 

Both provisions were sponsored and debated at great length and with great e 

motion by Helms, who has been warring with the gay community for years. 

To Helms, the warfare got so intense at one point that a group promoting ga 

y rights "climbed up on my house in Arlington (VA) a few years ago and hoisted a 

35-foot canvas condom over the roof of our house,"Helms told his colleagues dur 

ing the second day of the debate. 

"They do not like me, and I do not like what they do. I wish they would shu 

t up and go to work and keep private matters to themselves - get their mentality 

out of their crotches." 

Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., the chairman of the agriculture appropriations s 

ubcommittee and floor manager of the $68 billion funding bill, responded by tell 

ing Helms he was on his side when the discussion began, especially when Helms wa 

s defending the First Amendment rights of USDA employee who had been fired, in p 

art, because of his views on gay rights. But, Bumpers said, "people do not have 

to shut their mouths" under the First Amendment. "They have a right to speak." 

"Well, they could speak," Helms said, "just so long as they do not offend o 

thers. I suppose." 

"That is not the test," Bumpers said. 

Helms, who has been holding up Senate confirmation of Mary Schapiro to the 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission until the USDA explained to him why an offi 

cial with the department's Equal Employment Opportunity board was transferred, t 

old the Senate that the USDA is in the forefront of the Clinton administration's 

"concerted effort to extend special right to homosexuals in the federal workpla 

ce." 

He pointed to the transfer of Karl Mertz, who until March 28 was an Eq 

ual Employment Opportunity manager for the 10-state Southeastern region of the A 

griculture Research Services, based in Athens, Ga., as evidence of this. 

Mertz, he said, was transferred after he told a radio interviewer: "We need 

to be moving toward Camelot, not Sodom and Gomorrah, and I'm afraid that's wher 

e our leadership is trying to take us." 

Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy sent Helms a two-page, single-spaced l 

etter, that said, in part: "There is no gay rights agenda at the USDA." Espy sai 

d the department has not adopted a policy of allowing gay couples to have family 

benefits, as was implied in Helms' remarks to the Senate the day before. 

Espy also told Helms that Mertz's statements indicate he strongly disa 

grees with and cannot faithfully implement current policy with equal employment 

opportunity. 

Helms said the USDA is the first federal agency, to his knowledge, tha 

t has chartered a gay organization - Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Employees, or GLO 

BE - which has pushed for greater acceptance and respect within the department. 

Helms quoted from a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published in the 

April 27 editions that said USDA officials pledged to hold sensitivity training

to spread the message among the ranks and to punish those don't toe the line. 

Helms' first amendment would prohibit the use of federal funds to cond 

uct any of the sensitivity training or to in any other way compel USDA executive 

s to recruit gays or to "embrace, accept, condone, or celebrate homosexuality as 

a legitimate or normal lifestyle." 

An effort to table, or kill, that amendment failed on a 50-50 vote, wi 

th Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., voting to kill the measure, and Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb 

., voting to keep it alive, 

It later was modified by Bumpers to say none of the funds could be use 

d to hold seminars or programs, "the purpose of which is to compel instruct or u 

rge departmental employees to recruit people on the basis of sexual orientation, 

" 

The vote on that proposal was 92-8 with Kerrey and Exon voting for it. 

The second Helms amendment was aimed at getting Mertz's job back and p 

reventing the USDA from "peremptorily" removing employees without public hearing 

s from their jobs because of remarks made during personal time in opposition to 

departmental policies, or proposed policies regarding homosexuals. 

That proposal was approved 59-41. 

Bumpers again modified the amendment to say that no one can be removed 

from a job for disagreeing with department policies, without a public hearing. 

That was unanimously approved. 

In accepting the modified Helms amendments, Bumpers, who will lead the 

Senate delegation to a House-Senate conference to iron out differences between 

the two bills, said he could not guarantee that the House, which has no similar 

provisions in its bill will accept the Helms amendments, or one proposed by Sens 

. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Wendell Ford, D-Ky., that would take away the approxi 

mately $300,000 the Food and Drug Administration spends on cellular telephones a 

nd require the agency to use the money to speed up medical device approvals. 



AUTH[Henry Cordes 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Health Care Battle Fought with TV Ads 

TEXT[When a commercial by a business group fighting President Clinton's health-c 

are plan hits the air waves," Rep. Peter Hoagland said, his Omaha office staff o 

ften can tell.' "' ' 

Immediately after the spot, callers frequently light up the phone lines in 

Hoagland's office, just as they were urged to do. The radio ads warn of impendin 

g tax increases, loss of jobs, waiting lines, limited choice of doctors and rati 

oned health care. 

Hoagland said he didn't think such 30-second messages had done a lot to inf 

orm people about the complex issues in the health-care debate. 

"I think they're intended to scare people and get them to react in the inte 

rest of the special interest that is funding the ad," Hoagland said in an interv 

iew. "Is that a good way to run a democracy?" 

Regardless its clear that ads aimed a influencing public opinion back 

home are becoming a big part of the battle over national health care in Washingt

on. 

Special interest groups are waging what released in Washington last 

week called the "largest advertising campaign to shape a public policy issue in 

the history of the republic." Spending nationally appears to have exceeded $50 

million said Kathleen Hall Jamieson who headed the university of Pennsylvania s 

tudy. 

Nebraska has been among the leading battlegrounds nationally, Ms. Jamieson 

and interest-groups representatives said. In recent months, at least nine diffe 

rent groups, have taken out radio, print and television ads in the state. 

Nebraska has been targeted for such ads "Ms. Jamieson and others said, beca 

use of key roles, some of the state's lawnmakers play in the national health car 

e debate. 

Hoagland sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has been voting 

on health-care legislation. U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., has been active in eff 

orts to fashion a bipartisan health bill. 

A new ad that an alliance of health-care, providers began running this week 

specifically targets U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, has not been prominent 

in the health-care debate but who could become a key swing vote. 

Another group, Citizens for a Sound Economy, targeted Hoagland "because he 

sat on Ways and Means and was not really committed to any particular plan," said 

Matt Triaca, a spokesman for that group. 

Triaca said the conservative business group spent $75,000, about 3 percent 

of its total advertising budget, in Nebraska. 

The amounts spent by most groups aren't known because they aren't required 

to report such spending. But the targeting of Nebraska lawmakers is reflected i 

n the ad spending figures provided by some of the groups. 

The Health Care Reform Project, a coalition of unions and other backers of 

universal coverage, has spent $65,000 of its $2 million advertising budget in Ne 

braska. The Democratic National Committee, which has run ads backing Clinton's p 

lan, recently spent $42,000 of its $400,000 advertising budget in Nebraska. 

However, the group that has spent the most nationally on health-care ads, t 

he Alliance of American Insurers, has not targeted Nebraska. 

Overall, the group has spent $14 million in Washington and 14 states making 

household names of Harry and Louise, the fictional couple concerned about the C 

linton plan. 

Such ads have become the heavy artillery in the battle over health-care ref 

orm, said Ed Rothchild, spokesman for the public interest group Citizen Action. 

The ads generate phone calls that sow doubt in the minds of congressmen, softeni 

ng up their positions, he said. 

Many of the ads give the phone numbers of local congressmen and urge people 

to call in with their opinions. But some dispute how much impact the calls gene 

rated by the ads have on lawmakers. 

Kerrey said the ad campaigns have no effect on him. 

"Most of the ads I've seen are either inaccurate or misleading," he said, " 

Why would I be impacted by someone who calls in after hearing something designed 

to misinform?" 

But Hoagland and Ms. Jamieson said the ads, if nothing else, have succeeded 

in creating uncertainty among the public. Most of the ads attack proposed heal 

thcare plans without providing alternatives. They said that reduces public enth 

usiasm for making changes in the health-care system. 

"I think the erosion in enthusiasm makes it more difficult to make the 

kinds of changes we need," Hoagland said. "If reform falls this year, part of r

eason...will be the ads." 

Most of the earliest ads in the health-care debate were taken out by g 

roups that were opposed to some portion of the Clinton health plan, Ms. Jamieson 

said. Five opposition groups have taken out ads in Nebraska. 

But lately groups supporting Clinton's plan and other plans promising 

universal coverage have counterattacked. 

Besides the recent DNC and Health Care Reform Project ads, the America 

n Association of Retired Persons last week included Nebraska in its 30-state cam 

paign of print and radio ads. The 

AARP ads argue that national health-care costs will double in the next eight yea 

rs without reform. 

"We try to counter the messages we think are muddying up the debate, b 

ut it's difficult in 30 seconds," said Peter Ashkenaz, a spokesman for the AARP 

in Washington. "Our last ad is probably as close to a scare ad as some of theirs 

." 

Groups that argue against the Clinton plan and other plans pushing man 

dates and universal coverage deny using scare tactics, 

"It's not a question of orchestrating, but a question of educating," s 

aid Mike Russell, a spokesman for the Christian Coalition." Rationed health care 

and lost jobs are elements of the health-care plan that are real." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Gay Rights and the USDA 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Gay rights in the U.S. Department of Agriculture dominated muc 

h of the debate on the $68 billion agriculture appropriations bill, with the Sen 

ate finally approving amendments that would prohibit the use of any federal fund 

s to recruit homosexual or lesbian employees or to remove employees who oppose t 

he gay lifestyle. 

Both provisions were sponsored and debated at great length and with gr 

eat emotion by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., the former chairman of the Senate Agric 

ulture Committee who has been warring with homosexual and lesbian groups for yea 

rs. 

Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., the chairman of the agriculture appropriati 

ons subcommittee and floor manager of the $68 billion funding bill, responded to 

that by telling Helms he was on his side when the discussion began, especially 

when Helms was defending the First Amendment rights of a USDA employee who had b 

een transferred, in part, because of his views on gay rights. 

Helms has been holding up Senate confirmation of Mary Schapiro to the 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission until the USDA explains to him why an offic 

ial with the department's Equal Employment Opportunity board was transferred. He 

told the Senate that the USDA is in the "forefront" of the Clinton administrati 

on's "concerted effort to extend special rights to homosexuals in the federal wo 

rkplace." 

For evidence, he pointed to the transfer of Karl Mertz, who, until Mar 

ch 28, was an Equal Employment Opportunity manager for the 10-state southeastern

egion of the Agriculture Research Services, headquartered in Athens, Ga.. 

Mertz, he said, was transferred after he told a radio interviewer: "We need 

to be moving toward Camelot, not Sodom and Gomorrah, and I'm afraid that's wher 

e our leadership is trying to take us. 

Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy sent Helms a two-page, single-spaced letter 

that said, in part: "There is no gay rights agenda at the USDA," and the depart 

ment has not adopted a policy of allowing gay couples to have family benefits, a 

s was implied in Helms' remarks to the Senate the day before. 

Helms said the USDA is the first federal agency, to his knowledge, that has 

chartered a gay organization - Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Employees - which has 

pushed for greater acceptance and respect within the department. 

Helms quoted a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published in the April 27 

editions that said USDA officials "pledged to hold `sensitivity training' to spr 

ead this message among ranks and to punish those who do toe the line," 

Helms' first amendment would prohibit the use of federal funds conduct any 

of this "sensitive training" or to, in any other way compel USDA executives to r 

ecruit gays or to "embrace, accept, condone or celebrate homosexuality as a legi 

timate or normal lifestyle. 

An effort to table (kill) the amendment failed on a 50-50 vote with Sen, Bo 

b Kerrey, D-Neb., voting to kill the measure, and Sen. J Exon, D-Neb., voting to 

keep it alive. 

It was later modified by Bumpers say "none of the funds herein may be used 

to hold seminars or programs the purpose of which is to comply, instruct or urg 

e departmental employees to recruit people on the basis of sexual orientation." 

The vote on that proposal was 59-41 with Kerrey and Exon voting for it. 

The second Helms amendment aimed at getting Mertz' job back preventing the 

USDA from "perertorily" removing employees with public hearings from their jobs 

cause of remarks made during personal time in opposition to departmental polici 

es or proposed policies regarding homosexuals." 

That proposal was approved 59-41 Bumpers again modified the amendment to sa 

y that no one can be removed fromtheir job for disagreeingwithdepartment policie 

s without a public hearing. That was unanimously approved. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska battle ground in health care debate 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The battle over health care reform is hitting the airwaves, an 

d the battleground includes Nebraska. 

In recent months, at least nine different groups have taken out radio, prin 

t and television ads in the state. 

A study in Washington released last week said that nationally, special inte 

rest groups are waging the "largest advertising campaign to shape a public polic 

y issue in the history of the republic." 

Spending nationally appears to have exceeded $50 million, Kathleen Hall Jam 

ieson, who headed the University of Pennsylvania study, told the Omaha World-Her 

ald. 

Nebraska has been targeted because some of its congressmen play key roles i

n the health care debate, Jamieson said. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., is a member of the House Ways and Means Commit 

tee, which has been voting on health-care legislation. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, also a Nebraska Democrat, made health care a major part of 

his failed bid campaign for the presidency and has been active in efforts to fa 

shion bipartisan health legislation. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., could become a key swing vote. 

Hoagland said the ads may be cutting away at chances to get any health care 

reform bill through Congress. They are creating uncertainty by attacking health 

care plans without providing alternatives, he said. 


rest of the special interest that is funding the ad," Hoagland told the World-He 

rald. 

"I think the erosion in enthusiasm makes it more difficult to make the kind 

s of changes we need. If health care reform fails this year, part of the reason. 

..will be the ads," he said. 



braska. 

The Democratic National Committee, which has run ads backing President Clin 

ton's plan, recently spent $42,000 of is $400,000 advertising budget in Nebraska 

. 

Other groups that have purchased advertising in Nebraska on the health care 

issue include the American Association of Retired Persons, Citizens for a Sound 

Economy, the Christian Coalition, the Coalition for Jobs and Health Care and th 

e Republican National Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[EXON, HARKIN TO JOIN EPA'S ETHANOL FIGHT 

TEXT[ 

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration and other ethanol supporters a 

re trying to fend off an expected attack in the Senate on the government's plan 

to expand use of the corn-based fuel additive. 




the agency's chief, Carol Browner wrote an ethanol supporter, Sen. Tom Harkin, D 

-Iowa. 

"Our actions are consistent with longstanding Congressional support for ren 

ewable motor fuels and this Administration's environmental and energy goals," sh 

e wrote in the letter, dated Thursday. 

President Clinton sent a similar letter Friday to Senate Majority Leader Ge 

orge Mitchell of Maine. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Clinton sent the letter at E 

xon's urging.

Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La.,intends to offer an amendment to a spending bi 

ll from the Senate floor to block the Environmental Protection Agency's so-calle 

d ethanol mandate. 

His amendment cleared a Senate Appropriations subcommittee by an 8-3 vote o 

n July 14. But he withdrew it before a full committee vote later that day, and i 

s seeking clarification from the Congressional Budget Office on the amendment's 

cost. 


to support for ethanol. Harkin has been talking with some of the 47 senators who 


The Senate could begin debate on the spending bill as early as Tuesday. 


e in cleaner-burning gasoline come from a renewable source - in effect ethanol. 

The new fuel, with higher concentrations of oxygen, is required beginning i 

n January for nine cities with the worst air pollution. 

Two petroleum groups sued the government July 13 seeking to 

overturn the ethanol requirement. 



AUTH[Washington Bureau 


BK#[ 

HDLN[ICC Fund Cut May Be Deeper 

TEXT[The Interstate Commerce Commission appears to have escaped the shutdown env 

isioned by the House when it eliminated the entire ICC 

budget, but the commission still must find a significant amount of work -and emp 

loyees - to cut to meet its Senate-approved budget. 

The Senate-passed transportation funding bill cut $13.5 million from -what 

the administration had asked Congress to give the ICC, a reduction of 31%. 

Unfortunately for the agency's managers, that one number doesn't tell the w 

hole story. The ICC really will have about $20 million less to spend in fiscal 1 

995 than it did during the current fiscal year. 

That's because the administration request was already about $1.15 millions 

than fiscal 1994 spending. 

The agency will lose a considerable amount in user fees that it now co 

llects and keeps at the agency level. 

Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Senate surface transportation s 

ubcommittee, has introduced legislation that would trim some of the agency's fun 

ctions. The biggest change would do away with truck tariff filing at the ICC. Co 

ngress allows the commission to collect up to $8.3 million in fees, but one agen 

cy official estimates that about half that comes from tariff filings. 

Some ICC supporters worry that the regulatory reductions contained in the E 

xon bill won't match the money contained in the appropriations bill. If that's t 

rue, they say Congress will have to make even bigger regulatory cuts to make the 

work required fit within the money provided. 

* * * * * 

ICC POLITICS make even stranger bedfellows than most, judging by the odd co 

alition that came together to save the commission from extinction after the Hous

e vote eliminating its budget. 

As the Senate debated the annual transportation funding bill, lobbyists rep 

resenting trucking management, a major railroad, the AFL-CIO and a rail union we 

re all working together on a last-minute pitch to convince lawmakers the agency 

is still important. 

They may not agree on anything again until next year's ICC vote. 

* * * * * 

AS THE BILL TO IMPLEMENT the Uruguay Round world trade agreement approaches 

the crunch stage, all manner of groups are speaking up, pro and con. 

The Alliance for GATT Now, a business coalition urging the bill's passage, 

starts a national television advertising campaign this week extolling the round' 

s virtues. In an unusually imaginative ploy, it also is distributing "baseball-s 

tyle" trading cards, which tell state-by-state how GATT will boost U.S. jobs. 

Some of the cards feature "all-stars," among them Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Ge 

orge Bush, Ronald Reagan and Mickey Kantor, with their respective free-trade bat 

ting averages and home runs. Reportedly, three Clintons are going for one Daryl 

Strawberry. 

Meantime, Ross Perot and friends have gotten back into the trade act. The U 

nited We Stand America organization, founded by Mr. Perot, opposes the Uruguay R 

ound bill. Instead of freer trade, it calls for a "social tariff" on goods and s 

ervices imports. "If you want to sell it here, then make it here," it trumpets. 

* * * * * 

NEGOTIATING THE DETAILS of world trade at the Geneva-based General Agreemen 

t on Tariffs and Trade - and the soon to be World Trade Organization - apparentl 

y isn't much fun. 

In a preliminary hearing last week on Senate legislation to approve the rec 

ent Uruguay Round of trade agreements, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Rufus Ye 

rxa was explaining why he supports an amendment to make WTO proceedings more ope 

n. 

"I never understood why these meetings had to be closed," said Mr. Yerxa, w 

ho spent several years as the U.S. representative to GATT. "It 

would have a positive impact to be open. 

But asked by Sen. Patrick Moynihan to comment on his own experience at GATT 

meetings, Mr. Yerxa replied, "There's not enough caffeine in the world to make 

them more interesting." 

* * * * * 

THE COST OF DOING business with the Federal Maritime Commission is about to 

go up. 

In response to a budgetary directive, the ocean shipping regulatory agency 

is on the verge of proposing a new menu of user fees to recover a portion of the 

costs of services it provides. The proposal may be out as early as this week. 

Details about individual fee levels aren't available, but the new program i 

s said likely to return about $2 million a year to commission coffers. 

Current commission fees for document filings and licenses are nominal. The. 

FMC's operating budget is just under $19 million annually. 

* * * * * 

ANYONE WHO THINKS official Washington goes on vacation from June through Au

gust didn't sit in on six days of non-stop negotiations between U.S. and Argenti 

na's transportation teams. 

From July 14 to July 19, in 10-and 12-hour sessions that one participant ca 

lled "grueling," negotiators worked to hash out differences over route frequenci 

es and seasonal loads. Late at night on Friday the 15th, just when participants 

were hoping the weekend might be salvaged after all, the talks stalled. Everyone 

was back at the table bright and early Saturday morning. And Sunday, Monday and 

Tuesday morning, as well. 

When all was said and done, the U.S. team had managed to wrestle most of wh 

at it wanted from Argentina. 

"The talks got very tense, but we managed to close the deal," said Patrick 

Murphy, acting assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and internatio 

nal affairs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Health care battleground includes Nebraska 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The battle over health care reform is hitting the airwaves, an 

d the battleground includes Nebraska. 







ieson, who headed the University of Pennsylvania study, told the Omaha World Her 

ald. 

Nebraska has been targeted because some of its congressmen play key roles i 




Sen. Bob Kerrey, also a Nebraska Democrat, made health care a major part o 

f his failed bid campaign for the presidency and has been active in efforts to f 

ashion bipartisan health legislation. 



reform bill through Congress. They are creating uncertainty by attacking healt 

h care plans without providing alternatives, he said. 



rald. 


s of changes we need. If health care reform fails this year, part of the reason. 




braska.



. 







AUTH[Jeffrey Robb 

SOUR[York News Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey accuses Stoney of double standard. 

TEXT[YORK, Neb. - Sen. Bob Kerrey came out Saturday against his opponent, Jan St 

oney, receiving perquisites while an executive at U S West, saying she is settin 

g a double standard. 

Kerrey, who was visiting the York County Fair with Sen. James Exon and Verm 

ont Sen. Patrick Leahy, said he read a report from Joe Batillon, Nebraska Democr 

atic Party chairman, and found questions the chairman raised legitimate. 

"She's been going out against congressional perks," Kerrey said. "And sudde 

nly we find out from the Securities Exchange Commission that as an employee of t 

he phone company, not only did she get a $2.5 million bonus when she left, a ret 

irement bonus, hut she's also gotten perks far in excess of what she's criticizi 

ng." 

Batillon at a Friday news conference questioned a $2.5 million retirement b 

enefit that Stoney received from U S West, where she had been an executive. He a 

lso pointed to a report saying executives were eligible for such perquisites as 

company cars and annual spending accounts of up to $10,000. Stoney's campaign re 

ported the benefits in candidate financial disclosure statements filed in March 

and May. 

Representatives for Kerrey stood behind Batillon's charges Friday but stopp 

ed short of speaking for the senator. 

"I think one has to always he careful in light not to accuse something of s 

omebody that you're doing yourself," Kerrey said. 

Criticism of Stoney is legitimate, Kerrey said, because ratepayers supporti 

ng benefits for a public company and a monopoly, like U S West, are the same as 

taxpayers who support congressional perquisites. Kerrey said U S West is require 

d to file expense requests with the Public Service Commission, and those request 

s are reflected in the public's rates. 

However, Andy Abboud, a Stoney campaign spokesman, said U S West is not a m 

onopoly but a competitive business. What Kerrey calls ratepayers are really cust 

omers, Abboud said. 

"There's absolutely no comparison," he said. 

In Congress, Abboud said, senators can get their shoes shined, their hair c 

ut, ice brought to their rooms and floor buttons pushed on an elevator The list 

is long compared to the short list Stoney has received, he said. 

Kerrey said he had never used the congressional barbershop mentioned in rep

orts Friday. 

"I don't know exactly what she thinks I've got," Kerrey said. 

Kerrey aides said the visit was two pronged. In addition to making a campai 

gn stop, Kerrey also wanted ideas on the 1995 Farm Bill, which is in the works. 

To do that he brought along Leahy, who is the chairman of the Senate agricultura 

l committee. 

Kerrey gave a hint of an agricultural focus on the visit by pulling into th 

e fair behind the wheel of an ethanol powered car. The car runs on 85 percent et 

hanol as compared to the 10 percent maximum other cars can take. 

Leahy showed his support for Kerrey saying he needs Kerrey's knowledge of t 

he area to create a workable bill. On the farm bill, Leahy said his goal is to c 

reate a better deal for farmers who are incurring higher and higher costs. 

"I want people in farming to know that their work is going to count for som 

ething," Leahy said. 

Kerrey also said the bill to be structured so that farmers get equal benefi 

ts compared to consumers. 

"Don't run the program just so the consumers can get a good deal run it so 

the producers can get a good deal," Kerrey said. "We still aren't doing that in 

my mind." 

Kerrey said the bill will be hard to pass because of opposition sure to com 

e from urban senators. He said many senators don't realize the benefits, includi 

ng lower taxes, that can come from strong agriculture. 

"If you want to keep your taxes down, this is the way to do it," Kerrey sai 

d. 

Leahy also said he expected a tough fight in the Senate but because of a ti 

ght budget that others will want to stay under. 




SOUR[Franklin Co. Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[FFA Members Sydnie Weaver and Kenton Schegg Attend Washington Leadership Co 

nference 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.-Sydnie Weaver and Kenton Schegg of the Franklin FFA Chapte 

r of Franklin, NE attended the 1994 Washington Leadership Conference in the nati 

on's capital. The conference is an activity of the National FFA Organization in 

cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. 



in their chapters and communities. Sessions on self-confidence, goal setting, 

and team building were combined with discussions on personal development, motiva 

tion, and citizenship to help members become effective leaders in the science, b 

usiness and technology of agriculture. 




A highlight of the week was a visit made to the office of Senator Jim Exon 

of Nebraska.

The chapter's FFA advisor is David Rocker. 

The trip to the conference was sponsored by Franklin FFA Alumni, Franklin F 

FA, and Franklin Public Schools. 

FFA's mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of' students by 

developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career s 

uccess through agricultural education. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Sees Health Care Reform Progress 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After last week's meeting with President Clinton, follo 

wed by a meeting with Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, Senator Jim Exon ( 

D-NE ) said, "We may have turned a corner toward finally getting down to reasona 

ble negotiations and a positive outcome on the important health care reform effo 

rt." 

At President Clinton's request, Exon had a personal one-on-one meeting yest 

erday morning to give the President his views on the stalemate over health care 

reform and how best to break the current gridlock. "I reiterated to the Presiden 

t what I have been saying for a long time, that his plan as introduced is dead a 

nd that the time for compromise is now at hand." 

Exon suggested the best way to break the current health care gridlock is to 

hold a summit meeting at Camp David, for example, with about 20 of the top Demo 

cratic and Republican leaders in an effort to stop the public relations battle a 

nd instead focus on producing a bipartisan, compromise bill. 

"I also told the President that the 80 percent employer requirement he prop 

osed did not have the votes and that I do not support it," Exon said. "I reitera 

ted that I would not vote for any health care bill which created a new entitleme 

nt that would not be paid for." 

Exon further suggested to the President that insurance market and other vol 

untary reforms be allowed to work for several years before any employer and/or e 

mployee requirements are considered. Any future requirement would only become ef 

fective if these voluntary reform measures failed to curtail costs or provide en 

ough Americans with health insurance coverage. Any future requirement could be s 

imilar to that which is now in place for the Social Security program. 

"Our long-standing tradition in America is for employers and employees to s 

hare the cost of Social Security on a 50/50 basis, Exon continued. "I believe a 

similar requirement, if necessary, could work for Health Security as well. A com 

mission similar to the military's Base Closure Commission may be in order to sug 

gest the most effective type of requirement down the road if voluntary measures 

fail." 

Following Exon's meetings with the President and Mitchell, the Majority Lea 

der announced the change in direction which Exon had long worked and hoped for. 

"The time for the public relations war and the competing advertising campaigns i 

s over. A time for serious work and compromise is now upon us," Exon said.




SOUR[Omaha World herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says Hydronuclear tests bad example for rest of world. 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D. Neb., said Monday that it would be "a tragi 

c mistake" if the Clinton administration allowed the Pentagon to conduct hydronu 

clear tests, which produce lowyield nuclear explosions. 

Exon said such tests would undermine U.S. efforts to negotiate treaties to 

halt the spread of nuclear weapons and restrict nuclear testing. 

"It's a matter of timing," said Exon, chairman of the Senate Armed Services 

subcommittee on nuclear' deterrence, arms control and defense intelligence. "It 

might be interpreted around the world as a show of bad faith on our part. 

The hydronuclear tests have been used by U.S. nuclear weapons engineers to 

verify that their bombs will operate as designed and to monitor them for possibl 

e deterioration. The experiments call for detonating a mock nuclear warhead that 

releases only a small amount of nuclear energy. 

The explosive force of a hydronuclear explosion is equivalent to a few tens 

of pounds of TNT,the Washington Post reported. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima, J 

apan, in World War had a force equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. 

The Pentagon has pressed for authority to conduct the tests, while the Stat 

e Department, Energy Department and Arms Control and disarmament Agency contend 

that they should be postponed indefinitely. 

The Clinton administration has not yet specified whether it wants the testi 

ng an to cover the low-yield hydronuclear experiments, the Post reported last we 

ek. 

Exon and three other senators - Mark Hatfield, R-Ore., Paul Simon, D-Ill, a 

nd Claiborne Pell, D-R.I., - sent a letter to President Clinton this month sayin 

g the experiments would hurt the international moratorium on nuclear testing. 

The senators said the tests would prompt other countries to conduct their o 

wn nuclear tests and "would reverse the gains made to date and unravel our nonpr 

oliferation strategy overnight. 

Exon said he would not oppose future low-yield tests to ensure the safety o 

f the U.S. nuclear weapons inventory as long as other nations agreed that smallscale 

testing did not violate international agreements. 

But he said it would be a mistake for the United States to conduct its test 

s unilaterally, giving other nuclear powers like China and France an excuse to p 

erform similar experiments. It also would hurt U.S. efforts to contain North Kor 

ea's nuclear program he said.' 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Essential Air Service Funded.

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Jim Exon has announced that Senate action late T 

hursday will help assure federally subsidized airservice for the next year in se 

ven Nebraska cities. 

Full funding of $33.4 million for the Essential Air Service program was inc 

luded in the Transportation Appropriation's Bill passed last week by the Senate. 

This level of funding would assure continuation of federally subsidized air 

service to Alliance, Chadron, Hastings, Kearney, McCook, North 

Platte and Scottsbluff. 



AUTH[Tom Mainelli 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Senators prep to defend mandate on ethanol abuse. 

TEXT[YORK, WASHINGTON, D.C.- What was hailed late last month' as a, victory for 

corn growers and ethanol produce is now turning out to be a continuing battle as 

supporters and opponents hotly debate ethanol's role in the nations fuel progra 

m. 

On June 30 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it 

would require renewable source cleaner burning gasoline in the nation's most-pol 

luted cities Ethanol supporters called the announcement a victory. 

Now as local corn growers and ethanol producers watch ethanol supporters in Wa 

shington including Clinton and Nebraska Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon prepare fo 

r yet another battle - a funding battle in the political arena. 

In a media conference call Tuesday, Kerrey said he and Exon were making ca 

lls in an attempt to get the votes to defeat a spending bill amendment proposed 

by Senator Bennett Johnston D-La. 

The amendment, which would strike the funding for the EPA's mandate, h 

as received backing from other oil state senators. 

"We believe that we are in pretty good shape to defeat this thing," K 

errey said. "however, I want to make it clear it is a battle. It's by no means 

one that we are walking into...overconfidently." 

Exon was able to garner support from Clinton after the two met last Th 

ursday. At Exon's request Clinton sent a letter Friday to Senate Majority leade 

r George Mitchell of Maine. 

In the letter Clinton stated his opposition to "any attempts to interf 

ere with EPA's implementation or enforcement of this rule." 

Kerrey also mentioned Clinton's support. 

"It should be noted that the president is making calls too. The White 

House is trying to influence people to our position," Kerrey said. 

As government leaders prepared for the debate which could reach the fl 

oor this week, local ethanol supporters watch and wait. 

Jeff See, plant manager of the High Plains ethanol plant under constru 

ction at York, said he had expected the mandate to be challenged. 

"I wasn't really surprised," he said. "My major concern is 

that this attempt could delay implementation of the mandate." 

As written, the mandate would require 15 percent of oxygenates in gaso

line to be produced from renewable sources like ethanol by 1995. That would inc 

rease tho 30 percent by 1996. 

"The delay would have less of an impact on established 

companies like us," he said. "But it could have more of an affect on the newer 

companies and those just breaking grounds." 

While worried about the delay, See said he was sure the mandate would 

survive. 

"I'm confident it will stand as the EPA has written it," he said. 

Kerrey was also confident, although more guarded. 

"We've got a pretty strong position right now," he said. "I just don't 

want anybody to assume this thing is a laid down and or that we've got this thi 

ng beat easy." 



AUTH[Laurie Mielcarek 


BK#[ 

HDLN[NP gets $460,000 housing grant 

TEXT[For the second year in a row, the North Platte Housing Authority has receiv 

ed an sizable grant from the federal government for upgrades in public housing. 

U.S Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced the grant, from the Depart 

ment of Housing and Urban Development, on Monday. The grants pay for repairing a 

nd maintaining housing buildings and helping to make them more handicapped acces 

sible. 

This year's grant, part of the comprehensive grant program, means $460 

,261 for North Platte, said Beverly Lyons, North Platte Housing Authority direct 

or. Much of the money will be used to improve the looks at the Autumn Park faci 

lity, where 100 senior units are located, she said. 

"We'll be doing the driveway and parking area," she said. Housing off 

icials have "a lot of highhopes" for what they do with the rest of the funds, sh 

e said; other priority items include renovating the restrooms in the community b 

uilding to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and replacin 

g some overhangs and roofs at Autumn Park. 

The North Platte Housing Authority is one of only five housing agencie 

s in the state eligible for the type of grant it was awarded. The other four are 

Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island and Fremont. 

"The comprehensive program is for public housing authorities that hav 

e 25 units or more," she said. " North Platte has exactly 250 units." 

There are 100 senior units and 150 family units. The family units are 

in several locations within town, she said. 

Lyons said smaller housing authorities across the state compete for ot 

her funds for upgrades and maintenance. 

This is the second year that the North Platte Housing Authority has re 

ceived a comprehensive grant. During 1993-94, the first year for the comprehens 

ive grant program, North Platte was awarded $443,600, said Lyons. 

Part of the money was used for modifying five family units to meet HUD 

requirements for ADA. Entryways, bathrooms, sinks and bedrooms we adapted to b 

ecome wheelchair accessible, she said. 

The size of grants is based on the age of a community's public housing

units, how well they've been kept up in the past and other factors, Lyons said 

. Most of North Platte's housing units were built in 1974-75. Fifty family uni 

ts were added in 1980. 

The money from the grant will be reimbursed to North Platte each year 

for the work done that year. 

"As we complete the work, we request the money," she said. "We were n 

ot able to use all the money last year, so that money will roll over into this n 

ext year." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Three awarded grants 

TEXT[OMAHA Neb. (AP) - Three Nebraska communities have received federal grants t 

o improve the condition of public housing buildings, Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerr 

ey, both D-Neb., said Monday. 

The Lincoln Housing Authority received a $568,783 grant from the U.S. 

Department of Housing and Urban Development to replace doors, windows, furnaces 

and appliances in public housing buildings, the senators said in a statement. 

The North Platte Housing Authority received a $460,261 HUD grant for m 

any of the same improvements. A $261,464 HUD grant also went to the Fremont Hous 

ing Authority. 



AUTH[Matt Kelley 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain-Car Shortage Expected 

TEXT[It's hard to tell which is growing faster - this year's corn or the pessimi 

sm among grain elevator operators about the prospects of another graincar shorta 

ge. 

Corn crop conditions around the state this July are comparable to 1992, the 

year Nebraska harvested a record 1.1 billion bushels of corn, said the U.S. Agr 

iculture Department in Lincoln. 

The USDA won't predict a record harvest but says this year's crop is extrem 

ely promising. 

In 1992, grain elevators in Iowa and Nebraska were overwhelmed by the big h 

arvest, Golden piles of corn sat in the open air as owners and operators waited 

to get rail cars to haul the grain. 

Richard Sanne, executive vice-president of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Asso 

ciation, said the system hasn't changed much since then. Another record harvest 

probably would cause more than a few headaches for elevator operators, he said. 

Elevator managers such as Rod Ely in Guide Rock, Neb., say they are expecti 

ng the shortage and will deal with it as it comes. But that doesn't make it any

less frustrating. Ely said. 

"It seems like cars are around and as soon as the glut of the harvest hits, 

they're just nowhere to be found," he said. 

The Interstate Commerce Commission and Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., convened a h 

earing in Omaha in April to address the problem. Exon pushed for the formation o 

f a national grain-car council to regulate the agricultural portion of the rail 

industry. 

After the April hearing, the ICC began compiling a report on the graincar p 

roblem. Exon said he expected that report to be finished and published within th 

e next two weeks and that the report would recommend establishing a permanent gr 

ain-car council. 

The Association of American Railroads has argued against a grain-car counci 

l, saying it would add an unneeded layer of government bureaucracy. Railroads h 

ave advocated market-based reforms instead. 

Agricultural commodities present planning problems because farming is so cy 

clical said officials with the three railroads that service most Nebraska grain 

elevators: Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, and Chicago & North Western. 

Smoothing out the peaks and valleys of demand for grain cars us the key to 

solving theproblem, rail officials said. 

Rusty Jesser, a spokesman for Burlington Northern's agricultural division, 

said the federal government could help by giving railroads more time to plan aro 

und programs that affect agricultural production and export levels. 

Faster and more uniform inspection procedures at the nation's ports also wo 

uld increase the availability of cars, Jesser said. 

The railroads are slowly increasing the size of their grain-car fleets, but 

not at the speed that many would like. 

Union Pacific plans to increase its hopper fleet by 3,600 cars 

over the next three years, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for Union Pacific. 

The C&NW recently bought 1,000 new jumbo grain cars, said Leslie Cleverland 

Hague, a spokeswoman for the Chicago & North Western. 

Burlington Northern officials said they would increase the size of their fl 

eet but declined to say by how much. 

Still, the railroads warn that a grain-car fleet can be only so large befor 

e it begins to lose money. 

Because of the short hauling seasons, the rail companies are able to fill e 

ach grain car an average of only four times per year, Davis said. 

With a typical grain car costing about $40,000, railroads simply can't affo 

rd to buy enough to satisfy peak demand, he said. 

Jesser said Burlington Northern has designated 40 percent of its fleet to a 

program that allows customers to bid on cars five months in advance of shipment 

. The program is more expensive for elevator operators, Jesser said, but the BN 

guarantees the delivery of the cars and pays a fine if it is late. 

Elevator operators say they understand the railroads' predicament, but they 

still say there should be some better way to gain service and response from the 

federal government and rail companies. 

The most maddening aspect of the whole situation is that there is nobody to 

complain to, Ely said. 

"The Interstate Commerce Commission is supposed to govern (the railroads), 

but you go to them and it's like a deaf ear," Ely said. "I don't care if it's a 

national grain car council or the ICC, whoever it is needs to have some teeth."




SOUR[Imperial Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol endorsement key for corn farmers 

TEXT[Corn producers in Chase County, in Nebraska and throughout the midwest scor 

ed a major victory last week when the Environmental Protection Agency endorsed t 

he use of ethanol to produce cleaner-burning gasoline. 

The Environmental Protection Agency said last Thursday it will require that 


burn cleaner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources. 




Nebraska Corn Board Member Mike Bauerle Of Champion said the announcement w 

as "great news for Nebraska farmers and our rural economy." 

He said the decision will not only benefit Nebraska's corn farmers but the 

economy of the entire state. Chase County is one of the leading corn-producing c 

ounties in Nebraska. 

Nebraska's ethanol production capability is nearing 200 million gallons per 

year, requiring more than 100 million bushels of corn, he noted. This will crea 

te an estimated 1,900 direct and indirect jobs in the state. 

Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, said last week 

's announcement will prove key to corn farmers. 

He said Nebraska has the highest number of acres of corn plants this year s 

ince 1945 and corn futures markets have been down recently as crop prospects rem 

ains strong. 

The announcement, Hutchens said, comes at a crucial time philosophically. " 

We needed a base hit." 

The announcement creates an additional use for 200-300 million bushels of c 

orn for ethanol production. 

Presently, Nebraska's ethanol industry produces 63 million gallons of fuel 

grade ethanol, consuming 28 million bushels of grain. That will increase to near 

ly 200 million gallons in 1995 as new plants come on line. This will require a t 

otal of 100 million bushels of corn. 

Last year, 476 million bushels of corn grown by the nations' farmers were n 

eeded to produce nearly 1.2 billion gallons of ethanol. Much of it was used in g 

asoline as an octane enhancer and as an oxygenate for winter use in some cities. 

But corn growers stand to profit substantially from the increased demand fo 

r ethanol - an estimated 650 million gallons, or 230 million bushels of corn tha 

t the new program could pro- (rest of paragraph missing) 

The American Farm Bureau has said the increase in demand could boost c 

orn prices by as much as 10 cents a bushel, with farmers and related businesses, 

including ethanol producers, reaping as much as $1.5 billion a year. In additio 

n, 10,000 new jobs could be created. 


be a boon to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen o 

ur dependence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Ne.. 

Beginning in January, at least 15 percent of all oxygenates in gasoline mus



EPA Administrator Carol Browner said the administration sought to promote r 

enewable energy-primarily ethanol because "it is important to our efforts to div 

ersify energy resources and promote energy independence. 

The cleaner burning gasoline will be required in nine cities with the worst 

smog problems. They are Baltimore, Chicago, Hartford, Conn., Houston, Los Angel 

es, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and San Diego. 

In addition, officials in 11 northeastern states from Maine to Virginia, as 

well as Texas and Kentucky have indicated they also planned to require the oxyg 

enated gasoline. 

Todd Sneller, advisor for the Nebraska Ethanol Authority, said Nebraska has 

gone from an importer of ethanol to an exporter in about two years. 

In 1992, he said Nebraska had production capabilities of 14 million ga 

llons. Today, that mark nears 100 million gallons, with more expected 

as plants come on line. Most the state's present 40-million gallon consumption i 

s in ethanol-blended fuels. 

Presently, two plants produce ethanol, Chief Ethanol Fuels in Hastings and 

Minnesota Corn Producers in Columbus. 

Sneller said two plants are under construction, one in York and one in Blai 

r, with more considered. When these come on line in 1995, production will be boo 

sted 120 million gallons. 

Another plant in Sutherland is approximately 85 percent complete but i 

s tied up in litigation over ownership of the facility. This plant, when finishe 

d, will be capable of producing 15 million gallons of ethanol per year. 

Sneller said another announcement will be made next week about the con 

struction of a new cooperative plant near Aurora. 

With the EPA decision, Sneller said the ethanol industry earned some c 

redibility among financial circles that the industry is a good credit risk. 

Sneller and Hutchens both noted it was the producers who led the effor 

t to get ethanol to the forefront in the EPA decision. They said it's been a lon 

g battle, especially with some of the oil companies. 

Bauerle said Nebraska corn farmers did their part by responding to a c 

all to send seed corn tags to the White House with a message in support of ethan 

ol. At last report, more than 12,000 seed tags from corn farmers across the coun 

try had been received in Washington, D.C. 

"The big oil companies may have had the big bucks in this battle, be w 

e had the numbers and sound science on our side," Bauerle, a former chairman of 

the Corn Board, said. 

The fight may not be over, however. 

The question of what kind of compound should be used to step up the oxygen 

content of fuel has been a point of deep controversy for nearly three years. 

Farmers and their political allies argue that without help from the EPA, co 

rn-based ethanol will not be able to compete with methanol-based MBTE, a petrole 

um product. 

Opponents of ethanol, including the oil industry, argued that the mark 

ets should determine which additive to use and that the more expensive ethanol w 

ill increase gasoline prices. 

"Obviously what happened is a deal was cut during the election," snapp 

ed Charles DiBona, president of the American Petroleum Institute, which represen 

ts the major oil companies and has fought any government attempt to force refine

s to use ethanol." 

The use of ethanol, as opposed to the cheaper MBTE, "makes no economic 

or environmental sense .... You've got to believe some political promises were 

made," DiBona said. He said the oil companies are almost certain to file a lawsu 

it, seeking to have the renewable fuels provision overturned. 

The EPA action is expected to come under attack in Congress as well, w 

here 51 senators urged against giving any preference to ethanol. Senator Bill Br 

adley, D-N.J., said one possibility would be to seek an end to ethanol's current 

exemption from federal gasoline taxes. 

Hutchens said a lawsuit from the oil industry is likely but rioted the 

corn people have done their homework and feel the country sees the value of usi 

ng a renewable source, such as corn, rather than being dependent on foreign oil. 



AUTH[Nick Hytrek 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to help tower renovations 

TEXT[The Fremont Housing Authority will receive a federal grant for ongoing reno 

vations to Gifford and Stanton towers. 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both Nebraska Democrats, announced Mond 

ay that the housing authority will receive $261,464 from the federal Department 

of Housing and Urban Development. 

The grant will be used to complete updates to 13 apartments for disabled te 

nants in both Gifford and Stanton towers, said Marlice Sebade, Fremont Housing A 

uthority executive director. 

"It's a very welcome notice to do the updates to the towers," she said. 

She said the updates include remodeling counters and making all facilities 

accessible for tenants who use wheelchairs. The project was started last year w 

ith money from another federal grant. 

This year's grant money will also be used to pay for air conditioning in ea 

ch apartment in Gifford Tower, 2510 N. Clarkson St., and put circular fans in ea 

ch bedroom in that building's apartments. Exterior improvements will also be ma 

de to the building." Sebade said. 

The director said last year's grant money helped pay for the remodeling of 

public restrooms in the towers to make them handicapped-accessible, a security s 

ystem, and updated lighting in the bedrooms and kitchens of Stanton Tower, 2600 

N. Clarkson St. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain-car shortages are predicted

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Despite rail industry plans to add covered hopper cars, some N 

ebraska grain experts say they could be looking at another season of grain-car s 

hortages at harvest time. 


they're nowhere to be found," said Rod Ely, a grain elevator manager in Guide R 

ock. 

State and federal agriculture officials say corn crop conditions in Nebrask 

a are similar to 1992, when a record 1.1 billion bushels were harvested. 

But the harvest overwhelmed Nebraska and Iowa grain elevators. Corn pi 

led up in the open air as elevator operators scrambled to find more rail cars to 

haul the crop. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has pushed for a national grain-car council to 

regulate agricultural shipments in the rail industry. Industry officials have pa 

nned the council, saying it would only add bureaucracy. 

A report recommending such a council is expected to be released by the 

Interstate Commerce Commission within the next two weeks, Exon said. 

Rusty Jesser, spokesman for Burlington Northern's agricultural divisio 

n, said the railroad has designated 40 percent of its fleet to a program that al 

lows customer to bid rail cars five months before shipment. 

The program is more expensive for elevator operators, but BN guarantee 

s delivery of the cars and will pay a fine if the cars are late, Jesser said. 

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the railroad plans to increase 

its covered hopper fleet by 3,600 cars over the next three years. Chicago & Nor 

th Western railroad recently purchased 1,000 jumbo grain cars, said spokeswoman 

Leslie Cleveland Hague. 

But it's too expensive to buy enough rail cars to meet peak harvest de 

mands, Davis said Tuesday. Most grain cars cost about $40,000 and only are fille 

d about four times a year, he said. 

"You just can't, buy all those cars and let them sit there for the yea 

r," Hague said. "You have to manage a fleet." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey leads push for coalition's bill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Kerrey led a bipartisan effort Tuesday to seek a heal 

th care reform compromise that combines two Senate health care proposals. 

Kerrey, D-Neb., said Tuesday on the Senate floor that the bipartisan group, 

called the "Mainstream Coalition," is "united by a set of common assumptions." 

The coalition's bill has 15 sponsors. 

He outlined the basic principles of the coalition's plan: the cost of healt 

h care is too high, but the private sector can control rising costs; Americans w 

ho cannot afford insurance need subsidies to make insurance premiums affordable; 

and health care reform must be bipartisan and must be passed this year. 

Rural health care would be improved under the coalition's bill, an aide in 

Kerrey's office said. 

A rural emergency medical services program would be established and a match

ing grant program would provide better training for health professionals and nec 

essary technical assistance to groups that provide emergency medical services. 

Costs for individuals' and self-employed people's health care plans will be 

tax-deductible in the coalition's bill, Kerrey's aide said, but tax penalties w 

ill be imposed on top-of-the-line, high cost plans. 

The coalition's bill and the Senate Finance Committee's bill are about the 

same, Kerrey's aide said, and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, w 

ill probably bring the committee version to the Senate floor. 

But members of the coalition could offer amendments on the Senate floor to 

add their proposals to the legislation. 

The coalition bill is a combination of two pieces of legislation, the Manag 

ed Competition Act of 1993, introduced by Sens. John Breaux, D-La., Dave Durenbu 

rger, R-Minn., and Joseph Leiberman, D-Conn., and another bill offered by Sen. J 

ohn Chafee, R-R.I., Kerrey and others. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has not endorsed a health-care reform plan yet, but 

suggested to the president last week that the best way to produce a bipartisan, 

compromise bill was to hold a summit meeting with top congressional leaders. 

He has said he would not vote ford health care bill that adds to the costs 

of federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid if its authors do not specify 

how it will be paid for. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain-car shortage expected 

TEXT[It's hard to tell which is growing faster - this year's corn or the pessimi 

sm among grain elevator operators about the prospects of another grain-car short 

age. 

Corn crop conditions around the state this July are comparable to 1992, the 

year Nebraska harvested a record 1.1 billion bushels of corn, said the U.S. Agr 

iculture Department in Lincoln. 

The USDA won't predict a record harvest but says this year's crop is extrem 

ely promising. 

In 1992, grain elevators in Iowa and Nebraska were overwhelmed by the big h 

arvest. Golden piles of corn sat in the open air as owners and operators waited 

to get rail cars to haul the grain. 

Richard Sanne, executive vice-president of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Asso 

ciation, said the system hasn't changed much since then. Another record harvest 

probably would cause more than a few headaches for elevator operators, he said. 

Elevator managers such as Rod Ely in Guide Rock, Neb., say they are expecti 

ng the shortage and will deal with it as it comes. But that doesn't make it any 

less frustrating, Ely said. 


they're just nowhere to be found," he said. 

The Interstate Commerce Commission and Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., convened a h 

earing in Omaha in April to address the problem. Exon pushed for the formation o 

f a national grain-car council to regulate the agricultural portion of the rail

industry. 

After the April hearing, the ICC began compiling a report on the grain-car 

problem. Exon said he expected that report to be finished and published within t 

he next two weeks and that the report would recommend establishing a permanent g 

rain-car council. 

The Association of American Railroads has argued against a graincar council 

, saying it would add an unneeded layer of government bureaucracy. Railroads ha 

ve advocated market-based reforms instead. 

Agricultural commodities present planning problems because farming is so cy 

clical, said officials with the three railroads that service most Nebraska grain 

elevators: Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, and Chicago & North Western. 

Smoothing out the peaks and valleys of demand for grain cars is the key to 

solving the problem, rail officials said. 

Rusty Jesser, a spokesman for Burlington Northern's agricultural division, 

said the federal government could help by giving railroads more time to plan aro 

und programs that affect agricultural production and export levels. 

Faster and more uniform inspection procedures at the nation's ports also wo 

uld increase the availability of cars, Jesser said. 

The railroads are slowly increasing the size of their grain-car fleets, but 

not at the speed that many would like. 

Union Pacific plans to increase its covered hopper fleet by 3,600 cars over 

the next three years, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for Union Pacific. 

The C&NW recently bought 1,000 new jumbo grain cars, said Leslie Cleveland 

Hague, a spokeswoman for the Chicago & North Western. 

Burlington Northern officials said they would increase the size of their gr 

ain-car fleet but declined to say by how much. 

Still, the railroads warn that a grain-car fleet can be only so large befor 

e it begins to lose money. 

Because of the short hauling seasons, the rail companies are able to fill e 

ach grain car an average of only four times per year, Davis said. 

With a typical grain car costing about $40,000, railroads simply can not af 

ford to buy enough to satisfy peak demand, he said. 

Jesser said Burlington Northern has designated 40 percent of its fleet to a 

program that allows customers to bid on cars five months in advance of shipment 

. The program is more expensive for elevator operators, Jesser said, but the BN 

guarantees the delivery of the cars and pays a fine if it is late. 

Elevator operators say they understand the railroads' predicament, but they 

still say there should be some better way to gain service and response from the 

federal government and rail companies. 

The most maddening aspect of the whole situation is that there is nobody to 

complain to, Ely said. 

"The Interstate Commerce Commission is supposed to govern (the rail-roads), 

but you go to them and it's like a deaf ear," Ely said. "I don't care if it's a 

national grain car council or the ICC, whoever it is needs to have some teeth"' 




SOUR[Grant Tribune-Sentinel 

BK#[

HDLN[State officials hail EPA gasoline decision 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A federal decision requiring the use of cleaner-burning 

gasoline in the nation's smoggiest areas means big bucks for Nebraska corn farme 

rs, state officials say. 

The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it will require that 


burn cleaner. Some of the gasoline additive must come from renewable sources. 




"The program, when fully implemented, is a clear winner," Gov. Ben Nelson 

said. "It will clean the air in smoggy U.S. cities, create jobs in rural America 

and grow the economy." 

There is $500 million worth of ethanol plans under construction in Neb 

raska, in addition to the five plans already built, said Nelson spokeswoman Kare 

n Kilgarin. The state now can produce 100 million gallons of ethanol each year. 


rs Nelson said. 

"This decision will lead to the production of more ethanol, which will be a 

boom to corn growers and ethanol processors in Nebraska, and will lessen our de 

pendence on foreign oil imports," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 





ch have favored a petroleum-based oxygenate made from Methanol. 





stration is forcing farmers to accept half of a promised loaf." 





. 





"It's a big win. Absolutely," Kerrey said. "There's just no downside." 

Nelson, who heads the 19-state Governors Ethanol Coalition, applauded the E 

PA's decision, saying it would help Nebraska farmers and the state's corn indust 

ry. 


d ethanol when the program goes into full effect in 1996. 

Reformulated gasoline will account for about one-third, or some 37 billion gallo 

ns, of the gasoline sold annually in the United States. It is expected to add 3 

cents to 5 cents a gallon to the cost of gasoline. 


and by the 3,000-member Nebraska Corn Growers Association. Association President

Richard Plock called the decision a "major victory" for corn farmers. 




SOUR[Leigh World 

BK#[ 

HDLN[FFA Member Attends Washington Leadership Conference 

TEXT[Cory Hake, Dan Ehlers, Jim Herink and Dustin Loseke of Leigh Nebraska atte 

nded the 1994 Washington Leadership Conference in the nation's capital. The conf 

erence is an activity of the National FFA Organization in cooperation with the U 

.S. Department of Education. 

The week-long program helps FFA members improve their leadership skill 

s, develop an understanding of the nation's heritage and prepare for leadership 

roles in their chapters and communities. Sessions on self-confidence, goal setti 

ng, and team building were combined with discussions on personal development, mo 

tivation, and citizenship to help members become effective leaders in the scienc 

e, business and technology of agriculture. 

Visits to Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington Nationa 

l Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial and other historic sights in Washington were 

included in the conference. 

A highlight of the week was a visit made to the office of Congressman 

Sen. J.J. Exon of Nebraska. 

The chapter's FFA advisor is Don Tyser. The trip to the conference was 

sponsored by The Leigh FFA Chapter and various local businesses. 

FFA is a national organization of 417,462 members preparing for leader 

ship and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. The org 

anization has 7,545 local chapters located throughout the United States, Puerto 

Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. 

FFA's mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of student 

s by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and care 

er success through agricultural education. Local, state and national activities 

and award programs provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge and ski 

lls learned in the classroom. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Elevator managers eye grain-car shortage...again 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Despite rail industry plans to add covered hopper cars, 

some Nebraska grain experts say they could be looking at another season of grain 

-car shortages at harvest time. 



ock.

State and federal agriculture officials say corn crop conditions in Nebrask 

a are similar to 1992, when a record 1.1 billion bushels were harvested. 

But the harvest overwhelmed Nebraska and Iowa grain elevators. Corn piled u 

p in the open air as elevator operators scrambled to find more rail cars to haul 

the crop. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has pushed for a national grain-car council to regul 

ate agricultural shipments in the rail industry. Industry officials have panned 

the council, saying it would only add bureaucracy. 

A report recommending such a council is expected to be released by the Inte 

rstate Commerce Commission within the next two weeks, Exon said. 

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the railroad plans to increase its 

covered hopper fleet by 3,600 cars over the next three years. Chicago & North We 

stern railroad recently purchased 1,000 jumbo grain cars, said spokeswoman Lesli 

e Cleveland Hague. 

But it's too expensive to buy enough rail cars to meet peak harvest demands 

, Davis said Tuesday. Most grain-cars cost about $40,000 and only are filled abo 

ut four times a year, he said. 

"You just can't buy all those ears and let them sit there for the year," Ha 

gue said. "You have to manage a fleet." 

Rusty Jesser, spokesman for Burlington Northern's agricultural division, sa 

id the railroad has designated 40 percent of its fleet to a program that allows 

customer to bid on rail cars five months before shipment. 

The program is more expensive for elevator operators, but BN guarantees del 

ivery of the cars and will pay a fine if the cars are late, Jesser said. 




SOUR[Creighton News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Hail Good News on Fossil Bed 

TEXT[Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said today they have been advised that the 

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument exhibits will be completed within a year an 

d a half. 

"This is great news for Scottsbluff and all of Nebraska," Exon and Kerrey s 

aid. 

Exon and Kerrey have been instrumental in winning federal support for the A 

gate Fossil Beds facility that will house historical exhibits and a road leading 

to the monument. 

A group of local supporters has already raised more than $300,000 in privat 

e funding for the project. Approximately $750,000 in federal funding is needed 

to complete exhibits at the monument. 

On July 6, John Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, tou 

red the site. After his visit, Park Service officials assured Exon and Kerrey th 

e project deserved to proceed on a faster track. 

We were confident that once he saw the project firsthand, we would get a fa 

ir assessment of the money that would be needed, and that the money for the proj 

ect could be found," Exon and Kerrey said. 

"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the Cook Collection are stee

ped in history," Exon said. "They deserve to be displayed properly and be seen 

by people throughout the U.S." 

The Agate Fossil Beds is a national treasure and a valuable 

asset to Nebraska's tourism industry," Kerrey said. "I am pleased 

we were able to convince the Park Service officials to accelerate their work on 

this important project." 

In a letter to Paul E, Hofmeister, leader of Friends of Agate Fossil Beds, 

Inc., Exon and Kerrey praised the group for its work on the project. 

"All this progress would not have been possible without coordinated support 

at every step from the Friends group," Exon and Kerrey wrote. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey cosponsors Exon legislation to streamline ICC 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Bob Kerrey is cosponsoring legislation introduced 

by Sen. Jim Exon to streamline trucking regulations, protect the independence of 

the federal Interstate Commerce Commission and save $50 million over five years 

. 

Exon's bill would grant the ICC authority to eliminate unnecessary and 

costly trucking regulations and would save money by eliminating some of the ICC 

's functions. 

Kerrey said he was supporting the bill because it was a responsible at 

tempt to make the ICC more responsive to citizens and to save tax dollars. 

"I am pleased to cosponsor this effort by Jim Exon to responsibly addr 

ess the need for reform in the ICC," Kerrey said. "This is an innovative attempt 

to reduce the size of government and make it more responsive to the taxpayers. 

I commend Sen. Exon for his work in this area." 

The bill would end the practice of filing individual trucking company tarif 

fs with the ICC and would limit some entry-level regulations affecting insurance 

and safety. 

It also instructs the Secretary of Transportation and the ICC to review add 

itional cost-saving measures as well as to consider merging the ICC with the Fed 

eral Maritime Commission. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[3 Nebraska cities receive HUD grants 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Three Nebraska communities have received federal grants to imp 

rove public housing buildings, Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said Monday. 

The Lincoln Housing Authority received a $568,783 grant from the U.S. Depar 

tment of Housing and Urban Development to replace doors, windows, furnaces and a

ppliances in public housing buildings. 

The North Platte Housing Authority received a $460,261 HUD grant for m 

any of the same improvements. A $261,464 HUD grant also went to the Fremont Hous 

ing Authority. 




SOUR[Wausa Gazette 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey supports reform of ICC 

TEXT[Senator Bob Kerrey is cosponsoring legislation introduced by 

Senator Jim Exon to streamline trucking regulations, protect the independence of 

the federal Interstate Commerce Commission and save $50 million over five years 

. 


ly trucking regulations and save money by eliminating some of its functions. Ker 

rey called it a responsible attempt to make the ICC more responsive to citizens 

and to save tax dollars. 



AUTH[Star-Herald Editorial Board 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators, Overman keep pressure up for projects 

TEXT[To say that Scottsbluff Mayor Don Overman is pleased with Nebraska's U.S. s 

enators would be an understatement. Overman has spent most of July dashing off t 

hank-you notes to Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon. 

Overman says give credit where credit is due. He's particularly happy about 

a congressional funding commitment for historic displays at Agate Fossil Beds N 

ational Monument and about Essential Air Service funding by a Senate appropriati 

ons subcommittee. 

"Without the support of Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, there is no question in my 

mind that we would not have full funding for Essential Air Service in the Senat 

e markup (version of the bill)," Overman said in a recent letter to Kerrey. 

As for Agate funding, Overman credits Kerrey and Exon for bringing John Rey 

nolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, to inspect the world-class 

paleontology and American Indian displays earlier this month, after the park ser 

vice had shown little enthusiasm for completing projects at the site. Reynolds s 

aid during his visit that he would find the funds to make completion of the exhi 

bits a high priority. 

Overman himself should be commended for his vigilance on local issues. With 

out these efforts, progress would be slow or non-existent on projects that are o 

f considerable importance to this region.




SOUR[Omaha World-herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Prisoner's son takes case to Washington 

TEXT[Kevin Krikava says the phone hasn't stopped ringing since he took his 70-ye 

ar-old father to prison. 

Friends and strangers from all over the United States are calling to ask wh 

at they can do to get Ernest C. Krikava out of the minimum-security prison camp 

at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. 

Some days, Kevin Krikava said, as many as 30 people call to lend their supp 

ort and prayers. 

The elder Krikava, a lifelong farmer from Pawnee City, Neb., who recently l 

ost his 1,000-acre hog operation in a bitter bankruptcy proceeding, began servin 

g a five-month sentence for perjury June 30. He was convicted of lying about the 

sale of a group of hogs raised on the Krikava farm. 

Wednesday, Kevin Krikava boarded an airplane for the first time in his life 

. He was on his way to Washington, D.C., with a crew from a television program, 

seeking to talk with officials from the Justice Department and the White House. 

It was the first time he had been more than 200 miles from home. 

A diverse group has stepped forward in support of Krikava's clemency reques 

t to President Clinton. It includes members of the Nebraska and Kansas congressi 

onal delegations, hundreds of private citizens and even Harley Davidson motorcyc 

le enthusiasts, who offered to stage a rally in support of Krikava. 

"It's really touching that people are showing support from all over the nat 

ion," Kevin Krikava said. 

Bill Chapin, the Krikavas' bankruptcy attorney, said the case makes people 

angry because they can't see the good of jailing a 70 year-old man with a clean 

record and a heart condition. 

The loss of the family farm and recent death of Carol Krikava, Ernest's wif 

e, seems more than enough punishment and tragedy for the family to bear, Chapin 

said. 

"I've never seen anything like this in any case," Chapin said. "People are 

really feeling that the system has run amok." 

Kevin Krikava said the penitentiary personnel in Leavenworth have even beco 

me familiar with the case. 

"The prison has been getting a lot of calls at the switchboard," he said. " 

I called last week, and (the guard) said, 'Your dad's got quite a fan club going 

out here.'" 

Thomas J. Monaghan, the U.S. attorney in Omaha, could not he reached for co 

mment Wednesday, but in a New York Times article last week he said Krikava had b 

een justly convicted of a serious white-collar crime. 

Monaghan told the Times that Krikava had an opportunity to plead guilty and 

avoid jail time but did not do so. 

In a letter addressed to the U.S. Justice Department Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

, became the latest member of Congress to voice support for Krikava's clemency r 

equest to Clinton. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., had previously joined Sens. Robert D 

ole and Nancy Kassebaum, both R-Kan., in signing a similar letter. 

A spokeswoman for Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said a group of concerned Ne 

braska citizens was planing to visit Washington today to urge the congressman to

push for clemency. Rep. Jim Slattery, D-Kan, has also lent his support. 

Chapin said that at least six national television shows, including news mag 

azine programs from the three major networks, have expressed interest in documen 

ting the Krikava story. 

Chapin and Kevin Krikava said the overriding goal is to get Ernest Krikava 

out of prison. 

The attention is sometimes overwhelming, said Kevin Krikava, but he welcome 

s it. 

He continues to tend to the family farm, which is now rented from an invest 

or. He also works as a hired hand at another farm. 

Krikava said the continued support from people he doesn't know makes it eas 

ier to keep pushing for his father's release. 

"The momentum is building," Krikava said. "It's getting close to my best ch 

ance of getting in to see the president." 

The family's troubles started about three years ago. Community National Ban 

k in Seneca, Kan., began exercising bank liens held on the family's farm. The ca 

sh flow on the farm was strangled, hogs began to starve, and the family was at t 

imes reduced to surviving on a diet of popcorn and canned peaches, the Krikavas 

have said. 

Chapin said a bankruptcy proceeding was just beginning to move along when t 

he U.S. Attorney's Office in Omaha decided to charge the Krikavas with perjury. 

All three members of the family were convicted of making false statements about 

using a relative's name to sell a group of hogs and avoid bank liens. 

Only Ernest Krikava received jail time. Carol Krikava died of respiratory p 

roblems in January. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators vote with majority on prayer issue 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska's senators voted with the majority Wednesday as the S 

enate rejected a move to cut off federal funding for states and public school di 

stricts that deny or prevent voluntary participation in constitutionally protect 

ed prayer. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., were among 44 Democrats and 9 R 

epublicans who voted against the amendment offered by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C. T 

he amendment was rejected, 

53-47. 

The Senate instead approved an amendment by Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kansas, 

that would cut off Education Department funds if a federal court finds that a s 

tate or local school district has "willfully violated" a court order to allow co 

nstitutionally protected prayer. 


The vote on the Kassebaum amendment was 93-7.




BK#[ 

HDLN[Son takes farmer's case to D.C. 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The son of an imprisoned Pawnee City farmer hopes to win cleme 

ncy for his father during a trip to Washington, D.C. 

Kevin Krikava plans to talk with officials from the Justice Department and 

the White House today in a bid to free 70-year-old Ernest Krikava. 

"The momentum is building," Kevin Krikava said Wednesday. "It's getting clo 

se to my best chance to see the president." 

The elder Krikava is a lifelong farmer, who recently lost his 1,000-acre ho 

g operation along the Kansas - Nebraska border in a bitter bankruptcy proceeding 

. He began serving a five-month sentence for perjury at the federal prison in Le 

avenworth, Kan. 

on June 30. 

In 1991, the Community National Bank in Seneca, Kan., began pressuring the 

family for about $240,000 in loans. The Krikavas said the bank virtually shut of 

f their cash flow, preventing them from feeding their hogs and forcing them to s 

ell pigs under a relative's name to avoid bank liens. 

The family's attorneys said the family reinvested all the profits from the 

illegal sale in the farm. 

Ernest, his wife Carol and Kevin Krikava all were convicted of perjury for 

lying about the sale. Only the elder Krikava received jail time; Carol Krikava d 

ied of respiratory problems in January on her husband's birthday. 

A U.S. District Court judge said federal sentencing guidelines forced him t 

o send Krikava to prison. Had Krikava pleaded guilty to the charges, he might ha 

ve been sentenced only to probation. 

Kevin Krikava says numerous people have stepped forward in support of cleme 

ncy for his father, including U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., a 

nd Republican Sens. Robert Dole and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas. 

Appeals from the politicians have been sent to Clinton and to Attorney Gene 

ral Janet Reno. 


ion," Krikava said. 

Krikava said the penitentiary personnel in Leavenworth have even become fam 

iliar with his fathers case, which has received national attention. 

"The phone is just nuts. People are sending money," said Santina Leuci, a p 

roducer for the television show, "A Current Affair." 

The program has had five "Free the Farmer" updates on Krikava since the ori 

ginal show aired late last month. 


braska citizens were planning to visit Washington today to urge the congressman 

to push for clemency. 

Bill Chapin, the Krikivas' bankruptcy attorney, said the case makes people 

angry because they can't see the good of jailing a 70-year-old man who has a hea 

rt condition. 

"He's hanging in there," Kevin Krikava said. "He's getting along, but he wa 

nts out."




SOUR[Pawnee City Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[At Kerrey's urging, Senate listens to states,allows local governments to co 

ntinue food stamp reform 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Arguing that leaders at the local level understand better than 

Washington how to help their communities, Senator Bob Kerrey, Tuesday, successf 

ully urged the Senate to reject a proposal. that would have prevented state and 

local governments from continuing to use food stamp funds for new and creative w 

elfare reform. 

"No wonder American taxpayers are turning off to the idea that we can 

help people," Kerrey said in a speech on the Senate floor. "The reason they get 

turned off to the idea is that, when people themselves decide this is the way th 

ey want to be helped, it offends people who have decided how somebody ought to b 

e helped." 

The amendment offered by Kerrey and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., passed th 

e Senate by a 63-34 vote. It strikes a proposal from the Agriculture Appropriati 

ons bill prohibiting the states from dispensing stamps in the form of cash payme 

nts or wage subsidies. 

Several states have launched successful pilot programs in which food stamp 

recipients are paid in cash in an effort to allow them to learn and exercise per 

sonal responsibility, rather than have the government make purchasing decisions 

for them. Nebraska plans to launch a similar 

program. Kerrey argued that the proposal to stop those initiatives 

stems from an attitude that Washington understands the needs of welfare recipien 

ts and taxpayers better than their state and local leaders. 

The Kerrey-McCain amendment has been endorsed by the National Governors Ass 

ociation, the National Association of Counties, Nebraska governor Ben Nelson, an 

d the American Public Welfare Association, a group of welfare workers. 

Kerrey said Congress should listen to those sources - not reports and 

studies from Washington - in deciding how to pursue welfare reform. Kerrey noted 

that ideas that come from Congress do not necessarily make sense in reality. 

"I urge my colleagues to consider that what makes sense for us very often, 

doesn't make sense at all out there on the street"' he said. 

The amendment's cosponsors include, Senators Jim Exon and Bob Dole. 

Kerrey said the cash-payment pilot projects are creative attempts at breaki 

ng the cycle of welfare by keeping recipients from being "hooked on a voucher." 

"To let the individuals out there who need the food have the cash make the 

decisions on how they're going to do it not only in my judgment will be good for 

the individuals, but it will also be good for the taxpayers," Kerrey said. "An 

d I think it would be good for us to learn that we sometimes don't have the best 

ideas. Sometimes the best ideas are from the 100 million Americans who are maki 

ng decisions on a daily basis." 

The best reason to allow food stamps to be dispensed in cash payments, 

Kerrey said, is the testimony of the state and local government officials who m 

ust administer the food stamp program and believe it is the best solution. 

"I say with great respect to those that believe that ending this cash-out p 

rogram is good policy to listen to the people who are governing the states, who

have unanimously said this cash-out existing program should continue," he said. 

"Let us listen to the individuals who may have in all the government, the tough 

est jobs of all, the welfare caseworkers who are out there working on the line, 

who are saying to us, "Let us use this. We can make it work out.'" 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Kerrey hail good news on Agate Fossil Beds 

TEXT[Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) said today they have been ad 

vised that the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument exhibits will be completed wi 

thin a year and a half. 

"This is great news for Scottsbluff and all of Nebraska," Exon and Kerrey s 

aid. 

Exon and Kerrey have been instrumental in winning federal support for the A 

gate Fossil Beds facility that will house historical exhibits and a road leading 

to the monument. 

A group of local supporters has already raised more than $300,000 in privat 

e funding for the project. Approximately $750,000 in federal funding is needed 

to complete exhibits at the monument. 

On July 5, John Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, tou 

red the site. After his visit, Park Service officials assured Exon and Kerrey th 

e project deserved to proceed on a faster track. 

"We were confident that once he saw the project firsthand, we would get a f 

air assessment of the money that would be needed, and that the money for the pro 

ject could be found," Exon and Kerrey said. 

"Agate Fossil Beds and the Indian artifacts of the Cook Collection are 

steeped in history," Exon said. "They deserve to be displayed properly and seen 

by people throughout the U.S." 

"The Agate Fossil Beds is a national treasure and a valuable asset to Nebra 

ska's tourism industry," Kerrey said. "I am pleased we were able to convince the 

Park Service officials to accelerate their work on this important project." 

In a letter to Paul E. Hofmeister, leader of Friends of Agate Fossil Beds, 

Inc., Exon and Kerrey praised the group for its work on the project. 

"All this progress would not have been possible without coordinated support 

at every step from the friends group," Exon and Kerrey wrote. 




SOUR[Wauneta Breeze 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans involved in Health Care debate 

TEXT[OMAHA(AP)- The battle over health care reform is hitting the airwaves, and 

the battleground includes Nebraska.







ieson, who headed the University of Pennsylvania study, told the Omaha World-Her 

ald. 

Nebraska has been targeted because some of its congressmen play key roles i 




Sen. Bob Kerrey, also a Nebraska Democrat, made health care a major part of 

his failed bid campaign for the presidency and has been active in efforts to fa 

shion bipartisan health legislation. 



reform bill through Congress. They are creating uncertainty by attacking health 

care plans without providing alternatives, he said. 



rald. 


s of chances we need. If health care reform fails this year, part of the reason. 




braska. 



. 








SOUR[Crawford Clipper 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Commitments given to Fossil Beds 

TEXT[The Agate Fossil Beds are a priority of the National Parks Service giving a 

ssurance that the exhibits will be completed in one and one-half years rather th 

an the ten previously planned. A letter of commitment from U.S. Senators Bob Ker 

rey and Jim Exon was received by the Friends of Agate last Wednesday. 

John Reynolds, deputy director of the National Parks Service, after a July 

6 visit to the beds stated that other parks' 

unused funds could he reassigned to Agate Since that time he has assured Exon, K

errey and others that the Nebraska exhibits should be on a faster track. 

Friends of Agate are excited that the funding will enable them to make a ta 

rget date of completion in early 1996. The group had raised over $400,000 for th 

e museum with $160,000 used for casting of fossils. This work is being done in C 

alifornia. 

Donations for the museum are still being taken and will be kept frozen unti 

l written confirmation of the commitments of the National Park Service is receiv 

ed. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Personnel to be added 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Two aircraft and 30 military personnel will 

be added to Offutt Air Force Base, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon announced. 

The U.S. Air Force will assign two EC-135 C planes to Offutt to be use 

d as airborne command posts. 

The transfer, expected to occur later this year, will result in the ad 

dition of 30 military personnel. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha, Kearney to get housing grants 

TEXT[OMAHA(AP) - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey have announced that the fede 

ral government has awarded almost $5 million in grants to the Omaha Housing Auth 

ority and the Kearney Housing Authority. 

The OHA will receive $4.5 million to pay for repairs and improvements 

to public housing buildings. The KHA will receive $450,000 for repairs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators vote against funding cut in debate 




ed prayer.

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., were among 44 Democrats and nin 

e Republicans who voted against the amendment offered by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C 

. The amendment was rejected, 53-47. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[aircraft Personnel to be added to Offutt AFB 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Two aircraft and 30 military personnel will be added to 

Offutt Air Force Base, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon announced. 

The U.S. Air Force will assign two EC-135 C planes to Offutt to be used as 

airborne command posts. 

The transfer, expected to occur later this year, will result in the additio 

n of 30 military personnel, the Nebraska Democrat said. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)- U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey have announced th 

at the federal government has awarded almost $5 million in 

grants to the Omaha Housing Authority and the Kearney Housing Authority. 

The OHA will receive $4.5 million to pay for repairs and improvements 

to public housing buildings. The KHA will receive $450,000 for repairs. 




SOUR[Sutherland Courier Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Sutherland school bus has been delivered 

TEXT[Sutherland athletes, music and band members and other students will be trav 

eling in style this term. 

The 1974 MC1-MC8 recondition 47 passenger over the road type bus was delive 

red last week. 

The red, white and black painted bus has Sutherland, Sailors and an anchor 

painted on the front, rear and sides. 

The unit will replace one of the yellow buses. The size of the bus and the 

storage space should eliminate having to take a bus and several vans to activiti 

es. The reclining seats and air conditioning will add comfort and individual lig 

hts above the seats should allow students who want to study the opportunity to d 

o so. 

Fund raisers provided nearly $5,000 to the school for partial payment of the p 

urchase. 



AUTH[Bob Kerrey 

SOUR[Wymore Arbor-State 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate passes provision to maintain local control over food stamp programs 

TEXT[The full Senate today gave final approval to a provision authored by Senato 

rs Bob Kerrey and John McCain, R-Ariz., that will allow state and local governme 

nts to continue using food stamp funds to encourage welfare reform. 

The Kerrey-McCain amendment was passed by the Senate yesterday as part of t 

he Agriculture Appropriations bill. The full appropriations bill was approved by 

a 92-8 vote today, and it must now be considered by a House-Senate conference c 

ommittee. 

The amendment will allow local governments to continue pilot programs 

aimed at reforming welfare and encouraging self-sufficiency. It replaces a propo 

sal in the bill that would have limited the number of pilot programs to those no 

w in existence. Nebraska has plans to test a program next year. 

Kerrey said the passage of the amendment was a victory for state and l 

ocal governments who must administer the food stamp program. 

"State and local governments have unanimously said that this cash-out 

option should continue," he said. "By approving the Kerrey-McCain amendment the 

Congress listened to the states and others on the front lines of welfare reform. 

" 

Also included in the Agriculture Appropriations bill was a provision a 

uthored by Senators Kerrey and Jim Exon that derailed a proposed new requirement 

that egg producers pay the cost of egg inspection activities mandated by federa 

l law. 



AUTH[Patty Butler 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Woods fund aid includes TLC home 

TEXT[Youth Services will receive $50,000 over two years from the Woods Charitabl 

e Fund to help buy a new facility for its Teaching and Learning with Children (T 

LC) program for pregnant and parenting adolescents. 

The grant brings to $135,000 the total pledged toward the new facility, sai 

d Kristine Morton, Youth Services development director. The agency wants to rais 

e around $500,000 and will embark on a capital campaign in the spring if that go 

al hasn't been met, she said. 

NEGOTIATIONS are under way to buy a residence, but no purchase agreement ha 

s been signed, Morton said. She would not reveal the location except to say that 

it was in south Lincoln. 

"It's possible we could change location in late fall if everything goe 

s as planned," she said. 

TLC is at 2145 S. 13th St. in a house donated by Lancaster County. The 

home can accommodate eight young women and four children. The new facility woul 

d have the capacity for 12 young women and 10 children and expanded daycare serv 

ices.

Youth Service is also applying for a federal grant to provide services 

to young women who are not wards of the state, Morton said. 

"The need to move TLC is critical," she said. "Whether or not thi 

s particular location works out, we'll be looking to move the facility in the ne 

ar future." 

TLC's outreach program for those who have lived in the home and f 

or other young mothers in need of support will also receive $15,000 for its oper 

ation from the Woods Fund. 

YOUTH SERVICES was one of 14 non-profit organizations in Lincoln 

and Nebraska that received a Woods Fund Grant. Total grants came to $320,600. 

Special consideration for the awards went to programs that addres 

s youth and family violence, according to the fund's guidelines this year. 

Among the organizations receiving grants are: 

þ City of Lincoln, $10,000, third-year funding of the Youth Employment Program t 

o provide employment for at-risk, disadvantaged, low-income and minority youth, 

ages 14-21. 

þ Habitat for Humanity, $20,500 over three years, to support a part-time 

volunteer coordinator. Habitat uses community volunteers to build homes for low 

-income working families. 

þ Hispanic Community center, $20,000 for general operating expenses of t 

he center to empower Hispanic people to participate in the community and to prov 

ide educational, cultural, social, referral and translation services. Another $3 

,500 will go toward air conditioning for the building. 

þ Lincoln Action Program, Inc., $20,000. to fund in part the Lincoln Edu 

cation outreach program providing tutoring, academic 

support and counseling for 120 low-income and/or minority at-risk youth to preve 

nt them from dropping out of school. 

þ Lincoln Children's Museum, $20,000 over two years, to provide staff su 

pport for the Family Education Recreation program serving low and moderate-incom 

e families from multi-cultural backgrounds. 

þ Lincoln Neighborhood Housing services, $20.000 over two years, to supp 

ort a part-time loan coordinator to expand the First Time Home buyers Initiative 

and double the number of families served. 

þ Lincoln Public Schools Foundation, $5,000 to expand the student/child 

learning center at Lincoln High School to include toddler care and to develop a 

student/child learning center for infants at Lincoln Northeast High School. 

þ Lincoln YWCA, up to $22,100, to continue the Survival Skills program, 

a comprehensive adolescent pregnancy prevention program. 

þ Nebraska Community Reinvestment Coalition, $25,000 to fund first-year 

general operations for the coalition, an advocacy organization working to increa 

se investment by Nebraska lending institutions in low- and moderate-income areas 

of the state. 

þ Nebraska Wesleyan University, $45,000 over three years, to establish a 

community service learning program to integrate student community volunteer ser 

vice into the curriculum. 

þ United Methodist Women, $10,000 to support the Day Care Home Project, 

which assists low-income parents entering the child-care profession by providing 

training resources and equipment. 

þ University of Nebraska, $2,000 to fund for the second year the Nebrask 

a Repertory Theatre's New Plays Festival. 

þ Voices for children, $32,000 to support in part salaries and related e 

xpenses of a public policy advocate, the deputy director, the Child's View edito

and public information and volunteer coordinator. Voices for Children promotes 

the well-being of children in Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Health care caravan met with boos, hisses at its second Nebraska stop 

TEXT[YORK (AP) - A caravan trying to drum up support for the President Clinton's 

health reform plan was met with boos and hisses when it made its second Nebrask 

a stop on Thursday. 

Of the 300 people who gathered when the Health Security Express s 

topped in York, 150 were protesters. Many carried signs opposing Clinton's plan, 

including some that read, "Hands Off Health Care - Hillary." 

"The problem is we've got a Clinton bus, not a Clinton plan," sai 

d Jerry Schenken, an Omaha physician and treasurer of the Nebraska Republican Pa 

rty. 

"We feel the bill, the Clinton health care bill, is about control 

and it's about taxes," said Rosilie Shepherd of United We Stand America. "It's 

not really about helping people." 

Representatives of Citizens for a Sound Economy also protested th 

e caravan. 

The caravan is one of four rolling across the nation toward Washi 

ngton, D.C., in an effort to drum up public support for Clinton's plan. 

Carlene Bourn of Lincoln was among reform supporters. 

"I believe in universal coverage. I've seen too many people slip 

through the cracks in the system," she said. 

"Right now a lot of people don't have health care and I'm paying 

for their care. It's time the employers paid their share," said George Zuke of A 

mherst, another supporter. 

A Lincoln doctor decided to join the caravan, bringing her son, B 

enjamin, along. 

"The kids aren't well represented," said Dr. Stacey Bleiker, a pe 

diatrician. "I believe health care for kids should be a right, not a privilege." 

During a conference call with Nebraska news media, U.S. Sen. Jim 

Exon said he doubted the caravans and other staged events designed to promote na 

tional health care would have any effect. 

The Nebraska Democrat said he already knows that Nebraskans want 

a health-care reform plan that is smaller in scale than those being discussed. T 

hey also want the federal government to be sure the plan is affordable, he said. 

During its first Nebraska stop in North Platte on Wednesday, the 

Health Security Express also received a rude welcome. More than 100 protesters g 

reeted the caravan with boos and signs denouncing the Clinton plan. 

From York, the caravan headed to Kansas. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon for tougher obscenity law 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Exon (D-NE) has introduced legislation th 

at will modernize and toughen the decency, anti-obscenity and anti-harassment pr 

ovisions of the federal communications law. 

"I want to help families protect their children from being expose 

d to obscene, lewd or indecent messages that they might see on television, hear 

over the phone or read on a computer screen," Exon said. "I want to keep the inf 

ormation superhighway from becoming a red light district." 

The Exon legislation would expand the existing federal law, which 

already makes "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent" telephone calls i 

llegal, by including computers and other developing telecommunication devices. 

His legislation would: 

*Increase maximum penalties for violating decency provisions of t 

he law, boosting the maximum fine from $50,000 to $100,000. 

*Increase the maximum amount of jail time violators could receive 

from six months to two years. 

*Increase maximum penalties for transmitting obscene programming 

on cable television from $10,000 to $100,000. 

*Require cable systems to fully scramble audio and video portions 

of adult pay-per-view programming. 

*End schemes which defeat telephone number blocking by using toll 

-free "800" numbers to connect callers to "pay-per-call services," such as "phon 

e sex" calls. 

*Protect against "electronic stalking" by increasing the penalty 

for using telephones, computers or other electronic devices to harass. 



AUTH[Bill Hord 


HDLN[Health-Care bus a Bumpy Ride 

BK#[ 

TEXT[York, Neb. - Like a wagon train in hostile territory, a four-bus caravan pr 

omoting health-care reform passed through Nebraska on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Reform advocates aboard the Health Security Express, many of them 

in wheelchairs, were greeted in Nebraska with the two largest protests they had 

seen on their tour. Their journey began in Portland, Ore., last Friday with a s 

end-off by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

The first Nebraska stop, in North Platte, attracted more than 100 

sign-waving protesters and only a few supporters. The second stop - a lunch bre 

ak at the York Community Center - brought out about 120 protesters and 20 suppor 

ters. 

After lunch, the caravan left for Salina, Kan. Saturday it is exp 

ected to rendezvous with President and Mrs. Clinton in Independence, Mo.

The caravan is one of four traveling different routes to Washingt 

on, D.C. Riders will join a planned rally next week and will lobby Congress on h 

ealth-care reform. 

Nebraskans' reactions at the two stops tended to follow the lead 

of their elected leaders. None of the state's congressional delegation endorsed 

the original Clinton health-care plan. Gov. Nelson has pushed for reform that wo 

uld keep control out of the hands of the federal government. 

At the caravan's two Nebraska stops, there were no reported sightings of lo 

cal elected officials. 

Tour participants said more than 100 of the 130 travelers in the tour 

contingent were volunteers, many of whom had had health-care cost difficulties. 

Tour riders included labor union representatives, staff members of sponsoring or 

ganizations and volunteers working for the Health Security. 

They approached Nebraska's cool reception with a strategy developed on 

the trail. 

First of all, they never referred to health-care reform as the Clinton 

plan as they mingled with protesters. 

"We don't care what you call it. We don't care who gets the credit," s 

aid Ron Pollack, who represented Families USA, one of more than 100 organization 

s sponsoring the tour. 

Sponsoring groups include health provider organizations, labor unions 

and charitable associations that fight disease. 

There are differences of opinion among the travelers about certain asp 

ects of reform, such as funding of abortions and mandatory insurance coverage by 

employers, Pollak said. 

But the one issue that unites bus travelers, he said, is the desire for gua 

ranteed health care for all Americans, or universal coverage. 

The volunteers pounded that theme horns time and again in conversation 

s at North Platte and York. 

In a second-shift in strategy, the travelers made no attempt to avoid confr 

ontation as they left their buses. Instead, they greeted protestors with smiles, 

waves and handshakes. 

"Kill them with kindness is our strategy," said Chris Foster, a Seattle labor 

union representative. 

Connie Bowan of Portland, the tour's oldest member at 71, said a decision to s 

idestep a protest group in Boise, Idaho, was a mistake. 

"That decision wasn't made by the riders," Mrs. Bowan said. She said it was ma 

de by tour organizers. 

"We want to smile and wave," she said. "We want to be friends. We need to get 

information out." 

So upon arrival at North Platte, the riders - including amputees, senior citiz 

ens and others with health insurance problems - mingled with protesters. 

After an hour and a half of conversations, all but a few of them civil, both s 

ides claimed success at getting out their message. 

Dr. Jerry Schenken of Omaha, chairman of the Nebraska Republican party, said T 

hursday that the caravan had the potential to backfire on supporters of health-c 

are reform. 

"It has energized people who were against it anyway," Schenken said. "In Nebra 

ska, it has given us an opportunity to inform people about it." 

The Republican Party joined the Citizens for a Sound Economy and United We Sta 

nd, America for four press conferences Wednesday and Thursday along the caravan' 

s route.

"The caravan has been good for us," Schenken said. 

Schenken promoted a reform concept aimed at keeping control of health care out 

of the hands of federal government. 

Jesse Halbgewachs of Gothenburg, who helped organize the protests for the prot 

ests for Citizens for a Sound Economy, said the health-care reform advocates had 

made a strategic mistake in spending $2 minion on the four caravans. 

"The reason they attempted to do it," Halbgewachs said, "is because they had s 

uch a tremendous success on the Clinton-Gore campaign bus. That just won people 

over like crazy. 

"But what was a tremendous weapon for them in November has turned against them 

. 

The caravan travelers showed no sign of discouragement in the face of the Nebr 

aska opposition. They said they are seeing people converted. 

About 39 people wrote letters - carbon-copied in triplicate - at each Nebraska 

stop. The letter urged their congressional representatives to support universal 

coverage, caravan organizers said. 

Ed Gale, a Republican railroad engineer in North-Platte, came out to protest W 

ednesday but ended up writing a letter for delivery by the caravan organizers. 

Gale said he hasn't changed his mind about not wanting government to control h 

ealth care or about not wanting tax dollars spent on abortion. But after talking 

to the travelers, he said he favors guaranteed health care. 

"I think these people will take back (to Washington) an honest opinion of what 

the people feel about health care, Gale said. 

Pollack said discussion like those that influenced Gale may leave behind some 

grass-roots support for Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Rep 

. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., as they deal with health-care reform in Congress. 

"We hope we are providing them with some help," Pollack said. 

"I think all three would like to do the right thing and protect the American pub 

lic. We would like to help them." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[New planes to bring jobs to Offutt 

TEXT[Two additional EC-135 "Looking Glass" aircraft and 102 new crew members are 

headed to Offutt Air Force Base, Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Thursday. 

"The activation of the EC-135s shows that Offutt continues to be a vital pa 

rt of the air defense of the United States," Kerrey said. "The move also brings, 

jobs and will help Nebraska's economy. 

Kerrey said the additions to Offutt's 55th Wing would strengthen the milita 

ry & intelligence gathering capabilities and help ease the strain on Offutt air 

crews that have become increasingly busy in recent years. 

The additional planes also may signal a shift from plans to replace the EC- 

135 aircraft with a similar Navy plane called the E-6 TACAMO, said Kerrey, a mem 

ber of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

"The military and the intelligence people have told me they prefer the EC-1 

35," said Kerrey, who is in line to be chairman of the committee if he is re-ele

cted this fall. "They think it is a superior and lower-cost operating platform. 

To me this is a sign the EC-135 is going to stay around." 

The Looking Glass planes are modified versions of the Boeing 707 fitted wit 

h extensive communication equipment that would provide an aerial nuclear command 

post to the nation's leaders during a war. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said the two additional EC-135s are intended to ser 

ve as conventional airborne command posts and would not be used just in case of 

nuclear war. 

As Cold War tensions eased, the Looking Glass aircraft stopped flying 24-ho 

ur airborne alert missions in 1990. Crews of the 55th Wing, however, have contin 

ued to sit on alert and fly regular missions. 

As many as eight EC-135s have been assigned to Offutt's 55th Wing in recent 

years. 

Air Force officials said last year that the EC-l35s were in line to be reti 

red, possibly within the next few years. 

The Navy's TACAMO aircraft - for take charge and move out - are newer than 

the EC-135s and are able to communicate with Trident submarines, a key component 

of the nation's nuclear force. 

Kerrey said the additional EC-135s, which are coming to Offutt as a result 

of defense reorganization, would bring 30 new jobs to the base by l995 and a tot 

al of 102 by the end of 1996. 

Exon said Friday that a total of 136 people, including one civilian, are ex 

pected to be working at Offutt by 1999 as a result of the transfer. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said the additional aircraft coming to Offutt 

showed that the base had a secure future. 

"The activation of the EC-135s will be a wonderful asset to the Bellevue co 

mmunity," Hoagland said. 



AUTH[Harold Campbell 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Bids to be taken on Frontage Road project 

TEXT[Bids on paving the frontage road east of Sixth Street from Sargent Street t 

o Industrial Row will be taken Aug. 15, City Engineer Rex Behrends told the Boar 

d of Public Works at a brief meeting Wednesday. 

Behrends said he would have plans and specifications and estimate of the co 

st of the project ready by late this week or early next week. Construction would 

begin in late September or early October, he said. 

This spring, the city assumed ownership of the street, which had been priva 

tely maintained. The street runs from Ace Hardware on 

the south to Tractor Supply Co. on the north. 

City Administrator Jim Bauer said one of the problems associated with the 

project would be to schedule paving so that it would not interfere with traffic 

to the businesses along the street. 

"We will have to schedule this so it doesn't hurt any of those businesses," 

he said. 

Bauer also told board members Wednesday that the final tally is in on the c

ost to the city of the July 1 storm. He said the city spent $11,000 in overtime 

pay and other expenses for cutting and trimming damaged trees while city crews h 

auled 275 loads of brush after, the storm. 

Bauer and board members congratulated city street superintendent Dale Simmo 

ns and his department for their work in the storm cleanup. 

"I don't know when I've heard more positive remarks than I heard about pick 

ing up all the limbs and brush after the storm," board member Leo Kelly said. 

The BPW Wednesday also appointed Kelly and board member Kathy Reichstein to 

a committee looking at possible relocation of city administrative offices to th 

e second floor of the former American Charter building at Fifth and Ella streets 

. The first floor of the building will house the new police department headquart 

ers. 

Bauer also announced that the Environmental Protection Agency would present 

the wastewater treatment plant staff with an award for its composting efforts i 

n a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the City Council Chambers. The EPA 

had announced the award this spring. 

Representatives from the EPA's Kansas City regional office are expected to 

attend, along with city officials. 

The board Wednesday also voted to recommend vacating Hoyt Street extending 

from the old "pontoon bridge" across the Big Blue River to 173 feet east Bauer s 

aid the road and the bridge had not been used for many years. 

The board made the recommendation on the condition that the city retain ele 

ctrical and water line easements in the area. 



AUTH[Staff and wire reports 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Rail car shortages possible, again 

TEXT[Despite rail industry plans to add covered hopper cars, some Nebraska grain 

experts said they could be looking at another season of grain-car shortages at 

harvest time. 



ock. 

Randy Rhoads, grain merchandiser for Agrex Inc. in Superior, agreed. 

He said a lack of rail cars for transporting grain is a "typical" problem. 

"Everyone wants rail cars at the same time," he said. 

Rhoads said it is his personal opinion that elevators cannot hold railroad 

companies responsible for the lack of rail cars at harvest time. Most other time 

s of the year, the companies have an excess of cars. 

Bill Overy, superintendent at Garvey Elevators in Hastings, said Garvey shi 

ps 80 percent to 90 percent of its grain by rail car. Overy is sure a shortage o 

f cars will occur this year. 

And he said the lack of cars could be worse this harvest than in 1993. Loca 

lly it looks like even more bushels of grain could be harvested this year, Overy 

said. 

State and federal agriculture officials said corn crop conditions in Nebras

ka are similar to 1992, when a record 1.1 billion bushels were harvested. 

The harvest overwhelmed Nebraska and Iowa grain elevators. Corn piled up in 

the open air as elevator operators scrambled to find more rail cars to haul the 

crop. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has pushed for a national grain-car council to regul 

ate agricultural shipments in the rail industry. Industry officials have panned 

the council, saying it would only add bureaucracy. 

A report recommending such a council is expected to be released by the Inte 

rstate Commerce Commission within the next two weeks, Exon said. 

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the railroad plans to increase its 

covered hopper fleet by 3,600 cars over the next three years. Chicago & North We 

stern railroad recently purchased 1,000 jumbo grain cars, said spokeswoman Lesli 

e Cleveland Hague. 

But it's too expensive to buy enough rail cars to meet peak harvest demands 

, Davis said Tuesday. Most grain cars cost about $40,000 and only are filled abo 

ut four times a year, he said. 

"You just can't buy all those cars and let them sit there for the year," Ha 

gue said. 

Rusty Jesser, spokesman for Burlington Northern's agricultural division, sa 

id the railroad has designated 40 percent of its fleet to a program that allows 

customers to bid on rail cars five months before shipment. 

The program is more expensive for elevator operators, but BN guarantees del 

ivery of the cars and will pay a fine if the cars are late, Jesser said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey aid in defeat of school prayer amendment 




ed prayer. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., were among 44 Democrats an 

d nine Repulicans who voted against the amendment offered by Sen. Jesse Helms, R 

-N.C. The amendment was rejected, 53-47. 

The Senate instead approved an amendment by Sen. Nancy Kassenbaum, R-K 

ansas, that would cut off Education Department funds if a federal court finds th 

at a state or loeal school district has "willfully violated" a court order to al 

low constitutionally protected prayer. 

The vote on the Kassebaum amendment was 93-7. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State receives grants to fight drunk drivers 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon, chairman of the Senate's Surface Transportation Subcommittee 

, announced Friday that Nebraska has been awarded two grants to fight drunken dr 

iving. 

Exon said the $457,816 in grants to the Nebraska Office of Highway Saf 

ety will be used to help local governments provide more effective Prevention and 

intervention programs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State gets grant to fight drunk driving 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The federal government has awarded two grants to the Nebraska 

Office of Highway Safety for the purpose of fighting drunken driving, U.S. Sen. 

Jim Exon, D-Neb., reported Friday. 

The grants, which total $457,816, will be used to help local governmen 

ts provide more effective prevention and intervention programs, Exon said in a n 

ews release. 

The grants were awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis 

tration. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Hoch Fund-Rasier to Be Sunday 

TEXT[Lincoln - Former Sen. Carl Curtis, R.Neb,. and former Lincoln Mayor Helen B 

oosalis. The 1986 Democratic candidate for governor are among the hosts of a $10 

0 a-couple fund-raiser Sunday for Nancy Hoch's re-election to the University of 

Nebraska Board of Regents. 

The event in Lincoln, which is not in Mrs. Hoch's district, attracted 

a bipartisan group of hosts. 

They also include Duane Acklie, Republican national committeeman; Cynt 

hia Mulligan, banking director in former Gov. Kay Orr's administration; Charles 

Pallesen, chairman of Sen. J.J. Exon's campaigns; and Earl Scudder, a major Demo 

cratic fund-raiser. Mrs. Hoch was the Republican challenger to Exon in l984. 

Regents are elected on the nonpartisan ballot. Sarpy County Commissio 

ner Drew Miller, also a Republican, has received substantial backing from widely 

known GOP figures in his challenge to Mrs. Hoch.



AUTH[Paul Hofmeister, Friends of Agate Fossil Beds 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Friends of Agate thankful for support 

TEXT[I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank those persons respo 

nsible for insuring that the Friends of Agate Fossil Beds Inc. receive the neces 

sary cooperation and funds from the National Park Service to complete the fabric 

ation of exhibits for Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. I would especially li 

ke to thank Mayor Don Overman of the City of Scottsbluff for his tireless effort 

in pursuing the goal of completion of the exhibits. His political experience in 

these matters was invaluable. I would also like to thank the members of the Boa 

rd of Directors who have persevered through the funding controversy and have nev 

er wavered in their support of the project. 

It goes without saying that without the help of Sens. James Exon and Robert 

Kerrey that it would have been very difficult for our organization job have obt 

ained the attention of the National Park Service. Without their leadership, it i 

s doubtful that we would have received a timely commitment from the National Par 

k Service to complete the exhibits. 

Finally, I would like to thank Larry Reed, Superintendent of Scottsbluff Na 

tional Monument and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument for his continuous suppo 

rt of our project and cooperation in arranging for meetings with the appropriate 

personnel from the National Park Service. It was only with the help and dedicat 

ion of the above people that we were able to turn a negative situation into a po 

sitive experience. 

Paul Hofmeister, President 

Friends of Agate Fossil Beds Inc. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[All 4 Midlands Sentors Voted for Breyer 

TEXT[Washington - All four Nebraska and Iowa senators voted last week to confirm 

Stephen Breyer to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court. 

The Senate voted 87-9 to corfirm Breyer, a former Senate aide who is chief 

judge of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. He replaces retiring - 

Justice Harry Blackmun. 

"Judge Stephen Breyer has served as an appelate judge for 14 years," said S 

en. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. "He has great knowledge of the law and obviously a 

superior intellect. I also believe that Judge Breyer has the integrity necessar 

y for public confidence in the judiciary to be maintained." 

Grassley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he was not happy 

with all of Breyer's views, such as his support for abortion rights. But he sa 

id in a Senate speech that he thinks the Senate generally should base confirmati

on on a nominee's qualifications, not positions on various issues. 

"I do believe that the president, Republican or Democrat, is entitled to so 

me level of deference if the (nominee) has integrity, judicial temperance, and t 

he ability to read the Constitution and the law as the writers intended it," he 

said. 

Breyer drew opposition from Sen. Richard Lugar,R-Ind., who said 

Breyer's investment in a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate suggested "extrao 

rdinarily bad judgment." 

Grassley said he considered Lugar's charges but said he did not conclude th 

at Breyer's investments were improper. 

The committee investigated fully the nature of investments, and in all resp 

ects those investments were legal and those investments were ethical as they rel 

ated to Breyer's official duties," Grassley said. 

Also voting for Breyer were Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., an 

d Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 


Funding Amendments 

- 49-42 to kill an amendment offered by Jesse Helms, R-N.C., to the fisc 

al 1995 spending bill for the Interior Department. The Helms amendment would hav 

e restricted the National Endowment for the Arts from making grants for artistic 

projects that depict human mutilation, invasive procedures on living or dead bo 

dies, or the drawing of human blood. Opponents said the amendment, prompted by a 

controversial performance in Minneapolis, also would have prevented hanging pai 

ntings of battle scenes in the Capitol. 

To kill the amendment: Kerrey. 

Against: Exon, GrassIey. 


- 63-37 to kill an amendment offered by Bill Bradley. D-N.J., that wou 

ld have cut $10 million from the Department of Energy's fossil-fuel research pro 

gram. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Grassley, Harkin. 

Against: Kerrey. 

- 56-43 against an attempt by John McCain, R-Ariz., to restore a propose 

d ban on funding for a foot bridge between New Jersey and Ellis Island. The Hous 

e had passed a ban on the project, which was approved several years ago, but the 

Senate Appropriations Committee eliminated the House-passed provision. 

To kill the foot-bridge funding: Grassley. 

Against: Exon, Kerrey, Harkin. 

School Prayer 

- 53-47 against a Helms amendment to a bill to reauthorize a number of e 

lementary and secondary education programs. The Helms amendment would have prohi 

bited funds for school districts that bar constitutionally protected prayer. 


Against: Exon, Kerrey. Harkin. 

- 93-7 for an amendment offered by Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., that would 

uphold a student's right to exercise "constitutionally protected" prayer. But 

school officials would not be required to determine the constitutionality of stu 

dent prayers. Instead, schools would be penalized only if they rejected court or 

ders on school prayer. 


House Votes:

Desert Protection 

- 298-128 to pass a bill that would protect nearly 8 million acres of la 

nd in the California desert and establish a new Mojave National Park. 

For: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Peter Hoagland, D-Neb.; Neal Smith, D-Iowa 

. 

AgaInst Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Llghffoot, R-lowa; Fred Grandy. R-Io 

wa. 

- 238-138 against an amendment offered by Ken Calvert, R-Calif.. that wo 

uld have postponed the effective date of the California desert bill. 


Against: Bereuter, Hoagland. Smith. 246-179 to end debate and allow a 

vote on the desert-protection bill, which the House had debated periodically sin 

ce mid-May. 

To end debate: Hoagland, Smith. Against: Bereuter, Barrett. Lightfoot, Gran 

dy. 

Park concessions 

-386-30 to pass a bill that would 

change federal policy on concession contracts in national parks. The bill would 

end the current lifetime contracts in favor of a system of 10-year, competitivel 

y bid contracts. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Smith, Grandy. 

Against: Lightfoot 

Radon Warning 

-255-164 to pass a bill that would require real estate agents and home sell 

ers to warn prospective buyers about the risk of radon, an odorless, colorless g 

as that is believed to be a health hazard. 

For: Hoagland. 

Against: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

- 227-193 against an amendment that would have eased requirements on h 

ome sellers. 

For: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith, Grandy. 

Against: Hoagland. 

District of Columbia 

-316-101 to adopt a nonbinding motion offered by James Walsh, R-N.Y., to in 

struct House negotiators on the fiscal 1995 spending bill for the District of Co 

lumbia. The Walsh motion urges negotiators to insist on a House-passed requireme 

nt that the city cut its budget by $150 million, instead of the $75 million cut 

adopted by the Senate. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith. 





SOUR[ap 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Undecided endure intense lobbying 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Peter Hoagland is a Democrat, he's from a Nebraska distri 

ct that makes re-election a constant battle, he's undecided on which health care 

bill to support - and he's on virtually everybody's target list.

"I guess they think, 'Here's a guy we can really whip,"' Hoagland said. "Th 

ere are so many lobby groups out there it's incomprehensible. You can't keep tra 

ck of them. 

IN RECENT WEEKS, he's heard from the hospitals,the doctors, the insuranc 

e companies, small businesses and retailers. The airwaves in Omaha have been ali 

ve with radio and television ads from the National Restaurant Association, the C 

hristian Coalition and the American Association of Retired Persons. The Democrat 

ic and Republican parties also have weighed in. 

"It's been pretty much a mortar barrage," said an aide. 

One intern was almost in tears last week after several hours of being yelle 

d at on the telephone by people calling about health care. 

Such is life in the crossfire of the biggest and most heavily lobbied legislati 

ve issue to hit Congress in decades. 

EVERY INTEREST GROUP has laid its battle plans as competing health care pro 

posals go to House and Senate floor debate this week. Every group has made its t 

arget list of key swing votes, and for the most part, they are the same: about 5 

0 to 60 House members, and about 20 or so senators, mostly Democrats, heavily co 

ncentrated in the South and the border states. 

"They are beating down our doors," Hoagland said. "To the degree it's hones 

t input, it's helpful. To the degree that it's major interest groups putting TV 

ads on in Omaha, it's not helpful." 

Another House member expressed frustration. 

"Everybody who ever said hello to you wants to bring in their vice presiden 

t," said Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Texas, who's on some of the lists. "Every labor 

union that ever made a contribution, every corporation that ever gave you a quar 

ter. There aren't that many hours in the day." 

IN ADDITION to hearing from outside groups like auto dealers and restaurant 

owners, Wilson said, he is also being lobbied by his own colleagues to join a " 

mainstream" group seeking to assemble a more conservative bill than the one put 

together by House Democratic leaders. 

House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., and Senate Majority Leader G 

eorge Mitchell, D-Maine, have been involved in endless meetings aimed at draftin 

g bills that can attract majority support. In the days ahead, they will cut what 

ever deals they can in an effort to bring vote totals up to the magic number for 

passage. 

At the same time, Republicans are seeking to pick off the same swing votes 

by drafting bills that play to the lawmakers' concerns: a dicey political situat 

ion, like Hoagland's; worries over a tobacco tax for members from Virginia, Nort 

h Carolina and Kentucky; or including abortion services in the package. 

LAST WEEK, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and four colleagues had lunch with Tre 

asury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen and four other top Clinton administration official 

s. They were seeking the support of Conrad, Sens. Charles Robb, D-Va., Max Baucu 

s, D-Mont., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and James Exon, D-Neb. 

I talk to the majority leader (Mitchell) almost every day," Conrad said. 

North Dakota's other senator, Byron Dorgan, is also feeling the heat. 

"Because I've kept an open mind I have literally been bombarded by everybod 

y," he said.

Clinton invited Dorgan to an Oval Office meeting. His telephones havebeen c 

onstantly busy. Faxes pile up daily. 

AT SOME POINT, lawmakers say, all the messages blend into a wall of noise. 

The names of competing groups and coalitions and associations become indistingu 

ishable in the cacophony. 

"It's about every single group in the country. ... They're wallpapering Cap 

itol Hill with an enormous amount of information," Dorgan said. 

"At some point you say, 'I've got to separate myself from the crowd noise h 

ere and think through what's best for the country,' he said. "Otherwise, you're 

like a puppy trying, to follow five kids home from school." 



AUTH[Betty VanDeventer 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Regent fund-raisers cross parties, towns 

TEXT[Interest in the tight contest between University of Nebraska Regent Nancy H 

och of Nebraska City and Drew Miller of Papillion has heightened. 

Prominent Lincoln Democrats held a $100-per-person fund-raiser Sunday for H 

och, a Republican. 

Meanwhile, Miller supporter David Sokol - leader of an initiative to split 

the UNL engineering college to create one in Omaha - has written to his friends 

and colleagues asking them to attend an Aug. 25 fund-raiser for Hoch's challenge 

r. 

Incumbent Hoch drew about 49 percent of the votes in the May District 4 pri 

mary; Miller pulled in about 51 percent. 

Soon after the November election, regents are expected to vote on the engineerin 

g college issue, which has intensified the competition between the Lincoln and O 

maha university campuses as well as the two cities. 

SOKOL'S LETTER focused on the engineering issue and Miller's commitment for 

a separate college in Omaha. 

"Given our new university president, Dr. Dennis Smith, the upcoming impleme 

ntation of the engineering college in Omaha, as well as the many other issues fa 

cing our university systems,I urge you to support Drew Miller," Sokol wrote in t 

he July 18 letter - 

"Please bear in mind that the fight for fair funding for (the) University o 

f Nebraska at Omaha engineering and technical programs will not end with the app 

roval of a separate college. 

"There will be budget battles for many years to come. It is essential that 

we have a regent like Drew Miller who supports a strong engineering program and 

a university that is more responsive to Nebraska business needs," wrote Sokol, p 

resident of California Energy Co. Inc. in Omaha. 

Hoch expects to support NU President Smith's decision on the matter, said D 

uane Acklie, a Hoch supporter and cohost of the Sunday fund-raiser. 

"To the best of my knowledge, Nancy's position is that whatever professiona 

l position is made by President Smith should be done," Acklie said in a Sunday t 

elephone interview. 

"I'm backing Nancy because she has done a good job," said Acklie, chairman

of Crete Carrier Corp. in Lincoln. 

I think Nancy has an outstanding record for supporting business" and balancing t 

he university's other interests, he said. 

Hoch could not be reached for comment. 

ACKLIE SAID cohosts of the Sunday fund-raiser for Hoch included both Democr 

ats and Republicans. 

Lincoln Democrats who sponsored the event included former Mayor Helen Boosa 

lis; Chuck Pallesen, who has managed U.S Sen. Jim Exon's campaigns; Lincoln law 

yer Earl Scudder, a former Democratic Party official; and PJ. Morgan, Duncan Avi 

ation executive and Omaha mayor. 

"Nancy (Hoch) has been a good regent. I'm supporting her because of that, n 

ot because of any political party consideration," Scudder said 

Scudder said Sokol is politicizing the engineering college issue. 

"I think Sokol is off on a frolic of his own," he said. 

"If any regents' candidate has promised to vote a particular way on any iss 

ue to elicit campaign support, that would be very unfortunate, and I doubt that 

Miller has done so. 

Scudder said he supported the NU president's initiative to study whether th 

ere is a "true engineering need" in Omaha, saying the first study appeared to be 

responsive to political issues rather than academic needs. 

Smith has appointed a task force to study the matter. The task force is exp 

ected to make its recommendation by November. 



AUTH[Thomas A. Foster, Esq. 

SOUR[Distribution 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Get Ready For Real Trucking Deregulation 

TEXT[It is hard to believe, but the interstate motor carrier industry looks as i 

f it will finally be deregulated completely. That means carriers will no longer 

have to file tariffs at the Interstate Commerce Commission, and shippers won't h 

ave to constantly check to see if negotiated rates are actually on file. 

Specifically, Senator Exon's Trucking Industry Regulatory Reform Act (S. 22 

75) would: eliminate tariff filing for all but HHG carriers; simplify entry to o 

nly a showing of insurance and safety fitness; grant the ICC exemption authority 

over any trucking matter still under its jurisdiction; and, require studies int 

o further regulatory cutbacks such as merging the ICC with the FMC and perhaps s 

hifting remaining ICC functions to the DOT. 

The reality of real motor carrier deregulation may seem scary to some shipp 

ers, but there is absolutely nothing to fear. The industry has been acting as if 

it was deregulated for some time. Carriers will continue to have their own tari 

ffs that shippers can use to compare prices. Deals will be negotiated just as th 

ey are now, but with less time wasted with regulatory mumbo-jumbo. The whole pro 

cess of rating, auditing and paying freight bills should become simpler. Basical 

ly, big shippers and smaller shippers should be able to get as good of a deal as 

they do now. 

We would expect even greater efficiencies in the future when the industry r

ealizes it has no need for such anachronistic institutions as rate bureaus, the 

National Motor Freight Classification, general rate increases, and other throwba 

cks to the past that have no place in a competition based economy. We certainly 

expect that carriers would give up the ridiculous system of base rates that are 

routinely at least double the prices shippers actually pay. In fact, motor carri 

ers that can make their pricing simpler than their competitors will have a major 

selling point. I suspect motor carrier pricing will soon resemble that of the a 

ir express carriers whose charges vary according to service level desired rather 

than complex rates supposedly linked to costs and commodity. 

Of course, we all know that S. 2275 is not on a fast track to save the ship 

per and consumer time and money. The bill is a desperate measure to save the ICC 

from being eliminated by Congressional budget hawks. Senator Exon wants the ICC 

to survive, and he knows this compromise is the only way to save it, at least f 

or now. So let's not ask why this bill should become law. Let's just enjoy livin 

g in a truly deregulated market. 




SOUR[Distribution 

BK#[ 

HDLN[The ICC'S Last, Best Hope 

TEXT[The Interstate Commerce Commission-which had the rug pulled out from under 

it by the House of Representatives when they voted to abolish the 107-year-old a 

gency-may have a new lease on life in the U.S. Senate. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., introduced a bill that would save the ICC by streaml 

ining the agency's functions. If the bill is embraced by Congress, the main miss 

ion of the scaled-down ICC will be regulating the rail industry, such as mergers 

. But outdated ICC motor carrier regulatory functions would be eliminated, namel 

y the filed rate doctrine which require carriers to file tariffs containing rate 

s. 

Under Exon's plan, the ICC would retain limited authority in the trucking i 

ndustry as well as continue its mediating roles in shipper/carrier relations, in 

surance and safety. The bill will also consider merging the ICC with the Federal 

Maritime Commission. 



AUTH[Ed Saylor, Jr. 

SOUR[Fairbury News Journal Editorial 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Looking In Right Direction 

At least one senator has his head on straight. Sen. Jim Exon is looking ou 

t for small businesses and he's letting Bill Clinton know it. 

Exon met one-on-one with the president recently to discuss health care refo

m. 

"I reiterated to the president what I have been saying for a long time, tha 

t his plan as introduced is dead and that the time for compromise is now at hand 

," he said. 

He suggested the best way to break the current gridlock is to hold a summit 

meeting to produce a bipartisan, compromise bill. 

"I also told the president that the 80 percent employer requirement he prop 

osed did not have the votes and that I do not support it." 

I think Exon has a fairly decent idea. 

"Our long-standing tradition in America is for employers and employees to s 

hare the cost of social security on a 50/50 basis," Exon said. "I believe a simi 

lar requirement, if necessary, could work for Health Security as well." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Barrett Call Settlement Encouraging 

TEXT[Washington - Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said Monday he needs to know more a 

bout a U.S.-Canadian agreement imposing limits on Canadian wheat exports to the 

United States. 

"This agreement is a start, but I'm hoping for more," he said. 

U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, in announcing the agreement, did n 

ot disclose specific limits on Canadian wheat. 

"Tons of unfairly subsidized wheat have been giving the Canadians the upper 

hand and damaging U.S. markets for too long," Barrett said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said the agreement should ease tensions between the 

United States and Canada while improving the market for U.S. wheat 

"I was also encouraged to see a joint commission on grains established whic 

h will look at marketing and support systems in both countries," Exon said. 



AUTH[ap 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Wheat Agreement Questioned 

TEXT[OMAHA Neb. (AP) - The agreement reached between the United States and Canad 

a concerning wheat imports falls short, U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett said. 

"This is a first step, but it doesn't go the whole nine yards to protect Am 

erican farmers," Barrett, R-Neb., said Monday. 

The agreement would limit overall Canadian wheat imports by imposing high t 

ariffs on shipments above certain levels, farm state lawmakers said. Specific fi 

gures were not released.

"Tons of unfairly subsidized wheat have been giving Canadians the upper-han 

d and damaging U.S. markets for too long," Barrett said. 

U.S. Sen Jim Exon praised the agreement. 

`"This will hopefully bring some peace to the marketplace and, more importa 

ntly, relief for wheat farmers," Exon, D-Neb., said. 



AUTH[Washington Post 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Dust Clears: Canada to Cut Wheat Exports 

TEXT[Washington - U.S. and Canadian negotiators said Monday that they have settl 

ed a long-running dispute over a surge of wheat imports from Canada that had thr 

eatened to ignite a trade war. 

The preliminary agreement would require a "substantial reduction" in curren 

t levels of wheat and grain shipments from Canada to the United States, said U.S 

. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor. The details will not be announced until af 

ter the Canadian Cabinet meets today to consider the agreement. Canada's approva 

l is expected. 

People familiar with the settlement said Canadian wheat shipments would be 

capped at l.5 million tons over the next 12 months, compared with the 2.7 millio 

n tons imported during the previous year. 

Canadian shipments increased by more than 50 percent last year, in large pa 

rt because of poor weather that battered the U.S crop. The Clinton administratio 

n also contends that Canada was unfairly undercutting U.S. wheat prices to sell 

its crop here. 

Kantor said the import restrictions will not cause noticeable price increas 

es in farm products. That was challenged by the U.S. pasta industry, which has r 

elied increasingly on imports of Canadian durum wheat. 

"We are incensed," said Jula J. Kinnaird, president of the National Pasta A 

ssociation. "Any restrictions are a bad deal for the pasta industry and U.S. con 

sumers." 

There was applause, however, from the U.S. wheat industry and its congressi 

onal supporters, who have kept intense pressure on Kantor and Agriculture Secret 

ary Mike Espy to curtail Canadian imports. 

"We are pleased. The administration deserves a lot of credit," said Se 

n. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. 

Monday's agreement includes a "peace clause" stating that neither coun 

ty will act against the other over issues of wheat trade for the next year. 

During that time, a Joint Commission on Grain will be formed to furthe 

r explore the wheat dispute - the markedly different systems followed in Canada 

and the United States to market crops and subsidize exports. 

The Clinton administration has protested that the Canadian Wheat Board 

, the state monopoly that buys and sells the nation's grain, has unfairly unders 

old U.S. wheat to capture sales. Canada has criticized U.S. export subsidy progr 

ams.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Son of imprisoned elderly farmer takes case to Washington D.C. 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The son of an imprisoned Pawnee City farmer hopes to win cleme 

ncy for his father during a trip to Washington, D.C. 

Kevin Krikava plans to talk with officials from the Justice Department and 

the White House today in a bid to free 70-year-old Ernest Krikava. 

"The momentum is building," Kevin Krikava said Wednesday. "It's getting clo 

se to my best chance of getting in to see the president." 

The elder Krikava is a lifelong farmer, who recently 

lost his 1,000-acre hog operation along the Kansas-Nebraska border in a bitter b 

ankruptcy proceeding. He began serving a five-month sentence for perjury at the 

federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., on June 30. 

In 1991, the Community National Bank in Seneca, Kan., began pressuring the 

family for about $240,000 in loans. The Krikavas said the bank virtually shut of 

f their cash flow, preventing them from feeding their hogs and forcing them to s 

ell pigs under a relative's name to avoid bank liens. 

The family's attorneys said the family reinvested all the profits from the 

illegal sale in the farm. 

Ernest, his wife Carol and Kevin Krikava all were convicted of perjury for 

lying about the sale. Only the elder Krikava received jail time; Carol Krikava d 

ied of respiratory problems in January on her husband's birthday. 

A U.S. District Court judge said federal sentencing guidelines forced him t 

o send Krikava to prison. Had Krikava pleaded guilty to the charges, he might h 

ave been sentenced only to probation. 

Kevin Krikava says numerous people have stepped forward in support of cleme 

ncy for his father, including U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., a 

nd Republican Sens. Robert Dole and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas. 

Appeals from the politicians have been sent to Clinton and to Attorney Gene 

ral Janet Reno. 


ion," Krikava said. 

Krikava said the penitentiary personnel in Leavenworth have even become fam 

iliar with his father's case, which has received national attention. 

"The phone is just nuts. People are sending money," said Santina Leuci, a p 

roducer for the television show "A Current Affair." 

The program has had five "Free the Farmer" updates on Krikava since the ori 

ginal show aired late last month. 


braska citizens were planning to visit Washington today to urge the congressman 

to push for clemency. 

Bill Chapin, the Krikavas' bankruptcy attorney, said the case makes people 

angry because they can't see the good of jailing a 70-year-old man who has a hea 

rt condition. 

"He's hanging in there," Kevin Krikava said. "He's getting along, but he wa

nts out." 



AUTH[up 


BK#[ 

HDLN[BoysTown will launch its parent training program in Anacostia, then through 

out District of Columbia 

TEXT[WASHINGTON -- The nationally known Father Flanagan's Boys Town said today t 

hat it will launch its Common Sense Parenting training program in the Anacostia 

region of the District of Columbia in August 1994, then eventually disseminate t 

he program further in the District, including Capitol Hill. Boys Town said the i 

nitiative aims to attack some of the tremendous problems faced by District paren 

ts and children. 

"The District and Anacostia suffer some of the highest crime rates, juvenil 

e violence and deaths, teen births and other problems," said Father Val J. Peter 

, Boys Town executive director. "This is an initiative by us to begin attacking 

in at least a small way the causes of many youth and social problems -- a lack o 

f effective parenting." 

U.S. Senator Jim Exon of Nebraska said: "I am glad that Boys Town is expand 

ing its operations in Washington. Boys Town has a long and successful tradition 

of helping troubled children and families. Its research-based programs have been 

shown to make a positive, lasting difference for children and parents. Washingt 

on will benefit from the programs Boys Town has to offer." 

Boys Town's Common Sense Parenting is a series of sessions where parents, i 

n small groups, learn and practice new skills by building on their strengths and 

those of their children, and focus on resolving difficulties. It teaches parent 

s to use alternatives to physical discipline, find opportunities to praise their 

children, set and enforce rules in the home, prevent or correct negative behavi 

or and build stronger, more positive relationships with their children. 

Father Pete noted that Boys Town has trained the Archdiocese of Washington 

in its unique parent-training technology, providing a gift of half the cost of t 

his training. Associated Catholic Charities has been conducting Boys Town paren 

t training in parishes in the District for the past one and a half years. "The n 

eed is still so great that the more who are helping and training, the better thi 

ngs will get," be said. 

Monsignor Joseph Ariano, a long-time resident of the Washington area and sp 

ecial assistant to the executive director of Boys Town, said that one of the joy 

s of his long affiliation with Boys Town was when the organization first began i 

ts programs in the District last year, enabling it to offer needed services to t 

he people of Anacostia and other areas. Ariano was a resident of Boys Town in Ne 

braska for many years as a boy, and later as a counselor and priest. 

Cynthia Gooch, Boys Town's site director in Washington, noted that civic le 

aders in Anacostia have "been very helpful to us, and we thank them. By joining 

hands with them, we can make a difference." 

Boys Town already offers the program at sites around the United States, inc 

luding San Antonio, Texas; Orlando and Delray Beach, Florida; and Omaha and Gran 

d Island, Nebraska. Since 1989, Boys Town has trained more than 4,000 parents re

presenting over 7,000 children. Boys Town also trains U.S. Air Force personnel w 

ho, in turn, provide the training to Air Force bases in the United States and ab 

road. Research has shown that the parent training program has increased parental 

satisfaction with how their families function, has caused positive changes in t 

he behavior of children, and has created positive changes in potentially abusive 

parental behavior. 

The initiative will be headquartered out of Father Flanagan's Boys Town of 

Washington at 4801 Sargent Road N.E., which is a division of Father Flanagan's B 

oys' Home of Boys Town, Nebraska. Boys Town also operates a treatment foster car 

e program in the District, and is in the process of renovating two buildings at 

the Sargent Road address, one as an emergency residential center for troubled bo 

ys and girls, and one as a long-term residential treatment home. Boys Town set u 

p its operation in the District of Columbia in 1993. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Officials disagree on the wheat accord 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) The agreement reached Monday between the United States and Canad 

a concerning wheat imports falls short, U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett said. 


erican farmers," Barrett, R-Neb., said. 

U.S. Sen Jim Exon praised the agreement. 

"This will hopefully bring some peace to the marketplace and, more imp 

ortantly, relief for wheat farmers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Wheat deal gets mixed reaction 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - A 12-month agreement that would limit Canadian wheat imports i 

nto the United States prompted praise from one Nebraska lawmaker, mixed remarks 

from another and scorn from a Nebraskan in the food industry. 

Pasta makers, such as the Nebraskan, with Gooch Foods Inc. in Lincoln, 

fear the agreement could result in more expensive macaroni and spaghetti, plus 

job losses. 

The deal struck Monday is likely to avert a trade war between Canada and th 

e United States, but was getting mixed reviews today that included praise from S 

en. Jim Exon, D-Neb., and qualified support from Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd Distri 

ct. 

It provoked Richard Ross, general manager of Gooch Foods in Lincoln, to say 

it will lead to shortages and sharp price increases in the durum wheat used to

produce pasta. 

Ross, who attended this morning's weekly Nebraska breakfast with the state' 

s congressional delegation and other Nebraskans, said 25 percent of the New York 

pasta market is imported, and this could increase substantially if import limit 

s are imposed. 

Department of Agriculture reports on wheat plantings in the United States a 

nd Canada point to a decreased supply of durum, despite $6.25 to $7 per bushel m 

arket prices, which are double the average wheat price, Ross said. 

"We've been subsidizing durum wheat exports to Turkey," which has been ship 

ping back pasta that cuts into the domestic market, "and that's pretty hard to s 

wallow," Boss said. 

The agreement, which still must pads muster with higher-level U.S. and Cana 

dian policy-makers, reportedly would limit Canadian wheat imports to 1.5 million 

metric tons a year, down sharply from the 2.7 million metric tons currently com 

ing into the United States. That limit is three times what the U.S. wheat indust 

ry sought and about half of what Canada reportedly had wanted. 

Although the agreement, if implemented, could avert a potential trade war b 

etween the world's largest trading partners, it is being criticized by some whea 

t state lawmakers like House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., because it would be 

a temporary limit. Foley had been calling for a deal that lasted at least two ye 

ars. 

A joint commission composed of industry officials from both sides of the bo 

rder would be set up under the agreement to study wheat trade problems between t 

he United States and Canada and recommend long-term solutions. However, neither 

government would be required to implement any of those recommendations. 

The details on the import limitations and the tariffs that would be imposed 

are expected to be announced later today, but Canadian negotiators may need mor 

e time to sell the agreement to Canadian wheat growers. They were assured by Pri 

me Minister Jean Chretien earlier this year that there would be no deals limitin 

g Canadian wheat imports into the United States. 

Canada agreed not to retaliate with its own trade sanctions under a "peace 

clause" in the measure. 

Exon issued a statement saying he was glad the Clinton administration final 

ly has taken action. 'This will hopefully bring some peace to the marketplace an 

d, more importantly, relief for wheat farmers." Exon said. 

Barrett said the announcement "leaves too many questions unanswered. I woul 

d like to see more of the blanks filled in. This is a first step, but it doesn't 

go the whole nine yards to protect American farmers." 

The Nebraska congressman, who represents the vast western part of the state 

where much of its wheat is produced, decried past problems. 

"Tons of unfairly subsidized wheat have been giving Canadians the upper han 


The Ross comments reflected agitation on the part of the entire pasta-makin 

g industry in the United States, but were milder than those from the industry's 

chief spokesperson. 

"We're just incensed," said Jula J. Kinnaird, president of the National Pas 

ta Association. She disputed an assertion by U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Ka 

ntor that consumer prices would not be affected. 

Some 30,000 jobs depend on the pasta industry, which faces stiff competitio 

n from Italian and Turkish imports, she said. 

The farmer price of wheat accounts for 19 percent of the cost of pasta, she 

said, and that doesn't include the added cost of milling.

In the preliminary pact, which now goes on for review at higher policy leve 

ls but is expected to hold, the sides agreed that for a year Canada would not re 

taliate and the United States would not try to make the quotas permanent. 

The fight had threatened Canada's $5 billion market for fruits, vegetables 

and other U.S. farm goods. 

The agreement was to be reviewed today by the Cabinet of Canadian Prime Min 

ister Chretien. 

The settlement comes at the beginning of Canada's sales year for wheat. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Advertisement 

TEXT[Full-page ad 

Heading S.1822 103rd Congress 

Here's one phone bill you'll really like! 

Competition in the long distance market has more than 500 companies vying f 

or your business and offering consumers unprecedented levels of choice, service 

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s -- all thanks to competitions. 

But there is NO competition in local telephone service. The regional Bell 

Phone companies are still monopolies, consumers have no choice, and local rates 

have gone up! 

A bill now before the U.S. Senate, S. 1822, would make sure the Bells face 

real local telephone competition. Consumers would get the kind of savings and c 

hoices in local telephone service they now have in long distance. Local competi 

tion will bring new jobs and economic growth for our country. 

Call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and urge them to support s. 1822. 

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Or to register support for S.1822 with a personalized telegram to your Sena 

tors, at no cost to you call (toll-free) 

1-800-YES-1822 

(Company logos for: AT&T, MCI, Sprint, LCI International, WilTel, LDDSMetro Medi 

a) 

And more than 500 companies represented by CompTel, tra, ACTA 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants Awarded 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The federal government has awarded two grants to the Neb 

raska Office of Highway Safety for the purpose of fighting drunken driving, U.S.

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., reported Friday. 




SOUR[Chester Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[President Reaffirms Support For Ethanol After Exon Meeting 

TEXT[Washington, D.C.-President Clinton, at the request of U.S. Senator Jim Exon 

(D-NE), July 22nd sent the following letter to Senate Majority Leaders George M 

itchell reiterating support for ethanol. 

Nebraska's senior senator met one-on-one with the President Thursday a the White 

House and asked that such a letter be prepared to shore up support for ethanol 

in the Environmental Protection Agency's reformulated gasoline rule. The rule wi 

ll likely be challenged this week during consideration of the EPA appropriations 

measure. 



AUTH[Diane Anderson, ltr ed 

SOUR[Bayard Transcript 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Letter to the Editor 

TEXT[Dear Editor, 

Congress is trying to railroad one of the Health Care Plans through before 

November! We need more time to check out all the details of these Health Care Pl 

ans before Congress votes one of them in! 

Under Clinton's Plan, and the rest of them like it, all your pre-sent healt 

h care insurance will be automatically dropped! You will be forced to buy very e 

xpensive insurance from selected companies. You will not be able to choose your 

own doctors, only the "Plan." You and your doctor will not be able to order test 

s or treatments or hospitalization without first getting the required approval f 

rom government bureaucrats (more like our famous Surgeon General?) who cannot be 

voted out of office. You will only get the care that your "Alliance" deems is n 

ecessary or appropriate. You will have a hard time seeing a specialist for a par 

ticular condition because your request can be vetoed by "Gate-Keeper" doctors wh 

o will be rewarded with bonuses if they save money by refusing to refer you to a 

specialist. If you try to see a specialist without their approval, you will be 

criminally prosecuted for the "new crime" of Health Care Bribery!" Imagine going 

to jail or losing your property because someone you love is seriously ill and y 

ou have a lousy doctor! The Clinton bill, and those like it, all have a whole ar 

ray of "new crime" listed. You will NEVER be able to go outside you own "Allianc 

e" to see another doctor no matter what! The "Plan" also contains provisions tha 

t you will pay for unlimited abortions and for "Condom Clinics" in every school, 

including grade schools, whether you as a parent likes it or not! The "Plan" se 

ts up a National Health Board that will answer only to the President. This is th 

e Board that will put the spending limits on your "Alliance". 

The Clinton bill uses the word "penalties" 59 times, "Mandatory" 24 times,

"Prohibit" 51 times, "Restrict" 54 times, "Enforce" 87 times, "Obligation" 56 ti 

mes, and "Limit" 269 times. 

Of course, the Congressmen and women and their families are exempt from hav 

ing to belong to the system! Imagine that! If you think that the government can 

run your health care, take a look at the Veterans Hospitals where they are refus 

ing care for more than 40,000 men and women who have been exposed to "Agent Oran 

ge" during the war. Take a look at the Postal Service where they are finding let 

ters still undelivered 6 months after they were mailed! Is Medicare and Medicaid 

effective? What about our Social Security System? And now they want to run our 

health care? 

We can vote Senators James Exon and Robert Kerrey out of office, and we wil 

l, if they dare to vote for these health Care Plans, but what good will that do 

after its too late? 

Call your Congressman or write them immediately, before it is too late and 

a lot of us end up dying while we are on waiting lists for medical held! 



AUTH[Helen Dewar 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Ìts History-Writing Time for George Mitchell' 

TEXT[All his life, he has risen to challenges: a janitor's son who grew up in a 

New England mill town to become a lawyer, prosecutor, federal judge, senator and 

finally one of the most powerful figures in Washington. 

But none match the challenge that Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell 

(D-Maine) faced yesterday in unveiling a plan to salvage at least part of Presi 

dent Clinton's health care plan and perhaps Clinton's presidency in the process. 

With its higher proportion of Republicans, quirky rules and plethora of pri 

ma donnas, the Senate poses even more of a threat to what's left of Clinton's pl 

an than does the House, which, like the Senate, will open debate on the measure 

next week. 

This was evident in how far Mitchell had to retreat from the more ambitious 

plan he originally favored in trying to fashion a bill that will not fall apart 

as soon as it hits the Senate floor. It was also reflected in the fact that, af 

ter days of meetings with at least 60 senators, he still does not have the votes 

to pass his plan. 

"I think he's in the fight of his life and he realizes it," said Sen. J. Ja 

mes Exon (D-Neb.). "It's history-writing time for George Mitchell," said Sen. Da 

le Bumpers (D-Ark.). 

Maybe history, maybe just a footnote. 

If he succeeds, the 60-year-old Senate leader, who is retiring at the end o 

f the year, will have played a decisive role-perhaps the decisive one-in rescuin 

g the health bill and giving the beleaguered Clinton some political bragging rig 

hts. If he fails, he will have ended six successful years as Senate leader with 

a spectacular fizzle. 

Weary and worried but ready for the fight, Mitchell shrugs off any thoughts 

about history, saying it will take care of itself if people try to do their job 

s right. Nor does he admit to second thoughts about turning down a Supreme Court

nomination in April because he did not want to complicate his work on the healt 

h bill. 

Referring to speculation that he turned down the court offer because he wan 

ts to become commissioner of major league baseball, senators have been telling h 

im, "a baseball strike will look like a picnic compared to this," Sen. John Brea 

ux (D-La.) related. "He just smiles," Breaux added. 

"Nobody forced me to become majority leader," Mitchell said in an interview 

, recalling his successful back-bench challenge to two more senior senators in 1 

988. "It is in fact a burden, but it's also a great opportunity to do something 

meaningful and good for the people of this country. That's the kind of thing tha 

t sustains me through all this difficulty." 

It may sound a little ponderous, even pompous, but it's the way Mitchell ta 

lks and thinks, according to colleagues. He was driven crazy-and out of the Sena 

te, some say-by the niggling nature of many of the leadership chores. But he lik 

es big challenges and big causes, they say, and he doesn't like to lose. "He is 

more driven on this than anything I've seen," said Assistant Minority Leader Ala 

n K. Simpson (R-Wyo.). 

What Mitchell has going for him is a formidable track record dating back to 

his crafty manipulation of Senate rules to kill President Bush's proposal for a 

capital-gains tax cut during his first year as majority leader. And he remained 

Bush's most nettlesome antagonist. 

With few exceptions, such as the economic stimulus package last year, Mitch 

ell has delivered the Senate for Clinton. He engineered the narrow, come-from-be 

hind victory for Clinton's 1993 deficit-reduction package-and played the pivotal 

role in the passage of handgun control legislation. He jump-started several lon 

g-stalled Democratic social initiatives, and he stage-managed defeat of a propos 

ed balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution that was regarded as almost cer 

tain to pass. 

Sen. John H. Chafee (R-R.I.), who finds himself at odds with Mitchell on he 

alth care, recalls fondly how they teamed up six years ago to break a decade-lon 

g deadlock over tightening clear-air rules. All in all, Chafee says, he'd rather 

have Mitchell on his side. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mitchell Plan: Thumbs Up, (eh) Kinda Up 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska's two Democratic senators differ in their enthusiasm 

for Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's health care reform proposal, which 

would cover 95 percent of Americans by the turn of the century. 

Mitchell's plan, backed by President Clinton, could require some employers 

to pay half their workers' premiums in the year 2002 and beyond. 

Mitchell said most of his subsidies-upwards of $900 million over 10 years - 

would come from savings in Medicare and Medicaid; most of Medicaid would be scr 

apped, with the poor getting help to buy private insurance instead. 

Sen. Jim Exon said the Mitchell plan is the only one that has the "ring of 

reality." He said Nebraskans, given a chance to fully understand it, would suppo

t the Mitchell plan. 

But Sen. Bob Kerrey, who has been discussing the issue for almost six years 

and is an original sponsor of the so-called "mainstream" proposal, doesn't shar 

e his colleague's enthusiasm. 

Kerrey, who is convinced only a bi-partisan bill can win approval, said he 

is, concerned the Mitchell plan will bring another layer of regulation to the al 

ready overburdened health care industry, and that the prescription benefit that 

is supposed to kick in 1999, when the deficit is expected to begin to rise again 

would start a new unfunded entitlement. 

It's fun to put out new benefits, but we have to ask who's going to pay for 

them," Kerrey said. 

He said he is not a "knee-jerk" opponent of the Mitchell plan. He said he h 

as a lot of respect for Mitchell and what he has put on the table, and he is esp 

ecially encouraged that Mitchell has emphasized that his plan is only the first 

step and is open to amendment. 

Kerrey said he hopes the health care reform debate can now begin in earnest 

The New York Times reported today that Mitchell's plan comes at a potential 

price for American consumers, the business community and the nation's health ca 

re system: He has abandoned many of the tough, government-enforced cost control 

measures that are central to the Democratic alternative under consideration in t 

he House, the Times said. It said that in their place, he would rely on watereddown 

cost containment measures and-probably more important-on a continuation of 

recent trends toward slower growth in the rise of health costs nationwide. 

Above all, Mitchell's plan differs from the Clinton proposal and a draft pu 

t forward by Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., in employer mandates. 

Rather than establishing mandates right away, Mitchell's bill would call fo 

r relatively small mandates only to be triggered under certain circumstances - a 

nd perhaps only in certain states - after the turn of the century. 

Exon said the proposal is a "Ford Plan" rather than a "Cadillac Plan."' Ker 

rey said his first response to the Mitchell plan was that it may be closer to a 

Cadillac than a Ford because of its benefits package that includes prescription 

benefits. 

Exon said the Mitchell plan improves upon the "mainstream" proposal, broade 

ning it to increase its appeal. "By and large, the leader has listened and has p 

roduced perhaps the only bill can win House-Senate approval," he said. 

Clinton today lauded the proposal, saying it "provides for universal covera 

ge (and) enables Americans to keep their current insurance and their doctor. 



AUTH[David Breeder 

SOUR[World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Praises Senate Majority Leader's Health Plan 

TEXT[Washington - A health-care plan proposed by Senate Majority leader George M 

itchell, D-Maine, won praise Tuesday from Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he had reservations about Mitchell's proposal 

's for new entitlements that would include prescription drugs for Medicare recip 

ients.

"This thing has got to have honest reporting and balanced-budget requiremen 

ts, said Kerrey, who is chairman of the Commission on Entitlement Reform. Kerrey 

also said he would prefer a plan that did not include the possibility that empl 

oyers would be required to pay a major share of employee health insurance. 

"It is an imposition and a regulatory device that is used because you don't 

have the guts to come directly to the people and say you have to pay for it," K 

errey said. 

Mitchell's plan would require employers with more than 25 employee's to pay 

50 percent of the cost of employee health insurance only if less than 95 percen 

t of Americans had health coverage by the year 2000. 

Exon said he found nothing objectionable in Mitchell's plan. 

"I've never been one of those who said, 'Heaven forbid, we shall not and sh 

all never have an employer mandate,'" Exon said. 

"Social Security is an employer mandate, and I don't see people complaining 

about it," Exon said. "It's a 50-50 mandate." 

Exon said the employer mandate in Mitchell's plan would not take effect unl 

ess it was recommended by a commission in 2000 and was approved by Congress. 

"He can truthfully say there is no mandate in his plan,' Exon said. "He is 

saying let's use these voluntary mechanisms for six years, and if that doesn't w 

ork let's try something else." 

Kerrey said he would not support an employer mandate unless it was a tempor 

ary measure. 

The legislation supported by Kerrey, introduced and revised by Sen. John Ch 

afee, R-R.I., has no mandates on either employers or individuals. 

Chafee's bill, also known as the mainstream plan, calls for reform of curre 

nt government health-care programs, new insurance regulations and government sub 

sidies for the needy. 

Exon said Mitchell's plan appeared to have support from a majority of the S 

enate's 56 Democrats when it was explained at a party caucus Tuesday. 

There were hardly any objections," he said. "All of the talk was very posit 

ive and upbeat." 

Exon said Mitchell's bill included much of what Exon had recommended. 

"I've demanded all along that we cut back the Cadillac plan of the presiden 

t and go to a Ford plan," Exon said. "This does that." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to help pay for Trenton clinic 

TEXT[TRENTON - A $255,142 Rural Health Outreach grant will purchase equipment an 

d supplies and pay salaries at the new medical-dental clinic in Trenton. 

The three-year grant has been recommended for funding by the U.S. Departmen 

t of Health and Human Services. 

U.S. Senator Jim Exon announced Tuesday the federal government will guarant 

ee a $135,000 loan from the State Bank of Trenton for construction of the clinic 

/community building. The center will include space for the medical and dental cl 

inics, community room, office, kitchen and possibly the community's library.

The Trenton bank is loaning the money to the Trenton Community Development 

Commission, and the Rural Development Administration is guaranteeing the 20-year 

loan. 

Other sources of funding for the center include the Trenton Community Devel 

opment Association, which is contributing 

$21,700, and the Village of Trenton, which is providing $40,000. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey: Loophole is 'burr' in wheat deal 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The dispute over Canadian wheat shipments to the United States 

indicates an underlying trade burr that must be dealt with to prevent future pr 

oblems, Sen. Bob Kerrey said Tuesday. 

Kerrey said he has not reviewed entirely a 12-month agreement that Canadian 

and U.S. negotiators announced Monday to limit wheat shipments from Canada. 

U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor has refused to release specifics un 

til the agreement is reviewed by the Cabinet of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chr 

etien. 

However, sources familiar with the negotiations said the one-year accord wo 

uld impose heavy tariffs on Canadian wheat shipments of more than 1.5 million me 

tric tons. 

In the past 12 months, Canada shipped nearly 2.5 million metric tons of whe 

at into the United States. About 570,000 metric tons was durum; the rest was oth 

er types of wheat. 

While shipments of Canadian grain account for only about 4 percent of the g 

rain in the United States, they pose "a particularly irritating problem along th 

e border" with Canada, Kerrey said. 

He said the dispute highlights a loophole in the United States' trade agree 

ment with Canada, which maintains health and transportation subsidies. 

"WE'VE GOT TO PULL that burr out of the saddle" or there will be future dis 

putes, Kerrey said. 

"What we want is an environment where the playing field is level," the Demo 

cratic senator said. 

But he also said that the United States is closer to such a level playing f 

ield for trade with Canada than with any other country. 

The agreement reached between the United States and Canada concerning wheat 

imports falls short, Rep. Bill Barrett said. 


erican farmers," Barrett, a Republican, said. 

"TONS of unfairly subsidized wheat have been giving Canadians the upper han 


Democratic Sen. Jim Exon praised the agreement. 

"This will hopefully bring some peace to the marketplace and, more importan 

tly, relief for wheat farmers," Exon said.

Nebraska ranks ninth in U.S. winter wheat production. State Statistician Bi 

ll Dobbs said the state's winter wheat crop is estimated at 62 million bushels f 

or 1994. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bellevue Hails Senate Action On School Aid 

TEXT[Washington - An education bill that passed the Senate Tuesday 

will help Bellevue School District and other schools that rely on federal impact 

aid, said John Deegan, a Bellevue school official.We're very, very happy with t 

his Senate bill," Deegan said "It's really the way we'd like to see the impact a 

id (program) reauthorized. 

The Senate voted 94-6 to authorize federal elementary and secondary educati 

on programs, including impact aid, for the next five years. Impact aid goes to s 

chools with students who live or work on federal property. 

Bellevue is one of the nation's biggest recipients of impact aid. It collec 

ts $7 million or more because of the presence of Offutt Air Force Base. 

"Without these special payments, Bellevue's per-pupil spending would be muc 

h lower than that of Omaha public schools," said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

The Senate bill must now be reconciled with a similar House-passed version. 

Deegan said he generally prefers the formulas in the Senate bill, although Bel 

levue will seek some changes. 

House and Senate spending bills for the 1995 fiscal year call for spending 

$728 million on impact aid - about $70 million less than the current year. 


AUTH[Matt Kelly 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Willie Nelson Leads Effort to Gain Farmer's Release 

TEXT[A group of country music singers, musicians and managers has taken up the f 

ight to gain Ernest C. Krikava's release from prison and wants to help buy back 

his farm. 

Willie Nelson is heading the effort to help Krikava, a 70-year-old Pawnee C 

ity, Neb., hog farmer serving a five-month prison sentence in a Leavenworth, Kan 

., federal prison for perjury. 

Nelson is the leading figure in FarmAid, a farmer advocacy group based in Cambri 

dge, Mass. 

A benefit country music concert for the Krikava family is in the works. Sa 

turday, Nelson brought the Krikava case to the attention of President Clinton an 

d his wife, Hillary, during a health care rally in Independence, Mo. 

"Willie has spoken to President Clinton about the (Krikava) family," said G

lenda Yoder, associate director of FarmAid. "Mrs. Clinton said that she had hear 

d about the case, and President Clinton was interested in finding out more. 

Attorneys say the only realistic way to gain an early release for Krikava i 

s through some form of presidential pardon. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, both D-Neb., and Bob Dole and Nancy Kasseba 

um, both R-Kan., have signed letters urging the Justice Department to consider K 

rikava's request for clemency. 

Singers Tammy Wynette and Marty Stuart have signed on with Nelson to perfor 

m at a benefit concert for the Krikava family later this summer. A date and loca 

tion of the show should be settled in the next couple of weeks, said Paul Richey 

, owner of Paul Richey -Music Group of Nashville, Tenn. He is organizing the sho 

w. 

"We've got several more people who we're talking with who would like to per 

form," Richey said. "We would like to raise enough money to get the farm back." 

Richey said he expects to sign as many as a dozen musicians to perform at t 

he concert. 

Kevin Krikava, Ernest's son, recently returned from a trip to Washington, D 

.C., where he met with journalists and delivered thousands of letters in support 

of his father to the White House and Justice Department. 

Financial troubles led to the bankruptcy of the family's 1,000-acre hog ope 

ration near Pawnee City. Ernest, his wife, Carol, and Kevin were convicted of pe 

rjury following the illegal sale of hogs that were the subject of a bank lien. 

The money went to feed hogs that were starving, the family said. 

Mrs. Krikava died in January from respiratory problems. She had stopped see 

ing a doctor because of the financial problems. She and Kevin were put on probat 

ion, but Ernest Krikava was sentenced to prison in part because he refused to ad 

mit his wrongdoing, prosecutors have said. 

U.S. District Judge Warren Urbom, who sentenced Krikava, has said he doubte 

d that prison would serve any purpose but said that federal sentencing guideline 

s required the prison term. 

Kevin Krikava said mail, telephone calls and attention from the news media 

have focused on the Krikava case since Ernest Krikava began serving his sentence 

June 30. 

Kevin Krikava still lives on a small portion of the farm, which the family 

rents from an investor. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Fed Grant to Winnebago 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - The federal government has awarded a $100,000 grant to t 

he Housing Authority at Winnebago to help pay for repairs of public housing, Sen 

. J. James Exon,D-Neb., announced Tuesday. 

The money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will pay for 

public housing repairs in the village of Winnebago and to make some of the unit 

s accessible to people with disabilities, Exon said.



AUTH[Full Page Ad 


BK#[ 

HDLN[More Jobs Ahead 

TEXT[S.2111 -On-ramp to the information superhighway. 

S-2111, the Breaux-Packwood telecommunications competition bill, means more 

jobs now. The Council of Economics Advisors says that promoting competition th 

roughout the communications industry could help create 500,000 new jobs in the n 

ext two years, and the prestigious WEFA Group says full competition could mean a 

s many as 3.6 million jobs over the next decade. 

Over 20,000 of these new jobs would be in Nebraska. 

Breaux-Packwood doesn't take sides in the fight over new services. It just lets 

the competition begin. 

Please call your U.S. Senators today. Tell them S.2111, Breaux-Packwood, m 

eans more jobs ahead. Senator Exon and Senator Kerrey 202-224-3121. 

S-2111-The Guaranteed Winners Are America's Working Families. 




SOUR[World Herald (Iowa Edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Reaction From Some Members of the Midlands Delegations 

TEXT[Washington - Here are reactions by some members of Congress from Nebraska a 

nd Iowa on President Clinton's press conference Wednesday night: 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. 

On health-care: "l didn't get much of an idea whether he favored Clinton-Mi 

tchell or Clinton-Gephardt or none of the above. He is so interested in finding 

51 votes in the Senate and 218 in the House it doesn't make much difference. It' 

s 50-50 or less that he will find the votes. 

On Haiti: "I thought he was a little bit ambivalent on Haiti. The question was 

. 'Why not ask Congress (before deploying forces)?' I think he dodged that very 

artfully." 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

On health care: "Obviously the president has retreated from his more ambitious 

goals on health care. I think he did a good job of finessing the questions he w 

as asked, never conceding that he had agreed to retreat. He spelled out that he 

was enough of a realist to know he wasn't going to get what he wanted. I don't 

think there is 

any question he showed a preference for the Mitchell plan 

over that offered by Gephardt. 

On Haiti: "I was glad he said he was in favor of consulting Congress. I think

he will come to Congress and he should come to Congress. As good as is he is at 

these kinds of conferences, most would recognize he should do more of them. The 

bully pulpIt of the presidency can be used very well. Ronald Reagan was especial 

ly good at it." 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa 

On President Clinton: "Everybody agrees we should improve health care, take ac 

tion against crime and show leadership in the world. And I've been working to do 

those things. I find that people are very well informed about the specifics of 

the president's proposals. so every time the president holds a news conference o 

r makes a major speech and urges folks to call Congress, I get dozens of calls a 

t my office. They say, 'I saw President Clinton last night. I think he's playing 

politics, and I disagree with what he's doing.' Tomorrow morning will be no exc 

eption." 




SOUR[Freemont Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol Regulation Prevails in Tie-Breaking Senate Vote 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - It took a tie-breaking vote, but farm state senators beat 

back an attempt to scuttle regulations that will allow corn-based ethanol to be 

used widely in a cleaner burning gasoline. 

By the most narrow margin possible, the Senate on Wednesday rejected an att 

empt to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing a regulation 

that clears the way for widespread ethanol use in gasoline. 

After the 100 senators dead locked, Vice President Al Gore cast the deci 

ding vote, 51-50, to kill the amendment, offered by Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La. 

, to the EPA's fiscal 1995 budget. In his constitutional role as Senate presiden 

t, the vice president votes only in the event of a tie. 

The vote came after more than four hours of debate on the pros and cons of 

ethanol, a corn-based product that is competing with petroleumm-based methanol a 

s an additive that makes gasoline burn cleaner by adding more oxygen. 

Johnston argued that the EPA's regulation, unveiled last month, unfairly fa 

vors ethanol over the methanol - derivative called MTBE, 

which the petroleum industry favors. 

A month ago, the EPA said that under a new clean gasoline requirement, 30 perc 

ent of the new oxygen-enhancing additive, required by the 1990 Clean Air Act, mu 

st come from a renewable source. 

The EPA requirement was a windfall for farmers and related agricultural bus 

inesses, who stand to make as much as $1.5 billion a year from the expanded dema 

nd for ethanol. 

Johnston called the ethanol requirement "a gigantic flimflam to the American p 

ublic" and disputed claims that its widespread use will reduce pollution and oil 

imports. He argued ethanol will increase gasoline prices because ethanol is mor 

e expensive to produce and transport. 

"The only flimflam so far is this debate," countered Sen. James Exon, D-Neb 

., "This is Big Oil against the farmer."

"The oil industry does not like competition," added Sen. Charles Grassley, 

R-Iowa. 

Midwest senators, led by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, had threatened to filibus 

ter the budget bill the Johnston amendment passed. 




SOUR[World Herald (Iowa Edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Farm-State Votes Save Ethanol Rule 

TEXT[Washington - Farm-state senators narrowly defeated an attempt Wednesday to 

scuttle a federal regulation that guarantees increased use of corn-based ethanol 

. 

"It's a big win for us," said Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. "It means jobs, highe 

r (crop) prices, lower taxes and a cleaner environment." 

The Senate voted 51 to 50 - with Vice President Al Gore breaking a 50-50 ti 

e - to kill an amendment offered by Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., to a bill t 

hat provides funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. 

The Johnston amendment would have prevented the EPA from spending money to 

implement its "renewable oxygenate" regulation, which benefits ethanol. 

"Big oil (companies) - with their big money - don't lose very many," said S 

en. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. "We won one for Nebraska and for the farmers." 

Under the EPA regulation, 15 percent of new clean-burning gasoline in highpollution 

areas next year must contain oxygenate additives that come from renewa 

ble sources. Starting in 1996 renewable oxygenates must be used in 30 percent of 

the gasoline. 

The new rule is expected to increase demand for ethanol and ethanol-derived 

fuels over methanol-based oxygenates, which generally are made from nonrenewabl 

e natural gas. 

Johnston said the EPA regulation is a "gigantic flim-flam" to guarantee a m 

arket for ethanol, which he said already has received $4.6 billion in federal ta 

x subsidies over the past 10 years. 

"You'd think that would be enough to make a noncompetitive fuel competitive 

, but it is not," Johnston said. 

Johnston and his allies also questioned the environmental benefits of using 

ethanol. In addition, they said the regulation would raise corn prices, hurting 

consumers and livestock producers. 

But pro-ethanol senators, including all four Nebraska and Iowa senators, sa 

id the new rule is necessary to ensure that oil companies, who control productio 

n of methanol and its derivatives, will use ethanol in the new clean-burning gas 

oline. 

"The oil industry does not like competition," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R 

-Iowa. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the EPA rule will boost farm income by raisin 

g corn prices. Within five years, he said, increased demand for corn will mean $ 

6,000 to $9,000 in additional income for a farmer with 400 acres of corn. 

"It's going to strengthen our market," he said. 

Harkin said the Senate victory may add some weight to the administration's

position in court, where the oil industry has challenged the EPA renewable oxyge 

nate rule. 

Now, he said, the Senate is on record as supporting the EPA's position. 

"I think this puts the issue to rest," Harkin said. 

Exon praised President Clinton for his administration's efforts in defeatin 

g the Johnston amendment. Besides Gore's tie-breaking vote, Clinton telephoned u 

ndecided senators in recent days to enlist their support. 

Harkin said pro-ethanol forces had a majority of votes to kill the amendmen 

t several weeks ago but began losing support to lobbying by Johnston, a powerful 

committee chairman. 

Even so, Harkin acknowledged, the final tally was not as close as it appear 

ed. Two or three senators, including Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-M 

aine, and Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., voted with Johnston once it was 

clear that pro-ethanol forces did not need their votes. 

"We had a couple of reserve votes," Harkin said. 

Gore's vote reminded Kerrey of last August, when the vice president cast th 

e deciding vote for Clinton's deficit-reduction plan after Kerrey provided the 5 

0th vote to force a tie. 

"This is the kind of tie-breaker I like -- one that's popular back home," Kerr 

ey said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants Awarded 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The federal government has awarded two grants to the Neb 

raska Office of Highway Safety for the purpose of fighting drunken driving, U.S. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., reported Friday. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol gets Senate boost 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Farm state senators, with help from Vice President Al Gor 

e, succeeded Wednesday in assuring that corn-based ethanol plays a significant p 

art in the production of a cleaner-burning gasoline. 

The Senate by a 51-50 vote killed a proposal that would have blocked an Env 

ironmental Protection Agency requirement that at least some of the additive in t 

he new gasoline come from renewable sources, principally ethanol. 

Nebraska Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both Democrats, voted to kill the p 

roposal. 

The deciding vote was cast by Gore after the 100 senators split evenly on t 

he proposal, offered by Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La.

The proposed amendment to the EPA's budget was the focus of more than four 

hours of debate with oil state lawmakers pitted against those from farm states. 

President Clinton had strongly urged senators not to interfere with the EPA regu 

lation unveiled last month. 

Johnston argued that the EPA's regulation unfairly favors ethanol over a pe 

troleum-based methanol derivative. 

The EPA last month said that at least 30 percent of all of the additive use 

d to make gasoline burn cleaner must come from a renewable source. The only wide 

ly available source at this time is the ethanol produced from corn. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Gore's Vote Refuels Ethanol Mandate 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration followed through on its pledge to c 

orn farmers as Vice President Al Gore cast a tie-breaking vote to turn back an a 

ttempt to remove ethanol from the clean fuels program. 

By the slimmest of margins Wednesday, the Senate saved ethanol from a bid t 

o toss it on the scrap heap rather than keep it in the federal reformulated fuel 

s program. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who managed opposition on the Senate floor to the 

amendment aimed at killing the ethanol program, smiled when he saw the vote knot 

ted at 50-50 and pointed to Gore. As president of the Senate, Gore broke the tie 

, and Harkin pumped his arm in victory. 

Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., sponsor of the amendment that would 

have prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency from using any funds in the 

appropriations bill to implement the ethanol mandate, smiled and shook his head 

when Gore cast the tie-breaking vote. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who had been lobbying in the well of the Senate, s 

aid the best position carried the day. "It was our argument. We had the best arg 

ument," he said. 

Kerrey is a member of the Appropriations committee, which drafted the legis 

lation to which Johnston attempted to attach his anti-ethanol amendment. Kerrey 

dismissed Johnston's arguments as "baloney, just pure baloney." 

Johnston argued the regulations would cost the government and consumers mor 

e than $1 billion a year because of higher food costs, lost gasoline tax revenue 

s, and road and bridge repair funds. 

Johnston also said farmers will lose between $80 million and $140 million a 

year because of higher corn and energy prices that especially will affect lives 

tock and poultry producers. 

Kerrey said the ethanol program will be good for the economy, the environme 

nt and agriculture. 

"Demand for ethanol created 2,200 new jobs in Nebraska last year and could 

create an estimated $100 million in new wealth for Nebraska," he said. 

Regulations approved by the EPA earlier this summer require renewable oxyge 

nates, which at this point refers to ethanol, to make up 15 percent of reformula

ted clean-burning fuels required for use in the smoggiest cities next year. Afte 

r 1995, that will increase to 30 percent. 

The oil industry has filed suit to block implementation of the regulations. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the price of corn could increa 

se by 7 to 10 cents per bushel under terms of the program, while an additional 1 

4,000 jobs would be created through the ethanol mandate. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said the bottom line on the issue was "big oil again 

st farmers. Let's lay that on the line. Big oil fought us every step of the way. 

But Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., said the big oil vs. farmers argument was "h 

ogwash." 

Exon expressed mock surprise that the oil lobby would put up so much resist 

ance to a fuel that only makes up 1.2 percent of all the gasoline sold in the co 

untry. 

Johnston continually referred to the 54-cent-a-gallon tax credit ethanol re 

ceives. But Iowa's Harkin said while ethanol receives about $879 million a year 

in subsidies, fossil fuels such as gas and oil receive $21 billion a year in sub 

sidies. 



AUTH[Mitchell Locin 

SOUR[Chicago Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Narrowly Upholds EPA Ethanol Rule 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-Midwest farmers and a big Illinois industry breathed easier Wedn 

esday after a Senate vote narrowly upheld a Clinton administration order favorin 

g corn-based ethanol in making a low-polluting blend of gasoline. 

With Vice President Al Gore casting a rare tie-breaking vote, the Senate be 

at back 51-50 an amendment offered by Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), chairman 

of the Senate Energy Committee, who represents a major oil-producing state, to 

gut the June 30 ruling of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

"This is Big Oil against the farmer," said Sen James Exon (D-Neb.), one of 

a group of farm-state senators who teamed up to fight Johnston and threatened to 

filibuster a major appropriation bill if the amendment won. 

The amendment was offered as part of the $70.4 billion appropriation for th 

e EPA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Vetera 

ns Affairs and other agencies. 

Sens. Carol Moseley-Braun and Paul Simon, both Illinois Democrats, who oppo 

sed the amendment, hovered on the Senate floor and kept an eye on the tally as t 

he roll was called, button-holing senators in last-minute lobbying. 

With a close vote expected, Gore was called on to preside in his capacity a 

s Senate president. 

It was the third time since taking office 18 months ago that Gore has been 

needed to cast a tie-breaker. The previous two were on votes for the Clinton bud 

get. 

The ethanol order is not out of the woods. The oil industry, led by the Ame 

rican Petroleum Institute, filed suit last month blocking the order, which could 

delay the scheduled Jan. 1 effective date. 

Acting under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the EPA ordered that 30 per 

cent of the additives for reformulated gasoline must be ethanol. Moseley-Braun p

edicted that the order would benefit Illinois corn farmers by increasing sales 

$38 million a year. 

The other major source of less-polluting additives is methanol, generally a 

distillation of natural gas, which the oil industry contends is cheaper and Joh 

nston argued is unfairly treated by the EPA ruling. 

The oil industry, joined by some environmental groups, contend that the pol 

itical clout of the ethanol producers was a factor in the administration's decis 

ion. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Vice President Breaks Renewable Fuels Tie 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said they kn 

ew that the final vote on the future of renewable fuels would be close, but it c 

ould not have - been any closer as the Senate voted 51-50 Wednesday to expand th 

e market for ethanol. 

"We won a victory today, not a political victory for me, but a victory for 

Nebraska farmers who are going to earn more income from the market rather than f 

rom the government, which means it's a victory for the American people," Kerrey 

said. 

The expansion of ethanol use will mean at least 1,200 new jobs for Nebraska 

and the completion of new ethanol facilities now under construction "with more 

coming down the line," Exon said. 

The Senate's affirmative vote came only after Vice President Gore cast a vo 

te to break the 50-50 tie. The vote means that the Environmental Protection Agen 

cy will implement its ruling that renewable fuels, like ethanol, must comprise a 

t least 30 percent of oxygenated fuels used in cleaner-burner gasoline. 

Exon and Kerrey both said the vote could have gone either way. 

"l knew it was going to be an extremely close vote ... we prevailed with th 

e vice president. It had been a tough battle for weeks and a tough battle today, 

right down to the end. We knew it would be a relatively close vote with all the 

false information that had been spread by big oil," Exon said. 

Kerrey and Exon spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon to oppose the 

anti-ethanol amendment sponsored by Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La. 

As the debate continued, Kerrey became agitated, saying arguments that etha 

nol was bad for the American economy, farmers, taxpayers and the environment wer 

e "baloney." 

The competing interests of oil states and agriculture states are not the on 

ly things that need to be considered in the debate over ethanol, Kerrey said. 

"We need to consider the national interest." 

Kerrey refuted Johnston's charges that the EPA ruling was pro ethanol, to t 

he exclusion of other alternative fuels, when he submitted a fuel-neutral statem 

ent from the agency.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators rejoice after ethanol victory 

TEXT[A jubilant Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., praised the workings of a democratic sy 

stem after Vice President Al Gore cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of ethanol. 

"I love democracy. You know, just one vote," Kerrey said in a telephone int 

erview Wednesday, following the vote in the U.S. Senate. 

The senator was one of a number of people in Nebraska who were pleased with 

the vote, which assures that corn-based ethanol plays a significant part in the 

production of a cleaner-burning gasoline. 

Gov. Ben Nelson called the vote a victory for rural America and the environ 

ment. 

"For nearly a century, big oil companies have controlled the transportation 

fuels market," Nelson said. "The Senate action approved the Environmental Prote 

ction Agency's plan to include ethanol in reformulated gasoline means the Americ 

an people now have a choice. 

The Senate, by a 51-50 vote killed a proposal that would have blocked an En 

vironmental Protection Agency requirement that at least some of the additive in 

the new gasoline come from renewable sources, principally ethanol. 

The deciding vote was cast by Gore after the 100 senators split evenly on t 

he proposal. 

"We prevailed because we had the superior argument," Kerrey said. "It's a v 

ery important victory for agriculture." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., also hailed the vote as a dramatic victory for farme 

rs and the state's economy. 

"I guess the closeness of the vote demonstrates better than anything else t 

he tremendous power that the oil industry has," Exon said in a telephone intervi 

ew. 

Exon doubted that the oil industry would give up in its fight against 

ethanol. 

"We won this battle, but the war will go on," he said. 

The American Corn Growers Association were also in a celebratory mood, foll 

owing the vote. 

"The U.S. Senate has refused to set back the clock. It is looking towards t 

he future where non-fossil renewable energy resources is the fuel that will feed 

the engines of this economy and this country for the future," said Gary Goldber 

g, president of the association. 

Four new ethanol plants are under construction in Nebraska, and one plant i 

s being expanded. The five plants are expected to boost the state's annual produ 

ction of ethanol from 70 to 215 million gallons. 

"To Nebraska, that means 1,200 new jobs in the ethanol industry alone, plus 

abut 3,000 jobs in construction and related fields," Exon 

said in a news release. 




SOUR[Evening World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol Victory Seen As Boost to EPA Case 

TEXT[Washington - Wednesday's close Senate vote to preserve a pro-ethanol federa 

l regulation should help the Environmental Protection Agency defend its policy i 

n court, Nebraska and Iowa senators said. 

"I hope so," said Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. "My guess would be that a judge 

would consider actions by the United States Senate to be persuasive." 

The oil industry has filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the EPA from 

implementing its regulation requiring the partial use of "renewable oxygenates" 

in new clean-burning gasoline. That regulation would benefit corn-based ethanol 

and its derivatives over methanol-based oxygenates, which generally are produce 

d from nonrenewable natural gas. 

Wednesday, the Senate voted 51 to 50 - with Vice President Al Gore breaking 

a 50-50 tie - to kill an amendment offered by Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., 

to prevent the EPA from implementing the new regulation. 

"Big oil (companies) - with their big money - don't lose very many," said S 

en. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. "We won one for Nebraska and for the farmers." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the Senate victory may add some weight to the 

administration's position in court since the Senate is on record supporting the 

EPA's position. 

"I think this puts the issue to rest," Harkin said, although he did not rul 

e out the possibility of continued oil industry challenges. 

Harkin said the outright defeat of Johnston's amendment will be better than 

another option considered by farm state senators: forcing Johnston to back down 

by filibustering the bill. 

If the Senate had voted against killing the amendment, ethanol opponents co 

uld have used that vote in court to suggest that Congress opposed the EPA rule, 

regardless of whether Johnston withdrew his amendment, Harkin said. 

Under the EPA regulation, 15 percent of new clean-burning gasoline in high 

pollution areas next year must contain oxygenate additives that come from renew 

able sources. Starting in 1996, renewable oxygenates must be used in thirty perc 

ent of the gasoline. 

Johnston said the EPA regulation is a "gigantic flimflam" to guarantee a ma 

rket for ethanol, which he said already has received $4.6 billion in federal tax 

subsidies over the past 10 years. 

"You'd think that would be enough to make a noncompetitive fuel competitive 

, but it is not," Johnston said. 

Johnston and his allies also questioned the environmental benefit 

s of using ethanol. In addition, they said, the regulation would raise corn pric 

es, hurting consumers and livestock producers. 

But pro-ethanol senators, including Nebraska's and Iowa's senators, sa 

id the new rule is necessary to ensure that oil companies, which control product 

ion of methanol and its derivatives, will use ethanol in the new clean-burning g 

asoline. 

"The oil industry does not like competition," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R 

-Iowa. 

Harkin said the EPA rule will boost farm income by raising corn prices. Wit 

hin five years, he said, increased demand for corn will mean $6,000 to $9,000 in 

additional income for a farmer with 400 acres of corn.

Gov. Nelson of Nebraska said the Senate vote is a victory for rural America 

and the environment. 

"This is one mandate I like," he said. 

Exon praised President Clinton for his administration's efforts in defeati 

ng the Johnston amendment. Besides Gore's tie-breaking vote, Clinton telephoned 

undecided senators in recent days to enlist their support. 

Harkin said pro-ethanol forces had a majority of votes to kill the amendme 

nt several weeks ago but began losing support to lobbying by Johnston, a powerfu 

l committee chairman. 

Even so, Harkin said, the final tally was not as close as it appeared. Two 

or three senators, including Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, a 

nd Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., voted with Johnston once it was clear t 

hat pro-ethanol forces did not need their votes. 

"We had a couple of reserve votes," Harkin said. 

Gore's vote reminded Kerrey of last August, when the vice president cast 

the deciding vote for Clinton's deficit-reduction plan after Kerrey provided the 

50th vote to force a tie. 

"This is the kind of tie-breaker I like -- one that's popular back home," 

Kerrey said. 

How They Voted 

How Nebraska and Iowa senators voted Wednesday in the 51-50 roll call vote in wh 

ich the Senate rejected an amendment to the EPA's budget that would have barred 

the EPA from implementing its ethanol regulation. A "yes" was a vote to reject t 

he amendment and a "no" was a vote in favor of the amendment: 

Yes -- Grassley, R-Iowa; Harkin, D-Iowa; Exon, D-Neb.; Kerrey, D-Neb. 




SOUR[Carrol Iowa Daily Times Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Gore breaks tie as ethanol plan saved 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Al Gore cast the deciding vote as farm sta 

te senators succeeded in assuring that corn-based ethanol plays a significant pa 

rt in the production of a cleaner-burning gasoline. 

The Senate by a 51-50 vote Wednesday killed a proposal that would have 

blocked an Environmental Protection Agency requirement that at least some of t 

he additive in the new gasoline come from renewable sources, principally ethanol 

. 

The deciding vote was cast by Gore after the 100 senators split evenly 

on the proposal, offered by Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La. 

"We just won a heck of a fight," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

The EPA ethanol regulation has been one of the most controversial that 

the agency has tackled. 

"I'm not naive enough to think for a minute that the oil companies are 

going to sit back. They're going to keep coming," Harkin said. "But I think the

law is on our side. I think they'll lose in court." 

The proposed amendment to the EPA's budget was the focus of more than 

four hours of debate with oil state lawmakers pitted against those from farm sta 

tes. President Clinton had strongly urged senators not to interfere with the EPA 

regulation unveiled last month. 

Johnston argued that the EPA's regulation unfairly favors ethanol over 

a petroleum-based methanol derivative. The methanol product, known as MTBE, alr 

eady is widely used in gasoline to reduce harmful emissions. 

The EPA last month said that at least 30 percent of all of the additiv 

e used to make gasoline bum cleaner must come from a renewable source. The only 

widely available source at this time is the ethanol produced from corn. 

Johnson called the EPA requirement "a gigantic flimflam to the America 

n public" and disputed claims by ethanol's supporters that its widespread use wi 

ll help the environment and reduce oil imports. 

"The only flimflam so far is this debate," countered Sen. James Exon, 

D-Ne., "This is Big Oil against the farmer." 

"The oil industry does not like competition," added Sen. Charles Grass 

ley, R-Iowa. 

Midwest senators, led by Harkin, had threatened to filibuster the budg 

et bill if the Johnston amendment was included. 

The prospect of a filibuster was particularly worrisome because the $7 

0.4 billion budget bill also provides money for the Department of Housing and Ur 

ban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies. 

That caused senators with few farming constituents to join in opposing 

Johnston's amendment. They feared the ethanol controversy would threaten the bu 

dget bill and stall money for a broad range of programs. 

Nevertheless, when all senators were counted, opponents of the measure 

could muster only 50 votes. That forced the decision on Gore, who as vice presi 

dent votes only when the Senate is tied. 

Under the 1990 Clean Air Act, the agency must require, beginning next 

year, that gasoline used In severe pollution areas contain at least 2 percent ox 

ygen so that it burns cleaner. The competing additives are ethanol, or an ethano 

l derivative called ETBE, and methanol-based MTBE. 

The cleaner-burning gasoline will be required in nine cities with the 

worst air pollution: Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, LosAngeles, Milwaukee, New Yor 

k, Philadelphia, San Diego and Hartford, Conn. as well as parts of 13 states tha 

t have decided to join the federal program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Country Stars to help Farmer 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - A country-western concert might be held to help raise money 

for the family of a Pawnee City hog farmer who is in prison for bankruptcy fraud 

. 

Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette and Marty Stuart have agreed to perform a 

t a benefit concert that would help raise money to buy 1,000 acres of farmland l 

ost by Ernest Krikava last year in bankruptcy proceedings, a music publisher in

Nashville, Tenn., said. 

"We may end up with seven or eight, or 10 or 12, I don't know," Paul R 

ichey with Richey Music Group said. 

Organizers hope to announce a date and place for the concert by the en 

d of the week, Richey said Tuesday. 

Nelson also is known for Farm Aid, an advocacy group that has raised m 

oney for farmers through a series of concerts. 

Farm Aid is not involved with any benefit concert for Krikava, Farm Ai 

d Executive Director Glenda Yoder said. 

Krikava, 70, started serving a five-month prison sentence on June 30 i 

n a minimum-security unit at Leavenworth, Kan. 

A federal jury convicted Krikava of two counts of perjury for lying ab 

out the illegal sale of hogs to avoid bank liens on his farm. 

A plan to repay loans to a Seneca, Kan., bank siphoned money from the 

family's swine operation, said Kevin Krikava, Ernest's son. 

The family sold $35,000 worth of hogs under a relative's name in order 

to feed the animals and to buy food for themselves, Kevin Krikava said. 

Kevin Krikava and his mother, Carol, both received probation after ple 

ading guilty to single counts of perjury. 

Carol Krikava died in January from a respiratory ailment. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and U.S. Republican Sens. Robert Dole an 

d Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas have written letters seeking a pardon review of the 

case. 

Appeals from the politicians have been sent to President Clinton and t 

o Attorney General Janet Reno. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators vote to kill space station 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., voted i 

n favor of a losing amendment Wednesday that would have killed funding for the s 

pace station. 

The roll call vote failed 36-64 and kept funding alive for the multi-b 

illion dollar project. 



AUTH[Todd VonKampen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Federal grant may help with rec center 

TEXT[TERRYTOWN - Scottsbluff County Housing Authority officials may use part of 

a new federal grant to make up a $25,000 shortfall in paying for the first phase 

of a new recreation center, says executive director Pat Berzina.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved a $4 

00,000 grant to the housing authority, according to a news release from the offi 

ces of Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 

Berzina said Tuesday tile grant from HUD's Comprehensive Improvement A 

ssistance Program is the housing authority's first since 1992. It's about one-th 

ird of the $1.2 million the agency had requested. 

The authority received $1.2 million from the program in 1991 and $383, 

000 in 1992. Berzina said the agency received no CIAP funds last year because pr 

evious grant money hadn't been exhausted. 

The grant program typically pays for remodeling and upkeep of the hous 

ing authority's 162 units. This year's grant will do the same, but also could he 

lp fill gaps in the financing of the Terry and Hazeldeane Carpenter Intergenerat 

ional Center, Berzina said. 

Ground was broken last fall for the 11.5-acre recreation center at the 

site of the former Carena Drive-In. The $1 million to $3 million project will i 

nclude parks, trails, playgrounds, athletic fields and a main building with meet 

ing rooms, a gymnasium and senior citizen and child-care centers. 

Berzina said the authority is about $25,000 short of paying for the fi 

rst phase, which covers the fields and landscaping. Officials have asked local g 

overnments to make up the difference, but haven't been successful so far, she sa 

id. 

HUD has allowed the authority to apply $300,000 in unused ClAP money f 

rom past years toward the recreation center, she said. 



AUTH[Staff and wire reports 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol regulation survives by 1 vote 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Farm state senators, with help from Vice President Al Gore, su 

cceeded Wednesday in assuring that corn based ethanol plays a significant part i 

n the production of a cleaner-burning gasoline. 

The Senate by a 51-50 vote killed a proposal that would have blocked a 

n Environmental Protection Agency requirement that at least some of the additive 

in the new gasoline come from renewable sources, principally ethanol. 

The deciding vote was cast by Gore after the 100 senators split evenly 

on the proposal offered by Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La. 

The proposed amendment to the EPA's budget was the focus of more than 

four hours of debate with oil state lawmakers pitted against those from farm sta 

tes. President Clinton had strongly urged senators not to interfere with the EPA 

regulation unveiled last month. 

Johnston argued that the EPA's regulation unfairly favors ethanol over 

a petroleum-based methanol derivative. The methanol product, known as MTBE, alr 

eady is widely used in gasoline to reduce harmful emissions. 

The EPA last month said that at least 30 percent of all of the additiv 

e used to make gasoline burn cleaner must come from a renewable source. The only 

widely available source at this time is the ethanol produced from corn. 

Johnson called the EPA requirement "a gigantic flimflam to the America

n public" and disputed claims by ethanol's supporters that its widespread use wi 

ll help the environment and reduce oil imports. 

"The only flimflam so far is this debate," countered Sen. James Exon, 

D-Neb., "This is Big Oil against the farmer." 

"The oil industry does not like competition," added Sen. Charles Grass 

ley, R-Iowa. 

Midwest senators, led by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, had threatened to fi 

libuster the budget bill if the Johnston amendment was included. 

The prospect of a filibuster was particularly worrisome because the $7 

0.4 billion budget bill also provides money for the Department of Housing and Ur 

ban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies. 

That caused senators with few farming constituents to join in opposing 

Johnston's amendment. They feared the ethanol controversy would threaten the bu 

dget bill and stall money for a broad range of programs. 

Nevertheless, when all senators were counted, opponents of the measure 

could muster only 50 votes. That forced the decision on Gore, who as vice presi 

dent votes only when the Senate is tied. 

During the debate, U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said arguments from o 

il-state senators that the ethanol ruling was anti-free market was "baloney, jus 

t pure baloney." 

Kerrey had also heard as an argument that the rule would hurt farmers. 

"Typically, people who say it's bad for farmers have no idea what's go 

ing on in agriculture," Kerrey said. "Every farm organization in America is oppo 

sed to the Johnston amendment." 

The EPA earlier this year decided to require that part of the oxygen-b 

oosting additives in gasoline come from renewable sources, such as ethanol. 

The reformulated gasoline will be sold in the nation's nine smoggiest 

cities and other areas that choose to sell it. 


m renewable sources. Alter that, the level will rise to 30 percent. 

In Nebraska, four new ethanol plants are under construction and one pl 

ant will expand. Together, the plants will boost the state's annual production f 

rom 70 gallons to 215 million gallons produced annually. 

"To Nebraska, that means 1,200 new jobs in the ethanol industry alone, 

" Exon said. "Plus about 3,000 jobs in construction and related fields." 

Gary Goldberg of Kearney, president of the American Corn Growers Assoc 

iation, said the rejection of Johnston's amendment sends a strong signal of supp 

ort of the ethanol mandate. 

"The Senate has refused to set back the clock," Goldberg said. "It is 

looking toward the future, where non-fossil, renewable energy resources will (fu 

el) the engines of this economy...for the future." 

Kerrey also was relieved after the votes were tallied. 

"We fought a tough battle today, but we had the facts on our side," Ke 

rrey said. "Nebraska and the interests of agriculture won in the end." 



AUTH[U.S. Navy Photo 

SOUR[Wausa Gazette

BK#[ 

HDLN[ 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon (D-NE) and his wife, Pat, recently toured the USS Nebraska in 

Port Canaveral, Fla. Mrs. Exon is the sponsor of the nuclear powered submarine 

named for the Cornhusker State. The USS Nebraska is "home ported" in King's Bay, 

Ga. 




SOUR[Genoa Leader-Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce $2.8 Million Grant for Drug Control 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced today that th 

e Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice has been awarded a 

$2.81 million federal grant to fight drug abuse and violent crime. 

Money from the grant will be put toward detecting, apprehending and pr 

osecuting drug and violent crime offenders throughout Nebraska. It will also pro 

vide money for anti-drug programs in the state, such as training law enforcement 

officers for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. 

Unfortunately, Nebraska is not immune from the scourge of illegal drug 

s and violent crime," Exon and Kerrey said. "We hope grants such as this one, in 

addition to the anticrime bill we have supported in the Senate, will send a str 

ong message that drug abuse and violent( crime will not be tolerated." 



AUTH[Duane 

SOUR[Tecumseh Chieftain 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Turning the Crank 

TEXT[OVERCOME BY SMOKE aptly describes my neighborhood last Sunday as the fire d 

epartment conducted a controlled burn of weeds, brush and limbs that had been pi 

led up in preparation of an expansion program of the Tecumseh Cemetery, to the e 

ast. 

The burn (flames) didn't last long but the smoke from the smoldering pile w 

as long lived. In fact, even after the rains it was still emitting smoke Wednesd 

ay morning. 

The Tecumseh football program should be investigated!! Apparently they have 

had three unauthorized players of the field. 

This is based, on the announced report, during the Shrine game last Saturda 

y, that Tecumseh plays 8-man ball. 

That sure came as a surprise to all T-Town fans as well as Jamie Stinson, w 

ho was on the field and quarterbacked the South team to a TD. The question never 

arose during a brief interview with Jamie along the sidelines.

Granted, the interview was very short due to the fact that the coaches had 

Jamie going both ways, offense and defense. 

And speaking of coaches, the ones at Notre Dame must be nothing short of mi 

racle workers. 

Also during the Shrine game broadcast a reference was made about one certai 

n player who was going to Notre Dame where the coaches were going to make an Iri 

shman out of him. 

Now that is really amazing, in view of the fact that the player was Ty Good 

e of Lincoln, a Negro. 

Makes the Nebraska coaching job seem pretty simple where they just have to 

teach them to husk corn. 

At a propaganda performance in Independence, MO, recently, President Bill C 

linton invoked the name of Harry Truman, while pushing his scheme to take over t 

he nation's health care. 

That's not too amazing though, when you come to think of it. Shortly after 

moving into the White House, Hillary was having conversations with the spirit of 

Eleanor Roosevelt. 

If I ever have the heart problems again that I experienced a couple of year 

s ago, I would really prefer the care of someone like Dr. Joseph Gard of Lincoln 

than either senior Sen._E~ or junior Sen. Kerrey. 

And if you think Bill Clinton is the one to choose your doctor, remember he 

picked J. Elders for the top job in the country. Now that's downright scary!! 

And the snake oil salesman, Pres. Bill, is scheduled to have a press confer 

ence Wednesday of this week, loaded with questions 

about the health crisis as he tries to paint it. 




SOUR[The Wakefield Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Conference Call Announces Success in Averting New Tax on Egg Industry 

TEXT[Sen. Bob Kerrey visited with local and state Egg Industry people in a confe 

rence call last Tuesday morning about the amendment the US Senate recently adopt 

ed which derailed a proposed new assessment on egg producers to pay the cost of 

federal egg inspection activities mandated by federal law. 

Included in the call were Tim Bebee of the M.U. Waldbaum Co., Dan Gard 

ner, retired CEO of the company and still active in the industry organizations, 

State Egg Council representatives and area media including The Republican. 

The amendment which was unanimously passed was jointly sponsored by Ke 

rrey and Sen. Jim Exon. "Egg inspection is not an option for egg producers, it i 

s required by federal law as a safeguard for the consuming public," Kerrey said. 

"Because egg inspection is a mandate and not a service, it should continue to b 

e financed from general appropriations, rather than by so-called user-fees on eg 

g producers." 

During the call Senator Kerrey said he was grateful to the Egg Industr

y people for drawing this inequity to his attention and said he was pleased that 

the amendment was passed as the tax would have had a great impact on Nebraska p 

roducers. 

Gardner said lie didn't think that anybody realized the impact the bil 

l would have had on the industry without the amendment, and the bill didn't incl 

ude the meat industries in the tax for inspections. 

Adoption of the amendment came during the Senate's consideration of the bil 

l providing funds for the US Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 1995. 

Kerrey noted that nearly two billion eggs are produced in Nebraska each yea 

r, contributing about $60 million to Nebraska's economy and providing a market f 

or locally produced grain. 




SOUR[Pender Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Tribal council members meet, present check to federal official in D.C. 

TEXT[Omaha Tribal council members and their administrative support staff met wit 

h Department of labor and Congressional aides in Washington, D.C., recently to s 

olidity relations and present plans for a model demonstration holistic health ca 

re project. 

"This is a proud day for the Omaha tribe," said tribal chairman Dr. Rudl Mi 

tchell as he presented a $225,000 check to Joan Waller, special assistant to the 

director of office of grants and contracts management. The check paid off a lo 

ng-standing CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) debt Incurred by th 

e tribe in 1978-79. 

"One of our goals when this current Tribal council took office was to pay o 

ff all our outstanding debts," said tribal secretary Nate Parker Sr. 

Dr. Mitchell, Parker and council member Clyde Tyndall were present for the 

signing of the "debt compromise agreement" ceremony at the Department of Labor. 

The signing of this debt payoff agreement "marks a new era of cooperation betwee 

n the Omaha Tribe and the Department of Labor," said Waller. 

It also frees up several critical federal grants which were being held up p 

ending the resolution of this debt. 

In a meeting with congressional aides for Nebraska Senators Bob Kerrey and 

James Exon and Cong. Doug Bereuter, the tribe's "Mending the Broken Circle of Li 

fe" model demonstration project for the provision of health care in rural Americ 

a was presented by David Beaver, Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center's CEO, a 

nd Sherriann Moore, Carl T's health planner. 

This model project is an extensive holistic health care development program 

to be funded and implemented throughout the next 15 years. 

One major focus of the project is to correct the destructive and dead image 

s of the past and to instill a new image of the true nature, character and spiri 

t of the Indian people. 

"This project will emphasize a revitalized cultural, character building, hi 

storical, and spiritual image, presented and offered as an alternate to the self 

-destructive pattern of life that now exits, said Beaver. 

"Native Americans, when given the opportunity for health, education and spi 

ritually, are highly creative, family and community oriented people," Moore said

. 

The ultImate: goal of the Omaha Tribe is to develop a revolutionary program 

of wellness within their community. 

The planners of this project included a cross section of health professiona 

ls from the area, which formed a health advisory board. 

In a closing statement, the project's architects stated, "It Is the express 

ed hope of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska that the design of this model demonstrati 

on project will reflect the program's emphasis on Native American Indian communi 

ty participation and responsibility in the direction of rural America's health c 

are delIvery system for the 21st century. 

"We fell this project can be a model for the whole Native American nation a 

s well as rural America," said Beaver. 



AUTH[Sput Turnbull, Editorial 

SOUR[Pawnee Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[What not to wear to a drug bust 

TEXT[What do you wear to a drug bust? A dress and white panty hose? I don't thin 

k so. How about white socks to catch the sticktights - Oh no! Sandals? Nope! Sho 

rts? No way! 

A few members of the media were invited to photograph and film the Pawnee C 

ounty Sheriffs Department, State Patrol and National Guards in action as they co 

nfiscated many, many plants of marijuana Tuesday noon from an abandoned farmstea 

d Southeast of Pawnee City. 

We all sat patiently, well. . .maybe not, for approximately 45 minutes on t 

he north side of the courthouse waiting for our que. None of us quite sure what 

it was we were going to be witnesses to, wondering if we were on the correct sid 

e of the courthouse, discussing being able to eat off of the shiney floors in th 

e courthouse and of all things the men's restrooms. Everyone took turns passing 

around the can of insect repellent, we all wanted to smell the same, you know. 

At about 11:30 a.m. Pawnee County Sheriff John Schulze showed up to lead th 

e way. After a short journey we were informed that some of our vehicles may not 

make the trip from here but there was ample space for all of us. 

Another mile or so down a dirt road, then into a pasture, across several ru 

ts a short distance further and again we stopped only to learn that from there o 

n out is was on foot. 

So here we are one in a dress and hose, two more in dresses, one with his l 

eg in a splint, dress shoes, ties, you name it, we were not dressed for the occa 

sion, however, being the dedicated media professionals that we are, we made our 

way over a barbed wire fence, through weeds, ditches, rocks, slicktights, hedger 

ows and more weeds to get the scoop. 

And a scoop it was! 

I even got to ride in the vehicle with the Channel 7 news crew! The back do 

or wouldn't open from the inside and they both laughed about being in a fiery cr 

ash and getting Sputs last words as she burns! Like maybe "ouch" or "this is a h 

ot one". 

Well, we all made it back to town in one piece. With a little

more experience and maybe just a little more knowledge on what to wear to a drug 

bust the next time. 



AUTH[JJ Exon, Exon Diary 

SOUR[Arbor State 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey announce $1.78 million grant to Nebraska 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced today that th 

e federal government has awarded $1.78 million to the Nebraska Department of Eco 

nomic Development to help small-and medium-sized manufacturing firms throughout 

the state to shift from defense products to civilian goods. 

The grant will provide funding for two years to create the Nebraska In 

dustrial Competitiveness Service, coordinating the efforts of the University of 

Nebraska, the state's community colleges and other organizations to provide tech 

nical assistance to companies around the state. It will serve manufacturing firm 

s much like the university extension service has served farmers for many years. 

The grant is being awarded by the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology in coordination with the Department of Defense. 

"Small-and medium-sized manufacturing firms are an important segment o 

f Nebraska's economy, Exon and Kerrey said. 'This initiative will help Nebraska 

firms become more competitive in the global marketplace. It will also strengthen 

the bond between Nebraska businesses, communities aid higher education." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[UNMC, Creighton med schools earn grants 

TEXT[Federal grants have been awarded Nebraska's two medical schools, according 

to Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

The grants were awarded Creighton University School of Medicine, $133,268; 

and to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, $243,130. 

The Department of Health and Human Services grants is to increase graduates 

to enter family practice or conduct more research about family practice medicin 

e. 



AUTH[William L. Roberts and Stephanie Nall 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate, House Panels Agree on intrastate truck decontrol

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Senate and House conferees have agreed to include broad federa 

l deregulation of intrastate trucking in legislation reauthorizing $6.5 billion 

in airport improvement projects. 

Separately, congressional aides say the lawmakers are nearing agreement to 

further deregulate interstate trucking and to cut back functions of the Intersta 

te Commerce Commission. 

The House conferees, led by Rep. Norman Y. Mineta, D-Calif., chairman of th 

e House Public Works and Transportation Committee, on Wednesday accepted the Sen 

ate's version of an intrastate deregulation bill, but broadened it to include vi 

rtually all trucking companies, according to a committee spokesman. 

Under the proposed bill, no state will be able to impose rate, route or ser 

vice regulations on carriers operating within their states. 

The original legislation had sought to resolve conflicts between differing 

federal court decisions by exempting from state trucking regulations those compa 

nies, like Federal Express and United Parcel Service, that are interstate direct 

fair cargo carriers. The provision mushroomed when large trucking companies sai 

d they would be put at a disadvantage and asked to be included. 

By the time the bill left the Senate, any trucking company, no matter how s 

mall, could qualify for the exemption if it was willing to call itself an air fr 

eight forwarder. 

Lobbyists said Rep. Mineta was concerned that smaller companies would be he 

sitant to enter the freight forwarder arena, leaving only the smallest facing re 

gulation. 

Rather than favoring large companies, the conferees agreed to exempt practi 

cally all trucking companies from state regulations as they would apply to rates 

and business. 

The bill would not preclude safety or insurance regulation, the regulation 

of transportation of household goods, or the regulation of vehicle size and weig 

ht. 

Also, any existing state authority under the Hazardous Material Transportat 

ion Act would be superseded. 

Under terms of the agreement, states also will be allowed to keep on the bo 

oks some rules aimed at business uniformity - such as mileage guides, cargo liab 

ility levels, credit rules and uniform bills of lading - but cannot force carrie 

rs to follow them. 

"If a carrier wants to use the state's uniform bill of lading, it can, hut 

the carrier has to opt into the program," a Senate staffer said. 

Further, the conference bill gives Hawaii three years to deregulate its int 

rastate trucking. 

The intrastate deregulation, although legislatively separate from proposals 

to further deregulate interstate trucking, has been linked in congressional neg 

otiations. 

Sens. J. James Exon, D-Neb., and Robert Packwood, R-Ore., last month propos 

ed ending truck rate filing at the Interstate Commerce Commission and a streamli 

ning of truck applications at the agency. Those cuts were proposed to help bring 

the ICC's workload into line with a 31% budget cut made by the Senate for the a 

gency. The House had earlier eliminated all funding for the ICC. 

"Rep. Mineta is going to be helpful with Exon-Packwood," a Senate staffer s 

aid. As soon as there is an agreement between House and Senate leaders, the Exon 

-Packwood bill will be considered by the Senate. 

The proposal to end truck rate filing with the ICC may be tacked on as an a 

mendment to the hazardous materials transportation bill that has been awaiting a

ction by the full Senate since mid-November. 



AUTH[Sara Hagel 

SOUR[Scottsbluff Business Farmer-Stockman 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain car shortage expected 

TEXT[An expected shortage of grain cars due to a large 

predicted corn crop will probably a shortage of cars for hauling 

in the Panhandle, said Neil Holstein, manager of Scoular Gram in Sidney. 

Although no corn is shipped out of the Panhandle by rail, because the same 

cars are used to transport both corn and wheat, a large corn crop could easily t 

ie up the cars needed to ship wheat during the peak shipping months of November 

until January, said Holstein. 

"There are only so many cars and a large harvest puts a strain on availabil 

ity," said Jim Baer, elevator manager at Farmers Co-op in Hemmingford. 

Cars are easy to find now, but will become more scarce in October when corn 

harvest begins across the nation, said Stan Hillius, manager of High Plains Coop 

in Kimball. If cars become so scarce that the elevator will not be able to h 

old any more wheat, Scoular Grain will have to ask farmers to delay wheat delive 

ries to the elevator until they have a schedule for the train's arrival, said Ho 

lstein. 

Because the covered hopper cars are only used a few months out of the year, 

car shortages have always been a problem during and after harvest, said Nebrask 

a Senator J.J. Exon. 

Railroad companies will never be able to invest in enough cars to solve the 

shortage problem at harvest time, so distribution of the available cars becomes 

the key issue, he said. 

Exon met with the Interstate Commerce Commission this spring to address the 

availability problem. 

The ICC is in the process of compiling a report about the availability prob 

lem, said Exon. 

Railroad companies are trying to combat the expected shortage in various wa 

ys. 

Union Pacific has developed an incentive program for elevator operators and 

grain receivers who can load or unload the cars in a specified amount of time, 

said Matt Haun, grain merchandiser with Yoder Grain at Torrington. 

UP allows 48 hours for loading and billing out grain cars, but will pay a $ 

50 per car incentive if they can be loaded within 24 hours, said Haun. The same 

incentive also applies to unloading the cars. 

The main purpose of the incentive is to increase the number of turnarounds 

per month the company can get from each car, said Hillius. 

UP is currently averaging 1.32 turns per month and have implemented the inc 

entive program to try to reach an average of 1.8 turns per month, he said. 

Burlington Northern also has an incentive program quicker loading or unload 

ing, said Jim Sabourin, spokesman for Burlington Northern. 

This year BN is expected to have the largest number of covered hopper grain 

cars in the history of the railroad in it's fleet, said Sabourin.

There will be more than 30,000 grain cars available this year. In the past, 

there was between 25,000 and 26,000 covered hopper cars available, said Sabouri 

n. 

BN also offers a program in which elevator operators can guarantee car avai 

lability by ordering cars for a specific time window, he said. 

Farmer's Co-op in Hemmingford relies almost exclusively on BN's guaranteed 

cars because general order cars are difficult to find, said Baer. 

Elevator operators must submit sealed bids in order to guarantee the cars, 

which makes them expensive, but almost necessary because the elevators have alre 

ady bought the wheat and must pay interest on it until it is sold and shipped ou 

t, Baer said. 



AUTH[M/M Leonard A. Kreifels, ltr ed. 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Taxpayers would pay for abortions 

TEXT[Sir-Our representatives in Washington are considering health care reform wh 

ich mandates abortion coverage. 

Legislation being considered will provide for "pregnancy services," which i 

nclude abortion, as part of the basic health care benefits. 

This means: 

1. The government will mandate all employers and every citizen pay for the 

health care package, regardless of their views toward abortion. 

2. State policies that restrict insurance coverage for abortion will be inv 

alidated. 

Abortion is not health care. More than nine out of 10 abortions in the Unit 

ed States are done for reasons totally unrelated to the physical or mental healt 

h of the woman. 

Don't let Congress Force citizens opposed to abortion to pay for abortion a 

gainst their consciences! Contact your representatives now! Floor debate may beg 

in the second week of August. Don't wait until it is too late and your tax dolla 

rs are paying for the killing of the unborn. 

Call or write Sen. Kerrey (202-224-6551), Sen. Exon (202-224-4224), and Rep 

. Bereuter (202-225-4806). Let them know you are opposed to including abortion i 

n the "health care" package. 




SOUR[Omaha Morning World-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Amendment May Help Airline 

TEXT[Washington - Midwest Express Airlines could make its Omaha-Washington fligh 

ts more convenient under legislation approved Wednesday by congressional negotia 

tors.

A House-Senate conference committee accepted an amendment by Sen. J.J. Exon 

, D-Neb., that would allow the transportation secretary to adjust take-off and l 

anding "slots." 

Under current law, airlines that use Washington National have fixed, hourly 

time slots for arrivals and departures. Midwest Express, which began twice-a-da 

y nonstop flights between Washington and Omaha in July, would like to move up it 

s 9:15 p.m. departure from Washington. 



AUTH[Andy Raun 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Mayor: Senate vote favors city 

TEXT[A United States Senate committee vote Wednesday on proposed reform in Super 

fund environmental legislation bodes well for Hastings, Mayor Phil Odom said. 

Odom said lie learned late Thursday afternoon of a 13-4 vote by the Senate 

Committee on Environment and Public Works to accept a 10 percent cap on retroact 

ive liability for cities with populations smaller than 100,000 that have owned a 

nd operated facilities now designated Superfund contamination sites. 

Despite the problems and uncertainty associated with any degree of Superfun 

d liability, Odom said, he views Wednesday move as a compromise that generally f 

avors the city. 

"I think that, although it's far from where we want to be, it's a step in t 

he right directions," he said. "We want to do away with retroactive liability, b 

ut a 10 percent cap is better than full liability." 

City officials have estimated Hastings may be liable for $75 million in cle 

anup costs on groundwater contamination subsites beneath the old north and south 

city landfills and the Hastings Police Department's downtown headquarters. The 

areas are part of the Hastings Contamination Site, which encompasses seven sub-s 

ites and is on the EPA's National Priorities List for Superfund cleanup. 

If the measure accepted Wednesday by the Senate committee eventually makes 

it into law, Odom said, the $75 million figure apparently would be reduced to $7 

.5 million. 

Word of Wednesday's vote came to city officials in a facsimile message from 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. Exon, who is not a member of the committee, called the v 

ote positive for Hastings and communities with similar environmental problems. 

Similar Superfund reform legislation will be run through the House of Repre 

sentatives. Odom said eventual conference committee reconciliation of House and 

Senate reform bills may be tricky and take time. 

Superfund legislation originally was passed in 1980 and is due for congress 

ional reauthorization. 

Under the proposal accepted Wednesday, Odom said, the balance of cleanup co 

sts from which cities would be relieved apparently would be paid with federal fu 

nds and not passed on to potentially responsible parties from local communities' 

private sectors. 

According to Exon's message, Wednesday's committee action also included a c 

all for the Environmental Protection Agency "to evaluate groundwater contaminati 

on at Superfund sites and determine whether further cleanup efforts are technica

lly practicable or whether containment is a better alternative." 

Exon reported the committee had voted 12-5 against a proposal to repeal ret 

roactive liability entirely. Odom said an entire repeal is the goal and desire o 

f Hastings officials and the lobbying association to which Hastings' city govern 

ment belongs. 

Even a $7.5 million Superfund cleanup assessment would create serious probl 

ems in the city budget, he said. 

Another concern, Odom said, is that EPA assesses municipalities for Superfu 

nd costs based on their "ability to pay." The agency determines for itself how m 

uch a city can afford to be assessed, he said. 

Odom and other city officials have taken on national roles in the effort to 

promote Superfund reform. Odom serves as a trustee for the lobbying group, call 

ed Local Governments for Superfund Reform. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Time to heavily bomb Serb positions 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Even though it will bring "killing fields" to Bosnia, the Unit 

ed Nations should withdraw its forces and launch massive, sustained bombing on B 

osnian Serb strongholds, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Friday. 

The aerial attack must be more than a surgical strike, said Exon, the secon 

d-ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

RAILROAD facilities, depots, communications center's and "anything that has 

to do with their war effort" should be targeted, even though they would be in B 

osnian Serb cities, he said. 

"This is going to endanger civilians and that's unfortunate, but the Bosnia 

n Serbs have been unmerciful in their attack on Bosnian Muslims," he said in an 

interview from Washington. 

"It would teach them a lesson and bring this war home to their people," he 

said. 

Exon commented after NATO warplanes struck near Sarajevo in response to Bos 

nian Serbs seizing a tank and other heavy weapons from a U.N. depot and shooting 

at a U.N. helicopter. The attack was ordered by the United Nations to enforce a 

NATO order banning heavy weapons from around Sarajevo. 

Exon and Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., called the NATO strike an appropriate res 

ponse. 

"I hope the Bosnian Serbs get the message that they made a terrible mistake 

," said Kerrey, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Exon said be still opposes sending ground forces to Bosnia because heavy ca 

sualties would be likely. 

He said the time had come to get forces out of harm's way, even though tha 

t will bring more bloodshed to Sarajevo and the rest of Bosnia, in preparation f 

or a heavy bombing campaign. 

"Very likely, if the U.N. forces pull out, the city will fall. That's a tra 

gedy," Exon said. 

"As bad as it will be - and the killing fields will take place again - I do 

n't think there's any alternative to bring that Serbs to their knees without sus

tained bombing," he said. 

He also said the arms embargo on Bosnian Muslims should be lifted. 

"My bottom line is that it may be a time for, unfortunately, a major battle 

in an already extremely troubled land," he said. "But with the attitude of the 

Bosnian Serbs, I don't see any other option open to us." 

EXON SUGGESTED a bombing campaign similar to the kinds used in World War I 

I. 

"In my view, if we are going to use air power, then we have to use it and n 

ot just surgically," he said. 

Air attacks might bring Bosnian Serbs "to their knees so they would capitul 

ate" and agree to a plan to end the war. 

Even if the bombardment did not work, "it would at least send a strong sign 

al that the United Nations is not a paper tiger," Exon said. 

He said the credibility of the United Nations and NATO was on the line in B 

osnia. 

Unless the United Nations and our NATO allies can in some fashion resurrect 

some respect for the position that we should take, it's only going to invite ot 

her troubled spots around the world, possibly including North Korea, to say, Wel 

l, they won't do anything anyway...'" Exon said. 



AUTH[Bob Reeves 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Farmers Union praises senators 

TEXT[Environmental Protection Agency regulations promoting ethanol would not hav 

e survived if not for the efforts of U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, Nebrask 

a Farmers Union President John Hansen said. 

The senate voted 50-50 Wednesday to kill an amendment by Sen. J. Bennett Jo 

hnston (D-La.) that would have prohibited the EPA from spending money to enforce 

its regulation requiring that 30 percent of clean burning reformulated gasoline 

sold in polluted cities after 1996 use oxygenates derived from renewable resour 

ces such as ethanol. 

Vice President Al Gore cast the deciding vote to break the tie, redeeming t 

he Clinton administration to some extent in the eyes of Mid-western corn farmers 

, who have been critical of administration grain policies: 

Hansen praised both Exon and Kerrey, but especially Exon for "rounding up v 

otes" against the amendment. 

"Their hard work made the difference," he said. "Farmers Union has supporte 

d the use of ethanol since the 1970 and Nebraska has been a leader in developing 

the ethanol industry. Nebraskans should be proud of their senators' efforts to 

preserve this tradition." 

IN AN INTERVIEW Friday, Hansen said Farmers Union members have been "frustr 

ated" by the Clinton administration's lack of change in farm policies, which hav 

e hurt small farmers while helping huge grain dealers. 

"We were the most vehement opponents of the agricultural policies of the pr 

evious administration, not because it was republican, but because were they put 

farmers out of business," Hansen said. 

He added that despite the Clinton administration's support of ethanol, whic

h provides a growing market for corn, the Farmers Union will fight the 1995 Farm 

Bill if it doesn't change some of the policies that boost profits to grain expo 

rters at the expense of farmers. 

"If you want agricultural states to be economically strong and viable, you 

have to put earned income in the pockets of farmers," Hansen said. 

EPA promotion of ethanol will help accomplish that, because it supports a d 

omestic rather than import market for corn, he said. "It's not a cure-all, but i 

t's a positive step." 

HANSEN SAID the Senate vote "means the incentives from the state and hard w 

ork put in by Nebraskans to develop an ethanol industry will be protected." Incr 

eased used of ethanol may create as many as 1,200 new jobs in Nebraska and provi 

de new markets for corn. 

By products of ethanol production also will provide livestock producers wit 

h a good source of high-protein feed. 

In a statement Thursday, Gov. Ben Nelson called the Senate vote a victory f 

or rural America and the environment. 

"For nearly a century, big oil companies have controlled the transportation 

-fuels market," Nelson said. Thanks to the Senate action, "the American people n 

ow have a choice." 

The American Corn Growers Association also was celebrating. 

"The U.S. Senate has refused to set back the clock. It is looking toward th 

e future, where nonfossil, renewable energy resources are the fuel that will fee 

d the engines of this economy and this country," said Gary Goldberg of Kearney, 

president of the association. 

Four new ethanol plants are under construction in Nebraska and one is being 

expanded. The five plants are expected to boost the state's annual production o 

f ethanol from 70 to 215 million gallons. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Hit Bosnian Serb Strongholds 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Even though it will bring "killing fields" to Bosnia, the United 

Nations should withdraw its forces and launch massive, sustained bombing on Bos 

nian Serb strongholds, Sen. Jim Exon said Friday. 

The aerial attack must be more than a surgical strike, said Exon, the secon 

d-ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Railroad facilities, depots, communications centers and "anything that has 

to do with their war effort" should be targeted, even though they would be in Bo 

snian Serb cities, he said. 

"This is going to endanger civilians and that's unfortunate, but the Bosnia 

n Serbs have been unmerciful in their attack on Bosnian Muslims," he said in an 

interview from Washington. 

"It would teach them a lesson and bring this war home to their people," he 

said. 

Exon commented after NATO warplanes struck near Sarajevo in response to Bos 

nian Serbs' seizure of a tank and other heavy weapons from a U.N. depot and shoo

ting at a U.N. helicopter. The attack was ordered by the United Nations to enfor 

ce a NATO order banning heavy weapons from around Sarajevo. 

Exon and Sen. Bob Kerrey called the NATO strike an appropriate response. 

"I hope the Bosnian Serbs get the message that they made a terrible mistake 

," said Kerrey, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Exon said he still opposed sending ground forces to Bosnia because heavy ca 

usalities would be likely. He suggested a bombing campaign similar to those used 

in World War II. 

"In my view, if we are going to use air power, then we have to use it and n 

ot just surgically," he said. 

He also said the arms embargo on Bosnian Muslims should be lifted. 

Exon said the credibility of the United Nations and NATO was on the line in 

Bosnia. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Government gives Head Start in Hastings grant 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The federal government has awarded a $580,138 grant to Head St 

art Child and Family Development in Hastings, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said Friday. 

The grant will fund services for 140 children and families from Adams, Clay 

and Webster counties who are expected to participate in Head Start programs dur 

ing the 1994-95 school year, the Nebraska Democrat said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Others Affected 

TEXT[Willie Nelson, who has had serious financial problems and troubles with the 

Internal Revenue Service himself, is lending his support to a new cause: helpin 

g Ernest C. Krikava, 70, the Pawnee City hog farmer who went bankrupt and subseq 

uently was sentenced to five months in federal prison on a perjury charge. 

Krikava has many sympathetic supporters who believe he should be granted cl 

emency, including Sens. Bob Dole, Nancy Kassebaum, both Kansas Republicans, and 

Bob Kerrey and J. J. Exon, both Nebraska Democrats. The question is whether the 

sentence fits the crime, considering Krikava's age and circumstances. 

We presume those four may be as capable of judging that as anyone else. 

It has been easy, however, in those unfortunate cases involving farmers or 

other small business people who have hit hard times, to let one's sympathy for t 

he debtor obscure the fact that many other people who put their trust and money 

on the line are victimized by bankruptcies. 

Enforcing the law requires effective punishment for anyone who attempts to

evade court orders and sells property subject to liens, as Krikava did. Sympathy 

for him now should not lead to overlooking the seriousness of his offense, to t 

he point of allowing it to become a precedent. 

It would be especially fitting for Mr. Nelson and all those other entertain 

ers who have promised to help the Krikava family to take their cause one step fu 

rther than the objective they have announced; that is, buying back a farm for th 

e Krikavas. 

Going that extra step under the Nelson FarmAid banner would consist of tryi 

ng to make financial amends to all those who extended credit but took serious lo 

sses as a result. 




SOUR[Kennewick, WA Tri-City Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[HAMMER survives a last-minute battle 

TEXT[Patty Murray emerges as the big slugger in the latest round to save the haz 

ardous materials training center at Hanford. 

Sam Volpentest, executive vice president of the Tri-City Industrial Develop 

ment Council, says he "never worked so hard on a project for such a small amount 

of money." 

But he is quick to add, although small in dollars cost, this is a project t 

hat is of great significance to Hanford - symbolic and real. 

The success is because of the efforts of all the members of the state's con 

gressional delegation, from Rep. Jay Inslee and Sen. Slade Gorton to the redoubt 

able Rep. Norm Dicks. But Volpentest says it was Murray, in the end, who salvage 

d the deal. 

The House appropriations' bill already included $14 million for the Hazardo 

us Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) training center at Hanfo 

rd. 

That was through the hard work of Inslee, Dicks, Speaker of the House Tom F 

oley and others from the Washington delegation. 

But the Senate was of another mind. 

A key senator in the negotiations was James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of impor 

tant subcommittees of the Armed Forces Committee and Commerce; Science and Trans 

portation Committee. He took the HAMMER appropriation out of the Senate's versio 

n. And he stuck to it. 

Enter Murray. 

It took a world of horse trading- some of the support Exon wanted on other 

legislation she could not give him - but they finally made a deal. 

She and her staff admit she owes Exon "big time" now. 

Her negotiations with Exon were going on even during breaks Murray took fro 

m the Whitewater hearings before one of her committees. 

The important thing is HAMMER survived. 

As cleanup of Hanford progresses, it is vital that workers be given the nee 

ded specialized training in handling hazardous wastes. 

The HAMMER project is of immense value not only as a training facility for 

those who must handle waste, but as a symbol of the new Hanford - cleaning up th

e environment in the fastest, safest way at the least cost to taxpayers. 

As Tom Grumbly, the Department of Energy's chief of cleanup and environment 

al restoration, said in a letter to Congress, "I cannot overemphasize our commit 

ment to improving the health and safety of our workers. HAMMER is a key piece of 

lear weapons production complex." 

TRIDEC's Volpentest has been at the center of the action to save HAMMER. Ot 

hers have played crucial roles along the way. The entire delegation has pulled t 

ogether for the project. 

This time, though, the main event featured Patty Murray. And she emerged a 

winner. 

So did we. 




SOUR[Lincoln Star-Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[CRP's future appears tied to budgeting warfare 

TEXT[The Clinton Administration, faced with heavy lobbying from farm state Congr 

essmen and conservation groups (such as Pheasants Forever, the Wildlife Manageme 

nt Institute, Ducks Unlimited, the Wild Turkey Federation, the National Wildlife 

Federation, The Wildlife Society Quail Unlimited and Trout Unlimited), has done 

an about-face on the Conservation Reserve Program, but the eventual fate of the 

program is still a long way from being settled. 

The administration, which had previously said it wasn't going to include fu 

nding for CRP in the 1995 Farm Bill, now has included monies in its "Mid-Session 

Review" which would continue the program at the preset level of 38 million acre 

s at an annual cost of approximately $2 billion. 

But the whole situation is unclear because of the complexity of the Washing 

ton budgeting process. 

According to Dan Martz, legislative assistant on international trade and ag 

ricultural issues for Nebraska Congressman Douglas Bereuter in Washington, "ther 

e are probably only a couple of guys here who really have it (the budgeting proc 

ess) down pat." 

One of the basic problems, Martz said, is that the administration's budgeti 

ng arm (the Office of Management and Budget) operates under different guidelines 

than Congress's budgeting arm (the Congressional Budget Office). 

Congress's CBO says it needs a 10-year extension of the budget baseline bef 

ore it can authorize CRP funding, while the OMB is only asking for a one-year ex 

tension, Martz said. "CRP is not in the baseline for the future, and if it's not 

included that money will have to come from other things," he said. In other wor 

ds, money to fund CRP would have to be taken from other programs. Politically th 

at's difficult if not impossible as senators and congressmen tend to protect the 

ir own turf. 

At a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing in Washington on Tuesday, Martz 

said the talk focused on how the CRP program can be funded. 

At the heart of the talk is a disagreement. The administration's budgeting 

office feels that a one-year extension in funding is legal, while the Congressio 

nal Budget Office is sticking by its guns in insisting on a 10-year extension. 

"It's still very much up in the air," Martz said "Congress is going to be d

ictated to by CBO, and if CBO doesn't change the baseline for CRP, Congress woul 

d have to get the money for CRP elsewhere to extend it. 

"The administration has changed its baseline, so CBO is sitting out there a 

s the bad guy," Martz said. "CBO seems to be indicating if the secretary of agri 

culture (Mike Espy) were to take an action that would indicate his willingness t 

o extend contracts 10 years into the future, it sounds like CBO might change its 

baseline." Unfortunately, nobody is positive Espy has the authority to commit t 

he administration, Martz said. 

If that's clear as mud to you, join the crowd. 

About the only thing that is clear is that people who want CRP to continue 

need to cast their "vote" with their senators and congressmen. 

While it's the East Coast and West Coast legislators who need to be convinc 

ed, it wouldn't be a bad idea to write to the hometown guys, so they can gauge t 

he extent of local support. 

(Write to: Sen. J. James Exon; Room 287, Federal Bldg.; 100 Centennial Mall 

North; Lincoln, NE 68508; Sen. Robert Kerrey; Room 294. Federal Bldg.; 100 Cent 

ennial Mall North; Lincoln. NE 68508; Rep. Douglas Bereuter; 1045 K St.; Lincoln 

, NE 68508.) 

Bereuter continues to support his own legislation, H.R. 3894. Key parts of 

that legislation would restrict new enrollments to the most highly erodible land 

and let enrolled farmers leave the program. Presuming that farmers with the bes 

t land would want to return their land to production with rising prices, the bil 

l should produce less land in CRP, but with the most erodible land still enrolle 

d. 

The new emphasis in the program could very well be in grassland states, suc 

h as Nebraska and the Dakotas, Martz said. At least many of the conservation or 

ganizations interested in CRP seem to be pointing that way. That grassland habit 

at tends to affect more species of wildlife than some others, at least species i 

mportant to sportsmen, such as pheasants and ducks. 

While acknowledging that H.R. 3894 is only a starting point, Martz says it: 

will produce more "bang for our bucks," and is more flexible than a number of a 

lternatives. 

While the almost $2 billion annual cost associated with CRP is high, severa 

l studies appear to show that nearly all of that is balanced out by savings in c 

ommodity programs through increased prices and reduced deficiency payments. 

And that doesn't include wildlife benefits and tons upon tons of topsoils t 

hat are still on dry ground instead of in a nearby lake or river. 

The first of the 10 year contracts signed back in 1985 will expire next yea 

r, and studies indicate that up to 63 percent of the enrolled land will return t 

o production. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Space Station Is Still a go After Vote 

TEXT[Washington - Nebraska and Iowa senators divided along party lines last week

on a vote to eliminate $2.1 billion in funding for the proposed space station. 

The Senate voted 64-36 against an amendment offered by Sen. Dale Bumpers, D 

-Ark., to a fiscal 1995 spending bill. For the past six years, Bumpers has made 

unsuccessful attempts to kill the space station. 

Earlier this year, the House also voted against killing the program. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, both D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, voted 

to kill the project. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, voted to spare it. 

"I am a strong supporter of scientific initiatives," Kerrey said. "But we a 

lso have a responsibility to face our tight budgetary problems and make tough de 

cisions." 


Spending Bill 

In other action, the Senate voted: 

-86-9 to pass a $70.4 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for the departments 

of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, as well as various indep 

endent agencies. 


-51-50, with Vice President Al Gore breaking a 50-50 tie, to kill an amendm 

ent offered by J. Bennett Johnston, D-La. The Johnston amendment would have prev 

ented the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing a pro-ethanol regula 

tion. 

To kill the amendment Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

-84-14 against an effort to send the bill back to the Senate Appropriations 

Committee for $1.4 billion in spending cuts. 



-71-21 against an amendment offered by Bob Smith, R-N.H., that would have e 

liminated $135 million in earmarked projects. Under the Smith amendment, the mo 

ney would have been given to cities and states through community development blo 

ck grants. 

Against: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

-60-37 against a Smith amendment that would have eliminated $697 million in 

clean water grants for specific projects. The amendment called for distributing 

the money through another federal fund. 


Haitian Invasion 

-100-0 to approve a nonbinding amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader 

Bob Dole, R-Kan. The amendment stated that President Clinton must obtain the app 

roval of Congress, not only the United Nations Security Council, before using U. 

S. troops to invade Haiti. 


Abortion Shooting 

-98-0 to approve a nonbinding amendment offered by Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. 

, to condemn the recent fatal shooting of an abortion doctor and his security es 

cort in Pensacola, Fla. 

For: Exon, Kerrey. Grassley. Harkin. 

Education Programs 

-94-6 to pass a bill that authorizes federal programs for elementary and se

condary education. 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Clemency for Farmer `White House's Call' 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton must decide whether to grant clemency for Er 

nest Krikava, a 70-year-old Pawnee City, Neb., farmer serving the second month o 

f a five-month sentence for bankruptcy fraud, a Justice Department spokesman sai 

d. 

"It's the White House's call," spokesman Joseph Krovisky said. "The preside 

nt has the authority exclusively to grant clemency." 

Clemency for Krikava has been endorsed unanimously by members of the Nebras 

ka congressional delegation. 

Letters have been sent to the Justice Department or the president by Sen. J 

.J. Exon, D-Neb., Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., Rep Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., and Rep. P 

eter Hoagland. D-Neb. 

Kerrey signed a letter that was Co-signed by Sens. Bob Dole, R-Kan., and Na 

ncy Kassebaum, R-Kan. 

"I think there is hope for clemency, but I have no way of calculating the l 

ikelihood of it," Kerrey said. "I have reviewed the case, and I believe he deser 

ves clemency. 

Back To Farm 

Meanwhile, Krikava said he is resigned to serving his full term at the U.S. 

Penitentiary minimum security camp at Leavenworth, Kan. 

In a telephone interview from the camp, Krikava said he is scheduled to be 

released Nov. 28. 

"I am going right back to the farm and work like I have been working with t 

he hogs and stuff," Krikava said. 

He said letters, many containing money, have been piling up at his home, wh 

ere his son is tending the farm, at the camp and in the offices of the televisio 

n show "A Current Affair." 

"My son delivered about 4,000 letters to (Attorney General) Janet Reno, but 

he didn't get into contact with her," Krikava said. 

He said that 22,000 unopened letters have been stored by the staff of "A Cu 

rrent Affair" and that he has received 125 letters at the camp. 

"We are getting quite a bit of money, Krikava said. "I haven't added it up. 

We did get one big donation from a studio there in Hollywood, Paramount. It wa 

s $ 1000." 

Krikava said Paramount's contribution might be connected to the studio's in 

terest in doing a movie on his case. 

Legal Twists 

Krikava was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and two counts of perjury in a 19 

93 jury trial in U.S. District Court in Lincoln.~e was filled with legal twists 

after 1991, when Krikava and his family started having financial problems. 

Krikava, his wife, Carol, and his son, Kevin, 29, all were convicted of per

jury for lying about the sale of pigs before filing for bankruptcy. 

The sale was made in the name of a relative, Krikava said, to get money to 

feed hogs that otherwise would Have starved. 

This was viewed by the court as a violation of a trust agreement with the S 

eneca (Kan.) Community National Bank, which had called in $240,000 in loans owed 

by Krikava. 

John Lefler, a Lincoln attorney who represented Krikava, said a legal issue 

at the trial was the definition "of ordinary course of business," a phrase used 

in federal bankruptcy law. 

"Congress never got around to defining what was 'the ordinary course of bus 

iness' in the bankruptcy code," Lefler said. "The evidence was uncontested that 

not a single nickel was diverted." 

Lefler said all of the money from the sale of the pigs went back into Krika 

va's farming operations, mainly to keep animals from starving. 

He said that because the sale was made in the name of a sister-in-law the j 

ury apparently decided this meant it was outside the ordinary course of business 

. 

"I told the jury he should have just declared bankruptcy earlier," Lefler s 

aid. "But he is a proud farmer, and he didn't want to do that." 

Lefler said a second issue was federal sentencing guidelines that give judg 

es no flexibility in deciding the punishment for specific crimes. Five months wa 

s the minimum allowed in Krikava's case, he said. 

Singapore case 

Lisa Lozano, Krikava's current attorney, said she has filed an appeal with 

the U.S. Supreme Court. which is in recess. 

"My understanding is they aren't going to deal with it until the end of Sep 

tember," Ms. Lozano said from Lincoln. 

She said she doesn't hold out much hope that President Clinton will grant c 

lemency. 

"My understanding is that 657 people have applied for presidential pardons 

since Clinton became president, and none was granted." Ms. Lozano said. 

She said Clinton did act in the case of Michael Fay, who was sentenced to s 

ix strikes with a bamboo rod in Singapore on a vandalism charge this year. 

"The Singapore government reduced it to four strikes after the president in 

tervened," Ms. Lozano said. "Maybe he could reduce Ernest's sentence from five m 

onths to two." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Hastings Head Start wins Federal Grant 

TEXT[OMAHA(AP)-The federal government has awarded a $580,138 grant to Head Star 

t Child and Family Development in Hastings, said U.S. 

Sen. Jim Exon. 

The grant will fund services for 140 children and families from Adams, Clay 

and Webster counties who are expected to participate in Head Start programs dur 

ing the 1994-95 school year, the Nebraska Democrat said. 

The grant was awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services.



AUTH[Ad 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Tell Senators Exon and Kerrey: 

TEXT[Just Say "WHOA!" 

to runaway health care reform 

The current health care debate has become a mad rush to do something - anyt 

hing! - before the November elections. 

Call Sen. Exon and Sen. Kerrey now! Ask them to be leaders in Congress in r 

eining in runaway health care reform. 

Yes we all want health care reform - but we want a plan that will lower cos 

ts, not raise taxes; a plan that preserves choice, not restricts it. 

Yes we all want a plan that will cover more people, but we also want a plan 

that won't expose main street to financial ruin with ill-considered mandates or 

hidden taxes. 

Now is the time for responsible heads to prevail. Our message to Congress 

is this: There is no time limit. We'll have better opportunities to pass a reas 

oned plan after the election, when facts and figures, especially a detailed anal 

ysis of how much health care reform may add to the trillion-dollar federal defic 

it, can prevail over political motives. All we ask is: Don't say `no' to health 

care reform, just say "whoa"! 

Call Sen. Exon's office at (202)224-4224 or (402) 437-5591. And call Sen. Kerrey 

's office at (202) 224-6551 or (402) 437-5246. Tell them to oppose any bill wit 

hout bipartisian support and nearly unanimous public support. 

Prepared and paid for by Communicating for Agriculture, Inc. Fergus Falls, Minn. 

For information, or a free copy of our book, "Winning the Battle, Putting Rura 

l Needs First in Health Care Reform", call 1-800-335-2464. 



AUTH[Morton Kondracke 

SOUR[Daily Times Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Desperate Clinton may be forced to deal on health care 

TEXT[Every poll on health- care reform now shows that the American people favor 

a gradual approach, almost guaranteeing abject failure if the White House and co 

ngressional leaders try to ram through a comprehensive plan. 

The most sensible thing for Clinton to do is to embrace a compromise plan s 

uch as that developed by the bipartisan "mainstream group" in the Senate, but Cl 

inton may not be able to do this without alienating liberal Democrats - until th 

ey face the prospect of passing no health bill at all this year.

In the House, Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., is fashioning a heal 

th-care bill that, according to a draft summary, includes a mandate that all emp 

loyers contribute to "most of the health-insurance coverage for all employees." 

Such a bill almost certainly cannot win a 218-vote majority in the House - 

and Gephardt faces the prospect that for only the sixth time in the 103rd Congre 

ss, conservative Democrats will join with Republicans to defeat the rule under w 

hich health care is to be considered, forcing him to pull his legislation off th 

e floor. 

Defeat of a rule requires Democrats to abandon their leaders on a crucial p 

arty-line issue, and such a development on health care would be a stunning signa 

l to liberals that they have no hope of passing Clinton-style comprehensive heal 

th-care reform this year. 

That would force them to decide whether to compromise or "take the issue to 

the country" in the 1994 elections. Polls indicate that if hard-line Democrats 

do "take it to the country," Republicans will clobber them. 

In the Senate, similarly, it's almost certain that Majority Leader George M 

itchell, D-Maine, can't get 51 votes for his version of health care, which is so 

mewhat milder than Gephardt's. It contains a "hard trigger" automatically impos 

ing employer mandates if 95 percent of all Americans aren't covered by the year 

2001. 

Out of 56 Senate Democrats, nine are all but certain to oppose the Mitchell 

plan, according to well-plugged-in health lobbyists, as are all 44 Republicans 

except perhaps Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) giving Mitchell only 48 votes. 

The nine are Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), David Boren (Okla.), John Breaux (La 

.), Howell Heflin (Ma.), Bennett Johnston (La.), Bob Kerrey (Neb.), Joe Lieberma 

n (Conn.), Sam Nunn (Ga.), and Richard Shelby (Ala.) In addition, Jim Exon (Neb) 

Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), and Kent Conrad (N.D.) are considered doubtful for M 

itchell, reducing him to a possible 45 votes. 

Despite the dim prospects, indications are that only a decisive defeat on t 

he House and Senate floor will convince liberal Demo-crats that their dreams of 

mandated universal coverage can't be realized this year. 

When President Clinton suggested to the National Governors Conference on Ju 

ly 19 that he might accept 95 percent coverage as "universal" and might consider 

dropping employer mandates, howls of protest went up from liberals, and Clinton 

was virtually accused of selling out. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, didn't 

seem happy either, and Clinton retreated, claiming that his apparent flexibility 

was a media misperception. 

Even when Mitchell and House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., went to the White 

House to tell Clinton (and, afterward, the TV cameras) that early universal cove 

rage was unattainable, the message obviously didn't get through to health-care m 

aximalists. 

So, for the moment, even such pragmatists, as White House Chief of Staff Le 

on Panetta are sticking with the official line that the administration wants som 

ething close to its original plan. 

Surely, the White House's private polls show what all public polls show: th 

at Americans increasingly disapprove of Clinton's handling of health care (by 59 

percent to 34 percent, according to Gallup) and that by 63 percent to 32 percen 

t, they want Congress to move gradually to universal coverage, not all at once t 

his year. 

A series of state surveys by Republican pollster Frank Luntz show, similarl 

y, that most Americans think Congress should delay passage of health-care reform

and fear that a bill passed this year would harm, rather than help, their own h 

ealth care. 

Clinton political advisers once thought that a health entitlement was the D 

emocrats' key to winning back disaffected Ross Perot voters, but Luntz's poll in 

dicates that these are the most opposed to comprehensive coverage of all voter g 

roups, by a margin of nearly 60 to 30 percent. 

Yet the Gallup poll shows that by 60 percent, Americans also want Congress 

to pass some sort of health-care reform this year. Obviously, they want somethin 

g other than the Clinton bill, and the best vehicle would seem to be the biparti 

san Senate bill, the latest version of which is being worked out by Breaux and L 

ieberman. 

lt lacks mandates and price controls, depending on market forces to expand 

coverage and contain costs, but adds a "soft trigger" to reconsider mandates if 

goals aren't met. This is what the country wants, and voters will be justifiably 

ticked if Congress and Clinton don't deliver it. 



AUTH[Carolyn Andersen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Upland Prepares for 100-year Fest 

TEXT[UPLAND - Years before there was the town of Upland, there was a community o 

f settlers in the area around the northern Franklin County community. 

But it's the centennial of Upland's incorporation as a town that will be ce 

lebrated this week. Events will begin Tuesday, but the main celebration will be 

Friday-Sunday. 

Longtime Upland resident Ruby Raber, 92, said her father's parents settled 

the prairie northwest of Macon and built a sod house in 1880. 

Then in 1889, the family moved to a homestead one mile north of Upland. 

Ancestors on her mother's side of the family also have lived in the area mo 

re than 100 years. Raber said her mother's family moved south of the railroad tr 

acks that ran though Upland in 1880. 

Lots of sod houses 

"The land was cheap and many homesteaded," she said. "Lots of people built 

sod houses; some had dugouts. The land was new and they had good crops. Then the 

y started building frame houses." 

While Upland area farmers have had two consecutive wet years, their counter 

parts 100 years ago suffered through a dry year. 

"The corn wasn't very tall, it burned up and blew away," Raber said. "That 

was the first and only bad year until the seven dry years in the '30s." 

The Upland area was settled by people with various backgrounds, including t 

hose with German and Danish heritages, Raber said. 

Her family lived two miles south of Upland until moving to town in 1940. Sh 

e married in 1944, and the couple moved to Seattle until her husband's death 10 

years later. 

Raber said she then moved back to Upland to stay. 

Before that, she and her sister attended school at District 66, located acr 

oss the road from their home. They were the only students who were American citi

zens. 

Both her parents were English, so her family already spoke English. Most of 

the other students spoke Danish and German. 

All the students were required to speak English in school, Raber said, even 

though they sometimes were hard to understand. But at home, they spoke their na 

tive languages. After World War I, most Upland area families spoke English, she 

said. 

Business thrived 

Raber can remember a time when Upland had many businesses, and there were h 

itching posts for horses along main street and by the churches. 

At one time, the town had a furniture store, three hotels, two livery barns 

, two banks, a blacksmith shop, two grocery stores, a mercantile store, a hardwa 

re store, a doctor, an implement store, a drug store, a post office, a newspaper 

, a butcher shop, a creamery, elevators, a barber shop, a cafe, a school, severa 

l churches and a train depot. 

At it's peak, Upland had about 500 people, Raber said. Today, the populatio 

n is about 210. 

City churches survive 

Today, the town has a city auditorium, Legion hall, a new post office and a 

Farmers Co-op elevator, Raber said. 

Raber remembers a lively era. "We used to have celebrations every summer, w 

ith parades," Raber said. 

SCHEDULE: 

During the day - Air Care Helicopter display; horse rides; dunking boo 

th; face painting; appearances by Gov. Ben Nelson and candidate for governor Gen 

e Spence, with possible appearances by U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon 




SOUR[Franklin County Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Governor Nelson To Be In Upland For Its Centennial 

TEXT[Governor Ben Nelson will be a participant in Upland's Centennial Parade Sat 

urday afternoon, August 13. 

The community's 100-year celebration begins on Tuesday evening and runs thr 

ough Sunday, with the exception of Wednesday. Volleyball tournaments will be he 

ld on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. 

On Saturday, August 13, the Governor will take part in the Centennial Parad 

e that begins at 2:00 p.m. 

Other Possible 

Political Appearances 

There is also a good possibility that three other people will make appearan 

ces during the Saturday parade. 

Depending on their schedules, gubernatorial candidate and former Franklin C 

ounty native Gene Spence, along with Senators Bob Kerrey and James Exon may take

part in the parade and Upland's Centennial. 

Upland residents are "pulling out the stops" and have a busy weekend planne 

d for area folks. 

A centennial ad can be found on Page 5. 



AUTH[Jolene Daib 


BK#[ 

HDLN[White to try for Top Spot on Court 

TEXT[Judge C. Thomas White of the Nebraska Supreme Court said today that he inte 

nds to apply for the position of chief justice on the high court. 

"That's my intention, to apply for that position," White said when contacte 

d at his office in the Capitol. 

White said he will be the senior member of the court when Judge Leslie Bosl 

augh retires Sept. 1. 

Chief Justice William C. Hastings, who was appointed to the court in 1 

979, said Monday that he will retire Jan. 31. 

White was appointed to the Supreme Court in December 1976 by Gov. Jim Exon 

to replace Judge John Newton, who retired. 

White, 65, said he is finishing his 18th year on the Nebraska Supreme 

Court and his 30th year on the bench. He was a district court judge in Columbus 

prior to being named to the Supreme Court. 

"I am conscious of the responsibility the chief justiceship entails, and th 

e splendid work of the last two chief justices, Chief Justice Hastings and (Norm 

an) Krivosha," White said. "I am interested in carrying on in that tradition and 

I feel that I am qualified and eager to accept the additional responsibility." 

As an at-large member of the high court, the chief justice position can be 

filled from anywhere in the state. The chief justice has more administrative res 

ponsibilities than the other members of the court, but earns the same salary as 

the other judges. The 1992-93 Nebraska Blue Book reported the salary of Supreme 

Court judges as $88,157. 

He is a widower and has three children, all lawyers. His daughter, Michaela 

, is a law professor at Creighton University; his son Thomas is a law partner of 

Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler and Brennan in Omaha; and his son Patrick practi 

ces law in Riverside, Ill. 

Supreme Court Judge Dale Fahrnbruch, 69, said he does not intend to apply f 

or the chief justiceship. He said he is pleased that White is interested in the 

position. 

Supreme Court Judge D. Nick Caporale, 66, would not comment when asked if h 

e was interested in being chief justice. 

Supreme Court Judges John Wright and David Lanphier could not he reached fo 

r comment. 

The state constitution requires Supreme Court judges to live where the 

court is located, which is in Lincoln. The chief justice is chosen by the gove 

rnor from a statewide list of applicants. The other six judges are chosen by the 

governor from the high court's six judicial districts and must live in that par

ticular district when the appointment is made. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon Marks His 73rd Birthday 

TEXT[Washington - Guests at the weekly Nebraska Congressional Breakfast sang Hap 

py Birthday Tuesday to Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. They were led by Jodi Smith, a leg 

islative aide to Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. 

Exon, who is 73, said he was pleased and surprised. 

"I forgot it was my birthday until I walked into the building this morning, 

" he said. 

"The Good Lord has been good to me," he said, "and the people of Nebraska h 

ave been good to me." 

Exon, serving his third term in the Senate, was governor of Nebraska for tw 

o terms before he was elected to the Senate in 1978. He was born in Geddes, S.D. 

, Aug.9, 1921. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Some Call Exon A Swing Vote, But Forecasting is Treacherous 

TEXT[Washington - In the Senate health-care debate, five Southern and five non-S 

outhern Democrats - including J.J. Exon of Nebraska - are considered swing voter 

s, according to a nonpartisan analysis by Congressional Quarterly magazine. 

That means their support is considered vital among the 56 Democratic and 44 

Republican senators. 

The Southern Democrats listed are John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston, both 

of Louisiana, Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, Howell Heflin of Alabama and J 

im Sasser of Tennessee. 

The other Democrats, including Exon, are Max Baucus of Montana, Dennis DeCo 

ncini of Arizona, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. 

Other analysts would add Democrats Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Sam Nun 

n of Georgia and David Boren of Oklahoma to the Senate's "persuadable" list. But 

in such a fluid and pressure-packed debate, all such preliminary analyses are s 

uspect, 

One reason for uncertainty is that the legislative process is more complex 

than it was during past debates on major social legislation, such as Social Secu 

rity and Medicare: 

þ Cost estimates are more influential because of concern over budget defici

ts. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has become trusted by all sides. 

Some of its calculations of the bills' costs are still pending. 

þThe main bills were developed by the majority leaders, rather than by one 

committee in each chamber. Because the measures are blends of several bills, leg 

islators have had less time to study them. 



AUTH[C. David Kotok 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Staskiewicz: Daub Won't Sway Decision 

TEXT[Ron Staskiewicz said he has no intention of giving in to what he said was p 

ressure from Hal Daub and Daub Supporters to stay out of the race for mayor of O 

maha. Daub on Tuesday denied bringing such pressure. 

Staskiewicz said Monday that his decision will be based on the public respo 

nse to his possible entry into the mayor contest, which has been positive so far 

. 

"It's not a decision based on Hal Daub," he said. 

Daub is collecting signatures on petitions to make himself a candidate for 

mayor. Staskiewicz has been urged to run by businessman David Sokol and others. 

Staskiewicz said Daub, a former congressman, tried to dissuade him from run 

ning during a recent meeting when Daub outlined the business and community suppo 

rt the had lined up. Staskiewicz said he was told by Daub: "'I thing you are mak 

ing a mistake if you get in.'" 

Daub said that he has never tried to persuade Staskiewicz to join or drop o 

ut of the field of candidates for mayor. His discussions with Staskiewicz have b 

een no different from those he has held with 

the political and community leaders, he said. 

"We are friends," Daub said of his relationship with Staskiewicz, a former 

Douglas County attorney. 

Mark and Ellen Anich of Omaha have written fellow members of the Douglas Co 

unty Republican Central Committee that they have been urged to persuade Staskiew 

icz,"to get out of Hal's way." 

The Aniches wrote that central committee members had asked them to speak to 

Staskiewicz about staying out of the race. 

The couple said Staskiewicz has every right to run. "We have been told that 

Hal was there first so Ron should bow out," they wrote, "The truth is, however, 

(Councilman Richard) Takechi was there first. Should Hal then bow out?" 

The Aniches also wrote that Staskiewicz has been more faithful to the Repub 

lican Party and unity within the party than has Daub. They wrote that Daub's dec 

ision to challenge Dave Karnes' nomination for the Senate in 1988 opened the doo 

r for Bob Kerrey to win the Senate seat and allowed Peter Hogland to win the Hou 

se seat that Daub vacated. 

"Now, Hal Daub, with waning beltway influence as an ex-congressman, has ret 

urned to Omaha," they wrote. 

Daub said that he was aware of the letter and that it is filled with "hyper 

bole, overstatement and misrepresentation."

"I've learned in politics a long time ago to turn the other cheek," Daub sa 

id. 

Staskiewicz said the situation strikes him as somewhat similar to 1990 when 

he stepped aside in a planned bid for the U.S. Senate so Daub could challenge D 

emocratic Sen. J.J. Exon. He said he would not be so willing to acquiesce now. 

Daub lost to Exon. 



AUTH[Chris Burbach 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Redesign Planned For Fatal-Crash Site 

TEXT[The Nebraska Roads Department has been planning to completely redesign an i 

ntersection where a teenager from Chapman died in a car accident Friday night. 

But the rebuilding of the junction of West Dodge Road and U.S. Highway 275 

south of Waterloo is still in the early planning stages and, if approved, wouldn 

't be completed for at least seven years. 

Shayla Zmek, 17, died when a car in which she was a passenger collided with 

a truck in the intersection of U.S. 275 and West Dodge Road. The car, driven by 

James M. Reeves, 19, of Central City, had gone past a stop sign and into the pa 

th of the truck, according to Douglas County Sheriff's Office reports. 

Signal Requested 

Faye Zmek, the girl's mother, said Saturday that the accident site is dange 

rous and should have a traffic signal or other improvements. 

West Dodge Road forms a Y where it meets U.S. 275, about 20 miles west of d 

owntown Omaha between the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers. Two branches peel off West 

Dodge to carry westbound cars either north or south on U.S. 275. 

Drivers cross the path of other drivers at five places in the network of ro 

ads. There are several stop signs but no traffic lights. 

The confluence of roads handles cars going northwest from Omaha to Waterloo 

, Valley and Fremont and cars coming to Omaha from those locations. It's also us 

ed by people traveling to and from Omaha on Nebraska Highway 92, which goes to W 

ahoo and Central City. 

Reeves was driving west on West Dodge Road. Instead of turning south on one 

of the branches of the Y, Reeves continued straight west on a lesser traveled r 

oad, County Road 37. That road goes across U.S. 275 to a sand and gravel pit, so 

me lakes and a secondary route into Valley. 

Signs Clearly Visible 

Reeves, who was returning to Central City after watching a baseball game in 

Elkhorn, might have been confused after missing the turn south, said Lt. Gary H 

ammer of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. But, Hammer said, Reeves should ha 

ve been able to see a sign beside County Road 37 warning of a stop sign at U.S. 

275. 

That warning sign is 760 feet before the stop sign. The actual stop sign po 

st additionally warns drivers to look again before driving onto U.S. 275. 

Sheriff's Deputy Charles Rebmeier's accident report notes that all the sign

s were clearly visible from the road. 

Before Friday night, there had been 41 accidents in the past six years in t 

he interchange, said Bob Grant, a highway safety analyst for the Roads Departmen 

t. No one died in any of the previous collisions. 

According to state records, people were injured in 19 of the 41 accidents, 

none of them critically. 

The largest number of those crashes - 14 - happened when cars turning left, 

or east, onto West Dodge Road entered the path of card coming northeast off U.S 

. 275, Grant said. The drivers turning left have a stop sign. The drivers coming 

northeast do not. 

At the spot of Friday's fatal crash, there had been six accidents since Jan 

. l, 1988, Grant said. 

No Short-Term Plans 

Eldon Poppe, a roadway design engineer for the Roads Department, said Monda 

y that he was not aware of any short-term plans for changes to the intersections 

. He said traffic signal lights have generally proved dangerous in rural areas. 

Drivers don't expect such signals, so they too often don't heed them, he sa 

id. 

The long-term, plans for redesign are part of plans for an expressway betwe 

en Fremont and Omaha. 

More Traffic 

Those plans arise in part from safety concerns over increasing traffic on U 

.S. 275 and West Dodge Road, Poppe said. The rise has accompanied Omaha's westwa 

rd growth. 

"The new interchange will be a bit less confusing," Poppe said 

But it hasn't been through the public hearing process. Nor has it been appr 

oved by the State Highway Commission or the governor. 

The tentative completion date is 2001. As always, Poppe said, that is subje 

ct to change. 




SOUR[NY Journal of Commerce 

BK#[ 

HDLN['Handshake Deal' Would End ICC In three Years 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - House and Senate transportation leaders have a "handshake deal 

" on a bill that would end most truck rate filings at the Interstate Commerce Co 

mmission and give the slimmed-down agency another three years of existence. 

The bill is now waiting for its turn on the crowded Senate schedule and cou 

ld be passed at any time, congressional sources said. If the Senate passes the b 

ill before Friday, the full House could vote on it as early as Monday. A staff m 

ember of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee confirmed Tuesday a 

fternoon that House leaders have agreed to accept the proposal without further c 

hanges. 

The agreement comes a day after both the House and Senate voted to prohibit 

states from regulating trucking within their borders. The intrastate deregulati 

on measure, part of the Federal Aviation Administration bill that also authorize

s airport improvement projects, now goes to President Clinton for his signature. 

If passed, the bill now before the Senate would require the ICC and the Dep 

artment of Transportation to submit recommendations to Congress within six month 

s outlining whether the ICC could be eliminated or merged with DOT or some other 

agency, such as the Federal Maritime Commission. 

The bill only authorizes the existence of the ICC through Oct. 1, 1997. Alt 

hough a future Congress could grant a reprieve, Tuesday's legislation represents 

a victory for a GOP opponent of the agency. Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, who has l 

ead the drive to end the agency's funding, has been lobbying for several weeks t 

o sunset the agency over three fiscal years. 

The bill cutting back on ICC functions also would cut back on paperwork tha 

t must be filed by those who want to start interstate trucking companies and con 

tains a provision designed to guarantee against the possibility of future underc 

harge rate disputes. 

The change in regulatory requirements comes in the wake of congressional bu 

dget-cutting initiatives. In June the House voted to eliminate all funding for t 

he ICC and send its responsibilities to the Department of Transportation. The Se 

nate subsequently voted to retain the agency. 

Those differing funding levels must be reconciled, but lawmakers 

who have jurisdiction over transportation laws have asked their appropriating co 

lleagues to hold off on a final decision until they pass a bill cutting back on 

the ICC's responsibilities. 

"We have to get this bill out now," one Senate aide said. "It's important t 

o know what responsibilities the Congress is forcing on the ICC before we decide 

how much money we'll give the commission to do its work." 

Rep. Bob Carr, D-Mich., chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee of the 

House Appropriations Committee, is busy campaigning for a Senate seat and the fu 

nding conference committee is not expected to take place until the end of Septem 

ber, an appropriations committee source said. 

Staff members from both House and Senate committees have been working toget 

her and meeting with transportation industry lobbyists to hammer out an agreemen 

t that would avoid most controversies and allow the bill to steam through Congre 

ss quickly. 

Representatives of the American Trucking Associations and the National Indu 

strial Transportation League - a group that represents most of the truckers' cus 

tomers - worked together on changes to a proposal introduced last month by Sens. 

J. James Exon, D-Neb., and Robert Packwood, R-Ore. 

The basics elements of the Exon-Packwood proposal remain, but ATA and NITL 

persuaded the drafters to allow trucking companies to retain their antitrust imm 

unity to meet together and collectively set commodity classifications, mileage g 

uides, uniform bills of lading and interline agreements between competing carrie 

rs. 

Those collective rates and tariff provisions would still have to be filed a 

t the ICC, but not individual rates set by a carrier. 

In order to avoid an undercharge crisis similar to the one that has plagued 

the industry since the last round of trucking deregulation in 1980, the propose 

d legislation makes clear that no party can claim a rate is unreasonable except 

for the party paying the freight bill. 

Undercharges are the difference between the amount originally billed and pa 

id for and a higher amount a bankrupt carrier later claims was owed based on off 

icial rates filed with the ICC. 

The Exon-Packwood proposal would remove the century-old filed rate doctrine

except for rail rates and for household goods carriers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[EPA Officials Promise To Help City With Superfund 

TEXT[Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency and Nebraska Department of 

Environmental Quality said Tuesday they are willing to help the city of Hasting 

s find relief from its Superfund woes. 

Delegations from EPA's Region 7 office in Kansas City and the NDEQ 

met for several hours Tuesday morning with municipal officials at North Denver S 

tation to discuss the city's environmental problems. Mayor Phil Odom, EPA Region 

al Administrator Dennis Grams and NDEQ Director Randy Wood characterized the ses 

sions as productive. 

Under federal Superfund environmental law, city government may be responsib 

le for $75 million in cleanup costs for three areas: the city police station at 

Second Street and Minnesota Avenue and the old north and south landfills. Those 

areas are three of the seven subsites that compose the Hastings Groundwater Cont 

amination Site on the Superfund National Priorities List. 

Grams said the EPA has told city officials it wants to document that the ci 

ty government had nothing to do with contamination of the current Hastings Polic 

e Department headquarters and cannot afford to contribute to environmental clean 

up there. 

"That would give us support to go back and possibly use the federal fund, a 

nd then the city wouldn't he required to participate or pay for that clean up," 

Grams said. 

EPA administers federal monies that are used to pay for cleanup in contamin 

ated areas for which no private or local public entity is tagged a responsible p 

arty. 

The police station area apparently was contaminated before the city owned i 

t. But Grams said EPA needs to round up and document more facts about the case b 

efore it will know whether the city can be let off the hook for cleanup there. 

"We need more information before we can make that determination," he said. 

Tuesday's meeting was attended by Grams and nine other EPA staff members, W 

ood and five other NDEQ staffers, and representatives of Sens. Bob Kerrey and J. 

J. Exon, both D-Neb., and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. Officials of the city and Ha 

stings Utilities attended, along with the city's environmental law consultant fr 

om Kansas City. 

Besides the police station issue, Odom said, participants also discussed th 

e state's willingness to reassess the allowable contaminant levels (ACLs) it has 

set for subsites in Hastings. EPA uses those state-set levels as its basis for 

ordering cleanups. 

Odom said the city was told in the past not even to ask the state to consid 

er revising ACLs. But the department has a new attitude and now apparently is wi 

lling to think about making changes, he said. 

ACL revisions would yield great benefits for Hastings and save millions of 

dollars if they could eliminate or scale back cleanups at some subsites, Odom sa

id. 

Wood said the philosophy of Gov. Ben Nelson's administration is that state 

standards must have reason behind them and use reasonable numbers. If establishi 

ng reasonableness means making revisions to ACL's, he said, state officials will 

make revisions. 

"We simply want to move forward and decide what's the right thing, and get 

on with doing that," Wood said. 

Odom said Tuesday's meetings represented the first time in at least several 

years that high-level officials of EPA, NDEQ and the city have been able to sit 

down together and discuss Hastings' Superfund problems. The meeting is a starti 

ng point for more dialogue and cooperation between the entities, he said. 

EPA, NDEQ and city officials plan another meeting for September or October. 

Odom said. "Potentially responsible parties" from Hastings private sector will 

be invited to attend, he said, and meeting participants will begin to discuss su 

bjects like timing for subsite cleanups and how cleanup costs may be distributed 

. 

Odom said city government will remain committed to promoting Superfund refo 

rm and to trying to protect not only its own fiscal interests, but also those of 

its corporate citizens. The city belongs to Local Governments for Superfund Ref 

orm, a national association lobbying for changes in the Superfund law as it come 

s due for Congressional reauthorization. 

Grams said he has heard officials in Washington speak optimistically about 

the possibility of more Congressional movement on Superfund reauthorization befo 

re the end of 1994. He said EPA has no problem with Hastings' political stance o 

n Superfund reform since its own job merely is to enforce the laws Congress make 

s. 

Odom, for his part said the city objects not to EPA or the idea of environm 

ental cleanup but to the current Superfund law and its direction for cleanup fun 

ding. 



AUTH[Leslie Boellstorff 


BK#[ 

HDLN[White Will Seek Chief Justice Post 

TEXT[Lincoln - Supreme Court Judge C. Thomas White said Tuesday he intends to se 

ek the chief justice post. 

White said he began considering the position when Chief Justice William 

Hastings informed his fellow judges in May that he would retire at the end of Ja 

nuary 1995. 

"I think I am satisfied that the court needs to continue the direction star 

ted by (former) Chief Justice (Norman) Krivosha and Chief Justice Hastings," Whi 

te said. "I'm familiar with the operations of the court. If there are problems, 

I know how to address them. I have the experience and knowledge to accomplish th 

at task." 

With the departure of Judge Leslie Boslaugh - who on Thursday announced his

plans to retire Sept. 1 - White, 65, will become the senior judge on the court. 

"No one will be here that was here when l came," he said. "Judge Bosla 

ugh was the last." 

White was appointed by then-Gov. J.J. Exon in 1977. He has served 18 years 

on the Supreme Court and 12 years on the district court bench in Columbus before 

that. 

He was a private-practice lawyer for 12 years before that. 

White said that if he were appointed chief justice he would remain on the j 

ob "as long as I'm healthy and feel like I'm accomplishing something." 

White, who turns 66 in October, would be the same age as Hastings was when 

he was named chief justice in 1987. 

While the six judges of the Supreme Court are chosen from geographic distri 

cts across the state, the chief justice position is an at-large position that ca 

n be filled from anywhere in the state. The chief justice is responsible for adm 

inistering the state court system, as well as duties as a Supreme Court judge. 

White is a widower and has three children, all of whom are lawyers. 

His daughter, Michaela, is a law professor at Creighton University; his son 

Thomas is a law partner at Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler and Brennan in Omaha; 

and his son Patrick practices law in Riverside. Ill. 



AUTH[J.J. Exon 

SOUR[Arbor State 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Victorious On Ethanol Rule 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) and other pro-ethanol allies scored a dramatic 

victory Wednesday night in beating back an attack on the Clinton Administration 

's new gasoline formula, which will expand use of corn-based ethanol as a fuel a 

dditive. 

Exon opposed an amendment by Sen. Bennett Johnston (D-IA) that would have b 

locked Environmental Protection Agency funding to implement the rule. Johnston's 

amendment was killed by a vote of 51-50, after Vice President Al Gore broke a t 

ie vote in favor of ethanol. 

Exon was a leader of the agriculture forces in the Senate and spent several 

days rounding up votes to beat back the challenge of Johnston and others. 

Last month, Exon met one-on-one with President Clinton to discuss the ethan 

ol issue. The president acceded to Exon's request and sent a letter to Senate Ma 

jority leader George Mitchell of Maine reiterating his support for the measure. 

At the direction of the president earlier this year, the EPA decided to req 

uire that part of the oxygen-boosting additives in cleaner-burning gasoline come 

from renewable sources, such as ethanol. The reformulated gasoline will be sold 

in the nation's nine smoggiest cities and other areas that choose to sell it. 


m renewable sources. After that, the level rises to 30 percent. 

Four new ethanol plants are under construction in Nebraska, and one plant i 

s being expanded. Together, they will boost the state's annual production from 7 

0 to 215 million gallons annually. 


about 3,000 jobs in construction and related fields," Exon said.




SOUR[South Sioux City Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha Tribe Pays Debt, Paves the Way For Health Care Project 

TEXT[Tribal council members and their administrative support staff met with the 

Department of Labor and Congressional aides in Washington, D.C. recently to soli 

dify relations and present plans for a model demonstration holistic health care 

project. 

"This is a proud day for the Omaha Tribe," said tribal chairman Dr. Rudi Mi 

tchell as he presented a $225,000 check to Joan Waller, special assistant to the 

Director of Office of Grants and Con-tracts Management. 

That check paid off a long-standing CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Trai 

ning Act) debt incurred by the Tribe in 1978-79. 

"One of our goals when this current tribal council took office was to pay o 

ff all our outstanding debts," said tribal secretary Nate Parker, Sr. 

Dr. Mitchell, Parker, Sr. and council member Clyde Tyndall were present for 

the signing of the "Debt Compromise Agreement" ceremony at the Department of La 

bor. 

The signing of this debt payoff agreement "marks a new era of cooperation b 

etween the Omaha Tribe and the Department of Labor," said Waller. 

It also frees up several critical federal grants which were being held up p 

ending the resolution of this debt. 

ln a meeting with congressional aides for Nebraska senators Bob Kerrey and 

James Exon, and house representative Doug Bereuter, the Tribe's "Mending the Bro 

ken Circle of Life" model demonstration project for the provision of Health Care 

in rural America was presented by David Beaver, Carl T. Curtis Health Education 

Center's CEO and Sherriann Moore, Carl T. 's Health Planner. 

This model project is an extensive holistic health care development program 

"to be funded and implemented throughout the next fifteen years, to be regarded 

as setting the trend for Rural Health Care In America as developed by the Omaha 

Tribe of Nebraska," as set forth in the Tribal resolution which accompanied the 

project booklet "Mending the Broken Circle of Life", the central theme for the 

project. 

One major focus of the project is to correct the destructive and dead image 

s of the past and to instill a new image of the true nature, character, and spir 

it of the Indian people into this generation and generations to come. 

"This project will emphasize a revitalized cultural, character building, hi 

storical, and spiritual image, presented and offered as an alternate to the self 

-destructive pattern of life that now exits," said Beaver. 

"Native Americans, when given the opportunity for health, education, and sp 

irituality, are highly creative, family and community oriented people." relates 

Moore. 

The ultimate goal of the Omaha Tribe is to develop a revolutionary program 

of wellness within their community. 

The planners of the project felt this approach would work where others have 

failed because it has as its basis the mending of the broken circle, and rejuve

nation of the spirituality of the people. 

The planners of this project included a cross section of health professiona 

ls from the area which formed the Health Advisory Board. 

Loren Peterson, M.D. from the Norfolk Regional Center and long time Native 

American health advocate also made a presentation at the congressional meeting a 

nd "was very helpful In presenting our needs and special concerns as well as sha 

ping the project proposal," said Beaver. 

In a closing statement, the project's architects stated, "It is the express 

ed hope of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska that the design of this model demonstrati 

on project will reflect the program's emphasis on Native American Indian communi 

ty participation and responsibility in the direction of Rural America's health c 

are delivery system for the 21st Century. 

"We feel this project can be a model for the whole Native American nation a 

s well as rural America," said Beaver. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[$2.8 Million for Drug Control 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said the Nebraska Commission on Law E 

nforcement and Criminal Justice has been awarded a $2.81 million federal grant t 

o fight drug abuse and violent crime. 

Money from the grant will be put toward detecting, apprehending and prosecu 

ting drug and violent crime offenders throughout Nebraska. It will also provide 

money for anti-drug programs in the state, such as training law enforcement offi 

cers for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Jennie Peterson Interns in Washington 

TEXT[Jennie Peterson spent part of her summer interning for Senator J. James Exo 

n, D-Nebraska. Miss Peterson worked in his Washington, D.C. office from June 27 

through July 22. In addition to her job duties, Jennie had the opportunity to a 

ttend seminars and Congressional hearings as well. She enjoyed learning more abo 

ut the political process and our nation's capital. She commented "It was an hono 

r to work for Mr. Exon and his dedicated and talented staff." 

Peterson graduated from Genoa High School in 1991, and she is currently a s 

enior at the University of Denver. She is the daughter of Pluma Peterson and the 

late Merle Peterson of Genoa.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Newcastle Span Gets Funding 

TEXT[A measure sponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Exon to streamline the Interstate C 

ommerce Commission received a boost when the Senate voted to accept the Appropri 

ations Committee's recommendation to keep the agency alive. 

The Senate also funded several Nebraska transportation projects. They inclu 

de funding for a bridge between Newcastle, Nebr. and Vermillion, S.D. 

"This funding will be a boost to economic development in northeastern Nebra 

ska," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Projects Funded 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The U.S. Senate has given final approval to a bill that 

contains $17 million in funding for four Nebraska projects. 

The projects are: 

-$1.5 million for storm water drainage facilities at Offutt Air Force Base 

-$760,000 for underground fuel storage tanks at Offutt 

-$14.3 million for Air National Guard parking apron and jet fuel storage im 

provements at Lincoln Municipal Airport 

-$500,000 for underground fuel storage tanks at Lincoln Municipal Airport. 

Funding for the projects is included in the 1995 Military Construction Appr 

opriations bill, which won Senate approval Wednesday. The measure awaits preside 

ntial approval. 

"These improvements contribute to keeping Offutt Air Force Base and the Lin 

coln Municipal Airport integral parts of our nation's military force structure," 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said. 



AUTH[Don Walton 


BK#[ 

HDLN[AARP seeks state's health care reform votes 

TEXT[The American Association of Retired Persons urged its Nebraska members Thur 

sday to rally behind the Democratic congressional leadership health care reform 

bills sponsored by Sen. George Mitchell and Rep. Richard Gephardt. 

"Although neither bill is perfect, we conclude that these bills provide the

foundation for comprehensive health care for all Americans," AARP national boar 

d member Helen Boosalis of Lincoln said. 

If those bills are defeated, she said, "we strongly believe health care ref 

orm will be dead for years to come." 

AARP is urging its Nebraska members to contact members of the state's congr 

essional delegation to express their support for the Mitchell and Gephardt bills 

, Boosalis told a press conference here. 

None of Nebraska's three congressmen supports the Gephardt bill in the Hous 

e. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey has already announced his opposition to the Mitchell bill, 

leaving Sen. Jim Exon as the only Nebraska member of the Congress who has not an 

nounced or expressed opposition to his chamber's leadership bill. 

But, Boosalis noted, "who knows what the final form of these bills will be? 

" 

"This is the beginning. There will be opportunities to amend, reject, adopt 

along the way." 

Boosalis said AARP's basic reform goals are to provide universal coverage; 

home and community-based long-term care; prescription drug benefits; protection 

and strengthening of Medicare controls that rein in rising health care costs; an 

d "a fully-funded health care system that is affordable to every American." 

Specific legislation "demands difficult choices," she said. 

"Trade-offs will be required for each of us regardless of age or income. 

"For AARP members, cuts in Medicare must be balanced by new long-term care 

and prescription drug benefits." 

After studying all proposals, including the bipartisan market-oriented refo 

rm plan endorsed by Kerrey, AARP determined that the Mitchell and Gephardt bills 

"contain enough of the elements we are interested in and have a chance of passa 

ge," Boosalis said. 

Some opponents of those bills are resorting to "some of the same scare tact 

ics used before Medicare was passed" to try to defeat them, she said. 

Earlier in the week, the AARP national board of directors endorsed the Mitc 

hell and Gephardt proposals and urged the organization's 33 million members to s 

upport the plans. 




SOUR[Pawnee Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Major Victory For Ethanol Industry In Nebraska 

TEXT[In a major victory for Nebraska and agriculture on Wednesday, August 3rd, S 

enators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon and other ethanol proponents saved an EPA ethano 

l/ETBE fuel ruling that will result in new jobs and an estimated $100, million i 

n new wealth for Nebraska. 

After an intense, day-long battle with oil-state senators, ethanol proponen 

ts succeeded in defeating an amendment that would have delayed, for a year, an E 

PA ruling requiring ethanol to play a prominent role in the reformulated gasolin 

e used in the nation's most polluted cities. Kerrey led off debate against the a 

mendment and continued to lobby other senators as the Senate clerk called the ro

ll for the vote on the proposal. 

The Senate defeated the amendment, sponsored by Senator Bennett Johnston, D 

-La., by a 51 to 50 vote, with Vice President Al Gore casting the deciding votes 

. 

During debate before the vote, Kerrey said arguments from oil-state senator 

s that the ethanol ruling was anti-free-market were "baloney, just pure baloney. 

" 

"Every rule, every regulation, every spending program in Washington D.C. is 

by definition, anti-market," said Kerrey. "So if you supported any rule, regula 

tion, or spending program, you've basically supported intervention in the market 

. That's what we do here. We measure that intervention to protect jobs and to ma 

ke sure that we're not doing something bad, but, everything that we do is effect 

ively an intervention." 

Kerrey told senators that every farm organization in America is opposed to 

the Johnston amendment. 

"Typically people who say it's bad for farmers have no idea what's going on 

in agriculture", he said. 

Kerrey, who has been a strenuous proponent of the reformulated fuels progra 

m, said the vote was a major victory for Nebraska. He said demand for ethanol cr 

eated 2,200 new jobs in Nebraska last year. 

Last month, Senator Exon met with President Clinton to discuss the ethanol 

issue. The president acceded to Exon's request and sent a letter to Senate Major 

ity Leader George Mitchell of Maine reiterating his support for the measure. 

At the direction of the president earlier this year, the EPA decided to req 

uire that part of the oxygen-boosting additives in cleaner burning 

gasoline come from renewable sources, such as ethanol. The reformulated gasolin 

e will be sold in the nation's nine smoggiest cities and other areas that choose 

to sell it. 

In 1995, 15 percent of the oxygenate in the cleaner fuel must come from ren 

ewable sources. After that, the level rises to 30 percent. 

Four new ethanol plants are under construction in Nebraska, one plant is be 

ing expanded. Together, they will boost the state's annual production from 70 to 

215 million gallons annually. 


about 3,000 jobs in construction and related fields," Exon said. 

Kerrey stated that this policy will reduce deficiency payments and it is go 

od for farmers because every single farmer in America will benefit as a conseque 

nce of higher prices. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Urges Clinton to Call Health Summit 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has urged President Clinton to call a h 

ealth care reform summit at Camp David with congressional leaders. 

Exon suggested the summit because he said he was convinced there is little 

chance that a compromise on the issue can be reached.

Exon, who ranks himself among the 10 or 12 swing votes on health care in th 

e Senate, said Clinton was interested when Exon suggested the summit earlier thi 

s week. He said that interest was shared by White House congressional aides. 

But as of late Thursday, there had been no word on a summit and Exon said t 

hat it should be held this weekend to be effective. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Approves Military Funding, State Projects 

TEXT[The U.S. Senate has given final approval to a bill that contains $17 millio 

n in funding for four Nebraska projects. 


þ $1.5 million for storm water drainage facilities at Offutt Air Force Base 

. 

þ $760,000 for underground fuel storage tanks at Offutt. 

þ $14.3 million for Air National Guard parking apron and jet fuel storage i 

mprovements at Lincoln Municipal Airport. 

þ $500,000 for underground fuel storage tanks at Lincoln Municipal Airport. 

Funding for the projects is included in the 1995 Military Construction Appr 

opriations bill, which won Senate approval Wednesday. The measure awaits preside 

ntial approval. 

"These improvements," U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said, "contribute to keeping Offut 

t Air Force Base and the Lincoln Municipal Airport integral parts of our nation' 

s military force structure." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Amendments To link schools, info sources 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Provisions that will allow schools and libraries greater access 

to the information superhighway and promote competitive rates for rural telephon 

e companies have been approved by the Senate Commerce Committee. 

The provisions -included as amendments to the Communications Act of 1994 -w 

ere authored by the Senate "Farm Team." 

The group's members are Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., 

Larry Pressler, R-S.D., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Ted 

Stevens, R-Alaska. 

Under the provisions, elementary and secondary schools and libraries would 

qualify to receive telecommunications and information services at preferential r 

ates.




BK#[ 

HDLN[Trucking Reform Act Wins Senate Approval 

TEXT[The Trucking Regulatory Reform Act sponsored by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and 

Sen. Bob Packwood, R. Ore., won approval in the Senate Thursday night. 

The bill designed to streamline trucking regulations and save at least $50 

million over five years, but preserve the independence of the Interstate Commerc 

e Commission, was added as an amendment to the Hazardous Material Transportation 

Act, another Exon measure. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Camp David Summit Is Needed, Exon Says 

TEXT[Washington - Nebraska's two Democratic senators called Thursday for a bipar 

tisan compromise to break a legislative impasse they said threatens passage of h 

ealth-care legislation this year. 

Sen. J.J. Exon said he has urged President Clinton to call for a summi 

t meeting of congressional leaders that would be held at Camp David, Md., this w 

eekend or next weekend. 

"If after a two-day summit they could not reach agreement, then we should f 

orget the whole proposition and put it off until next year,'' Exon said. 

Without a summit, he said, the prospects of passing a health-care bill this 

year are 50-50 or less. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey said he was hopeful that Democrats and Republicans would be 

able to see that their competing bills contain many of the same principles. 

"We are much closer than meets the eye, he said, referring to bills introdu 

ced by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., the minority leader, and Sen. George Mitchell, D-M 

aine, the majority leader. 

"Unlike some who have urged me to come to the floor and say it (the Dole bi 

ll) is a sham, I don't believe it is a sham," Kerrey said in a Senate speech. 

He said he agrees with many of the principles in the Dole bill, including p 

rovisions for cost controls, reducing government regulations and allaying the fe 

ar many people have of losing employer-based health insurance. 

"Now is the time for all those who want us to act to come and say the senat 

or from Kansas is first and foremost a patriot," Kerrey said. "He is a patriot b 

efore he is a Republican. 

"I have seen him lay aside his party concerns for his concern for the natio 

n. I sincerely believe he is prepared to do it now." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Tariff Bill To Save Millions 

TEXT[Washington - Trucking firms no longer will be required to file individual t 

ariffs with the Interstate Commerce Commission under a bill that passed the Sena 

te Thursday night. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., co-sponsor of the legislation, said it could save a 

t least $50 million by eliminating unnecessary regulations and curtailing some o 

f the ICC's functions. 

Exon said the bill would preserve ICC oversight on insurance and safety reg 

ulations. The bill calls for a review of hours-of-service safety regulations for 

farmers and farm suppliers, Exon said. 

He said existing rules often "don't accommodate farmers during planting or 

harvest, their busiest seasons, they need to drive overtime." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Presses Clinton For Health-Bill Summit 

TEXT[Washington - Nebraska's two Democratic senators are calling for a bipartisa 

n compromise to break what they say is a legislative impasse that could stymie h 

ealth-care legislation this year. 

Sen. J.J. Exon said Thursday that he had urged President Clinton to call a 

Camp David summit of congressional leaders this weekend or next weekend. 

"If after a two-day summit they could not reach agreement, then we should f 

orget the whole proposition and put it off until next year," Exon said. 

Without a summit, he said, the prospects of passing a health bill this year 

are 50-50 or less. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey said he hoped Democrats and Republicans could see that thei 

r competing bills contained many of the same principles. 

"We are much closer than meets the eye," he said, referring to bills introd 

uced by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., the minority leader, and Sen. George Mitchell, D- 

Maine, the majority leader. 

"Unlike some who have urged me to come to the floor and say it (the Dole bi 

ll) is a sham, I don't believe it is a sham"' Kerrey said in a Senate speech. "N 

ow is the time for all those who want us to act to come and say the senator from 

Kansas is first and foremost a patriot. He is a patriot before he is a Republic 

an. 

Meanwhile, conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh replayed an Aug. 5 spe 

ech by Kerrey in which the senator said he could not support either of the main 

Democratic health bills in Congress. 

Limbaugh called Kerrey's speech "a direct slam at Mr. and Mrs. Clinton and 

their attempts to demonize doctors, villainize pharmaceutical companies, and the 

insurance industries." 

Kerrey said he didn't know what to think of Limbaugh's use of his speech. 

"He is such an entertainer," Kerrey said.

Part of the same speech was reprinted in a memo to GOP leaders from Haley B 

arbour, chairman of the Republican National Committee. Speaking of Mitchell's bi 

ll, Barbour said the speech showed that "at least one Democrat has said it's too 

much." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Seek Rural access To Info Age 

TEXT[Washington - Rural access to the information superhighway would be assured 

by amendments sponsored by senators from Iowa and Nebraska in the 

Communications Act of 1994. 

"This bill will have a far-reaching sect on our economy, our schools and ou 

r way of life," said Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

"New worlds of knowledge will be opened to all students, young and old, rur 

al and urban," said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

The legislation, approved Thursday by the Senate Commerce Committee, now go 

es to the full Senate. 

Exon, a senior member of the committee, said a provision he co-sponsored wi 

th Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, will allow rural telephone companies to share 

facilities of larger companies. 

Grassley said the two senators sponsored similar legislation two years only 

to have it killed in a House-Senate conference committee. 

Exon said the bill included anti-obscenity and anti-harassment provisions t 

hat he sponsored. 

"I want to keep the information highway from becoming a red-light district, 

" Exon said. 

"The most exciting opportunities for telecommunications are in education," 

Kerrey said. 




SOUR[New York Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Excerpts From the Senate Debate on Health Care 

TEXT[STATEMENT by SENATOR EXON - I come here with rancor to none, with accusatio 

ns against none, with an understanding of the passion that grips Americans and N 

ebraskans on the health care issue, and with an understanding of the strongly he 

ld views by my colleagues of all persuasions......... 

I am generally undecided on all of the proposals now before the Senate. All 

of them have some pluses and some minuses.... 

In my 24 years of public service, I have never seen my constituents so divi 

ded and concerned. They, like those of us here representing them, have been so b 

ombarded by conflicting and competing claims, charges and countercharges, that t

hey are understandably leery of the outcome. So am I. 

Thus far, most of the debate has created lots of political heat but not a l 

ot of health care light. But out of the chaos and confusion might come the coura 

ge to lay partisanship aside, quell our rhetoric, harness our individual determi 

nations that we know best, and come forth with a health care plan that will have 

some sense of broad-based support.... 

We have generally good health care for most Americans, based primarily on e 

mployer-based insurance plans. Why then, some ask, are we trying to destroy it? 

We are not. We are trying to make it more affordable for all and provide a mean 

s toward a reasonable degree of coverage for all. 

We are trying to recognize that neither the Government nor business nor ind 

ividuals can possibly afford the spiraling costs of the last 20 years. We must c 

ontrol costs, and the costs, also, of any plan that we approve. 

It is clear that we can never begin to get our Government's fiscal house in 

order and stop deficit spending unless we harness health care spending. If we c 

an't understand that, then we can't understand anything.... 

From the very beginning of the serious consideration for addressing the tru 

ly national issue of health insurance, I have pleaded and argued against the var 

ious socializing schemes and Government-run systems. I insisted on keeping the 

insurance policy concept as the centerpiece. I am pleased to note that essentia 

lly those two principles are the key ingredients in all of the plans. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Plea: Bipartisan Health Bill 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., who has held statewide office for 24 y 

ears as a governor and senator, said Friday that he has never seen Nebraskans "s 

o divided and concerned" as they are over health-care reform. 

"Out of all this chaos and confusion might come the courage to lay partisan 

ship aside... and come forth with a health-care plan that will have some sense o 

f broad-based support," Exon said in a Senate speech. 

Exon said Social Security, half paid by employers and half by employees, ha 

s been endorsed by several generations of Americans. 

"If Social Security is good, what is so bad about health security?" he aske 

d. 

Exon said doing nothing about the rising cost of health care is intolerable 

. 

"Many do not seem to realize that they are paying dearly now for the uninsu 

red, for whatever reason, by clandestine cost-shifting and higher taxes," Exon s 

aid. "Unless corrected, it's going to get much worse in the future." 

Exon repeated his call for a summit meeting of congressional leaders and Pr 

esident Clinton to reach a bipartisan compromise. 

"It should be clear to all that unless something of this nature can be trie 

d we are not likely to succeed, but rather be further bogged down in endless and 

relentless debate and recriminations. "I suggest we silence the cannons, sheath

the political knives and count the blessings for Americans today and tomorrow." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Boost New Health Bill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Democratic health bill faced a stiff new chall 

enge Friday when centrist senators announced plans to introduce a stripped-down, 

bipartisan bill without taxes or mandates that employers buy coverage for worke 

rs. 

President Clinton sent members of his Cabinet to Capitol Hill to shore up s 

upport for the bill fashioned by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine 

. But Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., said the bill was "in intensive care." 

Dole lauded the bipartisan bill introduced in the House Wednesday by 10 con 

servative-to-moderate Democrats and Republicans. 

And four senators - David Boren, D-Okla., Sam Nunn, D-Ga, Pete V. Domenici, 

R-N.M., and Robert Bennett, R-Utah - said Friday they plan to introduce that le 

gislation in the Senate next week. 

Its House sponsors claim it would boost the percentage of Americans with he 

alth insurance from 85 percent to more than 90 percent by 2004. Critics say that 

would leave 26 million Americans uninsured. 

In a joint statement, the senators said: "The plan is a voluntary, market-o 

riented approach with no employer mandates, no new massive entitlement programs, 

no new taxes, and no government price controls or excessive government bureaucr 

acy." 

The House bill - crafted by Reps. J. Roy Rowland, D-Ga., Mike Bilirakis, R- 

Fla., Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., Fred Grandy, R-Iowa, and others - has already picked 

up endorsements from the American Medical Association and the Alliance for Manag 

ed Competition, a lobby for five major insurers: Aetna, CIGNA, MetLife, Prudenti 

al and the Travelers. 

But it also has been attacked by the AFL-CIO, Consumers Union and other gro 

ups demanding insurance for 100 percent of Americans. 

The Senate took up the first amendment to Mitchell's 1,448-page bill late F 

riday and planned to work again Saturday, but Republicans said there would be no 

important votes until next week. 

Their leaders insisted the delay was due to the wait for official answers f 

rom the Congressional Budget Office on what rival health bills would cost, inclu 

ding several that were not finished until Wednesday night. 

Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., the former Ways and Means Committee cha 

irman, emerged from a Democratic caucus to say, "Health care's a problem, I thin 

k. I just don't know that we've got our act together." 

Rep. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., said, "clearly there is room to move" on 

some of key provisions in House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt's plan, which 

would require employers to pay 80 percent of their workers' insurance premiums. 

"There will be changes. We need 218 votes to win," said Cardin. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, leading the White House 

lobbying drive, said the Cabinet was "riled up and enthusiastic" about fighting

for both health reform and the revival of the crime legislation. 

Meanwhile, a separate bipartisan group of more than a dozen senators led by 

Sens. John Chafee, R-R.I., and John Breaux, D-La., huddled for more than two ho 

urs to try to decide whether to push a package of major amendments or an entire 

substitute to the Mitchell plan. 

Sen. James Exon. D-Neb., said on the floor, "I am fearful that on the prese 

nt course we will reach gridlock." He urged President Clinton to convene a summi 

t to work out a deal. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Nebraskans Split Over Kerrey, Clinton 

TEXT[Kearney, Neb. - Dick Mercer said he has had his doubts at times about Sen. 

Bob Kerrey and how the Nebraska Democrat has voted -including his vote for Presi 

dent Clinton's budget a year ago. 

But as Kerrey seeks re-election to a second term, he can still count on the 

support of Mercer, a prominent Republican farmer and cattle feeder. Kerrey's st 

rong backing for ethanol and his assignment on the Agriculture Committee have ke 

pt Mercer loyal. 

"Overall, Bob Kerrey is the same as when he was governor," Mercer said. "I 

don't agree with him on everything, but on the vast majority of things I support 

him.' 

Jan Stoney, Kerrey's Republican challenger, has argued that Kerrey has chan 

ged since going to Washington in 1989 

As she has campaigned across the state. Mrs. Stoney has tried to convince N 

ebraskans that Kerrey no longer puts Nebraska interests first, as demonstrated, 

she said, by his key vote to enact the Clinton budget. 

There are two things about Kerrey that those interviewed recently agreed on 

, regardless of party. First, the economy is more robust than at any time in th 

eir memory; second, most people here despise Clinton. 

Kearney and Buffalo County are typical of the state's rural population cent 

ers, which are key battlegrounds in the 1994 campaign. They are overwhelmingly R 

epublican by voter registration, but they have a streak of voter independence th 

at Democrats, including Kerrey, Gov. Nelson and Sen. J.J. Exon have exploited. 

"There is a deep spirit of a populist character out here that transcends pa 

rty," said Peter Longo, chairman of the political science department at the Univ 

ersity of Nebraska at Kearney. 

Although only one in three Buffalo County voters is a registered Democrat, 

Kerrey carried the county in 1988, and Exon won it in 1990. 

In 1990 Republican Kay Orr defeated Nelson in Buffalo County by fewer than 

400 votes, despite the GOP's 5,000-voter advantage in registration. 

In 1992 independent Ross Perot out-polled Clinton in the county. George Bus 

h beat Clinton by 6,000 votes. 

"People here are unhappy with the president," said Judy Jobman, Buffalo Cou 

nty Republican chairwoman. "His election was the best thing to happen to our par 

ty. The people found out character is important." 

Bill Berryman, a stockbroker and a Democrat, agreed that Clinton is unpopul

ar. "They don't like the president at all," Berryman said. "They don't trust him 

. They don't like him. They don't give him credit for the economy. They don't gi 

ve him credit for anything." 

The political mood in this central Nebraska city is "very conservative and 

Republican, " Berryman said. But that has not translated into a collapse of supp 

ort for Kerrey and Nelson, he said. 

A year ago, when Kerrey cast the vote for the Clinton plan of tax increases 

and budget cuts, there was increased "grousing," Berryman said. 

"That has subsided because he has delivered to this community," Berryman sa 

id. "They start off hating Clinton, but it hasn't transferred to Bob yet." 

Terry Zobel, a Kearney city councilman and Republican who attended a recent 

Stoney campaign luncheon, said Kerrey has scored points with communityleaders i 

n recent months. 

Helped The City 

Kerrey has helped the city get more than $6 million for a water treatment f 

acility, arranged for an instrument landing system to upgrade the airport, obtai 

ned a grant for a day-care facility and gained computers for the schools. 

"Those things make a difference," said Zobel, who continues to object to Ke 

rrey on philosophical grounds. 

Most people in Kearney have not begun thinking about the Nov. 8 election, Z 

obel said. 

"You have a hard core of Kerrey supporters and a hard core of Stoney suppor 

ters," Zobel said. "It's the gray area with the rest of the people where the rea 

l work is." 

Local Focus 

Mrs. Jobman granted that Kerrey has been doing a better job lately of focus 

ing on local matters, particularly the promotion of corn-based ethanol fuel blen 

ds. 

In Mrs. Stoney, however, the Republicans have found a candidate they can ge 

t excited about, Mrs. Jobman said. 

"She is charming," Mrs. Jobman said. "She has charisma. ... I have not foun 

d a volunteer, yet who isn't fired up about Jan Stoney. 

While Mrs. Stoney has made inroads, Mrs. Jobman said, Gene Spence, the Repu 

blican challenger for governor, remains less known and less organized. "We need 

to have Gene out to Buffalo County more, she said. 

Democrats in Buffalo County tend to be somewhat passive at this stage, said 

Jean Sidwell, a Democrat who is running unopposed for re-election as county tre 

asurer. 

"Governor Nelson is very secure here," she said. "The perception is that he 

has been fair to everyone. There is just nothing to point to that is bad about 

the governor." 

Kerrey continues to have a very strong base of support and attracts Republi 

cans to his fund-raising events, Ms. Sidwell said. 

Many central Nebraskans remain surprised that Kerrey gets as much national 

attention as he does, Ms. Sidwell said. "We are used to being low-key-type peopl 

e," she said. 

Lighting Rod 

"Any time you get that attention, you become a lightning rod," she said. 

But the legacy of U.S. Sen. George Norris, the dominant Nebraska political 

figure during the first half of the century - and a champion of rural electrific 

ation, the New Deal and Nebraska's unicameral, nonpartisan legislature- proves 

that Nebraskans will accept a political leader of National stature, she said.

Images a Match 

Longo said Mrs. Stoney, who rose from an entry-level position to a top post 

with U S West Communications, is an attractive candidate who can match Kerrey's 

image as a self-made person. 

"Kerrey might be in a fight out here," Longo said. 

But Kerrey and Nelson seem to have picked up from Exon the independent, pop 

ulist stance that Democrats need to succeed in central and western Nebraska, sai 

d Longo, who grew up in Omaha. 

"He's been reminding Nebraskans he's one of them," Longo said of Kerrey. "I 

f Jan Stoney can link him to the Kennedys and the Clintons, he's in trouble." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Urges Colleagues To Reach Agreement 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon on Friday urged his colleagues to end bipar 

tisan wrangling over health reform and again called on President Clinton to hold 

a bipartisan summit on the issue. 

"In the end, I am fearful that on the present course we will reach gridlock 

" the Nebraska Democrat said in a speech before the Senate. 

He pointed to the success of summits on financial problems in the Social Se 

curity system and the federal budget. By holding a summit, Clinton and congressi 

onal leaders would temporarily take the health care debate out of the spotlight 

and provide time to focus on a broad-based solution to bring back to Congress, E 

xon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Plan will Strengthen U.S. Forces 

TEXT[Washington - A House-Senate conference committee agreed last week to a $263 

.8 billion spending plan for 1995 that will strengthen U.S. bomber forces, Sen. 

J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Saturday. 

"I am pleased that my initiatives to strengthen our bomber fleet were large 

ly approved in the final agreement," Exon said. 

He said provisions in the bill will avoid early retirement of B-52 bombers, 

improve the capability of B-1 bombers and provide $125 million to maintain prod 

uction lines in the event more B-2 bombers are needed. 

Exon said Nebraska-related spending in the bill included: 

þ $17 million for construction at Offutt Air Force Base and Lincoln Municip 

al Airport.

þ $58 million for impact aid nation-wide for school districts, including Be 

llevue and Papillion, where large numbers of military and civilian dependents ar 

e enrolled. 

þ Authorization for the Army to convey to Hall County the former Cornhusker 

Army Ammunition Plant once the environmental cleanup is completed. 

þ2.6 percent increases in military pay for 1995. 

The bill approved by the conference committee has been forwarded to the Hou 

se and Senate for a final vote, Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Smith Among 58 Democrats To Ignore Clinton on Crime Bill 

TEXT[Washington - U.S. Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, was one of 58 House Democrats wh 

o bucked President Clinton's wishes on a procedural vote for anti-crime legislat 

ion. 

The House voted 225-210 against a resolution that would have allowed a fina 

l vote on the crime bill. Like other opponents, Smith said he opposed the resol 

ution because he wanted to spur changes in the overall crime bill including remo 

val of the measure's ban on assault weapons. 

"I think in the end we'll get a better bill this way," Smith said. 

But Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said he was unhappy with the vote and the 

possible elimination of the assault weapons ban. 

"I'm just furious at this result," Hoagland said. "The kind of political po 

sturing that brought this bill down is what Americans hate." 

Procedural votes like the one to permit consideration of the crime bill usu 

ally fall along party lines, regardless of how lawmakers plan to vote on the bil 

l itself. 

In this case, many Democrats who opposed the assault weapons ban joined wit 

h nearly all Republicans to oppose Clinton and the Democratic leadership. Only 

11 Republicans voted to allow a vote on the crime bill, even though dozens of ot 

hers supported the assault 

weapons ban and planned to vote for the bill. 

Rep. Fred Grandy, R-Iowa, voted with Hoagland in favor of the procedural re 

solution. Voting against: Smith; Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; an 

d Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa. 

Senate Votes 

Military Spending 

- 95-3 to pass an $8.8 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for military constru 

ction. 

For: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Tom H 

arkin, D-Iowa. 

-86-14 to pass a $243.6 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Department of 

Defense. 


- 62-38 against an amendment offered by Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., that would have re 

duced funding to expand a military satellite communications system.

For: Kerrey, Harkin. 

Against: Exon, Grassley. 

- 80-40 against another Bumpers amendment that would have eliminated $247 mil 

lion for new Trident II sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles. 

For: Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

Against: Exon. 

- 53-47 to kill an amendment offered by Jesse Helms, R-N.C. that would have plac 

ed restrictions on military aid to Colombia. 



Health Care 

- 54-46 to kill a nonbinding amendment offered by Helms that would have urged a 

delay in considering health-care legislation until the Congressional Budget offi 

ce completes detailed analyses of all major proposals. 



Spending Bill 

- 87-13 to pass a $253 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Departments of 

Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. 


- 66-34 to kill an amendment offered by Bob Graham, D-Fla., that would have requ 

ired increased funding for programs to educate legal immigrants. 

To kill the amendments: Exon, Kerrey Harkin. 


Foreign Aid 

- 88-12 to pass a $13.8 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill for foreign aid progra 

ms. 


Embargo on Haiti 

- 56-44 to pass a Democratic amendment calling on President Clinton to seek a Un 

ited Nations resolution by the end of October that would end the international a 

rms embargo against Bosnia's Muslims. 



- 58-42 to pass a Republican amendment that would require Clinton to unilaterall 

y end U.S. compliance with the arms embargo. 

For: Grassley, 





SOUR[Keith County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Spence: State Losing People, Jobs 

TEXT[The state cannot continue to lose jobs to other states that they have lost 

under the state's present governor, according to GOP gubernatorial candidate Gen 

e Spence.

Spence addressed a fund-raising chicken dinner on Saturday, Aug. 6, while i 

n Ogallala to campaign at the Keith County Fair. The dinner was held at the Mel 

Adams cabin at Lake McConaughy. 

Spence said Nebraska was first in job creation under Gov. Kay Orr and has n 

ow slipped to 44th. 

"We're losing tax base and can't afford to," Spence said. 

"Things are not as wonderful as many believe," Spence said. 

Spence also said, We can't afford a governor who appoints liberals" as judg 

es. 

Spence said if elected he has no future political aspirations, a reference 

to Gov. Ben Nelson who is expected to run to the U.S. Senate when Senator J. Jam 

es Exon steps down. 

Spence said Nebraska's Department of Economic Development "needs a longterm 

strategy." 

Pointing to Nebraska's population losses and gains by Colorado, Spence said 

, "We have a problem of no population base. We need people." 

He said that state has to stop its spending spree and prioritize. 

A member of the board of the Omaha Public Power District, Spence said conso 

lidations within OPPD have eliminated two divisions. He said OPPD has 73 fewer e 

mployees this year and will have 200 less two years from now and suggested the s 

tate can do the same. 

"The state lacks leadership," Spence charged. 

He said Iowa towns are growing while small Nebraska communities are not. Th 

e difference, Spence said, is the growth through small business and industry in 

Iowa. 

Nebraska needs to repeal the "throwback rule," which forces Nebraska m 

anufacturers to pay taxes on profits made outside the state. Iowa does not have 

such a limitation, he noted. 

"Our growth will be from small companies, not from Mercedes (large com 

panies)," Spence said, referring to an unsuccessful bid by Omaha and the state t 

o attract a Mercedes plant. 

"We are not going to grow by trying to attract large companies." 

He noted that in his hometown of Franklin, 46 percent of the workforce 

works for government, saying that government needs to become more efficient at 

all levels. 

Spence also contends that Gov. Nelson is "avoiding a decision" to locate a 

low-level nuclear waste site in Boyd County. 

Spence noted that he favors the site and still came in second among all GOP 

candidates for governor in the Primary Election. 

"Low level waste is powder dry," Spence said. "You wouldn't even know it wa 

s there." 

Spence said with modern telecommunications, it is not necessary, for everyt 

hing to be located in one city such as Omaha or Lincoln. 

Spence said Ben Nelson is a likeable, nice guy but that he is not a leader. 

"He didn't win the last election; Kay (Orr) lost it." 




SOUR[New York Times

BK#[ 

HDLN[The Perot Principle: Let's Get Visual 

TEXT[The television networks refused to sell Ross Perot time to make his case on 

health care, but the former Presidential candidate has left a powerful video le 

gacy to the Senate debate nevertheless: the charts. 

They come in all the colors, with type so small that it can be read only in 

TV close-ups. Mr. Mack spent a lot of time pointing to one with more than 100 l 

ittle boxes and the legend "Clinton-Mitchell: Another Prescription for Big Gover 

nment." 

The practice is so prevalent that Senator Jim Exon, a drawling Ne-Nebraska 

Democrat, began his speech Friday night with a sad-sack air. 

"Madam President," he said, "I am about to make some remarks with regard to 

health care. I apologize to the Senate and the television cameras that I do not 

have any charts. It seems to me that we are going down the course where, withou 

t a chart, you can't hardly discuss anything in the Senate anymore." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[HUD Awards Ponca Grant 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) The Northern Ponca Housing Authority has been awarded federal gr 

ants of $1.8 million and $2 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Dev 

elopment, Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon said. 

The Nebraska Democrats said today that the first of the two grants will bui 

ld 20 single-family homes to be rented to Indians with low incomes. 

The second grant will build 20 single-family homes that low income Indians 

can purchase through HUD's Mutual Help Program. 


DATE[8-15-84 



BK#[ 

HDLN[Health and Insurance Contributions to Senators 

TEXT[An analysis released last week by the advocacy group Citizen Action shows t 

hat health and insurance companies have contributed $40.1 million to members of 

the US. Senate over the last 15 years. The analysis summarizes campaign contrib 

utions received from health a nd insurance political action committees (PACS) an 

d from individuals giving more than $200 during the same period. The figures 

are derived from Federal Election Commission reports and include donations from 

PACs such as those affiliated with health care professionals, hospitals, pharmac 

eutical firms, clinical laboratories and insurance companies. The individual don 

ors counted identified themselves on FEC reports as being affiliated with either 

the health or insurance industry. Citizen Action supports a single-payer Canadi

an style plan for health care reform. 

Bob Kerrey D-Neb: $147,999 

Jim Exon D-Neb: $326,825. 



AUTH[John McCaslin 

SOUR[Washington Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Inside Politics 

TEXT[ CLINTON'S CHANCE:"President Clinton is at his best when he is on the ropes 

, when he believes in something an when he sees political advantage in his cour 

se of action," says the Chicago Tribune. 

"For Clinton, the troubled crime bill fits the bill on all three counts. I 

ronically, it could save his presidency from the malaise that has settled over i 

t during a long, hot summer of sagging polls, ethical investigations and legisla 

tive drift," added the Tribune's William Neikirk. 

"While the crime bill provided him...with the most embarrassing defeat of h 

is tenure, it could be the vehicle for him to regain lost political momentum and 

galvanize support for his agenda. 

"If he succeeds in forcing the bill to another vote and wins, as the White 

House believes he can this week, it would give his presidency the kind of boost 

it has needed." 

THE 'GOVERNING' PARTY: 

U.S. News & World Report says the defeat of the crime bill has generated wi 

despread uncertainties about the Democratic Party and fresh doubts about Preside 

nt Clinton's ability to lead. 

The magazine said partisanship alone is not responsible. It pointed to ine 

ptitude in the White House and noted "that Clinton was neither feared nor respec 

ted enough to win over the eight votes he needed for victory.. 

The broader question, with the Democrats in control of both the White House 

and Congress, is the president's party can effectively govern the nation," the 

magazine declared. 

WHAT HAPPENED?: 

In the New York Times, R.W. Apple Jr. outlined how health care legislation 

turned from a pretty sure bet into a question mark in a year's time. 

"Many things have contributed to that change, but one of the most important 

, surely, is the growing perception that this a liberal undertaking," said Mr. A 

pple. That understanding was buttressed by the turning away of many businessmen 

from the president's plan. 

Improvement in the economy also took some urgency from the issue. Other fo 

rces: armies of anti-administration lobbyists with access to the nation's televi 

sion screens, opposition of Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, and Mr. Clinton's i 

nability, in a time of sinking popularity, to keep the focus on the unifying poi 

nts. 

While the balance is shifting slightly toward moderates in the Congress, Mr 

. Apple said, "there is no consensus, no widely accepted conventional political 

wisdom.

"But this, from a fence-sitting senator, comes close:'Passing something is 

better politics than passing nothing, but not by much, and only if it is somethi 

ng that looks like a modest if honest effort." 

WHITE HOUSE HEALTH: 

"One faction of advisers, led by Hilary Rodham Clinton, wants to continue t 

o press for universal coverage. But a growing group, including economic adviser 

s, wants to prepare the president to accept less than his stated goals in order 

to make some progress," says the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire. 

RUSH'S TOP 10: 

As the Senate debate on health care began last week, Rush Limbaugh contende 

d that "10 senators hold the future of the country in their hands. If they take 

a stand against Clinton and [Senate Majority George] Mitchell, the government t 

akeover of health care will be stopped. Keep your eyes on these guys." 

Rush's key Democratic 10: Dianne Feinstein of California, Jim Exon of Nebra 

ska. J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana, Ernest E Hollings of South Carolina, Jose 

ph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Howell Heflin of Alabama, Bill Bradley of New Je 

rsey, Richard H. Bryan of Nevada, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Max Baucus of Monta 

na. 



AUTH[Gloria Sunderman 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Juvenile Court Begins Search for New Judge 

TEXT[The State Court Administrator's Office is accepting applications for a judg 

e's position on the Douglas County Juvenile Court. 

The judgeship will open with the Dec. 31 retirement of Colleen Buckley. A j 

udicial nominating commission will select finalists for the position, and the go 

vernor will make the appointment. 

- Applications for the judgeship must be submitted by 5 p.m. Sept. 15. Appl 

ication forms may be obtained from Supreme Court Justice Dale Fahrnbruch or the 

State Court Administrator's Office, P.O. Box 98910, Lincoln 68509. 

- A public hearing has been scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 21 on the candidate 

s' qualifications. The hearing will be in Courtroom 1 on the fifth floor of the 

Douglas County Courthouse. 

Fahrnbruch chairs the nominating commission that will consider applications 

for the judgeship. Other commission members are Omaha residents Elizabeth Stuht 

Borchers, Martin Conboy, Ronald Frank, Barbara Gaskins, Kay Lynn Goldner, Mary 

Maxwell, Kathleen Turner Jeffries and Val Sampson. 

Judge Buckley announced in March that she planned to retire and would not s 

tand for retention in the November general election. She made the announcement a 

s state legislators discussed a proposal to add a third Juvenile Court judge in 

Douglas County. 

The third juvenile judge's position was approved but not funded. 

Judge Buckley was appointed by then Gov. J.J Exon and took office in Januar 

y 1973.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Panel Oks School Provisions 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Provisions that will allow schools and libraries greater 

access to the information superhighway and promote competitive rates for rural 

telephone companies have been approved by the Senate Commerce Committee. 

The group's members are Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb 

., Larry Pressler, R-S.D., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and T 

ed Stevens R-Alaska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln Gets HUD Grant to Develop Neighborhoods 

TEXT[The city of Lincoln has received a $2.1 million federal grant under the Com 

munity Development Block Grant program, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has announced. 

The grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development will 

pay for reinvesting in neighborhoods, economic development and administering HU 

D programs in Lincoln. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Approves $17 Million in Nebraska Military Projects 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - Four Nebraska projects totaling $17 million are included 

in the 1995 Military Construction Appropriations Bill given final approval rece 

ntly by the Senate and supported by Senator Jim Exon(D-NE), Chairman of the Nucl 

ear Deterrence, Arms Control and Defense Intelligence Subcommittee. 

The legislation will now be forwarded to the President for his signature in 

to Law. 


*$1.5 million for storm water drainage facilities at Offutt Air Force Base 

in Bellevue. 

*$760,000 for underground fuel storage tanks at Offutt. 

*$14.3 million for Air National Guard parking apron and jet fuel 

storage improvements at Lincoln Municipal Airport. 

*$500,000 for underground fuel storage tanks at Lincoln Municipal Airport. 

"These improvements contribute to keeping Offutt Air Force Base

and the Lincoln Municipal Airport integral parts of our nation's military force 

structure," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Juvenile Court Judge Applications Being Accepted 

TEXT[OMAHA Neb. (AP)- - The state Court Administrator's office is accepting appl 

ications for a Douglas County Juvenile Court judge's position. 

The position will open up with the Dec. 31 retirement of Colleen Buckley. S 

he was appointed by then Gov. Jim Exon and has served since January 1973. 

A judicial nominating commission will select finalists for the position, an 

d the governor will make the appointment. 

The application deadline is. Sept. 15th. A hearing is set for Oct.21 on the 

candidates' qualifications. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to be Used to Build Homes for Low-Income American Indians 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - A federal grant totaling almost $4 million will enable the new 

ly established Northern Ponca Housing Authority to construct 40 houses in a five 

-county area for low-income American Indians. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced the grant Monday. 

The 40 houses will be built in the five counties served under the Ponca cha 

rter: Lancaster, Boyd, Douglas, Knox and Madison. 

The first grant of $1.8 million will provide single-family rental dwellings 

, and a second grant of $2 million will pay for constructing 20 single family ho 

mes that American Indians can buy through the Mutual Help Program. Families wil 

l make a low down payment, with monthly installments ranging from $65, depending 

on the families' financial situation, said Darrell Twiss, executive director. 

The Northern Ponca Housing Authority decided to apply for the grant, he sai 

d, after a large number of people showed an interest in lowcost housing. It has 

already received over 100 applications. 

The majority of applicants come from Douglas and Madison counties, but that 

is not an indication of where the houses will be built, according to Twiss. 

Twiss said that once authority officials receive final notification of the 

grants, they will begin design work. Work is slated to begin next spring. 



AUTH[Keith W. Wickett, Ltred

SOUR[Laurel Advocate 

BK#[ 

HDLN[ 

TEXT[Dear Miss Weber, 

Below is the text of letters to Senators Exon and Kerrey: With Entitlemen 

ts already absorbing a predominate share of the Government's yearly income, and 

the No. 1 Entitlement, Interest Payments on the National Debt absorbing all the 

Income Taxes taken in from West of the Mississippi River, and last year's TAX I 

NCREASES doing little to reduce this MAJOR PROBLEM??? Expanding Entitlements suc 

h as HEALTH CARE REFORM should probably be put on the BACKBURNER. After all even 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE GETTING HEALTH CARE IF THEY NEED IT!!! under the present 

system. 

A number of provisions in the ANTI- CRIME BILL has the making of another EN 

TITLEMENT PROGRAM as this BILL IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN. 

Are you going to fire the 100,000 new Policemen after the five years of Service? 

?? City and County budgets in this part of the country are as tight as it is. L 

ittle relief is in sight with the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABSORBING MORE AND MORE OF 

THE PEOPLE'S INCOME EVERY YEAR!!! 

Welfare Reform, and TORT Law Reform should be on the FRONT BURNER, real Ref 

orm is NEEDED, in these areas now. The ADC Pro-gram, A NATIONAL DISGRACE, must b 

e extensively revised, as must the TORT Laws. Caps on allowable damages must be 

reasonable not Astronomical!!! Manufacturer's liability should have been set at 

10 years, not 18 years. 

Back to the Anti-Crime Bill, from what I have been able to read about it, h 

as some serious flaws, such as the Racial Sentencing guidelines provisions. I lo 

ok at it this way: A person who commits a serious crime and is convicted of it, 

should suffer the consequences whether WHITE, BLACK, ASIAN, LATlNO, INDIAN or wh 

atever race that person might be. 

The Assault Weapons provisions: As a hunter, I'm quite upset at the thought 

of going back to a single shot rifle or shotgun. These provisions also infringe 

on 2nd Amendment Rights and should have been rejected by the Judiciary Committe 

es. 

The Anti-Crime Bill as written would spend a lot of money in areas that I d 

oubt will do much good over the long term, and I think you know what I have refe 

rence to. THE THREE STRIKES!!! Should be ONE STRIKE, like down in Argentina, wh 

ere they don't waste much time in giving THE FELONS A TRIP OUT OVER THE JUNGLE I 

N A HELICOPTER AND GET TO JUMP OUT WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF A PARACHUTE. 

And the Brady Bill that was recently signed into Law, Policemen, our uphold 

ers of the Law, can't walk into a Sporting Goods or other store and buy a HANDGU 

N FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION without waiting five days while their character is be 

ing investigated!!! I am in favor of repeal of the above mentioned Bill. The Cri 

minal Element will have Guns, Knives, Fists, Ball Bats, Brickbats, Tire Irons, P 

ickup Trucks and etc. in spite of the Brady Bill. 

In conclusion, I don't believe there's a HEALTH CARE CRISIS as some would h 

ave us believe. Welfare Reform, the ADC Program, in particular needs considerabl 

e overhaul. 

Meaningful TORT LAW REFORM IS A MUST. Doctors and other Health Care Profess 

ionals must become again become almost entirely immune to prosecution as they we 

re 50 years ago. If the several concerns I have mentioned are properly addressed 

, there should be a considerable reduction in Health Care Costs. Office calls an 

d other Treatments, Hospital Stays and etc. should be manageable by those needin

g treatment. 

WE DO NOT NEED "HEALTH CARE" reform, the ANTI-CRIME BILL. I am not in favor 

of HR 2071, S. 333. HR 1985. 

Yours Respectfully, Keith W. Wickett 

P. S. The best news I heard all day Thursday the 11th of Aug., that the H 

ealth Care Reform Bill was in DEEP TROUBLE in the Senate, the TOOTHLESS TIGER AN 

TICRIME BILL was apparently DEAD too. 




SOUR[Newman Grove Reporter 

BK#[ 

HDLN[FHA Leadership 

TEXT[Byron Flood and Kevin Patzel of the Newman Grove FFA Chapter attended the 1 

994 Washington Leadership Conference. 


velop an understanding of the nation's heritage, and prepare for leadership role 

s in their chapters and communities. 

Sessions on self-confidence, goal setting and team buildings were combined 

with discussions on personal development, motivation and citizenship to help FFA 

members become effective leaders in the science, business and technology of agr 

iculture. 


etery, the Jefferson Memorial and other historic sites in Washington were includ 

ed in the conference. 

A highlight of the week was a visit made to the office of Sen. J. James Exo 

n, D-Neb. 

Chapter adviser Gene Wissenburg also attended the conference. The trip was 

sponsored by The First National Bank, Farmers Coop Oil Co., West Lumber Co., Two 

Town Veterinary Clinic, Hegemann Sunflower Sales and Service, Bank of Lindsay, 

Lindsay Coop, Wedekind Manufacturing, and Madison County Veterinary Clinic. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Economic Development Bill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey are co-sponsoring a bil 

l to spur economic development in the Northern Great Plains states, including Ne 

braska.The bill calls for establishing the Northern Great Plains Rural Developme 

nt Commission, which would study and recommend ways to develop the economies of 

rural Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and North and South Dakota.

The bill would create a commission with 10 members: one appointed by the go 

vernor of each state and one from each state appointed by the U.S. Secretary of 

Agriculture. 

The commission would hold hearings, conduct studies and determine how to pr 

omote economic development on a regional basis throughout the states. The commis 

sion would "sunset" in two years. "Those of us who represent these states know 

our residents have plenty of talent and a strong will not only to survive, but t 

o thrive," Exon said. "Our farmers and ranchers, our business owners and tradesm 

en, our young people and senior citizens all have a stake in finding ways to mar 

shal our human and natural resources and technology to 'grow' rural economies." 

"The Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission will explore ways t 

o help spur the economic development of rural communities in Nebraska," Kerrey s 

aid. "Nebraskans know that our state's economy is tied to the health of our rura 

l communities. This bill can help all Nebraskans by providing opportunities for 

rural communities to grow economically." 



AUTH[James Webb 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon helps reuse panel negotiate for CAAP 

TEXT[The Reuse Committee - not big government - will be in charge of negotiating 

with the Army for the transfer of the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant if a pro 

vision in the Senate version of the defense bill becomes law. 

The plant, which last produced ammunition during the Vietnam War, has since 

been declared excess property and is slated for disposal pending cleanup of it 

s contaminated soil and groundwater. 

Mark Bowen, an aide to U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, said the provision puts the Reus 

e Committee in the driver's seat. 

Reuse Committee chairwoman Margaret Landis told the Hall County Board of Su 

pervisors Tuesday that not only has Exon put the committee behind the wheel, he 

also shaved 20 years from the disposal process. 

"Without this bill, we were looking at 20 years," Landis said. 

"Within two to three years, some of this land will be back in private hands 

," Landis said. 

The bill, part of a $263 billion defense package for the next fiscal year, 

has yet to be passed by both houses and signed into law by the president. 

Once it becomes law, the provision would direct the U.S. Army to negotiate 

with the committee on how the plant's 18 square miles would be transferred to lo 

cal use as it was originally used before World War II. 

Previously, the disposal of Army properties were handled through the Genera 

l Services Administration, and federal agencies were given priority over local g 

overnment. Federal law, however, allowed Exon to insert he provision so the CAA 

P can be specially negotiated. 

Exon, a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in an i 

nterview that plugging the provision into the bill was difficult because other s 

enators balked at giving special favors to just one property. 

Exon said he argued the CAAP was a shining example of how federal real esta

te should be disposed. 

"The CAAP is unique to the other nine that were not included in that it is 

going to be sold at fair market value," Exon said. "I'm against giving away fede 

ral property; I believe we should sell everything at fair market value." 

Landis, also a county supervisor, said Exon suggested that the Reuse Commit 

tee consider the plans of other agencies when finalizing its plan. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service submitted a plan to create wetlands and 

the Nebraska Army National guard had expressed interest in using the site to tra 

in ground forces. 

Also during the county board's meeting, Landis said 12 state senators have 

indicated they will attend the Sept. 15 meeting of 22 area county leaders who wi 

ll discuss the impact of state laws on local government. 

Among the topics to be addressed is how counties may cope with the rising c 

osts of burgeoning legal systems without being able to raise court fees. 

In other action, the board: 

þ Ordered department heads who attend national conferences to report to the 

board on what they have learned. 

Several board members voiced concerns about whether taxpayers were getting 

their money's worth for spending about $1,400 each to send the county treasurer 

and assessor to a convention in Reno, Nev. 

Similarly, the board - after revisiting a frequently visited yet unresolved 

sore on how it reimburses its employees - charged Supervisor Gary Quandt with n 

aming a maximum amount for meals. 

The discussion began after Quandt repeatedly attacked an $80 claim from Cou 

nty Public Works Director Dan Hostler for lodging and meals while attending a bu 

siness meeting. 

"The Hall County taxpayer shouldn't have to buy lobster for its employees," 

Quandt said. 

Chairman Richard Hartman asked Quandt to check the city's policy and compar 

e the county's policy with others before setting an arbitrary limit. 

"You can be cheap ... and you can be cheap," Hartman said. 

þ Added discussion of a dress code for all county buildings to next week's 

agenda after a man entered the courthouse without a shirt. 

The board also added discussion with a possible resolution for a hiring on 

freeze full-time employees. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Prepares Health Amendments 

TEXT[Washington (AP) - Republicans prepared Wednesday to offer amendments that t 

hey hope will be fatal to the main Democratic health-care bill in the Senate. In 

the House, meanwhile, the Democratic leader said no health votes would be taken 

until after Labor Day. 

Previously, House Democratic leaders had said they would not take action un 

til the Congressional Budget Office finished financial analyses of four health b 

ills, including the one written by Majority Leader Richard Gephardt D-Mo.

Many House members have expressed unwillingness to act until they know how 

the Senate has voted on key health issues. 

The Senate's Republicans said their first attempt to amend the health bill 

written by Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, probably would be a provisi 

on by Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla. 

It would eliminate a $10,000-per. worker penalty for businesses that did no 

t provide the standard set of health benefits. Mitchell says the provision is a 

general enforcement measure intended to make sure that employers offer a choice 

of plans and do not discriminate against certain workers. 

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators met again Wednesday to work 

on details of a compromise plan that the group hopes to present soon to Mitchell 

. 

The group, which includes Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and calls itself a "main 

stream" coalition, plans to offer a package of amendments to the Mitchell bill o 

r an entire substitute for it. 

Participants said they probably would do away with Mitchell's 25 percent ta 

x on "high cost" health plans. 

Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., said the group's proposal could increase insuran 

ce coverage from about 85 percent of Americans to "the low 90s somewhere." Anoth 

er member, Sen. John Breaux, D-La., said the group also sought a smaller standar 

d benefits package. 

Mitchell's bill won its first amendment vote Tuesday, but Republicans disco 

unted the development as only the start of a long fight. 

"This is perceived to be progress. It has nothing to do with progress," Sen 

. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said after the 55-42 passage of an amendment by Sen. Ch 

ristopher Dodd, D-Conn. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said the amendment's passage "in no way reflected t 

he support" or Mitchell's entire bill. 

Democrats chose the Dodd amendment to lead off voting on the theory that it 

would be hard to vote against, was relatively noncontroversial and would build 

momentum for the bill. The strategy didn't work. Only two Republicans voted for 

the amendment, and one Democrat - Kerrey - voted against it. 

It would require existing health plans to offer free preventive care for pr 

egnant women and children starting in July 1995, to last until the new healthcar 

e plan would provide similar benefits. 

Republicans said the amendments they were preparing to offer probably would 

aim to strike one of the Mitchell plan's taxes or to "grandfather" existing hea 

lth plans, meaning they would not be subject to the bill's provisions. 

"Either we're going to beat this bill or I'm going to continue offering ame 

ndments to knock the bad parts out of it," said Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas. 



AUTH[editorial, Jeffery J. Bielser 

SOUR[Broken Bow Custer County Chief 

BK#[ 

HDLN[It's My Turn 

TEXT[About 50 people had a chance to look into Broken Bow's future Tuesday night 

.

They attended an informational meeting about a proposed phenol plant to be 

built here. 

The plant sounds like it's too good to be true. 

Its supporters claim it can take just about any garbage we now throw in the 

landfill, and some that we can no longer throw there, and turn it into useful c 

hemicals. It's suppose to break materials down into their basic chemical compone 

nts. 

They say the technology has been in scientific literature for years, but it 

has never been applied to solid waste. Earlier, the plant's operation had been 

compared to that of an oil refinery. 

Because of its closed system, however, the plant's inventor says there is n 

o "environmental pollution," and steps have been taken to prevent any accidents 

in the process. 

And they want to build it right here in good ol' Broken Bow, Nebraska. 

People are always admonished for not looking at some things with a healthie 

r dose of skepticism. 

Things that are new and change always bring out the anxiety in people - som 

e more than others. 

While it is probably healthy for us to be skeptical about this plant, even 

after the glowing reports that were heard last night, we shouldn't be afraid of 

it either. 

Fear has become one of the main selling tools in the United States today. 

If an idea isn't liked, a plant isn't wanted, opponents can always sew fear 

in the minds of those who haven't made a decision yet. 

I wondered about that as I listened to the presentation on the plant Tuesda 

y, if that fear-mongering wasn't a little too pervasive. 

It wasn't present at the meeting here, but how overt has it become in our d 

aily lives. 

After the meeting, I got home, and the first commercial I saw was one askin 

g us to call Sen. J.J. Exon and tell him to vote no on health care reform. 

It told of the dire consequences to the American economy and family if heal 

th care reform was to succeed. It was sponsored by the National Restaurant Assoc 

iation. 

The NRA strikes fear in anyone who will listen anytime gun control is debat 

ed, or even mentioned, by a politician. 

And politicians have learned that one of the best ways to get votes is to s 

care voters. "Vote for my opponent and you will reap the dire consequences," the 

y preach from every political pulpit they can find. 

There's plenty to be worried about in the world today, without letting unfo 

unded fears get the best of us. 

I agree with the restaurant folks and the NRA that we should get involved a 

nd tell our Congress men and Senators how we feel about issues that affect us. W 

hat we tell them, however, should come from well reasoned study and not unfounde 

d fear. 

It's just like this proposed plant. It may sound too good to be true, but t 

hat shouldn't be enough to scare it off. 

There's no doubt some opposition will arise if the plant ever gets to the c 

onstruction phase; but that opposition shouldn't rise out of unfounded fear, and 

we shouldn't let that kind of fear stop us from moving Broken Bow ahead. 

This might be a good time to remember that fear can be healthy, as long as 

it doesn't choke us.





BK#[ 

HDLN[ICC clears hurdle; Nebr. programs are funded 

TEXT[A measure sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jim Exon to streamline the Interstate Comm 

erce Commission received a boost when the Senate voted to accept the Appropriati 

ons Committee's recommendation to keep the agency alive. The Senate also funded 

several Nebraska transportation projects. 

** Essential Air Service, at full funding of $33.4 million, which will assu 

re continuation of federally subsidized air service to the following Nebraska ci 

ties: Alliance, Chadron, Hastings, Kearney, McCook, North Platte and Scottsbluff 

. Exon is the author of the current Essential Air Service Law. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Billions and Millions 

TEXT[We just received a news release from Sen. Jim Exon on how much he saved the 

ICC and taxpayers. It's the usual clap-myself-on-the-back-type of news release 

that comes out of Foggy Bottom. 

But a typo caught our attention. The headline says "Exon saves ICC and $50 

billion over five years." The story reads,.... . save at least $50 million over 

five years...." 

How much difference a "b" and an "m" make. That is, everywhere but in Washi 

ngton D.C. 

The federal budget is so huge, public relations personnel have a hard time 

keeping track of the difference between billions and millions. To most of those 

at that level of government, it's nothing but chicken feed if it starts with an 

"m." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Diary-Exon urges Ending Partisanship, Holding Summit on Health Care 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. --- U.S. SENATOR JIM EXON (D-NE) today urged his colleague 

s to end partisan wrangling on health care reform and reiterated his call to Pre 

sident Clinton that he arrange a bipartisan summet with Congressional leaders on 

the issue.

"Thus far, most of the debate has created lots of Political heat, but not a 

lot of health care light," Exon said during a speech to his colleagues today. " 

In the end, I am fearful that on the present course we will reach gridlock. That 

will be the likely outcome after all the shouting, the "litmus test" votes and 

all the political posturing." 

In the recent past, summits have produced solutions to ease financial probl 

ems in the Social Security system and the federal budget. Exon said. By holding 

a summet, President Clinton and Congressional leaders would temporarily take the 

health care debate out of the spotlight and provide time to focus on the broadbased 

solution to bringing back to Congress. 

The various health care proposals before the Senate have 

merit, said Exon, who is one of 10 key swing votes of the issue. 

"I am not sure who has the right bill or solution," Exon said. "I wish that 

I could be as self confident and certain as some of my colleagues are of their 

solutions." 

All of the plans reflect the importance of reforming health care, Exon said 

. Reform is needed because health care costs have risen so much that neither gov 

ernment nor business nor individuals can afford these cost without addressing th 

is horrendous spiral, he said. 


red, for whatever reason, by "cost shifting" and higher taxes. Exon said, "Unles 

s corrected, it's going to get much in the future," 

"There is a tremendous cost to doing nothing and allowing the status quo to 

prevail. And that cost goes beyond the individual family hardships that exist t 

oday for those who need health care and cannot get it," he said. 

In 1970, the combined cost of Medicare and Medicaid was $9 billion, By 1990 

, that cost rose to $137 billion. By the year 2000, the cost will rise to $458 b 

illion, he said. 

"This is staggering," Exon said. And this, more than any other part of the 

federal budget, will drive us deeper into despair and red ink and add to the alr 

eady crushing burden of debt we are piling on to our children and grandchildren. 

'' 




SOUR[Holt County Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Flood Recovery Grant to Butte 

TEXT[The federal government Tuesday awarded a $257,600 grant to the village of B 

utte to help with the recovery from the Midwest flood of 1993. 

Sens. J. J. Exon and Bob Kerrey said the U.S. Department of Commerce grant 

will pay for building and rehabilitating the street drainage system to prevent f 

uture damage in Butte. 



AUTH[Bob Kerrey 


BK#[ 

HDLN[The Kerrey Report-Committee adopts Kerrey communications reform provisions 

TEXT[Senator Bob Kerrey announced today that the Senate Commerce Committee appro 

ved provisions that will allow schools and libraries greater access to the infor 

mation superhighway and promote competitive rates for rural telephone consumers. 

The provisions were included as amendments to S. 1822, the Communications A 

ct of 1994, a bill that would rewrite the nation's telecommunications laws. They 

were authored by Kerrey and members of the Senate Farm Team", which includes Se 

nators Jim Exon, D-Neb., Larry Pressler, R-S.D., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Jay Rocke 

feller, D-W.Va., and Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. 

"This bill will have a far reaching effect on our economy, our schools and 

our way of life, " Kerrey, a cosponsor of S.1822, said. "I have been pleased to 

work with Senator Exon in looking out for the interests of Nebraskans in the ado 

ption of these amendments." 

Under the "Farm Team" provisions, elementary and secondary schools and libr 

aries would qualify to receive telecommunicatIons and information services at pr 

eferential rates. 

"The most exciting opportunities for telecommunications are in education," 

Kerrey said. "S. 1822 recognizes that reality and will provide all children in N 

ebraska and the nation with the opportunity to enjoy the educational advantage o 

f being part of the information superhighway. Keeping pace with technological ad 

vances is essential to guaranteeing that America's children receive the best edu 

cation possible, and this bill 

will help do exactly that." 

The amendments will also promote competition in phone rates to rural consum 

ers, Kerrey said. 

"This legislation will promote competition in rates to rural consumers and 

at the same time take into account the unique needs of rural communications comp 

anies," he said. "It is much-needed reform I am pleased to support." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon introduces bill aimed at rail crossings 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska introduced a new bill this week 

aimed at making railroad crossings safer. 

"Although we have made significant progress in reducing the number of railrelated 

deaths, there is still room for improvement," said Exon, chairman of the 

Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee. 

About 1,200 deaths and injuries occur each year at rail-road crossings and 

on rail property, and many are preventable, he said. 

If approved, the Exon bill would: 

þ Establish an Institute of Railroad and Grade Crossing Safety to study and 

test improvements in railroad and grade crossing safety devices. 

þ Establish a maximum $5,000 civil penalty for vandalizing a railroad grade

crossing device and a maximum $2,500 penalty for trespassing on a railroad righ 

t-of-way. 

þ Establish a statewide railroad crossing freeze combined with a trade-in p 

rogram, requiring states to trade in up to three old crossings for every new cro 

ssing built. 

þ Create a toll-free 800 number for citizens to report crossing malfunction 

s. 

þ Require the Secretary of Transportation to work with federal, state and l 

ocal governments and the private sector to develop ways to prevent trespassing a 

nd vandalism on rail property. 

Exon proposed the Railroad Grade Crossing Safety and Research Act as a comp 

lement to rail safety legislation introduced earlier this year. 




SOUR[Wisner News-Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Funding for Wisner's Head Start 

TEXT[Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced that the Department of Health an 

d Human Services has awarded the city of Wisner a $123,701 grant for its Head St 

art program. 

The award will fund Head Start in Wisner for one year. 

"Head Start provides invaluable experiences for our children, and I am plea 

sed to see that the program will be available in Wisner again this year," said K 

errey, who has supported Head Start funding since he came to the Senate. "Across 

Nebraska, Head Start has proven its worth to our citizens, and I am proud to su 

pport its funding." 

"Head Start is one federal program that accomplishes its mission - it reall 

y does help give children a 'head start' in their lives," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate team opposes new irrigation rules 

TEXT[The U.S. Department of the Interior should avoid imposing new irrigation re 

gulations designed for the Pacific Northwest on Nebraska, Sens. Jim Exon and Bob 

Kerrey, D-Neb., wrote in a letter to the department. 

"A policy implemented in Nebraska should be developed with the input of Neb 

raskans," they said in the letter Tuesday, which noted Nebraska is the nation's 

second largest irrigator. 

The department wants to crack down on water spreading, or the practice of i 

rrigating more acres with federal water than is allowed. The senators are worrie 

d Nebraskans will end up paying for the sins of the Pacific Northwest if the dep 

artment implements a one-size-fits all regulation, an aide said.




SOUR[Clay County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Head Start grant announced by Exon for county 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. --U.S. SENATOR JIM EXON (D-NE) announced today that the fe 

deral government has awarded a $580,138 grant to Head Start Child and Family Dev 

elopment in Hastings. 

The grant will fund services for the 140 children and families from Adams, 

Clay and Webster Counties who are expected to participate in Head Start programs 

during the 1994-95 school year. 

The grant was awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Prepare Health Bill 

TEXT[Washington - A bipartisan healthcare proposal may be presented to Senate le 

aders today despite last-minute financing problems-that nearly killed the effort 

. Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb.. said Thursday. 

Kerrey is a member of a group of 15 to 20 senators that calls itself the "m 

ainstream" coalition. The group almost broke up Thursday after the Congressional 

Budget Office estimated that its alternative would cost 50 percent more than an 

ticipated. 

"It was a very sobering moment." said Kerrey. 

But he said the group, led by Sens. John Chafee. R-R.I., and John Breaux. 

D-La., agreed later Thursday on a revised plan with reduced subsidies to help l 

ower-income people buy health insurance. 

He said the new proposal also would help reduce the federal budget deficit, 

although the group has not yet agreed on a specific deficit-reduction target. 

Although the bipartisan group has not formally unveiled its alternative, so 

nic aspects of the plan are known, including: 

þ No requirement that businesses pay for employee health benefits. The plan 

offered by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell would establish a percent emp 

loyer mandate if 95 percent of a state's population did not have coverage by the 

year 2000. 

þ Subsidies to help some, but not all, uninsured people obtain coverage. 

þ New limits on the ability of insurance companies to exclude people on the 

basic of pre-existing conditions, and laws to allow people to keep their covera 

ge when they change jobs. Those provisions are similar to ones in the bills off 

ered by Mitchell. D-Maine, and Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole,. R-Kan. 

þ A tax on high-cost health plans in order to encourage people to choose le 

ss expensive options. Dole's plan does not contain such a tax. Mitchell's bill c 

alls for a higher tax.

þ Less bureaucracy and government regulation than is called for in the Mit 

chell bill. 

þ Fewer benefits than in Mitchell's plan. Prescription-drug coverage for th 

e elderly would be omitted, as would a home health-care program that Mitchell ha 

s proposed. 

þ Restrictions on deficit spending for federal health-care programs. 

þ Cuts in federal health programs, including Medicare for senior citizens a 

nd Medicaid for the poor, and a 45-cent increase in the cigarette tax. Mitchell' 

s plan calls for a tobacco tax, while Dole's does not. Both Mitchell and Dole ca 

ll for cuts in government programs. 

The "mainstream" group has been widely viewed as the best chance for develo 

ping a compromise that can pass the Senate. But the new cost projections from th 

e Congressional Budget Office put a damper on the group's prospects. 

CBO Director Robert Reischauer estimated that the subsidies and programs in 

the bipartisan proposal would cost $900 billion over the next 10 years, Kerrey 

said. He said the group had expected the CBO to estimate a $600 billion cost. 

Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., said the CBO estimates validated his reluctance to 

join the bipartisan group. Exon said he was concerned about the plan's cost and 

said the $900 billion figure "blew it out of the water." 

Reischauer told the senators they either would need to scale back subsidies 

or find some way to raise money to pay for them.Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., call 

ed the briefing "sticker-shock material." 

It was a dash of the cold water of reality," said Sen. David Boren, D-Okla. 

Kerrey said the bipartisan group had expected its plan to reduce the budget 

deficit, unlike other proposals which neither increase nor reduce the deficit. 

He said CBO has estimated $1 trillion in costs for Mitchell's bill and $700 bill 

ion for Dole's. 

The bipartisan group met later Thursday and decided to scale back the plan 

and earmark funds for reducing the deficit. Kerrey aid. 

He said the group planned to meet today to decide on a final proposal, whic 

h Chafee and Breaux then would present to Mitchell. 

Kerrey said the final plan would be a comprehensive substitute to the Mitch 

ell bill. He said he could not predict whether Mitchell would accept it or wheth 

er there would be enough votes for it in the full Senate. 

"This thing may not pass," Kerrey said. "This is not a breakthrough. This i 

s the mainstream group bringing its plan to closure." 

Kerrey said the bipartisan bill would be closer to Dole's than to Mitchell' 

s, but it also would be different because neither Senate leader would reduce the 

deficit in their bills. 

Thursday's developments came as the Senate continued work on amendments to 

Mitchell's bill. Among other things, senators voted overwhelmingly for a package 

of changes to enhance health care in rural America. 

The Senate also voted 100-0 to pass an amendment by Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla 

., requiring all new boards and commissions created by the Mitchell bill to meet 

in public. The measure was a did at Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose health-care t 

ask force operated in private as it wrote the Clinton health plan. 

The Senate also adopted by voice a Mitchell amendment to his own bill clari 

fying that health plans could terminate coverage if someone didn't pay the premi 

ums. Republicans had said the bill would bar insurers from dropping deadbeats. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Health Amendment Is Backed 

TEXT[Washington - All four Nebraska and Iowa senators voted Thursday for an amen 

dment designed to enhance health care in rural America. 

The amendment was offered by Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to a health-care bil 

l introduced by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine. It passed. 94-4 

. 

Sens. J.J. Exon. D-Neb.. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb.. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and 

Tom Harkin. D-Iowa, voted for the Daschle amendment. 

It would: 

þ Increase funding for the National Health Service Corps, which pays tuitio 

n for medical students who agree to practice in rural areas after graduation. 

þ Make nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rural areas eligible 

for Medicare bonus payments at the same rate as physicians who provide primary 

care services in underserved areas. 

þ Provide $15 million in grants for telemedicine projects between 1996 and 

2001. Telemedicine increases the ability of rural physicians to consult with urb 

an specialists. 

þ Create a new grant program for states to start or expand rural emergency 

medical services. 




SOUR[Fairbury Journal-News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Federal Funds Will Ease Flood Loss 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D_NE) announced recently that th 

e Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will make nearly $700,000 in govern 

ment funds available to help reduce the risk of future losses in Beatrice. 

The money will allow the federal government to buy 26 homes and 25 business 

es damaged during the 1993 flood of the Big Blue River, and help families and bu 

sinesses owners relocate outside of the floodplain. 

The damaged properties will be demolished and turned into open spaces or re 

creational areas for public use. 

Similar projects have been approved for funding from FEMA and other federal 

agencies in nine Midwestern states involving more than 7,100 individual propert 

ies. 

"The human misery created by the great flood of 1993 can never be measured, 

but efforts such as FEMA's will at least help ease the pain for the residents o 

f Beatrice," Exon and Kerrey said.




SOUR[Salem (OR) Capital Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol regulation wins in tie-breaking Sen. vote 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - It took a tie-breaking vote, but farm state senators beat 

back an attempt to scuttle regulations that will allow corn-based ethanol to be 

used widely in a cleaner burning gasoline. 

By the most narrow margin possible, the Senate last Wednesday rejected an a 

ttempt to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing a regulatio 

n that clears the way for widespread ethanol use in gasoline. 

After the 100 senators deadlocked, Vice President Al Gore cast the deciding 

vote, 51-50, to kill the amendment, offered by Sen. Bennett Johnston, D-La., to 

the EPA's fiscal 1995 budget. In his constitutional role as Senate president, t 

he vice president votes only in the event of a tie. 

The vote came after more than four hours of debate on the pros and cons of 

ethanol, a corn-based product that is competing with petroleum-based methanol as 

an additive that makes gasoline burn cleaner by adding more oxygen. 

Johnston argued that the EPA's regulation, unveiled last month, unfairly fa 

vors ethanol over the methanol derivative called MTBE, which the petroleum indus 

try favors. 

A month ago, the EPA said that under a new clean gasoline requirement, 30 p 

ercent of the new oxygen-enhancing additive, required by the 1990 Clean Air Act, 

must come from a renewable source, principally ethanol. 

The EPA requirement was a windfall for farmers and related agricultural bus 

inesses, who stand to make as much as $1.5 billion a year from the expanded dema 

nd for ethanol, according to the American Farm Bureau. 

The EPA has defended the requirement for a renewable-source gasoline additi 

ve, saying it will help the environment and reduce oil imports, although some st 

udies suggest those benefits likely will be modest. 

Johnston called the ethanol requirement "a gigantic flimflam to the America 

n public" and disputed claims that its widespread use will reduce pollution and 

oil imports. He argued ethanol will increase gasoline prices because ethanol is 

more expensive to produce and transport. 

"The only flimflam so far is this debate," countered Sen. James Exon, D-Neb 

., "This is Big Oil against the farmer." 

"The oil industry does not like competition," added Sen. Charles Grassley, 

R-Iowa. 

With millions of dollars at stake, the ethanol regulation has been one of t 

he most politically charged issues facing the EPA. It attracted more than 12,000 

comments from the public and lobbying groups before it was announced June 30. 

Under the 1990 Clean Air Act, the agency must require, beginning next year, 

that gasoline used in severely polluted areas contain at least 2 percent oxygen 

so that it burns cleaner. The competing additives are ethanol, or an ethanol de 

rivative called ETBE, and methanol-based MTBE. 

The cleaner-burning gasoline will be required in nine cities with the worst 

air pollution: Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, P 

hiladelphia, San Diego and Hartford, Conn., as well as parts of 13 states - the

Northeast states plus Texas and Tennessee - that have decided to join the federa 

l program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Daub says he'll run for mayor of Omaha 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Touting his and federal legislative experience U.S. Rep. Hal D 

aub Jr. on Thursday formally announced his candidacy for Omaha mayor. 

"We need to see tougher legislation that will enable our law enforcement of 

ficers and judges to be tougher on criminals," Daub said. "It makes sense for t 

he mayor of the state's largest city to be on the forefront in demanding action 

by our Legislature to protect the citizens of Omaha." 

Daub, a Republican represented the Omaha-dominated 2nd District in Congress 

from 1981-1988. 

He is one of several candidates who have announced campaigns or have said t 

hey plan to seek to replace Mayor P.J. Morgan, who is resigning effective Sept. 

10. 

Morgan, also a Republican, shocked the city in April when he announced his 

resignation. He pushed back his original resignation date of June 10 to ensure 

that the next mayor would be elected rather than appointed, but became president 

of Duncan Aviation in Lincoln as scheduled June 13. 

Since then, Morgan has been a weekend and evening mayor. City Council Pres 

ident Subby Anzaldo has been acting mayor during the day when Morgan is out of t 

own. 

A day before he announced his candidacy for mayor, Daub unveiled a $40 mill 

ion economic development plan for Omaha; half of the money would come from the c 

ity government funds and the rest from business contributions. 

Daub was elected to the U.S. House in 1980, with 53 percent of the vote, de 

feating Democrat Richard Fellman, an attorney who was a county commissioner and 

former state senator. Daub was re-elected to three consecutive terms with at le 

ast 57 percent of the vote each time. 

He lost the Republican nomination to the Senate in 1988 to Sen. Dave Karnes 

, who has been appointed to the seat. Later that year, Daub ruled out the possi 

bility of running for Omaha mayor. 

In 1990, daub unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Democrat Jim Exon for the 

U.S. Senate seat. 

Daub has been partner and director of the Government Affairs Department for 

the Deloitte-Touche accounting firm in Washington, D.C. He said he would resig 

n from the firm by Saturday. 




SOUR[Lincoln Star

BK#[ 

HDLN[Irrigation rules must fit state, Exon, Kerrey say 

TEXT[The U.S. Department of the Interior should not impose new irrigation regula 

tions designed for the Pacific Northwest on Nebraska, Democratic Sens. Jim Exon 

and Bob Kerrey wrote in a letter to the department Tuesday. 

"A policy implemented in Nebraska should be developed with the input of Neb 

raskans," they said. The department wants to crack down on water spreading - the 

practice of irrigating - more acres with federal water than is allowed. 

The senators are worried that Nebraskans will end up paying for the sins of 

the pacific Northwest if the department implements a one-size fits-all regulati 

on, an aide said. 

Nebraska is the nation's second largest irrigator, the letter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Health Bill may be put on hold 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon D. Neb., said Thursday that Congress may go hom 

e this year without a health-care bill. 

Exon said some senators are recommending that the Senate complete action on 

the crime bill if it passes the House of Representatives this week, then return 

in September to continue debate on health-care reform. 

"It would give us more time and the people more time to sort through all of 

these collective things," Exon said in an afternoon press conference. 

Exon said passage of a health-care bill will require "a major breakthrough 

that I don't see now," or a summit meeting of Congressional leaders with Preside 

nt 

Clinton. 

"There is no way I could support any of the plans without substantive amend 

ment," Exon said. "The Clinton plan is a dead duck. It's not being considered." 

He said a comparable proposal by Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., the House major 

ity leader, "has fallen by the wayside." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in a separate press conference, said he believes t 

he Senate will stay in session into September to act on health care. 

Harkin said he would oppose any proposal to delay health-care legislation u 

ntil 1995. 

"We're here," he said. "Let's get it done. That's what we're paid to do." 

Harkin said he is a member of a group of senators headed by Sen. Tom Daschl 

e D-S.D., who meet daily to discuss a legislative strategy that will ensure pass 

age of a health-care bill that provides universal coverage. 

He said the group hopes to speed up the legislative process, which Harkin s 

aid has been delayed by a sporadic Republican filibuster. 

"We have 51 votes to pass a health-care bill, but we don't have the 60 vote 

s needed to break a filibuster,'" Harkin said. 

Harkin said he was surprised that Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., was the only Dem 

ocrat to join 41 Republicans in opposing the first Democratic amendment to healt 

h-care legislation, a proposal that all private insurance plans provide preventi

ve care to children and expectant mothers by July 1995. 

Harkin disputed Kerrey's argument that funding should have been provided. 



AUTH[Editor 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Single flaw taints rail safety measure 

TEXT[For the most part, Senator Jim Exon's bill to make railroad crossings safer 

is a good idea but it could use an amendment. 

Each year there are 1,200 deaths and injuries that take place at railr 

oad crossings, many of them in the Midwest. Earlier this year a rural Chapman ma 

n died from injuries from a train when he attempted go through a crossing near H 

ighway 30. 

Even people who stop, look and listen have become train crossing fatal 

ities and a stronger law could make the difference. The positive features in the 

bill include. 

þ Establishing an Institute of Railroad and Grade Crossing Safety to s 

tudy and test improvements in railroad and crossing safety devices. 

þ Developing a maximum $5,000 civil penalty for vandalizing a railroad 

crossing device and a maximum $2,500 penalty for trespassing on a railroad righ 

t-of-way. 

þ Creating a toll-free "800" number for people to report crossing malf 

unctions. 

þ Requiring the Secretary of Transportation to work with federal, stat 

e and local governments and the private sector to develop ways to prevent trespa 

ssing and vandalism on rail property. 

However, one of the proposals in the bill actually might be detrimenta 

l to railroad safety. Exon proposed a railroad crossing freeze combined with a t 

rade-in program that would require states to trade in up to three old crossings 

for every new one built. 

The idea is to help take old and defective crossings out of commission 

. In practice, the law might encourage communities to take down equipment at low 

-traffic crossings to be able to construct a new crossing to protect that newly 

developing neighborhood. 

Eventually, the plan would either lead to fewer arm crossings in gener 

al - an actual hazard - or discourage city development across railroad tracks. I 

n some cases, stopping city growth across railroad tracks might be a good idea. 

In many cases, however, communities don't have many alternatives to growing acro 

ss tracks and are back to a lesser-of-evils choice. 

Exon needs to amend the one flaw in his bill and then it can be full-s 

team ahead. 



AUTH[Jonathan Roos

SOUR[Des Moines Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Violence called health problem 

TEXT[An epidemic of violence is partly to blame for the nation's escalating heal 

th-care bills, the head of the American Medical Association said last week in a 

Des Moines appearance. 

"America, indeed, is at war with itself," said Dr. Robert McMee, the AMA's 

new president. 

"There are more years of life lost to violence in our society than to heart 

disease, cancer and stroke combined," McAfee told lawmakers from Iowa and neigh 

boring states who were attending the annual meeting of the Midwestern Legislativ 

e Conference. 

McAfee said rampant violence in America is a major public health problem: 

þ Violent fatal injuries are the leading cause of premature death in the Un 

ited States 

þ Violence is the leading cause of injuries to women. 

þ Homicide accounts for more than 40 percent of deaths among young men ages 

15 to 24. 

The cost of treating victims of violence also is staggering. 

Violence, said McAfee, "is the single greatest cause of uncompensated care in th 

is country and it's the reason your health bills are going up, perhaps more than 

any other. 

Health-care expenses will continue to climb "unless we can cap the cost of 

violence." 

In previous testimony before a congressional committee, McAfee cited these 

statistics. 

þ More than 500,000 emergency - room visits annually are due-to violent inj 

ury, and two-thirds of crime victims treated in hospitals are uninsured. 

þ Direct medical costs of all violent injuries add as much as $5.3 billion 

to annual U.S. health expenditures. 

þ Total medical costs for firearms injuries alone reach an estimated $1 bil 

lion per year. 

McAfee urged lawmakers from Iowa and surrounding states to work on solution 

s that will reduce violent crime. 

"The time is right. The populace is ready for your suggestions and your sol 

utions," McAfee said. 

"The violent behavior in our country is learned behavior," he said. "It is 

not a disease ... and we can't allow it to be learned in this country." 

One of the measures that the American Medical Association supports at the f 

ederal level is a ban on assault weapons, which is part of the crime bill that P 

resident Clinton is pushing Congress to revive. 

"The use of those assault weapons is hard to justify," said McAfee, a surge 

on from South Portland, Maine. 

McAfee also took aim at the entertainment industry for exposing children to 

large doses of violence in television programs, movies and videogames. 

"The media's impact on children is substantial,"' he said, adding that it i 

s not censorship to adopt rating systems and new forms of technology that parent 

s can use to screen out violent programming.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Nelson have the right idea: don't rush on health care issue 

TEXT[The health-care debate has become mired in confusion and contradiction. It' 

s time for Congress to face reality and put the issue off until another year. 

Sort through the plans and consider the costs. Decide what aspects of "refo 

rm" are needed - and some changes may well be in order. Decide what's indispensa 

ble and what's negotiable. Consider what the impact would be on taxes, on jobs, 

on the health of the private sector. 

Many members of the public, unlike their elected representatives, don't see 

m eager to change the health care system. A Newsweek poll indicated that two-thi 

rds of those polled thought Congress should wait until next year. 

The Clinton plan, from all indications, is dead. The Gephardt plan has been 

shelved by the House. In the Senate, the Mitchell plan is on a life-support sys 

tem, and little likelihood remains it could become law in its current form. The 

Dole plan, billed as a conservative alternative, showed little sign of attractin 

g majority support.Chafee-Breaux, Sen. Bob Kerrey's plan of choice, took a hit T 

hursday when the Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would cost 50 per 

cent more than anticipated. The group supporting the plan, the "mainstream coali 

tion," hastily chopped away at the costs, reducing benefits and trying to keep i 

ts support from eroding. 

So many plans. So much fundamental disagreement over whom to cover, how to 

cover them and what services to provide. So much politicking and logrolling. 

And so much potential danger in acting now on a matter that could have a profoun 

d impact on one-seventh of the private sector economy. 

The Gephardt and Mitchell plans were cobbled together hastily. Most people 

still don't know what's in them. The plan of the mainstream coalition is chang 

ing day to day. By some accounts, one strategy in the Clinton camp was to get s 

omething - anything - into a House-Senate conference committee and let the commi 

ttee write the final version under the watchful eye of the White House. That's 

the same process that added even more social spending to the crime bill after th 

e House and Senate passed their versions. 

The idea of holding off has proponents among Midlands Democrats. Nebraska 

Sen. J. James Exon said a delay "would give us more time and the people more tim 

e to sort through all of these collective things." 

Governor Nelson told insurance agents that he and most other governors woul 

d prefer that Congress defer action. Any program coming out this year would end 

up becoming the "largest single entitlement program ever built," Nelson said. 

"I don't believe that in the time frame remaining that all the best intentioned 

people in the world are going to find a solution." 

A hastily crafted bill designed to please enough lawmakers to get through C 

ongress could be worse than nothing. Once employer mandates or universal covera 

ge were written into law, a constituency would develop. Even if the idea proved 

unaffordable, it would not be repealed. 

Rather than being stampeded into panicky action to "save Bill Clinton's pre 

sidency," Congress should stop now and take time to reflect. Health care financ 

ing isn't a national emergency that must be addressed this year, or even next ye 

ar. In this case, Congress has the opportunity to take its time and make an inf

ormed decision. That opportunity should be seized. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Health-Bill Amendment Would Aid Rural Areas 

TEXT[Washington - Rural Nebraska and Iowa residents would be more likely to have 

enough local doctors and access to medical technology under a Senate-passed ame 

ndment to health-care legislation, area senators said. 

The Senate voted 94-4 in favor of the amendment, which was added to the hea 

lth-care bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine. All f 

our Nebraska and Iowa senators voted for the amendment. 

"You cannot talk about achieving universal health-care coverage if small-to 

wn and rural America can't have access to the same quality and affordable care a 

s everyone else,"' said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

Among other things, the amendment offered by Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., 

would: 

þ Increase funding for the National Health Service Corps, which pays t 

uition for medical students who agree to practice in rural areas after graduatio 

n. 

þ Make nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rural areas eligible 

for Medicare bonus payments at the same rate as physicians who provide primary 

care services in underserved areas. 

þ Provide $15 million in grants for telemedicine projects between 1996 and 

2001. Telemedicine increases the ability of rural physicians to consult with urb 

an specialists. 

þ Create a new grant program for states to start or expand rural emergency 

medical services. 

Besides Harkin, Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and Charl 

es Grassley, R-Iowa, voted for the amendment. 


Health Care 

- 55-42 to pass an amendment offered by Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., that wou 

ld speed up implementation of programs in the Mitchell bill for pregnant women a 

nd children. 

For: Exon, Harkin. 

Against: Kerrey, Grassley. 

- 100-0 to pass an amendment offered by Don Nickles, R-Okla., that removed 

a section of the Mitchell bill authorizing fines of up to $10,000 per worker if 

a business did not offer employees the option of purchasing a "standard" package 

of health benefits. 

For:Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

- 100-0 to pass an amendment offered by Connie Mack, R-Fla., that would req 

uire new boards created under the Mitchell bill to hold public meetings. 

For: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin.

House Votes: 

High-Speed Rail 

-281-103 to pass a bill that would authorize $184 million through fisc 

al 1997 to develop high-speed rail technology. 

For: Peter Hoagland, D-Neb.; Neal Smith, D-Iowa. 

Against: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfo 

ot, R-Iowa; Fred Grandy. R-Iowa. 

Memorial to Blacks 

- 378-0 to pass a bill to allow the Black Revolutionary War Patriots F 

oundation two additional years to establish a Washington D.C., memorial to black 

s who served in that war. 


Defence Budget 

- 280-137 to pass the final version of the $263.8 billion fiscal 1995 

spending bill for the Department of Defense. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Smith. 

Against: Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Budget Process 

- 406-6 to pass a bill to revise the congressional budget process. 


- 322-99 to approve a substitute amendment to the budget process bill. 

The amendment, offered by John Kasich, R-Ohio, Charles Stelholm, D-Texas, and T 

imothy Penny, D-Minn., would prohibit nonemergency spending items in an emergenc 

y spending bill. 



Spending Bills 

- 322-98 to pass a fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Departments of Co 

mmerce, State and Justice and the federal judiciary. 


Presidio Managment 

- 245-168 to pass a bill that would establish a corporation to manage 

the Presidio, a military base in San Francisco. Most of the 1,480-acre base is b 

eing turned into a national park. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Smith. 

Against: Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

- 244-171 against an amendment offered by Wayne Allard, R-Colo., that 

would have required California to pay for 50 percent of the park's costs. 


Against: Bereuter, Hoagland, Smith. 



AUTH[Kristine Mays 

SOUR[Keith County News

BK#[ 

HDLN[Starkey honored for Social Security efforts (photo) 

TEXT[Geraldine "Jerry" Starkey of Brule has been recognized by the Seniors Coali 

tion for her efforts in helping protect social security monies for future genera 

tions. 

Through the Seniors Coalition, Starkey said she was asked by Senator D 

an Moyinhan of New York to telephone people of all ages and urge them to call Ne 

braska Senators Bob Kerrey, Jim Exon, and Representative Bill Barrett in an effo 

rt to make the Social Security Administration an independent agency. 

Starkey telephoned Western Nebraskans for over a year asking them to send a 

message to Washington D.C., to save social security. 

Congress voted earlier this month to separate social security from the Depa 

rtment of Health and Human Services. President Clinton signed the bill into law 

Monday, Aug. 15. 

According to Gary Ross, social security representative in North Platte, the 

Social Security Administration will become an independent agency March 31, 1995 

. 



AUTH[Fred Knapp 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Chiefs say prevention measures aren't pork 

TEXT[Federal crime prevention proposals criticized as "pork" are a necessary par 

t of anti-crime legislation, law enforcement officials told Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-N 

eb., today. 

The comments followed Sunday night's 235-195 approval of the crime bill by 

the US House of Representatives. Nebraska Reps.Doug Bereuter,R - 1st District, a 

nd Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, voted no, while Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-2nd Dist 

rict voted yes. 

Action now shifts to the Senate, where Kerrey indicated he supports the bil 

l, and Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he is leaning toward it. 

"I really think that we need to do more than just put police officers on th 

e streets," Norfolk Police Chief Bill Mizner told Kerrey via a teleconference ca 

ll this morning. 

"Arresting criminals is what the public expects us to do and it's probably 

what we do best, but I'm not sure it does any good," said Grand Island Police Ch 

ief Gene Watson. "I would suggest that we not refer to prevention programs as 'p 

ork' - I would suggest we refer to them as 'investment.'" 

Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady said prevention is key, but worried that un 

less sufficient evaluation occurs, "we're going to be spending a good deal of mo 

ney on prevention programs without a clue" about whether they work. 

Broken Bow Chief of Police Dennis Patrick, speaking via the teleconference 

call, said: "I think there's a lot of pork in this bill." But he said grants for 

small police departments are important. 

Kerrey called the bill "a good faith effort to respond to a problem that th 

e public is saying is their No. 1 priority.,' 

The bill now includes $13.5 billion for police, $9.9 billion for prisons, $

14 billion for antidrug efforts and $5.5 billion for prevention, including recre 

ation, education, antigang programs and women's shelters. 

Kerrey, who has stressed the need for deficit reduction as cochairman of a 

commission on entitlements, was asked why the federal government should spend $3 

0 billion to expand its efforts on police and prisons, traditionally areas of st 

ate and local jurisdiction. 

"Because we're being asked to -- the citizens are asking us to," Kerrey rep 

lied. "You have to establish what your priorities are." 

Kerrey said the cost of the bill, which is spread over six years, is suppos 

ed to be paid for by savings from a projected 252,000 reduction in the federal w 

orkforce. He noted that critics have said that reduction will save only $17 bill 

ion, and said he expects some additional money will have to be appropriated. 

The $30.2 billion bill represents reduction from an earlier $33.5 billion v 

ersion shelved by the House. Bereuter said it was still too expensive. 

"The cost of the crime bill grew like wildfire," Bereuter said in a news re 

lease. "The original omnibus crime bill that was introduced in the House of Repr 

esentatives was estimated to cost $5 billion. The cost of this bill has increase 

d significantly every time Congress has considered it." 

Some of his main problems with the package was its failure to reform the ap 

peals process and its failure to provide for exemptions under the exclusionary r 

ule, under which evidence obtained improperly can be deemed inadmissible. 

The bill is supposed to help put 100,000 more police on the streets, but th 

e money devoted to that would pay for only about 40,000, according to the Law En 

forcement Alliance of America Inc., a lobbying group critical of the Clinton bil 

l 

Funding 100,000 police officers will require a local match, something Casad 

y said would be "really tough," even in cities like Lincoln that are in good fin 

ancial shape. He said he was concerned that the match requirement would prevent 

many communities from using the funds. 

The bill also would impose the death penalty for up to 60 federal offenses. 

"I think having 60 federal capital crimes is going to have virtually no effect 

on the crime rate," said Col. Ron Tussing of the Nebraska State Patrol, 

Exon predicted a definitive vote on the bill could come as early as Wednesd 

ay, on either a cloture motion if Republicans filibuster, or waiving budget rest 

rictions if the bill is judged to violate them. 

"Basically, I have a feeling that the people of the United States want a cr 

ime bill and do not want a health bill," said Exon. 



AUTH[Jack Rogers 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon's railroad crossing plan should cut toll 

TEXT[A bill introduced by Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska regarding rail safety needs 

to be seriously considered. 

Exon, chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee, hopes the 

bill will end the gridlock that occurs among state, federal, rail and highway a 

gencies and the private sector on grade crossing safety.

The proposal includes establishing an Institute of Railroad and Grade Cross 

ing Safety to study and test improvements in railroad and grade crossing safety 

devices and establishing a maximum $5,000 civil penalty for vandalizing a railro 

ad grade crossing device and a maximum $2,500 penalty for trespassing on a railr 

oad right-of-way. 

Another part of the measure institutes a statewide railroad crossing freeze 

combined with a trade-in program. This would require states to trade in up to t 

hree old crossings for every new crossing built. The object, of course, is to el 

iminate old crossings that are difficult to maintain and are dangerous. 

The bill creates a toll-free "800" number for citizens to report crossing m 

alfunctions and requires the Secretary of Transportation to work with federal, s 

tate and local governments and the private sector to develop ways to prevent tre 

spassing and vandalism on-rail property. 

Too many times nothing is done about unsafe and hazardous railroad crossing 

s because the issue, usually about who stands the cost, gets caught up in disput 

es between government subdivisions and the railroads. 

There are some 1,200 deaths and injuries each year at railroad crossings an 

d on railroad property. Exon's bill, coupled with rail safety legislation he int 

roduced earlier this year, should go a long way in reducing these numbers. 



AUTH[Dick Herman 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Farmers Owe Debt To Clinton, Kerrey 

TEXT[All I know is what I read and hear. And what folks tell me is that William 

Jefferson Clinton couldn't get elected to the county weed control board if his w 

ere the only name on the ticket. That's how unpopular the current President of t 

he United States supposedly is in rural precincts, in Nebraska and elsewhere. 

Well, this is to suggest that among those yeopersons of the soil who grow c 

orn for the living, they'd really be kind of ingrates not to back Clinton. 

Jeez, here's a guy who made a campaign pledge of first priority character, 

to corn farmers. Then, when he got into office, he worked hard, manipulated the 

levers of power and delivered on that pledge, to the universal pleasure of the a 

foresaid producers. As a result of such deliverance, corn prices for the next co 

ming years could be as much as a dime a bushel higher than otherwise. 

What we are discussing here is how the Clinton administration lined up with 

the ethanol-from-corn crowd, simultaneously beating off the mighty oil industry 

, plus a herd of very skeptical environmentalists. 

Any telling of the story would be shoddy if it did not also include the lab 

ors of Nebraska Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon - but especially Kerrey - to guide 

the White House in its decision making. Together, they achieved for the nation' 

s corn growers where the Bush administration failed. That may not be worth anyth 

ing on a future election day, yet it is a fact. 

This story began four years ago, when Congress enacted the current revision 

of the Clean Air Act. A feature of that 1990 law orders the use of reformulated 

, unleaded gasoline to fight urban smog starting in January 1995. 

Last December the Environmental Protection Agency dutifully decreed more ox

ygen must be added to gasoline. Then, in an 

action clearly driven by muscle politics, not EPA staff recommendations nor scie 

nce, the Clinton White House backed at least 15 percent of the oxygenated fuel c 

oming from a "renewable" resource the first year, rising to 30 percent the year 

after that. 

Ethanol produced from corn, or other biomass, is the only "renewable" sourc 

e for oxygenated fuel. Its primary competitor Is methanol, generated from natura 

l gas, and, naturally, the oil industry's additive entry. 

At both state and federal levels, politicians have catered to ethanol produ 

cers for years. Mainly this has been done via generous tax breaks (of which Arch 

er Daniels Midland, the company currently producing three-fourths of the country 

's ethanol, reportedly has been a happy indirect beneficiary.) 

As might have been expected, the methanol gang did not take the EPA order p 

assively. Its spokemen fought in the Senate, first in committee, then on the flo 

or, to derail the ethanol preference. Kerrey was particularly important for the 

hopes of corn farmers during committee combat. Then, when the full Senate tied u 

p 50-50 on an anti-ethanol amendment, Vice President Al Gore tipped the result f 

or the corn producers. 

The strongest argument possible for ethanol (or methanol) as gasoline addit 

ives lies in their fuel extender properties, not as wonderful, air purifying age 

nts. It's just a prudent thing for the country to have motor fuel alternatives o 

ther than petroleum pumped from distant lands. Beyond that, though, you can get 

a lot of disputation, and especially over ethanol. 

Independently, the Texas Department of Transportation and the University of 

Florida Environmental Science and Engineering Department undertook a study of t 

he net energy yield ratio of corn-based ethanol and natural gas. The researchers 

wanted to find the best alternative fuel for state vehicles. It wasn't ethanol. 

When the high energy inputs required for producing corn were added to the study 

's mix - fertilizers, irrigation, etc. - ethanol came up a slight net energy los 

er. Not factored, either, were permanent soil and water resource losses, occasio 

ned by production. 

Methanol can be produced, according to the EPA, at a cost of $.35 to $.70 a 

gallon; ethanol at $.80 to $1.60 a gallon. Ethanol zealots try to cover this co 

nsiderable price disadvantage saying that by-products of the corn distilling pro 

cess have a secondary market as livestock feed. 

Under the title of "Corn for Commuting," the Washington Post arched an edit 

orial eyebrow about ethanol recently. It noted that since 1990, "a lot of resear 

ch has been done on fuels. It's now pretty clear that while other factors in the 

reformulated gasoline will have useful effects, oxygenation is another matter. 

It will make fuel burn more completely, reducing carbon monoxide. But it may inc 

rease other pollutants, and it seems to have no significant effect on atmospheri 

c ozone - that is, smog, the reduction of which is the purpose of this whole exe 

rcise... Corn for commuting would certainly mean higher grain prices for farmers 

... but producing motor fuel is a dubious diversion of the nation's basic food s 

upply." 

Peel away the politics; look at the net energy and long term resource aspec 

ts as responsibly as possible. A body who undertakes such disinterested action w 

ould not automatically reach a conclusion that what's been described as a "win-w 

in" situation for corn growers, Nebraska economic development and the fight agai 

nst air pollution is also a parallel "win-win" outcome for the entire nation. No 

t at all. One lightly-considered and very unfortunate casualty may be the soon-t

o-expire Conservation Reserve Program. Farmers have been paid millions to hold e 

rodible lard out of production for the last nine years. Across the country, 36 m 

illion acres were enrolled in the CRP, preventing the loss of an enormous tonnag 

e of soil. (And this says nothing about the expansion of habitat for wildlife.) 

Yet, in the end, the lure of higher corn prices, prompted by increased etha 

nol demand, might bring a heap of rested real estate back into production. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant received 

TEXT[Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon have announced that the Department of Heal 

th and Human Services has awarded the city of Wisner a $123,701 grant for the He 

ad Start program. This grant will fund Wisner Head Start for one year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon supports rural health aid 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon, D-NE, said rural Nebraskans will benefit from a meas 

ure he supported to enhance health care in rural areas. 

"I am making sure that the needs of rural Nebraskans, as well as all other 

rural Americans, are addressed as we debate national health care reform," Exon s 

aid. 

Exon supported an amendment to health care legislation that would increase 

incentives for medical professionals to offer health care in rural America and o 

ffer more support for them. The amendment was offered by U.S. Senator Tom Daschl 

e, D-S.D.. It passed the senate by a vote of 94-4. 




SOUR[Niobrara Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ponca Tribe to get housing funds 

TEXT[The Chairperson of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Ms. Deb Wright, has announc 

ed that the Northern Ponca Housing Authority will receive almost 4 million dolla 

rs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing assistance. 

Word of the two grant awards came from the offices of Nebraska U.S. Senator J. J 

ames Exon and Robert Kerry, Wright said.

Chairperson Wright said the first of the grants for $1.8 million dollars wo 

uld be used to build 20 single-family homes that will be used as rental units fo 

r Ponca Tribe of Nebraska members. The second grant for $2.0 million would be us 

ed to construct 20 additional homes which would be purchased by individual triba 

l members through the Housing and Urban Development's "Mutual Help Program." Wri 

ght said that program allows for low down payments and mortgage payments based o 

n income. Chairperson Wright expressed the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's gratitude f 

or the housing assistance grants in correspondence to Senator's Exon and Kerry. 

According to Chairperson Wright, "This is only the beginning for the Ponca Tribe 

as we begin the long process of full self government and begin to provide quali 

ty services to our members. Housing has been designated as the Ponca Tribe of Ne 

braska's number one priority." 

Chairperson Wright also offered congratulations to the Northern Ponca Housi 

ng Authority Executive Director Darrel Twiss and the Housing Authority Board of 

Commissioners for their good work on securing the project, the first of its kind 

for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[HUD funds granted for tribal homes 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, Democrats-NE, said the Northern Ponc 

a Housing Authority has been awarded federal grants of $1.8 and $2.0 million. 

Both grants are from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The f 

irst will pay for building 20 single family homes that will be rented to Native 

Americans with low incomes. 

The second grant will pay for constructing 20 single family homes that Nati 

ve Americans with low in-comes can buy through HUD's Mutual Help program. The pr 

ogram allows buyers to make a low down payment and mortgage payments based on th 

eir incomes. 

The houses will be built in Boyd, Douglas, Knox, Lancaster and Madison Coun 

ties. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Health Fight To Break for 2 Weeks 

TEXT[Washington (AP) - Although he vowed earlier to keep the Senate in session u 

ntil it voted on health reform, Majority Leader George Mitchell said Thursday th 

at senators would break until after Labor Day. 

Aides said a core group of senators and staff members would use the time to 

work on a compromise plan offered by a mainstream coalition of senators. 

In the House, lawmakers already have been sent home for the summer. Speake

Thomas Foley said earlier in the week that Congress might have to settle for o 

nly initial steps toward the sort of health-care overhaul that the president see 

ks. 

It was not clear when the Senate would finish work on a crime bill that has 

become a partisan battleground. 

After that, Mitchell said, "it would be my intention then to have the Senat 

e adjourn until after Labor Day." 

Some Democratic senators suggested a break was designed to pressure Republi 

cans into permitting passage of the crime measure, lest they have to face angry 

constituents at home demanding its passage. 

The White House, trying to dispel the notion that prospects for health refo 

rm were fading, was philosophical about the Senate delay. 

"I think it may be healthier for everyone to be able to take this brea 

k and to have the key parties continue to negotiate in what I think will be a qu 

ieter atmosphere, which is probably what we need," said the White House chief of 

staff Leon Panetta. "I think there's been a lot of rhetoric, a lot of charges a 

nd countercharges on this whole issue. I think we just need to quiet the rhetori 

c a little bit and see if the parties can engage." 

Meanwhile, congressional and White House insiders said the White House has 

concluded that action on substantial health-care changes will be all but impossi 

ble before next year. 

"There's still a glimmer of hope, but it's got a very small, feeble pulse b 

eat," Sen.Bob Kerrey,D-Neb.,a member of the Senate group that calls itself mains 

tream, told The World-Herald Thursday. "Unless you get a bipartisan bill on the 

floor that takes incremental steps, we're not going to pass anything" 

He said the bipartisan coalition would resent its formal plan to Mitchell o 

n Friday. 

" I certainly hope he accepts it," Kerrey said. "We could create the moment 

um for future progress." 

His fellow Nebraska Democrat, Sen.J.J. Exon, was less optimistic. 

"I think there is only a remote chance there is going to be any health-care 

legislation this year," Exon said. "I happen to feel the wisest action would be 

not to pass anything." 

Exon said financing has been the chief sticking point for all the health pl 

ans. 

"Everybody wants to have health-care reform, but nobody wants to pay for it 

," he said. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he, too, saw little chance for comprehe 

nsive health care legislation in the current Congress. 

"I don't see how we can have anything greater than reform of health-care in 

surance," he said "I don't think we'll even have that." 

A break in the Senate's schedule will only provide more evidence of the ext 

ent to which health legislation has bogged down. 

Mitchell's own plan designed to achieve 95 percent coverage by 2000, has co 

me under heavy fire. The "main-stream" alternative's supporters say their plan w 

ould achieve about 92 percent coverage - giving insurance to about half the 39 m 

illion Americans who now go without. 

Many other sticky issues remain - what type of standard medical benefits to 

require, what type of taxes to levy, howdeeply to cut Medicare and Medicaid, wh 

ether to provide prescription drug benefits for the elderly. 

At the White House, aides minimized the importance of any Senate delay on h

ealth care. 

"I don't think going home is going to be the death knell of health care," s 

aid Harold Ickes. Meanwhile, White House staff were saying privately that the ad 

ministration had begun planning to carry the debate into 1995. 

Mitchell has been under pressure for weeks to permit senators a summer brea 

k. But even as he moved toward one, some key senators said it was a mistake. 

"I think going home doesn't help," said Sen. John Breaux, D-La., a leader o 

f the "mainstream" group. People are "scared to death" about what a health bill 

might do to them. 

Exon said he was concerned about the bipartisan group's plan for cuts in Me 

dicare, which he said could hurt rural hospitals. 

"The Medicare payment is only 75 percent of the current cost" for rural hos 

pitals to provide beds, he said. "If you are going to cut that further it would 

be devastating to rural America." 

Grassley said even more-modest proposals for health-insurance reform, which 

have wide support, would be opposed by "liberals who would say that it takes aw 

ay an opportunity to pass more controversial legislation." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Congress still could pass health legislation 

after it returned from a Labor Day recess. 

"It seems to me we will have time for health care," he said. "I think we co 

uld get some sort of down payment or start." 



AUTH[U.S. Senator Jim Exon 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Saves ICC and $50 Billion Over Five Years 

TEXT[Washington, D.C.---Legislation by U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) that would s 

treamline trucking regulations save at least $50 million over five years and sav 

e the independence of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was approved by t 

he Senate. 

The bill known as the Trucking Regulatory Reform Act sponsored by 

Exon and Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR) will grant the ICC authority to eliminate unne 

cessary and costly trucking regulations and save money by eliminating some of th 

e ICC's functions. 

"This legislation will provide an opportunity to save real money, rath 

er than just shuffle expenses from one agency to another," Exon said. 

Exon's bill will end the practice of filing individual trucking compa 

ny tariffs with ICC and will streamline regulations while preserving ICC oversig 

ht on insurance and safety. 

In addition, Exon's bill instructs the Secretary of Transportation and the 

ICC to review Additional cost-saving measures as well as to consider merging the 

ICC with other federal agencies such as the Federal Maritime Commission. 

The Exon bill added as an amendment to the Hazardous Material Tra 

nsportation Act (HAZMAT), another Exon bill. Among other things, the Act will pr 

ovide for the research and development of new technology which can prevent hazar 

dous accidents and provide for quick response when accidents occur. It will prov 

ide for a federal file on commercial drivers who unsafely enters highway-railroa

d grade crossings. 

"This provision is in response to the terrible petroleum tank car/ tra 

in accident in 1993, where a truck gridlocked on a crossing and was hit by a tra 

in," Exon said. "The resulting fireball killed the driver and several innocent d 

rivers in nearby cars." 

The bill also instructs the Secretary of Transportation to review applicati 

on of the safety hours of service rules for farmers and farm suppliers. 

"Farmers and farm suppliers want to obey the law," Exon said. 

"The problem is that the existing rules are too bureaucratic and don't accommoda 

te farmers during planting or harvest, their busiest season, when they need to d 

rive overtime. The rules need to assure safety, but be based on common sense. 




SOUR[S.Sioux City Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[New Federal Voter Regulations Raise Petition Rights Questions 

TEXT[ Call it "The Revenge of Motor-Voter." The petition process in Nebraska 

, already under stress because the courts have legalized paid petition circulato 

rs, could become more chaotic next year when the National Voter Registration Act 

, called the "motor-voter" law, goes into effect. 

The law, passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton last year, forc 

es states to begin registering voters at drivers license stations. Those who go 

there to get a new license or renew or change an old one will be given the oppor 

tunity to register to vote. 

But motor-voter does much more. State law currently requires signers to be 

registered voters. Motor-voter forces the state to change the rules regarding wh 

at constitutes a registered voter. The changes will make it harder to determine 

the validity of a signature on a petition. 

Currently a person's voter registration lapses if he or she moves to a diff 

erent address. Therefore, that person's signature on a petition is considered in 

valid if the address on the petition doesn't match the address on the voter regi 

stration rolls. Motor-voter, however, requires the states to consider the person 

as a registered voter if he or she moves within the county. Thus a person whose 

petition address didn't match his or her voter registration address might or mi 

ght not be a registered voter. 

Allen Beermann, Nebraska's secretary of state, said that verification 

of signatures on petitions will become virtually impossible. 

Beermann said that voters who move within their county or congressiona 

l district will have three options. They can vote at their old polling place, t 

heir new polling place or at a central designated polling place. The address on 

their registration can be corrected after they vote. 

Beermann said Georgia officials told him they had budgeted $6 million 

to enforce the requirements of motor-voter. ln New Jersey, he said, $8 million w 

as set aside. whatever the cost in Nebraska, he said, it will be substantial. 

So the motor-voter law won't just add to the voting rolls the names of 

people who were previously too lazy or uninterested to bother with the relative 

ly simple registration process. Now it appears that it will throw a monkey wren 

ch into Nebraska's petition process. And cost taxpayers dearly, to boot.

--Omaha World Herald 

Beermann, a native of Dakota City, told The Star that implementation o 

f the motor-voter law would cost a third of a million dollars in Nebraska the fi 

rst year--plus a huge amount of funds for local officials' travel and training. 

Incidentally, Nebraska's senators, Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon voted for 

the motor-voter law. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Try to Blend Rail Safety Measures 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Senate transportation leaders are working to combine four sepa 

rate rail safety measures into one bill that would reauthorize the Federal Railr 

oad Administration's functions and set up new programs to reduce accidents at hi 

ghway-rail grade crossings. 

The House has passed a basic FRA reauthorization that contains little besid 

es legal authority to continue its enforcement and inspection work. That bill is 

awaiting action by the full Senate. 

Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Surface Transportation Sub 

committee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, last wee 

k introduced a bill aimed at reducing grade-crossing accidents. 

Sen. Exon told his colleagues that he intended to offer the bill as an 

amendment to the FRA reauthorization and hoped that Sen. Jack Danforth, R-Mo., 

and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., would do the same with related bills they introduc 

ed this year. 

The railroad industry had urged the Clinton administration and Congres 

s to enact a "clean" safety bill that reauthorized the status quo without adding 

new regulations. Several rail lobbyists said Wednesday that the industry suppor 

ts the various grade crossing proposals and will not oppose their addition. 

"We have basically argued for a straight safety reauthorization bills," sai 

d Joe Carter, vice president for legislation at the Association of American Rail 

roads. "We have no problem with the bill passed by the House and if the Senate a 

dds grade crossing provisions, we would strongly welcome that." 

The Exon bill would do the following: 

þ Establish a national testing center to research new grade crossing safety 

devices. 

þ Set up federal guidelines for state and local governments to follow in pr 

eventing trespassing on rail property. 

þ Establish a civil penalty for vandalizing a grade crossing device or tres 

passing on rail property. 

þ Prohibit local governments from establishing whistle bans. 

Sen. Danforth, the highest-ranking Republican on the Commerce Committee, in 

May introduced a bill that would increase the federal spending on a public educ 

ation efforts about the dangers of driving in front of trains. 

Perhaps most significantly, Sen. Danforth included a provision that wo 

uld reduce liability faced by railroads after grade-crossing accidents. The prov

ision would require the Department of Transportation to make clear who holds res 

ponsibility for selection and installation of signal and safety devices at cross 

ings. 

Railroads have sought such relief since a 1993 Supreme Court ruling th 

at held because the federal government had never assigned responsibility, people 

involved in accidents could sue the railroads. 

That provision had been added by the Commerce Committee to a bill that 

set up research funding for high-speed rail projects. It was removed when the S 

enate passed the bill last week, in an effort to make the bill closer to the Hou 

se-passed version. 



AUTH[Mary Heitkamp, Ltr. ed. 

SOUR[Syracuse Journal-Democrat 

BK#[ 

HDLN[To the Editor 

TEXT[To the Editor: 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Senate Resolution 

70) is beginning to move in the U.S. Senate. I am sure there are few individual 

s who are aware of it, or who even know what this is. 

1) This is a U.N. treaty, that if ratified by two-third 

s of the Senate and signed by President Clinton, who has already made clear he w 

ill sign it), it will become coequal with the U.S. Constitution as the highest l 

aw of the land. 

2)If ratified, the U.N.Convention on the Rights of the 

Child will be implemented in the United States and virtually destroy the parenta 

l rights we presently have. This treaty will give all children the right to free 

dom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of religion; the right to pri 

vacy (which includes the right to abortion); the right to choose schools; the ri 

ght of access to media materials (including any program on TV or cable that we m 

ay deem inappropriate for our children to watch). etc. Any parent who in fringes 

on his/her children's rights in these areas, in any way, could be prosecuted wi 

th the possibility of having the children removed from the home. The treaty virt 

ually prohibits the corporal punishment of children. 

3) The U. N. Convention on the Rights of the Child would cos 

t billions of dollars to implement, in addition to generating hefty litigation c 

osts as parents throughout the country resist this attack on their parental righ 

ts. The White House Domestic Policy office has confirmed these costs. 

Presently, 50 Senators are on record as co-sponsors, calling for 

President Clinton to send the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the Se 

nate for ratification. This number of co-sponsors demonstrates to President Clin 

ton that he is getting very close to the two-thirds majority he needs to have th 

is treaty ratified. The State Department is preparing to recommend that the Pres 

ident send the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child to the Senate this fal 

l. 

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child is not needed in the United 

States. We already have a huge bureaucracy throughout the states and many laws 

governing investigation and prosecuting child abuse cases. The treaty is much be

tter designed for countries like Iraq or China. 

If the treaty passes, our rights as parents to raise our children 

as we deem best, will be under fire. Our rights to discipline our children will 

be curtailed. Our rights to send our child to the school of our choice will be 

compromised. Our rights to teach our children our faith will be gone. And there 

is more. 

Historically treaties have been enacted to govern our nation's re 

lations with other countries. If this passes, we would relinquish our sovereignt 

y as a country to the United Nations to have this international body tell our st 

ates what laws they must enforce and tell parents how they must raise their chil 

dren. The United Nations would, in effect, be allowed to control the internal af 

fairs of our nations and our homes. 

The saddest and most disturbing thing of all of this,is that our own U.S. Senato 

r Bob Kerrey, has signed on as one of the 50 co-sponsors. We must write and cal 

l, insisting that he withdraw his co-sponsorship. Also, write and call Sen. J.J. 

Exon thanking him for not co-sponsoring S.R. 70 and ask him to oppose the U.N. 

Convention on the Rights of the Child in its entirety. 

You can call the U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 or write Sena 

tor 

----, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510. 

You think this could never really happen? Just sit back and do nothing. You 

will see for yourself. 

Respectfully,Mary Heltkamp, Dunbar 



AUTH[Gene Kelly 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Trucklike Vehicles Drive Legislations 

TEXT[Led by increased interest in light trucks, vans and sport-utility vehicles, 

registration of new motor vehicles in Lancaster County surged 17.7 percent duri 

ng the first half of 1994, compared to the same period last year. 

Passenger cars and trucks titled in the county through June of this ye 

ar totalled 5,015, compared to 4,262 one year earlier. 

A similar pattern was seen across Nebraska, where total registrationthe 

rough equivalent of sales- creased 11.5 percent to 40,144 in the recent sixmonth 

period. That compared with 35,992 in the first half of the previous year. 

According to data from R.L. Polk & Co., trucklike vehicles accounted f 

or about 53 percent of registrations in both Lancaster County and across the sta 

te, the same preference seen in the same period of 1993. 

In the recent six-month period, truck registrations in the county were 

up 18.6 percent, or 415 vehicles, from the previous year. And across Nebraska, 

the registration of trucklike vehicles increased 11.7 percent, or 2,253 vehicles 

, from the previous year's pace. 

Ford led the pack in all types of vehicle registrations in both the co 

unty and the state during the first half of this year, with Chevrolet finishing 

strong in the race for consumer loyalty. 

The share of first-half passenger car registrations in Lancaster Count 

y that involved imported vehicles fell to 32.1 percent from 38.5 percent in the

same period last year. 

Across the state, imports captured 24.6 percent of the market in the r 

ecent period, compared to 26.5 percent the first half of the previous year. 

In Nebraska during the recent period, imported trucklike vehicles had 

a 6.2 percent market share, compared with 7.1 percent during the first of 1993. 

In Lancaster County trucklike vehicles held 7.4 percent of the market at th 

e end of June, compared to 9.5 percent at that point one year earlier. 



AUTH[Jerry Pickerel, Ltr. ed. 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Call Them Republicrats 

TEXT[ In an Aug. 22 letter, Norma Huckfeldt wanted to know what happened to 

our good Democrats that they let Republicans push them around in Washington. I h 

ave an answer that at least covers our Nebraska Democrats, Sens. Kerrey and Exon 

and Rep. Peter Hoagland. For a Democrat to be elected in Nebraska, he needs Rep 

ublican and independent votes, so he tries to sound like a Republican. 

I recently sent Sens. Kerrey and Exon a letter accusing them 

of being "Republicrats" and threatened not to vote for them if they do not supp 

ort a Democratic health plan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans Help Pass Crime Bill 

TEXT[ OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon voted with the m 

ajority as the Senate passed a $30 billion crime bill. 

The Nebraska Democrats had first added their votes to a 61-39 roll call Thu 

rsday that defeated a Republican attempt to open 

the bill for procedural move that could have blocked the bill from final passage 

. 

Kerrey and Exon then voted yes in a 61-38 roll call by which the Senate pas 

sed the crime bill. 

Exon said it was time for people in Washington to stop "just wringing their 

hands in dismay about the crime epidemic engulfing the nation." 

The bill is a long way from a cure-all on crime, but it is a first step in 

the right direction, Exon said. 

Kerrey has said he supports the bill because its provisions for more police 

and jails and its ban on the manufacture of 19 assault weapons would make Nebra 

ska communities safer. 

Some Republicans have argued, among other things, that the bill is too cost 

ly and that minimum sentences should have been toughened.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grassley: Crime Vote Letdown for GOP 

TEXT[Washington - A 61-39 Senate vote that removed the last hurdle for a $30.2 b 

illion crime bill was a disappointment for Republicans and "a political victory 

for the president," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday. 

"Bipartisanship lost to bullying tactics, and fiscal responsibility lost to 

partisan pressures," Grassley said. 

"As a Republican senator, I sought the opportunity to support amendments th 

at could have made the bill tougher on criminals and more fair to taxpayers," he 

said. 

Grassley voted with the minority against a budget waiver that will allow th 

e crime bill to be financed from savings made by eliminating more than 270,000 f 

ederal employees over the next six years. 

Voting for the waiver, which requires 6 votes, were Democratic Sens. J.J.Ex 

on and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska and Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa. 

Kerrey said a number of Nebraska communities will benefit from crime preve 

ntion programs in the bill if funding is approved by Senate and House appropriat 

ions committees. 

"This bill doesn't do anything unless we appropriate the money," Kerrey sai 

d. "All the cry that it is adding to the deficit is wrong. It doesn't do anythi 

ng unless we appropriate the money." 

"This is all coming from the community," he said of the outpouring for 

a bill. "Police chiefs, sheriffs. Maybe the conference committee didn't get it 

quite right. But Congress got it right: The American people are saying with crim 

e, 'Do something.'" 

Exon said he would have voted against the bill if it had authorized ad 

ditional funds, totaling more than $3 billion, that were added by a House-Senate 

conference committee. 

"Now that the original House-Senate conference report has been cut back, i 

t's time to accept a compromise, because it will provide 100,000 more police off 

icers on the streets and assist the states in building additional prisons and en 

acting tougher laws on criminals," Exon said. 

However, Exon said, proponents, including President Clinton, have over 

stated the benefits of the bill. 

He said Clinton described the bill in a letter to senators Monday as " 

the toughest, smartest crime bill in our nation's history... (that) will shut th 

e revolving door on violent criminals." 

Exon said that if he had been editing the president's letter he would 

have inserted the word "some" in front of "violent." 

"This measure should be understood to primarily address federal court convi 

ctions under federal law, a distinct minority of the arrests and convictions for 

violent crime, including rape and murder," Exon said. 

The crime bill included a provision banning the manufacture of guns defined 

as assault weapons, which Exon described as "people-killer weapons." 

"I don't think banning people-killer weapons adversely affects any of the g

uns I own, shotguns, rifles," Exon said. 

Exon said the legislative procedures that produced the crime bill illustrat 

e "the systematic erosion of the legitimate lawmaking process with the wholesale 

granting of nearly unlimited powers to the Senate-House conference committee." 

Harkin said the crime bill was "the right mix of prevention and punishment" 

that will give law enforcement officials resources they need. 

He defended funding for crime-prevention programs, including "midnight bask 

etball" and other youth activities criticized by some Republicans. 

"I would certainly rather have kids shooting hoops than shooting dope, or p 

utting their energies and talents to use in creative, constructive ways rather t 

han pushing drugs and crime on our streets," Harkin said. 




SOUR[Post-Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Sends Crime Bill to Clinton 

TEXT[WASHINGTON- Climaxing a partisan election-year struggle, a $30 billion crim 

e bill is headed for President Clinton's desk. The measure promises money for m 

ore police officers and tougher terms for criminals. 

"This crime bill is going to make every neighborhood in America safer-and t 

he-partisan- spirit that it should give every American hope that we can come tog 

ether to do the job they sent us here to do,"Clinton said in a written statement 

shortly after the Senate gave final approval of the bill. 

The vote was 61-38 as lawmakers responded to voter anxiety about crime. But 

it also belied an intense battle waged over the measures for months in both hou 

ses and particularly in the past two weeks. 

Fifty-four Democrats and seven Republicans voted for the bill. Thirty-six 

Republicans and two Democrats voted against. 

The White House said today that Clinton would not sign the crime bill until 

sometime after Labor Day. The president was preparing today for a vacation on 

Martha's Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast. 

Shortly before final passage, the Democratic controlled Senate choked off a 

National Rifle Association-backed effort to kill the measure because of opposit 

ion to a ban on many assault-style weapons. 

Hours earlier, Senate Democrats, bolstered by six Republicans, prevailed ov 

er a GOP attempt to open up the measure to last-minute changes. The vote was 61 

-38, one more than the 60 needed. 

"There is no doubt about it," Senate GOP leader Bob Dole said as he tried u 

nsuccessfully to force votes to reduce spending and toughen minimum sentencing r 

equirements. "I know of nobody who does not want a tough crime bill. But I thi 

nk this has become a big, big spending bill." 

Signaling that the issue would resurface in the fall election campaigns, Do 

le said, "we'll have some examples in the 30-second spots," an apparent referenc 

e to campaign commercials. 

Democrats said the measure was plenty tough as written. Sen. Joseph Biden, 

D-Del., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called it "a tough bill, a 

straightforward bill that the cops want, the prosecutors want and the people nee

d." 

In the final words of the debate, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell sa 

id, "77 percent of the American people favor an assault weapons ban--the very th 

ing that for six years has been the driving force in opposition to this bill rig 

ht to this very moment." 

The bill aims to put 100,000 more police officers on the streets, build mor 

e prison cells and ban 19 assault-style firearms and numerous copycat weapons. 

The weapons ban becomes effective with Clinton's signature. 

The measure also expands the federal death penalty and imposes mandatory pr 

ison terms on third-term violent and drug offenders in federal cases. 

The National Rifle Association, perhaps the bill's strongest critic, called 

it "a pork-and-bans crime bill laden with social welfare spending and victim di 

sarmament schemes." 

Tanya K. Metaska, NRA's chief lobbyist, warned that "the NRA's 3.4 million 

members will now turn to the ballot box in November to send a message to members 

of the U.S. Congress which they cannot ignore." 

The National Organization for Women wasted no time extolling a $1.6 billion 

section of the bill called the Violence Against Women Act, which increases pena 

lties for sex crimes, keeps embarrassing inquiries into a woman's sexual histor 

y out of a trial and creates federal penalties for spouse abusers crossing state 

lines. 

At a rally at the Capitol, NOW President Patricia Ireland said the law "now 

recognizes, for the first time ever, that gender-based violence is a violation 

of women's civil rights." 

It;s been six years since the Congress last passed a crime bill, and Clinto 

n made it a centerpiece of his campaign for the White House. 

The Senate late last year, then the House earlier this year overwhelmingly 

enacted separate measures, followed by a two-vote squeaker in the House approvi 

ng assault weapons ban. Compromise talks dragged on for months, and when the fi 

nal compromise came before the House two weeks ago, Republicans, Democratic gun 

control foes and liberal opponents of the death penalty combined to sidetrack it 

. 

In a frenzied series of negotiations, Clinton and Democrats agreed to minor 

changes that attracted enough moderate Republican support to send the measure t 

o the Senate on a vote of 235-195. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Passes Crime Bill, Thwarting GOP Tactics 

TEXT[Washington (AP) - Capping a heated six-year debate, Congress handed Preside 

nt Clinton a critical victory Thursday night with Senate passage of a $30 billio 

n crime bill. 

The vote was 61-38. 

The only senator not to vote on final passage of the bill was Sen. Malcolm 

Wallop, R-Wyo. 

Hours earlier, a handful of Republicans joined Democrats in narrowly blocki

ng a GOP effort that would have derailed the bill. 

The legislation authorizes thousands of prison cells, establishes new crime 

prevention programs, bans assault-style weapons, creates more than 50 new death 

penalties and is intended to help hire 100,000 new police officers. 

It also fulfills one of Clinton's campaign pledges two years ago. The House 

passed the measure Sunday, and it now goes to the White House for the president 

's signature. 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe. Biden, D-Del., called the package 

"a tough bill, a straightforward bill that the cops want, the prosecutors want a 

nd the people need." 

But Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., countered that the measure was 

unduly expensive and loaded with "pork." 

"When the people wake up tomorrow morning, it's going to be sticker shock," 

Dole said. 

Earlier Thursday, six Republicans joined 55 Democrats to block a last-ditch 

GOP effort that would have undone the painstakingly crafted bill negotiated las 

t week by Democrats and moderate Republicans in the House. 

In that earlier vote, supporters of the crime bill won with only a single v 

ote to spare, 61-39. Republicans could hake sidetracked the bill by garnering ju 

st 41 votes. 

Shortly before the final vote on the crime bill, supporters once again must 

ered the 60 votes necessary to choke off speeches demanded by senators such as T 

ed Stevens, R-Alaska, and Larry Craig, R-Idaho - both board members of the Natio 

nal Rifle Association. That vote also was 61-38. 

Most of the Senate's 44 Republicans wanted to block the bill, calling it to 

o costly and complaining that minimum sentences should have been toughened. They 

said too many dollars were spent for prevention and not enough for enforcement. 

After the earlier action, Clinton praised the lawmakers. 

"Today senators of both parties took a brave and promising step to bring th 

e long, hard wait for a crime bill closer to an end," Clinton said. Americans ha 

d waited six years for action on a major crime bill, he said. 

Just before the vote on the GOP procedural move, a grim-faced Senate Majori 

ty Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, declared that Congress had been gridlocked l 

ong enough on crime legislation. 

"Finally there comes a time to act," he said, waving his arm for emphasis. 

"Finally there comes a time when delay is no longer an option ... when we must s 

tand up and answer the roll. Are we or are we not willing to put our votes where 

our speeches are and do something about the tide of crime and violence and fear 

that engulfs our nation?" 

But Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the Judiciary Committee's senior Republican, 

slammed the Clinton administration and the bill's supporters. He said: "This bil 

l is not tough on crime. Most of the money will be used to help re-elect the peo 

ple they want to re-elect." 

Democrats needed Republican help because the procedural issue, a point of o 

rder on the bill's financing, needed only 41 votes to be sustained and 60 votes 

to be defeated. There are 56 Democrats and 44 Republicans in the Senate, and one 

Democrat, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, voted with the Republicans. 

Republican senators voting to keep the crime bill on track were John Chafee 

of Rhode Island, John Danforth of Missouri, James Jeffords of Vermont, Nancy Ka 

ssebaum of Kansas, William Roth of Delaware and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. A 

ll but Specter were among the 10 Republicans who voted in November to add the as

sault-style firearms ban to the Senate's crime bill. 

Dole said the Republicans "had the votes for about 24 hours" to win the pro 

cedural motion but then lost three critical votes to Mitchell. "I regret that I 

failed as the leader to keep our people together on this side of the aisle," he 

said. 

Mitchell won those three Republicans with an offer to permit a single vote 

on stripping $5 billion from the bill, sought by the GOP. "I think it is unfortu 

nate that my Republican colleagues chose not to accept this offer," said Sen. Ka 

ssebaum. 

The bill had cleared the House by a vote of 235-195 Sunday with the support 

of 46 Republicans. 

Delays in congressional action on the crime bill have pushed back and possi 

bly erased chances for action on healthcare reform, another of Clinton's top pri 

orities. That made the victory on crime even more important to his presidency. 

Clinton campaigned on a pledge to help put more police on the streets, and 

the crime bill would devote $8.8 billion toward the stated aim of adding 100,000 

police officers. 

How They Voted 

Here is how Nebraska and Iowa senators voted in the 61-38 roll call Thursda 

y night by which the Senate passed the $30 billion crime bill. 

Yes: Exon, D-Neb.; Kerrey. D-Neb.; Harkin, D-Iowa. 

No: Grassley, R-Iowa. 

Here Is how Nebraska and Iowa senators voted earlier Thursday in the 61-39 roll 

call by which the Senate defeated a Republican attempt to open up the crime bill 

for amendments. On this vote, a "yes" vote was a vote to defeat the GOP attempt 

and a "no" vote was a vote to permit amendments to the bill. 

Yes: Harkin, D-Iowa; Exon, D Neb.; Kerrey, D-Neb. 

No: Grassley, R-Iowa. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate OKs Overhaul of Crop Insurance System 

TEXT[Washington - After a daylong debate on the crime bill, the Senate Thursday 

night passed long-delayed crop insurance legislation. 

The bill, which must be reconciled with the House-passed version, changes c 

rop insurance and makes it the chief means of paying growers who suffer losses f 

rom drought, hail, floods and other disasters. 

The bill alms to expand participation in federal crop insurance by requirin 

g that all farm program participants buy a catastrophic coverage policy for a sm 

all fee. 

The bill would also make it harder for Congress to pass disaster relief bil 

ls, which have bailed out many growers who did not buy coverage. 

Crops not eligible for insurance because of a lack of production history wo 

uld be covered under a standing disaster assistance program. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, both D-Neb., said consideration of the bill

had been delayed by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., to show his displeasure with the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Exon said Helms, using a senatorial privilege, blocked a vote on the bill t 

o protest the transfer of a USDA employee. 

"The employee had made alleged inappropriate remarks toward the department' 

s lenient attitude toward homosexuals," Exon said. He said Agriculture Secretary 

Mike Espy agreed to hold a hearing for the employee in September. 

Exon said Helms finally agreed that further delay of the bill would adverse 

ly affect the ability of farmers to obtain crop insurance. 

He said Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., helped negotiate the agree 

ment with Helms. 




SOUR[Lexington Clipper-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators question new regulations 

TEXT[ 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon recently expressed their concerns to the Depa 

rtment of Interior about new regulations governing irrigation. 

In a letter to Daniel P. Beard, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, 

the senators questioned the bureau's method of developing new regulations govern 

ing water spreading, or the expansion of the total number of irrigated acres rec 

eiving federal project water. 

"We understand that the bureau is in the process of developing a new water 

spreading policy in the Pacific Northwest Region," the letter said. "We also und 

erstand that, once completed, this policy will be implemented in each of the oth 

er four reclamation regions 

with only 'minor revisions.' 

"Any new policy that is to be implemented nationwide must consider the conc 

erns of all who will be affected. A policy implemented in Nebraska should be de 

veloped with the input of Nebraskans and should account for the unique issues an 

d interests in Nebraska, not the Pacific Northwest." 

Kerrey and Exon requested that Beard ensure the new regulations work for al 

l those who are affected by them and asked to be informed on how the bureau will 

include input from other regions and states in the final policy implementation. 



AUTH[Lincoln AP 


BK#[ 

HDLN[State to host businesses at Kickoff 

TEXT[ 

LINCOLN (AP) - Gov. Ben Nelson and Economic Development Director Maxin 

e Moul plan to mix football and business this weekend at the Kickoff Classic at 

the New Jersey Meadowlands.

While the University of Nebraska takes on West Virginia on the footbal 

l field Sunday, Nelson, Moul and other Nebraska business leaders will take on re 

presentatives of more than a dozen major East Coast businesses to promote "the w 

inning spirit of Nebraska," said Nelson aide Dara Troutman. 

"They'll be our guests in a couple of skyboxes at the stadium," Moul s 

aid. 

The department will spend about $2,000 on some game tickets and refres 

hments, but the skyboxes and 36 of the 56 tickets available were donated, she sa 

id. AT&T and New York Jets owner Leon Heff donated the skyboxes. 

Why were the businesses chosen? 

"Many of the businesses have strong Nebraska ties. I believe each of t 

he companies taking part has ties to the state. ... They may have contacted the 

state about expansions," Troutman said. 



AUTH[Omaha AP 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Sens. Kerrey, Exon help clear way for crime bill 

TEXT[ 

OMAHA (AP) - U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey aid Jim Exon voted with the majority Thu 

rsday in clearing the way for passage of the $30 billion crime bill. 

The Nebraska Democrats added their votes to a 61-39 roll call that defeated 

a Republican attempt to open the bill for amendments. 

That GOP procedural move could have blocked the bill from final passage. It 

wasn't clear when the bill would be put to a vote for final passage. The House 

has already passed the bill. 

Exon said it was time for people in Washington to stop "just wringing their 

hands in dismay about the crime epidemic engulfing the nation." 

The bill is a long way from a cure-all on crime, but it is a first step in 

the right direction, Exon said. 

Kerrey has said he supports the bill because its provisions for more police 

and jails and its ban on the manufacture of 19 assault weapons would make Nebra 

ska counties safer. 

Some Republicans have argued, among other things, that the bill is too cost 

ly and that minimum sentences should have been toughened. 



AUTH[J.L. Schmidt 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Spence, Nelson trade swings in initial debate 

TEXT[LINCOLN - Republican challenger Gene Spence came out swinging Friday at the 

first debate in the race for governor.

While incumbent Democrat Ben Nelson hit the highlights of his first term in 

office, Spence mounted a theme asking numerous times "where have you Ben?" on i 

ssues ranging from the adult crime bill to the Board of Parole. 

In response to speculation by some that Nelson will seek the vacant U.S. Se 

nate seat when Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., retires in two years, Spence urged Nelson 

to sign a contract that requires the next governor to serve all four years of th 

e next term. 

Nelson signed it, saying, "I'm glad to sign on for another four years becau 

se it's four years I've been seeking." 

Both men sweated in the heat of the open-air auditorium at the Nebraska Sta 

te Fair. The crowd struggled to hear the candidates because of an inadequate spe 

aker system and the noise of marching bands and tractors that occasionally passe 

d by. 

Spence, who often removed his glasses to wipe sweat from his face, spoke in 

a loud voice interrupting Nelson and the two debate moderators several times. 

He called Nelson "a nice person who wants to do the right thing but just do 

esn't know how." 

Nelson countered by telling Spence he'd be better off if he'd "deal with th 

e facts rather than the way you want the facts to be." 

Spence blasted Nelson for his failure to fire the parole board when it made 

controversial decisions to parole a convicted murderer and a rapist. 

Nelson countered that he couldn't fire them without just cause. "'You've go 

t to work within the system that's there," he said. 

Both men agreed that it's time for Nebraska's first execution in 35 years. 

Spence blamed Nelson for some of the delay in the case against death row inmate 

Harold Lamont Otey who is scheduled to die Sept. 2 for a crime committed 17 year 

s ago. 

Nelson said it's the federal appeals process that needs to be changed and t 

hat's something the state can't do anything about. 

The governor said he's pleased that a state tax panel has moved toward equa 

lizing property evaluations, but cautioned that "we need spending relief as well 

as tax relief." 

Spence charged that Nelson's leadership has shifted the burden of property 

taxes to farmers and homeowners. 

Asked what he'd do differently, Spence said his tax program "will be coming 

out in a couple of weeks." 

Spence said the state's budget has grown from $136 billion a year to $171 b 

illion a year during Nelson's tenure. He said that voters will have a chance to 

change that on Oct. 8. 

After the debate, Nelson noted that the budget for the current fiscal year 

is $1.7 billion and the election is still Nov. 8. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson, Spence Battle 

TEXT[Nebraska's slow moving campaign for governor might be picking up a little s

peed. 

For an hour Friday, Gov. Ben Nelson and Republican challenger Gene Spence f 

aced each other across the stage of the Open Air Auditorium at the State Fair an 

d traded shots in a spirited debate that could provide grist for the rest of the 

campaign. 

Spence, who earlier admitted that his campaign is not "fully engaged yet," 

accused Nelson of failing to lead on issues ranging from crime to taxes to devel 

opment of the low-level nuclear waste disposal facility in Boyd County. 

"I just don't see your leadership on these things, Ben," Spence said as the 

debate moved from state spending to crime. 

In response, Nelson pointed to issue after issue in which his actions '"mov 

ed Nebraska forward" and accused Spence of ignoring reality in his effort to dev 

elop issues against his opponent. 

"If you would deal with facts rather than what you wish the facts would be, 

we'd he able to debate the issue," Nelson said to Spence during an exchange on 

convicted murderer Harold L. Otey. 

Spence said Otey would have been executed already if Nelson had pressed for 

laws to speed up the carrying out of sentences. 

The governor, however, pointed out that Otey's appeals have been almost ent 

irely in the federal court system, over which neither he nor the Legislature has 

any power. 

The debate was witnessed by a less-than capacity crowd whose enthusiasm was 

given a booster shot by small bands of partisans from the two campaigns who app 

lauded and cheered when they thought their respective leaders scored points. 

And for Spence supporters, one of those points came when he accused the Nel 

son administration of using taxpayer dollars to buy the silence of two state Dep 

artment of Agriculture employees who had claimed to have been victims of sexual 

harassment. 

The allegation was categorically rejected by Nelson as a "campaign ploy." L 

ater, in a telephone news conference, state agriculture director Larry Sitzman c 

alled the charge "an absolute lie." 

Spence also played the spending card by saying that the state budget had in 

creased 25 percent during Nelson's term. 

The governor responded by pulling out a chart comparing the spending in his 

administration with that of his predecessor, Republican Gov. Kay Orr. 

According to the chart, the spending rose 4.92 percent In Orr's first year 

in office, 10.75 percent in the second, 20.96 percent in the third and 15.83 per 

cent in the fourth year. 

By contrast, according to the chart, spending rose 11.79 percent In Nelson' 

s first year, 4.46 percent in the second and declined 0.15 percent in the third. 

It didn't contain a figure for the year still to be completed. 

In making his accusation, Spence referred only to money spent on state gove 

rnmental operations and not total state general fund spending. 

State government operations account for only 25 percent of state spending. 

The rest goes for aid to individuals and local governments and to fund higher ed 

ucation. 

Spence charged Nelson with failing to relieve the burden of property taxes 

on homeowners and farmers, a problem for which the governor has created a specia 

l task force. 

To this, Spence replied: "Ben, we've got to have some reform in taxes now. 

It can't wait."

But the Republican, who has made property tax reform one of his campaign pl 

edges, refused to disclose his own plan. 

"I'll have a plan coming out in a couple of weeks," Spence said. 

One point on which Nelson and Spence agreed was that whoever voters choose 

in November should serve the full four years. 

That agreement was reached when Spence, referring to speculation by some th 

at Nelson will seek the vacant U.S. Senate seat when Sen. Jim Exon retires in tw 

o years, signed what he said was a contract pledging to serve for the full guber 

natorial term. 

He then urged Nelson to sign it, which he did, saying "I'm glad to sign on 

for another four years, because it's four years I'm seeking." 

The debate Friday was the first of two scheduled before the Nov. 8 general 

election. The second will he on Sept. 16 at the Nebraska Associated Press Associ 

ation's annual meeting in Hastings. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Spence Targets Nelson's Record 

TEXT[State Fair Park - Republican challenger Gene Spence attacked Gov. Nelson's 

record throughout their one-hour debate Friday while Nelson said the last four y 

ears have been a time of prosperity. 

Spence called Nelson "Ben" as he frequently interrupted him and criticized 

him on issues ranging from state spending to an allegation of a cover-up of sexu 

al-harassment charges in the State Department of Agriculture. 

Nelson appeared to be prepared for much of the criticism as he cited figure 

s on slowed state spending. 

But he seemed to be caught off-guard momentarily at one point: As the two c 

andidates wrangled over the justification of bonuses paid to Larry Sitzman, dire 

ctor of the Department of Agriculture, Spence charged that the director had sexu 

ally harassed agency employees. 

Spence then walked a few steps from his lectern on the stage of the Open Ai 

r Auditorium to where Nelson stood and presented him with a photograph. 

The picture showed Sitzman sitting at a desk wearing an Arab headdress and 

four female employees with outstretched arms bowing to him. 

"I've been waiting for this," Nelson said. 

Spence charged that the Department of Agriculture had settled a sexual-hara 

ssment case against Sitzman for $20,000 and against another high-ranking departm 

ent employee for $38,000. 

"I think it's despicable," Spence said "Twenty thousand dollars as hush mon 

ey to pay off people on sexual-harassment charges. ...Twenty thousand dollars of 

taxpayer money was used to keep this picture under wraps." 

As Spence continued pressing the point during the debate, Nelson broke in, 

"If you think you can do a better job as director of agriculture, I'll be glad t 

o accept your application." 

Spence cut Nelson off. "I can do a better job as governor, Ben, a much bett 

er job," he said. 

Three hours after the debate ended, Sitzman told reporters during a confere

nce call, "Gene Spence lied." 

Neither case involved sexual harassment, Sitzman said. One was a settlement 

of a layoff, and the other was in response to an employee's lawsuit. "There was 

no settlement of a sexual-harassment suit," Sitzman said. 

After the debate, Spence said he was not sure whether the sexual-harassment 

allegations were related to the incident in the photograph. He said he was awa 

re of the photograph. He said after the debate that Sitzman had described it to 

him as "a prank" suggested by agency employees after a state trade mission to Eg 

ypt and Israel. 

"I don't see anyone tied to the desk," Nelson said of the four bowing women 

shown in the picture surrounding Sitzman. "He regrets it, and I regret it." 

Nelson tried to set a positive tone as the debate began at noon before abou 

t 300 people in the 2,200-seat auditorium. He portrayed his four years as ones o 

f prosperity across the state," with more communities growing. 

During his first term in office, Nelson said, state spending has been held 

in check; a juvenile crime bill has been enacted; health-care reform has been en 

acted; and federal mandates have been resisted. 

At his first opportunity to speak, Spence jumped to the attack. "'If I were 

in your shoes, Ben, I'd have trouble looking people in the eye and saying, "I'l 

l give you four more years of the same thing," Spence said. 

"I don't see leadership, Ben. I think you are a nice person who wants to do 

things, but you don't know how to do it." 

Spence faulted Nelson for failing to enact an adult crime bill in the last 

legislative session and for not firing the members of the parole board. 

The two clashed over state spending, which Spence claimed had risen by 25 p 

ercent during Nelson's term. 

But Nelson countered that spending rose by more than 62 percent during the 

four-year term of his predecessor, Republican Kay Orr. 

Nelson used a large chart to show spending increases of 11.8 percent his fi 

rst year in office and a reduction in spending last year. The summary of spendin 

g provided by the Department of Administrative Services reflected an overall inc 

rease of 16.6 percent in state spending since Nelson took office. 

"You should have been running four years ago if you were worried about spen 

ding," Nelson said to Spence. 

Nelson seemed to put Spence on the defensive came as they traded charges ov 

er state action raising residential property values for tax purposes in Douglas, 

Sarpy and several other counties. Nelson defended the action as a legitimate at 

tempt to close the gaps between counties. 

Spence argued that Nelson's actions on the issue had been confusing and del 

ayed. He said he would enforce the law requiring that property valued for tax pu 

rposes equal actual market value, even though it has never been done in the stat 

e. 

Nelson said that would have meant that Douglas County home owners would hav 

e seen much higher revaluations than those ordered this summer by the State Boar 

d of Equalization and Assessment. Instead of rising from an average of 79 percen 

t of actual value to 87 percent, as ordered by the state, Nelson said, the Spenc 

e solution would have meant an increase to 100 percent. 

"I'm hearing you saying 100 percent - another 13 points higher," Nelson sai 

d. "Is that what I heard you say?" 

Spence: "I'm saying I would enforce the law." 

Nelson: "That's 100 percent."

Early in the debate, Spence offered Nelson a contract saying that the winne 

r of their election plan to serve the full four-year term. Nelson signed it, app 

arently ending speculation that he might run for the U.S. Senate in 1996 if Sen. 

J.J. Exon does not seek re-election. Nelson called the contract "a ploy." 

The two also exchanged accusations of irresponsibility on locating a low-le 

vel radioactive waste facility in Boyd County. As a member of the Omaha Public P 

ower District board, Spence has supported the facility. Nelson has opposed it. 

The only area of agreement came when both men said they opposed any additio 

nal gambling, particularly casino gambling, in the state. 

Nelson said after the debate that Spence's style was what he expected. "He 

has to draw blood and attack." 

Spence said after the debate: "Just wait. You haven't seen nothing yet. ... 

You can expect a hard-hitting campaign." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[First debate defines Stands for Nelson, Spence 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Based on remarks made during the first debate in the governo 

r's race between Republican Gene Spence and Democrat incumbent Gov. Ben Nelson, 

here's where they stand on the issues. 

ABORTION: 

Nelson said he's "pro-life. I've always been pro-life." He noted sever 

al laws passed during his administration that deal with parental notification, i 

nformed consent and a 24-hour waiting period. 

Spence, who went into the primary as a pro-choice candidate, appeared to ba 

ckpedal, saying that he's against abortion because it's a moral issue. "I don't 

want it injected into this debate." 

BUDGET: 

Nelson said that the state has been holding the line and was recently able 

to trim $100 million from spending when it was necessary. 

Spence said the budget has grown from $136 billion to $171 billion during N 

elson's tenure. When told later that the budget was $1.36 billion to $1.71 billi 

on, Spence said, "I forgot the decimal point. I suppose you're gonna trip me on 

these numbers." 

He criticized Nelson for offering bonuses to his staff during tight budget 

times. Nelson said the practice has been changed to reward employees who make go 

od suggestions or contribute something extra to their jobs. 

CRIME: 

Nelson touted his juvenile anti-crime package passed by lawmakers as w 

ell as measures to allow for automated fingerprinting, DNA testing and other thi 

ngs to make the job of law enforcement easier. 

"Ben, where were you when the adult crime bill didn't even come up for 

debate on the floor of the Legislature?" Spence asked. 

The adult crime bill was debated on the floor of the legislature but i 

t didn't pass. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Nelson said agricultural trade in foreign markets has increased 436 pe 

rcent. He said when he became governor only 10 counties had reported any populat 

ion gain between censuses. Now, more than one-third of the counties have reporte 

d gains. 

Spence said Nebraska has fallen from first to 42nd place in states rec 

ording a gain in non-agricultural jobs. 

GAMBLING: 

Nelson said he supported the state lottery and that's as far as he'll go in 

support of gambling. Spence said he'd fight any additional gambling in the stat 

e. 

LOW-LEVEL WASTE: 

Spence, a member of the Omaha Public Power District board, said Nelson has 

been irresponsible by not moving forward with the location of a low-level radioa 

ctive waste dump in northeast Nebraska. 

Nelson said the big issue is safety and noted that OPPD has been fined nume 

rous times by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for violations at the Fort Calho 

un Nuclear Power Station it operates. 

PAROLE BOARD: 

Spence said Nelson's rhetoric about wanting to fire the parole board but no 

t being able to just doesn't work. "It's irresponsible not to fire them. Under m 

y watch I'd have fired them anyway," he said. A hearing officer several years ag 

o said that Nelson as governor didn't have just cause to fire three board member 

s after a controversial parole. 

EXECUTIONS: 

Both men agreed that it's time for the first execution in 35 years. Sp 

ence blamed Nelson for some of the delay in the case against death row inmate Ha 

rold LaMont Otey, who is scheduled to die Sept. 2 for a crime committed 17 years 

ago. 

Nelson said it's the federal appeals process that needs to be changed 

and that's something the state can't do anything about. 

PROPERTY TAXES: 

The governor said he's pleased that a state tax panel has moved toward equa 

lizing property valuations, but cautioned that "we need spending 

relief as well as tax relief." 

Spence charged that Nelson's leadership has shifted the burden of prop 

erty taxes to farmers and homeowners. 

Asked what he'd do differently, Spence said his tax program "will be coming 

out in a couple of weeks." 



AUTH[David Beeder 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson Trip to Raise $100,000 

TEXT[East Rutherford, N.J. - Gov. Nelson watched the Nebraska Cornhuskers win th 

eir first game of the 1994 season Sunday, the eve of New York City fund-raising 

events.

Monday's events were to include two $10,000-a-plate meals. Nelson said most 

of the guests would he Nebraskans and former Nebraskans. 

Nelson, in a skybox interview at Giants Stadium, said there was nothing ina 

ppropriate about his going to New York for the events. He said the luncheon and 

the dinner were arranged by Warren Buffett, head of Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaw 

ay Co. 

"I am not authorized to say who is attending these events, but the names wi 

ll be published in my campaign financial reports," Nelson said. 

In addition to the meals, there will he a $1,000-per-person reception at wh 

ich Buffett and Nelson will be joined by former Nebraskans Ted Sorensen and Dick 

Cavett as hosts. 

Nelson said Buffett, Sorensen and Cavett are personal friends who asked to 

help in his campaign. Sorensen, now a New York attorney, was one of President Jo 

hn Kennedy's top advisers; Cavett is a television talk-show host. 

Nelson said he expects the New York fund-raising event to raise "in the nei 

ghborhood of $100,000." 

He said some of the businessmen who will attend have indicated that they wo 

uld like to meet Buffett, who has been ranked among the wealthiest Americans. 

Nelson was chairman of the education committee of the National Governors' A 

ssociation when it formulated the Goals 2000 program calling for sweeping improv 

ements in U.S. public schools. 

"It sounds immodest, but some of those attending the events Monday recogniz 

e the leadership I have taken on some important national issues including ethano 

l and education," Nelson said. 

He said he does not expect criticism because the events are in New York Cit 

y, where a number of former Nebraskans hold prominent positions. 

Nelson said he couldn't recall any criticism of a $250,000 event that was h 

eld in Nebraska for former Republican Gov. Kay Orr. 

He said that event was sponsored by Gene Spence, his Republican opponent in 

the November election, and featured former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger a 

s the speaker. 

Buffett has taken an active role this year in organizing fund-raising event 

s for Nebraska Democrats. 

In April, he was the co-host with actress Debra Winger of a fund-raising ev 

ent for Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. Buffett is honorary chairman of Kerrey's campaig 

n. 

Buffett and other' businessmen will hold a $500-a-plate breakfast Friday fo 

r Rep. Peter' Hoagland, D-Neb., at the Omaha Marriott Hotel. 

Monday's events included a luncheon at the India House, a reception at the 

Continental Club and a dinner with insurance executives at the Hudson River Club 

. Nelson is a former president of a Nebraska insurance firm and was director of 

insurance under then-Gov. J.J. Exon. 

Nelson and Buffett were in a Nebraska skybox at Giants Stadium in the Meado 

wlands Sports Complex to help promote the state with companies seeking new plant 

locations. 

Maxine Moul, director of the Nebraska Economic Development Department, said 

guests included representatives of industries with plants in Nebraska, includin 

g AT&T in Omaha and Ford New-Holland in Grand Island. 

Buffett played golf Saturday with President Clinton on Martha's Vineyard, 

"I can give you a scoop," he said. "The president had a 39 on the front nin 

e with a couple of birdies."

Buffett said he played only the front nine holes with Clinton, who finished 

the 18 with Microsoft founder Bill Gates. 

"The president finished with an 83," Buffett said. "He played better with m 

e than he did with Gates." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans Named Business Delegates 

TEXT[Washington - Four Nebraskans were appointed Monday by Sens. J.J. Exon and B 

ob Kerrey, both D-Neb., as delegates to the 1995 White House Conference on Small 

Business. 

The four day national conference will be held in June 1995. 

Exon selected Gerald L. Schleich, chief executive officer of Home Estate in 

Lincoln, as his principal delegate. Marilyn Knox, president of Global Travel in 

Omaha, is an alternate delegate. 

Kerrey appointed Josie Hernandez, owner of Manuteck Inc. in Omaha as his pr 

incipal delegate. Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook, owner of Wicahpi Vision in Chadro 

n, Neb., will be an alternate delegate. 

Delegates named by Nebraska congressmen were announced earlier. 




SOUR[Keith County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ogallala hospital gets federal grant for 'clinic on wheels' 

TEXT[ 

The Ogallala Community Hospital has received a $269,905 federal grant for " 

clinic on wheels" to serve six area counties, U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-Neb.) an 

d Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) have announced. 

The grant application was prepared by Sue (Mrs. Denny) Peterson, hospital l 

aboratory manager. 

The grant from the Department of Health and Human Services will fund a van 

for use in Arthur, Deuel, Garden, Grant, Keith and Perkins Counties. 

A physician's assistant will drive the specially equipped van through the f 

ive county area to take medical services to residents, Exon and Kerrey said. 

"The Rural Health Outreach grant will help bring Nebraskans in rural commun 

ities better access to health care, Exon and Kerrey said. "This means that we wi 

ll get health professionals to rural Nebraskans who need care." 

The Sandhills District Health Department (SDHD), the Volunteers of American 

of Lewellen and the Strategic Action Team, a group of local educators, health a 

nd social service workers, are working with the hospital on the outreach program 

.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln program is awarded grant 

TEXT[ 

LINCOLN, Neb. (Ap) - Lincoln Action Program Inc. has been given a $149,833 

grant as part of a joint day-care project with the YMCA of Lincoln and the Linco 

ln Housing Authority. 

The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be use 

d to start a day-center center in Lincoln's northwest side, Sens. Jim Exon and B 

ob Kerrey said recently. 



AUTH[Reuters 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate OKs Subsidy Plan Requiring Crop Insurance 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate passed a crop insurance reform bill last week 

that for the first time will make insurance mandatory for farmers who enroll in 

crop-subsidy programs. 

The bill was passed on a voice vote after the Senate passed the conten 

tious $30 billion anti-crime bill. 

While farmers would he required to buy insurance, the basic level of c 

overage, to cover catastrophic losses, would be offered at nominal cost - $50 a 

crop. 

The crop insurance bill was the only major Clinton administration initiativ 

e in agriculture this year. 

The new federal crop insurance program, by widening enrollment and off 

ering attractive rates, would be more costly than the present money-losing insur 

ance system. 

However, the administration says, it will be an overall moneysaver. Th 

e bill is expected to eliminate the disaster relief programs that Congress has e 

nacted frequently in recent years. 

Since 1981, the crop insurance program has paid out $1.47 in claims for eve 

ry $1 it collected. 

Senator James Exon, Neb.-D, said the smooth passage of the bill was possibl 

e only through hard work." 

There was concern that winter wheat farmers, who soon will seed their 

fields, would be unable to get crop insurance because of uncertainty if the insu 

rance program would he changed this year. 

Senator Jesse Helms, South Carolina Republican, had a "hold" on t 

he bill for some time in hopes of getting the Agriculture Department to change i 

ts position on a personnel matter. 

The House passed its version of crop insurance reform earlier this yea

. Senate passage makes it more likely both chambers will agree on a final versi 

on yet this year. 

Farm-state senators yoked a plan to reorganize the mammoth Agriculture Depa 

rtment to the insurance bill. The Senate has approved a reorganization plan, but 

House action has been stalled because a number of committees claim they have ju 

risdiction over small parts of the bill approved by the House Agriculture Commit 

tee. 




SOUR[Evening Omaha World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Offutt Unit's Island Air Base Succumbs to Costs, Weather 

TEXT[Lt.Col. Rich Wilson said he is not going to miss the 100-mile-per-hour wind 

s, dense fog and freezing temperatures that so often made landing planes on a ti 

ny island near Alaska a riveting, if not harrowing and deadly, experience. 

"I'm not sad to see the place go," said Wilson, commander of the 45th Recon 

naissance Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base. "But for all of us who have been in 

this program, there is a lot of heritage at Shemya. People are proud to say the 

y flew and landed at Shemya." 

An elite Offutt unit will leave a three-decade history of harrowing landing 

s, deadly crashes and heroic rescues when it officially ends operations this wee 

k at the base on the tiny island its residents have dubbed "the Rock." 

The Air Force is closing the flight operation at Eareckson Air Force Statio 

n on Shemya Island in hopes of saving money, Wilson said. 

It was expensive providing shelter and provisions to care for the people an 

d airplanes on the isolated 2- by 4-mile island about 1,400 miles from Anchorage 

at the end of the Aleutian Islands chain. Just keeping the generators running 

to provide electricity required thousands of gallons of diesel a day. 

Forty-eight members of Detachment 1, 55th Operations Group, have been gradu 

ally moving to Offutt, where they will continue to maintain and fly their RC-135 

"Cobra Ball" aircraft on treaty-verification missions, Wilson said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., a high-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services 

committee, has said that the unit is responsible for space surveillance and dete 

ction of foreign missile tests. 

RC-135s are military versions of the Boeing 707. They are equipped with rad 

ar and other sensors that allow the aircraft to gather electronic signals and ot 

her information. 

For future Cobra Ball reconnaissance missions, RC-135 aircraft flying from 

Offutt typically will make stops at bases in Alaska before heading for the coast 

of the former Soviet Union and at sites in the Pacific region. 

Coping with the extreme weather often proved to be the greatest challenge f 

or Shemya-based crews, Wilson said. 

"The weather out there is the worst in the world," he said. 

Average temperatures throughout the year generally range from a not-too-ext 

reme 10 degrees to 62 degrees. The problem is the wind. 

Winds exceeding 30 miles per hour are typical and can reach as much as 125 

miles per hour during the winter, Wilson said.

Although the Air Force sent only its most experienced pilots and crews to S 

hemya, the precautions were not always enough. 

An RC-135 landing at Shemya in January 1969 skidded off an icy runway and s 

uffered so much damage that it could not be repaired. 

In June of that year, an RC-135 disappeared while flying over the Bering Se 

a. No wreckage was ever found, leaving only speculation about the fate of the 19 

crew members. 

Six crew members died in 1981 when a Cobra Ball aircraft crashed during a l 

anding attempt in poor weather. 

Shemya-based crews have avoided crashes or major incidents over the past 10 

years. 

The unforgiving weather and extreme conditions, however, claimed victims of 

other military and civilian planes flying in the area. 

Detachment 1 crew members occasionally shifted from their reconnaissance du 

ties to lead or join search-and-rescue missions. 

They helped rescue the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 that had crashed in 

1982 near Shemya on Attu Island. 

One of the unit's finest moments occurred April 6, 1993, when Shemya crews 

scrambled to aid seriously injured passengers on a China Eastern Airways MD-11 a 

irliner that landed at their base after a major in-flight problem, Wilson said. 

The pilots are believed to have made a mistake that violently pitched the C 

hinese aircraft up and down three times vaulting passengers onto the ceiling and 

then slamming them back into their seats. 

Wilson said one person was dead and 157 or more than 250 passengers were se 

riously injured when Air Force crews entered the plane. 

"They were strewn around the cockpit," Wilson said. "There were broken back 

s and broken necks. It was a first-class disaster." 

One Air Force doctor and two medical technicians cared for the injured in a 

n airplane hangar for two days before they were evacuated to hospitals in Alaska 

. 

A pilot with emergency medical technician training assisted, another crew m 

ember made oxygen masks for patients out of airplane oxygen components, and anot 

her unit member made back boards out of plywood. 

"People from our detachment were doing amazing things," Wilson said. 

Despite the hardships that air crews had to endure there, Wilson said he co 

nsidered Shemya a special assignment. 

Wilson's father, L. Wilson of Sacramento, Calif., he fought as an Army i 

nfantryman in campaigns near Shemya during World War II. The elder Wilson also h 

ad helped build runways and install fuel tanks at the base at Shemya where his s 

on later would serve as a commander. 

Wilson said he heard many stories from his father before leaving for Shemya 

in 1975. One story about the weather that sounded fictitious before he left pro 

ved true time after time, Wilson said. 

Aircrews fight a daily battle against some of the harshest weather in the w 

orld, unless they play host to certain visitors, Wilson said. 

"When a general or a senator arrives it's always blue skies," he said. 



AUTH[Edd Saylor Jr.


BK#[ 

HDLN[BVCA Head Start Gets Boost, Finds New Facility for Children 

TEXT[Local Head Start officials are in a very good mood. 

Blue Valley Community Action in Fairbury has been awarded a $104,447 grant 

to help fund its Head Start programs, Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced 

Friday. Funding assistance, will be used to help make program and quality impr 

ovements over a nine-county area, according to BVCA Head Start Director Kathryn 

Molczyk. 

Molczyk has been with the program since its beginning, spearheading the BVC 

A Head Start for 26 years. In 1966, a summer program started and ran for two yea 

rs. 

"Fairbury had one of our first fall-year Head Start programs," Molczyk said 

. Others followed soon after. 

The two senators praised the preschool program for lower income families. 

"Head Start pays for itself many times over," Kerrey and Exon said. "By get 

ting the children off on the right foot in education, it can pay dividends for y 

ears in helping them become successful adults." 

Presently, a total of 21 children are enrolled in the Fairbury Head Start, 

approximately the same as last year, according to Doris Thornburg, center superv 

isor. Enrollment has remained constant for several years, she said. 

Local Head Start pre-school classes are scheduled to begin later than usual 

this year, near the end of September, because they will be held in a different 

location: a new facility located at 1303 B St. 

"We started packing last week," Thornburg said Monday as the moving process 

continued. The new facility must undergo ADA compliance procedures before child 

ren can attend classes, she said. 

Molczyk said, "This is the first time ever that Head Start has purchased it 

s own facility. We hope to be ready to move in during the first part of Septembe 

r." 

The Fairbury Head Start program previously has been held at 1005 E St., in 

a house rented from a private individual. 

All of the Fairbury Head Start workers are busy this week preparing for the 

big move, which is not an easy task, they quickly found out. The old house was 

fall of boxes ready to be moved to the new facility. 

The four employees at the Head Start center help the operation run smoothly 

. They also include Nina Lugenbeel of Fairbury, family educator and van driver; 

Teresa Slama, family educator; and Susan Witt, cook. 

Local Foster Grandparents Maybelle Korte and Doris Swartz volunteer and hel 

p with the preschool children four days a week during the school year, Thornburg 

said. 

Classes for the children normally run through April, according to Molczyk. 

A total of 228 children in 10 counties are participating this year in the H 

eed Start program. BVCA also operates Head Start classes in Jewell County, Kansa 

s. 

The program operates on a yearly budget of around $900,000. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Opposition Fails Against Crime Bill 

TEXT[It's new and improved. And it's better than nothing at all. 

President Clinton has won another victory in the passage of a $30 bill 

ion crime bill. 

It wasn't an easy task. Only a handful of Republicans supported the bill an 

d our own Congressman Bill Barrett was included in the GOP opposition. Senators 

Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon voted for the bill. 

Barrett said he voted against the bill because it doesn't get tough on crim 

inals and it doesn't bolster our crime-fighting abilities. Apparently, he thinks 

nothing is better that this bill. The best way to fight crime, Barrett said, is 

to keep criminals off the streets. 

Let's see, doesn't get tough on crime? How about billions of dollars f 

or new police officers? The "three strikes" law? Nearly 10 billion for prisons i 

sn't enough? I guess $7 billion isn't enough for crime prevention programs, eith 

er. 

And we all know how Barrett voted against the assault weapons ban. Let 

me ask one question WHY? What in the world can make someone think we need those 

things? Statistics show the majority of Americans are in favor of the ban. Than 

k goodness the provision is included in the bill. 

Another feature of the bill is the creation of more than 50 new federa 

l death penalty crimes. 

Barrett said American people want tough, sweeping changes that will slash t 

he crime rate. The bill won't satisfy them, he said. 

We do have changes, those that many people want. It may not satisfy many pe 

ople, but it at least will quench their thirst for a tougher stance on crime. 

Senators Kerrey and Exon each deserve a big pat on the back. They vote 

d the way I think most people feel. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Chadron woman selected as alternate delegate to Washington 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey announced Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook of Chadron as 

his alternate delegate to represent Nebraska at the 1995 White House Conference 

on Small Business next June in Washington, D.C. 

Both Senators Exon and Kerrey announced their choices Monday, naming a prin 

cipal delegate and an alternate each. The other three delegates chosen are from 

Omaha and Lincoln. 

Nebraska will be represented by a total of 16 delegates, all owners, corpor 

ate officers or employees of businesses employing fewer than 500 people. 

These Nebraskans understand the important role small businesses play in the 

ir economy," Exon and Kerrey said. "They will be their voice of small firms ever 

ywhere." 

Their White House Conference on Small Business will bring together 40,000 s

mall business owners and entrepreneurs over the course of meetings nationwide du 

ring 1994 and 1995. Omaha hosted one of their state level meetings on Aug. 9. 

Their work of their representatives will culminate with the four-day Nation 

al White House Conference on Small Business from June 11 to 15, 1995 in Washingt 

on, D.C. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Helps Negotiate Passage of Crop Insurance Bill 

TEXT[ 

Washington D.C. - U.S. SENATOR JIM EXON (D-NEB) said today that the stalled 

Crop Insurance bill passed the U.S. Senate in the last hours of action before t 

he Labor Day recess began Thursday night. 

As a senior member of the Budget Committee, Exon worked hard earlier this y 

ear to ensure that the funding for crop insurance reform would be available. 

Exon worked most of the day Thursday to help clear the "hold" that Senator 

Jesse Helms (R-NC) had on the bill. Exon contacted Helms, Secretary of Agricultu 

re, Mike Espy and conferred with Senator Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS) to reso 

lve Helms' concerns. 

Helms was using the tactic of holding up approval of the crop insurance bil 

l to bring pressure on Espy to reinstate a U.S. Department of Agriculture employ 

ee who had been transferred pending a hearing on charges that the employee had a 

llegedly made inappropriate remarks about the Department's lenient attitude on h 

omosexuals. 

Espy has agreed to guarantee a hearing for the employee in September before 

any final determination is made. Dole had also been working on Helms. 

"Senator Helms was sympathetic to our legitimate concerns that delaying the 

crop insurance bill would adversely affect farmers and their obtaining crop ins 

urance," Exon said. "I thank Senator Helms and appreciate the key role that Sena 

tor Dole and Secretary Espy played in resolving this issue," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey name Nebraska's Small Business Delegates 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) rece 

ntly announced the names of the Nebraskans they have appointed to represent the 

state at the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business. 

Exon appointed Gerald L. Schleich, Chief Executive Officer of Home Real Est 

ate in Lincoln, as his principal delegate. Exon's alternate delegate will be Mar 

ilyn Knox, President of Trans Global Travel in Omaha.

Kerrey appointed Josie Hernandez, owner of Manuteck, Inc. in Omaha as his d 

elegate. Kerrey's alternate delegate will be Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook, owner 

of Wicahpi Vision in Chadron. 

"These Nebraskans understand the important role small businesses play in th 

e economy," Exon and Kerrey said. "They will be the voice of small firms everywh 

ere." 

The White House Conference on Small Business will bring together 40,000 sma 

ll business owners and entrepreneurs over the course of meetings nationwide duri 

ng 1994 and 1995. Omaha hosted one of the state level meetings on August 9. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Small Business Delegates Named 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., have 

disclosed the names of Nebraskans they appointed to represent the state at the 

1995 White House Conference on Small Business. 

Exon appointed Gerald L. Schleich, Chief Executive Officer of Home Real Est 

ate in Lincoln, as his principal delegate. Exon's alternate delegate will be Mar 

ilyn Knox, President of Trans Global Travel in Omaha. 

Kerrey appointed Josie Hernandez, owner of Manuteck, Inc. in Omaha as his d 

elegate. Kerrey's alternate delegate will be Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook, owner 

of Wicahpi Vision in Chadron. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[UNL gets U.S. funds for agriculture project 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Their University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been chosen to admini 

ster a $1.7 million program to promote methods of sustainable agriculture for Ne 

braska and 12 other states. 

The announcement was made Tuesday by U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooper 

ative State Research Service. Of the total allocation for their program, $268,38 

4 will be used in Nebraska. 





BK#[

HDLN[Hard to Figure 

TEXT[Question:How much has state spending increased during Gov. Ben Nelson's adm 

inistration? 

Answers: 

A. A lot: 25 percent. 

B. Not too much: 16 percent, and less than 1 percent in the past year. 

C. A moderate amount: second lowest increase of the past five governor 

s at 5.60 percent compounded annual average. 

D. More than inflation at a 6 percent average increase per year. 

E. All of the above. 

Right Answer: E, all of the above. 

Yes, all the answers can be justified by one set of numbers or another 

, one kind of calculation or another. 

Gubernatorial candidate Gene Spence gave answer A during last week's f 

airground debate. It is based on state general fund spending for three years and 

the proposed spending for this fiscal year. 

Gov. Ben Nelson gave answer B during that debate. It is also based on 

general fund spending, but for only the first three years of his term. 

Answer C uses general fund spending (plus proposed spending for this f 

iscal year) but computes a compounded annual average. Answer D is the simple ari 

thmetic average of the four-year spending increase. 

Beware of candidates tossing out numbers. The numbers have likely been 

selected to reflect the candidate's own bias. 

Numbers alone seldom tell a complete story. 

A budget for one governor may include construction of a very expensive 

building begun under another administration. 

Gov. Kay Orr's budget numbers, for example, reflected increased state 

aid for education - a measure passed over her veto. 

Gov. J. James Exon's budget increase of 80 percent during his second t 

erm partially reflected the result of double digit inflation occurring during th 

ose years. 

Gov. Bob Kerrey's very low 16 percent increase in spending over his fo 

ur-year term reflected the dismal economic slump. 

In last week's debate, Republican candidate Spence provided the most c 

omplete budget numbers. 

However, incumbent Nelson, a Democrat, accurately noted that spending 

increases during his term are substantially lower than during the term of his Re 

publican predecessor. 




BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Supports Measure to Improve Health Care 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said that rural Nebraskans will benefit from a measure h 

e supported to enhance health care in rural areas. "I am making sure that the ne 

eds of rural Nebraskans, as well as all other rural Americans, are addressed as 

we debate national health care reform," Exon said.

He supported an amendment to health care legislation that would increase in 

centives for medical professionals to offer health care in rural America and off 

er more support for them. 

The amendment was offered by U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, (D-S.D.). It passed the 

Senate by a vote of 94-4. 

Provisions in the amendment Exon supported include: 

*Increasing funds for the National Health Service Corps. Under this program 

, the federal government pays tuition for medical students who agree to practice 

in rural areas upon graduation. 

*Making nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing in rural ar 

eas eligible for Medicare bonus payments at the same rate as physicians providin 

g primary care services in underserved areas. 

"Just like doctors, these medical providers need encouragement to practice 

in rural areas," Exon said. "Providing Medicare bonus payments may be one way to 

attract them." 

*Issuing grants for telemedicine, a developing field of technology that all 

ows rural doctors to consult with specialists using television hookups much like 

college classes that are offered in rural areas. Between 1996 and 2001, $15 mil 

lion in grants would be provided. 

*Forming a grant program for states to create or enhance a rural emergency 

medical services system. 

"Many rural areas already offer so-called 'life-flight' type systems, but o 

thers desperately need them," Exon said. 'Time is of the essence in emergencies, 

and many patients need to be flown to larger hospitals for treatment. 



AUTH[WH Bureau 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Funds Announced For Roads Projects 

TEXT[Washington - More than $1.7 million in federal funds have been announced fo 

r Omaha-area roads projects, Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska said Tue 

sday. 

The projects and funding were: 

* $785,291 for a bridge over Union Pacific Railroad tracks near the interse 

ction of Interstates 80 and 680. 

* $949,000 to build culverts and resurface six-tenths of a mile of Cornhusk 

er Road near its intersection with 36th street. 

Exon and Kerrey, both Democrats, said the money was part of the $4.3 millio 

n in funds Nebraska will receive from the Federal Highway Administration. 




SOUR[Scottsbluff Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[State get $1.9 million for road paving project

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Tuesday tha 

t Nebraska will receive $1.9 million to pave 6.9 miles of Pumpkin Creek Road in 

Banner County. 

The Nebraska Department of Roads will grade and surface nebraska Highway 88 

west of Highway 71 near Harrisburg. 

The money for the Banner County project is part of the $4.3 million in addi 

tional money Nebraska will receive form the Federal Highway Administration for t 

ransportation projects. 




SOUR[Randolph Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Seeks Meat & Poultry Tests 

TEXT[Senator Bob Kerrey said today that the announcement by the United States De 

partment of Agriculture that it has developed a rapid microbial test that can de 

tect harmful bacteria on meat is long-awaited good news. 

At Senate Agriculture Committee hearings in May and August, Kerrey criticiz 

ed the USDA for raising public fears over meat and poultry inspection procedures 

and then not acting quickly enough to address the need for fundamental improvem 

ents in inspection procedures. Kerrey pushed USDA to speed up the reform proces 

s at both hearings. 

"I am pleased to see some concrete progress at the USDA," kerrey said. "Th 

e need for fundamental inspection reform is real and urgent. We need to address 

this problem quickly, and I will continue to work with the Department to develo 

p procedures that modernize the inspection system. We still have a lot of work 

to do to change USDA's approach of ensuring safe meat, but this is a good first 

step." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate measures hopes to improve care 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon said that rural Nebraskans will benefit from a measur 

e he supported to enhance health care in rural areas. 

"I am making sure that the needs of rural Nebraskans, as well as all other 

rural Americans, are addressed as we debate national health care reform," Exon s 

aid. 

Exon supported an amendment to health care legislation that would increase 

incentives for medical professionals to offer health care in rural America and o 

ffer more sup-port for them. The amendment was offered by U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle. 

It passed the Senate by a vote of 94-4. 

Provisions in the amendment Exon supported include: 

**Increasing funds for the National Health Service Corps. Under this progra

m, the federal government pays tuition for medical students who agree to practic 

e in rural areas upon graduation. 

**Making nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing in rural a 

reas eligible for Medicare bonus payments at the same rate as physicians providi 

ng primary care services in underserved areas. 

"Just like doctors, these medical providers need encouragement to practice 

in rural areas," Exon said. 

"Providing Medicare bonus payments, may be one way to attract them. 

**Issuing grants for telemedicine, a developing field of technology that al 

lows rural doctors to consult with specialists using television hookups much lik 

e college classes are offered in rural areas. Between 1996 and 2001, $15 million 

worth of grants would be provided. 

**Forming a grant program for states to create or enhance a rural emergency 

medical services system. 

"Many rural areas already offer so-called "life-flight" type systems, but o 

thers desperately need them," Exon said. "Time is of the essence in emergencies, 

and many patients need to be flown to larger hospitals for treatment." 



AUTH[Melvin Paul 

SOUR[Verdigre Eagle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Scheduled Execution Raises Many Questions 

TEXT[For the first time in 35 years, Nebraska will put a man to death for killin 

g another human being this week. 

At least that's what it looks like as this column is being written. 

Harold Lamont "Walkin' Wili" Otey is scheduled to take a long last walk to 

the electric chair at one minute to midnight Friday morning. 

For some, it will mean that justice is finally served; for others, it will 

be the height of injustice that Otey dies while other murderers live. 

It has been a long, frustrating haul to get to this point. 

Otey raped and murdered an Omaha student/waitress in 1977. J.J. Exon was go 

vernor then; Roland Luedtke was speaker for the Legislature. Cars cost less th 

an $10,000 and disco music was the rage. 

The long drama of this case, played out in countless court appeals and hear 

ings, has worn on both those supporting and those opposing the death penalty. 

The seemingly endless string of appeals eat at proponents of capital punish 

ment. The victims of these crimes didn't get so many breaks, they say. When ju 

stice is delayed so long, they contend, disrespect is fostered toward our judici 

al system. 

"Fry Wili," they cried at a recent rally in Lincoln. 

Opponents of the death penalty, however, express frustration, too. 

They point to studies that indicate that capital punishment is not a deterr 

ent to murder. And, they say studies show it is cheaper to house a killer for li 

fe without parole than pay the legal fees and time required to leap through the 

legal hoops required to take someone's life. 

Two former Nebraska governors, Frank Morrison and Bob Crosby, recently join 

ed in writing state newspapers about their opposition to the death penalty.

They said the money wasted on court appeals should be used to help the depe 

ndents of the victims of these horrible crimes. And that convicted murderers sho 

uld be required to work, with the salary benefiting those dependents. 

"The death penalty, influenced as it is by the economic status and race of 

the defendant and victim, by the location of the crime, and by the skill of the 

attorneys, is more like a lottery than a system of justice," Govs. Morrison and 

Crosby wrote. 

I wondered about that a week ago as I sat in a Lincoln courtroom. There, la 

wyers were trying to decide if Erwin Charles Simants - who killed six members of 

a Sutherland family in 1979 - could join groups of patients from a state mental 

hospital when they went on therapeutic outings in Lincoln. 

Currently, his outings are restricted. He can go only with one-on-one super 

vision. 

Simants and Otey belong to a sad sector of society that needs to be locked 

up forever. Everyone agrees on that. But it is ironic that one week we're debati 

ng how many people need to hold Simants' hand and the next week we're strapping 

Otey into an electric chair. 

If Simants' first conviction had not been thrown out (because county sherif 

f played cards with jurors as they reached a verdict), it would be Simants makin 

g the walk Friday morning. (Simants was found not guilty by reason of insanity a 

t a second trial.) 

This week's scheduled execution raises hundreds of questions just like this 

one. Don't count on it supplying the answers. 

The views expressed in Capitol News are those of the writer and not necessa 

rily those of the Nebraska Press Association. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Service selects UNL to administer program 

TEXT[The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been chosen to administer a $1.7 mil 

lion program to promote methods of sustainable agriculture for Nebraska and 12 o 

ther states. 

The announcement was made by Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooper 

ative State Research Service. Of the total allocation for the program, $268,384 

will be used in Nebraska. 



AUTH[Scott Canon 

SOUR[Kansas City Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska prepares for its first execution since Starkweather

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. - Not since they strapped a red-headed James Dean wannabe nam 

ed Charles Starkweather into the electric chair in 1959 have the people of this 

state put someone to death. 

Starkweather, an unemployed garbage man, slaughtered 11 innocents during a 

cross-country rampage with his 14-year-old girlfriend. He was caught, convicted 

and executed in the span of little more than a year. 

Death penalty justice has been decidedly less swift in the case of Harold O 

tey, 43, who raped and murdered an Omaha photography student 17 years ago. 

Yet now the state is poised to electrocute Otey just minutes after midnight 

Friday morning in the same wooden chair used to kill Stark-weather more than 35 

years ago. 

The delay from conviction to execution reflects a more cautious justice sys 

tem. It is also a source of profound irritation among the majority of Nebraskans 

who support the death penalty. 

"It's not so much that all of us in this state are bloodthirsty," Jerry Hud 

son said on his Omaha afternoon radio show this week. "It's just that we're so f 

rustrated that we don't have justice yet." 

Consider the response Hudson got Tuesday when he asked radio listeners if t 

hey thought the electric chair was the right method. Should the 

state, he asked, consider switching to something more humane, such as lethal inj 

ection? 

His query immediately launched a discussion into the slowest, most torturou 

s ways to kill a man. 

"Anything," suggested a caller, "will be too good for this guy." 

Much of the emotion about Nebraska's return to the death penalty takes on t 

he same tone. 

And, as in other states, the arguments take on an uncomfortable racial cast 

. Nearly 94 percent of Nebraska's population is white; four of the 10 inmates on 

death row are not. 

A more common theme, however, is fear of crime. And talk of fear and crime 

in Nebraska nearly always turns to Charles Starkweather. 

Two months after shooting a gas station attendant to death in a robbery, St 

arkweather drove to the Lincoln home of his girlfriend, Caril Fugate, in late Ja 

nuary 1958. He quickly got in an argument with her mother and, he recalled later 

, "she slapped me. When I hit her back, her husband started to come at me, so I 

had to let both of them have it with my rifle." 

So started a killing spree that lasted days and ended after Starkweather, a 

n 18-year-old who stuffed newspapers into the toes of his oversized cowboy boots 

to make them fit, shot to death a shoe salesman napping alongside a Wyoming roa 

d. 

"Lawmen," a Lincoln newspaper said at the time, "were always a corpse behin 

d." 

The National Guard was called out to patrol the streets of Lincoln. More th 

an a few parents, guns at the ready, pulled their children from school so they c 

ould watch over them. 

Finally, a geologist found Starkweather and Fugate standing near his final 

victim and yanked away the killer's rifle. 

On June 24, 1959, with the hair shaved from his head and his left leg, Star 

kweather was led into a roof lighted by a single, bare bulb. Three jolts of 2,20 

0-volt electricity later, he was dead. 

"Since then, Nebraska's electric chair simply gathered dust. In 1972, the U 

.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment as then practiced was: unconstit

utional. In 1973, the Nebraska Legislature passed a new death penalty law, and 

then-Gov. James Exon signed it. 

The Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that the death penalty was constitutional u 

nder certain guidelines. (Caril Fugate, who maintained she was a hostage during 

the Starkweather murder spree, was paroled that same year). 

One Friday night the next year, Harold Lamont Otey, known to family an 

d friends as "Walkin' Willie," wandered by the apartment of 25-year-old Jane McM 

anus. He peeked through her living room window and saw her napping on a sofa. 

"You know, I was horny or whatever ... and I went in there," Otey sai 

d in a taped confession that he later recanted. 

After he took a stereo out of the apartment and looked for more loot, 

McManus woke up. 

"I told her I was going to rob her and ... I was going to rape her," O 

tey told investigators in 1977. 

After slashing her face with a Kmart fishing knife to "show her that I 

wasn't kidding," Otey raped her. Then he stabbed her, beat her head with a hamm 

er and finally strangled her with a belt. 

Like Starkweather, Otey's confession made for a quick conviction and s 

entencing. Carrying out that sentence has been another matter. 

Fully 17 years have passed and dozens of appeals of Otey's death sente 

nce have circulated through the court system. The national average for the time 

between sentencing and conviction is 7 1/2 years. 

Since Missouri first started carrying out death sentences in 1989, exe 

cutions have followed convictions by an average of 10 years. Kansas, which recen 

tly enacted a death penalty law, last executed a murderer in 1965. 

On Wednesday, Otey lost what experts believed was his final chance whe 

re a federal appeals panel rejected his challenge of Nebraska's clemency procedu 

res. 

It was with the Nebraska Board of Pardons that the Otey case took on i 

ts most political overtones. 

Unlike most states, where the governor has the power to commute a deat 

h sentence, in Nebraska the decision is made in concert with the attorney genera 

l and secretary of state. A majority vote of the three-person panel decides the 

issue. 

Gov. Ben Nelson, a Democrat running for re-election, has long said he 

favors the death penalty. So have Attorney General Don Stenberg and Secretary of 

State Allen Beermann. 

When Otey's attorneys came to the pardon board in 1991 asking that the 

sentence be committed to life in prison, Nelson and Stenberg voted no. Beermann 

voted against execution. 

Beermann, the only panel member not running for re-election, said he f 

elt that Otey's trial counsel lacked experience and the time needed to prepare f 

or a death penalty case. 

"And there were and are numerous people at the (penitentiary) who were 

multiple murderers and got life," Beermann said. "Our constitution requires pro 

portionality." 

The McManus family made sure the decision didn't take place without pressur 

e from them. Family members appeared before the pardon board, hoping to counter 

testimony from death penalty opponents. 

"That was a wide open political process," said Michael Jacobs, the husband 

of one of Jane McManus' sisters. "And although the family had remained private b

efore then, there was a feeling that it was time to speak up." 

The impending execution prompted a flood of phone calls, faxes and letters 

to the three pardon board members. Nearly half of the objections, they say, come 

from Europe. 

"Perhaps Governor Ben Nelson feels that he's in tune with the will of the p 

eople," Curt Goering of Amnesty International USA told a rally this week. "But w 

e, too, are the people, and we must not let him feel he is doing it in our names 

." 

By all accounts, the execution will go ahead this week. 

"I think it's going to happen," said Kris Daniel, an attorney with the anti 

-death penalty Missouri Capital Punishment Resource Center. "He's gone as far as 

he can go. He doesn't have much left in the courts." 

Charles Hohenstein, the warden's administrative assistant at the Nebraska P 

enitentiary in southeast Lincoln, said witnesses have been lined up. The electri 

c chair, in a 9-by-9-foot room of cinderblock coated in cream colored paint, has 

been tested on a 55-gallon drum filled with water. Hohenstein said the chair ha 

s been equipped for 2,450 volts, 250 more than Starkweather got. 

Arrangements have been made for Otey to order his last meal from the prison 

inventory at noon today. Shears have been readied to shave his head and left le 

g. 

The McManus family plans to gather in Omaha. 

"There'll be a sense of relief, but I don't think it will be cause for cele 

bration," Jacobs said. "This execution isn't going to bring finality for this fa 

mily. Jane is still is going to be gone." 



AUTH[Bill Kreutzer 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Fewer Crossings Could Save Lives 

TEXT[Dear Editor: 

I agree with your thoughts on Sen. Jim Exon's efforts on rail safety. I com 

e from a railroad family; I work for Burlington Northern here in McCook and I'm 

also an "Operation Lifesaver" program presenter. Operation Lifesaver is a safety 

program dedicated to eliminating accidents and injuries at rail grade crossings 

. 

Sen. Exon's bill could help a great deal in the area of crossing safety, if 

it can help close unneeded crossings. I'm sure a lot of people would feel they 

are being inconvenienced if they had to drive an extra mile or so to cross the t 

racks, but the fact is there are just too many crossings, and elimination of som 

e might save lives. 

It is economically unfeasible for the state, local or federal government to 

install automatic warning devices at every railroad crossing and many people st 

ill drive around the crossing gates or ignore the warning lights and are injured 

or died trying to save a couple minutes driving time. 

Operation Lifesaver offers free of charge safety programs with information 

on driving skills and facts about railroad crossings that can save lives. 

Short of eliminating all the railroad crossings, educating the public about 

the dangers encountered at crossings should be a concern to everyone.

If you are interested in an Operation Lifesaver program for your school, ch 

urch, civic group or business, please contact me at my work phone, 345-5930, and 

leave a message if you have to. 



AUTH[Ellyn Fergson 

SOUR[Burlington Free Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Leahy leading tour of former Soviet states 

TEXT[Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. is heading up a four-senator, fact-finding trip t 

hat takes off Friday for the former Soviet Union to assess the political and eco 

nomic progress in three republics. 

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operat 

ions, has a long-standing interest in how the newly independent nations are adap 

ting to change. 

He and his group - Sens. Hank Brown, R-Colo., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Ja 

mes J. Exon, D-Nebraska, their wives and staffers - will visit Russia, Ukraine a 

nd Moldova during the Sept. 2-9 trip. 

As chairman of the subcommittee, Leahy was responsible last year for squeez 

ing the Clinton administration's request for money for Russia into the Senate fo 

reign aid bill. He has advocated that U.S. foreign aid to the new republics not 

go to often unstable governments, but instead to grass-roots efforts to build fr 

ee-market economies and to foster democratic government. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon helps to negotiate passing of crop insurance bill 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NEB) said today that the stalled Crop Insurance bi 

ll passed the U.S. Senator the last hours of action before the Labor Day recess 

began Thursday night. 

As a senior member of the Budget Committee, Exon worked hard earlier this y 

ear to ensure that the funding for crop insurance reform would be available. 

Exon worked most of the day Thursday to help clear the "hold" that Senator 

Jesse Helms (R-NC) had on the bill. Exon contacted Helms, Secretary of Agricultu 

re Mike Espy and conferred with Senator Minority leader Bob Dole (R-KS) to resol 

ve Helms' concerns. 

Helms was using the tactic of holding up approval of the crop insurance bil 

l to bring pressure on Espy to reinstate a U.S. Department of Agriculture employ 

ee who had been transferred pending a hearing on charges that the employee had a 

llegedly made inappropriate remarks about the Department's lenient attitude on h 

omosexuals. 

Espy has agreed to guarantee a hearing for the employee in September before

any final determination is made. Dole had also 

been working on Helms. 

"Senator Helms was sympathetic to our legitimate concerns that delaying the 

crop insurance bill would adversely affect farmers and their obtaining crop ins 

urance," Exon said. "I think Senator Helms appreciates the key role that Senator 

Dole and Secretary Espy played in resolving this issue," Exon said. 



AUTH[Ap 


BK#[ 

HDLN[G.I. Boys Town shelter gets a grant 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - A shelter in Grand Island run by Omaha-based Boys Town has rec 

eived a $54,323 grant. 

The Department of Health and Human Services grant to Boys Town's Mid-Plains 

Shelter will help the home for troubled youth continue to provide temporary hou 

sing and counseling for up to 18 boys and girls, Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, 

both D-Neb., said Thursday. 



AUTH[Lori Potter 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Words Go to War, Yields Giggles 

TEXT[People tune into the things that are most important to them. 

Parents can pick out their children's voices over the din of a packed playg 

round. They can sleep through thunderstorms, but will awake in an instant at a f 

aint unusual noise from the baby's room. 

My dad can sleep through all kinds of racket. Yet when he was farming, he w 

ould become wide awake if the irrigation motor north of the house stopped during 

the night. 

We all direct our attention to things that interest us or for which we have 

some knowledge. 

Farmers study fields, construction workers evaluate buildings, mechanics ar 

e tuned into the sound and look of vehicles, sports fans play coach from the sta 

nds and musicians listen to music in a different way than the rest of us. 

Most such evaluations are a reflex, rather than the result of a specific in 

terest in what's being observed at a given moment. 

It's like taking work home with you, which can be aggravating. 

My problem is with words. 

Most people can read or hear words that are wrong, confusing or strange and 

not think twice about it. The editor in me makes those goofs seem more importan 

t than they are. 

Maybe it's because I hate to make mistakes. It's impossible to hide misspel 

led or misused words in a newspaper story with my name at the top. 

Finding mistakes in other people's writing or speaking makes me feel like I

'm not the only imperfect person in the world. I like asking myself, "What were 

they thinking when they wrote that?" 

I've compiled some word mistakes I've seen or heard recently. 

First there was the message board at a local restaurant that said, "Come an 

d try our food out." 

Ouch. A grammar teacher could find several things wrong with that. l wonder 

ed why the author didn't just say, "try our food." 

I started looking at other message boards in town. One at another restauran 

t said, "Eight piece chicken. Two large sides. Just $6.99." 

I first thought that any eight-piece chicken must have two very large sides 

. Of course the message meant that two large side dishes were included when eigh 

t pieces of chicken were ordered. 

I'm not so great with food messages myself. During my trip to Arizona in Ju 

ne, participants on my bus tour were given a menu for supper to be served at the 

Museum Club on Route 66 in Flagstaff. 

We all thought the fajitas, salsa and chips sounded wonderful. "But what in 

the world is crudite (pronouncing it just like it looks)?" I asked. 

Someone with more sense than me informed the group that the word was "cru-d 

i-tay," or raw vegetables. 

Broadcasters have a second set of problems. Assuming their copy is written 

correctly, they still must read and pronounce it right. 

Sports announcers tend to "wing it" more and that can mean trouble. 

Earlier this summer, when Major League Baseball still was being played, Cal 

Ripken Jr. of Baltimore reached a milestone. The stadium announcer apparently h 

ad repetitive meaning syndrome when he said Ripken had played in "2,000 consecut 

ive games in a row." 

A tv sports broadcaster announced that owners of a new NBA expansion team i 

n Vancouver had selected a mascot, "the Grizzles." As opposed to the Grizzlies, 

I suppose. 

I heard a health care ad on the radio in which the people discussing the is 

sue were represented as being my fellow Nebraskans. Then I was told to express m 

y concerns to Sen. "Ex-On." 

A CBS News report about a homeless study said the death rate for homeless p 

eople is four times higher than for the rest of the public. 

Isn't the death rate 100 percent for everyone? There must have been some de 

fining element, such as age at death, missing from that report. 

I was telling my brother, James, about some of these word problems and he o 

ffered his own example. 

While traveling through a northern Nebraska town recently, he drove by a mo 

vie theater. The message on the marquee said the movie now playing is "The Loin 

King." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mayors meet in Crawford 

TEXT[Officials from across the Panhandle will convene in Crawford for a Panhandl

e Mayors Conference Sept. 16. "The meeting will be held at the new Crawford Comm 

unity Center Building on First Street which was rebuilt after the famous 1991 fl 

ood. 

"This conference will be an opportunity to discuss issues affecting our Pan 

handle communities," Crawford Mayor Bob Scoggan explained. 

Patti Rapp, western Nebraska representative for Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon wil 

l be in attendance, as will Lieutenant Governor Kim Robak and Senator Bob Wicker 

sham. 

The day will begin with registration from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and then a welcome 

will be given from Jim McAllister, Fort Robinson superintendent and Nebraska Ga 

me and Parks representative. He will discuss tourism in the Panhandle. 

Robak will present her program, "Efficiency of Government," and Wickersham 

will provide a legislative update on the progress of the Prehistoric Prairies Di 

scovery Center. Scoggan will showcase his city with a presentation on the rebuil 

d after the flood. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon convinces Helms to let go of farm bill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - House and Senate negotiators will sit down later this month to 

smooth out differences in farm legislation that would reform crop insurance and 

reorganize the U.S. Department of Agriculture, thanks in part to Sen. Jim Exon, 

D-Neb. 

It was Exon who sat down with Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., just before 

the belated August recess began and convinced the conservative to lift his hold 

on agricultural issues. 

Helms, who was chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee from 1981 throu 

gh 1986 when the Republicans held a majority in the Senate, exercised his - and 

every other senator's - prerogative and blocked all legislation and nominations 

originating in the Agriculture Committee in protest of what he believed was the 

USDA's pro-homosexual personnel policies. 

Exon, whose voting record is the most conservative among Northern Senate De 

mocrats, served as an ideal go-between and was soon able to convince Helms to dr 

op his hold. In exchange, Helms got Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy's promise to 

grant a hearing to a USDA equal employment officer who was removed from his pos 

ition after publicly criticizing the department's policy toward homosexual emplo 

yees. 

Exon convinced Helms that his hold was jeopardizing the financial well-bein 

g of farmers across the country, including North Carolina. Without the crop insu 

rance legislation, Exon said, they would not be able to purchase crop insurance, 

and banks would not lend them money without the crop insurance to protect their 

loans. 

The legislation was the last piece of business before the Senate took its r 

ecess Aug. 26, and came as somewhat of a surprise, especially the inclusion of t 

he reorganization legislation, which had been passed earlier this summer by the 

Senate.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., insisted o 

n joining the two bills to overcome House opposition to the reorganization measu 

re. The bill is intended to save the federal government millions of dollars and 

improve service to farmers over the years. 

The House Agriculture Committee approved the reorganization bill earlier th 

is year. But full House consideration was blocked by those opposed to a provisio 

n that would require cost-benefit analyses of proposed USDA environmental regula 

tions. 

Espy's efforts to streamline USDA headquarters and eventually the field off 

ices have run into strong resistance from the bureaucracy. where people are worr 

ied about their jobs, and from powwow state lawmakers, who are afraid they may l 

ose USDA field offices in their states and districts. 

With the Senate passage of legislation combining reorganization with crop i 

nsurance reform, House opposition to reorganization is virtually nullified becau 

se it is tied to "must pass" legislation, the crop insurance bill. 

With the two bills put into one supposedly noncontroversial package, final 

resolution by both houses would seem routine. But those who have watched these b 

ills labor through the legislative process say it would be wrong to predict smoo 

th sailing. 



AUTH[Lacrisha Butler 

SOUR[Denver Post 

BK#[ 

HDLN[New senators may be X factor 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The race to succeed retiring Majority Leader George Mitchell m 

ay ultimately be decided by people who aren't even in the Senate yet. 

Sen. Jim Sasser of Tennessee is squaring off against Sen. Thomas Daschle of 

South Dakota for the chance to ascend to what is considered one of Washington's 

most powerful positions - and one of the most thankless jobs in Congress. 

Reports from both camps report similar vote tallies: including their own vo 

tes, 21 have publicly committed for Sasser, while 19 have come out for Daschle. 

The vote will be by secret ballot after lawmakers return in January. 

But the vote counts have been stagnant for weeks, with 10 of the 50 returni 

ng incumbent Democrat senators undecided. Thus, the two have turned to wooing De 

mocratic Senate candidates who may very well be freshmen come January and may se 

rve as the trump card in this tight race. 

Six Democratic senators are retiring, including Sen. Harlan Mathews of Tenn 

essee, appointed to a two-year term to fill Vice President Al Gore's Senate seat 

. 

The Democratic nominee for that seat, Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Shelbyville, has a 

lready said he will back Sasser. 

Meanwhile, A handful of Democratic incumbents - one for Sasser and two for 

Daschle - are in tight races against Republican challengers. 

If the Senate elections in November - in which Republicans are expected to 

make impressive gains - fail to transform the race between Sasser and Daschle in 

to one for minority leader, Republicans are at least expected to trim the Democr 

ats' majority, which now stands at 56 to 44.

"It's plausible to conclude that Democrats might lose five or six of their 

13 most vulnerable seats but pick up at least one of the seven Republican-held s 

eats now in jeopardy," says political analyst Charles Cook. 

Both Cook and political analyst Stuart Rothenberg are predicting a Republic 

an gain of anywhere from three to five Senate seats. 

"Some of the people who are in Congress now who appear to be factors won't 

be there in November," said Rothenberg. 

He added, however, that courting prospective newcomers is certainly "worth 

the time." 

DUCKS ALL IN A ROW 

A look at the race for Senate majority leader: 

SASSER'S SUPPORTERS DASCHLE SUPPORTERS 

Max Baucus, Mont Daniel Akaka, Hawaii 

Joseph Biden, Del John Breaux, La. 

Barbara Boxer, Calif Richard Bryan, N.V. 

Dale Bumpers, Ark Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Colo. 

Robert Byrd, W.Va Kent Conrad, N.D. 

Christopher Dodd, Conn Byron Dorgan, N.D. 

Russell Feingold,Wis Bob Graham, Fla. 

Wendell Ford, Ky Bob Kerrey, Neb. 

John Glenn, Ohio John Kerry, Mass. 

Howell Heflin, Ala Patrick Leahy, Vt. 

Fritz Hollings, S.C Barbara Mikulski, Md. 

Daniel Inouye, Hawaii Carol Moseley-Braun, III. 

Bennett Johnston, La Harry Reid, Nev. 

Frank Lautenberg, N.J Chuck Robb, Va. 

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, N.Y John Rockefeller, W.Va. 

Patty Murray, Wash Paul Simon, Ill. 

Claiborne Pell, R.I Paul Wellstone, Minn. 

David Pryor, Ark Harris Wofford, Pa. 

Paul Sarbanes, Md. Richard Shelby, Ala. 

UNDECIDED SENATORS 

Jeff Bingaman, N.M Bill Bradley, N.J. 

J. James Exon, Neb Dianne Feinstein, Calif. 

Tom Harkin, Iowa Ted Kennedy, Mass. 

Herb Kohl, Wis Joseph Lieberman, Conn. 

Carl Levin, Mich Sam Nunn, Ga. 

ENDANGERED INCUMBENTS 

Lautenberg, who is supporting Sasser. 

Wofford and Robb, who support Daschle. 

Feinstein and Kennedy are also in tough races, 

but they are listed as undecided. 

POTENTIAL DEMOCRATIC SENATE FRESHMEN 

Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee, 

who has pledged his support to Sasser. 

Rep. Tom Andrews of Maine. 

Rep. Bob Carr of Michigan. 

Rep. Dave McCurdy of Oklahoma.

POSSIBLE DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVERS OF SEATS 

NOW HELD BY REPUBLICANS 

Rep. Alan Wheat of Missouri. 

Attorney General Charles Oberly of Delaware. 

Former state legislator Ann Wynia of Minnesota. 

Attorney Jack Mudd of Montana. 



AUTH[Hugh Bunnell 

SOUR[Alliance Herald Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[We're Cooling Off 

TEXT["...The GI Bill of Rights, passed in 1994, is the most important piece of l 

egislation produced in Congress in this century." 

-America Legion magazine, Sept. 1994, Diamond Jubilee Edition, page 16. 

The first days of the school year again warmed up the atmosphere, but the h 

eat had already subsided, and soon we will be complaining about chills. 

We're in the ninth month of the year hoping to put off the first frost as l 

ong as possible. 

Roger Welsch's "Postcard" on the Sunday Morning program Aug. 28 was filmed 

down in the valley at Lake McConaughy, concluding with the fact that while there 

is a substitute for oil, there isn't a substitute for water. 

Nebraskans are amused and enlightened by Welsch. 

Presentations on television are becoming the most influential in this century, p 

ushing down to No.2 or No.3 the "print media" Is this good? 

I don't believe so, but who am I to judge. 

About the school year, our schools are filled and we are talking about buil 

ding changes, including doing away with Central School, a plan that makes no sen 

se to residents of the "central" neighborhood. 

Central School has the advantage of being "central" within walking distance 

to a full third of our youngest children year in and year out. 

Yes, its main structure is 80 years old, but then too are quite a few of ou 

r citizens who continue to pay taxes to maintain schools. 

Escalating college tuition is more of a concern to most of us than adding t 

o local classroom space. 

Baseball has subsided in public interest with the strike, but we are not de 

prived; we have school sports at local levels, and college football on a broader 

scope. 

Sports is given more importance in America than it deserves. 

Other attention grabbers: Congress and the health plan, farms in Nebraska b 

ecoming fewer but getting larger, and internationally, Cubans in makeshift boats 

desperately trying to get into Florida. 

I watched an O.J. Simpson hearing on CNN last Monday, seeking to open recor 

ds of police officer Mark Fuhrman alleging he is a racist and may have planted t 

he "matching glove" on O.J.'s property. 

This is a case in which the defense appears to have the advantage in buying 

services of attorneys with more ability than do attorneys for the prosecution.

If O.J. is guilty, hopefully he will at least get life imprisonment without 

parole. 

In this most highly publicized trial, it will be awhile before we know. 

Speaking of legal talent, I watched a CNN interview of Justice Sandra Day O 

'Connor and was amused by her quote of an Irish politician, "before I speak ther 

e's something I want to say." 

This Justice, appointed in 1981 by Reagan, the first woman ever on the U.S. 

Supreme Court, is proving equal to the assignment. 

Congress is in recess until Sept. 12, with senators and representatives up 

for election at home campaigning. 

Senator Bob Kerrey celebrated his 51st birthday in Lincoln last week. 

Will he serve as long as Exon? 

And a closing thought on my introductory quotation choice, this World War I 

I veteran is one of millions who benefitted vitally from the 1944 Bill of Rights 

. 

I am proud to be a Legionnaire! 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter Puts Area Opinion In the Record 

TEXT[Washington - Move over, Washington Post and New York Times. Members of Cong 

ress are busy reading editorials from Midlands newspapers. 

At least, they could be. 

Dozens of Nebraska and Iowa editorials and articles have been reprinted in 

1994 in the Congressional Record. Most were published at the request of Rep. Dou 

g Bereuter. R-Neb. 

"I think editorials are important indicators of how some people think in ou 

r state." Bereuter said. "This gets them to a national audience." 

Few, if any, of the 33 Nebraska or Iowa articles were actually read aloud o 

n the House or Senate floor, or even discussed during floor debate on an issue. 

Instead, most were tucked by Bereuter into a special section of the Record 

known as "Extensions of Remarks," reserved for tributes, reprints and written st 

atements that House members never utter. 

Bereuter is the most frequent Nebraska or Western Iowa contributor to that 

section. This year, Bereuter has submitted 29 newspaper clippings as "extensions 

of remarks," while the five other area congressmen have submitted none, accordi 

ng to indexes published by the Government Printing Office. 

"I think it's a good use of the Record." Bereuter said. "I think there's a 

perfect justification for doing it." 

Written editorials matter, he said, and so does the historical record. It i 

s important that historians reading the Congressional Record learn about Nebrask 

a editorial opinions, not just the views of major East Coast newspapers, he said 

. 

Bereuter acknowledged that most lawmakers do not read the editorials he sub 

mits, but he said their staff members sometimes do. He said his office has recei 

ved calls from congressional aides seeking more information about an issue raise 

d in a reprinted editorial.

Of Bereuter's 29 reprints, 10 were from The World-Herald, seven were from t 

he Norfolk Daily News, five from the Lincoln Star, one from the Daily Nebraskan, 

the student newspaper at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and one from the S 

outh Sioux City Star. The five others were from the Washington Post and Washingt 

on Times. 

Other Nebraska and western Iowa representatives have submitted speeches or 

tributes as "extensions of remarks." Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot. R-Iowa, also has r 

equested that several articles be reprinted during House floor debate. 

In the Senate, reprinted editorials and articles are included in the regula 

r proceedings, not in a special section. According to index listings, both Sens. 

J.J. Exon. D-Neb. and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, have placed nine articles in th 

e record. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has inserted seven articles and Sen. Bob Kerr 

ey, D-Neb., has offered four. Only a few of those reprints were from Nebraska or 

Iowa publications. 

Bereuter said he developed his editorial reprinting habit when he reached C 

ongress in 1979, on the recommendation of senior congressmen he respected. 

Some lawmakers have editorials reprinted in the Record because it helps the 

m curry favor with home-district newspapers, Bereuter said. That isn't why he do 

es it, he said. 

"If I did, you'd find a bigger variety of newspapers," Bereuter said. "Ther 

e are over 55 newspapers in the 1st District." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Boys Town Gets Grant To Keep Running Shelter 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - A shelter in Grand Island run by Omaha-based Boys Town has rec 

eived a $54,323 grant. 

The Department of Health and Human Services grant to Boys Town's Mid-Plains 

Shelter will help the home for troubled youth continue to provide temporary hou 

sing and counseling for up to 18 boys and girls. said Nebraska Democratic Sens. 

Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[USDA Grants Awarded To UNL 

TEXT[The U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected the University of Nebraska 

at Lincoln (UNL) to administer a $1.7 million program to promote methods of sust 

ainable agriculture for Nebraska and 12 other states. 

The funding is provided through the U.S.D.A's Cooperative State Research Se 

rvice, according to Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

Of the $1.7 million, $268,384 will be used in Nebraska to promote the adopt 

ion of more sustainable agricultural practices.

The U.S.D.A. has also awarded UNL a grant of $172,000 to develop new uses f 

or wheat. The research effort will explore alternative uses for wheat gluten in 

such products as mulch and "plastic" bags made partly from wheat. 

The University of Nebraska has long been recognized as a premier institutio 

n for agricultural research," Exon and Kerrey said. "With these grants, the U.S. 

D.A is reaffirming UNL's place in agricultural research and encouraging the deve 

lopment of more environmentally friendly agricultural practices." 



AUTH[Brad Meineke 

SOUR[Ord Quiz 

BK#[ 

HDLN['Democrats have forgtten faithful' 

TEXT[As the son of a UAW local president and the grandson of a farmer who lost e 

verything in the depression, I consider myself to be a pedigreed, purebred Democ 

rat. I was nurtured as a "Roosevelt" Democrat, grew up as a "Kennedy" Democrat a 

nd called myself an "Exon" Democrat after coming to Nebraska (back when Senator 

Exon used to be a statesman). 

Now I call myself a "displaced" Democrat. I'm not sure when it happened but 

my party no longer represents me. My collar is still blue, but my party is not 

the party I knew. 

The party that rescued the worker from sweat shops and slave labor conditio 

ns has forced us into slavery under the hand of the government. It has degenerat 

ed from "ask not what your country can do for you", to "we know what is best for 

you". 

Under the guise of "helping us", the working class has been forced to surre 

nder an ever increasing portion of it's hard-earned pay to the "company store". 

A person making $18,000 or less is a fool to even get out of bed in the morning. 

Welfare in Nebraska will pay you the equivalent of $21,000 a year in benefits a 

nd buy you a four-year college degree. The only catch is, you must sell your sou 

l to the "company store." My parents taught me to look inward and upward for sol 

utions to my problems. The Democratic party wants us to look eastward for solut 

ions to all our problems. 

The Democrats in Washington have been at the forefront of efforts to suspen 

d individual liberties in the interest of the "common good" and replace morality 

and individualism with relativism and collectivism. 

Senator Kerrey, a Democrat, cast the deciding vote for the largest tax incr 

ease in history, raised the tax on gas, further limited my rights to gun ownersh 

ip, voted for an energy tax, favors using tax dollars to get himself re-elected 

and voted a fat raise for himself for doing such a great job. Now he portrays hi 

mself as an "Exon" Democrat thinking we'll fall for it again and re-elect him. 

This Democrat is fed up. It is time to throw them out, starting with Senato 

r Kerrey, and reclaim our party. This September 10th Jan Stoney is coming to Ord 

and I'm going to go meet her. This November is the election and I'm going to v 

ote for her. 

I never left the party, the party left me.




SOUR[O'Neil Holt County Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Summit On Health Care 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) today urged his colleagues to end partisan wra 

ngling on health care reform and reiterated his call to President Clinton that h 

e arrange a bipartisan summit with Congressional leaders on the issue. 

"Thus far, most of the debate has creaked lots of political heat, but not a 

lot of health care light," Exon said during a speech to his colleagues today. " 

In the end, I am fearful that on the present course we will reach gridlock. That 

will be the likely outcome after all of the shouting, the "litmus test" votes a 

nd all the political posturing." 

In the recent past, summits have produced solutions to ease financial probl 

ems in the Social Security system and the federal budget, Exon said. By holding 

a summit, president Clinton and Congressional leaders would temporarily take the 

health care debate out of the spotlight and provide time to focus on a board-ba 

sed solution to bring back to Congress. 

The various health care proposals before the Senate have merit, said Exon, 

who is one of the key swing votes on the issue. 

"I am not sure who has the right bill or solution," Exon said. "I wish that 

I could be as self confident and certain as some of my colleagues are of their 

solutions." 

All of the plans reflect the importance of reforming health care, Exon said 

. Reform is needed because health care costs have risen so much that neither gov 

ernment no business nor individuals can afford these costs without addressing th 

is horrendous spiral, he said. 


red, for whatever reason, by "cost shifting" and higher taxes," Exon said. "Unle 

ss corrected, it's going to get much worse in the future." 

"There is a tremendous cost to doing nothing and allowing the status quo to 

prevail. And that cost goes beyond the individual family hardships that exist t 

oday for the those who need health care and cannot get it," he said. 

In 1970, the combined cost of Medicare and Medicaid was $9 billion. By 1990 

, that cost rose to $137 billion. By the year 2000, the cost will rise to $458 b 

illion, he said. 

"This is staggering," Exon said. "And this, more than any other part of the 

federal budget, will drive us deeper into despair and red ink and add to the al 

ready crushing burden of debt we are piling on to our children and grandchildren 

. 





BK#[

HDLN[Wisdom's Curse 

TEXT[There's a parable we'd like to tell. We read it somewhere and can't remembe 

r who the author was, only that it was a small part of a larger story. It went s 

omething like this. 

Once there were three children, named Hope, Wisdom and Greed. They came upo 

n a wolf caught in the jaws of an iron trap. Wolf looked at the three children a 

nd said, "ff you will help me gain my freedom, I will give you what you most des 

erve." 

Greed, looking at Wolf with suspicion, said, "How do we know you won't harm 

us if we let you free? Tell me now what you will give me in return for your fre 

edom. 

Wisdom fidgeted and danced between his two brothers, wondering what to say. 

Finally, he looked at the wolf and said, "I think, maybe.. Well I really don't 

know what he will do once he is free. It is possible he will harm us, and possib 

le he will reward us. Both outcomes are equal in probability. All I know is, I d 

on't like to see something in pain." 

Hope didn't hesitate at all. "He is magic, and he hurts, and I trust him." 

Whereupon, he reached down to pull the trap open. Greed was alarmed and tried to 

stop him. Wisdom stood by, waiting to see who would prevail. But Hope was too 

fast, and the wolf was freed. 

The Wolf took a few steps, laid down and told the children, "I will visit y 

ou tonight in your dreams, and give you what you most deserve." Then he breathed 

once, twice, and then, no more. 

That night, the children went to bed, wondering how on earth the dead wolf 

could keep his promise. They soon found out. 

He first appeared in Hope's dream's as a thin, old man dressed in a robe ma 

de of wolffur. "To you I give a long life and many children, and, when it is tim 

e for you to pass on, you will do so with a full heart, knowing that you have ha 

d a good life and that you have made a difference in the lives of all you have t 

ouched." 

To Greed, he appeared as a wild wolf, snarling and dangerous. He said, "All 

the world shall turn against you, no matter how you scheme. You will plan and d 

evise and maneuver, all to no avail, for failure will be your lot, and you will 

die young, bitter and cheated, loved by no one. This I give you." 

To Wisdom, he said, "I give you a long life, both rich and complex, sad and 

joyful. Life will make you wise because of its hardships. I give you all this, 

but something you will lose. You will never know what truth is and never be cert 

ain in your convictions. All things will be ambiguous and often you will choose 

the wrong path. Because of this, you will become ever more worldly, ever more w 

ise. This is the curse that comes with my gift." 

A recent "fax attack" from the election office of Senator Kerrey (of which 

we receive one or two a week) brought the above parable to mind. The fax referre 

d to the visit of a GOP Senator who was coming to support Kerrey's opponent, Jan 

Stoney. "But to look at Sen. Kassebaum's voting record one would think she is c 

loser in line with the moderate positions of Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey than wit 

h the "extreme" views of Mrs. Stoney."(The quotes are this writer's, not the ele 

ction office.) 

The office then lists stances on various issues including the balanced budg 

et amendment, assault weapons ban, Brady Bill, Goals 2000, Crime Bill, Mainstrea 

m Coalition, and abortion rights, all of which Kerrey supports (except the balan 

ced budget amendment), and Stoney opposes (except the balanced budget amendment)

. 

Now, there are a few things on that list we support, right along with Kerre 

y, such as the Crime Bill, the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban. But we gu 

ess, because we do support a balanced budget amendment (right along with Sen. Ex 

on, by the way), and are against some aspects of the Goals 2000 bill, and consid 

er ourselves pro-life, we must be considered an extremist in Sen. Kerrey's eyes. 

Well, we guess we are in good company... a few million Catholics, the Pope, 

and millions of Protestants. . . from all walks of life. 

We have said before that Kerrey is one of the most intelligent individuals 

we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. But in his wisdom, he has lost somethi 

ng. We'll let our readers figure out what that something is. 

We all live and make choices and gain in wisdom as we grow older. That is g 

ood and proper. The world is made that way so we can learn as we travel life's t 

rail, experiencing many joys and sorrows along the way. But we forget the curse 

that comes with the wisdom we gain. Truth becomes ambiguous; easy to explain awa 

y by rationalizations and moment-to-moment feel good mentality. There is no rock 

of truth, just shifting scree ready to give way and plunge us off the many prec 

ipices bordering life's trail. 

The Word is the foundation, the rock we should all cling to. The Word gives 

us hope, trust, faith, obedience, forgiveness and love. Combine wisdom with the 

Word, and one will truly be wise. 




SOUR[Pender Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[PCH Program Gets A Grant of $55,128 For Study of Cancer 

TEXT[Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced recently that the Department of 

Health and Human Services has agreed to provide $55,128 in funding for a rural h 

ealth outreach program at the Pender Community Hospital. 

A consortium that will include Pender Community Hospital. Pender Public Sch 

ools, Marian Health Center and the Siouxland Regional Cancer Center will be deve 

loping this outreach program. 

It will have three new initiatives that will be used to reduce the incidenc 

e of cancer among the general population. 

The first will target tobacco use, prevention and reduction. The second wil 

l focus on decreasing exposure to harmful hazardous agricultural chemicals to re 

duce the number of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cases. The third initiative will conce 

ntrate on reducing rectal and colon cancers through early detection screening an 

d education. 

"Thurston County has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the state 

, and we commend the project consortium members or organizing this program," Ker 

rey and Exon said. 

"The goal is to reduce the incidence of cancer among Nebraskans and this fu 

nding will help in that process."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon for House action on crime 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon, D-NE, announced support for the scaled-down version 

of the Crime Bill approved by the House of Representatives. 

"I could not in good conscience have voted for the bill that originally cam 

e out of the conference," Exon said. "But now that the original House-Senate Con 

ference report has been cut back, it's time to accept a compromise because it wi 

ll provide 100,000 more police officers on the streets and assist the states in 

building additional prisons and enacting tougher laws on criminals." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Imput on Data 'Highway' 

TEXT[Provisions proposed by U.S. Senator Jim Exon, D-NE, to advance the interest 

s of rural America, curtail pornography and help education have been included in 

a major bill to build the information superhighway that the Senate will conside 

r. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Academy Nominees To apply 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey have announced that student 

s interested in being nominated to military service academies for classes beginn 

ing in the summer of 1995 should submit applications to either senator by Nov. 4 

. 

"The four U.S. Service Academies offer excellent four-year study programs i 

n return for six years of military service," the Nebraska Democrats stated. 

Exon is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Kerrey s 

erves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 17 and 22 and they mus 

t not be married. They must be nominated by a member of Congress to be eligible 

for consideration by any of the four academies - the U.S. Military Academy, the 

Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy. 

Requests for nomination applications should be addressed to either U.S. Sen 

. Jim Exon, c/o Academy Nominations, 287 Federal Building, Lincoln, NE 68508 or 

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, c/o Academy Nominations, 7602 Pacific St., Omaha, NE 68114

. Applicants will be interviewed by a committee of Nebraskans chosen jointly by 

Exon and Kerrey to select the nominees. 

Applicants are urged to take either the SAT or the ACT exam as soon as poss 

ible and forward their scores to the offices of either senator. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Groups To Receive Job Training Grant 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A coalition of Omaha groups announced Tuesday that it has 

received a $2.2 million grant to develop a program that will provide job trainin 

g for poor people. 

About 300 low-income people are expected to receive the training being offe 

red under the "Focus Omaha" program, which organizers hope will begin in early J 

anuary. 

"In five or six years, people will see that Focus Omaha is a word to be pro 

ud of," U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said during a news conference. 

Kerrey obtained the grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Dev 

elopment. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mayors Conference Planned 

TEXT[The City of Crawford will host the Panhandle Mayors Conference on September 

16 at the new Crawford Community Center Building. Mayors, city managers and cit 

y administrators have been invited to attend. 

The Conference offers the opportunity to discuss issues effecting all Panha 

ndle communities. Patti Rapp, Western Nebraska Representative for Senator Bob K 

errey and Jim Exon will be in attendance. 

"Efficiency of Government" will be the featured address given by Lieutenant 

Governor Kim Robak. 

Other speakers include Nebraska Game and Parks Superintendent of Fort Robin 

son Jim MacAllister who will welcome the group and speak about tourism, State Se 

nator Bob Wickersham who will provide a legislative update and information on th 

e progress of the Prehistoric Prairies Development Center and Mayor Bob Scoggan 

who will explain the rebuilding of Crawford following the 1991 flood. 

After lunch provided by the City of Crawford, participants of the Conferenc 

e may spend the afternoon playing golf at the Legend Buttes Golf Course. 




SOUR[Garden County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce Grant For Ogallala 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced today that Og 

allala Hospital has received a $269,905 federal grant. 

The grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will help 

fund a "clinic on wheels" for Arthur, Deuel, Garden, Grant, Keith and Perkins C 

ounties. A Physician's Assistant will drive a specially-equipped van in those ar 

eas to bring medical services to residents. 

"The Rural Health Outreach grant will help bring Nebraskans in rural commun 

ities better access to health care," Exon and Kerrey said. "This means that we w 

ill get health professionals to rural Nebraskans who need care." 

The Sandhills Health Department, the Volunteers of America and the Strategi 

c Action Team, a group of local educators, health and social service workers, ar 

e working with the hospital on the rural outreach project. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Health Reform in '94 Would be a stretch 

TEXT[KEARNEY (AP) - Congress isn't likely to pass comprehensive health reform th 

is year, the director of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy said Wednesda 

y. 

If health-care reform legislation fails, it's because no satisfactory way h 

as been found to pay for it, Jeff Human told the 1994 Nebraska Rural Health Conf 

erence. 

Human gave the keynote address at the two-day conference that ends Thursday 

. 

The U.S. Senate recessed for two weeks last month without passing health-ca 

re reform legislation. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak said one formidable challenge facing rural health care i 

n Nebraska is a lack of medical professionals. 

The Nebraska conference focused on the changing roles 

of consumers and providers of health care and a new emphasis on cooperation over 

competition. 

Special sessions also were planned on minority health issues and mental hea 

lth and substance abuse services. 

In a separate development, U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., 

said that a $228,000 grant to help develop a Nebraska strategy for building rur 

al health networks was awarded to the Nebraska Department of Health. 

The grant from the Health Care Financing Administration will be used to fun 

d plans to develop rural health networks in at least three multi-county areas, K 

errey and Exon said in a news release. 

Networks will include primary care services, acute care and emergency medic 

al services, they said.

The counties to be included in the networks haven't been determined, Kerrey 

and Exon said. 

About 250 people attended the conference in Kearney, which also was being u 

sed by the National Office of Rural Health as a Rural Health Association trainin 

g site for members from eight states. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Health-Care Networks May Bloom 

TEXT[Washington - Nebraska has been selected as one of six states that will shar 

e in a $1.7 million federal program to expand rural health-care networks, the He 

alth Care Financing Administration said Thursday. 

The offices of Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey said the Nebraska Department 

of Health will receive $228,880 to help establish networks of physicians, clinic 

s and hospitals in rural areas. 

John Sahs, state director of health policy and planning, said the federal p 

rogram will parallel a similar program funded this year by the Robert Wood Johns 

on Foundation. 

Sahs said the foundation, named for a founder of the Johnson & Johnson medi 

cal-supply firm, provided $200,000 a year for four years to establish networks t 

hat were started Aug. 1 in three Nebraska areas, the Panhandle, south-central an 

d central. 

"The federal funding will mean we can create additional networks in other p 

arts of the state," Sahs said. 

He said both the foundation and federal programs require matching funds fro 

m areas that apply for money. 

"We will issue a request to physicians, clinics and hospitals to get togeth 

er as a consortium to apply for funding," Sahs said from Lincoln. 

He said he expects to receive applications from consortiums in northern and 

southeast Nebraska. 

"Telemedicine will be part of what the networks will do, and managed care w 

ill be part of it." Sahs said. 

With telemedicine, he said, a medical condition that occurs in a remote are 

a of the state could be diagnosed and treated by a specialist in an urban center 

anywhere in the country. 

In managed care, health maintenance organizations negotiate with physicians 

, clinics and hospitals to provide services for organization members at a predet 

ermined fee. 

Sheldon Weisgrau of the Health Care Financing Administration said other sta 

tes receiving one-year grants were Florida, $300.000; Minnesota, $325,000; Missi 

ssippi, $240.400; North Carolina, $ 172,964; and Washington, $325,000. 

"Nebraska received everything it asked for." Weisgrau said. 

He said the six states were selected by a panel of government and private-s 

ector experts from a list of 24 states that applied for the money. 

Sahs said Nebraska's goal is to use the networks to attract primary-care ph 

ysicians and other primary medical-care providers to rural areas. 

"There is a strong possibility that some of the things that are going on in

Lincoln and Omaha might spill over into surrounding counties," he said. "But we 

haven't seen anything happening yet, and that's why we are doing what we are do 

ing with networks." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Elkhorn Cross-Country Runner Loses in Bid to Lift Suspension 

TEXT[Elkhorn High School cross-country runner Angelina Mead will have to sit on 

the sidelines for two weeks. 

A judge Thursday afternoon denied Miss Mead's request for a temporary injun 

ction against her school. School officials will be able to suspend Miss Mead fro 

m athletics for two weeks. 

There has been no showing of irreparable harm, Judge James Murphy said afte 

r a hearing in Douglas County District Court. Missing one cross-country meet is 

not going to affect Miss Mead's ability to get a college scholarship, Murphy sai 

d. 

Miss Mead, 16, filed the lawsuit after she was disciplined for an incident 

involving alcohol. She contended she did not know that other students had brough 

t beer to an Aug. 20 party at her home. 

Murphy said Miss Mead should take responsibility for her actions. She was l 

eft in charge of her home while her parents were away, and she had a party and l 

et people come in, he said. 

"She can't go in her bedroom and hide her head under a pillow," Murphy said 

. 

Murphy mentioned three high-school students who died in an alcohol-related 

accident last spring and a high-school student who recently died after drinking 

alcohol. 

"God knows we don't need anyone reminding us of the dangers of juveniles dr 

inking," Murphy said. 

Miss Mead testified that she was in her bedroom and did not see anyone brin 

g beer into her home the night of Aug. 20. She also testified that she did not h 

andle, drink or distribute alcoholic beverages at the party. 

"Everyone was drinking the pop I bought," Miss Mead said. 

During the party, several teen-agers were arrested for being minors in poss 

ession of alcohol. Miss Mead was ticketed for procuring alcoholic beverages for 

minors. 

Elkhorn High School Principal Terry Haack testified that he decided to susp 

end Miss Mead from athletics because she was ticketed for procurement of alcohol 

. 

Attorney Phillip Wright, who represented Miss Mead, contended that school o 

fficials did not follow school rules for suspending students.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Health Chief Doubts Early Reform 

TEXT[KEARNEY (AP) - Congress isn't likely to pass comprehensive health reform th 

is year, the director of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy said. 

If health-care reform legislation fails, it's because no satisfactory way h 

as been found to pay for it, Jeff Human told the 1994 Nebraska Rural Health Conf 

erence. 

Human gave the keynote address at the two-day conference that ended Thursda 

y. 

The U.S. Senate recessed for two weeks last month without passing health-ca 

re reform legislation. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak said one formidable challenge facing rural health care i 

n Nebraska is a lack of medical professionals. 

The Nebraska conference focused on the changing roles of consumers and prov 

iders of health care and a new emphasis on cooperation over competition. 

Special sessions also were planned on minority health issues and mental hea 

lth and substance abuse services. 

In a separate development, U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., 

said that a $228,000 grant to help develop a Nebraska strategy for building rur 

al health networks was awarded to the Nebraska Department of Health. 


d plans to develop rural health networks in at least three multi-county areas, K 

errey and Exon said in a news release. 


al services, they said. 

About 250 people attended the conference in Kearney, which also was being u 

sed by the National Office of Rural Health as a Rural Health Association trainin 

g site for members from eight states. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State Gets Grant For Health Plan 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., said that a $228,000 grant 

to help develop a Nebraska strategy for building rural health networks was awar 

ded to the Nebraska Department of Health. 


d plans to develop rural health networks in at least three multi-county areas. 


al services, they said. 

The counties to be included in the networks haven't been determined, Kerrey 

and Exon said.




SOUR[Press and Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Neu Celebrates 40 Years of Ministry 

TEXT[The First Congregational United Church of Christ at Hartington, Nebraska wi 

ll hold an Open House, Sunday afternoon, September II during the hours of 2 to 4 

p.m. in the Church Fellowship Hall to honor their Pastor, Robert G. Neu, who is 

celebrating his 40th. anniversary as an ordained minister in the Christian Fait 

h. 

He was ordained by the St. Paul (German) Congregational Church, Bazine, Kan 

sas, September 9,1954 following his graduation from Yankton College and the Yank 

ton School of Theology. He has served churches in Gregory; Coleridge, Neb.; Baya 

rd, Neb. and Hartington since July 1,1990. 

During his time in Coleridge he served on the Nebraska Community Improvemen 

t Program in Coleridge for ten years and in Bayard for two years. He was also o 

n the Governor's Council to Keep Nebraska Beautiful, appointed to that position 

by Governor Exon and continuing on the Council for ten years. 

The public is invited to share in this celebration. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GSV Receives $1.1 Million Grant 

TEXT[Twenty-four new apartment units appear to be in store for Hastings' Good Sa 

maritan Village following Friday's announcement of a federal grant award. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, which owns GSV, will be aw 

arded the $1.1 million grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De 

velopment, according to a news release issued Friday afternoon by the office of 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

In the news release, Exon called the grant a boon for senior citizens in ne 

ed of subsidized housing. 

"This money will help elderly people live independently when they need a he 

lping hand," he stated. 

Mary Kraus, GSV's executive director, did not return telephone calls Friday 

. The news came amidst activities surrounding GSV's annual Autumnfest celebratio 

n. 

GSV has been pursuing a HUD grant to fund construction of affordable housin 

g for low- and middle-income seniors citizens. 

Good Samaritan Village was founded in 1957. The village sits on 138 acres i 

n southeastern Hastings and is home to more than 1,000 people.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Money will help build housing for elderly 

TEXT[OMAHA- Federal grants will be used to build subsidized housing for elderly 

people in Hastings and Gothenburg, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced 

Friday. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $1.1 million to 

the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society of Hastings to build 24 one-bed 

room apartments. 

A $755,000 grant was awarded to Mid-Nebraska Community Services, Inc., of K 

earney to build 16 one-bedroom apartments in Gothenburg. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Gothenburg Gets HUD Grant 

TEXT[The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded a grant to buil 

d subsidized housing in Gothenburg for elderly people. 

HUD awarded $755,000 to Mid-Nebraska Community Services Inc. based in Kearn 

ey, according to an announcement Friday by U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

The agency will use the money to build 16 one-bedroom apartments in Gothenb 

urg. 

"This money will help elderly people live independently when they need a he 

lping hand," Exon and Kerrey said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Money Will Open Up New Chapter for Gibbon Program 

TEXT[Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey have announced that Gibbon has received a $17 

3,088 grant to take its Head Start program in new directions and increase the nu 

mber of children served. 

Gibbon Head Start Director Valerie Lynn said the grant will allow Gibbon to 

expand its program from 10 families this year to 17 families next year. 

Lynn said she is operating a home-based program this year. 

"I go to the home to guide the parents in teaching their children," she sai 

d. "When I'm not there, the parents can continue working with their children." 

With the beginning of the 1995-96 school year, the grant will allow the pro 

gram to move into a Head Start center housed in a trailer on the Gibbon school g

ounds. Bringing the children to a single location will allow Head Start to serv 

e more families, Lynn said. 

The grant also will allow the Gibbon program to add a family services assis 

tant and a classroom aide, said Lynn, who is now the sole Head Start staff membe 

r in Gibbon. 

The grant from the Department of Health and Human Services will go to Mid N 

ebraska Community Services Inc., which operates the program in Gibbon. The grant 

will expand the program to include more 3-year-olds and will provide additional 

training for the Head Start staff. 



AUTH[Mike Hendricks 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Efforts to Save Family Farm Land Kansas Man in Prison 

TEXT[The judge could show him no mercy, but pity for Ernest Krikava comes by the 

boxload these days. 

Thousands of letters swell the offices of a tabloid TV show every time it u 

pdates the story of the Kansas pig farmer jailed because he cut corners to save 

his starving hogs. 

Members of Congress, including all four senators from Nebraska and Kansas, 

have petitioned Attorney General Janet Reno to review the case and consider clem 

ency that would shorten Krikava's five-month prison sentence. 

Singer and family-farm activist Willie Nelson sent Reno a letter, too, but 

went the members of Congress one better by pressing Krikava's case personally to 

President Clinton during a visit to Independence in July. 

"Surely America hasn't made itself a safer, kinder, more decent place beca 

use it put Ernest Krikava in prison," a Nebraska newspaper editorialized. 

"Why is this 70-year-old farmer behind bars? 

"Ernie is in prison because he lied under oath," said Don Lue-ger, a bank 

president with whom Krikava's troubles began. "The problems that he's facing are 

the result of his own action." 

If only it we're that simple. 

For many, the Krikava case is an example of what's wrong with court reforms 

that give judges too little discretion in passing sentence. The judge wanted to 

grant him probation but had to put him in jail because of mandatory sentencing 

rules. 

Others see Krikava as the latest martyr of the save-the-family-farm movemen 

t, a farmer forced from the land by bankers and lawyers. 

Ernest Krikava doesn't see him-self as a symbol of anything. Just a victim. 

"Why am I in here?" Krikava asked last week, sinking into a chair in the vi 

sitor's room at the federal prison camp at Leavenworth. "I didn't steal money fr 

om anybody. It's not helping me and it's not helping society out there. I feel I 

'm just here for nothing." 

TROUBLE CAME EVENTUALLY 

Maybe you've seen Krikava on TV. 

"A Current Affair" updates his story almost as often as it reports on O.J. 

Simpson and the Menendez brothers.

He's the white-haired gentleman with the long, crooked nose wearing a Garst 

seed cap and baggy bib overalls. A bit stooped from raising hogs and growing ye 

ars, he trudges across the screen as an announcer tells how he lost his farm in 

a bankruptcy. 

The Krikava family has been farming the same 130-acre homestead along the K 

ansas-Nebraska border since 1936. Ernest KrikaVa's father bought the land, and E 

rnest began farming with him in the '40s. 

They raised milo, corn and soy-beans, ran a few cattle and raised some hogs 

. 

Ernest Krikava and his wife, Carol, took over the farm in the 1960s and add 

ed to it, concentrating more and more on the hog business. In 1983, their son, 

Kevin, became a partner, and eventually the farm grew to more than 1,000 acres. 

The hog operation included 300 sows and produced 4,000 pigs each year. 

It was a successful farm, Krikava said. It didn't carry much debt, which m 

eant the Krikavas sailed through the farm crisis of the 1980's. 

Trouble did come eventually. It swept in four years ago, at a time when mo 

st of agriculture was on its feet again. 

It began when the Krikavas decided to change banks. 

"We thought we could get a better interest rate on our loans," 

Krikava said. 

For years they'd done business with a Pawnee City, Neb., bank, but in 1990 

they transferred their loans to the Community National Bank in Seneca, Kan. Even 

after adding to the note, their debt of about $240,000 was just one-third of, t 

he farm's value, not so worrisome. But then the Krikavas had cash-flow problems. 

"We got late on some payments, and they called us delinquent," 

Krikava said. 

Lueger, the banker, said the family was delinquent from the very first 

payment. 

Hog sales were the farm's main source of income, and once payments got behi 

nd, the bank wanted a share of any check the Krikavas received from selling thei 

r hogs to area packing plants. 

The Krikavas didn't think they could do that and weren't turning over enoug 

h money to suit the bank. 

"They were taking everything, giving us nothing," Lueger said, "and then fo 

r a time we were taking everything." 

Between April and July 1991, the bank got tough and required the family to 

hand over every dime of hog sale proceeds during that period. 

That meant the Krikavas didn't have any money to live on. Meals sometimes c 

onsisted of canned peaches and scraps from the cupboards. 

"They were literally living on popcorn," said John Lefler, one of Ernest Kr 

ikava's lawyers. 

Not only were they going hungry, but so were the hogs. There was no money t 

o buy feed supplements for the milo the animals were fed. Animal medication was 

also out of reach, so some animals got sick or died. 

Only then did the bank and the Krikavas reach a compromise: to split the ho 

g checks 50-50. 

"We tried to work with them," said Lueger, who grew up on a hog farm himsel 

f and still raises some stock. He complained that the rural bank has been made a 

villain unfairly. "We understand farming and hog operations far more than the K 

rikavas have ever given us credit for." 

Still, the Krikavas felt squeezed, and that fall of 1991 they began selling 

hogs without telling the bank about it. They concealed the sales by using anoth

er relative's name, raising some $35,000 that they say they used to keep the oth 

er hogs from starving. 

"We knew it was illegal," Krikava said. "But like I told the judge 

when he sentenced me,I didn't think I had a choice. I had to sell something to r 

aise money to feed the hogs." 

It was not enough, however, to keep the loan current, and in March 1992 the 

family filed for bankruptcy reorganization in federal court in Lincoln, Neb. 

And the illegal hog sales came back to haunt them. 

During a meeting with creditors, all three family members were asked whethe 

r they had made any transactions "out of the ordinary course of business" in the 

months preceding the bankruptcy petition. 

All three said no. 

But the bank knew better, and evidence of the fraudulent sales was used in 

part to convert the bankruptcy reorganization into a bankruptcy liquidation. Des 

pite having assets that were worth far more than the liabilities, the Krikava fa 

rm was liquidated in February 1993. 

All that was left was their house and the original 130 acres, and they didn 

't even own that. A benefactor bought the house and rented it back to them until 

they could raise enough money to buy it themselves. 

It seemed as if they'd hit bottom. Then it got worse. 

That spring of 1993, the U.S. attorney's office filed perjury charges again 

st the Krikavas. They'd lied under oath about the hog sales. 

It shocked just about everyone involved in the case, said Bill Chapin, the 

Krikavas' bankruptcy lawyer. 

"All of us on the civil end of the spectrum said, 'What are you doing? Thes 

e people have gone through enough,'" Chapin said. "I don't have a clue as to why 

they pressed it." 

All the U.S. attorney's office will say is that the Krikavas broke the law. 

"It seems to me there are . . . a lot more heinous things going on than wha 

t they did," Lefler said. 

In the end, Kevin and Carol Krikava pled guilty and were sentenced to six 

months of house arrest, three years of probation and 300 hours of community serv 

ice. 

But because his charges were worded just a bit differently, Ernest Krikava 

decided to fight the charge and went to trial. The issue was whether he actuall 

y lied when he said de did nothing out of "the ordinary course of business." 

Because he took the money from the hog sales and put it back into the busin 

ess, Ernest Krikava felt he's done no wrong. The jury however decided that sell 

ing hogs under another persons name was anything but ordinary. 

At sentencing, Krikava said he did what he had to do. 

"The judge came back with the answer that he didn't have any choice, either 

," Krikava said. 

The sentence was five months in the federal penitentiary. 

District Judge Warren Urbom said in court that he didn't agree with the sen 

tence but that mandatory sentencing guidelines didn't allow for leniency. 

The rules were set up several years ago, after complaints that justice was 

meted out unfairly in the federal courts. Some people got tougher sentences than 

others, even when they committed the same crime. 

The Krikava case, Urbom said, stood as an example of the flaws in that syst 

em. 

"Judge Urbom said he wouldn't be surprised if he were reversed on appeal,"

Lefler said. 

He wasn't, though, and Krikava checked in at Leavenworth on June 30. By tha 

t time, only his son was there to see him off. 

Carol Krikava had died at the age of 60 several months before. Respiratory 

problems, which went untreated during the bankruptcy, were the official cause of 

death. 

"She carried a lot of stress for 31 years," Krikava said. "It eventually ki 

lled her." 

The story, tragic as it was, would have gone largely unnoticed had not "A C 

urrent Affair" begun broadcasting the first of at least eight segments on the Kr 

ikavas. 

At one point, a camera crew dogged Reno through the Capitol after a congres 

sional hearing. Another chased Lueger, the banker, down the streets of Seneca. 

The show's campaign to free Krikava resulted in more than 60,000 letters of 

support for the family. Donations now, total $12,000, Kevin Krikava said. 

Elected officials also have offered help. Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon o 

f Nebraska and Sens. Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas have asked Reno to s 

ee what she can do for Krikava. 

Rep. Jim Slattery, the Krikavas' congressman, also sent a letter asking for 

consideration. 

So far, the Justice Department has not responded with any specifics, except 

to say that only President Clinton can set Krikava free before his sentence run 

s out Nov. 28. 

"All we can say is we do have it, and it's under consideration," said Joe K 

rovisky, a spokesman for Reno. 

Krikava is planning to stay the duration of his sentence. It's almost half 

over, and he said the time has not been totally a waste. 

"I don't have as much stress these days," he said. "But there's not much to 

do here. This is out of my line." 

He'll miss the Farm Aid VII fund-raising concert in New Orleans next weeken 

d. But his son will be an honored guest at the concert next Sunday, said Farm Ai 

d organizer Glenda Yoder. 

"I think this story has really captured people's attention," she said. "I t 

hink it makes people really angry. It taps into people's sense that the system i 

s attacking the wrong people." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[HUD Grants to Benefit Hastings, Gothenburg 

TEXT[Federal grants will he used to build subsidized housing for elderly people 

in Hastings and Gothenburg, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Friday. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $1.1 million to 

the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society of Hastings to build 24 one-bed 

room apartments. 

A $755,000 grant was awarded to Mid-Nebraska Community Services, Inc., of K 

earney to build 16 one-bedroom apartments in Gothenburg.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Poll Indicated Nelson-Robak ahead 2-to-1 

TEXT[Gov. Nelson and his running mate, Kim Robak, held a more than 2-to-l advant 

age over the Republican ticket of Gene Spence and Kate Witek in the most recent 

World-Herald Poll. 

The Democratic ticket of Nelson and Ms. Robak, who is lieutenant governor, 

was picked by 64 percent of the adults surveyed last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thur 

sday, compared with 29 percent who chose the GOP team of Spence and Mrs. Witek. 

Seven percent were undecided or refused to respond. 

In a June 5-7 World-Herald Poll, 56 percent chose the Nelson ticket, and 32 

percent picked the Spence ticket. 

The survey of 1,000 Nebraskans age 18 and over who said they are registered 

voters was conducted by the Gallup Organization of Princeton, N.J. The statisti 

cal margin of error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. 

The 35-percentage-point advantage for Nelson is the largest in a pre-electi 

on governor's race survey for The World Herald since 1974, when Gov. J.J. Exon w 

as seeking a second term against State Sen. Richard Marvel. Exon held a 40-perce 

ntage-point lead over his Republican challenger in an October poll. 

Nelson is attempting to become the first governor re-elected to the office 

since Exon was re-elected 20 years ago. 

Neither Nelson nor Spence would say the poll results signal that the Nov. 8 

election outcome is a certain Nelson victory. 

Spence said while campaigning in the Sand Hills that The World-Herald figur 

es substantially differ from a survey conducted for his campaign. Spence said hi 

s campaign survey demonstrated that he would be more competitive if he and Nelso 

n had equal name recognition and that the support for the incumbent "is very mus 

hy." 

If the World-Herald Poll is completely accurate, Spence said, "the fat lady 

is beginning to sing. From what we see, she isn't even in the auditorium." 

"This is a winnable race," said Spence, who acknowledges in interviews and 

speeches that he is the underdog. 

What concerns him the most, Spence said, is that the publication of the sur 

vey results will undermine his efforts to raise the money and motivate volunteer 

s that he needs to get his message out during the final two months of the campai 

gn. 

Nelson said he is not "the least bit overconfident. I'm as cautious as Tom 

Osborne is about being ranked No.1. The season isn't over yet." 

The results were interpreted by Nelson as an indication that Spence's attem 

pt to link him to President Clinton had failed. 

The survey was conducted after the first debate between Nelson and Spence, 

when the GOP challenger alleged that the Nelson administration paid "hush money" 

to settle sexual harassment-related complaints against the State Department of 

Agriculture. Nelson and other state officials have denied the allegation. 

Nelson's campaign began airing advertisements prior to the telephone survey 

, Spence has not begun his advertising effort.

Spence and Nelson will meet for a final debate in Hastings on Friday. 

There was no statistically significant change in the poll results among the 

two-thirds of those surveyed who said they definitely plan to vote in the comin 

g election. Among these self described definite voters, 62 percent said they pr 

eferred the Nelson-Robak ticket and 32 percent backed the Spence-Witek ticket. 

The survey found that among Republicans surveyed, 47 percent sided with the 

Democratic ticket and an equal percentage chose the Republican team. 

Among Democrats, 86 percent said they would vote for Nelson and 9 percent f 

or Spence. Registered independents were split 71 percent to 16 percent in Nelso 

n's favor. 

In the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District, Nelson and Ms. Robak had a 

67 percent to 26 percent advantage over Spence, an Omaha businessman and Mrs.Wit 

ek, a state senator from Omaha. 

In the 1st district, which includes Lincoln, Nelson was the choice of 68 pe 

rcent and Spence of 27 percent. Support for Nelson in the more rural 3rd Congre 

ssional District was 59 percent to 32 percent for Spence. 

The question in the telephone survey: 

If the election for governor were held today, which ticket would you vote f 

or: Ben Nelson and Kim Robak, the Democrats, or Gene Spence and Kate Witek, the 

Republicans? 

Those who initially said they were undecided were then asked: 

As of today, which ticket do you lean toward? 

In response to the second question, each ticket picked up 2 percentage poin 

ts to reach overall totals. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Bill will benefit Nebraskans 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The $30 billion crime bill signed by President Clinton will br 

ing benefits right to the streets of Nebraska, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said. 

"Nebraskans, like Americans everywhere, fear the crime wave sweeping our na 

tion," Exon said. 

"This law will not be a cure-all, but it will send a message to criminals t 

hat crime won't be tolerated in Nebraska and around the country," he said in a n 

ews release. 

Among other benefits, Nebraska will receive about $20 million in constructi 

on grants for prisons and boot camps, Exon said after Clinton signed the bill Tu 

esday. The state could qualify for another $20 million if it adopts truth-in-sen 

tencing laws requiring repeat offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their se 

ntence. 

Nebraska also could receive up to $83 million over six years to help hire a 

bout 900 new police officers and to help implement community policing, Exon said 

. 

While Exon, a Nebraska Democrat, praised the law's benefits, the Republican 

challenger to U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., criticized the legislation. 

"The crime bill is an example of how a good idea goes to Washington and res 

ults in a bill which ends up failing to address the original problem, and sockin

g it to the taxpayers with more federal spending," Jan Stoney said. 

Kerrey voted for the bill but on Tuesday he said the work had just begun. 

"It gives us at the local level tools to do the job," Kerrey said. "All by 

itself it doesn't do anything. 

U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., also praised the bill, which was criticiz 

ed by many Republicans. 

"The new crime bill will put 100,000 new police officers on the street acro 

ss the country, including up to 900 officers in Nebraska," Hoagland said. " It w 

ill make the thin blue line a little thicker." 

The bill includes provisions to ban manufacture of new assault-style firear 

ms and ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 rounds. 

That ban hasn't sparked a rush in the Omaha area of people buying guns. 

Assault weapons are a minuscule part of sales, several gun shop owners said 

. 




BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Crime Bill will bring direct benefits to Nebraska 


TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Nebraska will benefit directly from a $30 billion crime bill sig 

ned by President Clinton on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said. 


tion, Exon said. 



ews release. 


on grants for prisons and boot camps, Exon said. The state could qualify for ano 

ther $20 million if it adopts truth-in-sentencing laws requiring repeat offender 

s to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.Nebraska also could receive up 

to $83 million over six years to help hire about 900 new police officers and to 

help implement community policing, Exon said. 

While Exon, a Democrat, praised the bill's benefits, the Republican challen 

ger to U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., criticized the legislation. 


ults in a bill which ends up failing to address the original problem, and sockin 




itself it doesn't do anything." 


ed by many Republicans as too expensive and ineffective. 


ss the country, including up to 900 officers in Nebraska," Hoagland said. "It wi 

ll make the thin blue line a little thicker." 



That ban hasn't sparked a rush in the Omaha area of people buying guns.

"To be honest, l haven't seen any increase," said Bruce Kaiman, co-owner of 

Sol's Jewelry & Loan with its Specialty Guns shop. 

Assault weapons are a minuscule part of sales, several gun shop owners said 

. 




SOUR[Albany Democrat-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator fails to get baseball vote 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - A Democratic senator says his bill to modify baseball's a 

ntitrust exemption could end the players' strike, but the lawmaker is unable to 

obtain a quick vote for his legislation. 

With time running out before the season is canceled, Sen. Howard Metzenbaum 

, D-Ohio, tried to have the Senate vote Tuesday. But he needed unanimous agreeme 

nt to have the bill considered and Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., objected. 

Exon said it would be an "ill-considered move" and a "bad precedent" for Co 

ngress to intervene now. 

Metzenbaum, chairman of the Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee, s 

aid he spoke Tuesday with Donald Fehr, head of the players' union. Metzenbaum sa 

id Fehr stated "in unequivocal language" that if the bill passed, he "will recom 

mend that the players call off their strike immediately and resume the baseball 

season." 

"The baseball bill cannot wait any longer," Metzenbaum said. "If we don't a 

ct immediately ... the owners are threatening to declare the season over." 

The bill would allow the players to sue the owners under antitrust law any 

time unilateral conditions were imposed. It also would prevent any automatic sal 

ary reductions during such a lawsuit. 



AUTH[David Beeder 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Foresees Invasion Before Vote 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton may send U.S. troops to Haiti by next week i 

f he wants to avoid an adverse vote in Congress. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb,. said T 

uesday. 

Exon, the second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sai 

d he opposes sending U.S. troops to Haiti. "I don't think there is much enthusia 

sm anywhere about invading Haiti," he said. "I think it is not wise. 

Exon said Clinton has authority as commander in chief of the armed forces t 

o dispatch troops to Haiti without congressional approval. 

But he said that if Congress votes on the issue, "the message is going to b 

e not to invade Haiti" to restore ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to pow

er. Aristide was ousted in a 1991 military coup. 

"I don't know that we have an overriding national interest down there, but 

the president may think otherwise," Exon said. "I would suspect the president wo 

uld invade this weekend before Congress has a chance to vote." Congress will rec 

ess today until next week in observance of Yom Kippur. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said he would support Clinton if the president dec 

ides to send an invasion force to Haiti. 

"Haiti is in our own back yard, and 17 countries have agreed to participate 

in the peacekeeping," he said. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he would oppose an invasion because Hai 

ti represents no threat to U.S. national security. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also said he would oppose an invasion of Haiti. 



AUTH[Julie Anderson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Court's Ethanol Ruling Called Temporary Defeat 

TEXT[Gov. Nelson, Midlands congressmen and corn industry officials said Tuesday 

that a court ruling delaying widespread use of corn-based ethanol in clean gasol 

ine would not have a long-term impact on the ethanol industry. 

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., Tuesd 

ay temporarily blocked a rule requiring the use of ethanol in reformulated gasol 

ine. Nelson said the decision was not a setback. 

"For almost three years, ethanol producers and users have battled the oil i 

ndustry in forum after forum - in agency hearings, congressional hearing, on the 

floor of the U.S. Senate and in court," Nelson said. "This is just the latest t 

urn of events." 

Petroleum industry groups had filed a lawsuit seeking to head off an advant 

age for ethanol in cleaner-burning gasoline. 

The court decision blocks the Environmental Protection Agency from implemen 

ting its rule requiring the use renewable additives, such as ethanol, in the cle 

aner-burning gasoline that is to be sold in the nation's smoggiest cities. 

But the EPA said the larger program -requiring cleaner-burning fuel, or ref 

ormulated gasoline - would go into effect in January as scheduled. 

Nelson said the EPA and the Justice Department indicated that the case woul 

d come out in the environmental agency's favor. The 19-state Governors Ethanol C 

oalition, which Nelson heads, will file papers with the appeals court backing th 

e EPA's position. 

Oral arguments in the case, however, will not be scheduled before mid-Janua 

ry, the governor said. 

Under the rule that the EPA adopted in June, renewable fuels were to make u 

p 15 percent of the reformulated gasoline sold beginning Jan. 1. By 1996, at lea 

st 30 percent of reformulated gasoline would have to contain renewable additives 

. 

The rule emerged from a long fight between farm-state interests and the pet 

roleum industry and its backers, who stood behind a cheaper petroleum-based addi 

tive. Both ethanol and the petroleum product add oxygen to gasoline, making it b

urn cleaner. 

In its lawsuit, the American Petroleum Institute argued that setting aside 

a portion of the reformulated gasoline market for ethanol violated the 1990 Clea 

n Air Act. 

The petroleum group had asked the court to overturn the renewable fuel requ 

irement. The court, saying the petroleum industry had not made a case for doing 

so, instead issued a stay. 

Congressional delegates and corn groups said the ruling might have some neg 

ative effect on corn growers but should not create long-term setbacks in either 

corn prices or corn marketing. Nebraska and Iowa expect record or near-record co 

rn crops this year. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said the ruling was a temporary setback that would 

not undermine the ethanol industry. 

"It should not reduce our capacity to get investments made," Kerrey said. " 

I think it will only be a delay." 

Kerrey said it is "hypocritical" for the oil industry to challenge the proethanol 

rule at a time when its own alternative oxygenate, methanol, is enjoying 

great success. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said the challenge was no big surprise. 

"I knew big oil would continue to challenge this in the courts," he said. " 

We have a long and difficult road ahead." 

Exon said he thinks pro-ethanol forces eventually will prevail, but he said 

the oil industry has ample resources to fight the EPA rule. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the ruling was "a real disappointment." 

"The court's decision, issued at the behest of the petroleum industry, repr 

esents an unwarranted judicial encroachment upon the clear policy of both Congre 

ss and the Clinton administration favoring the use of renewable fuels like ethan 

ol," Harkin said. 

Nebraska and Iowa senators led the fight to block an effort by Sen. J. Benn 

ett Johnston, D-La., to prevent the EPA from implementing the pro-ethanol rule. 

The Senate voted 51 to 50, with Vice President Al Gore breaking a 50-50 tie, to 

kill Johnston's amendment. 

If the appeals court follows the Clean Air Act and is faithful to the inten 

t of Congress, Harkin said, it will uphold the EPA rule. 

Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, said farmers e 

xpressed frustration that they have to "convince big oil that there is enough ma 

rket share for everyone." 

Jerry Gulke, a Rockford, Ill., farmer and grain market watcher, said the ru 

ling might have somewhat of an impact on prices until the issue is resolved. 

Under the 1990 Clean Air Act, cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline must be 

sold in nine cities with the worst smog problems: New York, Los Angeles, Chicag 

o, San Diego, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Houston, Philadelphia and Hartford, Conn. Ot 

her parts of 14 states have also agreed to require the cleaner-burning fuel. 





BK#[

HDLN[Nebraska Estimates Share of Crime Bill at $130 Million 

TEXT[Nebraska would receive $130 million over six years as its share of the $30 

billion crime bill signed Tuesday by President Clinton, said the head of the sta 

te's crime commission. 

Allen Curtis, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcem 

ent, said the bill would fund a variety of state crime-fighting programs. They i 

nclude, according to U.S. Justice Department estimates, $20 million for new pris 

ons, $83 million for up to 900 new police officers and more than $20 million for 

crime prevention, elements of the bill that were strongly opposed. 

Curtis said many questions remain as to who will administer the crime money 

, the amount Nebraska will ultimately receive and when the state can expect the 

money. Tom Monaghan, the U.S. attorney for Nebraska, was to be briefed on those 

issues Wednesday in Washington. 

"This bill will make the thin blue line a little thicker," said Rep. Peter 

Hoagland, D-Neb., one of the bill's backers. Supporters such as Hoagland and Sen 

. Jim Exon, D-Neb., touted the crime-bill's signing. 

The bill's critics include Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jan Stoney. 

"This crime bill is an example of how a good idea goes to Washington and re 

sults in a bill which ends up failing to address the original problems and socki 

ng it to the taxpayers with more federal spending," Mrs. Stoney said. 

Mrs. Stoney is challenging Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who backed the bill. 

The Justice Department estimates of Nebraska's share of the funding include 

d: 

þ Up to $83 million for hiring 900 new police officers, with additional fun 

ds to pay for "community policing" programs. Police agencies who would have to p 

ay at least 25 percent of the cost of the officers, Curtis said. 

þ About $20 million for prison construction. Curtis said it would be enough 

to build the juvenile detention facility the state is planning and a boot camp 

if the state chooses to build one. 

Nebraska would be eligible for an additional $20 million in prison money if 

it changed state law to guarantee that two-time violent offenders serve at leas 

t 85 percent of their sentences. Curtis said that would require significant chan 

ges in the state's laws on early prison release. 

þ $6.3 million to establish drug court programs. The courts would use the m 

oney to handle nonviolent drug offenders, offering treatment and mandating drug 

testing for such offenders on probation. 

þ $l million for more judges, prosecutors and public defenders. 

More than $20 million for various crime prevention programs. Included is $7 

.2 million in direct grants to Nebraska cities and towns for education, drug tre 

atment and jobs programs; $5.2 million for domestic violence prevention; $2 mill 

ion for shelters for battered women and children; and $1.8 million for drug trea 

tment programs in Nebraska prisons. 

Nebraska cities also are eligible for an additional $1.8 million they can u 

se to fund anti-gang programs, midnight sports leagues, boys and girls clubs,and 

programs aimed at preventing crimes against the elderly. 

Curtis, the former chief of the Lincoln Police Department, said he knows th 

e prevention funds have been labeled "pork" by the bill's opponents. But he said 

he considers them as important as any part of the bill. 

"In law enforcement, if we don't invest in funds for prevention, we'll be c 

hasing our tails forever," he said.




SOUR[Baltimore Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Baseball '94 Prepared To Light Its Own Pyre 

TEXT[NEW YORK - Even before making a final decision on this year's World Series, 

some baseball owners already were looking ahead to the spring and the possibili 

ty of replacement players 

"It will be a difficult thing to do, but at last resort I think you'd have 

to consider it," Boston Red Sox chief executive officer John Harrington said yes 

terday. "You wouldn't call it major league baseball, but you'd call it professi 

onal baseball." 

Owners said they had all but given up hope for finishing this season. Actin 

g commissioner Bud Selig was expected today to call off the World Series after o 

wners convened in a telephone conference call. 

"I think tomorrow could very well be the day, though I don't want to say fo 

r sure," Selig said last night on ABC's "Nightline." 

Selig, who planned to remain at his office in Milwaukee today, called union 

head Donald Fehr yesterday to talk about a termination date. 

"He wanted me to sanction and agree with him that it was OK to pull down th 

e season," Fehr said. "I told him if he wanted to pull down the World Series, th 

at was Bud Selig's responsibility, not mine." 

Around the country, baseball officials braced for the first season without 

a World Series since 1904. 

"It's obvious there's no season left to have," Atlanta Braves president Sta 

n Kasten said. 

"It would take a major miracle to salvage any part of the balance of this s 

eason or the postseason," Colorado Rockies owner Jerry McMorris said. 

Behind-the-scenes efforts to save the World Series subsided, according to m 

any accounts. 

"I would not hold out any hope," Harrington said. 

Agent Dick Moss, who proceeded Fehr as the union's general counsel and has 

been involved in talks of a new league, left New York on Monday night. 

"It was time to abandon ship," he said. "I don't think you'll ever see base 

ball the same again." 

Fehr said he wasn't surprised by the lack of public outcry over the season' 

s likely cancellation. 

"I think they've telegraphed it for so long that people expect it," he said 

. "That's why I think there hasn't been a lot of pressure to get the negotiation 

s settled. The owners made it clear so loudly and so early on that it wasn't to 

be. There's no surprise, no upset, no serious efforts to reach a deal to avoid t 

his result." 

In Washington, Sen. J. James Exon killed legislation that would have repeal 

ed the owners' antitrust exemption if they unilaterally imposed labor conditions 

, such as a salary cap. If the bill had become law, Fehr 

said he have recommended an end to the strike. 

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, an Ohio Democrat who introduced the legislation, sa 

w his previous baseball bill defeated in June by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"I think it is an ill-considered move for us as the United States Senate to 

try to step into the breach at this particular point in time," Exon, a Nebraska 

Democrat, said on the Senate floor yesterday. "l think it would set a bad prece 

dent. It think it is not essential." 

Metzenbaum insisted his bill was the only way to salvage the season. 

"If we act quickly to pass this bill, the baseball players are willing to c 

omplete this season, the playoffs and the World Series." he said. 

"This legislation has only one purpose, to protect the season for all the f 

ans. It isn't for or against the salary cap; it isn't for or against revenue sha 

ring. . . It gives players another tool they can use to avoid striking...Wouldn' 

t it be better to have the matter in the courts than where it is in at the momen 

t, with no games being played?" 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Baseball in Rundown 

TEXT[NEW YORK (AP) - Saving the World Series seemed to be less important Tuesday 

than how to announce its demise. 

By fax? By telephone conference call? 

Acting commissioner Bud Selig reviewed a draft news release Tuesday and sen 

t a draft resolution to owners, baseball sources said. He scheduled a telephone 

conference call for 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, and sources said that's when owners wo 

uld make a formal decision on the season. 



Selig called union head Donald Fehr to talk about a termination date. 


e season," Fehr said. "I told him if he wanted to pull down the World Series. th 

at was Bud Selig's responsibility. not mine." 

Selig, according to management officials, was expected to remain in Milwauk 

ee. Behind-the-scenes efforts to save the World Series subsided, according to ma 

ny accounts. 

"I would not hold out any hope," Boston Red Sox chief executive officer Joh 

n Harrington said. 



Agent Dick Moss, who proceeded Fehr as the union's general counsel, left Ne 

w York on Monday night. 

"It was time to abandon ship," he said. 

Around the country, baseball officials braced for the end of what had been 

one of the most memorable seasons in years. 

Even though the World Series has been played for 89 consecutive years, Fehr 

said he wasn't surprised by the lack of public outcry over its likely cancellat 

ion 

"I think they've telegraphed it for so long that people expect it." he said 

. "That's why I think there hasn't been a lot of pressure to get the negotiation


be. 

"There's no surprise, no upset, no serious efforts to reach a deal to avoid 

this result." 

In Washington, Nebraska Sen. James Exon killed legislation that would have 

repealed the owners' antitrust exemption if they unilaterally imposed labor cond 

itions, such as a salary cap. If the bill had become law, Fehr said he have reco 

mmended an end to the strike. 


w his previous baseball bill defeated in June by the Senate Judiciary Committee. 


try to step into the breach at this particular point in time," Exon said on the 

Senate floor Tuesday evening. "I think it would set a bad precedent. It think i 

t is not essential.' 

Owners held a conference call in the evening to go over developments. Both 

sides started looking ahead to 1995, when the strike is likely to disrupt the st 

art of the season. 

At a news conference in Boston, Harrington said owners would consider using 

replacement players. 


to consider it," he said. "I won't say we'd do it. You wouldn't call it major le 

ague baseball, but you'd call it professional baseball." 



omplete this season, the playoffs and the World Series," he said. "This legislat 

ion has only one purpose, to protect the season for all the fans. It isn't for o 

r against the salary cap; it isn't for or against revenue sharing. . . . It give 

s players another tool they can use to avoid striking. . . . Wouldn't it be bett 

er to have the matter in the courts than where it is in at the moment, with no g 

ames being played?" 



AUTH[Mike Dodd 

SOUR[USA Today 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Metzenbaum's Bid to End Strike Killed in Senate 

TEXT[Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, was shut out in his bid to end the major le 

ague baseball walkout Tuesday - and it only took one strike. 

Sen James Exon, D-Neb., blocked the Metzenbaum's bid to bring to the Senate 

floor a bill modifying baseball's antitrust exemption. 

Metzenbaum said baseball union head Don Fehr told him Tuesday, "He 

(Fehr) will recommend the players call off their strike immediately and resume t 

he baseball season" if the Senate passed the bill with "a few minor clarificatio 

ns." 

The bill, co-sponsored by Metzenbaum and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, would gi 

ve the players the right to go to court under antitrust laws if the owners unila 

terally implement a salary cap in the current dispute. 

A bill of larger scope was defeated by the Senate Judiciary Committee in Ju

ne. The new bill was put on the Senate's special calendar, meaning it could only 

be brought to the floor with unanimous consent of the members or as an amendmen 

t to another bill. 

That procedural hurdle made it a long shot. Metzenbaum sought unanimous con 

sent Tuesday evening and Exon objected, saying he thought it set a bad precedent 

for the Senate to intervene in the middle of the strike. 

He said he thought the issue warranted consideration another time, maybe ne 

xt year. 

The retiring Metzenbaum said he'll keep trying to pass the bill. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Kills Baseball Legislation 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - An objection by Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb.. prevented Senate c 

onsideration Tuesday of a bill intended to end the strike by Major League baseba 

ll players. 

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio who contends his bill to modify baseball's a 

ntitrust exemption could have ended the strike, tried to have the Senate vote Tu 

esday, citing the possibility of the season being canceled today. But he needed 

unanimous agreement to have the bill considered, and Exon objected, thus killing 

the legislation. 

Exon said it would have been an "ill-considered move" and a "bad precedent" 

for Congress to intervene now. While Nebraska does not have a major league team 

, senators from some big league cities had objected to Metzenbaum's bill. 

Metzenbaum, chairman of the Judiciary Committee's antitrust sub-committee, 

said he spoke Tuesday with Donald Fehr, head of the players' union. Metzenbaum 

said Fehr stated that if the bill passed, he "will recommend that the players ca 

ll off their strike immediately and resume the baseball season." 

"The baseball bill cannot wait any longer," Metzenbaum said. "If we don't a 

ct immediately ... the owners are threatening to declare the season over." 

The bill would have allowed the players to sue the owners under antitrust l 

aw any time unilateral conditions were imposed. It also would have prevented any 

automatic salary reductions during such a lawsuit. 

In other labor disagreements, including those involving other sports, a uni 

on can sue owners who band together on grounds of collusion and restraint of tra 

de. That's not possible in baseball because of the sport's immunity from antitru 

st laws. 

If the baseball players hadn't started the strike Aug. 12, the union feared 

that after the season, the owners would have imposed a salary cap. 

"This should relieve the players' fear that they need to maintain the strik 

e to prevent the salary cap from being shoved down their throats after the seaso 

n ends," Metzenbaum said. 

Rep. Mike Synar, D-Okla., has introduced a similar bill in the House.





BK#[ 

HDLN[What Exon Said About Strike 

TEXT[WASHINGTON(AP) - The speech made on the floor of the U.S. Senate Tuesday by 

Sen. James Exon, a Nebraska Democrat who killed legislation that if enacted wou 

ld have repealed baseball's antitrust exemption if owners unilaterally imposed w 

orking conditions. The bill introduced by Sens. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) and O 

rrin Hatch (R-Utah), needed unanimous consent to be brought to the Senate floor: 

"I don't suppose there is a person in this body that is more of a baseball 

fan from longstanding than this senator from Nebraska. 

"And I am so discouraged and so distraught as a fan that the owners and the 

players, and they're jointly responsible it seems to me, have brought upon them 

selves a pattern of these strikes that my longtime friend and colleague from Ohi 

o has brought out with his remarks. 

"However, I happen to feel that it would be a bad precedent indeed for the 

United States Senate in the middle of this kind of a strike, as much as I would 

like to see the season continued, and as much as a fan as I would like to see th 

e World Series come about for the annual Fall Classic, I think that the measure 

that the senator from Ohio has authored is something that should be considered, 

but l think it is an ill-considered move for us as the United States Senate to t 

ry and step into the beach at this particular point in time. l think it would se 

t a bad precedent. l think it is not essential. 

"It's very essential for a . . . baseball fan like myself and other fans si 

milarly situated. Certainly it is critical to the interests of the baseball play 

ers and the owners of the baseball teams. l simply will object to this unanimous 

consent request because I think a bad, bad precedent indeed would be set here, 

and l believe this is not the proper time or action for the United States Senate 

to become involved in the matter of professional baseball. 

"With those remarks, then, and assuring my friend from Ohio that I feel and 

share some of his concerns, I wish to work forward, look forward to working on 

this again in the future. And although the distinguished senator from Ohio will 

not be with us next year when we come back and therefore will not be able to lea 

d the charge, l would assure him that this is a matter that I, as one member of 

the Senate, will give additional consideration to at the proper time. But for th 

e reasons that I have expressed, I feel compelled to object to the unanimous con 

sent request." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Emergency Bill Wrong 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Wednesday that he blocked legisla 

tion aimed at ending the baseball strike because the proposed emergency bill "wa

s not the right way to settle it." 

Exon said the bill was introduced Aug. 10 without a hearing and had been bl 

ocked three times previously by other senators. 

"I not saying I won't support this in the future," he said. 

Exon said he objected Tuesday night when Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, tr 

ied to re-introduce the emergency legislation, which would modify baseball's exe 

mption from federal antitrust law. 

"Basically, I've found that in so-called èmergency situations,' when tile 

Congress of the United States gets into it, they generally make the emergency si 

tuation into a catastrophe," Exon said. 

Under Senate rules, the bill required unanimous consent to proceed. Exon sa 

id, so his protest blocked it. He added that Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., also was p 

repared to block the bill. 

"It would have been very bad precedent for us to have acted in this manner, 

" Exon said. "This was bringing something up out of the blue. That's bad policy. 

" 

The bill would have allowed players to sue the owners under antitrust law a 

ny time unilateral conditions were imposed. It also would have prevented any aut 

omatic salary reductions during a lawsuit. 

If the bill had become law, Metzenbaum said, Donald Fehr, head of the playe 

rs union, would have recommended "that the players call off their strike immedia 

tely and resume the baseball season," The Associated Press reported. 

"If that happened," Exon said, "I don't think it would have settled anythin 

g over the long term. I'm a baseball fanatic, but I don't think the world is goi 

ng to come to an end if we don't have a World Series this year." 




SOUR[Ashland (Ore.) Daily Tidings 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Owners Look to Replacement Players for 1995 

TEXT[NEW YORK (AP) - Even before making a final decision on this year's World Se 

ries, some baseball owners already were looking ahead to the spring and the poss 

ibility of replacement players 


to consider it" Boston Red Sox chief executive officer John Harrington said Tues 

day. "You wouldn't call it major league baseball, but you'd call it professional 

baseball." 

Owners said they had all but given up hope for finishing this season. Actin 

g commissioner Bud Selig was expected today to call off the World Series after o 

wners convene in a telephone conference call. 

"I think tomorrow could very well be the day, though I don't want to say fo 

r sure," Selig said Tuesday night on ABC's "Nightline." 

Selig, who planned to remain at his office in Milwaukee today, called union 

head Donald Fehr on Tuesday to talk about a termination date. 



at was Bud Selig's responsibility, not mine."

Around the country, baseball officials braced for the first season without 

a World Series since 1904. 





Behind-the-scenes efforts to save the World Series subsided, according to m 

any accounts. 

"I would not hold out any hope," Harrington said. 

No one should look to President Clinton for help, either. 

"We will follow it (the talks) but I don't think at this point there are an 

y plans for action," White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers said today. 

Agent Dick Moss, who preceded Fehr as the union's general counsel, 

left New York on Monday night. 


Fehr said he wasn't surprised by the lack of public outcry over the season' 

s likely cancellation. 

"I think they've telegraphed it for so long that people expect it," he said 

. "That's why I think there hasn't been a lot of pressure to get the negotiation 


be. There's no surprise, no upset, no serious efforts to reach a deal to avoid t 

his result." 

In Washington, Sen. J. James Exon killed legislation that would have repeal 

ed the owners' antitrust exemption if they unilaterally imposed labor conditions 

, such as a salary cap. If the bill had become law, Fehr said he would have reco 

mmended an end to the strike. 


w his previous baseball bill defeated in June by the Senate Judiciary Committee. 


try to step into the breach at this particular point in time," Exon, a Nebraska 

Democrat, said on the Senate floor Tuesday evening. "I think it would set a bad 

precedent. It think it is not essential.'' 





BK#[ 

HDLN[The End Is Near 

TEXT[NEW YORK (AP) - Saving the World Series seemed to be less important Tuesday 

than how to announce its demise. 

By fax? By telephone conference call? 

Acting commissioner Bud Selig reviewed a draft news release Tuesday, baseba 

ll sources said, and is expected to announce the end Wednesday. Selig called uni 

on head Donald Fehr to talk about a termination date. 



at was Bud Selig's responsibility, not mine." 

Selig, according to management officials, was expected to remain in Milwauk 

ee. Behind-the-scenes efforts to save the World Series subsided, according to ma

ny accounts. 

"I would not hold out any hope," Boston Red Sox CEO John Harrington said. 



Agent Dick Moss, who proceeded Fehr as the union's general counsel, left Ne 

w York on Monday night. 


Around the country, baseball officials braced for the end of what had been 

one of the most memorable seasons in years. 

In Washington, Nebraska Sen. James Exon killed legislation that would have 

repealed the owners' antitrust exemption they unilaterally imposed labor conditi 

ons, such as a salary cap. If the bill had become law, Fehr said he have recomme 

nded an end to the strike. 


w his previous base ball bill defeated in June by the Senate Judiciary Committee 

. 


try to step into the breach at this particular point in time," Exon said on the 

Senate floor Tuesday evening. "I think it would set a bad precedent. It think i 

t is not essential." 



omplete this season, the playoffs and the World Series," he said. "This legislat 

ion has only one purpose, to protect the season for all the fans. It isn't for o 

r against the salary cap; it isn't for or against revenue sharing. ... It gives 

players another tool they can use to avoid striking.... Wouldn't it be better to 

have the matter in the courts than where it is in at the moment, with no games 

being played?" 




SOUR[Stockton (Ca.) Record 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Kills Antitrust bill 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Howard Metzenbaum failed Tuesday to get the U.S. Senate t 

o consider a bill he said would end the baseball strike when the measure to woul 

d modify the sport's antitrust exemption was killed by Sen. J. James Exon. 

Metzenbaum, an Ohio Democrat, said he spoke Tuesday with union head Donald 

Fehr and was informed that Fehr would recommend ending the strike if the bill pa 

ssed Congress. 

The senator needed unanimous consent to get a vote, but Exon, a Nebraska De 

mocrat, objected. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Stoney Flails, Kerrey and Exon Hail Crime Law 

TEXT[Republican senatorial nominee Jan Stoney said that the crime bill signed by 

President Clinton Tuesday "will have little impact on reducing crime in our com 

munity." 

Clinton, with the support of Sen. Bob Kerrey, "gave the citizens of Nebrask 

a a 'crime' bill with more wasteful government spending, more gun control and fe 

w reforms to the criminal justice system that will keep violent criminals off ou 

r streets," Stoney said. 

"Any serious effort to halt revolving-door justice to keep violent criminal 

s off our streets would include probation, parole and sentencing reform," she sa 

id. 

Democratic Sen. Jim Exon, who voted for the bill, said it "will help Nebras 

ka law enforcers fight crime." 

Under terms of the new law, Nebraska could receive up to $83 million over s 

ix years to help hire about 900 new police officers and provide help to implemen 

t community policing in the state, he said. 

Nebraska will receive about $20 million in construction grants for prisons 

and hoot camps and may qualify for about $20 million more if it adopts truth-insentencing 

laws requiring repeat violent offenders to serve at least 85 percent 

of their sentence, Exon said. 

Kerrey, who voted for the bill, said Tuesday the work had just begun. 


itself, it doesn't do anything." 







BK#[ 

HDLN[Peru State Schedule Candidates 

TEXT[Congressional candidate Patrick Combs and Lt. Gov. Kim Robak bring their ca 

mpaigns to Peru State College next week as part of the PSC Student Senate politi 

cal forum. 

Combs, a Democrat campaigning for the U.S. House of Representatives, will m 

ake an appearance on Sept. 19 at 11 am. Robak, a Democrat running for lieutenant 

governor, will visit Sept. 20 at noon. 

Both sessions are open to the public and will be held in the Live Oak Room 

of the PSC Student Center. 

Robak is a Columbus native an attorney who was legal counsel and then chief 

of staff for Gov. Ben Nelson until being named Lt. governor last October. She l 

ives Lincoln with her husband and two children. 

Combs was born in Lincoln and is a general partner with Woody Combs Auto Sa 

les, and is a private consultant in the human resources field. He has completed 

legislative internships with Sen. J. James Exon and the late Sen.Edward Zorinsky

. 



AUTH[Joe Dejka 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Chamber Ceremony to Hail Completion of Link to Omaha, Future 

TEXT[Dignitaries in a motorcade will drive the Kennedy Freeway Monday afternoon, 

cut ribbons at the four main interchanges and toast its completion with champag 

ne. 

The Nebraska Department of Roads plans to open the northern leg of the free 

way, from Railroad Avenue to Nebraska Highway 370, after the 2:30 p.m. ceremony. 

The 7.21-mile-long, $69.3 million freeway stretches from "U" Street in Sout 

h Omaha to Platteview Road, south of Offutt Air Force Base. The southern leg is 

scheduled to open in a few weeks. 

"We're thrilled to know that our bottleneck is open," Jo Cecil, president o 

f the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, said Friday. "For many years, we've had man 

y of the things that industry needs to locate south of Offutt Air Force Base. We 

have abundant electricity and level sites, but we lacked transportation. That i 

s solved. 

"It's nice to see a dream become a reality." 

The ceremony, sponsored by the chamber, will feature an address by Nebraska 

Gov. Ben Nelson at the Chandler Road interchange, from which the motorcade will 

begin traveling south. 

The chamber has invited Director-State Engineer Allan Abbott with the Nebra 

ska Department of Roads, 2nd District U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland and U.S. Sens. Bo 

b Kerrey and J. James Exon of Nebraska, State Sen. Paul Hartnett of Bellevue, th 

e South Omaha and Omaha chambers of commerce, the Omaha City Council, the Sarpy 

County Board of Commissioners, the Bellevue City Council, past chamber members a 

nd others who had a hand in the freeway's completion. 

After Nelson addresses the crowd, he will cut a ribbon, and the motorcade w 

ill drive south to the Cornhusker Road interchange, where Sen. Hartnett will cut 

a ribbon. At the Nebraska Highway 370 interchange, Mayor Inez Boyd will cut a 

ribbon, and at the Capehart Road interchange a representative of Offutt Air Forc 

e Base will 

do the honors. 

Local high school bands will be invited to play for the ribbon-cutting cere 

monies at each of the interchanges. 

The motorcade will proceed east-bound on Capehart Road to the Stripes Club 

on Offutt Air Force Base, where the chamber will hold a $ 15-apiece social hour 

at 4 p.m. Hot and cold hors d'oeuvres will be served, and there will be a cash b 

ar. 

"We will have a social hour there to reminisce and honor those who had a ha 

nd in its completion," Cecil said. 

Attendees will toast the completed project with champagne donated by Southr 

oads Mall. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the chamber offi 

ce at 291-5216.

Former City Councilman Bill Stadtwald, an aide to Sen. Hartnett and counsel 

to the Nebraska Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee, will serve as emcee at t 

he Stripes Club. 

Bellevue Rental is in charge of decorating the freeway interchanges with ba 

lloons and ribbon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Differ on Bill's Benefits 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska will benefit directly from a $30 billion crime bill s 

igned by President Clinton on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said. 


tion," Exon said. 



ews release. 


on grants for prisons and boot camps, Exon said. The state could qualify for ano 

ther $20 million if it adopts truth-in-sentencing laws requiring repeat offender 

s to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence. 



. 

While Exon, a Democrat, praised the bill's benefits, the Republican challen 

ger to U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., criticized the legislation. 


ults in a bill which ends up failing to address the original problem, and sockin 




itself it doesn't do anything." 




ss the country, including up to 900 officers in Nebraska," Hoagland said. "It wi 

ll make the thin blue line a little thicker." 







BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says Nebraska Will Benefit From Crime Bill

TEXT[Washington, D.C. U.S.-- SENATOR JIM EXON (D-NE) said the anti-crime bill P 

resident Clinton signed today will help Nebraska law enforcers fight crime. 


tion," Exon said. "This law will not be a cure-all, but it will send a message t 

o criminals that crime won't be tolerated in Nebraska and around the country." 

Under terms of the anti-crime law, Nebraska could receive up to $83 million 

over 6 years to help hire about 900 new officers and provide help to implement 

community policing in the state. 

Nebraska will receive about $20 million in construction programs for prison 

s and boot camps. The state may also qualify for about $20 million more if it ad 

opts truth-in-sentencing laws requiring repeat violent offenders to serve at lea 

st 85 percent of their sentence. 

Nebraska will continue to receive its share of $3.3 million per year in Edw 

ard Byrne grants. These grants help fund regional anti-crime and drug law enforc 

ement efforts in the state. An additional $6.5 million will be available to Nebr 

aska for rural crime and drug enforcement. 

Further, Nebraska can apply for its share of $500 million to upgrade crimin 

al records and to help courts and prosecutors. Nebraska will also receive $1.8 m 

illion for anti-gang grants, police partnerships with senior citizens and childr 

en, and youth development centers. State agencies can also apply for the state's 

share of funds for gang resistance and education training, low-cost loans to bu 

sinesses in low-income areas, and other aid for violence-prone areas, both urban 

and rural. 

A provision Exon co-sponsored is included in the new law. The Violence Agai 

nst Women provision will provide Nebraska with more than $7 million in grants to 

help victims of domestic violence. Another provision Exon has introduced in the 

past is included in the law. That provision will create "drug-free" zones at tr 

uck stops and highway rest stops, doubling the penalty for dealing drugs and tri 

pling the penalty for repeat drug offenses. 

The law creates a $30.2 billion crime trust fund that will be paid for by s 

avings locked in by eliminating more than 272,000 federal jobs over the next six 

years. 




SOUR[Hayes Center Times Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Announce Hayes County Grant 

TEXT[Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced recently that the Department of 

Commerce has awarded Hayes County a $163,712 grant to repair county roads, inclu 

ding new culverts and a bridge. 

The grant was awarded to repair damage caused by the Midwest Flood of l993. 

"This grant will contribute to Hayes County's economic development by helpi 

ng to repair roads damaged in the Midwest Flood of 1993," Kerrey and Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Back Owen for 'Shrinking' Job 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - California developer Gus A. Owen got a hearty welcome Wednesda 

y from a Senate subcommittee reviewing his nomination to the Interstate Commerce 

Commission, but just about everyone who pushed Mr. Owen for the seat noted that 

the job had grown smaller. 

Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Surface transportation Subcommi 

ttee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, referred to t 

he trucking deregulation bill signed into law earlier this month that removes ma 

ny trucking responsibilities from the ICC. 

Sen. Exon introduced the measure along with Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., who 

also noted the lessened duties. 

"You are going to an agency that has the wonderful opportunity to extinguis 

h itself - almost," Sen. Packwood said to Mr. Owen. He said that very little rai 

l regulation remained, and that in the trucking area only insurance rules were s 

till to be taken care of. 

But if the two agreed on future duties at the ICC, they had different views 

of the agency's performance in the past decade. 

"We want to recreate an agency" that actively pursues its duties," Sen. Exo 

n said. The Senate doesn't want an agency "over there working full-time to elimi 

nate itself. There are times and places when the government has to protect the i 

nterests of the public. The ICC is the oldest regulatory agency and holds a publ 

ic trust." 

Sen. Packwood, however, happily recounted the agency's efforts to get rid o 

f regulation and staff on its own. 

"For all practical purposes, the ICC has been a willing accomplice" in the 

agency's downsizing. "The commission has been happy to help us get out of the bu 

siness of regulation." 

Mr. Owen, a Republican from Orange County, Calif.,fills the last open seat 

at the commission. He joins Vice Chairman Karen Phillips, a Republican, and thre 

e Democrats: Chairman Gail McDonald and commissioners J.J. Simmons III and Linda 

Morgan. 

He now occupies a seat that has been vacant since last November when Bush a 

ppointee Gregory Walden left the agency. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Commission Receives Two Federal Grants 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Two federal grants totaling $98,167 have been awarded to 

the commission that operates public radio and public television in Nebraska, Se 

ns.Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said Wednesday. 

The Commerce Department grants were awarded to the Nebraska Educational Tel 

ecommunications Commission, the Nebraska Democrats said in a joint release. 

One grant is to be used for equipment that will bring public radio to areas

near Max in Dundy County, Harrison in Sioux County, Falls City in Richardson Co 

unty and Culbertson in Hitchcock County. 

The other is to upgrade television equipment in Falls City, Neligh in Antel 

ope County and Decatur in Burt County. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskan Urges 53-Foot Limit on Truck Lengths 

TEXT[Washington - A Lincoln woman who was seriously injured in a traffic acciden 

t 11 years ago urged a Senate subcommittee Wednesday to limit truck lengths to 5 

3 feet as a safety measure. 

"In 1992, more than 4,400 people were killed in truck-related crashes," Kay 

Konz said. "Though trucks represent only 12 percent of the traffic on Inter-sta 

te highways, they are involved in 38 percent of the crashes involving more than 

one vehicle." 

Ms. Konz, a psychologist, said the crash in which she was injured in 1983 d 

id not involve a truck. She said she was unable to work for several years becaus 

e of her injuries. 

"My brother's son was killed last year on our country's highways," Ms. Konz 

said. "My family and I cannot afford to lose any more on our nation's roads." 

Ms. Konz was one of several witnesses who testified before Sen. J.J. Exon D 

-Neb., chairman of the Senate Commerce surface transportation subcommittee. 

"The American Association for State Highway and Transportation Officials re 

commended 30 years ago that semi-trailers be limited to 48 feet," Ms. Konz said. 

"But with no national limit in place state after state moved to allow 53-foot t 

railers." 

Nebraska truckers now can pull one trailer up to 53 feet long, or double tr 

ailers up to 65 feet long. Iowa has similar regulations. Some states, in competi 

ng for more business, have allowed each trailer to be up to 60 feet long. 

She said she was testifying in behalf of Citizens for Reliable and Safe Hig 

hways, one of a number of organizations sponsored by consumer advocate Ralph Nad 

er's Public Citizen organization. 

Thomas Donohue, president and chief executive officer of the American Truck 

ing Associations, did not dispute Ms. Konz's testimony. He said laws restricting 

truck size and weight should be based on "careful study of issues such as safet 

y, industrial productivity, highway finance 

and traffic flow." 

Donohue said transportation costs can be reduced by using vehicles that hol 

d more freight. 

"For example, Nebraska allows triple-trailer operations up to 95,000 pounds 

, while its neighboring states of Colorado and South Dakota allow triples at 105 

,000 pounds and Kansas allows triples at 120,000 pounds," Donohue said. 

Nebraska is one of the 20 states in which multiple-trailer operations now a 

re permitted. 

Under an amendment sponsored by Exon, the lengths of multiple-trailer opera 

tions have been frozen since June 1991 at the dimensions permitted under individ

ual state laws. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln Parking Garage Receives Federal Loan 

TEXT[Lincoln (AP) - The City of Lincoln will receive a federal loan of $315,000 

to develop a downtown parking garage, Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey announced. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development loan will enable the city t 

o demolish a garage that once served the former Clayton House Hotel and build a 

new one at the site. The city has six years to repay the loan. 




SOUR[Omaha World herald (Iowa edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Gets Credit for a Save 

TEXT[Jim Exon takes a back seat to few others in his devotion to the great Ameri 

can pastime. 

He is an avid follower of the St. Louis Cardinals. He once tried to restore 

minor-league baseball in Lincoln. He often peppers his political statements wit 

h metaphors about running the bases and chasing fly balls. 

Exon, a Democratic U.S. senator from Nebraska, demonstrated his respect for 

the game in a different way Tuesday. 

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum had proposed that Congress try to help end the playe 

rs' strike against major league baseball. The Ohio Democrat brought in a bill th 

at would modify baseball's exemption from federal anti-trust laws, giving the pl 

ayers more leverage. Metzenbaum said the players would end the strike if the bil 

l passed. 

Under Senate rules, however, the bill could remain in play only if no senat 

or objected. Exon objected. He said: "I think it is an ill-considered move for u 

s as the United States Senate to try to step into the breach at this particular 

point in time. l think it would set a bad precedent. I think it is not essential 

." 

So the bill became the victim of an unassisted putout by a Nebraska basebal 

l fan. 

It might have been understandable if Exon had hesitated. The cry of "Play b 

all!" might soon echo in major league parks. A little bit of the once-promising 

1994 season might have been salvaged. The World Series would go on as usual. 

But Exon made the right choice, in our opinion. Action by the Senate wasn't 

essential. This is a labor dispute. The players have decided that baseball is e 

xpendable for as long as it takes to get their way. They should be forced to fac 

e the consequences of that decision and learn what an irresponsible thing it is 

to endanger the game.

Major league baseball may be more fragile than anyone knows. Already there 

is talk of a players' league next year, while some owners are considering the hi 

ring of striker replacements. Baseball could well be on its way to becoming the 

national laughingstock. 

But having the federal government step in with a victory for the players wo 

uld also be bad for the game. Rewarding them could make it easier to threaten th 

e survival of the game any time a dispute arose. Baseball could lose its charact 

er if the federal government became its standing labor mediator. It's better tha 

t the owners and players find the solution. They should learn together to treasu 

re the unique bit of Americana that they have been trusted to preserve. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter 'ashamed' of U.S. policy on Haiti 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb.(AP) Members of Nebraska's congressional delegation expressed co 

ncern about any U.S. invasion of Haiti as the president prepared to speak to the 

nation on the subject tonight. 

Republican Reps. Bill Barrett and Doug Bereuter and Democratic Sens. Bob Ke 

rrey and Jim Exon all have said they oppose an invasion. 

Bereuter said there was no case for a military invasion. 

For the first time in my life l am ashamed of American foreign policy," Ber 

euter said. "Our policies are responsible for starving Haitian children." 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, a Democrat, sent a letter to Clinton on Wednesday urgi 

ng the president to use every alternative before an invasion to remove Haiti's m 

ilitary government. 

"I believe strongly that there are ways of forcing them to relinquish power 

short of an invasion which would inevitably expose American soldiers to the ris 

k of injury or death," Hoagland wrote. 

Polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose an invasion. Republ 

ican House and Senate leaders wrote Clinton that congressional approval might no 

t be constitutionally required before an invasion, but would "greatly strengthen 

your policy." 

Clinton argues that the United States needs to help halt brutal human right 

s abuses, avoid a massive influx of refugees, defend democracy in the Caribbean 

and maintain the credibility of the United States and United Nations. 

Hoagland said he was afraid that American troops could get bogged down in a 

n effort that doesn't have public support. 

Barrett said Wednesday that Clinton probably will begin an invasion of Hait 

i before Congress convenes again Monday, in order to avoid a confrontation with 

Congress on the issue. 

It would be a "tragic mistake" to invade Haiti and the United States has "n 

o compelling national interest," Barrett said. 

The only reason Clinton wasn't allowing a congressional debate was that he 

knows the public and the Congress oppose an invasion, Bereuter said. 

Kerrey said he opposes an invasion because there is no clear national secur 

ity threat, it would be costly and there is always the possibility of something

going wrong. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Announce Grant to Fund Nebraska Rural Health Networks 

TEXT[Washington - Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon said today that the announcem 

ent of a $228,000 grant to develop a Nebraska strategy for building rural health 

networks was a positive step forward in the fight to ensure all Nebraskans have 

access to quality health care. 

The grant, which was awarded to the Nebraska Department of Health by the He 

alth Care Financing Administration, will fund plans to develop rural health netw 

orks in at least three underserved multi-county areas to be determined later. Th 

e networks will include, at the minimum, primary' care services, acute care and 

emergency medical services. 

"Health care reform is a subject of much debate," Kerrey and Exon said. "Bu 

t there is also a clear consensus that the crisis of rural access to care is a p 

roblem that needs to be fixed. In addressing that issue, this grant will help in 

providing health care services to all Nebraskans." 



AUTH[Mike Dodd 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Lawmakers renew attacks on baseball's antitrust exemption 

TEXT[Jim Bunning knows what it's like to end a baseball season feeling empty. He 

was a pitcher on the 1964 Phillies team that lost a 6 1/2 game lead with two we 

eks to go. 

But the Republican congressman from Kentucky, cosponsor of a bill to repeal 

baseball's antitrust exemption, says the end to the 1994 season is worse. 

"My stomach hurts because of this," Bunning said, after owners canceled the 

rest of the season. "(In '64), that wasn't bitter, we just blew it" 

Baseball isn't a priority on Capitol Hill as Congress steams towards Octobe 

r recess. But the loss of the season could move the repeal of the exemption up t 

he list for '95. 

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, and Rep. Michael Synar, D-Okla., haven't gi 

ven up on this year's scaled-down bills that would give players the right to go 

to court under anti-trust laws if the owners unilaterally implement a salary cap 

. 

"I'll try to find another opportunity to put the bill on as an amendment to 

some other bill," Metzenbaum said. "I think it's got a pretty good shot if we p 

ut it to a vote."

His attempt to bring the bill to the Senate floor Tuesday was blocked by Se 

n. James Exon, D-Neb. 

Synar said there was still hope for this year's playoffs if Congress acts q 

uickly. 

"We shouldn't give up. ... The next couple of days or week are absolutely c 

ritical," he said, adding public pressure is needed. "The president is going to 

have to look at this situation... and some of the number three and four hitters 

are going to have to come to the plate now and produce." 

President Clinton Wednesday said it was time to examine the exemption. 

If the scaled down bill dies this fall, supporters expect to reintroduce le 

gislation fully revoking the exemption in '95. 

Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla. says his concern now is spring training and the ec 

onomic effect on Florida if the strike spills over to next year. 

"I think spring training is in real jeopardy," he said. "Both sides believe 

they're well prepared to deal with a long strike." 

It's estimated Florida could lose $350 million to $1 billion in tourism rev 

enue. 

Bunning predicted the owners will try to open the '95 season with minor-lea 

guers and the players could form a rival league. "This strike ... may go into ne 

xt June," he said. "It's going to damage baseball irreparably." 

Removal of the exemption would force owners to "act like a business and not 

run it like it's a little bitty fiefdom," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bill 'sends message' to criminals 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The $30 billion crime bill signed by President Clinton w 

ill bring benefits right to the streets of Nebraska, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said. 

"Nebraskans,like Americans everywhere, fear the crime wave sweeping our nat 

ion," Exon said. 



ews release. 


on grants for prisons and boot camps, Exon said after Clinton signed the bill Tu 

esday. The state could qualify for another $20 million if it adopts truth-in-sen 

tencing laws requiring repeat offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their se 

ntence. 



. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey voted for the bill but on Tuesday he said the work had 

just begun. 


itself it doesn't do anything."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Fails to Sway Nebraska, Iowa Lawmakers 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton failed Thursday night to win over members of 

the Nebraska and western Iowa congressional delegation who oppose an invasion o 

f Haiti. 

"He didn't convince me," said Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., after Clinton's na 

tionally televised speech. "l still think it is the wrong thing to do." 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Clinton made a strong presentation of why he i 

s willing to use U.S. forces to restore a democratically elected government to p 

ower in Haiti. 

"I do not agree with the commander in chief, but he is the commander in chi 

ef," said Exon, second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

"I think it would have been better to seek approval from Congress first." 

Exon said he has been receiving calls from Democratic leaders asking how he 

would vote on an invasion. 

"I think it is a moot question," he said. "I believe an invasion is likely 

to occur this weekend. I can't imagine that he would wait until Tuesday or Wedne 

sday when Congress returns." 

Rep. Fred Grandy, R-Iowa, said he was struck by Clinton's omission of any m 

ention of Congress. 

"The thing that was glaringly absent was why he's not asking Congress for s 

ome kind of authorization, especially when he is going to call up the reserves," 

Grandy said. "I don't think you can do that without asking Congress." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said he hopes Clinton's speech will persuade Ha 

iti's dictators to step down and allow President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to retur 

n to power. 

"But I think that what the president is proposing is an illegitimate and un 

wise invasion," Bereuter said. 

He said he has had 49 calls from Nebraska this week on Haiti, all opposing 

an invasion. 

Two of the calls came from American Legion posts that voted unanimously aga 

inst an invasion, Bereuter said. 

"There won't be substantial casualties in the initial phase, but there will 

be in the longer term because there is great resistance to Aristide," said Bere 

uter, a member of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees. 

Bereuter said Clinton appears to have exhausted all options in Haiti other 

than an invasion that has cost between $500 million and $l billion before any tr 

oops have been put ashore. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland. D-Neb., on the other hand, said he is not convinced Cl 

inton could not find a way to avoid an invasion. 

"I believe waiting them out and tightening the embargo would very likely ac 

complish our goals," Hoagland said. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the president made no convincing argume 

nts in favor of an invasion.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Macy Housing Grant Approved 

TEXT[MACY, Neb. (AP) - The Omaha Tribal Housing Authority has received a $766,76 

8 grant to repair housing on the reservation. 

The grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was ann 

ounced Thursday by U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's lawmakers unconvinced by speech 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska congressmen on Thursday panned President Clinton's ul 

timatum to Haitian military leaders to leave or face an invasion to force them f 

rom power. 

Clinton Thursday night built his case for an American invasion of Haiti to 

expel a military regime accused of 3,000 political murders. Upwards of 20,000 U. 

S. force were mobilized for the invasion. 

Clinton said most U.S. forces will come home within months. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he didn't agree with Clinton's decision to use 

force if necessary. 


ef. I still think it would have been better to seek approval from Congress befor 

ehand," said Exon, the second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Commit 

tee. 

Exon predicted an invasion this weekend. "I think there's little, if any, c 

hance of avoiding this action," he said. 

"The bottom line here is that the president feels very strongly about this, 

but he may be going out on a limb," Exon said. "It's safe to say that about 70 

percent of Congress is opposed or at least feel that we should have voted on thi 

s." 

"The president didn't change my mind," Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said afte 

r Clinton's address. "I continue to believe it's a mistake for us to commit comb 

at forces over there...unless the situation is vital to our interests. I don't s 

ee that we have any clearly defined political objectives." 

Clinton's comments offered "at least a suggestion to me that there might be 

some last-ditch diplomatic intervention," Barrett said by telephone from Sidney 

. 

Another Nebraska Republican, Rep. Doug Bereuter, said the operation to rest 

ore deposed leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide may take longer than Clinton thinks. 

"There's a great deal of resentment and anger and hostility toward him (Ari 

stide)," Bereuter said.

Before Clinton's speech, Bereuter said there was no case for a military inv 

asion, which would cost billions of dollars and American lives in an inevitable 

long-term involvement. 

"For the first time in my life I am ashamed of American foreign policy," Be 

reuter said. "Our policies are responsible for starving Haitian children." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also has said he opposes an invasion. 

"I am concerned that American troops may become bogged down in the effort t 

hat does not have the support of the American people," Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Ne 

b., said in a letter to Clinton on Wednesday. 

"The goal of restoring democracy in Haiti is a laudable one, but there is n 

o compelling argument I can see for risking American lives to accomplish it at t 

his time," Hoagland said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's Political Leaders Oppose Likely Invasion 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Minutes after President Clinton threatened Haiti's milit 

ary rulers with an invasion unless they leave, Nebraska politicians expressed th 

eir frustration with the decision. 

Only Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb., Thursday night offered grudging support of Clint 

on's decision. 




tee. 




s." 

Polls also indicate Americans oppose an invasion. But Clinton said the U.S. 

military would act, if necessary, to expel a Haitian military regime accused of 

3,000 political murders. He said the move would help halt human rights abuses a 

nd defend democracy in the Caribbean. 

U.S. warships are off the Haitian coast and 20,000 U.S. forces have been mo 

bilized for the invasion. 

An invasion would be a bad move, said Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Ka 

nsas. 

"I just hope and pray none of the Americans are injured, that's the bottom 

line," Dole said at a campaign stop in Lincoln for GOP Senate hopeful Jan Stoney 

. "We may have a vote next week in the Senate, but I've got a feeling it may com 

e too late." 

"He's charging the military leaders with atrocities and tragedies and thing 

s that shouldn't happen," Dole said. 

"Obviously, we'll support the American forces and hope and pray that nobody 

is injured, (including) innocent people," be said. The initial assault "may not 

be too difficult, but then you've got the occupation and the mopping up and con

tinued danger for American young men and women, in some cases." 

Other Nebraska politicians said they still weren't happy with Clinton's pla 

n, even after hearing the speech. 

"The president didn't change my mind," said Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. "I co 

ntinue to believe it's a mistake for us to commit combat forces over there ... u 

nless the situation is vital to our interests. I don't see that we have any clea 

rly defined political objectives." 


some last-ditch diplomatic intervention," Barrett said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, said the operation to restore deposed leader Jean-Bertr 

and Aristide may take longer than Clinton thinks. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also has said he opposes an invasion. Rep. Peter H 

oagland, D-Neb., said in a letter to Clinton on Wednesday that "there is no comp 

elling argument I can see for risking American lives to accomplish it at this ti 

me." 




SOUR[Omaha Jewish press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Eagle Scout Award 

TEXT[Dustin A. Nichols, son of Barbara and Dennis Nichols, recently received his 

Eagle Scout award, the highest honor in scouting, during ceremonies held at the 

Jewish Community Center. 

"The values and skills I've developed, the goals I've reached, the differen 

ce I saw I could make in the community, have inspired me to be a real leader," D 

usty told family and friends. He thanked his fellow scouts and leaders, family, 

and members of the community for their support and encouragement of scouting. 

Corey Kirshenbaum, assistant executive director of the JCC, recognized troo 

p leaders for their efforts. "Troop 218 is a very important part of the JCC. It 

provides our youth with the opportunity to experience scouting with a Jewish per 

spective," he said. "It is making tough decisions to not go along with other tro 

ops' activities; to be individual and practice religious freedom by observing an 

d respecting our culture and traditions," he added. 

A Brownell-Talbot junior, Dusty began his scouting career as Tiger scout in 

1985. He went on to earn the Arrow of Light award, the highest awards cub scout 

can earn, and also earned the Aleph Religious Award. 

He earned a total of 29 merit badges in Boy Scouts, in addition to the Duty 

to God and Country award, Hometown USA award, and Ner Tamid Religious award. 

He passed his Eagle board of review on his 16th birthday. 

For his Eagle project, Dusty was responsible for planning and coordinating a com 

munity "maot tim" fund to help less fortunate families celebrate a traditional P 

assover holiday. 

David Stein, troop committee chairman, presided over the Eagle Court of Hon 

or. Dusty's first Cub Scout leader, Tom Cody, issued the Eagle Challenge. 

His grandfather, Robert T. Sklenar of Tekamah, was honored guest. Others pa 

rticipating in the event included Troop 218 Eagle scouts Dan Marburg and Jeremy 

Nichols, Dr. Mark Pilley, Steve Chasen and Life Scouts Jake Pilley and Adam Nich

ols. 

Jerry Marburg administered the Eagle Oath and Jeremy delivered the Eagle Ch 

arge. Gregg Loucks, Frontier District Executive, was the speaker. Scoutmaster Ba 

rbara Nichols presented her son the Eagle badge, which is earned-by fewer than t 

wo percent of those who enter scouting. 

The troop presented Dusty with an inscribed Eagle plaque. Letters of congra 

tulations were acknowledged from President and Mrs. Clinton, the U.S. Navy, Sena 

tors Robert Kerrey and James Exon, Rep. Peter Hoagland, Governor Ben Nelson and 

Mayor P.J. Morgan. 

P/C[ 




BK#[ 

HDLN[State Delegation Disagrees 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole and Nebraska congressmen on Th 

ursday panned President Clinton's ultimatum to Haitian military leaders to leave 

or face an invasion to force them 

from power. 

But Dole, who said Clinton lacked the support of the public 

for such an invasion, appeared resigned to some sort of U.S. military action. 

"I just hope and pray none of the Americans are injured, 

that's the bottom line," Dole said at a campaign stop in 

Lincoln for GOP Senate hopeful Jan Stoney. "We may have a vote next week in the 

Senate, but I've got a feeling it may come too late." 


force if necessary 




tee. 






s." 



at forces over there unless the situation is vital to our interests. I don't see 

that we have any clearly defined political objectives. 




stide)," Bereuter said. 



long-term involvement.




"I am concerned that American troops may become bogged down in an effort th 

at does not have the support of the American people," Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb 

., said in a letter to Clinton on Wednesday. 








BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans nix Haiti invasion 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - An invasion of Haiti could entangle the United States in an un 

popular effort, two members of Nebraska's congressional delegation said as Presi 

dent Clinton prepared to address the nation Thursday. 









Bereuter said there was no case for a military invasion, which would cost b 

illions of dollars and American lives in an inevitable long-term involvement. 

"For the first time in my life. l am ashamed of American foreign policy," B 

ereuter said. "Our policies are responsible for starving Haitian children." 




your policy." 




Barrett said Wednesday that Clinton probably will begin again Monday, in o 

rder to avoid confrontation with Congress on the issue. 

It would be a "tragic mistake"to invade Haiti and the United States has "no 

compelling national and interest," Barrett said. 


knows the public and the Congress oppose am invasion, 

Bereuter said. 


ity threat, it would be costly and there is always the possibility of something 

going wrong. 

Exon said he opposes an invasion, but Clinton might send U.S. troops before

Monday to avoid a congressional vote on the issue. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Clinton can invade first, ask Congress later 

TEXT[WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said this morning that he would be "ve 

ry surprised if we don't have an invasion of Haiti between now and the end of th 

e week." 

He's not sure that is the right course to take at this point and he would h 

ave preferred that Congress had a role in the strategy-making process, but Exon 

said President Clinton is the commander-in -chief and has the right to take this 

action. 

Exon noted that President Bush invaded Panama without congressional consult 

ation or approval, and he sent thousands of troops and boatloads of military equ 

ipment to the Persian Gulf before Congress was fully consulted. 

"There wasn't a vote until Bush had been assured he had the votes to win co 

ngressional approval," Exon noted. 

But, the Nebraska Democrat said the Clinton administration has extremely ne 

gligent in failing to consult the Senate Armed Services Committee. Exon is the 

second ranking Democrat on the committee behind Chairman Sam Nunn, D-Ga. 

In any event, Exon said it would appear the invasion is imminent, and he do 

es not expect Haiti to offer much resistance. 



percent of Congress is opposed or at least feels that we should have voted on t 

his." 

Polls also indicate Americans oppose an invasion. But Clinton said the U.S 

. military would act, if necessary, to expel a Haitian military regime accused o 

f 3000 political murders. He said the move would help to halt human rights abus 

es and defend democracy in the Caribbean. 

U.S. warships are off the Haitian coast, and 20000 U.S. forces have been mo 




Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he opposes an invasion. And Rep. Peter Hoagl 

and, D-2nd District, said in a letter to Clinton on Wednesday that "there is no 

compelling argument I can see for risking American lives to accomplish it at th 

is time." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District,a senior Republican member of the House 

Foreign Affairs Committee, said he sees no case for a military invasion. "For 

the first time in my life I am ashamed of American foreign policy," which Bereut 

er said is responsible for starving Haitian children. 

Bereuter also said he believes the operation to restore deposed leader Jean 

-Bertrand Aristide may take longer than a few months Clinton said it would. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, said Clinton's speech didn't change his 

mind. "I continue to believe it's a mistake for us to commit combat forces over

there...unless the situation is vital to our interests. I don't see that we ha 

ve any clearly defined objectives." 


some last ditch diplomatic intervention," Barrett said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska politicians uneasy with invasion 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Minutes after President Clinton threatened Haiti's military ru 

lers with an invasion unless they leave, Nebraska politicians expressed their fr 

ustration with the decision. 

Only Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., offered grudging support of Clinton's decision. 



e-hand," said Exon, the second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Commi 

ttee. 




s." 

Clinton said the U.S. military would act, if necessary, to expel a Haitian 

military regime accused of 3,000 political murders. He said the move would help 

halt human rights abuses and defend democracy in the Caribbean. 

U.S. warships are off the Haitian coast and 20,000 U.S. forces have been m 

obilized for the invasion. 


n. 




e too late." 




is injured, (including) innocent people," he said. The initial assault "may not 

be too difficult, but then you've got the occupation and the mopping up and con 






ntinue to believe it s a mistake for us to commit combat forces over there ... u 


rly defined political objectives. 

Clinton's comments offered "at least a suggestion to me that there might be


. 

Another Nebraska Republican, Rep. Doug Bereuter, said the operation to res 

tore deposed leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide may take longer than Clinton thinks. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Optimism on Crime 

TEXT[Nebraska Sen. J.J. Exon sees the $30 billion federal crime bill now signed 

by President Clinton as having beneficial effects for the state. For one thing, 

he noted, "It will send a message to criminals that crime won't be tolerated." 

Certainly it was a desire to send such a message that motivated many legisl 

ators to sign on. 

If more police officers and additional correction facilities result in remo 

ving more criminals from active practice for longer periods, with subsequent red 

uctions in the rates of crime, that will constitute success. Those with criminal 

intent who do not get the "message" at least will have a better chance of being 

put away where it doesn't matter so much. 

Sen. Exon notes that Nebraska will be eligible to receive $20 million in co 

nstruction grants for boot camps and prisons. Another $20 million will be availa 

ble if Nebraska meets "truth-in-sentencing" requirements. That means repeat offe 

nders must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. On that score, federal 

legislators are in tune with ordinary citizens who expect criminal penalties to 

be easily understood, with a 10 to 20 year sentence not meaning freedom in five. 

Whether or not Nebraska will be able to take advantage of a provision for f 

ederal financing of up to 900 new police officers, another feature of the bill c 

ited by Sen. Exon, depends on local commitments. After an initial period of serv 

ice, the additional forces provided with the federal assistance will have to be 

financed at local levels - and that builds in permanent new tax demands. 

It is possible the new scheme for federal aid in adding personnel will caus 

e a relaxation of local efforts to make sure there are more police officers on t 

he beat and fewer involved in administrative work. The influx of federal funds d 

oes not usually create greater efficiency. So there is risk in the new legislati 

on as well as some promise of financial aid. 

Appropriations are still to come for this crime fighting effort, another re 

ason it is much too early to claim success. One must continue to hope that the l 

ocal responsibility for fighting crime is in no way diminished by this new atten 

tion in Washington. 

P/C[ 




BK#[ 

HDLN[State Delegation Disagrees

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole and Nebraska congressmen on Th 

ursday panned President Clinton's ultimatum to Haitian military leaders to leave 

or face an invasion to force them 

from power. 

But Dole, who said Clinton lacked the support of the public 

for such an invasion, appeared resigned to some sort of U.S. military action. 

"I just hope and pray none of the Americans are injured, 

that's the bottom line," Dole said at a campaign stop in 

Lincoln for GOP Senate hopeful Jan Stoney. "We may have a vote next week in the 

Senate, but I've got a feeling it may come too late." 


force if necessary 




tee. 






s." 



at forces over there unless the situation is vital to our interests. I don't see 

that we have any clearly defined political objectives. 




stide)," Bereuter said. 



long-term involvement. 














BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans nix Haiti invasion

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - An invasion of Haiti could entangle the United States in an un 

popular effort, two members of Nebraska's congressional delegation said as Presi 

dent Clinton prepared to address the nation Thursday. 









Bereuter said there was no case for a military invasion, which would cost b 

illions of dollars and American lives in an inevitable long-term involvement. 

"For the first time in my life. l am ashamed of American foreign policy," B 

ereuter said. "Our policies are responsible for starving Haitian children." 




your policy." 




Barrett said Wednesday that Clinton probably will begin again Monday, in o 

rder to avoid confrontation with Congress on the issue. 

It would be a "tragic mistake"to invade Haiti and the United States has "no 

compelling national and interest," Barrett said. 


knows the public and the Congress oppose am invasion, 

Bereuter said. 


ity threat, it would be costly and there is always the possibility of something 

going wrong. 

Exon said he opposes an invasion, but Clinton might send U.S. troops before 

Monday to avoid a congressional vote on the issue. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Clinton can invade first, ask Congress later 

TEXT[WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said this morning that he would be "ve 

ry surprised if we don't have an invasion of Haiti between now and the end of th 

e week." 

He's not sure that is the right course to take at this point and he would h 

ave preferred that Congress had a role in the strategy-making process, but Exon 

said President Clinton is the commander-in -chief and has the right to take this 

action. 

Exon noted that President Bush invaded Panama without congressional consult

ation or approval, and he sent thousands of troops and boatloads of military equ 

ipment to the Persian Gulf before Congress was fully consulted. 

"There wasn't a vote until Bush had been assured he had the votes to win co 

ngressional approval," Exon noted. 

But, the Nebraska Democrat said the Clinton administration has extremely ne 

gligent in failing to consult the Senate Armed Services Committee. Exon is the 

second ranking Democrat on the committee behind Chairman Sam Nunn, D-Ga. 

In any event, Exon said it would appear the invasion is imminent, and he do 

es not expect Haiti to offer much resistance. 



percent of Congress is opposed or at least feels that we should have voted on t 

his." 

Polls also indicate Americans oppose an invasion. But Clinton said the U.S 

. military would act, if necessary, to expel a Haitian military regime accused o 

f 3000 political murders. He said the move would help to halt human rights abus 

es and defend democracy in the Caribbean. 

U.S. warships are off the Haitian coast, and 20000 U.S. forces have been mo 




Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he opposes an invasion. And Rep. Peter Hoagl 

and, D-2nd District, said in a letter to Clinton on Wednesday that "there is no 

compelling argument I can see for risking American lives to accomplish it at th 

is time." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District,a senior Republican member of the House 

Foreign Affairs Committee, said he sees no case for a military invasion. "For 

the first time in my life I am ashamed of American foreign policy," which Bereut 

er said is responsible for starving Haitian children. 

Bereuter also said he believes the operation to restore deposed leader Jean 

-Bertrand Aristide may take longer than a few months Clinton said it would. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, said Clinton's speech didn't change his 

mind. "I continue to believe it's a mistake for us to commit combat forces over 

there...unless the situation is vital to our interests. I don't see that we ha 

ve any clearly defined objectives." 


some last ditch diplomatic intervention," Barrett said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska politicians uneasy with invasion 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Minutes after President Clinton threatened Haiti's military ru 

lers with an invasion unless they leave, Nebraska politicians expressed their fr 

ustration with the decision. 

Only Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., offered grudging support of Clinton's decision.



e-hand," said Exon, the second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Commi 

ttee. 




s." 

Clinton said the U.S. military would act, if necessary, to expel a Haitian 

military regime accused of 3,000 political murders. He said the move would help 

halt human rights abuses and defend democracy in the Caribbean. 

U.S. warships are off the Haitian coast and 20,000 U.S. forces have been m 

obilized for the invasion. 


n. 




e too late." 




is injured, (including) innocent people," he said. The initial assault "may not 

be too difficult, but then you've got the occupation and the mopping up and con 






ntinue to believe it s a mistake for us to commit combat forces over there ... u 


rly defined political objectives. 



. 

Another Nebraska Republican, Rep. Doug Bereuter, said the operation to res 

tore deposed leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide may take longer than Clinton thinks. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Optimism on Crime 




Certainly it was a desire to send such a message that motivated many legisl 

ators to sign on.




intent who do not get the "message" at least will have a better chance of being 


Sen. Exon notes that Nebraska will be eligible to receive $20 million in co 

nstruction grants for boot camps and prisons. Another $20 million will be availa 

ble if Nebraska meets "truth-in-sentencing" requirements. That means repeat offe 

nders must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. On that score, federal 

legislators are in tune with ordinary citizens who expect criminal penalties to 

be easily understood, with a 10 to 20 year sentence not meaning freedom in five. 

Whether or not Nebraska will be able to take advantage of a provision for f 

ederal financing of up to 900 new police officers, another feature of the bill c 

ited by Sen. Exon, depends on local commitments. After an initial period of serv 

ice, the additional forces provided with the federal assistance will have to be 

financed at local levels - and that builds in permanent new tax demands. 

It is possible the new scheme for federal aid in adding personnel will caus 

e a relaxation of local efforts to make sure there are more police officers on t 

he beat and fewer involved in administrative work. The influx of federal funds d 

oes not usually create greater efficiency. So there is risk in the new legislati 

on as well as some promise of financial aid. 

Appropriations are still to come for this crime fighting effort, another re 

ason it is much too early to claim success. One must continue to hope that the l 

ocal responsibility for fighting crime is in no way diminished by this new atten 

tion in Washington. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Hearing about safety from sides of the road 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - As chairman of the surface transportation sub-committee of the 

Senate Committee on Science and Transportation, Sen. Jim Exon may be as well pl 

aced in the Senate power structure to help his state as anyone in the so-called 

upper chamber. 

His subcommittee deals with legislation and federal regulations for trucks 

and trains - the engines of Nebraska's economy. 

However, it should be pointed out that while trucks and trains are competit 

ors, and while Exon has his hands full helping to balance their interests, he al 

so often finds himself as a mediator between railroad labor and management. 

His job is often puts him in a no-win position, he shamelessly acknowledged 

during an interview last week: "Somebody's got to do it, and I enjoy it." 

Last week, Exon held a hearing on the safety implications of truck lengths. 

He heard testimony from the head of the Federal Highway Administration, the Gen 

eral accounting office, the assistant director for highway safety, advocates for 

highway and auto safety, a Nebraska woman representing Citizens for Reliable an 

d Safe Highways and the head of the American Trucking Associations. 

Exon is the author of an amendment approved in 1991 that freezes the length 

of long combination vehicles at the limits in effect in the various states.

Kay Konz, the Nebraska volunteer coordinator of CRASH, told Exon's subcommi 

ttee last week that her interest in highway safety is "deeply personal" because 

she was seriously injured in a car crash in 1983 that kept her out of work for s 

everal years. 

She pointed out that three children die and 260 are injured in traffic cras 

hes every day, and she theorized that if the cause of those deaths and injuries 

were a disease, "every parent in every district would be demanding that our gove 

rnment invest every possible resource into finding a cure for a deadly illness." 

The illness is in the nation's highway safety system "that allows ever larg 

er trucks on our roads," she said. And while the trucks only represent 12 percen 

t of the traffic on interstate highways, they are involved in 38 percent of traf 

fic fatalities involving more than one vehicle. In 1992, more than 4,400 people 

were killed in truck related crashes. 

"I am here today to ask the Senate to stop the ratcheting upward of truck s 

ize and weight. I urge the committee to cap trailer length at 53 feet on the nat 

ional highway system, exempting longer trailers only if they are currently in us 

e and operate in states where they are already authorized," Konz said. 

Thomas J. Donohue, head of the American Trucking Associations, of course di 

d not agree with Konz' testimony. He cited studies indicating that as trucks are 

getting larger, their safety records are improving. Fatal accidents involving t 

rucks dropped 13.1 percent between 1982 and 1992, according to a Department of T 

ransportation study. 

The fatal accident rate dropped 39 percent, the number of fatalities decrea 

sed 14.8 percent, while the numbers of vehicles miles of travel has increased 42 

.7 percent, he said. 

Kenneth Mead, with the GAO, testified that allowing longer and heavier truc 

ks on the road could prove economical. And while the spotty data on the safety o 

f these rigs seems to indicate they are no more dangerous than other trucks, the 

subcommittee should consider the fact that most of these rigs operate on the le 

ss congested highways, and the triple tandems are usually operated by "large tru 

ckload and package companies with good safety records. A wider use of LCVs could 

bring them in proximity of major metropolitan areas and on more heavily travele 

d highways, which would entail greater risks to she passenger traffic with whom 

trucks share the highways." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Area Senators OK Spending for Pentagon 

TEXT[Washington - All four Nebraska and Iowa senators voted last week to authori 

ze $263.8 billion in Pentagon spending during the 1995 fiscal year, which begins 

Oct. 1. 

The Senate voted 80-18 in favor of the final version of the bill, which the 

House passed last month. Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., Charles G 

rassley. R-Iowa. and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, voted for it. 

It was a light week for roll-call votes in Congress, which took most of the 

week off for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.


Banks 

-94-4 to pass a bill that allows banks to establish nationwide networks of 

branches. 

For: Exon. Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

House Votes: 

Wetlands 

-385-5 to pass a bill that would authorize $100 million in federal wetlands 

conservation grants over the next four years. 

For: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Peter Hoagland, D-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; J 

im Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa; Neal Smith. D-Iowa; Fred Grandy, R-Iowa. 

Spending 

-313-61 to pass the final version of the $90.1 billion fiscal 1995 spending 

bill for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, 

and independent agencies. 


Special Projects 

-189-180 to accept $290 million in funding for 259 special projects earmark 

ed by lawmakers in the VA-HUD appropriations bill. The projects were added by th 

e Senate and by House-Senate negotiators. 

For: Smith. 

Against Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

EPA 

-222-148 to accept a Senate-passed provision that would prevent the Environ 

mental Protection Agency from allowing foreign oil refiners more flexibility in 

complying with U.S. standards for clean-burning gas. 

For: Bereuter. Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot. 







BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Race Pits Incumbent, Newcomer 

TEXT[Washington - At a recent strategy luncheon for Democratic senators, the tal 

k was about scoring political points by attacking a health care plan offered by 

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. 

When the meeting ended, Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., went straight to the Senat 

e floor - but not to follow the game plan. 

"Unlike some who have urged me to say it is a sham, I do not believe it is 

a sham," Kerrey said of the Dole bill. "Now is not the time to come and exaggera 

te the proposal of someone else, but to come and say - as I believe - the distin 

guished senator from Kansas is first and foremost a patriot."

Kerrey's direct rebuff to his own party's strategists illustrates the indep 

endence and unpredictability that have marked his freshman Senate term. 

While those qualities may be part of Kerrey's appeal, they also make it har 

d to understand him. 

"He's so independent, he confuses people," said William Schneider of the Am 

erican Enterprise Institute, a Washington. D.C. think tank. "People are puzzled 

by him." 

Accomplishments 

As Kerrey seeks a second six-year term against his Republican challenger, J 

an Stoney, observers in Washington and Nebraska agree he has become a national p 

olitical figure with a record of homestate accomplishments. 

Besides his brief, unsuccessful presidential campaign, Kerrey has played a 

role in U.S. farm policy and the health-care debate. He heads a presidential com 

mission on curbing entitlement spending. And he gained added attention last year 

when he controlled the fate of President Clinton's deficit-reduction plan of ta 

x increases and spending cuts, eventually casting the deciding vote to pass it. 

Kerrey has steered federal money to Nebraska projects, including $22.5 mill 

ion for the University of Nebraska Lincoln's Beadle Center for Genetics and Biom 

aterials Research. Millions of dollars also have gone to medical facilities and 

efforts to improve math and science education, among other projects. 

Kerrey has worked with local officials to change federal regulations, such 

as an Environmental Protection Agency requirement to eliminate radon from drinki 

ng water that would boost costs for many Nebraska towns and cities. 

"He's been very responsive," said Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns, a Democrat-tu 

rned-Republican. "If I called him this afternoon, I can guarantee you that befor 

e I fell asleep tonight I'd have a phone call from Bob Kerrey." 

Budget Vote 

Kerrey said his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which decides 

federal spending questions, makes it possible to help Nebraskans obtain the reso 

urces to improve the state. 

"It gives you a chance to be creative and collaborate with local community 

leaders for the purpose of actually leaving a legacy - building something that s 

aves lives, that changes lives, that enriches lives," Kerrey said. 

Those accomplishments aside, however, Kerrey confounds people. On last year 

's budget vote, for example, political leaders of both parties questioned the wi 

sdom of his last-hour decision to support a plan that he said was flawed. 

Others questioned his public agonizing over the decision, even suggesting t 

hat he had sought time in the spotlight. 

"That's crazy," Kerrey said. "Why would I put myself in a position where no 

matter which way I went, I lost? That happened by coincidence, not by intent." 

On health care, many are puzzled that Kerrey now argues for a modest packag 

e of insurance law changes and a limited government role, after making governmen 

t run national health insurance the centerpiece of his presidential campaign. 

Even those who admire Kerrey use words such as "quirky" and "impulsive" in 

describing him. 

Said Schneider: "He seems personally rather erratic. He always looks like t 

he kind of guy who could lead a movement. But the expectations people have for h 

im never materialize." 

When Kerrey, 51, went to Washington, he was viewed as a rising star in the 

Democratic Party. He was a popular former governor, a millionaire owner of resta 

urants and health clubs, a Medal of Honor recipient for bravery in Vietnam.

Reporters invariably noted Kerrey's personal appeal, as well as his on-agai 

n, off-again relationship with actress Debra Winger. He was expected to run for 

president someday. 

Kerrey did run in 1992, but his campaign fell flat. He won only the South D 

akota primary. He dropped out with a $l million campaign debt, which he has sinc 

e repaid. 

Kerrey still gets mostly favorable notices from Washington pundits, who thi 

nk he may run for president again, perhaps challenging Clinton in the 1996 Democ 

ratic primaries. Kerrey said he won't run against Clinton. 

Divorced and the father of two teenage children, Kerrey has avoided the Was 

hington social scene. Most weekends he returns to Nebraska to meet with constitu 

ents. At an Omaha fund-raiser this spring, Miss Winger said of Kerrey, "He has n 

o personal life anyway, he may as well be in government." 

Besides Appropriations, where he could be a subcommittee chairman next year 

, Kerrey serves on the Agriculture and Intelligence Committees. He is in line to 

become chairman of the intelligence panel if he is re-elected and Democrats kee 

p their Senate majority. 

Voting Record 

Kerrey's voting record suggests that he is more independent than most Democ 

rats. He backed Clinton on 80 percent of roll call votes in 1993, placing him am 

ong the 11 Democrats who gave Clinton the least support. 

Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., said Kerrey is respected by fellow senators, but Ex 

on acknowledged that colleagues are not always pleased with him. 

"There have been some occasions when Bob, in his energetic and aggressive w 

ays, has stepped on some toes," Exon said. "That's Bob Kerrey being Bob Kerrey. 

He's always been that way. He doesn't fit any mold." 

Some Nebraska Republicans say Kerrey's apparent independence actually refle 

cts a lack of commitment or the conflict between a liberal philosophy and his de 

sire to appear conservative Nebraska voters. 

Other Republicans who have worked with Kerrey dispute the notion that he is 

a political chameleon, especially on issues like deficit reduction, where Kerre 

y describes himself as a fiscal conservative. 

"On the issue that I think is the most important facing this country, Bob K 

errey has been consistent," said former Sen. Warren Rudman, R-N.H. "I think he's 

very tough-minded." 

When he was governor from 1983 to 1987, Kerrey kept a tight rein on the sta 

te budget, recalled State Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly, a Republican. In part, 

Warner said, that was because, Kerrey and the Legislature were forced to cut spe 

nding to balance the budget. 

Warner said Kerrey was unpredictable even then, often leaving state senator 

s uncertain about what he would do on an issue. 

"I don't think of it particularly as a fault," Warner said. "It's simply th 

e way he functions." 

Reservations 

Kerrey said he has been consistent in making deficit reduction his top prio 

rity since entering the Senate in 1989, even when it has been unpopular with vot 

ers and interest groups. 

"There's no upside to deficit reduction, to actually doing the ugly deed," 

he said. "There's only upside in talking about it." 

Kerrey voted in favor of President George Bush's deficit-reduction bill in 

1990 and Clinton's plan in 1993, despite what he describes as similar reservatio 

ns about both proposals.

Kerrey voted against Clinton's $16.3 billion economic stimulus plan last ye 

ar and worked with Sen. Hank Brown, R-Colo., to develop a $90 billion package of 

spending cuts. The Kerrey-Brown proposal was defeated. 

The Concord Coalition, of which Rudman is a co-founder, rated Kerrey as hav 

ing one of the best records in the Senate on votes to balance the budget. He had 

an 89 percent rating from the anti-deficit group, second only to Exon among Dem 

ocrats. 

Critics of the Concord Coalition ratings, however, said the scores favored 

lawmakers who voted to raise taxes to cut the deficit. Those who wanted to reduc 

e the deficit solely through spending cuts did not score as well. 

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation recently tallied the impact on fede 

ral spending of every congressional vote from January 1993 through June of this 

year. Kerrey ranked as the 53rd-highest spender in the Senate, voting to spend l 

ess than all but four Democrats. Every Republican except one voted to spend less 

than Kerrey. 

"It's fair to say he'd be a low-spending Democrat or a high-spending Republ 

ican," said Paul Hewitt, the group's executive director. 

Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., praised Kerrey for his willingness to discuss wa 

ys to cut spending on entitlements, including the popular Social Security, Medic 

are and veterans programs. 

"Any politician who deals with the issue - at any time in a term - is heroi 

c," said Danforth, vice chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and 

Tax Reform, which Kerrey heads. "To do it during an election year is especially 

so." 

On health care, Kerrey has moved away from his Health USA bill, which would 

have guaranteed coverage for all Americans and replaced private health insuranc 

e premiums with a payroll tax. Instead, he has been working with a bipartisan gr 

oup of senators, the self-styled "mainstream coalition," on a less sweeping pack 

age of changes. 

Kerrey said he has gradually revised his position on health care because ma 

rket forces have been increasingly effective in controlling costs and because he 

is responding to what Nebraskans want. 

"If you take two snapshots, 1991's introduction of Health USA and 1994, wit 

h the mainstream coalition, you can say: 'Wow, what a reversal,'" Kerrey said. " 

But you have to ignore three years of effort in between." 

Moreover, Kerrey isn't the only member of Congress to change position on he 

alth care. Danforth noted that he and other Republicans formerly advocated gover 

nment price controls to contain health insurance costs. This spring, Dole backed 

away from a bill that had been the main Republican alternative to Clinton's pla 

n. 

Exon said Kerrey has always been willing to revise his position. 

"Some people criticize that as inconsistency. Other people salute that as a 

n attribute," Exon said. "As he studies an issue and he thinks he was wrong prev 

iously, he changes course." 




SOUR[Omaha World Herald

BK#[ 

HDLN[Soldiers Toe Line Between War, Peace 

TEXT[Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - Maj. Jim Hougas has donned his battle fatigues and h 

elped wage a war here for the past three months. 

The enemy is not gun-toting snipers or well-armed soldiers, but life-threat 

ening diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. 

The war zone is the refugee camps established for fleeing Cubans and Haitia 

ns at the U.S. military base on the southeastern tip of Cuba. 

Hougas, his 13 colleagues from Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue and othe 

r troops at Guantanamo Bay are among the more than 40,000 U.S. military personne 

l now assigned around the world to care for sick refugees, deliver food, purify 

water, stop drug traffickers and patrol streets and borders. 

"A lot of the time our job is just to wait around for the casualties," said 

Hougas, a doctor with Offutt's 55th Medical Group. "This is the closest to a tr 

ue humanitarian mission the military could come to." 

While the number of troops devoted to humanitarian and peacekeeping mission 

s represents a small share of the United States' 2.5 million active-duty and res 

erve forces, their ranks have grown since the end of the Cold War. 

Now, as President Clinton prepares to send a U.S.-led invasion force into H 

aiti, policy-makers are debating the merits of using the military for humanitari 

an and peacekeeping purposes. 

"I think it's an entirely appropriate use of the military," said Sen. J.J. 

Exon. D-Neb. "I'm pleased to see the ability, the capability and resourcefulnes 

s of our troops." 

But Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said the United States should choose its mi 

ssions carefully. 

"I think we can spread ourselves too thin - and I think we're reaching that 

point," he said. 

Such missions were not as much of an option during the Cold War, when wars 

and disasters usually involved countries with ties to the superpowers, said Lawr 

ence Korb, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. D.C. 

"Previously, with the Soviet Union and its client states, you couldn't just 

go jumping in someplace." said Korb, a former assistant secretary of defense du 

ring Ronald Reagan's administration. 

Since the breakup of the former Soviet Union, however, there are more oppor 

tunities for the United States to get involved in relief or peacekeeping efforts 

, usually under the auspices of the United Nations. 

The U.S. military can do those tasks well, Korb said. "They're quick and th 

ey're good and they have great logistics," he said. 

When Clinton told the military to make room for refugees at Guantanamo Bay, 

the Air Force sent its version of a MASH unit - what it calls an air transporta 

ble hospital - to the military base. 

Fourteen Offutt personnel - doctors, nurses and other medical workers - joi 

ned other Air Force medical workers to staff the facility, which can hospitalize 

up to 57 people now and 100 if expansion is needed. 

Another 41 Offutt medical workers are in Panama, ready to care for Cuban re 

fugees who could be sent there to ease the strain on the Guantanamo camps. 

As of the end of the week, about 30000 Cuban refugees and about 14000 Haiti 

ans were in the Guantanamo camps. 

Army Sgt. Mike Rivera of Colorado Springs said working in the refugee camps 

at Guantanamo has been a contrast to his combat experience in Saudi Arabia duri

ng the Persian Gulf war. 

Rivera slices open the wrappers of a small pile of packaged meals each day 

to remove the candy, gum or other treats. He supplements that with other candy a 

nd passes out the goodies to Cuban children as he strolls through the camps serv 

ing as an interpreter. 

Rivera said seeing so many people living in austere conditions has been ove 

rwhelming at time's. But it makes him feel good to help. 

"I enjoy the job I am doing," Rivera said. 

Hougas said the experience has left him and other Offutt medical workers wi 

th a mix of feelings. 

"You establish a routine but we all miss home," Hougas said. "It's football 

season in Nebraska. We are getting tired. But the medical part is very fulfilli 

ng." 

Brig. Gen. Mike Williams, the U.S. military, commander in charge of the Gua 

ntanamo refugee camps said the experiences of Rivera and Hougas are typical of m 

any military personnel serving in humanitarian missions. 

"Working in these camps with people whose lives have been shattered can be 

a depressing experience," Williams said. "But there are people in those camps wh 

o are alive because we are here." 

Capt. Eric Skye, an Offutt doctor who is working in the Haitian camps, said 

that when he first arrived, doctors and medical workers were scrambling to figh 

t diseases that could kill the refugees. 

Doctors fended off most of the more severe ailments, but they still feel th 

e strain of caring for thousands of sick people. Skye said. And the medical work 

ers are troubled that they cannot offer any relief for the growing sense of desp 

air among the refugees. 

"It is very trying." Skye said. "They are really good people." 

While the military is showing at Guantanamo and elsewhere that it can handl 

e humanitarian missions, some people caution that there is a tradeoff. 

John Peters, a senior research associate with the Rand Corp. in Santa Monic 

a. Calif., said troops assigned to peacekeeping or humanitarian missions give up 

war training. 

"There also is a mental adjustment," he said. "Training, indoctrination and 

the rules of engagement are different in peacekeeping than in war. It tempers t 

he fighting spirit and aggressive attitude that you would embed in these guys." 

Korb said he disagreed with the idea of keeping troops in training solely f 

or a major war, because potential enemies have much smaller armies. "Who are the 

y going to fight? The Russians aren't there anymore." he said. 

The main problem Korb said, is that military officials are uncomfortable wi 

th the new missions after years of Cold War planning. 

"The military doesn't like these things," Korb said. "It's hard to get much 

glory, and the downsides are pretty big. It's like the Green Bay Packers versus 

a girls high school team - you're expected to win." 

But Korb said the Pentagon is learning to adapt to the changing world, just 

as other organizations must. 

"The March of Dimes was set up to fight polio," he said. "They don't keep s 

aying. 'We can't do anything else because we don't have to fight polio any more. 

" 

Peters said there obviously are enough regular combat forces to handle the 

humanitarian work. But, he said, the armed services could run short of support p 

ersonnel in specialized areas.

If such units were needed in more than one part of the world, the president 

could be forced to call up reserve forces to do those tasks. Peters said. 

Exon, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, agreed that a 

ctive-duty forces would be hard-pressed to fight a major war while maintaining h 

umanitarian and peacekeeping efforts around the world. He said they could do so 

if reservists were called up. 

Peacekeeping operations have caused some budget problems. 

Lt. David Albritton, a Navy spokesman, said some training squadrons were gr 

ounded this summer because of a $44 million shortfall in the budget for flight h 

ours. 

"It's not that we're overburdened," Albritton said. "But the operations tha 

t we have are definitely cost-consuming." 

Exon said the $263.8 billion defense budget can accommodate some added cost 

s for peacekeeping operations, which totaled $1.1 billion in fiscal 1993. Congre 

ss also provides extra appropriations for some special operations. 

Bereuter, a senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said 

he supports the use of international peacekeeping forces. But be said the United 

States should not be drawn into policing every conflict. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon helps referee arguments of big truck vs. small truck safety 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - As chairman of the surface transportation subcommittee of the 

Senate Committee on Science and Transportation, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., may be as 

well placed as anyone in the Senate power structure to help his state. 

His subcommittee deals with legislation and federal regulations that deal w 

ith trucks and trains- the engines of Nebraska's economy. 

Exon's job often puts him in a no win position, but he acknowledged during 

an interview last week that "somebody's got to do it, and I enjoy it." 

Last week, Exon held a hearing on the safety implications of truck lengths. 

He heard testimony from the head of the Federal Highway Administration, the Gen 

eral Accounting Office, the assistant director for highway safety, advocates for 

highway and auto safety, a Nebraska woman representing Citizens for Reliable an 

d Safe Highways (CRASH), and the head of the American Trucking Associations. 

Exon is the author of an amendment approved in 1991 that freezes the length 

of long combination vehicles at the limits in effect in the various states. 

Kay Konz, the Nebraska volunteer coordinator of CRASH, told Exon's subcommi 

ttee last week that her interest in highway safety is "deeply personal." She was 

seriously injured in a car crash in 1983 that kept her out of work for several 

years. 

"My brother's son was also killed last year on our country's highways," she 

said. "My family and I cannot afford to lose any more on our highways and freew 

ays." 

She pointed out that three children die and 260 are injured in traffic acci 

dents every day. If the cause of those deaths and injuries were a disease, she t 

heorized, "every parent in every district would be demanding that our government

invest every possible resource into finding a cure for a deadly illness." 

The illness is in the nation's highway safety system "that allows ever larg 

er trucks on our roads," she said. 

While trucks only represent 12 percent of the traffic on interstate highway 

s, they are involved in 38 percent of traffic fatalities involving more than one 

vehicle. In 1992, more than 4,400 people were killed in truck related crashes. 

"I am here today to ask the Senate to stop the ratcheting upward of truck s 

ize and weight." 

"I urge the committee to cap trailer length at 53 feet on the national high 

way system, exempting longer trailers only if they are currently in use and oper 

ate in states where they are already authorized," she said. 

Thomas J. Donohue, head of the American Trucking Associations, did not agre 

e with Konz's testimony. 

He cited studies showing that as trucks are getting larger, their safety re 

cords are improving. Fatal accidents involving trucks dropped 13.1 percent betwe 

en 1982 and 1992, according to a Department of Transportation study. Meanwhile, 

the numbers of vehicle miles of travel has increased 42.7 percent, he testified. 

Kenneth Mead, with the GAO, testified that allowing longer and heavier truc 

ks on the road could prove economical. The spotty data on the safety of these ri 

gs seem to indicate they are no more dangerous than other trucks, he said. 

But the subcommittee should consider that most of these rigs operate on les 

s congested highways, the triple tandems are usually operated by large less-than 

-truckload and package companies with good safety records. 

A wider use of long combination vehicles could bring them nearer to major m 

etropolitan areas and on more heavily traveled highways, which would entail grea 

ter risks to the passenger traffic with whom trucks share the highways, he said. 



AUTH[Ed Russo 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Breslow: 335 calls were to Hoppner, campaign office or ad agency 

TEXT[Of the 365 long-distance phone calls made by Sen. Don Wesely or his staff i 

n 1990 that state Auditor John Breslow says were campaign-related, 335 were made 

to then-gubernatorial candidate Bill Hoppner, his campaign office or advertisin 

g agency. 

Breslow, who has asked Wesely to repay the state $209 for the 365 calls, to 

day provided the Lincoln Journal with a summary of the calls. 

He said the number of calls to Hoppner and the advertising agency indicate 

that Wesely was engaging in campaign activity, not merely giving information to 

Hoppner and candidates about legislative issues. 

"If there were 15 or 25 calls, yeah. I could see it," Breslow said. "But an 

ybody with common sense would tell you that with that many calls, it had to he c 

ampaign-related. (Plus) there were 13 calls to the ad agency that Hoppner used. 

Give me a break." 

Breslow audited Wesely's phone records between January and October 1900 at 

the request of Wesely's election opponent, Bob Van Valkenburg, who charged Wesel 

y was campaigning for Hoppner. 

"Don Wesely's personal misuse of state telephones is an example of why we n

eed term limits," Van Valkenburg said. "When professional politicians begin to b 

elieve they are above the law, it's definitely time for a change." 

Wesely said today that the purpose of returning calls and providing informa 

tion to candidates was legitimate and it doesn't matter if he made "one or 100 c 

alls" to Hoppner. The summary showed that Wesely or his staff also made 16 longdistance 

calls to the campaign office of Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., and 14 calls to 

the campaign office of Ben Nelson. 

Wesely said more than half of the calls were for two minutes or less, or "t 

elephone tag." If you take those calls out, we are talking about a call a day fo 

r four minutes in length. 

Attorney General Don Stenberg on Friday provided information from Breslow's 

audit to Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey. 

Lacey acknowledged today that even if he believed criminal wrongdoing exist 

ed, the statute of limitations on misdemeanors has run out. But, he said, "I hav 

e other questions that I want the (Nebraska) State Patrol to look into." Lacey d 

eclined to say what they might be. "I don't want to fuel any speculation," he sa 

id. 

Wesely said he wanted to meet with Lacey and the patrol today to discuss th 

e matter. He said a "glitch" has contributed to the controversy, but it "has an 

easy explanation" and that will resolve things. 

Wesely said Breslow and Stenberg knew they had no reason to give materials 

to Lacey, particularly since the statute of limitations had expired. "I'm going 

to suggest that they knew it" and released the information anyway to do him poli 

tical harm, he said. 

"The way this thing has been handled is disturbing and without any sense of 

protocol," Wesely said. 

Wesely said he believes information about senators' phone records should be 

handled carefully, particularly since a 1983 law makes them confidential to all 

but the auditor. Wesely said he would have preferred to get permission from th 

e people he called before releasing information about the calls to the press. 

Deb Thomas, deputy director of the Auditors Office, said Breslow released t 

he information because it came from Wesely, not directly from the confidential p 

hone records. Assistant Attorney General Dale Comer agreed that Breslow could pr 

ovide the information. 

Hoppner said he assumed Wesely's office had called his advertising agency, 

Axelrod & Associates of Chicago, to provide the agency with information about LB 

1059 and legislative issues that Hoppner was talking about in his TV ads. "We we 

re trying to be accurate (in the ads) and the person who I would trust most on ( 

legislative issues) was Don Wesely and his office," Hoppner said. 

He, like Wesely, said it is legitimate for state senators to call candidate 

s. "It is entirely appropriate for state senators to have conversations and dial 

ogue with candidates for public office, particularly for governor," Hoppner said 

. "The public is well served if a candidate for governor is having conversations 

with members of the Legislature on issues." 




SOUR[Alexandria Weekly 

BK#[

HDLN[Sen. Exon to Give Keynote Speech at CVSA Meeting 

TEXT[The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will hold its annual conference Oct. 

31-Nov. 3 at the Red Lion Inn in Omaha, Neb. 

Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Surface Transp 

ortation Subcommittee, will be the keynote speaker. 

Other speakers and their subjects will include: Tom Ross of the California 

Highway Patrol, on the Mexico-U.S. Border Enforcement Project; Gary Mahon of Aus 

tralia's Transportation Ministry, on safety and intelligent vehicle-highway syst 

ems; and Dave Rich of the Idaho State Police, on commercial vehicle information 

systems. 

Additional discussions will include the impact of intrastate deregulation, 

CVSA's policy on violations of out-of-service orders, CVSA decal qualifications 

and enforcement of hazardous materials registration requirements. 

The conference also will have a trade show/exhibit featuring IVHS-commercia 

l vehicle operations. 

CVSA is an association of state, provincial and federal officials responsib 

le for the administration and enforcement of motor carrier safety laws in the U. 

S., Canada and Mexico. 

Contact Larry Stern in Bethesda, Md., 301-564-1623. 



AUTH[Thomas M. Strah 

SOUR[Alexandria Weekly 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Trailer Lengths Get Hill Hearing 

TEXT[The last barrier against 53-foot trailers fell in July when Rhode Island au 

thorized their use on Interstate and designated state highways. 

Rhode Island's action fills out the continental map for the operation of 53 

5. 

It also is read by trucking's critics as a sign that the industry will be b 

ack, asking for more in terms of equipment size. 

Trailer and vehicle length limits consumed the attention of a short, rambling co 

ngressional hearing on truck safety Sept. 14, in which Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb 

.) complained that "the fifty-three foot (trailer) is being stretched to nearly 

60 feet in some states." 

This trend poses serious safety questions, he added. Sen. Exon, chairman of 

the Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the Senate's Committee on Commerce, 

Science and Transportation echoed charges by CRASH (Citizens for Safe and Reliab 

le Highways) and others that the advent of longer trucks inevitably triggers sub 

sequent requests for even greater length and weight limits. 

Gerald Donaldson, a researcher for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safe, ter 

med this phenomenon the "endless upward ratcheting" of truck sizes. 

He and CRASH representatives asked the senator to impose a limit on commerc 

ial vehicle dimensions when it comes time to pass the National Highway System bi 

ll. 

Earlier this year, lawmakers in the House considered and then rejected a pr 

oposal that would have extended the Interstate system's 80,000 pound weight limi

t to the much more expansive NHS and freeze trailer and vehicle lengths at their 

current limits across the board. 

Such a freeze would resemble the cap on longer combination vehicles that wa 

s added to the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. 

"I believe the (LCV) freeze has worked well," Sen. Exon said at the hearing 

, but he did not commit to doing something similar in the NHS legislation. 

Instead, he delivered a pointed message to representatives of the Departmen 

t of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration that he and other senator 

s will not compromise on size and weight safety, issues related to the North Ame 

rican Free Trade Agreement. 

DOT negotiators are meeting with their counterparts from the other two coun 

tries to "harmonize" differences in commercial vehicle dimensions. The goal is 

to determine what size of trucks can traverse all three NAFTA countries. 

Many Canadian trucks are longer and mexican trucks are heavier than U.S. la 

ws would allow. 

Sen. Exon was joined by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas) in saying they 

would reject any agreement that accepted a half-way point between extremes simp 

ly for the sake of compromise. 

Federal Highway Administrator Rodney Slater attempted to assure the senator 

s that trucking productivity and safety would be carefully reconciled during NAF 

TA harmonization. 

In what he emphasized was a strong "forewarning," Sen. Exon told transporta 

tion agency officials that the final say-so on size and weights "belongs to Cong 

ress, not the negotiators." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[293 Wesely Calls made to Hoppner Campaign 

TEXT[State Sen. Don Wesely's phone bill for 1990 included 293 long-distance call 

s to the campaign of Democratic governor candidate Bill Hoppner and 14 calls to 

Hoppner's Chicago advertising consultant. 

The office of State Auditor John Breslow Monday released the list of 365 ca 

lls, totaling $209.19, that Breslow, after an audit said were campaign-related. 

Friday, Breslow called on Wesely to reimburse the state for the calls, whic 

h totaled 20 hours in length. Also on Friday, Attorney General Don Stenberg requ 

ested an investigation of the calls. 

Wesely, of Lincoln, has maintained that he did not abuse the privilege of u 

sing his office phone. He said Monday that the calls to the campaign and the con 

sultant were to respond to questions on state issues. 

Besides the calls to Hoppner's Omaha campaign office and the advertising fi 

rm, the list released by Breslow Monday included 29 calls to Hoppner's business 

in Omaha, 16 to U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon's campaign office and 14 to the campaign off 

ice of Ben Nelson, who was making his successful run for governor 

Wesely said he has been a friend of Hoppner and supported his campaign. Wes 

ely denied he was using his phone to help run the campaign. 

"We talked-about once a day on various issues and what was happening (in th

e Legislature)," he said. "They were issue oriented calls." 

Wesely said he didn't think he made most of the calls. Most were probably m 

ade by his staff he said. Wesely's chief aide at the time was Tim Becker, who is 

now Gov. Nelson's chief of staff. 

Breslow had requested the phone records in early August at the urging of We 

sely's current election opponent, Bob Van Valkenburg. 

Van Valkenburg alleged that Wesely allowed phones in his office to be used 

in the 1990 campaign of Hoppner, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party' 

s nomination for governor. 

Wesely, a Democrat currently seeking his fifth term in the Legislature, has 

said he is being politically "set up" by the Republican attorney general and De 

mocratic auditor, both of whom he has clashed with previously. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rep. Bereuter Calls for Vote on Haiti Move 

TEXT[Washington - Congress should vote on U.S. intervention in Haiti, Rep. Doug 

Bereuter, R-Neb., said Monday. 

"We are intervening militarily," he said, "and there are no vital national 

interests that require this military incursion into Haiti. The fact that it did 

not have to be made under hostile conditions makes it just as wrong." 

Bereuter, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House In 

telligence Committee, predicted that a majority of both Democrats and Republican 

s would oppose military intervention in Haiti. 

In a press conference later, Senate Majority leader George Mitchell, D-Main 

e, and House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., said a congressional vote appeared to b 

e required under an agreement obtained by former President Carter with Haiti's m 

ilitary dictators. 

Reaction from other Nebraskans and Iowans in Congress: 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa: "The president's plan is still to replace 

one set of Haitian dictators with another dictator. This type of 'nation-buildin 

g' is exactly what led us to the disaster in Somalia and cost Iowans their lives 

unnecessarily. A Haitian occupation is still a needless risk of American life." 

þ Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb.: "It remains to be seen over the longer term as to 

whether our occupation there ... will result in problems." 

þRep. Peter Hoa gland, D-Neb.: "I think this certainly beats the alternativ 

e. It certainly beats undertaking a hostile action - driving the dictators into 

the mountains where they might establish guerrilla resistance that could last fo 

r years." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 



AUTH[Betty Kuszak 

SOUR[Kearney Hub

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ravenna bond on many minds 

TEXT[RAVENNA - The effort to pass a bond issue for the construction of a new ele 

mentary school in Ravenna could be a case of "the third time is the charm." 

Or, instead, "Three strikes and you're out." 

The decision could be made by Ravenna School District voters in December or 

January, if the Ravenna School Board decides to put a bond issue on the ballot 

for a third time. 

"Most people, after being beat twice, would throw up their hands and say, ' 

We're through,' " said Superintendent Gary Myers about the $2.9 million bond iss 

ue that first failed by 54 votes in November 1993 and was defeated a second time 

by 29 votes last June. 

The proposals were to use those funds to build a 42,800-square-foot school 

building for students in kindergarten through sixth grade on school-owned proper 

ty to the west of the current junior-senior high school. The current school now 

has 258 students. 

So far, school board members have resisted an alternative proposal to spend 

up to $2 million to renovate the current 46-year-old elementary school, with it 

s cast-in-place concrete walls, to bring it into compliance with the Americans w 

ith Disabilities Act, and fire and safety codes. 

Later this month, school board members will review a new set of building pl 

ans proposed by Design Associates, a Lincoln architectural firm recently hired t 

o replace Davis, Fenton, Stange, and Darling, which had designed the $2.9 millio 

n construction plan. 

The new plan proposes the use of more steel in the elementary, which could 

reduce the cost per square foot from $70 to around $50. Myers said that means th 

e cost of a 900-square-foot classroom could be reduced for $63,000 to $45,000. 

In all, the new construction plan could reduce construction costs for a new 

elementary school by about $500,000, which would reduce the bond issue to about 

$2.4 million. 

School board members might decide at the October or November board meeting 

whether to pursue the smaller bond amount, Myers said. 

If a third bond issue is put to a vote a defeated, he said, the board would 

have no other choice but to remodel the current building in order to meet the J 

anuary 1995 ADA compliance deadline. 

"This building would never blow away or be blown up," said Elementary Princ 

ipal Mick Davey about the current school's concrete construction. "But it's toug 

h to remodel." 

Davey listed a number of problems with the three-story building, starting w 

ith stairways that can't be made wide enough to install a chair lift accessible 

to handicapped people. 

Some rooms become flooded after rains because the building's flat roof need 

s repairs, he said, and lye used in the poured concrete years ago has corroded p 

lumbing pipes. Other problems involve the obsolete boiler heating system; cracks 

in one of the exterior walls, which could cause it to collapse in time; inadequ 

ate classroom space; and circuit overloads on the electrical system, to the poin 

t that two popcorn poppers can't be operated at the same time in two different c 

lassrooms without blowing a circuit. 

Davey said that only half the computers in a classroom can be run at a time 

, and everyone must limit use of electricity when the office copy machine is in 

use.

If the renovation option is approved, school board members would look at th 

e possibility of levying 14 cents per $100 valuation for a sinking fund to pay f 

or the work, Myers said. 

The total levy could reach 19 cents, he said, if 5 cents more is added to c 

over removal of ADA barriers. 

"Even if they would vote no this time (on a bond issue), they'll (school di 

strict residents) have to pay a considerable amount of money to renovate the old 

building," Myers said. "The only message we can convey to them is that either w 

ay, you're going to pay." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Co. Attorney on hand for anti-crime bill signing 

TEXT[Keith County Attorney Deborah Gilg was among law enforcement officials on h 

and last Tuesday when the anti-crime bill was signed into law by President Clint 

on. 

Mrs. Gilg was invited for her role as chairman of the Nebraska Jail Standar 

ds Committee of the Nebraska Crime Commission. 

Others on hand for the signing which took place on the south lawn of the Wh 

ite House were Vice President Al Gore, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell an 

d the Cabinet officers. 

Following the signing, she shook hands with President and Mrs. Clinton, Att 

orney General Janet Reno and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy. 

"It, was quite a moment in history," Ms. Gilg noted. 

Under terms of the anti-crime law Nebraska could receive up to $83 million 

over six years to help hire about 900 new officers and help to implement communi 

ty policing in the state. 

Nebraska will receive about $20 million in construction grants for prisons 

and boot camps. The statemay also qualify for about $20 million more if it adopt 

s truth-in-sentencing laws requiring repeat violent offenders to serve at least 

85 percent of their sentence. 

Nebraska will also continue to receive its share of $3.3 million per year i 

n federal grants which help fund regional anti-crime and drug law enforcement ef 

forts in the state. An additional $6.5 million will be available to Nebraska for 

rural crime and drug enforcement. 

The state can also apply for its share of $500 million to upgrade criminal 

records and help courts and prosecutors. 

Nebraska will also receive $1.8 million for anti-gang grants, police partne 

rships with senior citizens and children, and youth development centers. State a 

gencies can apply for the state's share of funds for gang resistance and educati 

on training, low-interest loans to businesses in low-income areas, and other aid 

for violence-prone areas, both urban and rural. 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon said the law will not be a cure-all but it will send a m 

essage to criminals that crime won't be tolerated. 

A provision Exon co-sponsored is included in the new law. The Violence Agai

nst Women provision will provide Nebraska with more than $7 million in grants to 

help victims of domestic abuse. 

Another provision Exon introduced in the past is included in the law. That 

provision will created "drug-free" zones at truck stops and highway rest stops, 

doubling the penalty for dealing drugs and tripling the penalty for repeat drug 

offenses. 

The law creates a $30.2 billion crime trust fund that will be paid for by s 

avings locked in by eliminating more than 272,000 federal jobs over the next six 

years. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska lawmakers say Haiti pact beats alternative 

TEXT[WASHINGTON- Sen. Jim Exon says there is still a potential danger resulting 

from this morning's military intervention in Haiti, but "it's much better than o 

ur way to shore." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, senior Republican member of the House F 

oreign Affairs Committee and outspoken critic of President Clinton's policy on H 

aiti, said that like most Americans he is relieved there is less chance for loss 

of life now that an agreement has been worked out with Haiti's de facto leaders 

, but he remains opposed to US intervention in Haiti. 

Both Exon and Bereuter agreed that Clinton owes a debt of gratitude to form 

er President Jimmy Carter, who along with Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., and former Gen. 

Colin Powell, negotiated the last-minute agreement that calls for the de facto l 

eaders to relinquish power by Oct. 15. 

Exon and Bereuter disagreed over whether Clinton had the constitutional aut 

hority to invade Haiti without first seeking congressional approval, but they ag 

ree it would have been better if the president had consulted Congress and receiv 

ed its approval before moving. 

Exon, the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, p 

ointed to President Reagan's invasion of Grenada and President Bush's invasion o 

f Panama as proof of what he says is the constitutional right of the commander i 

n chief. 

Bereuter said there was never any vital national security interest in Haiti 

to base an invasion on. He said there should still he a congressional debate on 

the invasion that turned out to be an intervention once Carter, Nunn and Powell 

worked out the last-minute agreement. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-2nd District, said he is cautiously optimistic that 

problems in Haiti have been solved. 

He said Clinton deserves some praise. 

"It seems to me that the president has applied classic Teddy Roosevelt gunb 

oat diplomacy tactics and they may have worked," Hoagland said. 

A small contingent - between five and 20 people - and a KC135R aircraft fro 

m the 155th Air Refueling Group of the Nebraska Air National Guard have been sen 

t to support the Haiti project, a Guard spokesman said this morning. 

The aircraft, which holds about 30,000 gallons of fuel, its pilots and main

tenance staff were deployed Saturday morning, spokesman Leonard Krenk said. 

"They will be at the beck and call of Air Force in support of other aircraf 

t," Krenk said. "They could be anywhere in that area, between the United States 

and Haiti, over the water. It's hard to say exactly where." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Alleged 'campaign-related' calls questioned 

TEXT[State Sen. Don Wesely's phone bill for 1990 included 293 long-distance call 

s to the campaign of Democratic governor candidate Bill Hoppner and 14 calls to 

Hoppner's Chicago advertising consultant, records released by the state auditor' 

s office show. 

Auditor John Breslow, who alleges the calls were campaign-related, on Monda 

y released a list of 365 calls that added up to 20 hours and $209.19. 

On Friday, Breslow called on Wesely to reimburse the state for the calls an 

d Attorney General Don Stenberg requested an investigation of the calls. 

Wesley, of Lincoln, has refused to pay the money, saying he did not abuse t 

he privilege of using his office phone. He said Monday that the calls to the cam 

paign and the consultant were to respond to questions on state issues. 

Wesely denied he was using his phone to help run the campaign. 

"We talked about once a day on various issues and what was happening (in th 

e Legislature)," he said. "'They were issue oriented calls." 

Breslow said the number of calls to Hoppner and the advertising agency indi 

cate that Wesely was engaging in campaign activity, not just giving information 

to Hoppner and candidates about legislative issues. 

"If there were 15 or 25 calls, yeah, I could see it," Breslow said. "But an 

ybody with common sense would tell you that with that many calls, it had to be c 

ampaign-related. Give me a break." 

Wesely said that the purpose of returning calls and providing information t 

o candidates was legitimate and it doesn't matter if he made "one or 100 calls" 

to Hoppner. 

Wesely said more than half of the calls were for two minutes or less, evide 

nce of "telephone tag." If you take those calls out, "we are talking about a cal 

l a day for four minutes" in length. 

The list also included 29 calls to Hoppner's business in Omaha, 16 to U.S. 

Sen. Jim Exon's campaign office and 14 to the campaign office of Ben Nelson, who 

, was making his successful run for governor. 

Wesely said most of the calls were probably made by his staff. 

Hoppner said he assumed Wesely's office had called his advertising agency t 

o provide information about legislative issues that Hoppner was talking about in 

his TV ads. 

"We were trying to be accurate and the person who I would trust most on (le 

gislative issues), was Don Wesely and his office, Hoppner said. 

Breslow had requested the phone records in early August at the urging of We 

sely's opponent in the November election, Bob Van Valkenburg. 

Van Valkenburg alleged that Wesely allowed phones in his office to be 

used in the 1990 campaign of Hoppner, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic P

arty's nomination for governor. 

Wesely, a Democrat seeking his fifth term in the Legislature, has said he i 

s being politically "set up" by the Republican attorney general and Democratic a 

uditor, both of whom he has clashed with previously. 

Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said that even if he believed criminal 

wrongdoing existed, the statute of limitations has run out. 

But "I have other questions that I want the (nebraska) State Patrol to look 

into." Lacey declined to say what they might be. "I don't want to fuel any sp 

eculation," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Congressmen wary of Haiti mission 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska's congressmen called for a short intervention in Hait 

i even as U.S. troops, including support staff from Nebraska, moved Monday to re 

store democracy in the Caribbean nation. 

"It remains to be seen over the longer term as to whether our occupation there.. 

.will result in problems," said Sen. Jim Exon, the second-ranking Democrat on th 

e Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Haiti's military dictators agreed to relinquish power no later than Oct. 15 

under the terms of an agreement negotiated by former President Carter. The agre 

ement cleared the way for the return of deposed President Jean Bertrand Aristide 

. 

There was no requirement that Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras and other members of th 

e military junta leave Haiti. They did not sign the agreement. 

"The problem still exists as to what will happen after Oct. 15 as to whethe 

r the citizenry of Haiti who supported the military dictatorship before will car 

ry on the struggle in the form of civil war," Exon said. 

Between five and 20 members of the 155th Air Refueling Group of the Nebrask 

a Air National Guard and a KC135R aircraft were sent Saturday morning to support 

Air Force troops, a guard spokesman said. 

The aircraft, which holds about 30,000 gallons of fuel, its pilots and main 

tenance staff will support Air Force aircraft, spokesman Leonard Krenk said. 

U.S. troops in Haiti were expected to number 15,000 by week's end. When the 

Nebraska group will return to Lincoln is not known, Krenk said. 

"Like most Americans, I'm please that we did not have to invade in a milita 

ry sense" because it reduced the chance for casualties, said Rep. Doug Bereuter, 

D-Neb. "But this is still a intervention ... and we're still going to have troo 

ps on the ground. There is no national or vital interest involved." 

President Clinton had a moral requirement and "perhaps a constitutional req 

uirement" to ask Congress before taking any action in Haiti, Bereuter said. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., accused House and Senate Democrats of failing to 

schedule congressional debate on the Haitian issue. 

"President Clinton has still committed U.S. forces to a risky and very toug 

h job, that being nation building," Barrett said. "Experience has shown it doesn 

't work, and we shouldn't be involved."

But Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., remained cautiously optimistic that proble 

ms in Haiti have been solved and said peacekeeping efforts were better than a mi 

litary invasion. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Breslow lists 365 'campaign-related' calls by Wesely 

TEXT[State Auditor John Breslow released a report Monday summarizing 365 "campai 

gn-related" calls made by Sen. Don Wesely in 1990. 

Of that total, 335 were made to Bill Hoppner, who was running for governor 

at that time, or to Hoppner's advertising agency. 

Breslow urged Wesely to repay $209 for the long-distance calls, which he sa 

id represented illegitimate use of the state telephone. 

But Wesely said he does not owe the money and won't pay it. 

"The only relationship to campaigning is that they were calls to campaign o 

ffices," Wesely said. "Otherwise, they're legitimate calls about issues." 

He said the calls to Hoppner, as well as 16 calls to Sen. Jim Exon's campai 

gn office and 14 to then candidate Ben Nelson's office, were all in response to 

questions candidates asked about legislation. 

"Just about everybody running for office in 1990 was calling my office," We 

sely said, because of his key role on several hot issues, including school finan 

ce, tax breaks for businesses and income-tax reform. 

He said that about half of the calls to Hoppner were of less than two minut 

es, indicating they represented "telephone tag." The rest were responses to Hopp 

ner's requests for information and totalled less than one per day, he said. 

"I acknowledge this looks bad until you realize the time frame, the circums 

tances and the nature of the calls," Wesely said. 

Wesely's opponent in the race for Lincoln's District 28 legislative seat, R 

obert Van Valkenburg, said the report from Breslow does more than look bad. 

"Don Wesely's personal misuse of state telephones is an example of why we n 

eed term limits," he said. "When professional politicians begin to believe they 

are above law, it's definitely time for a change." 

Van Valkenburg said he believed most of the 365 calls were "unlawful." 

"Once or twice might have been a mistake, but Wesley can never convince me 

or other taxpayers that the equivalent of one illegal long distance telephone ca 

ll per day for one whole year was a mistake or an error." 

Breslow has turned the telephone records over to Lancaster County Attorney 

Gary Lacey for further investigation. Lacey said Monday that the statute of limi 

tations has run out on possible misdemeanors committed in 1990. Lacey said he wo 

uld ask the State Patrol to look into some other questions, but declined to be s 

pecific. 

Wesely said he believed that Breslow had violated a court order by making t 

he telephone information public. But Breslow produced a letter from Dale Comer, 

assistant attorney general, saying that the information was public because it wa 

s mentioned in an exchange of letters between Breslow and Wesely. 

Wesely said he believed Breslow raised questions about the telephone calls

in an effort to embarrass both Wesely and Hoppner. 

"His (Breslow's) style is to politicize everything. He's a politician; he's 

not a professional auditor." 

Wesely several times has sponsored legislation to make the auditor's office 

appointive, rather than elective. but to no avail. 

Wesely also said he did not think the issue would hurt his re-election camp 

aign. 

"My district knows me, and I know my district," he said. "I've worked hard. 

They know I'm not going to take advantage of my office." 



AUTH[Michael O'Connor 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Freeway Strip Gets Workout 

TEXT[The Kennedy Freeway extension carried heavy traffic during the first two ru 

sh hours after its Monday opening, a state engineer said Tuesday. 

"There seemed to be more traffic than we envisioned," said John Jacobsen, O 

maha district engineer for the State Department of Roads. 

About 4 p.m. Monday a four-mile section between Railroad Avenue in Omaha an 

d Nebraska Highway 370 was opened. The final three-mile segment from Highway 370 

to just south of Fairview Road is scheduled to open by mid-October. 

Gov. Nelson clipped a ribbon Monday at the Chandler Road interchange during 

a 2:30 p.m. ceremony that included comments by Bellevue Mayor Inez Boyd, State 

Senator Paul Hartnett of Bellevue and Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

Jacobsen said Kennedy Freeway traffic was stacked up at the Cornhusker Road 

exit during the Monday afternoon rush hour. 

The state will monitor the exit and adjust timing of the traffic lights at 

the exit if the problem continues, Jacobsen said. 

"You have to see how traffic flows," he said. 

The northbound side was reduced to one lane near Railroad Avenue Monday and 

Tuesday morning to allow crews to remove a temporary asphalt median. The median 

had been used to channel traffic onto Railroad Avenue before the extension open 

ed. 

The state was scheduled to restore the two-lane traffic by Tuesday afternoo 

n, Jacobsen said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[4 Miles Open on Kennedy Freeway Extension 

TEXT[Traffic barreled down the Kennedy Freeway extension into Bellevue Monday af 

ternoon, after politicians clipped ribbons and gave speeches to mark its opening 

.

"Good things do take time and maybe great things do take more time," Gov. N 

elson said, referring to the more than 20 years that went into planning the exte 

nsion. 

Nelson praised local and state officials for their perseverance. 

"It's that kind of dedication that makes it possible for us to be here toda 

y, Nelson said. 

At about 4 p.m., a four-mile section of the freeway between Railroad Avenue 

in Omaha and Nebraska Highway 370 was opened. The final three-mile segment from 

Nebraska 370 to just south of Fairview Road is scheduled to open by mid-October 

. 

Nelson clipped a ribbon at the Chandler Road interchange during a 2:30 p.m. 

ceremony that included comments by Bellevue Mayor Inez Boyd, State Sen. Paul Ha 

rtnett of Bellevue and Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

"Congratulations to all you local folks who pitched in," Exon said. 

Mayor Boyd said it was a happy day for her. "I get to stand here today and 

give a big thank you to the people of Bellevue," she said. 

Local communities and their governments worked hard to get the freeway buil 

t, Mayor Boyd said. 

"When we're united good things can happen," she said. 

After Nelson clipped the Chandler Road ribbon, a motorcade drove to each Be 

llevue interchange for a brief ribbon cutting, with music by marching bands at e 

ach stop. 

Hartnett cut the ribbon at Cornhusker Road. Mayor Boyd clipped the ribbon a 

t Nebraska 370 and Col. Bud Paulson of Offutt Air Force Base did the honors at C 

apehart Road. 

The ceremonies involved the entire extension even though the opening of the 

final three-mile section is scheduled for next month. 

The motorcade included federal, state and local officials who have been inv 

olved with the expressway project. 

Bellevue's Fort Crook Road had carried U.S. Highway 75 traffic. The U.S. 75 

designation switched to the Kennedy Freeway when the extension opened. Planning 

officials are predicting a significant drop in traffic on Fort Crook Road. 

The interchange connecting the Kennedy Freeway to Interstates 80 and 480 op 

ened this summer. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Range of Reaction: 'It's a disgrace' to 'It's a smart move' 

TEXT[Reaction to the agreement that Haiti's leaders will turn over power to exil 

ed president Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Oct. 15: 

"It remains to be seen over the longer term as to whether our occupation there 

... will result in problems." 

-Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb, Senate Armed Services Committee





BK#[ 

HDLN[Harrison to receive part of public radio grant 

TEXT[HARRISON - Harrison will receive a share of $98,167 from a federal grant fo 

r public radio transmissions. 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced that Nebraska has been awarded 

federal grants for public radio and television transmission in rural Nebraska. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded the two grants to the Nebraska Educ 

ational Telecommunications Commission, which operates public radio and public te 

levision in the state. 

One grant will help pay for activating equipment in rural Nebraska that wil 

l bring public radio to areas near Harrison, Max in Dundy County, Falls City in 

Richardson County and Culbertson in Hitchcock County. 

The other grant will help pay for upgrading equipment serving the state's p 

ublic television network in Falls City in Richardson County, Neligh in Antelope 

County and Decatur in Burt County. 




SOUR[(Iowa Edition) Omaha World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Wants Politics Kept Out of Vote 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton's decision to send U.S. troops to Haiti may 

face votes in the Senate this week, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Monday. 

"I hope we can keep politics out of this, but I suppose politics will play 

its usual role," Exon said. "1 would expect we will vote on the Carter initiativ 

e, and I would be surprised if that did not carry." 

The House acted Monday, calling for the orderly withdrawal of all American 

forces "as soon as possible" in a 353-45 vote. Lawmakers also offered a muted co 

mmendation for Clinton and praised American forces on the ground for their "prof 

essional excellence and dedicated patriotism." 

The legislation underscored wide-spread opposition in the House to Clinton' 

s earlier plans to invade Haiti, and lawmakers of both parties called for a more 

comprehensive airing of the administration's policy within several days. 

Voting yes were 232 Democrats, 120 Republicans and independent Bernard Sand 

ers of Vermont. All 45 negative votes were cast by Republicans; two Republicans 

voted present. 

In the Senate, Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, circulated a draft 

of similar legislation. 

Exon, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised the delegati 

on led by former President Jimmy Carter for persuading Haiti's military dictator 

s to step down hours before U.S. troops were to invade the island. 

"Carter made the situation better than what it was," Exon said. "At least w 

e are not putting our troops in harm's way. They didn't have to blast their way

ashore." 

Reaction from other Nebraskans and Iowans in Congress: 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa: Grassley confirmed that the Senate will vote 

on Clinton's Haiti policy this week. 

"It will be a resolution in support of the troops, even though I don't support s 

ending troops there," he said. Grassley said Clinton deserves credit "for being 

smart enough to call on Jimmy Carter to get the job done." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa: He said the Clinton administration must begin work 

ing with President Jean-Bertrand Aristide so he can return to office no later th 

an Oct. 15. "If this does not happen," he said, "the people of Haiti will feel b 

etrayed and see our negotiations as support of the very forces that have suppres 

sed them for so many years. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb.: Barrett said he was concerned that Haiti's milit 

ary dictators were to be allowed to remain on the island after Oct. 15. "Their p 

resence could promote some ongoing unrest and continued instability," Barrett sa 

id. 

Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa: Smith said partisanship has been apparent in much 

of the criticism of Clinton. "The ultimate partisanship was shown today when som 

e of the same people who opposed forcing the junta out are now critical because 

the transition will not be completed for three weeks," he said. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb.: Hoagland said he was optimistic the situation 

in Haiti will improve. "We'll have to wait and see whether the military leaders 

will indeed honor the agreement and allow for a peaceful transition to a new go 

vernment," he said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.: Bereuter said everyone was relieved that U.S. t 

roops did not have to shoot their way into Haiti. "But we are intervening milita 

rily, and there are no vital national interests that require this military incur 

sion into Haiti," he said. 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa: Lightfoot expressed concerns about Aristid 

e's record during the eight months Aristide was Haitian president before being d 

eposed. "The president's plan is still to replace one set of Haitian dictators w 

ith another dictator," Lightfoot said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 



AUTH[Donna Biddle 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Crossroads House for seniors prepares to take its first tenants 

TEXT[Ruth Hohl plans to be one of the first tenants to move into the Cross-roads 

House at 10th and O streets. 

"I just really love to be downtown," Hohl said. "I just absolutely love it. 

I'm really anxious" to move in. 

Hohl and other tenants are expected to start moving within a week into the 

former Clayton House Hotel, which has been renovated into one-bedroom apartments 

for older residents. 

Fifteen of the apartments have been leased and those involved expect the re 

st will be leased by the end of the year.

On a top floor of the building, Hohl's apartment offers a clear view to the 

north, including a bit of one of the new screens at Memorial Stadium. 

"My son-in-law said, 'Ma, get some binoculars and you can see the instant r 

eplays,' " Hohl said. 

For Hohl, downtown living offers more independence. She likes to be closer 

to the downtown bus hub so she won't have to transfer buses anymore. She is look 

ing forward to Downtown Senior Center activities and already is making plans to 

go to some travelogues downtown. 

Her daughter, Julia Stroebel, also is pleased with the building's security, 

which uses an intercom system, and plans for an emergency call system. 

They also are pleased with the roominess of the second-floor community room 

, where a lounge area, TV, microwave and other building activities are planned. 

The apartments rent for $365 or $375 depending on the square footage, and r 

esidents must meet moderate income guidelines. 

Anyone wanting more information on the apartments should call the office of 

Lincoln Information For the Elderly (LIFE) at 441-7070. 

The housing is a project of the Lincoln-Lancaster Senior Centers Foundation 

, which announced in December 1992 its plans to turn the 92-room former hotel in 

to apartments for senior citizens. The last day of hotel operations was Dec. 19, 

1992. 

The foundation has invested $3.1 million on their portion of the former hot 

el, which includes floors Two through Seven. 

The Housing Authority expects to invest about $1.16 million on its purchase 

and renovation of the basement and first floor of the building, said the author 

ity's business manager, Stan Sunblade. 

He said he expects the authority will seek bids on its renovation work late 

this month for completion in February or March. The authority plans to move its 

downtown office, now located at Gold's Galleria, to the first floor of the Cros 

sroads House. 

Meanwhile, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced that the U.S. Depar 

tment of Housing and Urban Development has approved a $315,000 loan to the city 

that will partially pay for demolition of the garage now on the site and the con 

struction of a new one. The city expects to pay off the loan over six years usin 

g Community Development Block Grant funds. 

The city plans to use these funds, along with tax-increment financing and p 

arking-revenue bonds, to demolish the hotel's garage - considered unsafe - and t 

o build a new one. 

The project, now estimated at about $1.1 million, is expected to include ap 

proximately 135 parking spaces on three levels, said Linda Hershberger with the 

city Transportation Department. 

The garage, expected to be finished next fall, will include spaces for Cros 

sroads House residents, Housing Authority employees, and public parking. 

The Clayton House building was the site of a department store and an insura 

nce company before it became the Crossroads Motor Hotel in 1962. Two years later 

, it was renamed the Clayton House during an ownership change. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's lawmakers cautious despite early success 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - As U.S. forces moved into Haiti to take up peace keeping dutie 

s, Nebraska politicians Monday expressed relief that a military invasion apparen 

tly had been avoided but questioned the need for a U.S. presence. 

"Like most Americans, I'm pleased that we did not have to invade in a milit 

ary sense" because that reduces the chance for fatalities, said Rep. Bereuter. " 

But this is still an intervention...and we're still going to have troops on the 

ground." 

Rep. Peter Hoagland said he is cautiously optimistic that problems in Haiti 

have been solved. 

"I think this certainly beats the alternative," Hoagland said."It certainly 

beats undertaking a hostile action driving the dictators into the mountains whe 

re they might establish guerrilla resistance that could last for years." 

He said President Clinton deserves some praise. 


oat diplomacy tactics and they may have worked," Hoagland said. 

Sen. Jim Exon also expressed caution. 

"It remains to be seen over the longer term as to whether our occupation th 

ere...will result in problems," said Exon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Agreement a relief for politicians 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - As U.S. forces moved into Haiti to take up peacekeeping 

duties, Nebraska politicians on Monday expressed relief that a military invasion 

had apparently been avoided. 

They also continued to express opposition to any U.S. presence in the Carib 

bean nation. 

"Like most Americans, I'm pleased that we did not have to invade in a milit 

ary sense," said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. "But this is still an intervention.. 

.and we're still going to have troops on the ground." 

Haiti's military dictators agreed Sunday to relinquish power no later than 

Oct. 15 under the terms of an 11th hour agreement negotiated by former President 

Carter. The agreement clears the way for the return of deposed President Jean- 

Bertrand Aristide. The first USA troops arrived in Haiti Monday. 

"There is no national or vital interest involved," Bereuter said. 

President Clinton, he said, had a moral requirement and "perhaps a constitu 

tional requirement" to ask Congress before acting in Haiti. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said he is cautiously optimistic that problems 

in Haiti have been solved. 

"I think this certainly beats the alternative," Hoagland said late Sunday. 

"It certainly beats undertaking a hostile action - driving the dictators into th 

e mountains where they might establish guerrilla resistance that could last for

years." 

Hoagland said Clinton deserves some praise. 


oat diplomacy tactics and they may have worked." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., also expressed caution. 


ere...will result in problems," said Exon, the second ranking Democrat on the Se 

nate Armed Services Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska has troops in Haiti 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska Air National Guard volunteers are among the support s 

taff involved in the U.S. military effort in Haiti. 

Between five and 20 members of the 155th Air Refueling Group of the Nebrask 

a Air National Guard and a KC135R aircraft were sent Saturday to support Air For 

ce troops, a guard spokesman said Monday. 

The aircraft, which holds about 30,000 gallons of fuel, its pilots and main 

tenance staff will support Air Force aircraft, said spokesman Leonard Krenk. 

"They could be anywhere in that area, between the United States and Haiti, 

over the water. It's hard to say exactly where," Krenk said. 

U.S. troops in Haiti were expected to number 15,000 by week's end. The Nebr 

aska group's return to Lincoln is not yet known, Krenk said. 

Nebraska's congressmen called for a short intervention in Haiti even as U.S 

. troops moved Monday to restore democracy in the Caribbean nation. 


ere...will result in problems," said Sen Jim Exon, the second-ranking Democrat o 

n the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Haiti's military dictators agreed to relinquish power no later than Oct. 15 

under the terms of an agreement negotiated by former President Carter. The agre 

ement cleared the way for the return of deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide 

. 

There was no requirement that Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras and other members of th 

e military junta leave Haiti. They did not sign the agreement. 

"The problem still exists as to what will happen after Oct. 15 as to whethe 

r the citizenry of Haiti who supported the military dictatorship before will car 

ry on the struggle in the form of civil war," Exon said. 

"Like most Americans, I'm please that we did not have to invade in a milita 

ry sense" because it reduced the chance for casualties, said Rep. Doug Bereuter, 

R-Neb. "But this is still a intervention ... and we're still going to have troo 

ps on the ground. There is no national or vital interest involved." 



AUTH[Eugene Curtin


BK#[ 

HDLN[Freeway at Last Snip of Ribbon Ends Quarter Century Wait 

TEXT[A crowd of about 500 people, four high school bands and state, federal and 

local officials by the dozen welcomed the arrival of the Kennedy Freeway Monday 

afternoon. 

The gathering heard Gov. Ben Nelson congratulate Bellevue residents for wor 

king hard to bring the Kennedy Freeway to life. U.S. Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., 

spoke of "great civic leadership" while Mayor Inez Boyd said the Kennedy was bu 

ilt for the children of Bellevue. 

The speeches were given from a platform at the intersection of the free-way 

with Chandler Road. The Bellevue East High School Marching Band performed for t 

he crowd. 

Exon recalled how as governor of Nebraska more than 20 years ago he approve 

d the Kennedy Freeway as a state project. He said the project had been a long ti 

me coming but that its arrival was a sign of "great civic leadership coming out 

of Bellevue." 

Nelson also mentioned the more than 20 years it took to get the Kennedy fro 

m concept to reality. 

"Good things do take time," he said. "Maybe great things take even longer. 

" 

He referred to the commitment Bellevue residents showed by voting to impose 

a sales tax increase on themselves in order to find 25 percent of the state cos 

t of the freeway, an amount that added up to about $1.8 million. 

"The citizens of Bellevue deserve a great deal of credit," Nelson said. "Th 

ey backed the freeway with their pockets." 

Boyd spoke of the large number of City Council members over the past 20 yea 

rs who supported the coming of the freeway. It was a lesson, she said, that in u 

nity lies strength. 

"When we're united things can happen, good things," she said. 

Gesturing toward the Bellevue East band standing at attention behind her, B 

oyd drew applause when she said the freeway was a guarantee of Bellevue's future 

. 

"They are really why we built the Kennedy," she said& "Because they are the 

future." 

When the speeches were closed, Nelson took a giant pair of scissors and cut 

a ribbon decorated in the red, white and blue of the U. S. flag. 

Bellevue police then led a long, snaking motorcade along the freeway to the 

intersection with Cornhusker Road where a second ribbon was cut. The Bellevue W 

est High School marching band performed while spectators standing on the freeway 

overpass waved and cheered. 

The procession then moved to the intersection with Nebraska Highway 370 whe 

re a third ribbon was cut to music supplied by the Bryan High School marching ba 

nd. At the intersection with Capehart Road, a fourth ribbon was cut to music sup 

plied by the Gross High School marching band. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP official: Senator Wesely should resign 

TEXT[State Sen. Don Wesely should resign because of more than 300 long-distance 

telephone calls that were made from his office at taxpayer expense "to assist De 

mocratic campaigns," a Republican Party official said Tuesday. 

The statute of limitations may have run out on criminal charges, but there 

is no statute of limitations on public trust," said Mike Tefft of Lincoln, 1st D 

istrict vice chairman of the GOP. 

"Don Wesely's attitude toward this breach of public trust shows the arrogan 

ce of power that comes from being a career politician," Tefft said. 

Tefft said the telephone calls objected to by state Auditor John Breslow we 

re made to assist the campaigns of Bill Hoppner, Ben Nelson and Sen. Jim Exon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Housing Authority Receives HUD Grant 

TEXT[Washington - The Omaha Housing Authority has been awarded a grant of $13.3 

million far reconstruction of Hilltop Homes, Nebraska Democratic members of Cong 

ress announced Tuesday. 

The announcement was made by Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, Rep. Peter Hoa 

gland and Bob Armstrong, director of the Omaha Housing Authority. 

Armstrong aid the money would help his agency improve economic development 

and provide better housing for low-income residents of Omaha. 

The grant to OHA was part of $60 million in funding for reconstruction proj 

ects nationwide. 

In addition to the Omaha grant, $65,000 was approved by the Department of H 

ousing and Urban Development to help Oshkosh, Neb., correct "physical and manage 

ment deficiencies" in public housing. 



AUTH[Janet Castle McPeak 

SOUR[Hyannis Grant Co. News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Letters to the Editor 

TEXT[Dear Sharon: 

I strongly urge the taxpayers of the State of Nebraska to contact Senators 

Exon and Senator Kerrey to vote no on the following three items: 1) The Biodiver 

sity Treat. We are a Sovereign Nation, able to feed ourselves and a large portio 

n of the world. Let's keep it that way! 2) Health Care. We need tacts and figure 

s not hype and illusion. As it now stands we cannot afford this reform. 3) The E 

ndangered Species Act. It this legislation is passed the endangered species will 

be the American public! 

If you are a member of an organization willing to make trade off's on any o

f these issues don't accept that. Stand firm and help stop a government out of c 

ontrol! The Constitution of the United States was drafted to stop exactly this k 

ind of abuse let's support that marvelous document! 

Incidentally, I wonder how many of us have supported our fellow agriculturi 

sts in the Public Land States as Rangeland Reform 94 looms over them? What are w 

e going to do as our turn under the eco-gun axives? Think on this. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to UN-L to help families with disabled children keep in touch 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has received a federal 

grant to put families with disabled children in direct computer contact with st 

ate agencies. 

UNL's Center on Children, Families and the Law is getting $112,500 to put c 

omputer terminals in 40 homes. 

The families with disable children from eight areas of the state will be li 

nked to a computer network based at UNL. 

They will have direct access to other parents as well as the state departme 

nts of Social Services, Education and Health. 

The grant was announced on Thursday by U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Cooperation Is Theme Of Mayor's Conference 

TEXT["Together there is no limit to what we can do", the theme for a Nebraska wi 

ldlife habitat campaign of the early 1980's, was resurrected by Fort Robinson Su 

perintendent Jim MacAllister in his welcoming speech at the Mayors Conference on 

Friday, September 15. It proved to be the theme of the conference. 

MacAllister went on to explain how the Panhandle was interconnected in tour 

ism with the state parks organization and outdoor recreation. He encouraged the 

audience to find ways to take full advantage of the money spent on picnicking s 

wimming, camping, hunting and fishing. 

Mayor Bob Scoggan explained the purpose of the meeting of the mayors was to 

compile their individual problems to share and perhaps find the answer from ano 

ther community who had solved a similar dilemma. He then explained how communit 

ies had come to the aid of Crawford after the 1989 fire and the devastating floo 

d of 1991. 

Lieutenant Governor Kim Robak continued the theme stating that elected offi 

cials must have a "cooperative vision of the Panhandle". She stated the state's 

economy had a solid base but voters were demanding efficiency of government and

demanding budget cuts. To better use the already stretched resources, cooperat 

ive efforts to eliminate duplication of services was necessary. 

The Lieutenant Governor stated that city officials were 

permanently "rafting in white water" attempting to meet the needs with restricte 

d resources. She also lamented the fact that unfunded mandates are often issued 

by the federal government to the state which then had to pass them on to cities 

and counties. 

Robak explained that at present twenty percent of Nebraska's budget goes to 

higher education, twenty percent is used for all state government agencies incl 

uding all legislative and judicial expenses, while the rest goes back to the com 

munities in the form of state aid to individuals or government entities. School 

s get $500 million, Medicare takes $220 million and $115 million is spent on wel 

fare. Cities receive approximately $17,000,000 while counties receive $13,000,00 

0 for the total state monies of $1.6 billion. 

To create a future for the community the leaders must know their strengths 

and use them, know their environment and adjust to meet changes and have a plan 

to grow. Mayors and city officials must "be partners to help cities steer throu 

gh the white water of government", stated the Lieutenant Governor in closing rem 

arks. 

State Senator Bob Wickersham revealed how partnerships were helping to secu 

re the construction of the Prehistoric Prairies Discovery Center and Hudson-Meng 

Bison Kill Site. With the cooperation of the City of Crawford, Fort Robinson St 

ate Park, The University of Nebraska, Trailside Museum, The Nebraska Forest Serv 

ice, Nebraska Game and Parks, the Job Corps plus a host of county agencies the N 

ebraska Economic Development Commission has projected a $1,400,000 impact for Cr 

awford and a $1,600,000 impact for Dawes County. 

Wickersham expressed concern over the pending sale of the telephone exchang 

es in Gordon and Rushville by U.S. West. His concern was for lack of capital in 

the future of small companies to keep the towns abreast of new technological dev 

elopment and he urged all mayors to be aware of what could lie ahead. 

The history of Crawford's water system from its 1888 beginning to the proje 

ct currently on the planning boards was presented by City Attorney Harris Snyder 

. Crawford has always had a surface water source, first from a defunct irrigati 

on project then from the White River. The 1989 fire destroyed the water shed an 

d subsequent rains necessitated the building of a horizontal well. The water was 

stored in a dam constructed in the 1920's. 

The flood of 1991 destroyed the dam which left Crawford with water problems 

that, hopefully will be solved with current agreements to have secondary rights 

to water originating from springs on Fort Robinson. If the Federal Brood Hatche 

ry which has the first non-consumptive rights ever becomes a reality and would d 

ivert the water to raise fish, the water that left the hatchery would be made dr 

inkable by a treatment plant constructed in the park. 

"The water problems are solved," insisted Snyder. "All we need are the mec 

hanics to get things accomplished." 

Patricia Rapp, Western Nebraska Representative for 'Senators Bob Kerrey and 

J. James Exon, was on hand to offer the support of the two representatives, Rap 

p explained. 

The senators did listen and encouraged people to call the office to express 

concerns for the communications to find out how their constituency feels. 

Rapp said that the Scottsbluff office was a non-partisan extension of the S 

enate and was a liaison between the people and the government that served them. 

Thirty people, including state officials, from Crawford, Gering, Oshkosh, H

emingford, Gordon, Alliance and Hay Springs attended the conference. Mayor Scogg 

an Councilmen Kyle Reeves, Ed Kuhnel and Jim Anderson, City Clerk Marlene Mohler 

and City Water Clerk Jacque Kreider represented Crawford. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Chambers Plans To Enter Race For Governor 

TEXT[Lincoln - State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, the Legislature's most vocal 

opponent of the death penalty, said Wednesday that he will run as a write-in can 

didate for governor. 

Chambers, 57, said his candidacy will allow individuals and groups fighting 

the death penalty to have an alternate candidate. 

"This is one of those incidents where the idea did not originate with me," 

Chambers said. 

Chambers said he was approached by groups that were motivated by the Sept. 

2 execution of Harold Lamont Otey, the first person to die in Nebraska's electri 

c chair in 35 years. 

"In talking to some of the people, I said that it was more than just a pass 

ing flash of indignation and disgust," Chambers said. "I said if they were reall 

y serious about having an alternative candidate, I would agree to be that person 

. ... I'll follow through on part of the agreement by filing the appropriate pap 

ers. 

Chambers' announcement followed the distribution Wednesday of a press relea 

se from representatives of the National Association for the Advancement of Color 

ed People and Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty. 

The two groups said a coalition had been formed to seek alternatives to the 

death penalty and to write in Chambers' name in the November election. 

By filing officially as a write-in candidate, Chambers would assure that vo 

tes cast for him would be counted and reported separately from those of other wr 

ite-in candidates, said Secretary of State Allen Beermann. 

The filing would also allow write-in votes to count even if they involved m 

isspellings or variations of Chambers' name. Beermann said. 

A press release issued by Leola Bullock of the NAACP and Scott Wesely of Ne 

braskans Against the Death Penalty, said Chambers' candidacy was the first step 

in a campaign to seek alternatives to the death penalty. 

Chambers said it remains to be seen how extensively he will campaign. 

Both Gov. Nelson and Republican challenger Gene Spence favor the death pena 

lty. 

Campaign managers for Nelson and Spence said Chambers' candidacy was unlike 

ly to affect the outcome. 

Because the governor did not take his position (on the death penalty) to ga 

rner votes, I don't think we are concerned that someone who disagrees would vote 

for someone else," said Sonny Foster, campaign manager for Nelson. 

"I don't think it will have an effect on the outcome," said Brent Rose, man 

ager for Spence's campaign. "None at all." 

Chambers, an independent and the only black member of the Legislature, has

introduced several bills to repeal the death penalty. One Chambers bill to repea 

l the death penalty passed the Legislature in 1979, only to be vetoed by then-Go 

v. Charles Thone. 

Chambers was first elected to the Legislature in 1970. 

He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1974, reaching the ballot by petition 

as a registered independent. In that race, Democrat J.J. Exon had 267,012 votes 

, Republican Richard Marvel 159,780 and Chambers 24,320. 

In 1982 Chambers lost to Paul Douglas in a petition bid for the office of a 

ttorney general, 424,521 to 85,070. 

In 1988 he lost a bid for U.S. senator as a New Alliance Party candidate. D 

emocrat Bob Kerrey won that election over Republican David Karnes 378,717 to 278 

,250. Chambers got 10,372 votes. 

Chambers retained his legislative seat in the 1988 election by running as a 

write-in candidate against six other write-in challengers. 




SOUR[Papillion Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Freeway extension opens with fanfare 

TEXT[A motorcade and four different ribbon-cutting ceremonies marked the opening 

of the Kennedy Freeway into Bellevue Monday afternoon. 

"As governor, it is a pleasure for me to say we can now open the Kennedy," 

said Gov. Nelson before cutting a ribbon at the Chandler interchange. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with federal, state and local officials began at 

2:30 p.m. at the Chandler interchange with a motorcade leading to three other si 

tes along the four-mile section of the freeway. 

At 4 p.m., the section running from Railroad Avenue in Omaha to Highway 370 

was opened to traffic. A three-mile section from Highway 370 to near Fairview R 

oad will be opened in October. 

"Good things do take time and maybe great things take more time. This is a 

great thing for Nebraska," Nelson said. 

Design studies for the freeway began in the 1970s and construction started 

in 1988. 

Bellevue Major Inez Boyd, U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, and State Sen. Paul Hartnett 

of Bellevue also made comments at the ribbon cutting and thanked those involved 

in the project. Boyd, Hartnett and Col. Bud Paul son of Offutt Air Force Base p 

articipated in the ribbon cutting. 

The Kennedy Freeway, which cost $69.3 million, connects Bellevue with Inter 

state 80. 



AUTH[Washington AP 


BK#[

HDLN[Congress Ponders Owner's Exemption 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The baseball players union promised Congress today its st 

rike would end if lawmakers enact a bill that strips owners of their antitrust e 

xemption. 

Jack Brooks, the Texas Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, s 

aid at the end of a three-hour hearing that he will push for passage of the bill 

which would permit players to sue instead of staying on strike. 

"As a result of the sorry spectacle the nation has been forced to endure fo 

r the last few months and my very grave concerns for the future of the instituti 

on, I have come to the conclusion that legislation is now needed to restore the 

principles of competition and fair play to the business of baseball," Brooks sai 

d. 

"We should never have reached this juncture. Time and time again in the pas 

t 20 years, the profit motive of major league baseball has pushed the limits of 

our tolerance." 

Sen. J. James Exon, a Nebraska Democrat, this month blocked a similar bill 

from coming to the floor of the Senate. 

Brooks said that if the Senate passed similar legislation as an amendment t 

o another bill in the remaining days of the Congressional session, he would favo 

r House passage that would allow the bill to move to President Clinton for his s 

ignature. 

Baseball was granted the antitrust exemption in a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court d 

ecision that ruled the sport was not interstate commerce. The decision was last 

affirmed in 1972, when Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause, but the High Co 

urt said then that it was up to Congress to remove baseball's unique status. 

Acting commissioner Bud Selig attempted to avoid direct answers and was que 

stioned sharply by Representatives Mike Synar, D-Okla., Patricia Schroeder, D-Co 

lo., and Howard L. Beermann, D-Calif. 

At one point, Beerman called the rationales that the owners gave to the com 

mittee "a little bit disingenuous." Selig said after the hearing that litigation 

with the union wasn't preferable to the strike, which has wiped out the World S 

eries for the first time since 1904. 

"That's like asking whether you want to have a problem with your pancreas o 

r a problem with your liver," Selig said. 

The bill, introduced by Synar on Aug. 18 along with Rep. Jim Bunning, a Ken 

tucky Republican who pitched in the majors, specifies that antitrust laws would 

apply to any working conditions owners impose on players and that any unilateral 

conditions wouldn't take effect until a final court ruling on lawsuits filed by 

the union or players. 

Union head Donald Fehr, seated alongside Selig and Los Angeles Dodgers pitc 

her Orel Hershiser, said there even was an outside chance the World Series could 

be played this year. Selig announced the cancellation of the Series on Sept. 14 

. 

"If the Synar bill were passed, I would recommend to them that 

the strike end," Fehr said. 

If the legislation is not enacted, Fehr saw little hope for a quick agreeme 

nt to end the strike, which began Aug. 12. 

"Spring training is in imminent peril," he said. "We do not know how much o 

f the season will be gone (in 1995)." 

John Harrington, chief executive officer of the Boston Red Sox, said if the 

bill becomes law, owners could lock out the players at the start of 1995 rather

than risk another late-season strike. 

"That's a possibility, sure," he said. 

Selig declined to answer reporters' questions about a possible lockout. 

The hearing, conducted by the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on economi 

c and commercial law, was Selig's fourth before Congress since the forced resign 

ation of commissioner Fay Vincent on Sept. 7, 1992. For the first time, a large 

majority of the congressmen present said they were ready to take action. 

Rep. John Conyers Jr., a Michigan Democrat, said Congress should pass the b 

ill "on a fast track within the next-to-three weeks." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Crime bill sends message 




Certainly, it was a desire to send such a message that motivated many legis 

lators to sign on. 


ving more criminals from active practice for longer periods, the subsequent redu 

ctions in the rates of crime, that will constitute success. Those with criminal 

intent, who do not get the "message" at least will have a better chance of being 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Backs Pentagon Strategy On Nuclear Weapons Reduction 

TEXT[A just-completed Pentagon review offers a realistic approach to United Stat 

es policy on nuclear weapons, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. said Thursday. 

Exon, who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee dealing wit 

h strategic deterrence issues, said the policy will allow the United States to c 

ontinue to trim its nuclear arsenal while maintaining the ability to counter all 

y hostile threat that could re-emerge in Russia. 

The United States has been moving more rapidly than Russia toward reducing 

nuclear weapons stockpiles to meet limits specified in arms control agreements, 


"We are not going to be moving as aggressively in dismantling some of our n 

uclear weapons until we see more of the takedown of their nuclear devices, Exon 

said from his Washington, D.C., office. 

Adm. Henry Chiles, commander in chief of the U.S. Strategic Command at Offu 

tt Air Force Base, said the Nuclear Posture Review, as it is officially called,

offers the United States the flexibility it needs to manage its nuclear forces. 

It's important for the United States to lead the way in making reductions t 

o its nuclear arsenal, said Chiles, who heads the command that would direct the 

use of the nation's nuclear missiles and bombs in a war. 

Russian leaders now in power are committed to matching the nuclear force re 

ductions, said Chiles, who met with senior Russian military commanders and polit 

ical leaders during a recent visit to their country. 

He said, however, that what remains an awesome force of nuclear weapons in 

Russia could fall into the hands of a new set of political leaders with differen 

t aims. 

"We are hedging against the fact that it might change to a hostile situatio 

n," Chiles said. "I don't think it will. But we need to make sure the United Sta 

tes is not caught in a situation where we would be weak in a strategic sense." 

The review does not rule out allowing the United States to make deeper redu 

ctions if leaders become confident that is prudent, Chiles said. 

"It enables us to go both ways," he said. "It is a force level we are comfo 

rtable with, but one we can change if the world situation changes." 

Under the nuclear review, nuclear weapons force levels in the United States 

would not be trimmed deeper than those reductions necessary to satisfy the yet 

to-be-ratified Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II. 

The Nuclear Posture Review endorses: 

- Reducing the Trident nuclear submarine fleet equipped with long-range mis 

siles from 18 to 14 submarines. All 14 submarines would be armed with newer vers 

ions of missiles that are said to he more accurate. 

Reducing the inventory of B-52 bombers from the 94 planned a year ago to 6 

6. 

- Limiting all B-1 bombers to a conventional role. 

- Maintaining three wings of Minute-man 111 missiles carrying single war-he 

ads. 

"That will he a powerful and appropriate force for the United States," Chil 

es said. 

Chiles said hundreds of people from the Strategic Command worked on the Nuc 

lear Posture Review. 

Now that it is completed, he said, the command will use it extensively. 

"It gives us answers to a great many questions we needed guidance on, Chile 

s said. 

In the aftermath of the Cold War, U.S. leaders have been increasingly conce 

rned about nuclear weapons in the hands of unstable nations. 

The review considered how nuclear weapons could he used in different situat 

ions when the United States would confront such a nation, Chiles said. 

"It does not make a statement that we would or would not use nuclear weapon 

s in such a case," Chiles said. "We still see nuclear weapons as very much a wea 

pon of last resort. When dealing with third world rulers, in most cases we can g 

et the job done with smart, conventional weak ones. 





BK#[

HDLN[Exon Faults Lack of Action In the Senate 

TEXT[Washington - Press reports on the lack of action in Congress fail to explai 

n how a minority of senators can bottle up legislation under a Senate rule requi 

ring 60 votes to stop debate, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Thursday. 

"I frankly get a little weary of being lectured by members of the press tha 

t the Democrats are in control and should be getting something done," Exon said 

at his regular weekly press conference. 

"You as reporters have an obligation to explain what is going on today, and 

that is the majority, even though it is Democrat, cannot control under the rule 

s of the Senate," he said. "We have to have at least four Republican votes to do 

anything except adjourn these days." 

"Where are 56 Democrats and 44 Republicans in the Senate. 

Too Much Time 

Exon said he faulted members of both parties for continuing to use too much 

time on legislation that has no chance of coming to a vote before final adjourn 

ment, which is scheduled Oct. 7. 

"Democrats have health care, and Republicans have their own crime bill," Ex 

on said. "Everybody seems to have a message that they seem to think is essential 

. They aren't going to pass and shouldn't be passed." 

Exon said he would encourage Republicans to stop pushing their own version 

of a crime bill a little more than one month after the Senate, with four Republi 

can votes, passed a crime bill endorsed by President Clinton. The Senate Republi 

cans introduced their anti-crime measures Wednesday. 

"It is not a perfect crime bill as I indicated when it passed," he said. "T 

he Republicans are bound and determined to make the crime bill part of their all 

-important campaign for the election Nov. 8, when they hope to take over control 

of the House and Senate." 

Partisanship 

If that happens, Exon said, Republicans contend it will be good for America 

. 

"If that happens, I think it would be a disaster for America," Exon said. " 

Of curse I am a Democrat. I just wish we could get off partisan kicks right now. 

" 

Exon, who has been in the Senate 15 years, said he never has seen such a hi 

gh degree of partisanship in the chamber. 

"I just hope the Republicans won't start throwing hand grenades again as th 

ey are doing all over the place today," he said. "I happen to feel that this is 

a time when we should forget about the act that there is an election Nov. 8 and 

get around to passing the things we can pass. 

"If we can't get the votes, we should forget it. We should forget health ca 

re and changing the crime bill and get on with the legitimate business we have t 

o address." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska delegates seek speedy withdrawal of troops

TEXT[WASHINGTON - After less than a week of U.S. occupation of Haiti, members of 

Lincoln's congressional delegation agreed that the troops should be withdrawn a 

s quickly as possible. 

In a telephone news conference Thursday, Sen. Jim Exon, a member of the Sen 

ate Armed Services Committee who has opposed U.S. intervention in Haiti, said U. 

S. troops should leave the Caribbean island as soon as exiled President Jean-Ber 

trand Aristide returns. 

The role of U.S. troops "should be kept to maintaining the status quo until 

Aristide gets back into control and then get out," Exon said. 

Aristide said Wednesday that he would return to the island in less than 24 

days. 

In the meantime, Exon said, he hoped the troops would be able to maintain s 

tability and keep Haitian police from beating civilians, as they did earlier thi 

s week. 

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that hoodlums and gangs are not successful 

in blowing apart the fragile peace we have now," he said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, who also opposes U.S. intervention, said he expected the t 

roops to leave Haiti within 60 days. 

"I can't imagine the president's going to be willing to stay much beyond... 

the 15th of October," he said. 

Kerrey, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, took part in a commi 

ttee briefing on Haiti Thursday but could not be reached for comment on what was 

discussed. 

Both Democratic senators voted in favor of a Senate resolution calling for 

a "prompt and orderly" withdrawal of U.S. forces. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, who criticized President Clinton's Hait 

i policy on the House floor earlier this week, remains adamant in his opposition 

to the occupation. 

"The intervention was unjustified before the invasion was launched Sunday a 

nd it remains unjustified," he said. "The president's judgment on launching this 

intervention in Haiti was wrong, and the Congress should do whatever is necessa 

ry to extract our personnel from Haiti before casualties begin on this misguided 

mission." 



AUTH[Craig Jones 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Procurement Center to Get Federal Funds 

TEXT[A center in North Platte that helps Nebraska businesses bid on federal gove 

rnment contracts will receive $74,348 from the Department of Defense to continue 

its work. 

The Department of Defense notified Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey F 

riday that it will provide funding for the Defense Procurement Center. 

Tawni Avery, director of the center, which is located in the Craft State Of 

fice building, said the money will be used to help attract new businesses and jo 

bs to Nebraska. 

Along with providing workshops on issues such as quality control, the cente

assists companies with questions on bidding and other areas. 

Recent successes for the center include a $111,000 contract for a Kearney-b 

ased asbestos removal company and a Lexington company which landed a contract ma 

nufacturing metal parts. 

The center is also helping companies applying for government contracts to c 

omply with a requirement that they be Electronic Data Interchange capable by 199 

7. 

Avery said EDI is a software program that allows companies to look for cont 

racts they might be able to bid on and make bids by computer on contracts worth 

$25,000 and less, which saves time and paper. 

Businesses that could benefit from the program include service-oriented com 

panies, manufacturers and construction and road maintenance companies. 

Avery said a company in Lexington is now using the software on a 90-day tri 

al basis. She is also working in conjunction with the McCook Chamber of Commerce 

to implement a walk-in EDI service. If It proves to be successful, she hopes to 

establish hubs at other chamber of commerce offices and the Craft building as-w 

ell. 

"We hope to work with chamber of commerce offices in other communities to p 

rovide walk-in sites for clients with small businesses who don't have EDI capabi 

lity on site," she said. "This will give them access to a lot of companies and p 

ut them ahead of the game. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Expulsion Ultimate Discipline 

TEXT[Expelling a student remains the ultimate measure of discipline for Lincoln 

Public Schools, a tool that school officials say they only use as a last resort. 

But they do use it. 

Last school year. 77 LPS students were expelled - five from elementary scho 

ols. 41 from middle schools, 30 front senior highs and one from the attention ce 

nter. This year, a new state law toughens the options. 

Students now can be expelled for an entire calendar year - instead of the p 

revious maximum of one semester - for serious violations such as carrying weapon 

s or physical assault. 

After three weeks of school this year, LPS officials already have used that 

law to expel three students. 

"The message is very clear - violence does not have a place in our schools. 

" said Delores Simpson-Kirkland, an administrative assistant with LPS student se 

rvices. "It is important for students to understand that certain behavior is not 

acceptable." 

She's not talking about chewing gum or playing hooky. 

EXPULSION AT LPS is related to extremely serious violations - physical forc 

e or carrying weapons, theft or vandalism, alcohol and drugs at school or school 

-sponsored events, derogatory language related to race, gender, religion or cult 

ure. 

Simpson-Kirkland and Earl Stonebraker, another LPS administrative assistant

, do not choose expulsion lightly. 

"We are attempting to keep these kids in school - our major responsibility 

is to keep them here," Stonebraker stressed. 

"It is a difficult experience, an emotional decision." Simpson-Kirkland con 

tinued, "We see tears and anger, and there are times when I can get extremely up 

set as well." 

"I understand my responsibility as an administrator for LPS, but I also kno 

w what it's like to be a parent," she said. "And I pray that I never forget that 

. I have a responsibility to be fair and compassionate." 

Bob Reier, LPS director of student services, stressed that the district has 

more than 30,000 students and that those who are expelled make up a very small 

percentage. 

Seventy-four students were expelled in 1990-91, 32 in '91-92, 53 in '92-93, 

and 77 last year. 

"WE WANT PEOPLE to remember that the vast majority of our students are doin 

g very well," Simpson Kirkland said. 

"However, we cannot jeopardize the safety of other students, We must protec 

t the integrity of the system," she said. 

"We are not in the same position as other larger cities, but we can't rest 

on our laurels. We want our schools to continue to be safe." 

That's the philosophy behind the new state law, which extends the length of 

possible expulsion to one full calendar school year if: 

þ The student intentionally uses physical force to injure staff members or 

other students. 

þ The student brings firearms or dangerous weapons to school. 

Still, these are not the most typical reasons for expulsion at LPS, Simpson 

-Kirkland said. Most involve repeated rule violations and general in-subordinati 

on. 

Middle school students tend to have the most difficult time with these prob 

lems, making up the largest group of youths who are expelled. Of 77 students exp 

elled in 1993-94, for example, 41 attended middle school. 

SIMPSON-KIRKLAND is not surprised. 

"They are trying to find out who they are, their hormones are in high gear, 

they are no longer children but they aren't adults. They want to test everythin 

g." 

Whatever the age, school officials wish they had answers. 

"Some kids have never experienced the bottom line," Simpson-Kirkland said. 

"They have always been rescued, enabled; they don't believe in consequences." 

These students have never accepted personal responsibility, they are always 

blaming others, she said. 

"And sometimes kids are asking for help." 

Expulsion is not the end of the line, Simpson-Kirkland stressed. 

Most students who are expelled come back to school and stay. 

"The majority of students do not like the experience of having to he out of 

school," she said. "They don't want to repeat it." 

HERE'S A CHRONOLOGY of discipline at LPS that can lead to expulsion. 

1. Solving the problem at school 

The first strategy is always to try to solve problems at the student's scho 

ol - through parent-teacher-principal conferences, in-school suspension, short-t 

erm suspension of up to five days.

2. A conference with student services at LPS headquarter 

If the problem cannot he resolved at school, a conference is arranged with 

the student, parents, Simpson-Kirkland or Stonebraker, usually a school's associ 

ate principal, some-times teachers and therapists, even lawyers. 

"We always allow time for students to explain what happened," Simpson-Kirkl 

and said. "But we also want to make sure students understand why they are there 

... understand the rules they violated." 

3. Return to school 

Most students who attend these conferences go back to school. 

"We talk about ways we can support that student," Stonebraker said, such as 

counselor referrals, coping strategies, connections with peer mediation groups 

and personal counseling. 

"Our goal is to make a plan to help them do well in school." 

4. Other directions 

When a student's behavior is severe, or there are constant repetitions, fur 

ther action is required. 

"We take it case by case," Simpson-Kirkland said. "We understand our decisi 

on will affect kids and parents, and their lives." 

HERE ARE THE main options: 

þAn educational alternative, such as reassigning a student to another schoo 

l. 

Officials are cautious about moving students to other schools, Simpson-Kirk 

land said. 

"Sometimes you are just transferring the problem from one school to another 

," she said. "We only make this decision with a lot of care and thought." 

þReferring students to other resources such as child protective services. 

þ Imposing a long-term suspension of up to 20 days. 

þ Expulsion for a semester or a full calendar school year. 

IN 1992, LPS officials had conferences with 802 students; 53 were expelled. 

Last year, of conferences with 861 students, 77 were expelled. 

Parents can appeal a recommendation to expel, and the case will be heard by 

a neutral officer. The decision also can he appealed to the Lincoln Board of Ed 

ucation, even to district court. 

Few are appealed, Reier said. 

When expulsion is completed, he said, school officials hold another confere 

nce with the student to provide behavior guidelines and to review consequences f 

or misbehavior. 

But the conference is also about easing the student's return, Reier said. 

"It may sound strange, but we want to welcome them back," he said. "We want 

them to be a part of Lincoln Public Schools." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon supports Clinton plan for disarmament 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., supports the Clinton administrati

on's new approach to nuclear disarmament, which calls for limiting the destructi 

on of America's arsenal. 

The United States has been moving more rapidly than 

Russia in reducing its nuclear weapons to meet limits specified in 

arms control agreements, said Exon, chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcom 

mittee dealing with strategic deterrence issues. 

"We are not going to be moving as aggressively in dismantling 

some of our nuclear weapons until we see more of the takedown of their nuclear d 

evices," Exon said. Defense Secretary William Perry outlined the new approach Th 

ursday at a Pentagon news conference. 

The policy grew out of a yearlong study called the Nuclear Posture Review. 

It is more flexible and allows for the reduction of the nation's nuclear ar 

senal as planned but at the same time keeping in store the expertise, materials 

and facilities required to reverse the cutbacks if needed, Perry said. 

The policy calls for some of the nation's nuclear warheads to be placed in 

reserve rather than destroyed. 


tt Air Force Base near Bellevue, said the policy offers the United States the fl 

exibility it needs to manage its nuclear forces. 

He said the new approach recognizes the possibility that Russia's nuclear a 

rsenal could fall into the hands of a different set of politicians. 

"We are hedging against the fact that it might change to a hostile situatio 

n," Chiles said. "I don't think it will. But we need to make sure the United Sta 

tes is not caught in a situation where we would be weak in a strategic sense." 



AUTH[Myrna Liebig 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska congressmen are trying to bring North Platte man home 

TEXT[The family of a North Platte man taken hostage by Colombian guerrillas in J 

anuary hopes members of the U.S. Congress can help in obtaining his release. 

Steve Welsh, a missionary with New Tribes Mission was kidnapped Jan. 16 nea 

r the town of Villavicencio, 50 miles east of Bogota in Colombia South America. 

Sandy Welsh, Steve's wife, was instrumental in setting up appointments for 

representatives of New Tribes Mission to visit with 3rd District Rep. Bill Barre 

tt and Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon the middle of September. The mission member 

s were in Washington, D.C. to visit with several members of Congress regarding i 

ts missionaries who are in captivity. 

New Tribes Mission and Welsh's wife are hoping that attention to the kidnap 

pings by the U.S. government and government officials will persuade the guerrill 

as to release their hostages. 

As a result of the visits by the Mission representatives, a letter is being 

circulated in Washington, D.C., for government officials' signatures to be sent 

to Colombian government officials. 

This week, Barrett sent a letter to Colombian Ambassador Gabriel Silva. In 

that letter Barrett said he was aware of the attempt being made by Colombian Pre 

sident Ernesto Sauper to open a dialogue with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia, also known as FARC. 

"Understandably, this has been a trying time for Mr. Welsh's family, and I 

know that they are hopeful that an easing of tensions between your government an 

d FARC can contribute to my constituent's safe return," Barrett wrote. 

FARC is the guerrilla group identified as taking responsibility for the kid 

napping. 

Sandy Welsh visited with Kerrey when he was in North Platte recently and la 

ter sent further information to him. 

She says she feels the pressure on the guerrillas needs to come from the Co 

lombian government and the Colombian people. 

"The guerrillas don't like to have a bad name and want to look good in the 

eyes of their people," she explains. 

A big moral boost, she says, was an article in a Bogota newspaper, El Tiemp 

o. One of the largest newspapers in Colombia, El Tiempo was sympathetic to the m 

issionaries and their families. 

The article describes how the missionaries "came to Colombia with every int 

ention of serving, and along the way to heaven they found hell. 

It tells of the five men who are in captivity and what they were trying to 

accomplish through their missionary work in the country. 

"Dave, Rick, Mark, Tim and Steve's only wish was to find a place on the map 

where they could find human beings that had no idea of the Bible's existence. 

"And after finding it, to learn the native language, no matter how strange 

it may be, in order to speak to the Indians of the Scriptures, the teachings of 

Jesus Christ and of the commandments of God, to, at least, 'have the opportunity 

to know that God loves them and desires that all people be in heaven.'" 

Prior to Welsh and VanDyke's capture this year, three other New Tribes miss 

ionaries were captured in January 1993 in Panama, close to the Colombian border. 

The article said of Welsh and VanDyke: 

"One of them was known for his work with youth, and the other, in addition 

to having set up a little store, was continually sought out by the local people 

whenever some sort of mechanical problem would arise. 

"These things, besides the employment that the school on its own generated 

for the region, made them very dear. So much so that the rural people of San Jos 

e wrote a letter, Unsure of its destination, and hoping that, being passed along 

from one person to another, it would make it to the captors." 

"That (the article) has been encouraging," Sandy Welsh said. "The Colombian 

people don't like trouble the guerrillas bring to their country ... they want p 

eace and for things to run smoothly. 

"The people in our village loved Steve," she said. (After the kidnapping) p 

eople felt badly and came to my home to say they were sorry this happened...they 

were embarrassed." 

Welsh says that May 23 was the last time there was any contact between the 

New Tribes Mission contingency crew and the guerrillas. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Highway 77 ranked part of a national system

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - A national highway system bill that passed the U.S. Senate on 

Friday includes several Nebraska projects. 

The bill designates projects including Interstate 80, the Heartland Express 

way and major north-south corridors such as U.S. highways 77, 81 and 83 as part 

of the national system, said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

More than 2,680 miles of roads in Nebraska, including 2,430 miles of roads 

in rural areas, were designated as part of the national highway system, Exon sai 

d. 

The Senate's bill didn't include "pork barrel" additions that the US. House 

added, which reduce the authority of governors and state officials in deciding 

where and how to spend highway money, Exon said. 

"The Senate approach of allowing federal money with little or no restrictio 

ns to flow to the states should prevail so individual governors can set their fu 

nding priorities," Exon said. 

The U.S. House passed an agriculture appropriations bill, which included mo 

re than $3.1 million in federal research and extension projects for the Universi 

ty of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. said. 

About $1 million of the $3.1 million would flow indirectly to UNL through t 

wo research consortia including the Midwest Food Manufacturing Alliance, which i 

s headquartered at the UNL Food Processing Center, Bereuter said. 

Federal assistance would be used for a variety of initiatives. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Courthouse Funding Is Rejected by House 

TEXT[Washington - Most Nebraska and western Iowa congressmen voted last week to 

cut $218 million in federal courthouse construction projects from a fiscal 1995 

spending bill. 

"There was simply too much pork barrel in there," said Rep. Doug Bereuter, 

R-Neb. 

In an unusual move, the House of Representatives voted 234-192 to reject a 

$24 billion spending bill for the Treasury Department and other government opera 

tions, including construction of federal buildings. 

The House voted to send the measure back to a House-Senate conference commi 

ttee with instructions to cut $218 million in projects, in addition to scrapping 

a plan to allow the Internal Revenue Service to raise certain fees. 

Voting to send the bill back to conference: Reps. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. Pet 

er Hoagland, D-Neb. Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa; Fred Gran 

dy, R-Iowa. 

Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, voted against rejecting the bill. 

The additional construction projects had been added by the Senate and accep 

ted by House and Senate negotiators. Critics, led by Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla. 

, said the projects should not be funded. 

But Rep. Steny Hoyer. D-Md., said the additional projects represented the S 

enate's priorities and could not be ignored. He also said the overall compromise 

bill remained below budgeted levels and was about $500,000 less than the versio

n that the House approved earlier this year. 

Bereuter said no Nebraska projects would be affected by cutting the extra m 

oney. 


Resolution on Haiti 

-353-45 to pass a resolution commending President Clinton and his emissarie 

s - former President Jimmy Carter, retired Gen. Colin Powell, and Sen. Sam Nunn, 

D-Ga. - for negotiating an agreement for Haiti's military leaders to step down. 

The resolution also supported U.S. troops that have been sent to Haiti to maint 

ain peace and oversee the transition to democracy. 


Federal Contracts 

-425-0 to pass the final version of a bill that would exempt federal contra 

cts under $100,000 from government procurement laws. 


SBA Programs 

-370-48 to pass a bill that would reauthorize Small Business Administration 

programs through fiscal 1997. The measure also would establish an Office of Wom 

en's Business Ownership at the federal agency. 


Forest Addition 

-283-133 to pass a bill that would allow the federal government to add 44,0 

00 acres to the Six Rivers National Forest in California by purchasing a private 

ly owned area of redwood forest. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Smith, Grandy. 

Against Barrett, Lightfoot. 


-331-89 to pass the final version of the $252.9 billion fiscal 1995 spendin 

g bill for the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Resources. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett, Smith, Grandy. 

Against: Lightfoot. 

-402-13 to pass a bill that would authorize up to $3.7 billion for the Coas 

t Guard in fiscal 1995. 


Senate Votes: 

Four Stars for Admiral 

-92-6 to allow Adm. Henry H. Mauz Jr. to retire from the Navy after 35 year 

s with four stars, giving him a higher pension. His nomination to the four-star 

rank had been delayed amid complaints that he did not act promptly to deal with 

a sexual harassment case. 

For: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Tom H 


Resolution on Haiti 

-94-5 to pass a nonbinding resolution to commend U.S. military forces for t

heir actions in Haiti. The measure also urged their withdrawal "as soon as possi 

ble." 


D.C. Budget 

-71-27 to approve the conference report on the $3.5 billion budget for the 

District of Columbia in fiscal 1995. The Senate has not completed action on the 

measure, however, because of continuing disagreements between the House and Sena 

te. 



Campaign Financing 

- 96-2, more than the 60 votes needed, to end debate on a procedural motion 

that will permit a House-Senate conference on campaign finance legislation. Man 

y Republicans oppose the campaign finance bill and are attempting to prevent its 

passage this year. Although the vote to end debate was nearly unanimous, Republ 

icans then took advantage of Senate rules that permit up to 30 hours of debate a 

fter such a vote. 

To end debate: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[North Platte center to receive Department of Defense funds 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - A center in North Platte that helps Nebraska businesses bid on 

federal government contracts will receive $74,348 from the Department of Defens 

e to continue its work, Nebraska's two U.S. senators said Friday. 

The DOD money will be distributed by the state Department of Economic Devel 

opment, said Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

Exon, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, and Kerrey, a member 

of the Appropriations Committee, said it is important to continue funding the D 

efense Procurement Center. 

"The center provides technical assistance to Nebraska companies that want t 

o compete for DOD contracts, keeping Nebraskans on a level playing field with ot 

her, states," Exon said. 



AUTH[Mary Powers 


BK#[ 

HDLN[No Fan of Crime Bill 

TEXT[Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon and Rep. Peter Hoagland voted for the $30 bil 

lion crime bill. Where will the money come from? If we could have seen the pork 

in that bill, we would have been shocked. When divided up, how little money Omah

a will actually receive. And how will it help? Will the drugs in schools stop? W 

ill murders stop? Will belief in God, family structure and honesty start? I thin 

k not. Remember in November. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Some losing patience with stalled Congress 

TEXT[Washington - Some Nebraska and Iowa senators and representatives have expre 

ssed mounting frustration over the lack of legislative action as the year sessio 

n of the 1O3rd Congress draws to a close. 

"I have never seen anything like this in 20 years," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa 

, said Friday. speaking at a time when he was the only senator on the floor. 

Harkin. who spent 10 years in the House, said there was so much "mean-spiri 

ted antagonism" in the 100-member Senate this year that nothing important was li 

kely to pass before mid-October adjournment. 

What will be the final report card on the 1O3rd Congress? 

This year "was not as good as the first session." said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Ne 

b., who blamed Republican-led filibusters for blocking legislation. 

"We did pass a good crime bill with a ban on assault weapons, and it is goi 

ng to have a real impact on America," Harkin said. 

"If we get crop insurance, USDA reorganization. safe-drinking water and GAT 

T, we will have had a good session," Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said. 

"I think this has been one of the most-active, change-oriented two year cyc 

les we've had in years," said Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb. "The Clintons put most 

of their eggs in the healthcare basket, but we still got a lot of things done t 

his year." 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said too much time was spent on health care to g 

ive proper attention to other areas of legislation. "But we built the foundation 

for some pretty important things that will be passed next year," Barrett said. 

With adjournment still a few weeks off. Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said it 

still was too early to assess the record of the 1O3rd Congress. "I'll tell you 

in three weeks." he said. 

Harkin joined Exon in blaming Republican filibuster for the lack of achieve 

ment this year. 

"If something isn't done about the filibuster rule. this body - the Senate 

- will simply become an irrelevant debating society," Harkin said. "This is not 

what our forefathers envisioned." 

The filibuster rule requires a super. majority - 60 votes - to cut off deba 

te among the Senate's 56 Democrats and 44 Republicans. 

Harkin called for an end to filibusters, urging his colleagues "to do somet 

hing good. something that will permit all of us to hold our heads high whether w 

e are Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative." 

He also appealed for passage of limited health-care legislation that would 

insure children under 18 years old in a program similar to Medicare for those wh 

o are 65 and older. 

"If we can't do that, then God help us all," Harkin said.

Despite Harkin's plea. other Mid-landers of Congress said there was little 

likelihood of passing any health-care legislation this year. 

"I think they are building the coffin for health care right now," Barrett s 

aid 

"I think the health-care bill is in hospice and it's just waiting to be del 

ivered to the funeral director," Hoagland said. 

Doubts also persist about prospects for approval of an international trade 

agreement that once had substantial bipartisan support. 

Barrett and Harkin said they have reservations about the fine print in the 

Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

"GATT doesn't have to be done this year," Harkin said in an interview. "But 

I think we have an obligation to do something about health care." 

Barrett said administration and congressional leaders still must clarify ho 

w they intend to pay the $12 billion cost of GATT under a budget-waiver rule tha 

t requires a three-fifths vote in the Senate. 

Kerrey said he is confident there are more than 60 votes in favor of GATT i 

n the Senate. 

"It's the largest tax cut in the history of this country,';, Kerrey said. " 

It is vital to the economy. 

He said the agreement will lower tariffs, which are tantamount to taxes, on 

most imported products while also lowering tariffs and other trade barriers to 

U.S. exports. 

Kerrey said the Uruguay Round, when it comes to a vote in the Senate, will 

be supported by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan. the Republican leader. and most members of 

Dole's party. 

Last week, however. Dole said he still had questions about the agreement. 

"I am trying to work things out to ensure that in the frenzy to approve the 

Uruguay Round, Congress does not undermine the budget rules, undermine domestic 

trade laws and subvert the long-term purposes of trade agreements generally," D 

ole said. 

Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa. who has been in Congress since 1959. said he is ce 

rtain Dole's problems will be resolved after debate on the Uruguay Round begins 

this week. 

"The way they work in the Senate, they can do it by a voice vote," Smith sa 

id. "Everyone agrees it will be a great thing for the country. 

Smith said Congress might even approve minimal health-care legislation requ 

iring insurance companies to issue policies that would be transferable from job 

to job. 

"If that doesn't happen, it will be because of opposition from those who wa 

nt nothing done about health care and those who want everything done," Smith sai 

d. "Those two factions are the majority." 

Meanwhile, Bereuter said funding for federal education programs was sidetra 

cked last week by senators wanting amendments that would require expulsion of al 

l students found carrying guns to school. 

Bereuter said the proposal, while it may be a good idea, could prevent the 

bill from being passed this year. 

Delay until next year also is likely for Superfund legislation that would a 

uthorize $9.6 billion to repair environmental damage nationwide. 

Barrett said one of the problems with the Superfund bill is a requirement t 

hat clean-up work be done at wage scales that could be artificially high in some 

areas of the country. 

On the other hand, most members said, prospects were good for passage of cr

op insurance reform and reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

"They'll be done," said Smith, second ranking member of the House Appropria 

tions Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska would get highway, research money 

TEXT[A national highway system bill that passed the U.S. Senate on Friday includ 

es several Nebraska projects, and a House-passed agriculture appropriations bill 

includes more than $3.1 million in federal research and extension projects for 

the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

The transportation bill designates projects, including Interstate 80, the H 

eartland Expressway and major north-south corridors such as U.S. 77, 81 and 83 a 

s part of the national system, said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

More than 2,680 miles of roads in Nebraska, including 2,430 miles of roads 

in rural areas, were designated as part of the national highway system, Exon sai 

d. 

The Senate's bill didn't include "pork barrel" additions that the U.S. Hous 

e added, which reduce the authority of governors and state officials in deciding 

where and how best to spend highway money, Exon said. 


ns to flow to the states should prevail so individual governors can set their fu 

nding priorities," Exon said. 

In the agriculture appropriations bill, about $1 million of the $3.1 millio 

n designated for UNL would flow directly to the university through two research 

consortia, including the Mid-west Food Manufacturing Alliance, whose headquarter 

s is at the UNL Food Processing Center, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said. 

Federal assistance would be used for a variety of initiatives, including lo 

ng-distance telecommunication learning on Nebraska's agriculture-satellite netwo 

rk and developing sustainable methods of farming, Bereuter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon backs disarmament plans 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon. D-Neb., supports the Clinton administration's new approach t 

o nuclear disarmament, which calls for limiting the destruction of America's ars 

enal. 

The United States has been moving more rapidly than Russia in reducing its 

nuclear weapons to meet limits specified in arms control agreements, said Exon, 

chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee dealing with strategic deterr

ence issues. 

"We are not going to be moving as aggressively in dismantling some of our n 

uclear weapons until we see more of the takedown of their nuclear devices," Exon 

said last week. 

Defense Secretary William Perry outlined the new approach Thursday at a Pen 

tagon news conference. The policy grew out of a yearlong study called the Nuclea 

r Posture Review. 

It is more flexible and allows for the reduction of the nation's nuclear ar 

senal as planned but at the same time keeping in store the expertise, materials 

and facilities required to reverse the cutbacks if needed. 

The policy calls for some of the nation's nuclear warheads to be placed in 

reserve rather than destroyed. 


tt Air Force Base near Bellevue, said the policy offers the United States the fl 

exibility it needs. 

He said the new approach recognizes the possibility that Russia's nuclear a 

rsenal could fall into the hands of a different set of politicians. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Norfolk Daily News on Crime 




Certainly, it was a desire to send such a message that motivated many legis 

lators to sign on. 




intent, who do not get the "message" at least will have a better chance of bein 

g put away where it doesn't matter so much. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Hwy. 81 included in highway bill 

TEXT[U.S. Highway 81 is among the Nebraska projects included in a National Highw 

ay System bill passed Friday by the U.S. Senate, said U.S. Sen. Jim Exon. 

"The bill ensures that Nebraska remains an integral part of the nation's tr 

ansportation system," Exon said.



AUTH[Michael Hooper 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Husker Harvest Days should grow despite loss of CAAP land 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon expects Husker Harvest Days to be a thriving show even though 

the U.S. Army will discontinue ownership of the show's land west of Grand Islan 

d. 

"There is every assurance it seems to me that Husker Harvest Days will cont 

inue to grow," Exon said last week during a telephone conference call with the m 

edia. 

The Army plans to sell the 937 acres used for Husker Harvest Days at the Co 

rnhusker Army Ammunition Plant, said Margaret Landis, a Hall County supervisor a 

nd CAAP Reuse Committee member. 

CAAP land is supposed to be sold at market value under a bill approved by t 

he House and the Senate, Landis said. 

The bill is awaiting President Clinton's signature, said Mark Bowen, an Exo 

n aide. 

CAAP includes 11,936 acres. Landis said it's good news the land will be sol 

d. She's certain the community can find a way to acquire the Husker Harvest Days 

site. 

Thousands of farmers from around the Midwest come to Husker Harvest Days ev 

ery fall. 

Hall County Supervisor Dick Hartman said that if the land is sold at market 

value, the Husker Harvest Days site would cost $1.5 million to $2 million, poss 

ibly more. 

"If we don't come up with the money, Husker Harvest Days could be in troubl 

e," Hartman said last Tuesday during a county board meeting. 

Landis said she knows of at least one private individual who is interested 

in buying the land and he has enough money for it. 

Two others, David McGrath and Bruce Schreiner of Grand Island, proposed tha 

t the Army lease them CAAP under a 99-year term, so they could turn it into an a 

gricultural and industrial park. 

McGrath is an electric power consultant and Schreiner is a certified public 

accountant, said their Sept. 20, 1993, proposal to the Army. 

Tom Rauert, chairman of the Agriculture Institute of Nebraska, which leases 

the land for Husker Harvest Days, said he would hope AIN could acquire ownershi 

p of the show site. 

"We'll try to acquire it, but we don't the capital to buy it at fair market 

value," Rauert said. 

He said the site was worth $1.5 million. 

Mayor Ernie Dobesh, who helped start the show, was a little worried about i 

ts future. "I think it would be terrible if the city loses it." 

Rauert said he wasn't concerned Grand Island would lose the show. He just 

wasn't sure who would own the and when the army gets rid of it. 

"There's no sense in getting stirred up. There's not much danger of it leav 

ing," Rauert said. It's going to take some time to settle the matter and it's no 

t going to happen in two weeks. "We need to do it right," he said. 

Exon said it's up to the Army to decide how things work out.

He said there is a lot of interest in Husker Harvest Days. 

"It's very important not only to Grand Island but that whole portion of the 

country," he said. 

"It seems to me that something of a workable nature could be out and I can 

see no set of stances if everybody has their screwed on right that the Harvest D 

ays' interest could not be fully protected," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Husker Harvest Days land for sale 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND (AP) - An Army plan to sell 937 acres now used for the annual 

Husker Harvest Days farm and trade show west of here is before President Clinton 

. 

The land is on the 11,936-acre Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant, said Marga 

ret Landis, a Hall County supervisor and CAAP Reuse Committee member. 

An aide to Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said legislation approved by the House an 

d Senate would require selling the plant's land at market value. The bill is awa 

iting Clinton s signature, Exon aide Mark Bowen said last weekend. 

Hall County Supervisor Dick Hartman last week said that if the land is sold 

at market value, it would cost $1.5 million to $2 million. 

"If we don't come up with the money, Husker Harvest Days could be in troubl 

e," Hartman told the county board. 

But Exon said he expects Husker Harvest Days to thrive show even if the Arm 

y discontinues its ownership. Thousands of farmers from around the Midwest atten 

d the show each fall. 

"It's very important not only to Grand Island but that whole section of the 

country," Exon said. 

Landis said she knows of at least one person who is interested in buy-ing t 

he land. 

Tom Rauert is chairman of the Agriculture Institute of Nebraska, which leas 

es the land for Husker Harvest Days. He said AIN will try to acquire the land, b 

ut does not have the money to buy it at market value. 

"There's no sense in getting stirred up. There's not much danger of it leav 

ing (Grand Island)," Rauert said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Group Honors Zoo's Simmons And Mahoney 

TEXT[Washington - Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo was in the spotlight Monday evening a 

s the Nebraska Society of Washington, D.C., presented "Distinguished Nebraskan A 

wards" to Eugene T. Mahoney and Lee G. Simmons.

Mahoney, a former state senator and director of the Nebraska Game and Parks 

Commission, is now executive director of the Henry Doorly Zoo Foundation. 

Simmons has been the zoo's director since 1970, overseeing construction of 

numerous zoo facilities including the Lied Jungle, the world's largest indoor ra 

in forest. 

"Today, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a world-class zoo," said John Gottschal 

k, president and publisher of The Omaha World-Herald and master of ceremonies at 

Monday's dinner. 

About 200 people, including many Omahans, attended the dinner to honor Maho 

ney and Simmons. The Nebraska Society has been presenting annual awards to recog 

nize Nebraskans since 1963. 

Mahoney was praised as a skilled politician, a hard-working fund-raiser and 

a visionary builder of Nebraska's state park system. 

A former Omaha policeman, Mahoney was a member of the Nebraska Legislature 

from 1961 to 1976. He led the Game and Parks Commission for 12 years, raising pr 

ivate funds for the renovation and construction of state parks. 

One of those parks, an all-season park on the south bank of the Platte Rive 

r near Ashland is named after him. 

Former World-Herald Publisher Harold W. Andersen called Mahoney a master pi 

cker of corporate pockets" for his fund-raising prowess. Now Mahoney raises mone 

y for the zoo, a job he holds without salary. He also is a member of the Omaha P 

ublic Power District board. 

"Gene Mahoney represents, in my view, the best of a politician - a politici 

an who has the interests of whatever he's doing at heart," said Sen. J.J. Exon, 

D-Neb. 

Exon, honorary chairman of the society, presented the awards. 

Mahoney said Nebraska's corporate leaders deserved the credit for his accom 

plishments. "It's the greatest giving state," he said. 

Simmons also is regarded as an effective fund-raiser for the zoo, which has 

won national honors. Under his leadership, the zoo has added state-of-the-art f 

acilities including the Lied Jungle, a cat complex and a free-flight aviary. A n 

ew aquarium is scheduled to open next year. 

Other speakers at the dinner included Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Michael Y 

anney, chairman of the America First Companies; Gail Koch, granddaughter of Mr. 

and Mrs. Henry Doorly; and Jane Pallas, the society's vice president. 



AUTH[Donna Rhoades 


BK#[ 

HDLN[York receives $2.1 million for airport work 

TEXT[YORK - Runway extension plans for the York Municipal Airport will receive t 

he expected federal funding, it was announced Monday. 

The Federal Aviation Authority has released $2.1 for improvements to the Yo 

rk airport. The announcement came jointly from the offices of Sens. James Exon a 

nd Bob Kerrey. 

The grant money is part of the federal government's Airport Improvement Act 

, approved by both houses of Congress and signed by President Clinton in August,

according to Exon aide Molly Klocksin. The $2.1 million grant represents 90 per 

cent of the total cost of the $2.4 million project. State funding will pick up 3 

percent of the tab, Klocksin said. The city's portion will he 7 percent. 

In early June, Dean Sack, chairman of the board of York State Bank and Trus 

t Co., announced that he would personally pledge $137,000, representing the city 

's portion, toward the project. 

The expansion will add 1,800 feet to the current 4,100-foot length allowing 

for the accommodation of large private air-craft. The expansion had been given 

a nod of approval by voters in a special election June 7 in a 1,106 to 744 vote 

after months of opposition and debate about closing a county road just north of 

the airport to allow for the expansion. 

York was one of four Nebraska cities along with Chadron, Hartington and Kea 

rney who were waiting for the finalization of the grant before proceeding with a 

irport improvements. 

"Smaller airports play an important role in Nebraska's transportation syste 

m," the press release said. "This money will assure that the York airport contin 

ues to provide modem service to east central Nebraska." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[NP airport to receive federal grant money 

TEXT[WASHINGTON The North Platte Airport Authority has been awarded a federal gr 

ant to extend its runway and light the taxiway at Lee Bird Field, Nebraska's U.S 

. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Monday. 

North Platte Regional Airport manager Kent Penney said the project, which r 

eceived funding Monday was already under construction with the understanding fro 

m the Federal Aviation Administration that the money would be coming. The taxiwa 

y granted the $124,463 has been a high-priority project at the airport, Penney s 

aid. 

"We stayed in contact-with other senators and representatives to inform the 

m that this was pressing and we were trying to get it going," Penney said. 

The taxiway has been funded 90 percent by the federal, government, 3 percen 

t by the state and the remaining 7 percent was budgeted in the airport's general 

fund budget, Penney said. 

Construction of the taxiway to the airport's main: northwest-southeast runw 

ay began in the late 1980's. Penney said it should be completed by late spring o 

r early summer 1995. 




SOUR[Wayne Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate bill nixes pork roads

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. praised Senate passage of a National Highway System b 

ill Friday which he said eliminates specially funded "pork barrel" additions tha 

t were added to the system by the House of Representatives version of the measur 

e. 

The version, approved by the House in the spring, had included "special pro 

jects" funding for two bridges across the Missouri River in Northeast Nebraska a 

t Niobrara and between Newcastle and Vermillion. 

Though a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill may b 

e forthcoming, it is not clear how the construction projects in highway transpor 

tation system designation will be funded. 

Allan Feyerherm, an aide in Rep. Doug Bereuter's office in Washington, said 

funding provisions for the bridge projects including $4.6 million which had bee 

n authorized in the House version, were stripped from the senate version. Howeve 

r, a House-Senate conference committee appropriations report released today in W 

ashington has included $2 million in additional funding for each bridge. 

If approved the funding recommendation would leave the Newcastle bridge, es 

timated to cost over $17 million, only approximately $2 million short of full fu 

nding. Several million dollars have already been appropriated for the project in 

previous years and the states of Nebraska and South Dakota will be expected to 

kick in 10 percent each on the cost of the bridge building. 

Feyerherm said it would have been easier to gain full funding for the bridg 

e if the house special project designation had been left in the National Highway 

Systems bill, but that he expects the projects would receive final funding appr 

oval within a couple years. 

The Senate bill designates over 2,680 miles of roads in Nebraska as part of 

the National Highway System. The status of Bereuter's proposed state highway li 

nk between Wayne and the Newcastle Vermillion bridge which he had asked to be in 

cluded in the national system last spring, is not clear. 

A map of the state routes included in the national system shows Highways 57 and 

20 via Laurel as the designated bridge connector. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans invite Clinton to campaign for Nebraska Demos 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) President Clinton has a standing invitation to come to Nebraska 

to campaign for his fellow Democrats such as Gov. Ben Nelson, Sen. Bob Kerrey an 

d Rep. Peter Hoagland. 

The invitation comes from the state Republican Party, which is trying to ti 

e the candidates to the president. 

Democrats across the country believe that Clinton is "the biggest albatross 

around their necks,'' said Phil Young, executive director of the state GOP. 

Steve Jarding, spokesman for the Kerrey campaign, called the letter "disres 

pectful, childish and amateurish." 

Nebraska Democrats would welcome Clinton but they see no need for him to co 

me to the state before the Nov. 8 election, said Jarding and Deane Finnegan, exe 

cutive director of the state Democratic Party.

In Nebraska, Clinton ranks as the most disapproved of president in the past 

25 years. 

In a Sept. 6, 7 and 8 survey by the Gallup Organization for the Omaha World 

-Herald. 61 percent of the Nebraskans interviewed said they disapproved of Clint 

on's job performance; 31 percent said they approved. 

It was the highest disapproval rating for a U.S. president since the newspa 

per began measuring the job performance of presidents when Richard Nixon was in 

the White House. 

Clinton is scheduled to make at least one campaign stop in Iowa, but none i 

n Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[HONOR TO EXON 

TEXT[James Exon of Nebraska was among the 26 members of Congress, state legislat 

ors, citizen activists and others who received "Safety Leader Awards" for their 

work on behalf of highway safety legislation as Advocates for Highway and Auto S 

afety celebrated its fifth anniversary at a reception in the Library of Congress 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Public doesn't want just another health bill, senators say 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The people have spoken, but Nebraska's Democratic senators, Bo 

b Kerrey and Jim Exon, are afraid President Clinton doesn't understand why his h 

ealth care reform proposal died in Congress. 

Kerrey and Exon said in separate interviews this morning that their constit 

uents made it undeniably clear that they did not want the comprehensive plans Cl 

inton and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, proposed. 

"We would have a real major problem on our hands if lawmakers followed what 

they believed was the mandate to do something, anything, no matter how small, a 

bout health care reform," Exon said. 

Even the supposedly easy task of reforming health insurance would have ende 

d up increasing insurance premiums, and that really would have turned the public 

off on health care reform, he said 

"I believe the shortcut approach would have led to the death knell for long 

-term comprehensive health care," Exon said. 

Kerrey, a cosponsor of the so called mainstream approach, a bipartisan effo 

rt that contained as much deficit reduction as it did health care reform, agreed 

, saying reform is much more difficult than anyone had imagined.

"It's going to take us two years to get it done," he said. 

What happened in the end, Kerrey said, was a combination of events, with th 

e special interests spending more than $300 million to lobby against the legisla 

tion and the Republicans and the Democrats refusing to work together. 

That caused the public, which had favored reform when the process began, to 

withdraw its permission because of a lack of trust for Congress, 

Another problem, he said, "is that the administration still thinks its bill 

was a good proposal that was defeated by the evil special interests." 

Kerrey and Exon are confident the issue will be revived next year after the 

new Congress is sworn in because the health care problem won't go away. 

Kerrey, the chairman of the president's commission on entitlement reform, s 

aid some market reforms have resulted from the debate, but nothing that will add 

ress escalating costs of health care, which ate up more than $318 billion of fed 

eral tax receipts during the current fiscal year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant will allow link of schools by fiber optics 

TEXT[OBERLIN - Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson announced during the Tri-State Initiativ 

e banquet in Oberlin Tuesday a grant totaling nearly a half-million dollars that 

will help link nine area high schools and an elementary school with two local c 

olleges by fiber optic cables. 

The Rural Electrification Administration has awarded Educational Service Un 

it 15, based in Trenton, a $480,426 grant to link the 10 schools by fiber optic 

cables with McCook Community College and the Nebraska College of Technical Agric 

ulture at Curtis. 

The two-way interactive video network will provide a wide range of high sch 

ool courses, college-level courses, adult education and specialized agriculture 

instruction. 

In addition, students at six elementary schools located adjacent to the par 

ticipating high schools will have access to special classes in languages and gif 

ted and talented student programs. 

Medical inservice and training for personnel in rural hospitals and clinics 

, including emergency units and school nurses, also will be offered. 

"This project is a window to the future of education," said U.S. Sens. Bob 

Kerrey and Jim Exon. 

"Connecting these schools on an interactive network will broaden the educat 

ion of all the students involved. We are proud to have worked on behalf of this 

project and are eagerly...(original cut off). 

"We've got some schools rarin' to go," she said. 

Some schools may be ready to implement parts of the program this fall, whil 

e others may require more time, Mrs. Schall said. 

The system will use existing fiber optic lines, and funds will be used to p 

urchase studio television cameras, the teacher control center, monitors and othe 

r waiting to see its development." 

The schools that will be participating in this project are Chase County Hig 

h School, Imperial Grade School, Culbertson Schools, Dundy County Schools, Hayes 

Center Schools, Maywood Schools, McCook Public Schools, Medicine Valley Schools

, Stratton Schools and Wauneta/Palisade Schools. 

"We're very glad that it went through, yet in a way it's very frightening," 

said Shirley Schall, media technology director for ESU 15. 

She said representatives of the schools, telephone companies and engineers 

will soon get together to go over technical aspects of the project, the only one 

of its type funded in Nebraska. 

equipment. (sic) 

The system likely will be digital, as opposed to the older, less expensive 

analog system, in order to take advantage of multimedia services soon to be avai 

lable. 

Another question, however, is what telephone companies will be involved. U 

S West has indicated it would like to sell the Culbertson and Stratton telephone 

exchanges, for example. 

Fiber optics, high-tech, telecommunications - all were topics during the th 

ird Tri-State Initiative to discuss joint telecommunication and tourism efforts 

among Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. 

Following two days of workshops, seminars and presentations, initiative par 

ticipants created a list of issues to give to Nelson, Kansas Gov. Joan Finney an 

d Colorado Gov. Roy Romer for their considerations 

This prioritized list includes: 

1. Public education about the value of information and the technology that 

disseminates it. 

2. Create a regulatory environment to allow local control, that crosses sta 

te lines and provides incentives for development. 

3. Encourage private and government participation. 

4. Conduct a cost benefit analysis of technology. 

5. Access for rural participation. 

6. Determine the needs and inventories of existing services. 

7. Pooling the three states' resources to do pilot projects 

and encourage experimentation. 

8. Promotion of "community" cooperation, such as hospitals, schools, busine 

sses. 

9. Building upon and connecting existing successes. 

10. Developing regional applications for new markets. 



AUTH[Washington AP 

SOUR[Montana Miles City Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[House, Senate look into antitrust law 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Law makers in both the House and Senate are expected to t 

ake up legislation on baseball's antitrust exemption today as they attempt to pu 

sh owners and players to end the strike. 

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum said he will attempt to attach a repeal 

of the antitrust exemption concerning labor matters to an appropriations bill fo 

r the Labor and Health departments, legislation scheduled for debate on the Sena 

te floor. 

"I hope to be able to force it to a vote," Metzenbaum said after the Senate

ecessed Tuesday night. 

Metzenbaum at first thought of proposing the amendment Tuesday, then decide 

d to wait a day. 

"I will do everything I can to oppose this," said Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb 

., who earlier this month blocked Metzenbaum's bill from coming to the Senate fl 

oor. 

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said he would support Metzenbaum's effort. Earlie 

r this year in the Judiciary Committee, Hatch voted against Metzenbaum's bill fo 

r a complete repeal of the exemption. The latest effort would eliminate the exem 

ption if owners unilaterally impose work rules, such as a salary cap. 

"All the distinguished senator from Ohio and I are trying to do is say to t 

he owners of those teams: You can unilaterally impose, if you want to, any unila 

teral conditions under the law, but if you do you lose the antitrust exemption u 

ntil after the matter is resolved," Hatch said. 

In the House, the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on economic and commer 

cial law is scheduled to take up Rep. Mike Synar's bill, congressional staff sai 

d. 

The full committee may vote on the bill Thursday, but the legislation is un 

likely to pass Congress before adjournment next month. 

Synar, D-Okla., wants to allow the players' union to file an antitrust suit 

against owners if management unilaterally implements a salary cap. His bill als 

o would stop a salary cap from taking effect until after all lawsuits are decide 

d. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Touts Sister City Possibility for Bellevue 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday that Mirniy, Russia, and 

Bellevue, Neb., may become sister cities as a result of discussions he held rece 

ntly with a Russian legislator. 

Exon, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the link was sug 

gested by Aleksandr Piskunov, a member of a comparable committee in the Russian 

Duma, or legislature. 

Piskunov, a native of Mirniy, met with Exon this month in Moscow where Exon 

was part of a Senate delegation exploring ways to safeguard Russian nuclear wea 

pons. 



AUTH[Steve and Lori Soflin 

SOUR[Seward Co. Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[No neutral stand on abortion issue 

TEXT[If you haven't yet made a decision on how you stand on the abortion issue..

please get off the fence! 

Now is a great time to decide which side you're on. With all that's going o 

n with abortion these days-proposed universal health care, including abortion co 

verage for all, paid for with our tax dollars, the recent UN conference on popul 

ation control, and Medicaid paying for abortions in some states, again with our 

tax dollars (just to name a few)-you need to decide! 

If you are not against abortion, you are for it! You cannot be neutral. My 

prayer is that you will become informed and land on the pro-life side of the fen 

ce and then do something about it! 

I used to think I was pro-life but I'd keep it to myself because I don't li 

ke conflict, I had my own opinion on the issue but I didn't have to force it on 

others. If this was the attitude all of us had, who would work for change, who w 

ould work to educate the public about what abortion really is, who would try to 

defend the millions of innocent children that are poisoned or sucked out of thei 

r mothers' wombs each year, who would work to find help and alternatives for wom 

en who are dealing with an unwanted pregnancy? 

Being pro-life is not committing acts of violence against those who work at 

abortion clinics or condemning women who have had an abortion! Being pro-life i 

s working for change and educating people for the sake of saving the lives of th 

e unborn! 

You can become involved in just a few small ways and actually help. You can 

call Sens. Exon and Kerrey right away and let them know that you are pro-life a 

nd that you do not want health care to include abortion coverage. In November, c 

onsider the candidate's views on abortion before marking your ballot. 

You can speak up! When you are in a conversation with someone and abortion 

comes up, you can tell that person that you are pro-life and why, even if they d 

on't agree with you. You can stay informed about what to do to help by getting y 

our name put on the Seward County Pro-Life mailing list (call Ed Sander 643-2792 

). 

I've given you just a few suggestions on how to get started in becoming inv 

olved in the pro-life movement, but one of the easiest things that you can do is 

coming up on Oct. 2! It's Life Chain and I want to tell you a little about what 

it is and isn't. 

It is not illegal. It is not picketing. It is a protest, it is not violent 

and you do not have to be a member of anything to participate. It is simply brin 

ging your family or a few neighbors or friends or coming alone to the Seward Cou 

nty Court House lawn from 2 to 3 on Sunday. It is holding up a non-threatening s 

ign as you stand along the sidewalk with fellow pro-lifers. It is you praying or 

just standing quietly as you hold your sign, and it does help! 

It helps by making people think as they drive by and see us, they may not k 

now where they stand yet, but seeing us there may help in their decision. It may 

help someone who is contemplating having an abortion change their mind. It is a 

community standing together to defend the innocent unborn. 

Think of how awesome it would be if 500 or even 1,000 people showed up to t 

ake part just here in Seward. It could happen if...you tell others to come, ask 

your pastor to announce it in church on Sunday and come yourself get off the fen 

ce and be there, I look forward to seeing you! 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Senate Approves National Highway Bill 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - The Senate passed the National Highway System bill which 

would ensure that Nebraska remains an integral part of the nation's transportat 

ion system. 

The bill designates Nebraska projects ranging from I-80 to the Heartland Ex 

pressway and major North/South corridors such as Highways 77, 81 and 83 as part 

of the National Highway System. 

The Senate passed a "clean" bill, without any "pork barrel" additions that 

were added by the House of Representatives which reduce the prerogative of the G 

overnors and state officials who should make decisions about where and how best 

to spend highway funds, Exon said. 


ns to flow to the states should prevail so individual Governors can set their fu 

nding priorities. These decisions are best made at the state and local level," E 

xon said. 

Over 2,680 miles of roads, including over 2,430 miles of roads in rural are 

as, have been designated as part of the National Highway System in Nebraska unde 

r the Senate bill. 




SOUR[Omaha World Herald (Iowa Edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Democrats Disagree On Setting Deadline in Haiti 

TEXT[Washington - Democratic members of the Senate debated in closed session Tue 

sday the question of whether to set a specific date for removal of troops from H 

aiti, said Sen. J.J. Exon, D.Neb. 

"There were some sharp differences of opinion," said Exon, after the regular wee 

kly luncheon of the Senate's 56 Democrats. The Clinton administration opposes a 

deadline. 

"My own view is that it would be ridiculous" to set a date, Exon said. "It 

would place our troops in great jeopardy." 

Exon, second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. said he 

was opposed to sending U.S. troops to Haiti to restore deposed President Jean-B 

ertrand Aristide. 

"l don't think they should have gone in, in the first instance, but they ar 

e there now," he said. "The commander in chief now has them there. We have to fa 

ce reality." 

Exon praised the agreement allowing U.S. troops peaceful entry into Haiti a 

fter negotiations conducted by former President Jimmy Carter, Sen. Sam Nunn. D-G 

a., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and retired Gen. Colin Powe 

ll. 

"Nunn, Carter and Powell did a good job," Exon said. "You'd certainly rathe 

r do it the way they did than to have them shoot their way in.

Earlier. Sen. Bob Dole. R-Kan., the Senate minority leader, said Haiti also 

was discussed at the regular weekly luncheon of the Senate's 44 Republicans. 

Dole said setting a specific date for U.S. troop withdrawal "might cause a 

problem with our forces" in Haiti, especially if the date was during the period 

between Oct. 7 and Jan. 3 when Congress is to be out of session. 

"We have to be very careful," Dole said. "We might have a nonbinding resolu 

tion that would express a sense of the Senate (on withdrawal), but it would have 

to be flexible." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Apply for service academies 

TEXT[Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey said students interested in being nominated 

to the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force or Merchant Marine Academy for classes be 

ginning in the summer of 1995 should submit applications to either senator by Fr 

iday, Nov. 4. 

Requests for nomination applications should be addressed to either: Sen. J. 

J. Exon, c/o Academy Nominations, 287 Federal Building, Lincoln, Neb., 68508 or 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, c/o Academy Nominations, 7602 Pacific St., Omaha, Neb., 88114. 

Applicants are urged to take either the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the Ame 

rican College Testing examination as soon as possible and forward their scores t 

o the offices of either senator. 

Applicants must be unmarried U.S. citizens between ages 17-22. Interested p 

ersons must be nominated by a member of Congress to he eligible for consideratio 

n by any of the four academies. 


n return for six years of military service," Exon and Kerrey said. 

Exon is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Kerrey serv 

es on the Senate Intelligence Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey does about-face on finance vote 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., has voted with the Republicans to ren 

ew a filibuster on campaign finance legislation, virtually guaranteeing the legi 

slation will die on the vine. 

The vote appeared in contrast to his earlier support for campaign finance l 

egislation last year that was partly fashioned by his senior colleague Sen. Jim 

Exon, D-Neb., and his vote last week against the Republican-led filibuster of th 

e legislation. 

Despite his reputation for unpredictability, Kerrey's change of heart Tuesd

ay night still had colleagues shaking their heads today, including some of his c 

losest friends in the Senate. 

Those senators came to the chamber Tuesday evening convinced they had heade 

d off the second of three filibuster attempts by the Republicans only to discove 

r that Kerrey and four other Democrats - Bennett Johnston, La., Harlan Matthews, 

Tenn., Richard Shelby, Ala., and Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Colo., had switched t 

o the Republican side. 

Kerrey said this morning that he voted to shut off the first filibuster bec 

ause "everyone did," and he voted against efforts to shut off the second filibus 

ter because he decided after talking with constituents, especially elderly const 

ituents, that as chairman of the commission on tax and entitlement reform he cou 

ld not support a new entitlement for politicians. 

Politicians must set a good example, he said, especially in his case where 

the commission will be making recommendations at the end of the year on how the 

federal government can reform its tax and entitlement programs to curb uncontrol 

led growth of the deficit. 

"There is an urgent need to reform the way political campaigns are financed 

in this country," Kerrey said tn a release issued by his office on Wednesday. 

"But there is also an urgent need to rein in the growth of spending on enti 

tlement programs. This bill could wind up trying to fix the first problem by wor 

sening the second, creating a new government entitlement for politicians." 

Kerrey said he was not as worried that the Senate bill would lead to an ent 

itlement program for politicians, as he was worried about the House bill, which 

makes federal funding more easily available to candidates. The Senate bill inclu 

des an Exon provision that would provide funding for candidates only after their 

opponent refuses to stay within spending limits. 

Kerrey said today that he is studying a new compromise bill that would redu 

ce political action committee contributions to candidates from $10,000 to $6,000 

and address some of the public financing concerns of conservatives. 

Even so, Jack Gould, chairman of Common Cause Nebraska, said his organizati 

on is "very concerned" about Kerrey's vote. He said he hoped Kerrey would revert 

to his previous voting pattern. "Campaign finance reform is something that we n 

eed in this country, and we hate to see it blocked by our own state's senator," 

Gould said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Forecast: Healthcare Reform By '96 

TEXT[Not dead, just delayed and not for long. 

That's Mike Schiffer's prognosis for national health care reform. 

Schiffer is a national spokesman for one of the major lobbying forces in th 

e health care debate. The Healthcare Leadership Council is composed of 50 CEOs f 

rom the major segments of the health care industry. 

Health care reform does not need an autopsy after this week's legislative d 

emise. Schiffer says; it just needs a condition report. 

And he's willing to predict that a bipartisan, middle-of-the road, managed

care approach modeled along the broad outlines of the Senate's Mainstream Coalit 

ion proposal - with further compromise and a number of changes - will be enacted 

before the 1996 presidential election. 

"From a political standpoint, I sense that President Clinton and the Democr 

ats cannot afford to let the issue die. It is the centerpiece of their legislati 

ve efforts. 

"And on the other side, I don't really think most Republicans want to go in 

to 1996 viewed as strictly obstructionists." 

While Bob Kerrey has been one of the leaders in the health care debate, hel 

ping drive the bipartisan Mainstream Coalition plan, Schiffer sees a pivotal rol 

e approaching for Jim Exon, too. 

"As things unfold, Nebraska has two key senators in the debate. 

"If there is to be a bipartisan measure, a lot of people will look to Exon 

as a key person, a trendsetter. He's very influential. He's been very noncommit 

tal up to now." The Healthcare Leadership Council, headquartered in Washington, 

has targeted Kerrey and Peter Hoagland, Omaha's congressman, for special lobbyi 

ng attention at the grassroots level this election year. 

"Both have been quite amenable to our point of view," Schiffer says. 

And what is that? 

"No employer mandates. 

"No price controls. 

"No heavy government regulation." 

But reform nevertheless, with "reliance on the private, competitive marketp 

lace." 

And what kind of reform? 

The council supports improved access to care through purchasing 

cooperatives for small employers; reforms to provide insurance for people with p 

reexisting health conditions; portability of coverage; 

and some subsidies for the poor and near-poor. 

Cost issues would be addressed through promotion of "organized systems of c 

are" that would increase competition and reduce costs; administrative reforms su 

ch as standardization of data and better use of electronic programming; and malp 

ractice reform. 

But couldn't all of that have cleared the Congress this year? 

"Yes. If it wasn't for the partisan bickering. 

"If it weren't for election year politics and the positions people staked o 

ut, at least in the short term, you could have passed that this year." 

As it was, Schiffer says, his organization's initial goal was to help defea 

t the Clinton plan. 

"Our first priority was: Let's make sure nothing bad happens." 

The three plans offered by Clinton, George Mitchell and Richard Gephardt we 

re all bad, Schiffer says. 

But the council was "willing to go further" than the proposal offered by Bo 

b Dole, "at least as we understood it." 

As for the Mainstream Coalition proposal, "the general concept was fine," S 

chiffer says. "But in an attempt to compromise, a lot of details in it were quit 

e unacceptable. There was too much wrong with it at the end." 

Americans still want their health care system reformed, Schiffer says. Poll 

ing by the council confirms that. 

"There are still high numbers of uninsured. And rising costs. The problems 

continue to exist."

Now, he says, begins a to-12-month process of "narrowing the options." 

Hopefully, the Clinton administration now better understands "what is polit 

ically 'doable'," Schiffer says. 

"If you're going to pass a major piece of social legislation, you can't run 

it like a campaign. 

"You can't try to bowl over the insurance industry, the hospitals or anyone 

else. There has to be some agreement among the interest groups. You can't leave 

them out of the process." 

And, Schiffer says, "you've got to be bipartisan to be successful. You can' 

t win this one by one vote." 

In his view, this battle isn't over. 

It's about to begin again. 



AUTH[Dan Rosenberg 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Securing Russian nuclear materials top priority 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon recently returned from a trip to Russia convince 

d that Russia and the United States must work to secure Russia's nuclear materia 

l during this week's Washington summit. 

During his weeklong visit, Exon, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committ 

ee's subcommittee on nuclear weapons and strategic deterrence, spoke with senior 

Russian officials about monitoring nuclear materials to prevent them from being 

smuggled out of the country. He also discussed eliminating rocket bases in the 

former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan and transferring military equipment and per 

sonnel from the republics back to Russia. 

"The whole world is fearful that, unless Russian nuclear materials are safe 

guarded, they may fall into Third World countries' hands, which could make some 

very unsatisfactory Third World nuclear powers," Exon told reporters during a br 

iefing. 

"At the summit conference, we want to talk to the Russians about getting mo 

re transparency, or more openness, on their part in regards to control of nuclea 

r materials, particularly plutonium and uranium." 

International concern arose earlier this year over possible smuggling of pl 

utonium and uranium from Russia's nuclear plants after German security officials 

found trace amounts of the materials during luggage inspections. Russian offici 

als have denied that the material came from their country, but Exon is convinced 

that the material did come from Russia and is concerned that minor leaks now ma 

y mean major leaks in the future. 

"The material that showed up in Germany this summer is a signal that things 

aren't as well covered as we'd like," Exon said. "I don't believe that any of t 

hat material recovered so far would be sufficient to make a nuclear device, but 

if that material could be taken out, some of the more sophisticated and purer ur 

anium and plutonium could also." 

In an hourlong meeting with Exon, Dr. Viktor Mikhaylov, Russian minister of 

atomic energy, told the senator that Russian nuclear materials were under compl 

ete and total control of the Russian government, but said that Russian nuclear f 

acilities needed more U.S. aid for security.

Congress has already approved $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion to help disassem 

ble nuclear weapons, move them from former Soviet republics and provide housing 

for Russian soldiers returning from former Soviet republics. Exon said some of t 

he money could also be used to improve security at Russian nuclear sites. 

Exon presented Mikhaylov a letter from the vice president's U.S.-Russian Jo 

int Commission on Economic, and Technological Cooperation. The letter outlined a 

four-point program to minimize the risk of nuclear proliferation and enhance ar 

ms reduction. It stressed the importance of securing nuclear materials against t 

heft, working openly on nuclear inspections, ending the further accumulation of 

plutonium for weapons and disposing excess plutonium. 

Mikhaylov told the senator that Russia was just as concerned about the prob 

lem and was willing to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspections in m 

ost cases concerning weapons storage. However, Mikhaylov said Russia would not s 

ubmit all nuclear materials to IAEA inspection for "financial and political" rea 

sons. 

Mikhaylov said he had briefed Russian President Boris Yeltsin on the need f 

or greater security, and said the topic would be discussed during this week's su 

mmit meeting. 

Exon also met with Aleksandr Piskunov, a member of the Russian parliament, 

to discuss the removal of arms and troops from the former Soviet republic of Kaz 

akhstan. The total cost of that operation, which will be paid for with U.S. fund 

s, is $237 million. 




SOUR[Wauneta Breeze 

BK#[ 

HDLN[ESU Receives Grant to Link Schools With Fiber Optics 

TEXT[The dream of linking area schools interactively over fiber optic cable took 

a giant step towards becoming a reality this week. 

Nebraska Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced Monday that Educational 

Service Unit #15, based in Trenton, will receive a $480,426 Rural Electrificati 

on Administration grant to link nine area schools and two area colleges with fib 

er optic cables. 

Schools participating in the interactive video learning network include Wau 

neta-Palisade, Chase County High School, Hayes Center, Imperial Grade School, Cu 

lbertson, Dundy County, Maywood, McCook, Medicine Valley and Stratton. 

In addition to being linked to each other, the schools will also be linked 

to McCook Community College and Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Cur 

tis. 

The goal of the two-way system is to provide a wide range of high school co 

urses, college-level courses, adult education and specialized ag instruction. It 

will also give elementary students in the schools access to special classes in 

language or gifted and talented programs. 

"This project is a window to the future of education," the two senators sai 

d. "Connecting these schools on an interactive network will broaden the educatio 

n of all the students involved. We are proud to have worked on behalf of this pr

oject and are eagerly waiting to see its development. 

The ESU was one of many entities applying for the REA grants. The unit lear 

ned last month that they were among 80 finalists vying for the money. 

Shirley Schall, media technologies director at ESU #15, said a lot of work 

awaits the administrators of the schools involved. 

She said one of the first tasks will be to decide what kind of equipment to 

purchase for each of the schools and determine a schedule for implementation, w 

hich could be as early as next fall. 

Schall explained the new network will allow the schools to expand curriculu 

m by having one teacher teach a class to students in a number of other schools a 

t the same time. 

The technology will allow for real-time interactivity by students at each s 

ite and with the teacher. 

The grant will provide about 80 per-cent of the money to equip each school 

with the necessary hardware. The schools will be responsible for the other 20 pe 

rcent. 

She noted they are exploring other grants which could possibly cover the 20 

percent match required by the schools. 

Each school will need to provide a classroom equipped for the interactive n 

etwork. Schall said a typical classroom will include four television monitors, a 

video camera on the teacher and one or more on the students, a speaker system, 

overhead panels and a control panel enabling switching to and from each classroo 

m site. 

Annual rental cost for the fiber is expected to run about $12,000 per year 

per school, Schall said. 

Wauneta-Palisade superintendent Randy Marymee expressed excitement over the 

announcement. He said technology improvements has been targeted in the school i 

mprovement plan. 

He noted this should fit in well with the school's effort to expand educati 

onal opportunities. 




SOUR[Omaha Midland's Business Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Stay in the dugout 

TEXT[The U.S Senate needed a unanimous-consent vote to consider a bill designed 

to end the major league baseball strike. The measure would have exempted basebal 

l from the antitrust laws, weighing the scales on the side of the players. 

Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska blocked the bill by casting a lone vote against t 

he unanimous-consent agreement. He said, in effect, that the Senate had no busin 

ess intervening in the baseball imbroglio. 

Score a home run for Exon. The owners and players were quite capable of scr 

ewing up the situation by themselves; they didn't need professional help from th 

e U.S. government. 

When Laurel and Hardy are already on stage, they don't need 

help from the Marx Brothers. 

In the months to come there might be further attempts to insert the heavy,

sticky hand of the federal government into the baseball situation. Let's hope th 

at Jim Exon or someone like him is there to call a halt. Government needs to sta 

y on the bench where it belongs. 



AUTH[Norman Pierce 

SOUR[Red Cloud Chief 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Another Point of View 

TEXT[Question 5. Why does Republican Nebraska keep electing Democratic governmen 

t leaders? Does it have something to do with justifying item No. 2 above? 

Answer: No, I like Exon and Kerrey as persons but not as they vote on some 

issues. One of the greatest problems is that we have gone from "a government of 

the people, by the people and for the people," to a government by various power 

structures" who do not, in many cases, have the best interest of the state and c 

ountry; believing falsely that the "gravy train" will never run off the track an 

d that we will always be free, which is not necessarily true. 

Also former governors always imply they are better informed and thus should 

be elected by the public; which is not always the case. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Timber Jack 

TEXT[Senator Jim Exon, in a news release, says the Senate passed the highway bil 

l which will release funds for the Heartland Expressway. State Highway Commissio 

ner John McLellan told us this will help speed up the project and it could start 

in 1995. He added the Highway 71 Expressway is progressing with paving presentl 

y being laid on phase one. He added, phase two should be let this fall and const 

ruction on an eight-mile stretch, south of phase one, in Banner County could sta 

rt in the spring. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[New cleanup method may save millions 

TEXT[Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have come up with an al 

ternative plan for decontaminating two Hastings Superfund subsites. 

The alternative method has not been approved by the Environmental Protectio 

n Agency. But if it can be it might save the community millions of dollars.

Over the last four months the researchers have gathered data and conducted 

experiments on a 62-acre irrigated cornfield on Hastings' east edge. The technol 

ogy they are studying would remove contaminants from groundwater beneath the Nor 

th Landfill and Far-Mar-Co subsites, allowing them to vaporize in the atmosphere 

after being sprinkled from a special center pivot irrigation system. 

Under the method, which one of the researchers explained to the City Counci 

l Wednesday, contaminated water would be pumped out of the ground at a rate of 1 

,350 gallons per minute during the irrigation season. The water would be sprayed 

through the sprinkler's nozzles against a special pad. 

The water would form a thin film on the pad, then break out, droplet by dro 

plet, and fall to the earth, nourishing the crops Meanwhile, most of the contami 

nants, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), would escape into the air at co 

ncentrations acceptable under federal emission limits. 

"We have determined, l think, that the sprinkler irrigation system will eff 

ectively strip the VOCs from the water," said Roy Spalding, director of UNL's wa 

ter sciences laboratory an a member of the research team. 

Spalding said remediating the contamination with a sprinkler system that ru 

ns only about a third of the year during irrigation season, might take several y 

ears. 

But he also said the method, approved, would lower drastically the remediat 

ion cost for the two subsites. 

He said the two sites could be cleaned up using one irrigation well at a co 

st as low as $200,000. Using the traditional, EPA-approved method of pumping gro 

undwater, treating it and reinjecting it into the aquifer, the bill could run to 

$50 million. 

In addition, Spalding said, all the water pumped would be applied to crops 

in a way that would not create excess runoff. 

The city of Hastings, Dutton Larson Co., the U.S. Navy and the Dravo Corp. 

are entities that could be held responsible for cleanup costs on the North Landf 

ill subsite. Morrison Enterprises and the Hastings Irrigation Pipe Co. are poten 

tially responsible parties on the Far-Mar-Co subsite. 

Beneath the 62-acre cornfield, groundwater is contaminated with traces of t 

hree solvents: tricholoroethene, trichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene; and wi 

th two grain fumigants: carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dibromide. 

By taking periodic samples from the sprinkler, Spalding said, the researche 

rs were able to develop some estimates as to how effective a cleanup might be. T 

richloroethene, the compound in highest concentration beneath the subsites, was 

reduced by 98 percent to 99 percent. The compound is found in concentrations gre 

ater than 1,700 parts per billion on the subsites, and must be reduced to five p 

arts per billion in order to meet EPA standards. 

The other compounds all would be reduced to meet the maximum contaminant le 

vels (MCLs), which are drinking water standards established by the Safe Drinking 

Water Act, according to information released by UNL's Institute of Agriculture 

and Natural Resources. 

Spalding said the decontamination rates may improve further once UNL obtain 

s specially designed sprinkler nozzles. Those now in place were stock items on t 

he pivot manufacturer's shelf, he said. 

Spalding said the geological strata in the area of the subsites should be a 

ble to endure heavy, continuous water pumping. Through their testing, he said, t 

he researchers have determined the sprinkler method would effectively contain th 

e contamination and remove the offending substances over time.

The UNL method is known to, but not yet accepted by, the EPA. Spalding said 

questions of when, if and how EPA approval will be granted fundamentally are po 

litical and should be directed to politicians. 

Several state and federal officials, including state Sen. Ardyce Bohlke and 

representatives of Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, 3rd District Rep. Bill Barre 

tt and Gov. Ben Nelson, attended Wednesday's presentation. 

Spalding said he thinks EPA approval may be possible if proponents can be p 

atient and persuasive. 

"Some people at EPA, I understand, are very, very interested in the techniq 

ue," he said. "Others are dragging their feet." 

The UNL study is supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperativ 

e States Research Service grant, the Nebraska Research 

Initiative, the Water Center, Environmental Programs unit, and UNL's Institute o 

f Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Electrical Engineering, and C 

enter for Electro-Optics. 



AUTH[Wayne Price 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Beatrice gets $1.6 million for BPW building 

TEXT[The city of Beatrice has received a $1.6 million federal grant to build a n 

ew $2.1 million public works service center on a five-acre site north of the cit 

y. 

"It's very positive for the community," Mayor Dave Maurstad said Wednesday. 

"A lot of areas are competing for grant dollars and it's a positive reflection 

on the city." 

Maurstad commended the Board of Public Works and BPW Administrative Assista 

nt Bob Feit for taking advantage of the grant opportunity. 

The new building will be located south of Burnham Motors along U.S. Highway 

77. 

The current service center, at First and Ellis streets, was periodically fo 

rced to be evacuated due to flooding along the Blue River and Indian Creek, City 

Administrator and BPW General Manager Jim Bauer said. The BPW began searching f 

or building funds as a result of continued flooding, flood insurance and cleanup 

costs, be said. 

The BPW searched for a suitable site, which included between 10 and 12 poss 

ible locations in the area, before deciding on the site north of town, Bauer sai 

d. 

"A good deal of the cost will be covered," Maurstad said. "It Won't have to 

come from the rate payer." 

Bauer said the city has also applied for a $500,000 state grant to suppleme 

nt the project. The city has not received confirmation on the state grant but Ba 

uer expected to hear from the state soon. Construction is likely to begin next s 

pring, Bauer said. 

"The state grant is designed to go hand in hand with the federal funds," Ma 

urstad said. 

The federal grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce and annou 

nced by U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. Educational Service Unit #15 has bee

n awarded a $480,426 grant that will link 10 southwest Nebraska schools by fiber 

optic cables with McCook Community College and the Nebraska College of Technica 

l Agriculture. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[ESU gains fiber optics grant linking schools 

TEXT[Educational Service Unit #15 has been awarded a $480,426 grant that will li 

nk 10 southwest Nebraska schools by fiber optic cables with McCook Community Col 

lege and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. 

Imperial Grade School and CCHS are among the southwest Nebraska schools whi 

ch will benefit from the grant award. 

IGS-CCHS Supt. Glen Beran was elated when he heard the news of the grant aw 

ard Tuesday. The local schools have been exploring the possibility of an interac 

tive network for more than a year. 

In October, 1993, IGS and CCHS board members voted to support a resolution 

of support for the ESU #15 grant application. At that time, discussion noted tha 

t each school participating would provide a classroom equipped for the interacti 

ve network, if the grant was received. 

Other elementary and high schools participating in the interactive video le 

arning network include Wauneta, Palisade, Gulbertson, Dundy County, Hayes Center 

, Maywood, McCook, Medicine Valley and Stratton. 

Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Monday that the Rural Elec 

trification Administration had awarded the grant to ESU #15, which serves school 

s in southwest Nebraska. 

According to Shirley Schall, media technologies director at ESU #15, a lot 

of work awaits the schools involved in this project. One of the first tasks will 

be to determine what kind of equipment to purchase and then a schedule for impl 

ementation, which could be as early as next fall. 

The new network will allow the schools to expand curriculum by having one t 

eacher instruct a class to students in a number of other schools at the same tim 

e. Teachers and students at all sites will be able to interact with each other. 

The grant will provide about 80 percent of the money to equip each school w 

ith the necessary hardware. Schall said the schools will be responsible for the 

other 20 percent, although they are exploring other grants which could possibly 

cover the 20 percent match. 

Schall said a typical classroom in each school will include four television 

monitors, a video camera on the teacher and one or more on the students, a spea 

ker system, overhead panels and a control panel enabling switching to and from e 

ach classroom site. 

Annual rental cost for the fiber is expected to run about $12,000 per year 

per school, Schall added. 

The two-way interactive video network will provide a wide-range of high sch 

ool courses, college-level courses, adult education and specialized agriculture 

instruction. In addition, elementary students will have access to special classe 

s in languages and gifted and talented student programs.

"The project is a window to the future of education," Exon and Kerrey said 

in a joint statement. 

"Connecting these schools on an interactive network will broaden the educat 

ion of all the students involved," they said. 

The grant award will be on Tuesday's agenda for the IGS-CCHS simultaneous b 

oard meeting. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Russia's weak economy coming around, Exon believes 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - During his recent trip to Russia Sen. Jim Exon was pleasantly 

surprised by the signs of improvement he said he saw in the Russian economy. 

Exon's early September visit was his second of the year to Russia, and he s 

aid a lot had changed since his last trip in May. 

"I'm stunned with the way things have improved in the last few months," he 

told reporters. "When I was there in May, I was very discouraged with what I saw 

in regard to entrepreneurship; I thought things were moving too slowly." 

But now, Exon said, the Russian economy is showing signs of revival. 

"It seems that under the leadership of (President Boris) Yeltsin it's comin 

g around much faster than it was previously," he said. 

Exon said new businesses are thriving, especially security services. which 

have benefitted from the country's current crime wave. 

He was also happy to see signs of American investment, including a U.S. Wes 

t cellular phone center in Moscow. 

But not all the new businesses Exon saw were high-tech. 

Exon arrived 10 minutes early for one of his Moscow appointments, and decid 

ed to take a walk. 

"Right around the corner there was a brand new cafe that had opened up sinc 

e I'd been there in May. That's the free enterprise system taking over," he said 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants to aid public radio in rural areas 

TEXT[Nebraska has been awarded federal grants for public radio and television tr 

ansmission in rural Nebraska. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded two grants totaling $98,167 to 

the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission, which operates public ra 

dio and public television in the state. 


l bring public radio to areas near Max in Dundy County, Harrison in Sioux Count,

Falls City in Richardson County and Culbertson in Hitchcock County. 

The other will help pay for upgrading equipment serving the state's public 

television network in Falls City in Richardson County, Neligh in Antelope County 

and Decatur in Burt County. 

"Public radio and television are key sources of education, information and 

entertainment," Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said. "We are happy more Nebraskan 

s will be able to tune into public radio and that public television equipment wi 

ll be improved elsewhere in the state." 




SOUR[Garden Co. News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[SHANE STERLING PICKED FOR NATIONAL YOUNG LEADERS 

TEXT[Shane Sterling from Lewellen Rural High School has been selected to attend 

the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. November 29, to Decembe 

r 4, 1994. 

The theme of the National Young Leaders Conference is "Leaders of Tomorrow 

Meeting the Leaders of Today." Throughout the six-day conference, scholars will 

Interact with key leaders and newsmakers from the three branches of government, 

the media, and the diplomatic corps. 

Highlights of the program will include welcoming remarks from the Floor of 

the United States House of Representatives and a panel discussion with prominent 

journalists at the National Press Club. Scholars will visit foreign embassies a 

nd receive policy briefings from senior government officials. Scholars may also 

meet with Senator J. James Exon, Senator Robert Kerrey and Representative Bill B 

arrett or an appointed member of their staff to discuss important issues facing 

Lewellen and the nation. 

To compliment these meetings and briefings, the scholars will participate i 

n a number of leadership skill-building activities. In one activity, Foreign Po 

licy and the President, students role-play the President, members of the cabinet 

and Representatives from Capitol Hill, who must respond to an international cri 

sis in North Korea. Culminating the National Young Leaders Conference is the Mod 

el Congress, in which scholars assume the roles of United States Representatives 

by debating, amending, and voting on proposed legislation on crime. 

The National Young Leaders Conference is sponsored by the Congressional You 

th Leadership Council, a non profit, nonpartisan educational organization. Foun 

ded in 1985, the Council is committed to "fostering and inspiring young people t 

o achieve their full leadership potential." Over 300 members of the United State 

s Congress join this commitment as member of the Council's Honorary Congressiona 

l Board of Advisors. Each year, more than 7,000 outstanding youth nationwide pa 

rticipants in 20 sessions of the National Young Leaders conference. 

The conference provides the opportunity for students like those from Lewell 

en Rural High School, to distinguish themselves as tomorrow's leaders," said Joh 

n Hines, Council Executive Director. "Scholars not only gain knowledge and the e 

xperience of the nation's capitol, they leave with a sense of accomplishment and 

an increased ability to face the challenges of the future."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln Municipal Airport To Expand 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Lincoln Airport Authority has received $1.5 million 

in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced U.S. Sen 

s. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 

A $1.1 million grant will be used to expand and develop a fire and rescue s 

ervice road on the grounds of the Lincoln Municipal Airport. 

The authority also will receive $360,000 to buy commercial snow removal equ 

ipment. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant for rural health initiative 

TEXT[Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced that the Department of Health and H 

uman Services has awarded the University of Nebraska Medical Center a $399,326 g 

rant to implement a program of Rural Health Demonstration Activities. 

The program will conduct demonstrations of activities designed to improve t 

he practice of managed health care in the rural communities in Nebraska and Iowa 

. The demonstrations will target the work of primary care practitioners. 

"There is a great deal of debate about what should be done about health car 

e, but there is also a bipartisan consensus that rural America faces an urgent h 

ealth care crisis," Kerrey and Exon said. "This grant will help address a pressi 

ng problem that clearly needs to be fixed." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[York airport funded 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The York Municipal Airport has received a $2.1 million federal 

grant, announced Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

The money will be used to extend and widen a runway at the airport and cond 

uct a revision of its masterplan.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Seeks Study Of K.C. Rail Service 

TEXT[Washington - Amtrak service between Kansas City, Mo., and Omaha would be st 

udied under legislation approved by the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. J.J. Exo 

n, D-Neb., said Tuesday. 

Other provisions of the bill would require the Federal Railroad Administrat 

ion to set safety standards for passenger cars and encourage states to reduce th 

e number of grade crossings. 

Amtrak's mission statement was amended at Exon's suggestion to require trai 

n crews to treat all passengers "with respect, courtesy and dignity." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants approved 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Lincoln Airport Authority has received the $1.5 mill 

ion in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced U.S. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Divided Over Lame-Duck Session 

TEXT[Washington - Convening Congress for a post-election session to act on an in 

ternational trade agreement would be a mistake, Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., and Sen. 

Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Thursday. 

"I don't know anything that can justify a lame-duck session of Congress," E 

xon said. 

Harkin said he favored delaying action on the treaty, which is aimed at low 

ering global barriers to trade. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb., said he would favor a post-election session if no 

action is taken on the agreement before Congress adjourns next month. 

"It would be a tragedy to miss this opportunity." Kerrey said. "If you came 

in next year, without fast-track authority. it would basically kill the agreeme 

nt." 

The unexpected delay in congressional action on the agreement - the Uruguay 

Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - was announced Wednesday b 

y Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Kerrey said he agreed with President Clinton's assessment of the trade pact 

as being "the biggest worldwide tax cut in history" because of the tariffs that 

it will phase out over 10 years. 

Clinton, who said he would ask Congress to return after the election if it 

failed to pass the treaty before adjournment, estimated it would create "300,000 

to 500,000 new, high-wage jobs in the next few years." 

Clinton sent the agreement to Congress Wednesday. 

Kerrey said he could understand the argument of Hollings and others who wou 

ld like more time to study the agreement. 

"In one way, he makes a valid point," Kerrey said. "It's very late in the y 

ear. This was supposed to be heard by committees, and we are not given a suffici 

ent amount of time." 

Nevertheless, Kerrey said, the agreement has been under discussion in Congr 

ess since 1986 when negotiations began in Punta del Este, Uruguay, under the Rea 

gan administration. 

"It's not like this came up by surprise." Kerrey said. "If you are determin 

ed - late in a session - to stop legislation, you can do it in the Senate. 

Exon said one of his main concerns was how to replace up to $14 billion in 

federal revenues that will be lost when U.S. tariffs are phased out over the nex 

t 10 years. 

He said cuts in federal funding for agriculture programs had been proposed 

as a way to recover some of the lost revenue. 



AUTH[Patti Jo Peterson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[House Candidate Speaks to Rotary Club 

TEXT[Patrick Combs, Democratic candidate for First District U.S. Representative 

against incumbent Doug Bereuter, addressed the local Rotary Club on Wednesday ab 

out his campaign and current issues in the news. 

"What are elections about?" Combs asked his audience. "To me, they're about 

the future -- putting the politics of the past against the hope of the future," 

he said. 

Combs presented himself as a new wave politician, interested in representin 

g the constituents above self-interests. 

If elected, he vowed not to accept a salary increase until the national bud 

get was balanced. "If I'm forced to take a salary increase, I will not take it. 

It will go to a trust fund to go to the University of Nebraska," he said. 

After his prepared address, Combs answered questions from the audience. One 

Rotary member asked if Combs favored taxing Social Security. 

"I support the concept of means testing," Combs said. "Those that need it a 

s a solitary means of getting by are not going to be taxed." 

In terms of the present health care reform movement, Combs said he does not 

support a total reformation. 

"I support revamping the system we have now, he said. "I want to chip away 

at every 25 cents for every dollar that goes toward bureaucracy." 

He said a national reform package would not take in account that Nebraskans 

' needs differ from those in other states.

"We have different health care needs from those in Pennsylvania." 

He added that although 80 percent of Nebraskans said they supported the Fam 

ily Medical Leave Act, Bereuter voted against 

it. 

Harold Rowe, Rotary member, asked Combs what his stand on the 

Brady bill is. "I support the Brady bill wholeheartedly," he said. 

Bereuter, Combs claimed, ignored that 67 percent of the people in District 

1 supported the Brady bill, yet voted against it, too. 

Although, Combs added that he doesn't believe that gun control is going to 

eliminate crime. Instead, he favors punishing crime offenders quickly and severe 

ly. "I'm not for banning guns entirely," he said. 

In regard to the debate about the location of the new Missouri River bridge 

between Plattsmouth or Bellevue. Combs said he supported the south corridor loc 

ation. 

"I wholeheartedly support a south corridor location," Combs said. "Not only 

for economic development reasons, but because it just makes more sense." 

He added that the Bellevue north area already had four accesses across "If 

the bridge is placed at the north corridor, we'll loose the south location," he 

said. "If we do the south corridor, the other four crossings in the north will r 

emain." 

Combs said he was not only verbally committed to the issue, but planned to 

become actively involved in it. "I'm going to be actively involved, not only wit 

h phone calls and letters," he said. "We need a tiger in the first district seat 

for us." 

International politics have also caught the candidate's attention, includin 

g U.S. military intervention in Haiti. 

"I sensed three months ago that I didn't want to rule out military interven 

tion," he said. "But I was not convinced, as President Carter ended up proving, 

that we had not expired all diplomatic avenues. So I was somewhat critical of th 

e timeliness of the invasion and I am hopeful for a quick withdrawal." 

Combs is a fourth generation Nebraskan. He graduated in 1988 with a bachelo 

r of arts in political science and is a general partner in his father's automobi 

le sales business in Lincoln. 

He also works as a professional consultant in motivation and sales. 

He served a legislative internship under Sens. Ed Zorinsky and J. James Exon. He 

visited Taiwan during its first two party democratic election. 



AUTH[Donna Farris 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Housing assistance promised 

TEXT[Kearney and Broken Bow will get some federal help to build housing. 

Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey Thursday announced two housing grant 

s to the cities through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

The Kearney Housing Authority has been awarded an $861,250 grant to pay for 

three two-bedroom units, four three-bedroom units and three 

four-bedroom units.

Elaine Wiseman, director of the Kearney Housing Authority, said this is a n 

ew funding, but is the third grant for scattered-site housing received by the ho 

using authority. The first was for nine houses, the second for 35, and this late 

st grant is for 10. 

Wiseman said the housing authority had applied for 56 units, but is happy w 

ith 10. "Money is tight, and there were a lot of applicants," she said. 

The 10 units will be part of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, as the pr 

evious scattered-site developments were. To qualify to live in the homes, famili 

es must set goals to help themselves become economically independent. 

The families pay 30 percent of their adjusted gross income for rent. As the 

ir income increases, additional rent money is placed in an escrow account that c 

an be used to purchase a home. 

"It's an incentive for them to better themselves," Wiseman said. 

She said the housing authority has yet to acquire lots for the development, 

which is a concern. "Funds are limited. The lots will have to be very affordabl 

e and I know lots in Kearney are not." 

The Broken Bow Housing Authority has received $342,400 to build four two-be 

droom units and one three-bedroom unit at scattered sites in Broken Bow. 

Cheryl Smith, executive director of the Broken Bow Housing Authority, said 

the units will be public housing units. Families who meet income guidelines will 

pay 30 percent of their income for rent. 

Smith said the houses are for any family, which means two or more people. 

Broken Bow currently has 40 low-income units for the elderly in a four-stor 

y building and 40 two bedroom-five bedroom family units at scattered sites. 

The five units to be built will replace existing houses to be sold in an ap 

proved home ownership plan, in which qualifying families purchase housing author 

ity units, Smith said. 

Smith said she doesn't know when construction could begin. "There's a lot o 

f preliminary work," which includes acquiring building lots. 



AUTH[Medill News Service 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Setting withdrawal date would doom U.S. effort in Haiti 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee 

, said it would be "ridiculous" for the United States to set a date to withdraw 

its troops from Haiti. 

In a meeting with reporters, Exon said it is time for Congress to face the 

reality of U.S. occupation of the island and to do whatever it takes not to jeop 

ardize the lives of U.S. soldiers. 

"The only way to make sure that our endeavor there is doomed to fail from t 

he beginning would be for Congress to start playing secretary of state and say w 

e're going to remove our troops by Christmas Day or sometime certain," Exon said 

. 

"If we set a date, the evil forces that caused the problem in Haiti would s 

ay: 'All we have to do is wait for the American troops to pull out as ordained b

y the supreme wisdom of all those secretaries of state in the House and Senate," 

' Exon said. "I think that would put our troops in further jeopardy." 

Exon said that during a meeting of Senate Democrats this week, there bad be 

en "sharp differences of opinion" about whether to set a withdrawal date. He wou 

ld not reveal which senators had spoken in favor of the proposal. 

Exon had a message for his colleagues who have yet to resign themselves to 

the U.S. occupation of the Caribbean island. 

"Our troops are there now," he said. "I don't think they should have been t 

here in the first instance, but they are there. We have to face reality. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey sides with Republicans on campaign-finance filibuster 

TEXT[Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey joined Republican senators in voting to renew a 

filibuster on campaign-finance legislation pending in the Sen-ate. 

As chairman of the bipartisan commission on entitlement reform, Kerrey said 

, he concluded that he could not support "a new government entitlement for polit 

icians." 

Campaign finance reform legislation includes provisions that would provide 

public financing for candidates. 

"There is an urgent need to reform the way political campaigns are financed 

in this country," Kerrey said in a written statement. 

"But there is also an urgent need to rein in the growth of spending on enti 

tlement programs. 

"This bill could wind up trying to fix the first problem by worsening the s 

econd, creating a new government entitlement for politicians." 

Kerrey said he was not as worried about the Senate bill as the House bill, 

which makes federal funding more accessible to candidates. 

The Senate bill includes a provision authored by Sen. Jim Exon which would 

provide funding for candidates only if their opponents refuse to stay within spe 

nding limits. 

Four other Democrats joined Kerrey in supporting the Republican filibuster. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[5 housing authorities get grants 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Five Nebraska housing authorities have received federal grants 

, Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said Thursday. 

Four of the grants will be used to build public housing, the Nebraska Democ 

rats said in a statement. The grants are from the Department of Housing and Urba 

n Development.

The Burwell Housing Authority will use $446,800 to construct six two-bedroo 

m units. The Broken Bow Housing Authority will use $342,400 to build four two-be 

droom units and one three-bedroom unit. 

The Kearney Housing Authority will use $861,250 to build ten new public hou 

sing units, Exon and Kerrey said. The Douglas County Housing Authority will use 

$413,300 to develop five three-bedroom units. 

The fifth grant, of $748,000, goes to the Omaha Housing Authority. The mone 

y will be used under the Public and Indian Housing Drug Elimination Program to p 

ay for contracts with substance abuse counselors and other drug-counseling exper 

ts. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Three Senators Oppose GATT Session 

TEXT[Washington - Convening Congress for a post-election session to act on an in 

ternational trade agreement would be a mistake, Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., Tom Har 

kin, D-Iowa, and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey D-Neb., said he would favor a post-election session if no a 

ction is taken on the agreement before Congress adjourns next month. 

"It would be a tragedy to miss this opportunity," Kerrey said. "if you came 

in next year without fast-track authority (prohibiting amendments), it would ba 

sically kill the agreement." 

Exon said: "I don't know anything that can justify a lame-duck session of C 

ongress." 

Harkin said he favored delaying action on the treaty, which is aimed at low 

ering global barriers to trade. 

Grassley said legislation presented to a post-election session could not be 

limited to the trade agreement. 

The unexpected delay in congressional action on the agreement - the Uruguay 

Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - was announced Wednesday b 

y Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. 

Kerrey said he agreed with President Clinton's assessment of the trade pact 

as being "the biggest worldwide tax cut in history" because of the tariffs that 

it would phase out over 10 years. 

Clinton, who said he would ask Congress to return after the election if it 

failed to pass the treaty before adjournment, estimated that GATT would create " 

300,000 to 500,000 new high-wage jobs in the next few years." 

Clinton sent the agreement to Congress Wednesday. 

Kerrey said he could understand the arguments of Hollings and others who wo 

uld like more time to study the agreement. 

Nevertheless, Kerrey said, the agreement has been under discussion in Congr 

ess since 1986, when negotiations began in Uruguay under the Reagan administrati 

on. 

Exon said he is concerned about replacing as much as $14 billion in federal 

revenues if U.S. tariffs are phased out. He said cuts in agriculture programs h 

ad been proposed to recover some of the lost revenue.

Grassley said: "If we had a special session, there would be a lot of bad bi 

lls passed. I think it would be perfectly all right to put off a vote on the tra 

de agreement until January or February." 




SOUR[Sioux city Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon opposes cutoff date 

TEXT[OMAHA - Democratic Sen. James Exon, a ranking member of the Senate Armed Se 

rvices Committee, said Thursday he opposed setting a specific date when Congress 

would cut off funds for the military mission in Haiti. 

Although he opposed sending troops to Haiti, Exon said: "The facts of the m 

atter are that they are now there and therefore their security, their safety, an 

d their mission are important. 

in a telephone conference call with Nebraska news media, Exon said setting 

such a date could affect the security of the 15,000 troops on the ground in Hait 

i. 

"Their mission, right or wrong, could be put in jeopardy," he said. 

That mission involves aircraft and crews from Offutt Air Force Base near Om 

aha, Air Force officials said Thursday. 

An unspecified number of RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic reconnaissance and E 

C-135 airborne command and control aircraft are supporting U.S. military efforts 

in the Caribbean nation. A spokesman for the 55th Wing declined to specify how 

many aircraft or crew members were involved. 

"This type of mission is not new to the 55th Wing," said Brig. Gen. Thomas 

Keck, wing commander. "Almost anywhere there is a hot spot in the world, the 55t 

h Wing will be close by. 

Aircraft from the unit typically join airborne warning and control system, 

or AWACS, aircraft as the first on the scene and the last to leave, Keck said. 

The RC-135 is a military version of the Boeing 707 passenger aircraft, equi 

pped with antennas and other sensors to gather electronic signals, which are ana 

lyzed and passed on to battlefield commanders. 

The EC-135 were known as part of the "Looking Glass" mission to provide an 

airborne command post for senior military commanders to use to control nuclear w 

eapons if ground posts were destroyed. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon hails equal Medicare pay for rural hospitals 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Senator Jim Exon, (D-NE) today praised the Departmen 

t of Health and Human Services for implementing the final phase of a change he h

ad long promoted that will put rural and urban hospitals on a level playing fiel 

d. 

"For years, the federal government had reimbursed rural hospitals for Medic 

are patients at a lower rate than it paid to urban hospitals," Exon said. "This 

practice was blatantly unfair. Soon, however, those days will be over." 

"I began working on this issue in 1987, when I co-sponsored a bill to elimi 

nate the unfair Medicare payments to rural hospitals," he said. "Legislation fin 

ally passed in 1990 to phase in an equal Medicare payment rate. That phase-in wi 

ll be completed next month, when the 1995 payment rates begin. 

To make the payment rates equal, the federal government will increase payme 

nt rates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent, beginning Oct. 

l, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Payments to urban hospita 

ls will rise by 1.5 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Beatrice gets funds 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The city of Beatrice has received a $1.6 million federal grant 

to build a new Public Works Service Center, Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey annou 

nced. 

The new building will be located on the north side of the city. 

The city's current building has been flooded several times in the past year 

because it is located in a Big Blue River flood plain. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Congress OK's airline subsidy for McCook 

TEXT[The U.S. Congress has passed federally subsidized air service that includes 

money for McCook and other Nebraska towns. 

Part of the 1995 Transportation Appropriations bill that goes to President 

Clinton's desk, the $33.4 million for EAS would assure continued subsidized comm 

ercial air service to Alliance, Chadron, Hastings, Kearney, North Platte and Sco 

ttsbluff as well as McCook. 

The Senate passed the measure Thursday, U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, 

both D-Neb., said in a news release. 

The House had passed a version of the bill that cut some of the EAS funding 

, but a conference committee accepted the Senate version, which then passed both 

houses of Congress.



AUTH[John Bendel 

SOUR[Wayne Monthly 

BK#[ 

HDLN[On Regulations 

TEXT[When Congress and President Carter allowed free entry into the trucking bus 

iness in 1980, the economic regulators who once defined our industry lost most o 

f their clout. Now, they're about to lose what little clout they've held onto th 

ese past 14 years. 

The Interstate Commerce Commission, once trucking's preeminent regulator, i 

s under siege. It's budget has been cut by 30% and if many lawmakers have their 

way, the agency will die altogether. 

Spurred at least in part by a scathing profile of the ICC in the Wall Stree 

t Journal, the House of Representatives voted to "sunset" the agency. The agency 

's fate now lies with the Senate where even its supporters have conceded massive 

change. 

If the ICC is to be spared, it will likely be through a bill introduced by 

Senators Jim Exon (D-Nebraska) and Bob Packwood (R-Oregon). Called the Trucking 

Regulatory Reform Act of 1994, the bill calls for cutting the ICC's already limi 

ted trucking over-sight. 

Most significantly, the bill would end the obligation of individual carrier 

s to file rates. Exon claims his bill would save taxpayers $50 million a year wh 

ile keeping the ICC on life support. Keeping the ICC alive, Exon said, is import 

ant since Congress is also taking aim at state-level regulation of trucking. 

Exon may or may not be right about the ICC, but he's right on the money abo 

ut the mood of Congress. 

Another legislative effort Intended to lift state regulation of truckers wh 

o act as air freight forwarders has snowballed into consideration of a much broa 

der measure: federal deregulation of almost all intrastate trucking. 

Such a move would virtually end the jurisdiction of state public 

utilities commissions and other authorities over trucking within 

a state's borders. And that's about all the economic regulation of trucking that 

's left. 

The prospect doesn't put a smile on everyone's face. Small unionized carrie 

rs that serve intrastate niche markets aren't happy. Neither are their Teamster 

employees. 

State governments don't want to lose the revenues regulation brings in. And 

the whole idea involves that which torments state bureaucrats more than anythIn 

g else in the world: being overruled by the feds. 

No, state regulators won't go down without a fight. But they may indeed go 

down. And so could the ICC. But even if all that happens, don't expect convulsio 

ns like those that followed the first deregulatory jolt 14 years ago. 

Yes, a few carriers will find themselves in trouble and some people will co 

mplain. But there has never been a shortage of complainers or, for that matter, 

troubled carriers. 

Losing the last remnants of economic regulation imposed in the 1930s won't 

make that much of a difference. In fact, most truckers simply won't care and a f 

ew will actually be delighted. 

"There's too much bureaucracy when you look at what the trucking industry h 

as to deal with: the DOT, and the ICC, and the PUC, and OSHA and all that other

stuff," said the president of one 52-truck regional LTL operation. "You could ge 

t rid of one or two of them and it wouldn't bother us a bit." 



AUTH[Charles Snyder 

SOUR[Radnor Commercial Carrier Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Congress slashes ICC's authority over trucking 

TEXT[Congress voted last month to slash the regulatory authority of the Intersta 

te Commerce Commission over the trucking industry. But the ICC appears to have s 

taved off for another year the annual effort to kill the commission by eliminati 

ng its funding. 

The lawmakers approved a proposal by Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.), chairman 

of the surface transportation subcommittee of the Commerce, Science and Transpor 

tation Committee, and Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.), also a member of the subcommit 

tee. 

The measure eliminates the need for truckers to file tariffs with the ICC a 

nd limits the scope of the commission's reviews in granting entry certificates, 

thus giving truckers expanded entry authority. 

Household movers and providers of passenger transportation are exempt from 

the new law and will still have to file rates. And rate bureaus must continue to 

file collective rates. 

The measure was passed after House of Representatives' Public Works and Tra 

nsportation Committee leaders agreed to go along with their Senate counterparts 

in accepting the Exon-Packwood bill. 

Meanwhile, a decision was awaited on separate bills, passed by House and Se 

nate appropriations committees, to cut ICC funds. 

The Senate bill would reduce the ICC's funding by 31%, while a House bill w 

ould eliminate the commission by zeroing out its funds and transferring its func 

tions to the Department of Transportation. 

A House-Senate conference was not expected to reconcile the two funding bil 

ls until early September. But observers thought the final bill would be close to 

the Senate version, since the approved Exon bill complemented the Senate approp 

riations bill by cutting ICC spending by about the same amount: approximately $1 

3 million a year. 

The Senate funding bill would cut the ICC budget to $30.3 million in the fi 

scal year beginning Oct. I, 1994. The ICC also will receive several million doll 

ars in user fees during the year. 

In Fiscal Year 1994, which ends Sept. 30, the ICC's budget totaled $53 mill 

ion, including user fees. 

The new funding bill requires the ICC to lay off about 194 of its some 600 

employees, and provides money for the agency to do that. 

Since the layoffs have to come early in the fiscal year, ICC officials bega 

n contingency planning early this Summer, although it seemed unlikely that the t 

otal layoff program could be completed early in the fiscal year. 

Under the Exon bill, the ICC retains most other powers over trucking, inclu 

ding authority to adjudicate the reasonableness of rates. 

The commission will still be responsible for issuing operating certificates

and could remove them for such causes as lack of insurance. But entry review wi 

ll be limited to insurance and safety issues. The commission will still have aut 

hority to review trucking mergers. 

The ICC's review of the reasonableness of rates will be complicated by the 

elimination of the filed rate doctrine, which says a carrier must charge the rat 

e on file. 

ICC commissioner Linda Morgan told members of the press at a meeting of the 

Transportation Table in July that both sides in a rate dispute will retain lega 

l remedies. 

"Now, obviously, the shape of a claim [over rates]," she said, "would be di 

fferent from the way it is now. If you do not have a tariff on file and a filed 

rate doctrine notion, obviously you would have to do some sort of discovery as t 

o what the rate was and whether it was reasonable in the context of the particul 

ar movement." 

The ICC testified in support of the Exon bill, but the trucking industry wa 

s split. 

While Roadway Services Inc. chairman Joseph M. Clapp spoke in support of th 

e bill, and other major carriers were in favor of it, the Regular Common Carrier 

Conference opposed the elimination of tariff filings. The conference said the m 

ove won't save money and will impede the ICC's ability to assure reasonable and 

nondiscriminatory rates. 

American Trucking Associations president Thomas J. Donohue, who represents 

truckers who both support and oppose the bill, stressed the need for balance to 

protect all interests. 

The bill calls for a six-month study of the future of the ICC, including wh 

ether to merge it with the Federal Maritime Commission. 

The bill also gives the ICC authority to exempt any trucking firm from any 

of its regulations. The commission already has such authority for railroads, and 

the bill extends that to truckers. ~ Trucking firms no longer will be required 

to file individual tariffs with the Interstate Commerce Commission under a bill 

that passed both the House and Senate on August 16. The legislation was co-spons 

ored by U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Packwood. Exon says that the action will 

save at least $50 million over five years and preserve the independence of the I 

CC. 




SOUR[Nebraska Trucker 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon bill passes; awaits President's signature 

TEXT[Trucking firms no longer will be required to file individual tariffs with t 

he Interstate Commerce Commission under a bill that passed both the House and th 

e Senate on August 16. The legislation was co-sponsored by Sens. Jim Exon and B 

ob Packwood. Exon says that the action will save at least $50 million over five 

years and preserve the independence of the ICC. 

The bill, known as the Trucking Regulatory Reform Act of 1994, requires the 

ICC to eliminate certain trucking regulations and save money by eliminating som 

e of the ICC's functions. The bill will end the practice of filing individual in

terstate common carrier tariffs with the ICC (except rates pertaining to househo 

ld goods or shipments to points in Hawaii, Alaska or the territories) and will s 

treamline regulations while preserving ICC supervision of insurance and safety f 

itness. 

Once the President signs the bill, carriers will be required to keep their 

individual tariffs on file and make them available to shippers, or potential shi 

ppers, on request. Individual tariffs on file at the ICC are voided. 

Carriers who rely on classification, mileage guides, general rate increases 

, etc., must be participating in the tariff if they're going to cite it. Filing 

will still be required for (and the ICC will still have jurisdiction over) colle 

ctively made tariffs. In addition, the ICC will retain jurisdiction over rate re 

asonableness and the existing standards will continue to apply. 

The "agreed to and billed rate" for individual tariffs will be the absolute 

rate, unless a carrier rebills or a shipper protests the original bill within 1 

80 days. 

Entry review and entry applications will be streamlined and limited to insu 

rance and safety matters (the bill deletes all reference to public convenience). 

This change will become effective January 1, 1995. 

In the area of exemptions, the ICC will have the authority to exempt trucki 

ng matters from statutory and regulatory requirements. However, the bill prohibi 

ts the ICC from exempting carriers from the new tariff rules, collectively made 

rates, insurance matters, carrier liability on cargo loss and damage, safety fit 

ness, or the uniform bill of lading. 

Congress directed the ICC and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to exa 

mine further reform of the ICC, including merger with other federal agencies, an 

d to report their findings to Congress. In addition, the bill includes a provisi 

on directing the DOT to develop regulations on compliance with hours-of-service 

records requirements. 

To prepare for the new law, you should notify your shippers that, after the 

President signs the law, the individual rates and rules for service will be gov 

erned by tariffs that you will make available to that shipper on request. (Indiv 

idual tariffs on file at the ICC are voided the day the President signs the bill 

.) 

In addition, if you participate in any collective rates or tariffs, includi 

ng classifications or mileage guides, you should provide a power of attorney to 

the tariff publishing agent. Otherwise, you may not be able to enforce your tari 

ff. 



AUTH[Star Herald Staff and AP 

SOUR[Scottsbluff Star Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Air subsidy OK'd 

TEXT[Don Overman's phone bill is sky high this fall because of lobbying to retai 

n a federal subsidy for air service to western Nebraska. 

But the Scottsbluff mayor was celebrating Friday after news that the full s 

ubsidy had been passed by the U.S. Congress. 

"Every year we have to fight to keep this program. It's getting harder each 

year," said Overman.

"We are very fortunate to get full funding." 

Part of the 1995 transportation appropriations bill that goes to President 

Clinton's desk, the $33.4 million for Essential Air Service would assure continu 

ed subsidized commercial air service to 

Scottsbluff, Alliance and Chadron. 

The Senate passed the measure Thursday, U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, 

both D-Neb., announced. 

"Air service in Nebraska's small and medium-sized cities is not a luxury," 

Kerrey said. "It's a necessity for attracting and keeping business." 

The House had passed a version of the bill that cut some EAS funding, but a 

conference committee accepted the Senate version, which then passed both houses 

of Congress. 

Overman said the House version would have hurt the Panhandle. "The House me 

asure would have cut $6 million, and Chadron would have lost coverage," he said. 

Scottsbluff, Alliance and Chadron are served by Grand Island-based GP Expre 

ss, which offers daily service between western Nebraska and Lincoln and Omaha. 

The airline receives a federal subsidy to continue operating the route, alt 

hough this year it is being challenged by Great Lakes Aviation of Spencer, Iowa, 

which wants to take over the "river run." Both airline bids are just under $70 

0,000. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to rule on which airline 

will receive the subsidy in November, Overman said. 

Overman's lobbying efforts were as vice chairman of the National Committee 

of Cities and States for Airline Service and the transportation steering committ 

ee of the National League of Cities. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans have mixed reactions to GATT delay 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska politicians and farm groups had mixed reactions to Se 

n. Ernest F. Hollings' holdup of Senate voting on a global trade agreement. 

Hollings, D-S.C. has used his power as chairman of the Senate's Commerce Co 

mmittee to delay voting on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade for 45 wor 

king days. Because the current session of Congress ends next week, Hollings' mot 

ion likely would have kept the Senate from voting on the measure until it reopen 

ed in January. 

But the Senate's Democratic leader. George Mitchell of Maine, announced tha 

t a post-election lame duck session will bring senators back to Washington after 

Thanksgiving to vote on the bill. If the House votes on GATT next week, the Sen 

ate alone would return to act on the bill, which under "fast track" rules may no 

t be amended by Congress. 

Rep: Doug Bereuter, who represents Lincoln and supports the agreement, said 

Friday that Hollings is a "very stubborn man" who held up the vote to protect S 

outh Carolina's textile industry, which Hollings said would suffer if GATT were 

passed. 

RON ROBERTSON, spokesman for the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, which is

likely to hack the GATT agreement, said he didn't Understand why the Senate coul 

dn't vote on the bill during its remaining time in Washington. 

"It concerns us that one senator is out there trying to delay a package tha 

t's been prepared for over eight years," Robertson said. He said the NFB is "clo 

se" to officially endorsing the bill, but first wants to examine the fine print. 

Congress, too, needs to spend more time on the agreement's fine print, said 

John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union. Hansen, who vehemently op 

poses GATT thinks most members of Congress aren't familiar enough with the agree 

ment to vote on it now, and he welcomed Hollings' delay tactics. 

"God bless Sen. Hollings," Hansen said. "There's no compelling reason to vo 

te on GATT this term, and there's a lot to be said for waiting until next term. 

It's very clear from our meetings with congressmen that Congress isn't up to spe 

ed on GATT. They haven't had time to focus on it." 

Not true, Bereuter said. 

"We've had an extraordinary amount of time," he said. "The agreement has be 

en available to us for months." 

Bereuter said he didn't like some "unnecessary" provisions that would 

cut agricultural export funds, but overall he thought the agreement would be "ve 

ry positive for the American farm sector." 

Greg Weiner, Sen Bob Kerrey's press secretary, said Kerrey, D-Neb., was lea 

ning toward a "yes" vote, but hasn't completely made up his mind. 

Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb., also has yet to decide on the agreement. 

In a telephone news conference, Exon said he welcomed Hollings' delay of a 

vote, and said members of Congress should use the 45 days to examine the agreeme 

nts' pluses and minuses. 

"I think we have a responsibility to take a good, hard, close look at this 

as to what adverse effect it might have on agriculture," he said. 

"I happen to think that we should take our time on this rather than try to 

rush a decision." 

Exon said a lame duck session "would not be wise." 

Critics of the accord - which would reduce worldwide tariffs by an average 

of about 40 percent, lower quotas on certain products and provide patent protect 

ion for American computer software and pharmaceutical industries - say it shortc 

hanges U.S. farmers. 

Hansen said that farmers would be asked to pay more than their fair share t 

o make up for the accord's tariff reductions and that they would suffer from pro 

posed cuts in export payments. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon opposed to any specific pull-out date 

TEXT[OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., a ranking me 

mber of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday he opposes setting a 

specific date when Congress would cut off funds for the military mission in Hait 

i.

Although he opposed sending troops to Haiti, Exon said: "The facts of the m 

atter are that they are now there and therefore their security, their safety an 

d their mission are important." 

In a telephone conference call with Nebraska news media, Exon said setting 

such a date could affect the security of the 15,000 troops on the ground in Hait 

i. 

"Their mission, right or wrong, could be put in jeopardy," he said. 

It was also announced aircraft from Offutt Air Base's 55th Wing have been f 

lying over Haiti as reconnaissance and command planes. 

An unspecified number of RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic reconnaissance aircr 

aft and EC-135 airborne command and control aircraft are supporting U.S. militar 

y efforts in the Caribbean nation, Air Force officials said Thursday. 

A spokesman for the 55th Wing, which is based near Omaha, declined to speci 

fy how many aircraft or crew members were involved. 

"This type of mission is not new to the 55th Wing," said Brig. Gen. Thomas 

Keck, wing commander. "Almost anywhere there is a hot spot in the world, the 55t 

h Wing will be close by." 

Aircraft from the unit typically join airborne warning and control system, 

or AWACS, aircraft as the first on the scene and the last to leave, Keck said. 

The RC-135 is a military version of the Boeing 707 passenger aircraft, equi 

pped with antennas and other sensors to gather electronic signals, which are ana 

lyzed and passed on to battlefield commanders. 

The EC-135s were known as part of the "Looking Glass" mission to provide an 

airborne command post for senior military commanders to use to control nuclear 

weapons if ground posts were destroyed. 

The EC-135s have been sought for non-nuclear situations because the aircraf 

t have communications equipment that allows commanders to communicate immediatel 

y and directly with forces on the ground, Keck said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Says Finance Effort 'A Bad Bill' 

TEXT[How They Voted 

Nebraska's and Iowa's senators split Friday in the 52-46 Senate vote that sustai 

ned a filibuster against a campaign-finance bill. Sixty votes would have been ne 

eded to halt the filibuster A "yes" vote was to end the filibuster. Yes - Tom Ha 

rkin, D-Iowa; J.J. Exon, D-Neb. No - Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Bob Kerrey, D-Neb 

. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he voted with "regret" to block consideratio 

n of campaign finance legislation this year. 

"It's a bad bill," Kerrey said of a House-Senate compromise that his vote h 

elped block. "This is not the way to do it." 

The Senate voted 52-46 - eight votes less than the 60 needed - on allowing 

a House-Senate conference committee to meet formally. 

House and Senate negotiators already had worked out details of a compromise

on the legislation. Unless they are allowed to meet, however, the compromise ca 

nnot go to the House and Senate for a final vote. 

Voting to allow a conference were Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, 

D-Iowa, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, voted with Kerrey to prevent a conference 

. 

Common Cause, a self-described citizens' lobby that advocates campaign fina 

nce reform, gas quick to criticize Kerrey's vote. 

"Sen. Bob Kerrey voted today to preserve, protect and defend the corrupt ca 

mpaign finance system in Washington." Common Cause President Fred Wertheimer sai 

d. He said Kerrey has "played games with his constituents" by voting for the Sen 

ate's campaign finance bill and then voting to stop the process. 

Kerrey said he agreed that campaign finance reform was "urgently needed." 

He said he recognized that his vote left the current system in place. 

"I regret that." he said. "I'm not happy with it. But it's too important ju 

st to ram this thing through at the end." 

Kerrey said he objected to provisions in the House-Senate compromise that w 

ould allow candidates to obtain partial federal funding for their campaigns. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Baseball bill dropped in Congress 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Congress gave up on settling the baseball strike Friday. 

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum withdrew legislation that would have stripped baseba 

ll of the antitrust exemption that players have said forced them to strike. 

The bill never appeared to have sufficient Senate support to pass, but Metz 

enbaum, an Ohio Democrat, said his decision to withdraw came after he heard from 

House sponsors that they would not be able to get their bill to a vote before C 

ongress quits for the year. 

Metzenbaum told colleagues to keep the pressure on to revoke baseball's uni 

que anti-trust exemption. 

"Unless Congress acts, the owners will continue to abuse the players, the c 

ities and the fans," he said. "They are arrogant." 

Other senators joined him in venting their anger at the loss of the season. 

Many who opposed his measure said they would take a different view next year if 

the strike hasn't been settled. 

"This is an unseemly struggle," said Sen. Alan Simpson, a Republican from W 

yoming. "It is ugly. It is greedy. I am appalled at the owners. I'm appalled at 

the players. I would really like to smack them both around." 

He called for reinstatement of an independent baseball commissioner to act 

as a third party in settling baseball's labor problems. 

Sen. James Exon, a Democrat from Nebraska and an opponent of Metzenbaum 's 

bill, said there was no point acting now because the season is over, but "I am w 

illing to consider in January whether we should lift the exemption baseball now 

has from antitrust law." 

Several lawmakers questioned whether Congress should intervene. Sen. Nancy 

Kassebaum, a Republican from Kansas, called the Metzenbaum amendment "an unprece 

dented attempt to affect the outcome of a labor-relations dispute."

The bill and one approved by the House Judiciary Committee would have elimi 

nated the antitrust exemption if owners unilaterally impose work rules. The exem 

ption prevents players from suing owners, leading the union to strike to prevent 

management from imposing a salary cap. 

It dates to 1922, when the Supreme Court ruled that antitrust laws do not a 

pply to baseball because it is not interstate commerce. 

Congress was left to decide whether a law should be written to include base 

ball but never has. 

The steps this week brought the House and Senate closer than ever toward do 

ing so. 

Baseball union head Donald Fehr said players will lobby Congress to act qui 

ckly next year on legislation to strip the antitrust exemption. 

"If there is not a settlement, spring training is in dire and immediate jeo 

pardy," Fehr said. "And I think that has a reasonable chance of getting somebody 

's attention." 

"The players' position is pretty simple, and it's pretty hard to argue with 

unless you want to run a cartel. It is, 'The same laws that apply to the rest o 

f the country ought to apply to baseball owners and baseball players.'" 

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah who sponsored the bill with Metzen 

baum, said the point he wanted to make might already have been made. 

"The real message today should be a wake-up call to baseball," said "If you 

do not want Congress to be involved, then settle this dispute yourself." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nonstop Flights to Washington Leave Earlier 

TEXT[Washington - Nonstop evening airline flights between Omaha and Washington w 

ill shift to earlier, more convenient times starting Dec. 18. said Sens. J.J. E 

xon and Bob Kerrey and Rep. Peter Hoagland, all D-Neb. 

The flights on Midwest Express Airlines leave Omaha at 5:15 pm. and arrive 

in Washington at 9 p.m., with return flights leaving at 9:15 pm. and arriving in 

Omaha at 10:55 p.m. 

Starting Dec. 18. the flights will leave Omaha at 3:55 p.m. and arrive in W 

ashington at 7:10 p.m. returning at 7:40 p.m. and arriving at 9:20 p.m. in Omaha 

. 

Because of the late return flight, Exon said, he wrote legislation giving t 

he Transportation Secretary authority to shift flights to earlier times. 




SOUR[Omaha World Herald (Midlands Edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Health-Care Debate Enters New Phase

TEXT[Washington - Debate over the demise of health-care reform in the 103rd Cong 

ress has entered the finger-pointing, what's-in-the-future phase for members of 

Congress from Nebraska and Iowa. 

The Clinton plan failed because of partisanship, some said. Others faulted 

the size of the plan or its details. Some thought some sort of reform would pass 

next year. Others were less sure. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said partisanship was the most significant reason 

Congress couldn't pass any part of the sweeping plan proposed by President Clint 

on. 

"The single most important factor was the determination by a small group of 

Republicans to block everything at the last minute," Harkin said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said both political parties must share the blame. 

"It was the inability of Republican and Democratic leaders who were motivated by 

different things." he said. 

Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the sheer size 

of the proposal caused it to fail. 

Too Much Too Soon 

"Attempting to do too much too soon, the impact on the budget deficit and l 

egislative and political gridlock" were factors cited by Exon. 

Said Grassley: "It was the complexity and the public not wanting to trust C 

ongress with health-care reform. 

He thinks Congress will pass health-care legislation next year. "It will be 

insurance reform requiring portability and coverage guarantees," he said. Porta 

ble health-care plans are those that employees can carry from job to job. 

Kerrey said he opposed the Clinton plan, instead supporting what was called 

the mainstream plan. It was sponsored by five Democrats and five Republicans. 

"Late in the game, people were increasingly seeing the mainstream proposal 

as a very constructive first step," Kerrey said. "Unfortunately, it's going to h 

ave to be a first step next year." 

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., faulted the Cl 

inton strategy in using a 500-member task force to prepare the legislation. 

Big-Government Approach 

"The plan was crafted under the direction of a politically naive, ivory tow 

er Ira Magaziner, in secret, with a disproportionate share of task-force members 

who contemplated a big-government approach to health-care delivery," Bereuter s 

aid. 

He said he expects a more conservative Congress will be elected this year. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said there were "political miscalculations" by 

the administration. "Something this big has to be done from a bipartisan base," 

Hoagland said. "It has to be done with the cooperation of all the knowledgeable 

players, the physicians, the hospitals and the insurance industry." 

Hoagland said Hillary Rodham Clinton and Magaziner, chief architects of the 

administration plan, made a mistake by "deionizing major segments of the econom 

y. 

Hoagland said Congress would have passed a universal coverage plan, meeting 

the president's main objective, if it had called for gradual changes in the sys 

tem and "a responsible way to pay for it." 

He said he is not sure whether Congress will be able to pass health-care le 

gislation next year. 

First Step Hardest 

"I think it's going to take 10 or 15 years because the first step is going 

to be the most difficult." Hoagland said.

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa, said the failure of the Clinton plan prove 

d "that our system works." 

He said that when people learned what was in the plan they rejected it as t 

oo bureaucratic. "The American people don't want their choice of doctors to be 

determined in Washington," Lightfoot said. 

Any health-care legislation that passes in 1995 will not be comparable to t 

he plan that failed this year, he said. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., who believes there will be incremental change ne 

xt year, said support was lacking for the Clinton plan anywhere in his congressi 

onal district. 

"My constituents were just very vociferous in saying to me that this was to 

o complex and too massive a change," Barrett said. 

Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, said the administration should have recognized as 

early as June that its proposals would have to be modified. 

Smith said the majority in Congress was held by two factions: members who w 

anted to do everything in the Clinton plan and members who wanted to do none of 

it. He said neither side would budge. 

"We can't be assured of anything passing next year," Smith said. "Some of t 

hose who wanted to do everything are likely to be replaced by people who want to 

do nothing. 



AUTH[Mary McGrath 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Health To Benefit From Grants 

TEXT[Nebraska and Iowa will share nearly $2 million in federal funds over the ne 

xt five years to help rural areas implement health-care reforms. 

The grant is among a total of $9.7 million in funding that the Agency for H 

ealth Care Policy' and Research will direct to six states to demonstrate innovat 

ive ways to deliver health care in rural areas. The other states are Maine, West 

Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona. 

The Nebraska-Iowa award was announced by Nebraska Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. 

Exon. both Democrats. 

The grant is significant both for its size and the activities it will help 

support, said Keith J. Mueller, director of the Center for Rural Health Research 

at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. 

"There's a partnership between health departments and universities. We will 

be going out into the field to really try to help people in rural areas," said 

Mueller, who is the principal investigator on the grant-support project. 

Other agencies that arc involved are the Nebraska Office of Rural Health, t 

he University of Iowa's Health Services Research Center and the Iowa Office of R 

ural Health. 

One area in Nebraska and one in Iowa will be selected to test approaches th 

at could help primary health-care providers develop networks for managed care. 

The Nebraska site will be one of the areas that already had been picked for 

network development under a Nebraska Health Department program. 

The site will either be within the Panhandle area or a five-county south-ce

ntral area, Mueller said. 

Iowa will locate its demonstration project either in the southeast or north 

-central section of the state. 

The initial activities will be somewhat different in Nebraska and Iowa, Mue 

ller said. 

The Iowa project will begin with communities assessing their health-care ne 

eds. 

This planning work already has been done in the Nebraska areas that are dev 

eloping networks, Mueller said. 

The approaches used in each state are expected to be somewhat different, he 

said. "Our concept is that programs need to be locally based, different strokes 

for different folks," he said. 

A national commission will evaluate the projects and approaches used in all 

six states to see what works, Mueller said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Views Mixed As House OKs Education Bill 

TEXT[Nebraska and western Iowa congressmen were divided last week on passage of 

a bill to reauthorize federal education programs, including 

impact aid to local school districts. 

The House voted 262-132 to pass the House-Senate conference report, or fina 

l compromise version, of the elementary and secondary education bill. The bill a 

uthorizes up to $12.7 billion for education programs over the next six years. 

Voting for the bill were Reps. Peter Hoagland. D-Neb., and Neal Smith, D-Io 

wa. 

Voting against: Reps. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; and Jim 

Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa. Rep. Fred Grandy, R-Iowa, did not vote. 

Barrett said the bill contains too many new programs and places too many bu 

reaucratic demands on school districts. 

"It appears to me that instead of making changes for the better to give sch 

ools more flexibility to address their own needs -- the conference report mainta 

ins business as usual," Barrett said. "So much for change in education." 

But Hoagland said the measure, as passed, contains several specific victori 

es for Nebraska school districts. He said Congress rejected a Clinton administra 

tion proposal that would have ended federal funding for special math and reading 

programs for some low-income children in Omaha public and parochial schools. 

Under the administration plan, the extra tutoring would have been available 

only in schools in low-income areas. 

Hoagland said the bill also continues the federal impact aid program, which 

provides money to school districts with students whose parents live or work on 

federal property. Those districts often lose tax revenue because the parents or 

the federal land are exempt from certain state and local taxes. 

Without the program, Hoagland said, the Bellevue and Papillion-LaVista scho 

ol districts - as well as districts with Indian reservations - would have to inc 

rease local taxes or cut their budgets, fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Treasu

y Department, U.S. Postal Service and federal construction programs. The measu 

re had been rejected by the House a week earlier because of a dispute over const 

ruction projects. The version passed last week cuts $135 million in projects. 

For: Bereuter. Hoagland, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Not voting: Smith. 

-327-86 to approve the final version of the $243.6 billion fiscal 1995 spen 

ding bill for the Pentagon. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland, Barrett. Lightfoot, Grandy 

Not voting: Smith. 

Solid Waste 

-368-55 to pass a bill that would allow state and local governments to ban 

or restrict municipal solid waste from other areas 


Lobbying 

-306-112 to pass the final version of a bill that would ban most gifts to m 

embers of Congress and restrict lobbying efforts. 

For: Bereuter, Hoagland. Barrett, Lightfoot, Smith. 

Against: Grandy 

-216-205 to pass the rule allowing floor action on the lobbying and gift ba 

n bill. 

For: Hoagland, Smith 

Against: Bereuter, Barrett, Lightfoot, Grandy. 

Senate Votes: 


-90-9 to pass the final version of a fiscal 1995 spending bill for the Depa 

rtments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development as well as a numbe 

r of independent federal agencies. 

For: J.J. Exon, D-Neb., Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Tom H 


-72-28 against an amendment offered by John McCain. R-Ariz., that would hav 

e eliminated funding for projects that had not been authorized by the House and 

Senate. 


-55-45 against an amendment offered by Robert Smith. R-N.H., that would hav 

e required appropriations bills to add more details about the origin of earmarke 

d projects. 

For: Exon, Grassley 

Against: Kerrey, Harkin. 

-83-16 to pass the final version of a $252.9 billion fiscal 1995 spending bill 

for the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Campaign reform group blasts Kerrey's support of filibuster 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Senate Democrats failed to overcome a Republican filibuster of 

campaign finance reform legislation Friday. Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska was one 

of only six Democratic senators who voted against ending the filibuster. 

Kerrey said he could not support a proposal he said would create a "new ent 

itlement" for politicians by using taxpayer dollars to fund campaigns. 

"We have to change the way campaigns are financed in this country, but we a 

lso have to get our fiscal house in order," Kerrey said in a statement. 

The measure was an attempt to limit special-interest money flowing into cam 

paigns. The Senate vote to end the GOP filibuster was 52-46, far short of the 60 

votes needed. 

Six Democrats, including Kerrey, and 40 Republicans voted against ending th 

e filibuster. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., was among 50 Democrats and 2 Republicans vo 

ting to end the stall tactic. 

Common Cause, a citizens group that supports campaign finance reform, blist 

ered Kerrey's vote. 

"In supporting obstructionist tactics to kill campaign finance reform legis 

lation that had the support of a majority of senators and representatives, Senat 

or Kerrey bears a heavy responsibility for allowing the corrupt campaign finance 

system in Washington to continue to flourish," the Washington, D.C.-based group 

said in a statement. 

Suzanne Greenfield, a lobbyist with Common Cause, told Norfolk radio statio 

n KNEN that the group can't understand Kerrey's filibuster vote. 

Kerrey told KNEN that he could not support this particular piece of legisla 

tion. 

The bill would have put a new $6,000-per-election cycle limit on the amount 

that a political action committee can give to a House or Senate candidate. 

The measure also called for voluntary spending limits for House and Senate 

campaigns; candidates who abided by them would be rewarded with a mixture of cut 

-rate television time, reduced mailing rates and federal matching money taken fr 

om a new trust fund. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GATT could hurt farming 

TEXT[EVER SINCE 1986, former U.S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter was worki 

ng on GATT, the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

Its aim is to increase export markets in 117 nations. Yeutter expressed som 

e surprise recently that Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas has asked this question: What's 

the rush on GATT? 

Yeutter believes it will increase world economic growth by $5.1 trillion. I 

t no doubt will increase economic growth, but at the expense of some industries 

such as textile manufacturing and agriculture. 

Other influential members of Congress have profound doubts about what GATT

will do. Sen. Ernest Hollings has promised to keep the accord in his Commerce, S 

cience and Transportation Committee long after Congress' scheduled Oct. 7 adjour 

nment. So far, despite heavy pressure from President Clinton and other Democrats 

, the South Carolina Democrat has not buckled. 

We don't blame Sen. Hollings. Out of a million textile jobs which the U.S. 

may lose under the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade, South Carolina would b 

e one of the biggest 

losers. 

The worst part of this GATT jigsaw puzzle is the fact Nebraska would probab 

ly receive a stinging blow to its farming industry. Because the U.S. government 

would lose $12 billion in tariffs in the agreement's first five years, the gover 

nment would slice $1.7 billion from federal agricultural subsidies over the firs 

t five years. 

Nebraska farmers can ill afford to see their federal subsidies substantiall 

y reduced when the price of corn may stay low this year and at a time when forei 

gn governments continue to subsidize their farmers heavily. As Gov. Nelson said, 

this 'can be characterized as a tax on agriculture." 

President Clinton, not one to admit when he's wrong, has taken the unheard 

of step of ordering Congress to re-assemble in early December after the election 

. Sen. Jim Exon has said this was not wise to have a lame duck session. 

We applaud Sen. Hollings for opposing this "pie in the sky" agreement, whic 

h could be a devastating blow to American agriculture and the textile industry. 

We hope Sen. Hollings sticks to his guns. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[$332,000 grant will build more housing 

TEXT[Broken Bow's housing authority has been successful in securing an other lar 

ge grant. 

It was announced last Thursday that the authority had been awarded a $342,4 

00 grant for new housing construction. 

"I started this application a long time ago," said Cheryl Smith, the author 

ity's director. 

The process started last spring, she said, and she wasn't sure if the city 

would be awarded the grant. 

According to a press release from Sen. James Exon's office, the money will 

be used to build four two-bedroom units and one three-bedroom unit. 

It is for replacement housing for the housing authority's home ownership pr 

ogram, Smith said. 

"If you have a home ownership plan, you have to have some way to replace th 

ose homes (you sell)," she said. The program gives low-income families a chance 

to buy housing authority homes. 

Housing authorities with the ownership plan are given top priority in repla 

cement grants, Smith said, but that is no guarantee. 

"Not just everybody applies and gets it," she said. 

According to Exon's office, five replacement housing grants. were awarded i

n the state. Burwell was the closest housing authority to Broken Bow to receive 

an award. 

Smith said she would like to build a 4-plex with two-bedroom units that is 

totally handicap accessible, along with one three-bedroom single family unit dwe 

lling. 

Currently, the housing authority must go in and modify its homes to make th 

em accessible to the handicap, and this will give the community a chance at some 

that are designed with the handicapped in mind, she said. 

No plans have been made for the money, yet, and no locations have been sele 

cted, Smith said. All decisions ultimately go through the housing authority's bo 

ard of directors. 

"I wasn't going to go looking for lots until I had the money," she said. 




SOUR[Traffic World 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Committee OKs rail safety bill 

TEXT[The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last week approve 

d an omnibus rail safety bill that likely will get a vote before Congress adjour 

ns for the year. 

The committee amended a pending version of the biannual reauthorization of 

the Rail Safety Act to include two bills aimed at reducing deaths at highway-rai 

l grade crossings and another to cut down on the number of "high risk drivers." 

The first bill, S. 2339, authored by surface transport subcommittee Chairma 

n J. James Exon, D-Neb., would set up the Institute for Railroad and Grade Cross 

ing Safety to test new crash-prevention technology. It also requires the Transpo 

rtation Department to devise a strategy to reduce trespassing and vandalism on r 

ailroad property and sets civil 

penalties for doing so. 

The second, S. 2127, authored by Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., tries to clear 

up the jurisdictional lines now crossed between the federal Railroad and Highway 

administrations. It also requires states to set out grade-crossing safety initi 

atives in their overall transportation plans and orders DOT to test at least two 

intelligent vehicle highway systems intended for crossings. 

The other bill attached to the safety measure also is by Danforth. It impos 

es tougher auto licensing rules on teens and other high-risk drivers. 

Overall, the rail bill authorizes $68 million for safety programs in 1995, 

$75 million in 1996, $83 million in 1997 and $91 million in 1998. In addition to 

grade crossing programs, it enables the Transportation Department to test chang 

es to the Hours of Service Act. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Tells Why He Switched

TEXT[Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., voted for campaign-finance legislation in 1991, 19 

92 and 1993. So why did he vote to kill it in 1994? 

"I'm taking a much different view of entitlements today than I did in 1992, 

" Kerrey said Monday. He is chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement 

and Tax Reform. "The big difference is, I now am leading on this issue. Given t 

he job I've got, it's a bad bill." 

Kerrey said the 1994 campaign finance legislation contained too much govern 

ment financing of election campaigns, essentially creating an entitlement progra 

m for politicians. 

Entitlement programs enable people to obtain government benefits automatica 

lly by meeting the eligibility requirements of a program, without Congress havin 

g to reauthorize the program. 

Last week Kerrey voted to block the bill on a procedural vote. The Senate v 

oted 52-46, short of the 60 votes needed, to allow a House-Senate conference com 

mittee to meet formally to ratify a proposed compromise on the issue. 

By voting no, Kerrey helped undercut efforts to overhaul the nation's campa 

ign-finance laws and give President Clinton and Democrats a key legislative vict 

ory. 

Kerrey's vote contrasted with his past votes in favor of campaign-finance l 

egislation, including his 1992 votes for a bill that then-President George Bush 

vetoed. 

"Thank God that George Bush vetoed that bill," Kerrey said. "Knowing what I 

know today, George Bush did the right thing." 

Kerrey said the 1992 bill also would have created an entitlement program fo 

r politicians. 

Regardless of the merits of changing the current system, Kerrey said, his r 

ecent work on entitlement reform has convinced him that it would be wrong to all 

ow politicians to tap the U.S. Treasury. 

"I'm out both explaining the problem of entitlements and asking people to h 

elp in the reform of them," Kerrey said. In response he said, citizens are sayin 

g: "Make sure Congress leads by putting its entitlements on the table." 

In 1991 and 1992, Kerrey said, he had not focused as much on the growing co 

sts of entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and federal retirement pr 

ograms. 

In 1991 Kerrey voted to pass the Senate version of campaign-reform legislat 

ion. That proposal set voluntary state-by-state limits on campaign spending. 

Candidates who agreed to live by those limits would have been eligible for 

government vouchers equal to 20 percent of their spending limit. The money would 

be used to buy television advertising. Additional federal payments would go to 

candidates whose opponents exceeded the spending limits and candidates targeted 

by independent groups. 

During Senate action on the bill, Kerrey voted for an amendment that would 

have paid for the public financing by eliminating tax deductions for lobbyists a 

nd political action committees. 

Kerrey voted against amendments that would have scrapped the partial public 

financing and the spending limits, as well as against an amendment that would h 

ave provided nearly total public financing. 

Kerrey also opposed elimination of federal financing of presidential campai 

gns, a program he tapped in 1992 during his own presidential bid. Kerrey collect 

ed $2.2 million in federal matching funds. The money came from taxpayers who che 

cked a box on their federal income tax returns.

In 1992 a House-Senate conference committee produced a compromise version o 

f the bill. The measure included the Senate's vouchers for television advertisin 

g and a separate financing plan for House candidates, which established a matchi 

ng-fund system similar to the presidential campaign fund. 

Kerrey voted for the compromise, which contained no explanation of how to p 

ay for the measure. The conference report specifically said the money should not 

come from general revenues, increase the federal budget deficit or decrease spe 

nding on other programs. 

After Bush vetoed the bill, Kerrey voted with other Senate Democrats in an 

unsuccessful attempt to override the veto. 

Last year Kerrey supported a bipartisan Senate compromise on campaign-finan 

ce legislation. That plan, brokered by Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Dave Durenbe 

rger, R-Minn., would have established a 35 percent tax on campaigns that exceede 

d the bill's voluntary spending limits. 

The money would have been used to finance public help to candidates who com 

plied with spending limits and whose opponents exceeded them. 

Kerrey said he still supports the Exon-Durenberger approach, but he was unh 

appy with the announced plan to merge the Senate's bill with the House-passed fi 

nancing system. He said it was better to kill the bill last week, when it needed 

60 votes to proceed, than to permit a final vote that required a 51 vote majori 

ty. 

Kerrey dismissed suggestions that he changed his position because financing 

might be unpopular and hurt his re-election bid. 

"I have a number of principles that guide the decisions that I make," he sa 

id. "One of them is, if the facts argue that a previous conclusion is no longer 

valid, I will change that position." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Espy's successor now talk of the Hill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson, while in Washington 

lobbying the Senate for clean water legislation, promoted the kind of agricultur 

e secretary he would like to see appointed in the aftermath of Mike Espy's resig 

nation announcement. 

Nelson said he has no particular candidate in mind, but he does have a list 

of particulars he would like to see in the next secretary, including "an abidin 

g interest in production agriculture," someone willing to commit to continuation 

of the Conservation Reserve Program, and someone familiar with Midwestern agric 

ulture. 

Espy, under investigation for gifts accepted while in the Clinton administr 

ation Cabinet, Monday afternoon said he would resign effective Dec. 31. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., agreed it was too early to pick 

possible candidates, but Kerrey sternly warned that Espy and the Clinton admini 

stration should rethink their compromise that keeps Espy in office until the end 

of the year.

"The people won't stand for that," said Kerrey, a member of the Senate Agri 

culture Committee. 

White House officials on Monday told reporters the Dec. 31 resignation date 

is subject to change, and Espy will leave before that date if a new secretary i 

s named. 

The president can make a recess appointment after Congress adjourns for the 

year, and the appointee can immediately take office, subject to confirmation wh 

en Congress returns on Jan. 3. 

The administration has given no indication what it will do about replacing 

Espy. 

Nelson's main mission during his visit here is to try to get the Senate, wh 

ich is pinned down under five filibusters, to find time to pass clean water legi 

slation that Nelson says would be helpful to Nebraska because it removes testing 

mandates in the current law that are unnecessary and expensive. 

Epsy's resignation comes at a time when commodity groups, environmentalists 

and other players in the 1995 farm bill debate are gearing up for the typically 

yearlong process, and there is some thought within the Washington community of 

agriculture policymakers and lobbyists that Richard Rominger, Epsy's deputy secr 

etary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is an early favorite to replace Eps 

y. 

But there are a host of others names being bantered about, including three 

women--Ruth Harkin, Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin's wife; Ellen Haas, assist secretary of 

agriculture for marketing and inspection services; and Rep. Jill Long, D-Ind. 

There are also the usual male suspects--Gene Moos, the undersecretary for intern 

ational affairs and commodity programs; Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kans., a longtime m 

ember of the House Agriculture Committee; and wild card choice, Tom Urban, the h 

ead of Pioneer Seed, who Iowa Republican Rep. Jim Leach says would be an "outsta 

nding choice." 

Ruth Harkin, according to her husband, may not be interested in the job she 

sought two years ago. Ruth Harkin now is the head of the Overseas Private Inves 

tment Corp. 

Haas, the former head of Public Star Voice, a consumer advocacy group that 

fought with Republican secretaries of agriculture for years before being appoint 

ed to a management position in Espy's USDA, is said to have made too many enemie 

s in Congress to get the nomination. 

Long, who was mentioned for the job before Espy was named, has not been ove 

rly supportive of the Clinton administration and therefore may not receive much 

consideration. 

Glickman is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and might not want 

to give that up. 

Moos has ruffled some feathers at the USDA, including Espy's, but that coul 

d help him. 

Urban has not responded to earlier attempts to interest him in the job. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans say Espy made right decision

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy's resignation Monday didn't su 

rprise Nebraskans, who expressed mixed emotions about his departure. 

Sen. Jim Exon praised Espy's work as a cabin-member but said that under the 

circumstances, resignation was the right decision. 

"I personally liked Espy very much," Exon said. "He was very dedicated and 

talented, and he had admirably moved to reconstruct the bloated bureaucracy at t 

he department. But he didn't pay attention to the rules under which he should ha 

ve operated. Under the circumstances, resigning was the only proper thing to do. 

" 

Rep. Doug Bereuter said the resignation was good news. 

"His ethical problems and conflicts of interest have probably weakened his 

effectiveness." 

Bereuter said it would be easier to pass a Farm Bill in 1995 without Espy. 

"It's important to have a strong secretary who's respected by the public du 

ring discussion on the Farm have endangered the Farm Bill. 

"We're relieved this cloud will no longer be there," Nelson said. 

Espy agreed with Midwestern governors on many farm bill issues, Nelson said 

in a phone interview on his way to an Omaha Eppley Airfield press conference on 

the resignation. 

"We hope to continue that kind of discussion with his replacement." 

Nelson and Rob Robertson, Nebraska Farm Bureau spokesman, agreed with Bereu 

ter and Kerrey that a replacement should be found quickly. 

ROBERTSON SAID a new secretary should be named as soon as possible to give 

agriculture experts time to get familiar with whoever is nominated. 

"I hope they name someone in the next couple of weeks," Robertson said. 

Robertson believed that Espy made the right decision, but said he was sorry 

to see the secretary leave. 

"The Nebraska Farm Bureau has worked with Mike Espy a great deal, and he's 

always been open-minded and responsive to producers' concerns," he said. 

"We didn't always agree, but he's been a pretty fair secretary who offered 

good leadership on NAFTA and GATT." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators From Nebraska, Iowa Express Regret at Resignation 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Monday that he was saddened by A 

griculture Secretary, Mike Espy's decision to resign so he could defend himself 

against allegations he accepted gifts. 

"It's, real sad," said Kerrey, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee 

. "He came in with a lot of people saying he wouldn't do very well. He proved th 

em wrong. He was a first-rate secretary." 

Kerrey said he agreed with Espy's decision that he could not devote full ti 

me to his job while answering questions from an independent counsel. 

"I don't think he is leaving disgraced by any means," Kerrey said in an int 

erview. "It is a relatively small infraction." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, whose wife, Ruth, has been mentioned as a successo

to Espy, said he regretted that Espy thought he had to resign. 

"Mike Espy proved to be a responsive and strong secretary of agriculture," 

Harkin said. "Iowans will remember how quickly he came to their aid during the d 

evastating floods of 1993." 

Harkin said Espy would be remembered as the secretary who began "the much-n 

eeded reorganization of the department to make it operate more efficiently." 

In announcing his resignation, Espy said the House gave final approval Mond 

ay to the reorganization. He said the Senate is expected to act before the end o 

f the week. 

"If it can happen here, in this most intransigent of departments, it can an 

d will happen in the rest of the federal bureaucracy," Espy said. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, praised Espy's work on the Iowa floods and o 

n reorganizing the LSDA. 

But, Grassley said, "He appears to have exercised poor judgment concerning 

the industry he was charged with overseeing." 

Grassley said the transition to a new secretary should be made quickly "so 

that negotiations are not affected adversely" on the 1995 farm bill. 

"I urge President Clinton to appoint a strong and responsible advocate for 

the family farmer," Grassley said. 

Kerrey said Espy's successor should be someone who can explain why the Unit 

ed States has a farm program. 

"This is an area of policy that is very badly misunderstood," Kerrey said. 

"People are constantly saying it is welfare." 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa, said Espy's replacement should be someone 

with a background in agriculture. 

"Mr. Espy had some real credibility problems among Iowa farmers," Lightfoot 

said. "The cattlemen and pork producers have seen him as favoring poultry inter 

ests." 

Lightfoot said the secretary of agriculture should "not be under the cloud 

of controversy" as work begins on the 1995 farm bill. 

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee sai 

d Espy's USDA reorganization "cut back an operation that has not kept pace with 

changes in agriculture and the rest of the economy over the last 30 years." 

Leahy said Espy's "commitment to all rural Americans... is unsurpassed and 

greatly appreciated by all of us who live in rural America." 

Dean Kleckner, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said Espy 

was an effective secretary "who dealt with a wide variety of difficult issue, fr 

om international trade agreements to floods and food safety." 

Kleckner said the 1995 farm bill would be the biggest challenge facing the 

new secretary. 

Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., said he was not surprised at Espy's decision. 

"It's bad, because I like Mike Espy," Exon said. "I think it was the only t 

hing for him to do." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said Espy did the president a favor by stepping 

down. 

He was crippled," Bereuter said. "I hope the new appointee will be someone 

from the Great Plains or Midwest." 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said Espy should have resigned sooner. 

"It is very important that when government officials develop ethical proble 

ms they step out promptly," Hoagland said. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said Espy's resignation came as no surprise.

"It took a little longer than I think it should have," Barrett said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[They Still Run Flags Up the Capitol Pole 

TEXT[Q. Is it still possible to buy flags that have been flown over the United S 

tates Capitol? 

Eleanor Glesinger 

Box 98 

Spalding 

A. There are almost always plenty of flags available. Because a federal emp 

loyee has the task of running flag after flag up the pole so it can be said that 

the individual flags truly did fly over the Capitol, no matter how briefly. 

We got this assurance from the office of Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., and you ca 

n order flags through his office or the offices of the congressman or senator of 

your choice. 

Prices range from $7.50 for a 3-by-5-foot nylon flag to $18.75 for a 5-by-8 

-foot cotton flag. 



AUTH[David Espo 

SOUR[Sioux Falls Argus Leader 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Daschle, Sasser court fellow Democrats' votes 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Shortly after winning the Democratic Senate nomination from Mo 

ntana, Jack Mudd received telephone calls from dens. Tom Daschle and Jim Sasser. 

Both offered congratulations and said they "wanted to be supportive," recal 

ls Mudd. They added that their own financial contributors stood ready to help. 

Mudd is not the only Democratic candidate to get those calls. Through conve 

rsations, attendance at fund-raisers and donations from their own political orga 

nizations, the 46-year-old Daschle and the 58-year-old Sasser are courting other 

s as part of their race to succeed retiring George Mitchell as majority leader. 

"Neither one has done a hard-sale routine," says Rep. Tom Andrews, running 

in Maine. "And I say very early on I'm not committed." 

Within a vote or two Democratic candidates such as Mudd and Andrews will probabl 

y hold the balance of power when Democrats meet Dec. 2. Senators backing Daschle 

, from South Dakota, and Sasser, from Tennessee, agree the race is within a vote 

or two among incumbent Democrats. 

The race has subsided in recent weeks, with Sasser forced into a closer-tha 

n-expected, re-election campaign and Democrats fearful that they may lose contro 

l of the Senate in November. 

If that happens, the Democrats will wind up choosing a senator to combat GO

P Leader Bob Dole and the Republican majority rather than - as they hope - selec 

ting the man responsible for setting the Senate's agenda and pushing bills towar 

d passage. 

The Democrats' next leader, says Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, has to "handle 

the floor, be a representative for the Senate Democrats on the weekend talk show 

s ... do a good job around the country for the Democrats at fundraising events a 

nd carry the president's program." 

Adds Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, Democratic leader for a dozen ye 

ars: "He has to know how to bring members together to resolve differences (and) 

reach compromises." 

Standing up to Dole 

Senators say the race will be decided by a blend of personal relationships, 

senatorial self-interest, geographical concerns and a generational fault line t 

hat runs through the Democratic caucus. 

"I wish I had something I wanted," said one senator, undecided despite week 

s of lobbying by both sides. "I could figure out which one could better dive it 

to me." 

This senator said Sasser's allies cite his experience and his handling of m 

ajor legislation on the Senate floor, and say he could stand up to the tenacious 

Dole. On the other hand, the lawmaker said, Daschle's supporters counter that S 

asser is something of a throwback, that Daschle is the wave of the future and wi 

ll try to improve the quality of life, something of particular concern to junior 

lawmakers with young families. 

In an interview, Daschle said that in more than 15 years in politics, "I've 

never had and problem standing up to anybody." 

Sasser is reluctant to discuss the appeal he's making to his colleagues. "A 

lot of this is just built on personal friendships and personal associations ove 

r time," he said. 

Generational fault lines 

With a few exceptions, senators who won their first terms in 1986 or later, 

a group that includes Daschle, tend to be for the South Dakotan. Senior senator 

s, many of them powerful committee chairmen, tend to be for Sasser, himself the 

chairman of the Budget Committee. 

"The nature of your relationships is you tend to have an especially close r 

apport with those" you enter the Senate with, says Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, e 

lected in 1986 and a Daschle supporter. 

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., supporting Sasser, said he's served on the 

Budget Committee and "been burned and scarred" in legislative battles with the T 

ennessean. That's a crucial test." 

Changing filibuster rule 

Elected to the Senate in 1976, Sasser rose through the seniority system to 

become chairman of his committee in 1989. In 1993, he helped steer President Cli 

nton's deficit-reduction plan to passage over unanimous Republican opposition. H 

e's also a longtime member of the Appropriations Committee, a coveted assignment 

that confers power to direct federal spending. 

As a junior senator in 1988, Daschle supported Mitchell in a three-way lead 

ership race. He was rewarded with a newly created post as co-chairman of the Dem 

ocratic Policy Committee, thus gaining unusual visibility for a senator in his f 

irst term. He sits on the Finance Committee, with jurisdiction over tax law, as 

well as health, welfare and trade matters. This year, he was a leader in the fai 

led drive to win approval of universal health care coverage. 

Both men say they'll try to change the filibuster rule that permits a minor

ity to block passage of legislation, and improve the workings of the Senate, in 

which business can often be slowed to a crawl to accommodate a single senator's 

schedule. 

Only politicians vote 

Other factors are at work. 

Sen. James Exon of Nebraska would become chairman of the Budget Committee i 

f Sasser wins his race. "I'm not decided," the Nebraskan says. "Probably no one 

will ever know but me. 

Byrd supports Sasser because of Daschle's support for measures such as the 

balanced budget amendment and line item veto, which would weaken Congress' contr 

ol over spending. "The power of the purse is the key to the balancing among the 

three branches of government," says Byrd, chairman of the Appropriations Committ 

ee. 

Then there is the inscrutable calculus of a closed-ballot election in which 

professional politicians cast the only votes. 

Says Dodd with a smile: "There are always more commitments than there are v 

otes in these matters." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskan part of FDIC confirmations 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Ricki Tigert can take the yellow ribbon off her office do 

or. The Senate finally confirmed her as chairwoman of the FDIC. Tuesday. Her law 

partners hung the ribbon as a show of sympathy after her nomination became ensn 

arled in politics eight months ago. 

Stubborn Republicans held up Tigert's nomination to force hearings on White 

water. 

Andrew C. "Skip" Hove Jr., of Minden, Nebraska, was confirmed by the Senate 

as vice chairman. 

"Skip Hove has been and will continue to be a voice for community bankers i 

n Nebraska and around the country," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

Opponents, led by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York, the Banking Committee's 

senior Republican, argued that it was inappropriate to confirm anyone Clinton p 

ut forth until Republicans got their way and a Whitewater investigation could be 

launched. 

Tigert was recommended, 17-1, by the Senate Banking Committee 11 months ago 

. Obstructionist Republicans then blocked a vote by the full Senate. 

"I frankly do not understand the game D'Amato played," said Kenneth Guenthe 

r, executive vice president of the Independent Bankers Association of America. " 

I don't understand why he wanted to keep the FDIC leaderless for another five or 

six months. It defies good public policy." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey, Hoagland Announce Better Omaha, D.C. Flights 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and 

Congressman Peter Hoagland (D-NE) said today that the Department of Transportati 

on agreed to their request to allow Midwest Express Airlines to shift its evenin 

g Omaha to Washington, D.C. flights to an earlier, more convenient time. 

Earlier this year, Milwaukee-based Midwest Express began offereing (SIC) no 

n-stop flights between Omaha and Washington, D.C. However, the return flight tim 

e to Omaha was so late that Exon authored legislation to give the Secretary of T 

ransportation flexibility to make more convenient flight schedules by shifting t 

o earlier landing and takeoff times at Washington National Airport. This time c 

hange will be effective Dec. 15, 1994. 

The legislation was requested by Midwest Express and Omaha airport official 

s. 

"With earlier flight times, Nebraskans will have better access not only to 

Washington, D.C., but also to points west of Omaha," Exon, Kerrey and Hoagland s 

aid. "This change will help business travelers and families alike and will help 

create and keep jobs in Omaha." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Minden native confirmed as vice chairman of panel 

TEXT[Ricki Tigert can take the yellow ribbon off her law office door. The Senat 

e finally confirmed her nomination to be chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insur 

ance Corp. on Tuesday. 

Her law partners hung the ribbon as a show of sympathy and support after he 

r nomination became ensnarled in Whitewater politics eight months ago.Republican 

s has held up the 49-year-old banking attorney's nomination to force Democrats t 

o hold hearings on President Clinton's Whitewater investments in Arkansas. 

Also on Tuesday, Andrew C. "Skip" Hove Jr., a Republican who served as acti 

ng chairman for the past two years was confirmed by the Senate as vice chairman. 

Hove is native of Minden, Neb. 


n Nebraska and around the country," said Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

One vacancy remains on the five-member board. Ohio banker Anne Hall got ti 

red of the long wait and withdrew her name just before Labor Day. Seventy-one h 

ours of Senate hearings were conducted. But opponents, led by Alfonse D'Amato o 

f New York, the Banking Committee's senior republican, then argued that it was i 

nappropriate for a Clinton friend to head the regulatory agency involved in the 

Whitewater investigation. 

The 90-7 vote approving Tigert's nomination came after the Senate averted a 

threatened Republican filibuster, 63-32, with seven Republicans joining 56 Demo 

crats in voting to limit debate. 

Tigert becomes the first woman to head a federal banking agency and takes o

ver an FDIC board that has been without a confirmed chairman since the August 19 

92 death of the last chairman, William Taylor. 



AUTH[Chris Borrelli 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Medicare raised for rural hospitals 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - It's a problem that many people in Congress call "slightly mor 

e complicated than Rubik's Cube." 

How do you equalize Medicare payments to rural hospitals 'with payments to 

urban hospitals, and not shift funds away from urban hospitals? 

"You can't pay Peter without taking from Paul," said Larry Rennecker, senio 

r vice president of the Nebraska Hospital Association. 

BUT WHEN 70 to 80 percent of Nebraska's rural hospital patients are on Medi 

care, which does not pay the full cost of a patient's care, it's hard enough pay 

ing Peter. 

"This government simply cannot manage health care in a cost effective manne 

r," said Tony Staynings, chief executive officer of the Crete Municipal Hospital 

. Since 18 percent of Crete-residents are elderly and 65 percent of its patients 

are on Medicare, his hospital just about breaks even. 

Last week, the federal government raised Medicare payment rates to rural ho 

spitals by 4.7 percent after a four-year transition period. The payment increase 

will provide rural hospitals with $3,010 per short-term care patient, a $207 in 

crease. The length of short-term care is determined a number of ways depending o 

n the treatment and the hospital. 

URBAN HOSPITALS, which include most Lincoln hospitals, will receive $73 mor 

e per patient or $3,465 per patient. 

Despite the difference in payments, Sen. Jim Exon calls the in-crease a mea 

ns of bringing urban and rural hospitals to a "level playing field." 

The increase is certainly welcome to rural hospitals, said Harlan Heald, pr 

esident of the NHA, but it doesn't begin to help a hospital pay off its costs wh 

en faced with a high percent-age of Medicare patients. 

"The rate increase will probably mean that a hospital here can replace its 

worn out X-ray machine or make a few minor repairs, but as the elderly populatio 

n doubles in the next years these increases still won't cover a hospital's opera 

ting costs," Heald said. 

"However, $200 more per patient can mean all the difference between having 

a good year and a bad year." 

"CONGRESS CAN'T understand the immeasurable harm they would be doing if the 

y don't raise Medicare payments," Steynings said. "Most physicians would have to 

turn away people and say that they just can't take Medicare patients and still 

operate." 

Heald and Rennecker say that no Nebraska hospital has had to close because 

of insufficient Medicare payments. Instead, certain troubled rural hospitals wit 

h one or two physicians constantly operate in the red. 

The high percentage of elderly patients on Medicare at these hospitals hurt 

s physicians' pay, creates a high turnover ratio and keeps the hospital teeterin

g on the brink of closure, they said. 

Legislation designed to equalize federal payments of Medicare to rural and 

urban hospitals was co-sponsored by Exon and Sen. David Durenberger, R-Minn., an 

d passed in 1990. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Applications due Nov. 4 

TEXT[Applications for Senate nomination to any of the four service academies are 

due by Nov. 4, said Sens. J. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 

Classes at the Military, Naval, Air Force and Merchant Marine academies beg 

in next summer. 

Applicants must be unmarried U.S. citizens ages 17-22. Candidates must be 

nominated by a member of Congress to be eligible for consideration by any of the 

academies. 

Exon and Kerrey urge applicants to forward their SAT or ACT exam score to t 

hem as soon as possible. Applicants will be interviewed by a committee of Nebras 

kans chosen jointly by Exon and prey to select the nominees. 



AUTH[Kevin O'Hanlon 


BK#[ 

HDLN[OHA Given $17.2 Million to Replace Lost Housing 

TEXT[The Omaha Housing Authority has been awarded a $17.2 million grant for acqu 

iring 194 living units throughout the city to replace those that will be lost wi 

th the demolition of the Logan-Fontenelle South public housing complex. 

The announcement was made Tuesday by Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, Rep. P 

eter Hoagland and Bob Armstrong, director of the Omaha Housing Authority. 

The grant, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will help 

OHA meet part of the terms of the settlement of a 1990 lawsuit that, alleged dis 

crimination in Omaha's public housing program. 

Armstrong said the money would help his agency improve economic development 

and provide better housing for low-income residents of Omaha. This will provide 

a real opportunity for the City of Omaha to have true economic development in t 

he near north side," Armstrong said. 

Armstrong said the money would boost OHA's Restore 2 revitalization 

plan for north Omaha. 

OHA received permission last month from the federal government to demolish 

what remains of the Logan Fontenelle project. Armstrong said the demolition will 

occur over the next six years. He said 194 families will be relocated. 

Armstrong said demolition should start next spring. OHA will replace the un 

its by buying or building single-family homes and small apartment buildings with

110 more than six units each. 

OHA moved the same number of families from another part of Logan Fontenelle 

, near Fontenelle and Paul Streets, that was demolished several years ago. 

In January, U.S. District Judge Lyle Strom of Omaha approved the settlement 

of the lawsuit. 

The class-action lawsuit alleged that OHA and the city, with the "acquiesce 

nce and knowledge" of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, inte 

ntionally kept blacks in low-income public housing projects on the city's north 

side, which is predominantly black. The suit said discrimination against blacks 

also occurred in the city's rent-subsidy and scattered-site housing programs. 

Under the settlement, three-fourths of new public housing units are to be i 

n predominantly white areas of the city--those that have less than 35 percent mi 

nority population. 

The settlement calls for HUD and OHA to demolish and replace housing that i 

s now segregated. 

The settlement also called for OHA to submit to HUD plans to demolish, sell 

or replace Logan Fontenelle South. OHA also is to submit plans to do the same t 

o six or more buildings in Hilltop Homes, near 30th and Parker Streets, within f 

our years and Pleasantview Towers, also near 30th and Parker Streets, within six 

years. 

Last month, OHA was awarded a grant of $13.3 million for reconstruction of 

Hilltop Homes. That grant was part of $60 million in funding for public housing 

reconstruction projects nationwide. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Congress Passes education aid bill 

TEXT[Nebraska's two senators voted with the majority as the Senate gave final ap 

proval to an education bill providing billions of dollars to help students in im 

poverished districts, train teachers and reduce school violence. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., voted to pass the Elementary an 

d Secondary Education Act, which was approved 77-20. 

The House already has approved the legislation reauthorizing the act for fi 

ve years and President Clinton has indicated his support. 

THE LEGISLATION protects the right of students to participate in voluntary, 

constitutionally protected prayer and cuts off federal education funds to schoo 

l districts found to have "willfully violated" a court order that they allow the 

prayer. 

The legislation authorizes $12.7 billion for fiscal 1995; $11 billion has b 

een appropriated. 

The act's biggest program aids impoverished did through a formula for a socalled 

Title I funds. More than 90 percent of the nation's school districts rece 

ive such funds. 

"THE NEW FORMULA is more fair because the money will be distributed to the 

districts that need it most," Exon said. 

Exon also said the bill includes waivers for the Omaha Public School Distri

ct to continue to receive funding in schools where at least 25 per-cent of stude 

nts come from low-in-come families. 

Without the waivers, 16 Omaha elementary schools would have lost the federa 

l funding, Exon said. 

The bill also would require local school districts to adopt a one year expu 

lsion policy for students who take guns to school; authorize $655 million in fis 

cal 1995 for Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs; bar the use of federal educati 

on money for programs that promote sexual activity, whether homosexual or hetero 

sexual, or for distributing condoms in schools and expand programs for teachers' 

professional development to all subjects, not just math and science. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. approves national highway bill 

TEXT[The Senate passed the National Highway System bill which would ensure that 

Nebraska remains an integral part of the nation's transportation system. 

The bill designates Nebraska projects ranging from I-80 to the Heartland Ex 

pressway and major North/South corridors much as Highways 77, 81 and 83 as part 

of the National Highway System. 

The Senate passed a "clean" bill, without any "pork barrel" additions that 

were added by the House of Representatives which reduce the prerogative of the G 

overnors 

"The Senate approach of allowing federal money with little or nor restricti 

ons to flow to the states should prevail so individual Governors can set their f 

unding priorities. These decisions are best made at the state and local level," 


Over 2,680 miles of roads, including over 2,430 miles of roads in rural are 

as, have been designated as part of the National Highway System in Nebraska unde 

r the Senate bill. 




SOUR[Hickman Voice News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Boell selected to National Young Leaders Conference 

TEXT[Andy Boell of Bennet has been selected to attend the National Young Leaders 

Conference from October 11 to October 16, in Washington, D.C. The National Youn 

g Leaders Conference is a unique leadership development program for high school 

students who have demonstrated leadership from and scholastic merit. Andy, a Ju 

nior at Palmyra High School will be among the 350 outstanding National Scholars 


The theme of the National Young Leaders Conference is The Leaders of Tomorr 

ow Meeting the Leaders of Today. Throughout the six-day conference, Andy will in

teract with key leaders and newsmakers from the three branches of government, th 

e media and the diplomatic corps. 

Highlights of the program include welcoming remarks from the Floor of the U 

nited States House of Representatives and a panel discussion with prominent jour 

nalists at the National Press Club. Scholars will visit foreign embassies and re 

ceive policy briefings from senior government officials. Andy may also meet with 

Senator J. James Exon, Senator Robert Kerrey and Representative Douglas K. Bere 

uter or an appointed member of their staff to discuss important issues facing Be 

nnet and the nation. 

To complement these special meetings and briefings, Andy will participate i 

n a number of leadership skill-building activities. In one activity, "If I Were 

President", students role-play the President, members of the Cabinet and represe 

ntatives from Capitol Hill who must respond to an international crisis involving 

North Korea. Culminating the National Young Leaders Conference is the "Mock Con 

gress," in which scholars assume the roles of United States Representatives by d 

ebating, amending and voting on proposed legislation on crime. 


th Leadership Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization. Founde 

d in 1985, the Council is committed to "fostering and inspiring young people to 

achieve their full leadership potential." Over 300 Members of the United States 

Congress join this commitment as members of the Council's Honorary Congressional 

Board of Advisors. Each year, only 7,000 outstanding youth nationwide may parti 

cipate in the 20 sessions of the National Young Leaders Conference. 

The conference provides the opportunity for students, like Andy, to disting 

uish themselves as tomorrow's leaders," said John Hines, Council Executive Direc 

tor. "Scholars not only gain knowledge and experience in the nation's capital, t 

hey leave with a sense of accomplishment and an increased ability to face the ch 

allenges of the future. 

Boell, 16, is a Junior at Palmyra High School. 




SOUR[Central City Republican Nonpareil 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Supervisors `strongly urge' prayer in schools 

TEXT[THE MERRICK COUNTY Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution that advoca 

tes the return of voluntary prayer to public schools. 

The resolution is the result of a movement by other cities and counties pas 

sing similar resolutions. "We received a mailing from a commissioner down in Tex 

as," explained supervisor Gail Ferris. "They had a majority in their state, and 

they were asking us to do it, too." 

The Texas mailing is part of a movement trying to impact legislation on the 

federal level, Ferris said. After reviewing the mailing, the Board of Superviso 

rs adopted it as a resolution during their September 27 meeting. 

"Everyone looked over it," Ferris said. "Nobody had a problem with it." The 

resolution, which urges all cities and counties across the state to join the ef 

fort to reinstate prayer in schools, was passed unanimously by the supervisors.

Copies of the resolution were sent to Senators Kerrey and Exon, Congressmen Hoag 

land and Barrett, and to President Clinton. 

"I personally hope that it does have an impact," Ferris said. 

The resolution, County Resolution 94-24, reads: 

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States Article (1) states, "Congres 

s shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the 

free exercise thereof..."; and 

WHEREAS, our nation was founded upon many different religious beliefs and i 

deals of settlers from other countries; and 

WHEREAS, the framers of our Constitution sought to protect everyone from on 

e mandated state religion; and... 

WHEREAS, our nation was founded on the freedom OF RELIGION and was not foun 

ded on the freedom FROM RELIGION; and 

WHEREAS, through time, court decisions and certain interest groups have con 

tributed to the deterioration of those religious beliefs and ideals to the exten 

t that prayer has been banned from the public school system; and 

WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors strongly believes that reinstitution of V 

oluntary prayer in the public schools will move this nation toward those religio 

us ideals and beliefs upon which this nation was founded; and 

WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors urges all cities and counties across this 

state to join in an effort to reinstate prayer in the public schools by passing 

similar resolutions and uniting in a "grass roots" movement for that purpose; 

NOW THEREFORE be it resolved, that the Merrick County Board of Supervisors, 

Merrick County, Nebraska strongly urges that voluntary prayer be returned to th 

e public school systems of this nation and invites all cities and counties acros 

s this State to join in an uniting effort to reinstate prayer in the public scho 

ols by passing similar resolutions and uniting in a grass roots movement for tha 

t purpose. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Chapin: Election Issue Is Leadership 

TEXT[Democratic Third Congressional District hopeful Gil Chapin said leadership 

will be the key in the November election. 

Chapin, in O'Neill Monday, describes himself as "a conservative, independen 

t Democrat" but said "the essence of the election is not partisan politics but l 

eadership." 

The Grand Island man said he needs to "reach out to everyone, to regain the 

sense of leadership that is needed in the House" 

"People are fed up with professional politicians," he said. "A recent poll 

shows 83 per cent of Nebraskans are sick of politicians, specifically those in t 

he House. They were rated fair to poor and 68 percent of those who responded sai 

d they would look with favor on a new face in Congress, regardless of the party. 

" 

Chapin said he would serve no more than three 2-term terms if elected, rega 

rdless of how Nebraska's term limit vote turns out in November.

"I'm not out for a cushy job for life, I'm out to help this country," he sa 

id. 

"Of the 435 members of the House, if 231 of those retired tomorrow, they wo 

uld have lifetime pensions ranging from $1-4 million. That's ludicrous and peopl 

e wonder why Congress never talks about term limits." 

Chapin said he and Republican incumbent Bill Barrett of Lexington are on op 

posite sides in the 1995 Farm Bill debate. 

Chapin said he favors higher loan rates which act as a floor for farm price 

s while Barrett would not raise those rates. 

"We have lost one-third of our rural population in Nebraska since 1980," Ch 

apin said, "and we need to keep the family farmer on the farm. 

Chapin said he would pay for a higher loan rate without changing the nation 

's deficit. 

"Right now we spend $17 billion a year on foreign aid and Bill Barrett says 

those countries that get that aid can spend it any way they want. That should m 

ake Nebraska voters mad. 

"I say two things about foreign aid: cut it in half and put that money back 

into helping the family farm aid what we give to countries in foreign aid shoul 

d be spent in the U.S." 

Chapin said he would favor giving foreign aid in commodities instead of mon 

ey if Congress did not force those nations to buy "U.S. goods, made by U.S. work 

ers." 

Since 1990, he said, the bulk commodity exports from Nebraska have gone dow 

n 15-17 per cent which is the opposite of what was intended. 

"We need to increase farm exports. For every $1 in exports from Nebraska, w 

e have $1.59 in new jobs in our food industry. That will give our youth a reason 

to stay in Nebraska, by offering them more' jobs." 

Chapin said he also favors tying Nebraska into the new information highway 

because "those are higher paying jobs and we need that." Sen. Kerrey is getting 

the federal government to put seed money for this highway into the state and th 

en we can move on with this project, getting more funding to make it a reality. 

Chapin said he was in Washington, D.C., last week when Republican congressm 

en signed their Contract with America. 

"That is typical political rhetoric, talking down to the people of Nebraska 

. I don't think the people of western Nebraska want to hear this professional po 

litical rhetoric anymore," he said. 

"In 1980 the national debt was $1 trillion. When former President Reagan to 

ok over his campaign platform was to cut the size of government. Now, 12 years l 

ater, that debt is over $4 trillion. 

"Supply-side economics say we can cut taxes, increase defense spending and 

balance the budget but when we do that, the gap will still be $750 billion and p 

roponents of that don't say how we will pay for it. 

"Former President Bush called that 'voodoo economics' and I feel the averag 

e person is sick and tired of hearing all of this. 

"The gap between income and outgo in our congress is as wide as the Grand C 

anyon and the people know that you can't stitch it closed with a bundle of threa 

d." 

Chapin said being a Democrat with an unpopular president works against him 

but "I am an independent and very conservative. 

"I'm a Democrat in the mold of Sen. Jim Exon and I will go to Washington, r 

oll 'up my sleeves and form a coalition of Republicans, Democrats and Independen 

ts and will start to solve the problems of this country for the sake of our kids

." 

Chapin said Barrett's claims that bipartisan politics is the heart of polit 

ics in Washington, with members afraid to cross party lines, "makes good rhetori 

c but it's not there." 

The Grand Island man said Barrett voted to let unlimited numbers of Japanes 

e cars into the U.S. with no talk of reciprocity "and that is absurd. If they ha 

ve unlimited access to our markets, we should have unlimited access to their mar 

kets, too." 

Chapin said he also disagreed with Barrett on his decision to vote against 

releasing the names of congressmen who were involved in the House Banking Scanda 

l and the Post Office Scandal. 

"I'm afraid that Mr. Barrett talks one way in Nebraska but when the cameras 

are off, then votes the other way too many times. I'm a businessman and not a p 

olitician." 

In stressing the leadership aspects of the campaign, Chapin said he "knows 

it is an uphill battle but the people of Nebraska are an independent lot. 

"I don't think too many people cheered for Goliath when David picked up the 

rocks for his slingshot. Bill Barrett is Goliath in this election with his mone 

y and political connections. 

"Can your readers name two significant things that Mr. Barrett has accompli 

shed for the Third District in the past four years? If not, send me to Congress. 

"I am a doer and I will produce for the Third District like Virginia Smith 

used to produce." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mrs. Stoney Says Kerrey Didn't Sufficiently Oppose Stimulus Bill 

TEXT[Washington - Republican candidate Jan Stoney says Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., 

in effect supported President Clinton's economic stimulus bill last year because 

he did not oppose it at every opportunity. 

Kerrey, who spoke on the Senate floor against the $16 billion Clinton plan 

says he worked with Republicans who fought the bill but disagreed with their str 

ategy of preventing a final vote through endless debate. 

"I supported the Republicans," Kerrey said Friday. "I voted against the Dem 

ocratic position twice. But I think a new president is entitled to a vote on his 

proposal." 

The Clinton plan never came up for a final Senate vote, allowing Kerrey and 

Mrs. Stoney to argue over his actual voting record on the issue. 

Kerrey voted three times in April 1993 to end a Republican filibuster that 

prevented a final vote on the Clinton measure. 

The Senate later passed a small portion of the bill $4 billion in extended 

unemployment benefits - on a unanimous voice vote. 

During debate on the measure, Kerrey voted on a number of proposed amendmen 

ts to the bill, which was intended to spur the economy through federal spending. 

Among those votes, Kerrey backed a Republican alternative that cut much of 

Clinton's proposed spending and required the rest to be offset by other spending 

cuts. Then he voted against a Clinton-backed, Republican-opposed compromise pro

posal that would have cut 25 percent of the original bill. 

At another point, Kerrey joined a handful of Democrats, including Sen. J.J. 

Exon, D-Neb., who voted with Republicans on a series of votes attempting to cut 

$103 million from the bill. 

Kerrey did not support some other proposed cuts in the Clinton bill. 

But Kerrey was vocal in his opposition to the overall proposal. In a Senate 

speech, Kerrey said he opposed the plan even though Nebraska would collect $66 

million in federal spending for highways, mass transit, community development, r 

ural housing and water and sewer projects. 

At the time, Kerrey said fellow Democrats had suggested jointly that Clinto 

n and Democratic leaders would retaliate for his stand and "turn Nebraska from a 

semiarid to an arid state." 

"(Mrs. Stoney) is out there telling Nebraskans that I'm a Clinton clone," K 

errey said. "It should be obvious that I have demonstrated my independence. She' 

s unwilling to acknowledge any good, any bipartisan effort, that deserves a brav 

o." 

Mrs. Stoney said that Kerrey offered "straightforward" support for the stim 

ulus bill, despite his stated opposition and his votes to replace it with a Repu 

blican alternative. 

"You can try and portray yourself as being opposed to somebody or something 

," she said. "But how you vote is the bottom line." 

She said he voted to advance the bill from the Senate Appropriations Commit 

tee, voted against several amendments.to reduce its scope or require offsetting 

spending cuts and voted to end the Republican filibuster. 

The surest way to kill the stimulus bill was through the filibuster, she sa 

id, since it prevented a final vote. Only 50 votes would have been needed to pas 

s the bill if the filibuster had been ended. 

"The way it failed is it never came to a vote," she said. 

Kerrey said this week that he was sure there were enough votes to kill the 

bill without the filibuster. In March 1993, however, Kerrey had predicted that t 

he bill would pass on a regular vote, even though he was going to vote against i 

t. 

Asked about that on Friday, Kerrey replied: "I can't predict (passage of) a 

bill. I have an idea, but it's just an educated guess from one day to the next. 

" 

With no final vote on the issue, Congressional Quarterly magazine counted o 

ne of the filibuster votes as the key vote on the stimulus bill. 

Mrs. Stoney said she would have voted against ending the filibuster because 

she opposed the bill. If elected, she said, she would back the filibuster tacti 

c to prevent any votes on measures that she opposed. 

"Either you're against it or you're for it," said Mrs. Stoney, who said she 

also would have opposed the Republican alternative. "If I'm opposed to somethin 

g, I'm not going to support its advancement." 

Kerrey said Mrs. Stoney's approach would lead to more gridlock instead of e 

ncouraging bipartisan compromise. 

"She would be a part of a group of people who would obstruct, who would say 

, 'It's got to be perfect,'" he said. 




SOUR[The Jewish Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska pro-Israel community to hold state-wide activism conference on Oct 

. 16 

TEXT[Hundreds of activists and community leaders from around the state will gath 

er in Omaha, Oct. 16, for the Nebraska pro-Israel political activism workshop, " 

Turning Point: Nebraska, Politics, and Peace. 

The workshop, sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AI 

PAC), the Anti-Defamation League/Community Relations Committee of Omaha, and the 

Jewish Federations of Omaha and Lincoln, will be the first and largest event of 

its kind to be held in Nebraska, the announcement stated. 

It will feature topical experts, Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson, members of N 

ebraska's congressional delegation, including Senator Jim Exon, Senator Bob Kerr 

ey, and Representative Peter Hoagland, as well as other state and local elected 

officials. 

"This unique and exciting conference will bring together leaders and activi 

sts from all over the state. It is an event you shouldn't miss" said Harlan Nodd 

le who is co-chairing the conference. 

Taking place during this historic time for Israel and the Middle East, the 

conference will include briefings by key Israeli officials and prominent politic 

al experts, such as Giora Romm, defense and armed forces attache for the Embassy 

of Israel, who will speak on the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship. 

Interactive workshops will be held on the peace process, lobbying Congress, 

opportunities for economic cooperation in Israel, and media activism. 

Participants will also engage in hands-on training seminars designed to enh 

ance their involvement with grassroots political activism. 

There will be a breakout session on political activism with both Nebraska D 

emocratic State Chair Joe Bataillon and Nebraska Republican state Chair Jerry Sc 

henken. 

"I encourage all newly involved and long-time activists to participate in t 

he conference. It promises to be an excellent opportunity to get involved with p 

ro-Israel activism, at this critical time" said Noddle. 

The conference will be held at the Georgetown-Club from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p 

.m.. 

The registration fee, which includes a kosher breakfast and lunch, is $25 f 

or adults, $18 for students. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey's Support of Clinton Tracked 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., has backed President Clinton on 84 pe 

rcent of the Senate votes on which Clinton took a position since his inauguratio 

n in 1993, according to vote tallies by Congressional Quarterly magazine. 

Kerrey's support for his fellow Democrat is frequently mentioned by his Rep

ublican challenger, Jan Stoney. In Sunday's debate, Mrs. Stoney said Kerrey has 

voted in support of Clinton 92 percent of the time this year. 

According to her campaign, Mrs. Stoney's charge was based on information ga 

thered in July from a Congressional Quarterly electronic database. 

The 92 percent figure came from Kerrey's position on 37 votes on which Clin 

ton took an unambiguous stand during the first 6 1/2 months of 1994. 

Mrs. Stoney did not mention Sunday that the magazine also found that Kerrey 

voted with Clinton on 80 percent of his 1993 votes, ranking in the bottom 10 am 

ong Democratic senators in presidential support. The 1993 tally was based on 89 

votes on which Clinton took a position. 

"We've cited both figures," Mrs. Stoney said, when asked about quoting only 

the partial 1994 numbers. We'll keep updating it." 

The World Herald combined the 1993 analysis with the 1994 votes cited by Mr 

s. Stoney, then added Kerrey's on position 14 votes since July on which Clinton 

took a position, as reported by Congressional Quarterly. 

In all, Kerrey has voted with Clinton 117 times out of a possible 140 votes 

, for an 84 percent rating. 

The magazine has not published 1994 presidential support ratings for the en 

tire Senate. But it appears likely that Kerrey's overall support for Clinton wou 

ld remain less than average for Senate Democrats and higher than the average for 

all Senate Republicans. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., had a two-year presidential support rating of 80 pe 

rcent, according to the World-Herald's calculations. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has voted with Clinton 92 percent over the two 

years, while Sen. Charles Grassley, Iowa, had a 26 percent support rating. 

Kerrey said he is willing to defend the votes he has cast, both for and aga 

inst Clinton's positions. But he said it doesn't mean much for Mrs. Stoney to ci 

te a percentage figure for presidential support. 

"The point she is trying to make is that means I am serving Bill Clinton," 

Kerrey said. "That isn't true. I think you would bet no one at the White House s 

aying I'm a Clinton clone." 

Kerrey has differed with Clinton on a number of issues, including health-ca 

re legislation and the bipartisan effort he led to cut $94 billion in federal sp 

ending over the next five years. 

Kerrey noted that there was near-unanimous Republican support for Clinton's 

position on some of the votes included in the Congressional Quarterly analysis. 

Among the pro-Clinton votes counted in the study: 

þPassage of Clinton's 1993 deficit reduction plan. 

þImplementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. 

þPassage of anti-crime and gun control legislation 

þConfirmation of Supreme Court nominees Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Bre 

yer. 

þDefeat of an amendment that would have blocked pro-ethanol regulation from 

taking effect. 

"Which votes doesn't she like?" Kerrey asked. 

Mrs. Stoney: "I'm not judging it. I'm just saying that's Bob Kerrey's record. Ho 

w you vote does have an impact on Nebraska." 

In 1994, an average of 18 Republican senators voted with Kerrey in supporti 

ng Clinton's position on the votes surveyed. On 15 of Kerrey's pro-Clinton votes 

, more than half of the Senate Republicans also backed Clinton. 

Congressional Quarterly acknowledged in its 1993 analysis that the voting s

tudy has several limitations. In some cases, the votes used in the survey reflec 

t the final compromise on legislation, not the version that Clinton originally w 

anted. 

In addition, the analysis counts only 140 of the 708 Senate votes during th 

e two-year period. The Clinton administration undoubtedly had a preference on ma 

ny of the other 568 votes, but those issues did not count toward the final total 

. 

The vote analysis also does not include a single vote on health-care legisl 

ation, on which Kerrey was a vocal critic of the administration's position. 

"It does not take into account those moments--and there are many--where I d 

isagreed with Bill Clinton," Kerrey said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon would love to look at CIA 

TEXT[The upcoming investigation of the Central Intelligence Agency could rival t 

he O.J. Simpson trial in real soap opera drama, if investigators are allowed to 

conduct it in front of television cameras, according to Sen. Jim Exon. 

The Nebraska Democrat says he wouldn't mind being one of the investigators. 

In the wake of the arrest of Aldrich H. Ames, a CIA veteran who stole and s 

old agency secrets to the Soviet Union and later to Russia, Congress passed legi 

slation that authorizes a 17-member investigating commission, which will have ni 

ne members from outside government appointed by the president, and eight members 

of Congress. 

Exon says he expects the commission to reach back into the agency's history 

and question decisions and appointments made by directors, who operated virtual 

ly unsupervised by Congress throughout the Cold War. 

He said the investigation is sure to attract national and international att 

ention, and there will probably be a push for public hearings, even televised on 

es. 

"The public has a right to know what goes on in these hearings, but our pot 

ential enemies don't have the right to know," Exon said. And that is going to ma 

ke for a very tough decision. 

Just about a year ago, Exon picked up his morning newspaper and read with a 

nger and dismay details of a classified briefing he and 12 other members of the 

Senate had received from the CIA concerning ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertra 

nd Aristide. He called for a Senate investigation into who leaked the informatio 

n to conservative columnist Robert Novak. 

Novak wrote that CIA briefer Brien Latell had told the senators that "Arist 

ide, a defrocked Catholic priest, has psychological disorders and has used 13 ki 

nds of medication." 

The Novak column went on to say Latell "next gave details of how Aristide, 

in seven months as president, incited mobs to 'necklace' enemies - put burning r 

ubber tires around their necks. He then listed the chain of command, starting wi 

th Aristide, that ordered the jailcell murder of political foe Roger LaFontant o 

n the night of the military coup that deposed the president of Haiti." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and other supporters of Aristide say there is no t

uth to those charges and accuse the CIA of trying to discredit Aristide so it c 

ould keep its own people in power on the island nation. If recent allegations ar 

e true, the CIA had ties to Haiti's secret police. 

Aristide has recently appeared before a congressional committee to refute t 

he CIA allegations, which the CIA officially denies it ever made. 

Exon said he does not know whom to believe. But as the second-ranking Democ 

rat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the nuclear deterrenc 

e, arms control and defense intelligence subcommittee, he has come to rely more 

on the defense intelligence agencies that the CIA. 

"I've been in on this stuff more than most people realize," he said in an i 

nterview late last week. "All military intelligence comes through my sub-committ 

ee." 

Exon said he has concluded through the years that the military intelligence 

agencies have been "doing a pretty good job," while the CIA has not distinguish 

ed itself over the last decade. 

The CIA either missed or chose not to inform Congress and the Bush administ 

ration that the former Soviet Union was near economic and political collapse, Ex 

on said "They didn't keep us abreast of developments that directly related to na 

tional security," he said. "Their performance has been appalling." 

The agency's problem is that through the years it has become more and more 

insular, "a very closed society with the belief that they knew best," Exon said. 

Asked if he would be interested in serving on the commission, Exon said he 

expects that with his background he already is being considered. And if asked to 

serve, he said he will be happy to do so. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rail legislation goes to Clinton 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rail transportation legislation has been sent to Preside 

nt Bill Clinton for his signature, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, (D-Neb.) said Saturday. 

Exon is chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee. 

The legislation, one of the last acts of the 1994 congressional session, in 

cludes provisions on: 

*Rail Safety. This bill, according to a press release, will create an Insti 

tute of Railroad and Grade Crossing Safety; require safety standards for railroa 

d passenger cars; and help prevent trespassing and vandalism on railroad propert 

y. 

This bill would also monitor the development and deployment of positive tra 

in control systems - high-tech collision avoidance systems which many experts ha 

ve said would have prevented the three-train crash in Thedford earlier this year 

. 

*High-speed rail. This bill would promote the development of high-speed tra 

ins. Investment in high-speed rail will reduce traffic congestion on the ground 

and in the air, boost employment and help America regain its edge in what is now 

a high-tech industry, according to Exon's release.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators from Iowa, Nebraska Support GATT Vote Delay 

TEXT[Delaying congressional action until December on a new international trade a 

greement was a good idea even though it will require a lame-duck session, Nebras 

ka's two U.S. senators said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon and Sen. Bob Kerrey, both Democrats, said they still have ma 

ny questions about the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Trade and Tarif 

fs (GATT). 

Kerrey said he will need to study the $12 billion cost of implementing the 

agreement. 

He said he also needs to study powers bestowed by the agreement on what is 

called the "World Trade Organization," a 120-nation body that would administer t 

he agreement. 

"These are some of the reasons a lot of us are now saying that Fritz Hollin 

gs had a point," Kerrey said. 

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., acting alone as chairman of the Senate Commer 

ce Committee, defied President Clinton and congressional leaders by requiring th 

em to postpone a vote on GATT. 

When Clinton sent the GATT bill to Congress late last month, Hollings enfor 

ced a Senate rule allowing committees of jurisdiction 45 days to consider new le 

gislation. 

"This would not have been possible if the administration had sent Congress 

the GATT enabling legislation earlier in the year," Exon said. "Although I don' 

t like lame-duck sessions, this is probably the best way to handle this." 

Exon said delaying the vote on GATT until December raises the odds that the 

agreement will be defeated even though it once had brad bipartisan support. 

"It will depend on the undecided votes, including my own," Exon said. "The 

delay does not bode well for approval. I say the chances are 50-50." 

Kerrey, who said he leans toward the approval of the agreement, estimated t 

he odds in favor of passage 10-to-1. 

"It's unlikely to fail," he said. "It's much more likely that it will end 

up passing with my vote." 

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Republicans were pleased tha 

t Hollings, as a Democrat, blocked action on GATT before the Nov. 8 election. 

"Republicans think GATT would be good for the country, but they wold say 'a 

men' to what Sen. Hollings is doing because it doesn't give the president a vict 

ory before the election," Grassley said. 

"Republicans like what he is doing politically, but not economically," Gras 

sley said. "I think that is very short-sited." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said he would have favored delaying action on GATT 

until next year despite uncertainty about whether the agreement would be subjec 

t to amendment after Jan. 1. Harkin said he is undecided on GATT. 

Kerrey said he believes the so-called "fast-track" authority for GATT, whic 

h requires a limited debate and no amendments, expires Jan. 1.

Diane Wildman of the U.S. Trade Representative's staff said government lawy 

ers still have not decided whether fast-track authority expires Jan. 1 or extend 

s to July 1. 

"Were not sure enough about next year to say, 'Oh yes, it's cool,'" Ms. Wil 

dman said. "Every conversation I've had on this subject has ended up the same w 

ay: I don't know." 

Opponents of the agreement, led by politician and newspaper columnist Pat B 

uchanan, have announced they will launch a campaign to kill GATT when it is brou 

ght before Congress. 

"We have 45 days to make the case for a new economics of American patriotis 

m," Buchanan said. "In the World Trade Organization, established by GATT, Ameri 

ca surrenders her national sovereignty, her freedom of action to defend her own 

economic vital interests to the job pillagers of Tokyo and Beijing." 

Kerrey said the World Trade Organization probably will be the main topic of 

debate when Congress reconvenes to act on the agreement. 

"It's caused me to kind of scratch my head and wonder as well," Kerrey said 

. "It would change the dispute settlement environment to where we would no long 

er have a veto. We would have to abide by the majority." 

Kerrey said he also intends to study proposals for replacing $12 billion in 

federal revenue that would be lost over five years as U.S. tariffs were phased 

out on foreign goods. 

However, he said, the Clinton administration has satisfied his concerns tha 

t damaging cuts will not be made in federal spending for agriculture, a view sha 

red by major farm organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation an 

d the National Corn Growers Association. 

"I think we've got a good commitment from the administration," Kerrey said. 

Farm Bureau President Dean Kleckner, a Rudd, Iowa farmer, has urged congres 

sional approval of the agreement saying,"The alternative is a turn toward protec 

tionism, a move that would prove damaging to U.S. agriculture." 

Rod Gangwish of Shelton, Neb.,president of the corn growers, said farm econ 

omists estimate corn experts would increase by up to 300 billion bushels a year 

under the agreement. 

"While it's not perfect, the accord holds tremendous potential to add to ou 

r economic prosperity as the world's most efficient producers of food and fiber, 

" Gangwish said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Business Leaders React to Economy 

TEXT[Williamsburg Va. (AP) - The nation's business leaders are reluctant to give 

President Clinton credit for the buoyant state of the economy. 

Leaders of Fortune 500 companies, gathered here for the semiannual conferen 

ce of the elite Business Council, have spoken out against government red tape an 

d federal regulations they say add billions of dollars to the cost side of their 

balance sheets.

They have had only grudging praise for the administration's economic record 

and the performance of the Democratic-controlled Congress, which expanded forei 

gn trade but also enacted a big tax increase on the wealthy last year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Death of water legislation criticized 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson on Saturday criticized Congress for failing to approved pro 

posed amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

Legislation that would have overhauled the nation's safe drinking water law 

s died in the final days of the session. 

"It is unfortunate that congressmen from other parts of the country can cau 

se the taxpayers of Nebraska to spend another quarter of a billion dollars unnec 

essarily because of their power," Nelson said. 

The governor has argued that current laws require unnecessary testing, cost 

ing Nebraska communities million of dollars every year. He has testified before 

Congress on behalf of the National Governors' Association and the Council of Sta 

te Governments four times this year on the issue. 

Nelson praised the work of Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and Nebraska's Hou 

se delegation. 

"I am sure they are as disappointed as we are that the reauthorization won' 

t move forward this year." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Congressional probe of CIA may become soap opera drama 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The upcoming investigation of the Central Intelligence Agency 

could rival the O.J. Simpson trial in real soap opera drama, if investigators ar 

e allowed to conduct their investigation in front of television cameras, accordi 

ng to Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. And Exon says he wouldn't mind being one of the inv 

estigators. 

In the wake of the arrest of Aldrich H. Ames, a CIA veteran who stole and s 

old agency secrets to the Soviet Union and later to Russia, Congress passed legi 

slation that authorizes the 17-member commission, which will have nine members f 

rom outside government appointed by the president, and eight members of Congress 

. 

Exon says he expects the commission to reach back into the agency's history 

and question decisions and appointments made by directors who operated virtuall 

y unsupervised by Congress throughout the Cold War. 

He said the investigation is sure to attract national and international att 

ention, and there will probably be a push for public hearings, even televised pu

lic hearings. 

"The public has a right to know what goes on in these hearings, but our pot 

ential enemies don't have the right to know," Exon said. And that is going to ma 

ke for a very tough decision. 

Just about a year ago, Exon picked up his morning newspaper and read with a 

nger and dismay details of a classified briefing he and 12 other members of the 

Senate received from the CIA concerning ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand A 

ristide. 

He called for a Senate investigation; into who leaked the information to co 

nservative columnist Robert Novak who wrote that CIA briefer Brien Latell told t 

he senators that "Aristide, a defrocked Catholic priest, has psychological disor 

ders and has used 13 kinds of medication." 

The Novak column went on to say Latell "next gave details of how Aristide, 

in seven months as president, incited mobs to 'necklace' enemies - put burning r 

ubber tires around their necks. He then listed the chain of command, starting wi 

th Aristide, that ordered the jail-cell murder of political foe Roger LaFontant 

on the night of the military coup that deposed the president of Haiti." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and other supporters of Aristide say there is no truth 

to those charges, and accuse the CIA, which recently has been linked with the se 

cret police in Haiti, of trying to discredit Aristide to keep its own people in 

power on the island nation. 

Aristide has recently appeared before congressional committee to refute the 

CIA allegations, which the CIA officially denies it ever made. 

Exon does not know who to believe, but as the second-ranking Democrat on th 

e Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the nuclear deterrence, arms c 

ontrol, and defense intelligence subcommittee, he has come to rely more on the d 

efense intelligence agencies than the CIA. 

"I've been in on this stuff more than most people realize," he said in an i 

nterview late last week. "All military intelligence comes through my subcommitte 

e." And he has concluded through the years that the military intelligence agenci 

es have been "doing a pretty good job." 

The CIA has not distinguished itself over the last decade, he said. The CIA eith 

er missed or chose not to inform Congress and the Bush administration that the f 

ormer Soviet Union was near economic and political collapse, Exon said. 

"They didn't keep us abreast of developments that directly related to national s 

ecurity," he said. "Their performance has been appalling." 

The agency's problem is that through the years it has become more and more insul 

ar, "a very closed society with the belief that they knew best," Exon said. 

Asked if he would be interested in serving on the commission, Exon said he 

expects that with his background he is already being considered, and if he is as 

ked to serve, he will be happy to do so. 




SOUR[Omaha Morning World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[State Officials Seek Details on USDA Plan 

TEXT[Federal farm officials in Iowa and Nebraska said Wednesday they don't know

how quickly or deeply the coming reorganization of the U.S. Agriculture Departme 

nt will affect their states. 

Congress passed the USDA reorganization measure and other farm bills Tuesda 

y, and President Clinton has said he plans to sign them. 

The bills represent legislative victories for outgoing Agriculture Secretar 

y Mike Espy, resigning because of an independent counsel's investigation into hi 

s conduct, and for Vice President Al Gore's proposals to streamline the federal 

government. 

The reorganization bill paves the way for Espy to begin reshuffling the Was 

hington headquarters, cutting the number of agencies from 43 to 29 and the numbe 

r of field offices from 3,700 to 2.600. 

Frank Johannsen, executive director of the Agricultural Stabilization and C 

onservation Service in Nebraska, and Tom Grau, his Iowa counter-part, said it ma 

y take some time for them to receive directions from Washington on when and how 

consolidation will occur. 

The plan calls for the ASCS, Soil Conservation Service and Farmers Home Adm 

inistration to be housed together and to become the Farm Service Agency. 

"I have no idea of the timetable. We're not even sure if the system will ha 

ve three-person or five-person county committees," Johannsen said. "Espy said he 

intends to start implementing, but I'm not sure how much he'll get done before 

he leaves." 

Grau said he believes reorganization will start in Washington within the ne 

xt year. Espy has said in the past that the changes will begin at the headquarte 

rs level. 

"It could be two to four years before the last 'i' is dotted and the last ' 

t' is crossed. We'll have continuous input on how to improve service and make th 

e programs come together easier for producers," said Grau. "It's a team effort t 

o make the agencies more farmer-friendly, and save taxpayer dollars. ...Reorgani 

zation is a win-win situation." 

Grau said he doesn't foresee much change in the number of office locations 

except where services being combined are in different communities within the sam 

e district, because all of Iowa is intensely agricultural. 

"We're within the top 40 percent (of USDA offices) in workload in the natio 

n," he said. Farmers in more remote areas may lose offices and have to drive far 

ther for service. 

The administration projects the bill will save $2 billion through 1998. lar 

gely by cutting the number of employees by 7.500. 

The measures also create a new Natural Resources Conservation Service and a 

separate food safety and inspection division and elevate rural development and 

nutrition functions. 

The law's crop insurance overhaul requires farmers who participate in farm 

programs to take out a basic, catastrophic crop insurance policy for a nominal c 

harge. Growers could then buy more coverage. 

Johannsen said the insurance provisions begin with winter wheat crops 

seeded this fall under a deadline of Oct., 31. He said ASCS offices do not have 

forms or training for the program yet. 

The cost will be $50 per crop, per each separate farm in a county. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Changes Draw Mixed Reaction 

TEXT[Washington - Legislation reorganizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture dr 

ew mild criticism Wednesday from Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., a member of the Hous 

e Agriculture Committee. 

"Though the bill wasn't all bad, overall it neglected the mission of the de 

partment, which is to help those involved with agriculture," Barrett said. 

He said the legislation would close 1,215 field offices, including as many 

as five in Nebraska that have not been identified. 

"I'm all for streamlining government agencies and cutting government waste, 

but not when the farmers that depend on the agencies are going to suffer," Barr 

ett said. 

Meanwhile, Nebraska's two Democratic senators praised final passage of the 

legislation to reduce the size of the USDA and replace disaster assistance with 

mandatory crop insurance. 

"A number of Nebraskans, both farmers and insurance agents, had a major han 

d in shaping this legislation," said Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. "In a year that has 

been marked by gridlock and obstructionism in Washington, passage of crop-insur 

ance reform is concrete progress by any measure. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said farmers will be able to buy catastrophic crop 

insurance at a cost of $50 per crop per each separate farm in a county. 

"These reforms have been a long time in the making, starting with my work i 

n the Budget Committee to ensure that adequate funding was available for crop in 

surance," Exon said. 




SOUR[Curtis Hi-Line Enterprise 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Schools, NCTA in fiber optic link 

TEXT[Medicine galley and Maywood Public Schools are in an ESU-15 setup which wil 

l link these schools with other schools through a new fiber op-tics system. 

ESU-15 has been approved for a $480,426 REA grant to link ten area schools 

and area colleges with fiber optic cables. The other schools are McCook, Dundy C 

ounty, Imperial Grade School, Hayes Center, Culbertson, Stratton, Chase County H 

igh and Wauneta/Palisade. The colleges are NCTA and McCook Community College. 

Goal of the two-way system is to provide a wide range of high school course 

s, college-level courses, adult education and specialized ag instruction: It als 

o will give elementary pupils in the schools access to special classes in langua 

ge or gifted and talented programs. 

The project is a window to the future of education, according To Sen. 

Bob Kerrey and Sen. Jim Exon. 

"Connecting these schools in an interactive network will broaden the 

education of all the students involved. We are proud to have worked on behalf o 

f this project and are eagerly waiting to see its development," they said.

ESU-15 was one of many entities applying for the REA grants. The unit learn 

ed last month that it was among 80 finalists for the money. 

Shirley Schall, media technologies director at ESU 15 headquartered in Tren 

ton, said a lot of work awaits the administrators at the schools. 

She said one of the first tasks will be to decide what kind of equipment is 

needed to be purchased for the schools and to determine a schedule for implemen 

tation as early as this fall. 

She explained the new network will allow the schools participating to expan 

d curriculums by having one teacher instruct a class to pupils in several school 

s at the same time. 

The technology will allow real-time interactivity by pupils at each site an 

d with the teacher. 

The grant will provide about 80 percent of the money for equipping each sch 

ool with the necessary hard-ware. Schools will be responsible for the other 20 p 

ercent. 

Studies are being made to explore other programs which could cover the 20 p 

ercent match required of the participating schools. 

Each school will need to provide a classroom equipped for the interactive n 

etwork. A typical classroom will include four tv monitors, a video camera on the 

teacher and one or more on the pupils, a speaker system, overhead panels and a 

control panel enabling switching to and from each classroom site. 

Annual rental cost for the fiber is expected to run about $12,000 per schoo 

l. 



AUTH[Steve Jordon and Matt Kelley 


BK#[ 

HDLN[West's Rails at Stake In Takeover Battle 

TEXT[Western railroading and shipping face sweeping changes as the region's two 

rail giants moved Thursday into a full-scale takeover battle for Santa Fe Pacifi 

c Corp. 

Longtime competitors Union Pacific Corp. and Burlington Northern Inc. each 

claimed that its takeover proposal would be better for competition and would ben 

efit the public by improving efficiency and providing better service to customer 

s. 

To connect Santa Fe's 8,500 miles of track to their own systems, U.P. offer 

ed stock valued at $3.4 billion and BN has an agreement to offer stock valued at 

$2.7 billion. 

Santa Fe rejected Union Pacific's offer in a CEO-to-CEO meeting 

and Union Pacific filed Wednesday, suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery Thursd 

ay to force Santa Fe to consider dropping its June 30 merger agreement with Burl 

ington Northern in favor of the U.P. offer. 

The lawsuit also asks the court to require Santa Fe to negotiate with Union 

Pacific and a court finding that U.P. has not interfered with the pending BN-Sa 

nta Fe agreement, U.P. said. 

Union Pacific offered to give about one-third (.344) of a share of Union Pa 

cific stock, worth about $18. For each share of Santa Fe stock, Burlington North

ern also offered to give about $13.50 worth of its stock 27 one-hundredths of a 

share for each share of Santa Fe stock. 

At stake is ownership of Santa Fe's routes from Southern California, across 

the Southwest to Texas and Mexico and on to Chicago. 

The winner if either of the mergers is allowed by federal regulators, who a 

ct to preserve competition among rail carriers would have a stronger network of 

rail lines throughout the western two thirds of the country. 

Shippers would deal with a single railroad, to carry goods to nearly any ra 

il destination in the region. The winning railroad could have advantages over th 

e loser, and the merged railroad would be a tougher, competitor against trucking 

companies. 

The battle is likely to take a year and a half or longer, including hearing 

s before the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington. D.C. 

"I'm truly astonished," said Susan Chapman, a transportation analyst with t 

he Forbes, Walsh, Kelly and Co. Brokerage house in New York. "I don't think ther 

e is any reason to believe that a U.P.-Santa Fe deal is one that could be approv 

ed by the ICC." 

"Those of us who have been around for a while to remember how Santa Fe trie 

d to acquire Southern Pacific and that was not something that the ICC ... was wi 

lling to look at favorably," she said. 

"I just don't think the world has changed that much," Ms. Chapman said. "l 

don't think the ICC is going to allow two strong western carriers, with some ver 

y similar route structures in some areas, to merge." 

By contrast, she said, a BN.-Santa Fe merger would create a railroad with s 

trong routes to ports in California and the Pacific Northwest, to compete with U 

.P.'s existing routes in those areas. 

A decision by Santa Fe's board to consider U.P.'s offer may prompt Burlingt 

on Northern to raise its offer, Ms. Chapman said. "They certainly weren't overpa 

ying the first time around." 

Stockholders of the three railroads may be able to vote on the merger propo 

sals, and Santa Fe shareholders may end, up expressing their preferences by offe 

ring their shares to one of the bigger railroads. 

The main combatants on the Union Pacific side are Drew Lewis. U.P.'s chairm 

an and chief executive officer and a former U.S. Transportation Secretary, and U 

.P. Railroad Chairman Dick Davidson of Omaha, who also is president of Union Pac 

ific Corp. and the apparent successor to Lewis as head of U.P. 

Opposing them are Burlington Northern's chairman and chief executive office 

r, Gerald Grinstein, and Robert D. Krebs, Santa Fe's chairman, president and chi 

ef executive officer. 

Lewis and Davidson went to Krebs' office Wednesday with the U.P. proposal. 

After a seven-minute meeting, the two men left and soon after sent reports annou 

ncements of the offer along with copies of a letter Lewis addressed to Krebs. 

"I was disappointed by your unwillingness to consider our proposal," Lewis 

wrote to Krebs, calling the U.P.-Santa, Fe merger "a strategic imperative." 

Krebs, meanwhile, began contacting members of his board of directors. Direc 

tors of Santa Fe and Burlington Northern were, in separate meetings Thursday mor 

ning but issued no public statements. 

Burlington Northern's offer for Santa Fe is "the 1994 version of the great 

train robbery," said Gary Schuster, a vice president at Union Pacific corporate 

headquarters in Bethlehem, Pa. 

"We think the (Santa Fe) railroad's worth much more than BN's offered for i 

t." Schuster said.

Union Pacific said its offer is one-third higher than the value of Santa Fe 

stock on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday and is 38 percent higher than Bu 

rlington Northern's offer. 

Burlington Northern Chairman Grinstein said Wednesday his railroad's propos 

al "is a better deal for customers, employees and shareholders than U.P.'s hosti 

le takeover attempt." 

Burlington Northern's merger offer was, a, direct response to U.P.'s domina 

nt position in the West. Grinstein said. 

"This is a case of the U.P. using its market power to become even more domi 

nant at the public's expense." Grinstein said. "U.P. has already gobbled up thre 

e railroads" and has another pendink. "This is nothing more than an attempt to s 

tifle healthy competition in the western United States." 

Grinstein said the U.P. offer is unlikely to receive approval from the Inte 

rstate Commerce Commission. 

"BN intends to see its merger with Santa Fe through to conclusion because i 

t is in the public's interest." he said. 

U.P. Chairman Lewis said the U.P. offer is good for Santa Fe shareholders a 

nd would benefit Union Pacific share-holders "by ensuring we are the premier rai 

lroad in the United States." 

U.P. spokesman Harvey Turner said Omaha, the headquarters for the Union Pac 

ific Railroad portion of Union Pacific's corporate holdings. likely would be the 

headquarters of a combined U.P.-Santa Fe railroad, although the issue hadn't be 

en addressed specifically in the process of making the offer. 

Union Pacific has nearly three times the annual revenue of Santa Fe. 

Turner said Union Pacific had been preparing its offer for several weeks. T 

he timing of the announcement was determined by Lewis' meeting with Krebs. 

The U.P. prepared a draft of the letter to Krebs and the announcement of th 

e offer before the meeting, and then completed it to reflect the outcome of the 

meeting, Turner said. 

Edward Bales, vice president of research for the Kirkpatrick Pettis brokera 

ge in Omaha, said it's difficult to say whether Burlington Northern's $2.7 billi 

on offer is too low or Union Pacific's $3.4 billion offer too high. 

Some Santa Fe shareholders have sued to stop the Burlington Northern merger 

, saying the offer was too low. 

"In these deals, there's no 'too little' or 'too much,'" Bales said. "It's 

what people are willing to pay. It sounds like the Union Pacific feels that the 

access to the southern route is worth something. 

"Obviously, the Union Pacific feels that there's going to be a lot of trade 

with Mexico. That's the major appeal that (the Santa Fe) has. I guess they figu 

re it's worth it over the long term." 

Bales said opposition by Santa Fe's management likely won't stop the acquis 

ition by Union Pacific. 

"Generally, it's money that counts," Bales said. "'The management of these 

companies can say what they want, but it's the stockholders who own the company. 

" 

"Union Pacific obviously has a much bigger billfold than Burlington, so I w 

ould have to bet Union Pacific would get it. What Union Pacific wants, Union 

Pacific gets." 

U.P. said it would agree, in advance to get Southern Pacific, Burlington No 

rthern and other railroads use its track in areas that otherwise would go from s 

ervice by two railroads to one.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Touts Line-Item 

TEXT[Washington - It was his experience as governor of Nebraska in the 1970s tha 

t convinced Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., that the executive branch should be able to 

veto specific spending proposals by the legislative branch, the senator said Wed 

nesday. 

"I used the line-item veto with great success in keeping our State's budget 

under control," said Exon, who presided at a hearing before the Senate Budget C 

ommittee. 

He said the standard for overriding a line-item veto should not be the twothirds 

vote required for other presidential vetoes but should be a simple majori 

ty vote. 

"I stand ready to support any responsible proposal on this issue as I think 

it is past time that we give our president this (line-item) power," Exon said. 

He said he recognized a line-item veto would not "make a major dent in our 

deficit" or the $4.5 trillion federal debt. 

"We have to accept the fact that balancing the budget will not be easy," Ex 

on said. "We will need to use all the tools that are currently available and mor 

e." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Vegetable ink printing act should help agriculture 

TEXT[Nebraska soybean farmers and all Americans will benefit from Congressional 

passage of a bill requiring the federal government to use vegetable-based ink fo 

r government printing jobs, according to Sen. Jim Exon. 

"This bill gives the federal government a chance to lead by example," Exon 

said. Using ink made from soy-beans and other vegetable oils will help reduce ou 

r nation's use of non-renewable petroleum for printing ink and increase our use 

of renewable agricultural products that cause less damage to the environment," h 

e said. 

"Furthermore, the Government Printing Office estimates oil-based 

little if any additional cost to "government printing," he said. 

"I hope other levels of government and private sector companies, if they ha 

ve not already done so, will follow the federal government's example," Exon said 

. "For several important reasons, it's right for Nebraska and it's right for all 

of America."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon lauds new hospital policy 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) praised the U.S. Department of Health and Huma 

n Services for implementing the final phase of a change he long promoted to put 

rural and urban hospitals on "a level playing field." 

For years, the federal government had reimbursed rural hospitals for Medica 

re patients at a lower rate than it paid to urban hospitals, said Exon. This pra 

ctice was blatantly unfair. Soon, however, those days will be over. 

"I began working on this issue in 1987, when I cosponsored a bill to elimin 

ate the unfair Medicare payments to rural hospitals," he said. "Legislation fina 

lly passed in 1990 to phase in an equal Medicare payment rate. That phase-in wil 

l be completed next month, when the 1995 payment rates begin." 


nt rates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent beginning Octob 

er 1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Payments to urban hospi 

tals will rise by 1.5 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State delegation splits as Congress OKs ed bill 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska lawmakers split along party lines on the $12.7 billio 

n education bill that finally was approved by the Senate and sent to President C 

linton for his signature. 

The Senate turned aside a Republican-led filibuster over school prayer and 

then voted 77-20 on Wednesday to reauthorize for five years the Elementary and S 

econdary Education Act. 

Nebraska Democrats Sen. Bob Kerrey, Sen. Jim Exon and Rep. Peter Hoagland 

voted for the education bill; Republican Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett vo 

ted against it. 

Bereuter and Barrett also voted for procedural measures that would have sup 

ported school prayer and a prohibition on the use of federal funds to promote an 

y sexual activity - heterosexual or homosexual -to disseminate obscene material 

to minors on school grounds, to buy condoms or to fund sex education programs un 

less they stress the benefits of abstinence. 

Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and-other conservatives were opposed to compromis 

e language on school prayer and the dropping of Senate passed- language that wou 

ld restrict local school districts from using federal money to portray homosexua 

lity as a positive lifestyle.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Medicare Reimbursement Plan to put rural hospitals on same level as urban 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon announced that effective Oct. 1, the final phase of a 

plan that will put rural hospitals on the same level as urban hospitals with re 

gard to Medicare reimbursement for services provided. 


are patients at a lower rate than it paid to urban hospitals," said Exon. 

Exon co-sponsored a bill that was passed in 1990 to phase in an equal Medic 

are payment rate. The phase in is now complete with the beginning of the 1995 fi 

scal year. 

This will result in an increase of 4.7 percent in payment rates to rural h 

ospitals. Payments to urban hospitals will rise by 1.5 percent. 

Locally, the effects of this change have not yet been determined. Marci Th 

omas, administrator of Providence Medical Center, said, "The federal government 

has been working on this for several years. They took into consideration the cos 

t of living and several other factors when determining the amount of money we wi 

ll receive." 

"I don't have any statistics or information on exactly what this will mean 

for hospitals such as ours. We will have to have more time before we can say for 

sure what changes will take place," Thomas said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Announce $399,326 Grant for UNMC Rural Health Demonstration In 

itiative 

TEXT[Washington-Sens. Bob Kerrey an Jim Exon announced today that the Department 

of Health and Human Services has awarded the University of Nebraska Medical Cen 

ter a $399,326 grant to implement a program of Rural Health Demonstration Activi 

ties. 

The program will conduct demonstrations of activities designed to improve t 

he practice of managed health care in the rural communities in Nebraska and Iowa 

. The demonstrations will target the work of primary care practioners. 

"There is a great deal of debate about what should be done about health car 

e, but there is also a bipartisan consensus that rural America faces an urgent h 

ealth care crisis," Kerrey and Exon said. "This grant will help address a press 

ing problem that clearly needs to be fixed." 




SOUR[Omaha World herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Boys Town Will Honor Judge Buckley 

TEXT[Boys Town will honor Colleen Buckley, Douglas County Juvenile Court judge, 

at a luncheon at noon Tuesday at the Red Lion Inn, 1616 Dodge St. 

Judge Buckley will receive the Boys Town "Spirit of Youth" 

award, given at each of Boys Town's 14 facilities across the country to organiza 

tions and individuals committed to helping troubled children and families. Form 

er Omaha Mayor P.J. Morgan also received a Boys Town "Spirit of Youth" award thi 

s year. 

A graduate of the Creighton University School of Law, Colleen Buckley was t 

he first director of the Legal Aid Society of Omaha. She then served as a deputy 

Douglas County attorney assigned as prosecutor to Juvenile Court. She was appoi 

nted to the Juvenile Court bench in 1973 by former Gov. J.J. Exon and will retir 

e at the end of the year. 

She is a governor of the Boys' Clubs of Omaha and a member of Big Brothers/ 

Big Sisters. Before entering the legal field, she taught school for six years in 

Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska. 

Tickets for the luncheon are available for $25 from Boys Town, 498-1308. 



AUTH[Project Vote Smart 

SOUR[Fairbury Journal News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Advertisement 

TEXT[Congressional Snapshot: Back To School 

1. School-to-Work Oppurtunities 

Authorization of $300 million for programs to assist the young in transition fro 

m school to work. Passed 62-31, 2/8/94, Exon voted: Yes. 

2. School Prayer 

Vote to prohibit federal funding to states or public schools that do not permit 

voluntary prayer. Adopted 75-22, 2/3/94, Exon voted: Yes 

3. School Choice 

Vote to fund $30 million for 6 low-income school choice demonstration programs, 

allowing some low-income students to attend private schools. Rejected 41-52, 2/ 

8/94, Exon voted: No 

4. Local Control 

Vote to distribute federal funds directly to local school districts for use in s 

chool reform and education. Rejected 32-61, 2/8/94, Exon voted: No. 

5. Elementary and Secondary School Spending Re-Authorization 

Passage of a $12.7 billion, 5-year federal elementary and secondary school spend 

ing program. Passed 94-6, 8/2/94, Exon voted: Yes.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Spirit of SAC Lives On 

TEXT[Plans are rolling along for the 50th anniversary celebration of the creatio 

n of Strategic Air Command, and organizers are calling for people and organizati 

ons to get involved. 

SAC was founded in 1946 and was dedicated in 1992. The 50th anniversary of 

its founding will be celebrated in 1996. 

The celebration has been named America's Shield and is being organized by r 

etired chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Jim McCoy, retired Air Force Lt. G 

en. Leo W. Smith, and Strategic Air Command Museum Director Jim Bert. 

The observance is scheduled to kick off March 21-23, 1996, with the 50th an 

niversary celebration to be held in Omaha. Former SAC Commander in Chief retire 

d Air Force Gen. Russell Dougherty will be the keynote speaker at the celebratio 

n. 

Programs and special events will continue through the spring and summer, cu 

lminating with an open house and air show in late August. 

Among other events being planned are creation of a SAC Memorial Highway, a 

commemorative postage stamp, and a memorial service. 

The honorary chairman of the "America's Shield" celebration is U.S. Sen. J. 

James Exon, D-Neb. 

"The command carved an amazing and admirable record of courage and commitme 

nt these five decades," Exon said. "Winning the war required sacrifice by all Am 

ericans. Preserving the peace presented a towering challenge, and the Strategic 

Air Command was one of the stars of that epic area." 

For information call Jim Bert at 292-2001, or Bonnie Reid at 1-800-952-2053 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Telecommunications Grants Available to Rural Nebraska 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said in a recent press 

release that Nebraska has been awarded federal grants for public radio and tele 

vision transmission in rural Nebraska. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded two grants totaling $98,167 to 

the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission, which operates public ra 

dio and public television in the state. 


l bring public radio to areas near Max in Dundy County. Harrison in Sioux County 

, Falls City in Richardson County and Culbertson in Hitchcock County. 

The other will help pay for upgrading equipment serving the state's public 

television network in Falls City in Richardson County, Neligh in Antelope County

and Decatur in Burt County. 

"Public radio and television are key sources of education, in-formation and 

entertainment," Exon and Kerrey said. "We are happy more Nebraskans will be abl 

e to tune into public radio and that public television equipment will be improve 

d elsewhere in the state." 



AUTH[Eugene Curtin 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Hoagland Honored for Impact Aid Effort 

TEXT[A national organization has honored Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., for his "u 

nwavering dedication" to the impact aid program. 

Hoagland received the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools' A 

uthorization Award Oct. 4. The award is given to an elected official who plays a 

prominent role in the national effort to ensure reauthorization of federal impa 

ct aid. 

Impact aid reimburses school districts for costs of educating children whos 

e military parents are not subject to local sales or property taxes. 

The Bellevue School District, whose student population is more than 50 perc 

ent military connected, relies heavily on the program. It is estimated to accou 

nt for 27 percent - $13 million - of the district's budget. 

The Improving America's Schools Act - or H.R.6 - passed Oct. 5 in the House 

of Representatives, included a provision reauthorizing impact aid for another 5 

years. A new formula for calculating impact aid is expected to benefit the Bell 

evue School District. 

Bellevue school officials have attributed the successful reauthorization to 

Hoagland's efforts. In a press release announcing the award, NAFIS agreed with 

that assessment. 

"It is so easy to speak about his unwavering dedication to the impact aid p 

rogram, his continual fight for higher finding levels and his assistance in help 

ing the impact aid community present a unified, solid and reformed program" said 

NAFIS Executive Director John B. Forkenbrock. "But what is often left out is hi 

s honest commitment to the two million federally connected children that impact 

aid supports?' 

Hoagland said the award recognizes work on the part of many people. 

"Securing impact aid is always a group effort that includes my office, our 

schools in Sarpy County, and the entire Nebraska congressional delegation," he s 

aid. "Without impact aid, residents of Bellevue and Papillion LaVista would eith 

er see property tax rates double, school budgets cut, or both." 

In 1993 Hoagland received the association's Friend of NAFIS award. This yea 

r, that award went to Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb. 

"Sen. Exon has been a dedicated supporter of the impact aid program, especi 

ally as it has made its way through the reauthorization process," said Forkenbro 

ck.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Deadline For Academy Nominations Approaching 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon said recently that students interested in being nomin 

ated to the U.S. Military Naval, Air Force or Merchant Marine Academy for classe 

s beginning in the summer of 1995 should submit applications to Senator Exon by 

November 4, 1994 


n return for six years of military service," Exon said. Exon is a senior member 

of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Applicants must be unmarried, U.S. citizens between the ages 17 and 22. In 

terested persons must be nominated by a member of Congress to be eligible for co 

nsideration by any of the four academies. 

Requests for nomination applications should be addressed to Senator Jim Exo 

n c/o Academy Nominations, 287 Federal Building, 

Lincoln Ne 68508. Applicants will be interviewed by a committee of Nebraskans ch 

osen by the Nebraska Senators to select the nominees.Applicants are urged to tak 

e either the SAT or the ACT exam as soon as possible and forward their scores to 

the office of Senator Exon. 




SOUR[Lincoln Northeast HUB 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Northeast Junior Selected for Washington conference 

TEXT[Mr. Joseph Poindexter, son of Joyce Poindexter, has been selected to attend 

The National Young Leaders Conference from October 25 to October 30, 1994, in W 

ashington, D.C. 

The National Young Leaders Conference is a unique leadership development pr 

ogram for high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and sc 

holastic merit. Joseph, a junior at Lincoln Northeast High School, will be among 

350 outstanding National Scholars attending the conference from across America. 

The theme of the National Young Leaders Conference is "The Leaders of Tomor 

row Meeting the Leaders of Today." 




ceive policy briefings from senior government officials. Joseph may also meet wi 

th Senator J. James Exon, Senator Robert Kerrey and Representative Douglas K. Be 

reuter, or an appointed member of their staff, to discuss important issues facin 

g Lincoln and the nation. 

To complement these special meetings and briefings, Joseph will participate

in a number of leadership skill-building activities. In one activity, "If I Wer 

e President", students roleplay the President, members of the Cabinet and repres 

entatives from Capitol Hill who must respond to an international crisis involvin 

g North Korea. Culminating the National Young Leaders Conference is the "Mock Co 

ngress", in which Scholars assume the roles of United States Representatives by 

debating, amending and voting on proposed legislation on crime. The National You 

ng Leaders Conference is sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council 

, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization. Founded in 1985, the Counci 

l is committed to "fostering and inspiring young people to achieve their full le 

adership potential." Over 300 Members of the United States Congress join this co 

mmitment as members of the Council's Honorary Congressional Board of Advisors. E 

ach year, only 7,000 outstanding youth nationwide may participate in the 20 sess 

ions of the National Young Leaders Conference. 

"The conference provides the opportunity for students, like Joseph, to dist 

inguish themselves as tomorrow's leaders," said John Hines, Council Executive Di 

rector. "Scholars not only gain knowledge and experience in the nation's capital 

, they leave with a sense of accomplishment and an increased ability to face the 

challenges of the future." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Offutt aircraft identified by Pentagon for possible deployment to Gulf 

TEXT[OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE (AP) - Two RC-135's from the 55th Wing based here wer 

e among the units identified by the Pentagon for deployment to the Persian Gulf. 

Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon said Monday that Baghdad has ordered its tr 

oops to withdraw from the Kuwaiti border area 

The United States has been responding to Iraqi troop movements on Iraq's bo 

rder with Kuwait, the country Iraq invaded in 1990. The United States was among 

countries who forced Iraq out of Kuwait. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Sunday that the Clinton administration w 

as on the right track in dealing with any Iraqi aggression. Kerrey said in Norfo 

lk that he feels Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's days are numbered. 

Kerrey said Iraq has been hurt economically and that may be a large reason 

it moved forces to Kuwait's border. 

Offutt's Tech Sgt. Christopher Shock said today that planes with the 55th W 

ing have been a presence in the Persian Gulf since the 1990 war. Shock said he c 

ouldn't immediately comment on specifics of any aircraft deployed in the area. 

RC-135's collect electronic information, help analyze it and share it with 

commanders in the field. 




SOUR[Omaha Daily Record

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator James Exon Receives National Security Leadership Award 

TEXT[Washington - Senator James Exon (D-Lincoln) recently received the National 

Security Leadership Award in recognition of his activities on a range of defense 

and foreign policy issues during the 103rd Congress. The award was presented to 

Exon by leaders of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Reserve Officers Associati 

on, the American Security Council, and the bipartisan National Security Caucus i 

n the U.S. Congress. 

The Co-Chairmen of the National Security Caucus, Congressmen Duncan Hunter 

(R-CA) and George (Buddy) Darden (D-GA), served as spokesmen for the group honor 

ing Senator Exon. They praised his support of the U.S. military and American vet 

erans, and his activities in the National Security Caucus. The senator was also 

praised for his leadership role as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcomm 

ittee on Nuclear Deterrence, Arms Control and Defense Intelligence. 

The presentation was made to Exon during a ceremony on Capitol Hill that wa 

s attended by many of his colleagues. The Senator was praised for his "outstandi 

ng voting record and many leadership activities on behalf of our national securi 

ty." Senator Exon received a 80 percent score on the National Security Voting In 

dex (NSVI) for the 103rd Congress. The NSVI is based on ten key votes on defense 

and foreign policy issues. The rating has been published by the bipartisan Amer 

ican Security Council at the conclusion of every Congress since 1970. 

Admiral Thomas II. Moorer, USN (Ret.), the former Chairman of the Joint Chi 

efs of Staff noted Exon's "outstanding efforts to promote bipartisan Peace Throu 

gh Strength policies. His leadership has helped our country maintain its stabili 

ty in the midst of an increasingly chaotic, and in some ways more dangerous worl 

d, then existed before the end of the Cold War. America is today able to chart i 

ts course in world affairs without fear because of the foresight of lawmakers su 

ch as James Exon. When national security is concerned, Senator Exon clearly beli 

eves that the best politics is no politics," said Moorer. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Asks Agencies About Airline Safety 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon sent letters to the Federal Aviation Administrat 

ion and the National Transportation Safety Board last week asking whether the FA 

A was allowing USAir to cut corners on safety. 

Exon, a member of the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, said he was troubled by 

a recent article in the Omaha World-Herald which said the FAA in February appro 

ved a USAir request to run older engines on short flights instead of on more tax 

ing longer trips. 

This practice, known as "extended use," allowed the airline to postpone eng 

ine overhauls for two years and saved it up to $1 million per plane. Twenty-eigh 

t of USAir's 100 737-300 jets, including the one that crashed outside Pittsburgh 

Sept. 8 killing all 132 passengers and crew, were part of the program, the arti 

cle said.

EXON'S LETTER asked the FAA how long the policy had been in place; which, i 

f any, other airlines received similar FAA approval; when were the engines on th 

e crashed plane last overhauled; and will the extended use policy be reviewed in 

the aftermath of the Sept. 8 crash. 

Fraser Jones, FAA spokesman, said Thursday that the extended use policy is 

a "common practice" used with FAA approval by many airlines. He said the practic 

e does not compromise safety standards, and that it probably had nothing to do w 

ith the Pittsburgh crash. 

"It has nothing to do with cutting corners on safety," Jones said. "It's a 

very common practice that's not unique to USAir. It's done with FAA approval and 

the FAA would never approve anything that would compromise safety." 

Jones said the National Transportation Safety Board, which is conducting an 

investigation of the crash, has determined that faulty engines didn't cause the 

accident. 

MIKE BENSON, a spokesman for the NTSB, said Thursday that NTSB investigator 

s "have no evidence" that engine problems caused the Pittsburgh crash. 

"We haven't ruled out anything." Benson said, "but we have no evidence of a 

ny engine malfunction." 

An aide to Exon said Thursday that the senator was waiting for a formal, wr 

itten response to his questions. 

"These are genuine questions and we expect answers right away," he said. "F 

or years, Exon's been talking to these airlines, saying, 'Are you sure you're no 

t cutting back on safety?' and that story triggered his interest." 



AUTH[David Epso 

SOUR[Rapid City Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Daschle, Sasser court fellow Democrats 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Shortly after winning the Democratic Senate nomination from Mo 

ntana, Jack Mudd received telephone calls from Sens. Tom Daschle and Jim Sasser. 

Both offered congratulations and said they "wanted to be supportive," recal 

ls Mudd. They added that their own financial contributors stood ready to help. 

Mudd is not the only Democratic candidate to get those calls. Through conve 

rsations, attendance at fundraisers and donations from their own political organ 

izations, the 46-year-old Daschle and the 58-year-old Sasser are courting others 

as part of their race to succeed retiring George Mitchell as majority leader. 

"Neither one has done a hard-sale routine," says Rep. Tom Andrews, running 

in Maine. "And I say very early on I'm not committed." 

Democratic candidates such as Mudd and Andrews will probably hold the balan 

ce of power when Democrats meet Dec. 2. Senators backing Daschle, from South Dak 

ota, and Sasser, from Tennessee, agree the race is within a vote or two among in 

cumbent Democrats. 

The race has subsided in recent weeks, with Sasser forced into a closer-tha 

n-expected, re-election campaign and Democrats fearful that they may lose contro 

l of the Senate in November. 

If that happens, the Democrats will wind up choosing senator to combat GOP 

Leader Bob Dole and a Republican majority rather than - as they hope - selecting

the man responsible for setting the Senate's agenda and pushing bills toward pa 

ssage. 

The Democrats' next leader, says Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, has to "handle 

the floor, be a representative for the Senate Democrats on the weekend talk show 

s do a good job around the country for the Democrats at fundraising events, and 

carry the president's program." 

Adds Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, Democratic leader for a dozen ye 

ars: "He has to know how to bring members together to resolve differences (and) 

reach compromises." 

Senators say the race will be decided by a blend of personal relationships, 

senatorial self-interest, geographical concerns and a generational fault line t 

hat runs through the Democratic caucus. 

"I wish I had something I wanted," said one senator, undecided despite week 

s of lobbying by both sides. "I could figure out which one could better give it 

to me." 

This senator said Sasser's allies cited his experience and his handling of 

major legislation on the Senate floor, and said he could stand up to the tenacio 

us Dole. On the other hand, the lawmaker said, Daschle's supporters counter that 

Sasser is something of a throwback, that Daschle is the wave of the future and 

will try to improve the quality of life, something of particular concern to juni 

or lawmakers with young families 

In an interview, Daschle says that in more than 15 years in politics, "I've neve 

r had any problem standing up to anybody." 

Sasser is reluctant to discuss the appeal he is making to his colleagues. "A lot 

of this is just built on personal friendships and personal associations over ti 

me," he said. 

With a few exceptions, senators who won their first terms in 1986 or later, 

a group that includes Daschle, tend to be for the South Dakotan. Senior senator 

s, many of them powerful committee chairmen, tend to be for Sasser, himself the 

chairman of the Budget Committee. 

"The nature of your relationships is you tend to have an especially close r 

apport with those" you enter the Senate with, says Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, e 

lected in 1986 and a Daschle supporter. 

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., supporting Sasser, said be had served on th 

e Budget Committee and "been burned and scarred" in legislative battles with the 

Tennessean. "That's a crucial test." 

Elected to the Senate in 1976, Sasser rose through the seniority system to 

become chairman of his committee in 1989. In 1993, he helped steer President Cli 

nton's deficit-reduction plan to passage over unanimous Republican opposition. H 

e also is a longtime member of the Appropriations Committee, a coveted assignmen 

t that confers power through federal spending. 

As a junior senator in 1988, Daschle supported Mitchell in a three-way lead 

ership race. He was rewarded with a newly created post as co-chairman of the Dem 

ocratic Policy Committee, thus gaining unusual visibility for a senator in his f 

irst term. He sits on the Finance Committee, with jurisdiction over tax law, as 

well as health, welfare and trade matters. This year, he was a leader in the fa 

iled drive to win approval of universal health care coverage. 

Both men say they will try to change the filibuster rule that permits a min 

ority to block passage of legislation, and improve the workings of the Senate, i 

n which business can often be slowed to a crawl to accommodate a single senator' 

s schedule. 

Other factors are at work.

Sen. James Exon of Nebraska would become chairman of the Budget Committee i 

f Sasser wins his race. "I'm not decided," the Nebraskan says. "Probably no one 

will ever know but me." 

Byrd supports Sasser because of Daschle's support for measures such as the bala 

nced budget amendment and line item veto, which would weaken Congress' power ove 

r federal spending. "The power of the purse is the key to the balancing among th 

e three branches of government," says Byrd, chairman of the Appropriations Commi 

ttee. 

Then there is the inscrutable calculus of a closed-ballot election in which 

professional politicians cast the only votes. 

Says Dodd with a smile: "There are always more commitments than there are votes 

in these matters." 



AUTH[Jack Rogers 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Not changing drinking water act is costly 

TEXT[The failure of Congress to reauthorize the Safe Drinking Water Act before a 

djourning last week will be costly for Nebraska. 

This was despite efforts by Gov. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Senators Jim Exon and 

Bob Kerrey and all three members of the House delegation. Nelson had made four 

trips to Washington D.C. on behalf of the National Governors' Association and th 

e Council of State Governments to stress the importance of passing the amendment 

s to the act. 

Nelson has said the act could force the taxpayers of Nebraska to spend anot 

her quarter of a billion dollars because of the "one-size-fits-all" mentality th 

at prevails in Washington. 

In particular, the Safe Drinking Water Act means that states will not have 

the flexibility in the monitoring of their public water supplies for compliance. 

This flexibility would have let states like Nebraska make decisions appropriate 

to their circumstances, their geology, their own set of conditions affecting th 

eir water supplies. 

States could have saved money by not conducting unnecessary testing for thi 

ngs that do not even exist in their locality. For example, local public water sy 

stems must continue to test for 83 Environmental Protection Agency-established c 

ontaminants even though some of those chemicals are not used here or do not occu 

r here. 

In addition, every three years the EPA will continue to require the additio 

n of 25 new contaminants for which every public water supply will be required to 

test even, though there is no connection between health impact and the number o 

f new contaminants added to the list. As Nelson said, there are no criteria to d 

etermine an appropriate number of contaminants, if any, to be added to the list. 

This is another classic example of unfunded federal mandates which Nelson h 

as fought. It's also another example of the type of fuzzy thinking that prevails 

among some members of Congress and certainly in the Clinton administration.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Impelled to Work Hard 

TEXT[Knox County Democrats, banqueting in Bloomfield last weekend, were urged to 

work hard to elect their party's candidates on Tuesday, Nov. 8. 

County Chairman Donna Nielsen presided over the event at St. Andrew's Catho 

lic Church. Some 65 people were fed by the church women and heard pep talks by t 

he guest speakers. They took home yard signs, stickers and leaflets for an activ 

e campaign. 

Rousing speeches were delivered by Stephen A. Scherr, running for Nebraska 

attorney general against Don Stenberg; Toba Cohen of Sen. Bob Kerrey's re-electi 

on campaign and Frank LaMere, second vice chairman of state's Democratic Party. 

Incumbent A.G. attacked 

Scherr, an Omaha native practicing law in Hastings, accused Attorney Genera 

l Stenberg of "working for his own political advocacy, not for the people of Neb 

raska...quarreling with the governor and carping with the Legislature." 

The Democratic candidate was associated with the late Gerald Whelan, an att 

orney general and lieutenant governor who ran without success for governor in 19 

78. Presently the Adams County attorney, Scherr had been a public defender and s 

erved the U.S. General Accounting office. 

"I know what the problems of the people of Nebraska are," he said. "I work 

every day with law enforcement officers and victims of crime. I am able to be an 

effective attorney for the people of Nebraska." 

Kerrey campaign wary 

Toba Cohen criticized negative, "imperious" attacks against Kerrey by his R 

epublican opponent, Jan Stoney, in a recent televised debate. 

From Omaha Ms. Cohen had gone to Washington, D.C., where she worked six yea 

rs for U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon until Kerrey asked her to return and work for him. 

"We have a lot of work to do in the next 30 days," she said. Kerrey is thre 

atened by anti-incumbent and anti-government feelings, she explained, and by Rep 

ublican and Pro-Life rhetoric. 

The Kerrey aide said a recent poll gave the senator a six point lead over J 

an Stoney, with a four percent allowable margin of error. 

"Republicans always vote more than Democrats do," she warned. 

From Winnebago Tribe 

State vice chairman LaMere, a member of the Winnebago Indian Tribe, told th 

e gathering, "The Democratic Party has a place for everyone. 

With reference to a Bloomfield sign he saw honoring Desert Storm veterans, 

he praised war veterans, including his 20-year-old brother who in Vietnam "laid 

down his life defending the Constitution of the United States. 

"It is important to look back at what these-young men have done for us," La 

Mere said. 

In the recent senate candidates' debate, he said, "It hurt me to see Bob Ke 

rrey be maligned on television, the patriot that he is. 

"We must support the principles that hold us together and support the Democ 

ratic candidates who will support the Constitution that our young men and women 

have given their lives to defend," LaMere said. 

Democratic candidates for Knox County offices were introduced and applauded

. Some accepted invitations to speak. 

County officials seeking re-election who stood included Virginia Buerman, c 

lerk and Wesley Mach, assessor. 

Democrats who have been in the party a quarter century or more were asked t 

o stand and applauded. They included May C. Glover. 

89, of Creighton. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[2 County Officials to Attend D.C. Ceremony 

TEXT[GERING--Scottsbluff County's sheriff and county board chairman will attend 

a White House ceremony today at which President Clinton will award grants under 

the recently enacted federal crime law. 

Sheriff Chuck Fairbanks and Commissioner Clint Morrison will accept a three 

-year, $67,875 grant to hire a bilingual community liaison officer in the sherif 

fs department, the two said Tuesday before leaving for Washington, D.C. 

They added they will lobby for federal help in building a new county jail t 

his afternoon, when they take part in a U.S. Justice Department briefing on the 

crime law. Attorney General Janet Reno will lead the briefing. 

White House officials called Fairbanks late Friday to invite the county off 

icials to the nation's capital, Morrison said during Tuesday's county board meet 

ing. 

They will be among 400 to 500 recipients of "community policing grants" at 

a ceremony at 8:30 a.m., said Patricia Rapp, western Nebraska representative for 

U.S Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon. They will return to the Twin Cities Thursday 

. 

The Justice Department recently granted the county's long-sanding applicati 

on for help in hiring a community liaison officer. The new deputy would be Hispa 

nic and would serve as a role model for Scottsbluff County's Hispanic community, 

Fairbanks said. 

The grant had been rejected several times before, but the county didn't res 

ubmit it this time, Morrison said. "The grant application was there, and after t 

he crime bill was passed, there were funds available to do what we wanted to do 

in the past." 

The grant expects the county to pick up 25 percent of the new deputy's cost 

But Fairbanks said local taxpayers won't bear add additional costs, because the 

grant allows the sheriffs office to count existing training and administrative 

costs toward its share. 

But the county would have to assume the entire cost of keeping the communit 

y liaison officer after the grant runs out. Although that could produce another 

hidden mandate for the county, Morrison said, "it's not a super concern." 

"We have looked at requests from the sheriff's department for increased sta 

ff in numbers of three or four officers," he said. 

"So one officer at this time is certainly not out of line." 

Morrison said he and Fairbanks will urge Reno to consider the county's prop 

osal for a jail that would house both county prisoners and nonviolent Panhandle

prisoners under the state's jurisdiction. 

The plan, which state officials haven't endorsed, isn't part of the Nov. 8 

election's $9 million bond issue for a county-only jail. The federal crime law i 

ncludes money for building prisons, but it isn't clear whether local governments 

can get some of the money, Morrison said. 

Morrison said the county would have to pick up the cost of the trip to Wash 

ington, but he couldn't estimate the price tag. He and Fairbanks have secured lo 

w-cost airline tickets and motel reservations, he said. 




SOUR[Genoa Leader Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey, Hoagland Announce Better Omaha, D.C. Flights 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and Congressman Peter H 

oagland (D-NE) said today that the Department of Transportation agreed to their 

request to allow Midwest Express Airlines to shift its evening Omaha to Washingt 

on, D.C. flights to an earlier, more convenient time. 

Earlier this year, Milwaukee-based Midwest Express began offering non-stop 

flights between Omaha and Washington, D.C. However, the return flight time to Om 

aha was so late that Exon authored legislation to give the Secretary of Transpor 

tation flexibility to make more convenient flight schedules by shifting to earli 

er landing and takeoff times at Washington National Airport. This time change wi 

ll be effective Dec. 15, 1994. 

The legislation was requested by Midwest Express and Omaha air-port officia 

ls. 

"With earlier flight times, Nebraskans will have better access not only to 

Washington, D.C., but also to points west of Omaha," Exon, Kerrey and Hoagland s 

aid. "This change will help business travelers and families alike and will help 

create and keep jobs in Omaha." 




SOUR[Genoa Leader Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Vegetable Ink Printing Act Will Help Nebraska Agriculture 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) said today that Nebraska soybean farmers and a 

ll Americans will benefit from Congressional passage of a bill requiring the fed 

eral government to use vegetable-based ink for government printing jobs. 


said. "Using ink made from soybeans and other vegetable oils will help reduce ou 

r nation's use of non-renewable petroleum for printing ink and increase our use 

of renewable agricultural products that cause less damage to the environment," h 

e said. 

"Furthermore, the Government Printing Office estimates that using vegetable

oil-based ink will add little if any additional cost to government printing," h 

e said. 

"I hope other levels of government and private sector companies, if they ha 

ve not already done so, will follow the federal government's example," Exon said 

. "For several important reasons, it's right for Nebraska and it's right for all 

of America." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Resolution Supporting Prayer in Schools Passed by County Board 

TEXT[CENTRAL CITY, Neb. (AP) - Merrick County supervisors have approved a resolu 

tion in support of school prayer. 

The board joined three other counties in the state -Stanton, Valley and Ric 

hardson - in supporting a voluntary prayer resolution that originated in Texas. 

The resolution is part of a national movement that started in Texas in the 

summer of 1993 when Denton County passed such a resolution and then sent it to e 

very county in the nation. 

So far nearly 160 of the 254 counties in Texas have passed the resolution, 

as well as about 135 counties in 26 states, mostly in the South and Midwest, sai 

d Lisa Polster, a staff member for the Denton County Commission. 

The resolution maintains that recent court decisions banning prayer have co 

ntributed to the deterioration of religious beliefs in the country. 

Merrick County supervisor Gail Ferris said the passage of the resolution wa 

sn't intended to be controversial. 

"What we're saying is that we support voluntary prayer. If someone chooses 

not to pray it's voluntary. If someone chooses to pray it's voluntary. It's up t 

o the individual," she said. 

How it would be implemented locally was not discussed, Ferris said. 

Ron Wall, superintendent of the Central City schools, would not comment on 

the resolution. 

"I don't want to have anything to do with it," he said. 

Merrick County supervisors sent copies of the resolution to President Clint 

on, Nebraska Sens. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, and Reps. Doug Bereuter, Peter Hoa 

gland and Bill Barrett. 

"Let's take the federal government out of this (prayer in school) and let t 

he communities decide," Ferris said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lynda Scribante Is Nominated For Seat on Goldwater Board

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton will nominate Lynda Hare Scribante of Omaha 

to the board of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foun 

dation, the White House announced Thursday. 

"Lynda Scribante's sincere interest in children and in improving education 

makes her an excellent choice for the foundation board." said J.J Exon, D-Neb, w 

ho nominated Mrs. Scribante for the post. 

Mrs. Scribante is the wife of A.J. Scribante, chief executive officer of Vi 

tal Learning Corp. in Omaha. 

"I can't tell you how honored I am to be associated with a foundation beari 

ng his name," Mrs. Scribante said of Goldwater. "I feel a tremendous sense of pe 

rsonal satisfaction at being named to the board." 

She served eight years with Goldwater on the U.S. Air Force Academy Board o 

f Visitors. 

Mrs. Scribante has had presidential appointments to the Air Force Academy B 

oard of Visitors, the President's Commission on Medical and Biomedical Ethics an 

d the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation. 

She is a founding member of Women of Our Hemisphere, an organization aimed 

at improving children's education and quality of life, Exon said. 

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was 

named for the former Republican senator from Arizona who was the party's 1964 pr 

esidential nominee. 

The foundation, which is financed through interest on an appropriation of $ 

40 million, was created by Congress in 1986 as a tribute to Goldwater on his ret 

irement. 

It has a 13-member board, two from the Senate, two from the House of Repres 

entatives and eight appointed by the president to six-year terms. The secretary 

of education serves as an ex-officio member. 

Board members serve without pay other than reimbursement for travel and exp 

enses. 

The foundation, which has a two-person staff based in Springfield, Va., awa 

rds scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students who intend to pursue care 

ers in mathematics and natural sciences. 

The current chairman of the foundation's board of trustees is former Sen. H 

oward Cannon. D-Nev., who this year announced scholarships covering up to $7,000 

of expenses for each of 250 students. 

Since it was established the foundation has awarded 1,260 scholarships tota 

ling about $15 million. 

In addition to Mrs. Scribante, the White House announced the president's in 

tention to nominate Cannon for another term on the foundation board. 

Also nominated for another term was retired Army Lt. Gen. William Quinn, wh 

o heads a consulting firm in Washington. 

Nominations will be made in January and are subject to Senate approval. 




SOUR[Omaha Jewish Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[AIPAC lists speakers for conference

TEXT[The Nebraska pro-Israel conference scheduled for Sunday at the Georgetowne 

Club will feature the following speakers: 

Gov. Ben Nelson, Sen. Jim Exon, Sen. Bob Kerrey, Rep. Peter Hoagland, Senat 

e Candidate Jan Stoney, House Candidate Jon Christensen, House Candidate Patrick 

Combs, State Senators Ron Withem, Jessie Rasmussen, Jim Monen, Dwite Pederson a 

nd Scott Moore. 

The conference also will feature Giora Romm, Defense Attache for the Embass 

y of Israel; Judy Schweikart, Democratic National Committee woman; Jerry Schenke 

n, Nebraska Republican Party chair; Larry Sitzman, Commissioner of the Dept. of 

Agriculture; Arthur Avnon, Israeli Consul General; Howard Kohr, AIPAC managing d 

irector; Woody Howe, editor of the Omaha World-Herald; Karen Kilgarin, deputy ch 

ief of staff for Gov. Nelson and Bob Wolfson, executive director, ADL/CRC of the 

Omaha Jewish Federation. 

The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and costs $25 for adults, $ 

18 for students. Cost includes kosher breakfast and lunch. 

For information, call Jennifer Gilbert at (202) 639-5243. 

The workshop is sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, 

and the Jewish Federations of Omaha and Lincoln. 



AUTH[Laura Erbst 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Commissioners Back Resolution 

TEXT[Stanton County is one of three in Nebraska to recently approve a resolution 

in support of school prayer. 

The three counties - Stanton, Valley and Richardson have passed a voluntary 

prayer resolution that originated in Texas. 




So far, nearly 160 of the 254 counties in Texas have passed the resolution, 

as well as about 135 other counties in 26 states, mostly in the South and Midwe 

st, said Lisa Polster, a staff member for the Denton County Commission. 


ntributed to the deterioration of religious beliefs in the 

country. 

Stanton County Commissioner Bob Prusa said the commissioners began talking 

about the issue when they received the letter from Denton County. 

"They gave us a list of other counties in the United States going along wit 

h it. We need prayer in school. We're not forcing it on anybody, we just want to 

allow it if they want to do it," he said. 

Prusa said the commissioners received no opposition from the Stanton commun 

ity when they voted to support the resolution at a meeting Aug. 15. 

"The general feeling in Congress is to draw all prayer out of schools, whic 

h they have done. We are trying to promote the resolution to get it back in. Not 

everyone is a Christian. Others may have other views on this. They may not want 

to pray at all or listen to prayer. We just want to make it available to those

who want it," Prusa said. 

Elsewhere, Merrick County supervisor Gail Ferris said the passage of the re 

solution wasn't intended to be controversial. 

"What were saying is that we support voluntary prayer. If someone chooses n 

ot to pray it's voluntary. If someone chooses to pray it's voluntary. It's up to 

the individual," she told the Associated Press. 


Ron Wall, superintendent of the Central City schools, would not comment on 

the resolution. 

"I don't want to have anything to do with it," he said. 


on, Nebraska Sens. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, and Reps. Doug Bereuter, Peter Hoa 

gland and Bill Barrett. 


he communities decide," Ferris said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Merrick county Passes Resolution in Support of Prayer in classroom 

TEXT[CENTRAL CITY, Neb. (AP) Merrick County supervisors have approved a resoluti 

on in support of school prayer. 

The board joined three other counties in the state - Stanton, Valley and Ri 

chardson - in supporting a voluntary prayer resolution that originated in Texas. 









Merrick County supervisor Gail Ferris said the passage of the resolution wa 



not to pray it's voluntary. If someone chooses to pray it's voluntary. It's up t 

o the individual," she said. 


Ron Wall, superintendent of the Central City schools, said he had no commen 

t on the resolution. 


on, Nebraska Sens. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, and Rep. Doug Bereuter, Peter Hoag 

land and Bill Barrett. 

"Let's take the federal government out of this (prayer in school), and let 

the communities decide," Polster said.




SOUR[Palmer Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Andrea Nichols Attends NYLC 

TEXT[Miss Andrea Nicholas of Archer has been selected to attend The National You 

ng Leaders Conference from October II to October 16, 1994, in Washington, D.C. 

The National Young Leaders Conference is a unique leadership development program 

for high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholas 

tic merit. Andrea, a Junior at Palmer School is among 350 outstanding National S 

cholars attending the conference from across America. 

The theme of the National Young Leaders Conference is "The Leaders of Tomor 

row Meeting the Leaders of Today." Throughout the six-day conference, Andrea wil 

l interact with key leaders and newsmakers from the three branches of government 

, the media and the diplomatic corps. 




ceive policy briefings from senior government officials. Andrea may also meet w 

ith senator J. James Exon, Senator Robert Kerrey and Representative Bill Barrett 

or an appointed member of their staff to discuss important issues facing Archer 

and the nation. 

To complement these special meetings and briefings, Andrea will participate 

in a number of leadership skill-building activities. In one activity, "If l wer 

e President," students role-play the President, members of the Cabinet and repre 

sentatives from Capitol Hill who must respond to an international crisis involvi 

ng North Korea. Culminating the National Young Leaders Conference is the "Mock C 

ongress, in which scholars assume the roles of United States Representatives by 

debating, amending and voting on proposed legislation on crime. 


th Leadership Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization. Founde 

d in 1985, the Council is committed to "fostering and inspiring young people to 

achieve their full leadership potential." Over 300 members of the United States 

Congress join this commitment as members of the Council's Honorary Congressional 

Board of Advisors. Each year, only 7,000 outstanding youth nationwide may parti 

cipate in the 20 sessions of the National Young Leaders Conference. 

"The conference provides the opportunity for students, like Andrea, to dist 

inguish themselves as tomorrow's leaders," said John Hines, Council Executive Di 

rector. "Scholars not only gain knowledge and experience in the nation's capital 

, they leave with a sense of accomplishment and an increased ability to face the 

challenges of the future." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Equal Medicare Payments For Rural Hospitals

TEXT[Sen. Exon recently praised the Department of Health and Human Services (DHH 

S) for implementing the final phase of a change he had long promoted that will p 

ut rural and urban hospitals on a level playing field. 





nate the unfair Medicare payments to rural hospitals," he said. "Legislation fin 

ally passed in 1990 to phase in an equal Medicare payment rate. That phase-in wi 

ll be completed next month, when the 1995 payment rates begin." 

To make the payment rates equal, the federal government will 

increase payment rates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent w 

hich began on October 1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Paym 

ents to urban hospitals will rise by 1.5 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Candidate says he would work to protect state interests 

TEXT[A Grand Island businessman said Thursday he wants to make less partisanship 

and more leadership the theme of his campaign for Nebraska's 3rd District congr 

essional seat. 

Gil Chapin, the Democratic nominee for the seat, said he would work both si 

des of aisle to protect Nebraska interests if he were elected to replace Bill Ba 

rrett in the House of Representatives. 

Chapin, 52, said he would make himself more accessible to constituents than 

has Barrett who is finishing his second term in the House. He criticized Barret 

t for what he called a lack of leadership in the fight for environmental law ref 

orm, and he said he would work to protect Nebraska agriculture in the debate ove 

r the 1995 Farm Bill. 

Chapin accused Barrett of failing to step out front in the drive to achieve 

reform in federal Superfund environmental law. He said he would begin early in 

his term to establish a working relationship with the Environmental Protection 

Agency and look for realistic answers to environmental problems like groundwater 

contamination in the Hastings area. 

"If I am elected to this position. I will be sitting at the director of the 

EPA s office the first week I am sworn in," Chapin said. 

He said he favors a two-tiered standard for cleanup, with the degree of a s 

ite cleanup depending on the site's use. He also said he would call for total re 

peal of retroactive liability for contamination that occurred prior to 1980. 

Chapin said Farm Bill legislation would be his top priority in a first Hous 

e term. Unlike Barrett, he said, he supports strengthening the government farm l 

oan program, and he would pay for the increases with money saved through reducti 

ons in foreign aid. 

Foreign aid needs to be pared anyway, Chapin said. Whatever aid the United 

States does provide other countriesshould be tied to requirements that much of i

t be spent on U.S. goods and services, he said. 

"Foreign aid is not getting us the bang for the buck. The Cold War is over; 

let's start taking care of our own people. 

Over the long haul, Chapin said, he favors a reduction of government involv 

ement in agriculture. Short-term, he said, independent family farmers and ranch 

ers need help just staying afloat. 

"We have to find a way to keep the family farmer on the farm," he said. "I 

think that's central to the lifestyle to Nebraska." 

Chapin is a native of Morrison, Ill., and received his undergraduate histor 

y degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. He earned a master's degree 

in government from the University of Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietna 

m. 

Chapin moved to Grand Island in 1980 to work for the Overhead Door Corp. He 

has held several posts in the company, and currently handles sales in 18 states 

for the company's McGuire Loading Dock Division. 

He and his wife, Mary Ellen, have three daughters: Elizabeth, age 15; Jane 

Marie, 13; and Mary Louise, 10. 

Politically, Chapin said, "I'm a very independent and very conservative Dem 

ocrat, in the mold of (Gov.) Ben Nelson and (Sen.) Jim Exon." Among his other vi 

ews, he said, he: 

-Is almost certain he would oppose the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tra 

de. He said an international agreement of that sort must never supersede U.S. la 

w, as is proposed. 

-Favors welfare reform and sees it as a high priority for 1995. Under the 

plan Chapin favors, he said, "in two years' time you get a job or the payments s 

top-period." 

-Wants health care reform, but would have opposed President Clinton's 1994 

proposal. He said the issue became overly partisan this year. 

-Opposes abortion and federal funding for abortions. 

-Opposes U.S. military intervention in foreign situations where U.S. strate 

gic interests are not in clear jeopardy. He said he has supported U.S. operation 

s in Kuwait but opposed them in Somalia and Haiti. 

-Supports the term limits initiative on Nebraska's November ballot and woul 

d seek no more than three terms in the House if he were elected. 

Chapin said he realizes his campaign against Barrett will be uphill, but th 

at he can win if voters listen to his message. 

He said he never would have signed the "Contract with America" Barrett and 

his Republican colleagues signed in September. He called the contract's package 

of promises unrealistic to the point of absurdity. 

"This is talking down to the people of central and western Nebraska as thou 

gh we were second-graders." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Tribe Gets Business Grant 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Friday that the W

innebago Tribe of Nebraska has received an $800,000 federal grant to build a bus 

iness center in Winnebago. 

The community development block grant from the federal Department of Housin 

g and Urban Development (HUD) will help pay for constructing spaces for offices 

and stores in the Thurston County town. 

In addition to the federal grant, the Winnebago Tribe will contribute $448, 

400 toward the project. 

"This project will encourage economic development in Winnebago and the surr 

ounding area," said Exon and Kerrey, both Nebraska Democrats. 




SOUR[Lincoln Neighborhood Extra 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Optimists 

TEXT[The EvenIng Optimist Club of Lincoln is planning a hayrack ride for Cedars 

Home youths in October. 

The Optimist clubs in Lincoln will play host to the district Tri- Star Foot 

ball competition Oct. 16 beginning at noon at UNL's Memorial Stadium. 

Bill Lowery received The Optimist Club of Lincoln's Optimist of the Year aw 

ard during recent officer installation ceremonies. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, a member of the Optimist Club of Lincoln, will be the club' 

s guest speaker during a noon luncheon meeting Oct. 20 on the 11th floor of the 

NBC Center, 13th and O streets. 

The Optimist Club of Lincoln's officers for the 1994-95 year are: president 

- Carol Thompson; vice-president Les Leininger: oneyear 

board members - Leonard Jansing, Judy Schulze and Mitch Sump; two-year memb 

ers -Jim Howland, Alyce Howard and Mary Zmarzly; secretary -Rex Thompson: treasu 

rer - Bill Lowery. 



AUTH[Julia McCord 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Group Focuses on Lobbying to Feed World 

TEXT[Ames, Iowa-- Sunshine and air with a hint of frost made for perfect footbal 

l weather here last Saturday. 

And inside Bethesda Lutheran Church's fellowship hall, where spacious windo 

ws framed a blaze of autumn greens and golds outside, the Rev. David Beckmann's 

pep talk to 60 workshop participants was in keeping with the season. 

"You are the salt of the earth." 

"There aren't many folks like you." 

"I'm just amazed at what we've been able to do." 

"I'm awestruck at the difference we've made." 

Then, in his best "win-one-for-the-Gipper" voice, he said: "With only a mus

tard seed of faith, great things are possible. We can end hunger in this country 

and make a big dent in the world." 

Beckmann, 46, is president of Bread for the World, a Christian anti-hunger 

lobbying organization based in the Washington, D.C. area. The Lincoln, Neb., nat 

ive was in Ames to rally his Iowa team at a combined Bread for the World worksho 

p and 20th anniversary celebration at the church. 

Ending hunger in the United States is a big task for a group that numbers o 

nly 44,000 and has an annual budget of $4 million. 

Although Bread for the World maintains a national office with a staff of 40 

, individual Christians do most of its lobbying - Christians like the 60 in Ames 

who bombard Congress and the White House with letters and telephone calls when 

legislation concerning hunger is on the agenda. 

This personalized lobbying has worked, Beckmann said. 

"What makes a difference is when Christians in Omaha, Lincoln, Ames and Gra 

nd Island speak out of their own convictions and say, 'I really want you to do t 

he right thing,' " Beckmann said. "Senators and representatives are delighted to 

hear from people like that. They want to do the right thing, too." 

In 1991, for example, Bread for the World helped secure passage of the Horn 

of Africa Recovery and Food Security Act, a bill that shifted U.S. aid to Ethio 

pia, Sudan and Somalia away from military aid to peace and grass roots developme 

nt. 

In 1992, the group helped win $885 million in increases for the Special Sup 

plemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Head Start and the 

Job Corps. 

In 1993, it waged a campaign to transform U.S. foreign aid by making enviro 

nmentally sound poverty reduction its centerpiece. 

Bread for the World has repeatedly been able to move $200 million to $300 m 

illion a year toward programs that help hungry people," said Beckmann, a former 

World Bank economist with degrees from Yale University and the London School of 

Economics. "That amounts to $1,000 a letter and a life a letter in Africa." 

Beckmann said the key to Bread for the World's success is its grounding in 

Christian moral teaching and faith. 

Saturday's workshop, for example, began and ended with worship. 

The Rev. Arthur Simon, a Lutheran pastor, founded the organization in 1974 

in New York City. Simon's brother is U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill. 

Arthur Simon insisted that lobbying Congress and the White House for legisl 

ation attacking the root causes of hunger was as appropriate a response to Jesus 

' command to feed the hungry as running a food bank. 

He also insisted that the Christian gospel remain central to Bread for the 

World's work lest it join failed church-related human justice projects whose mem 

bers "did not sufficiently recognize the link between their faith and their proj 

ects." 

That faith, Beckmann said, nourishes the spirit and sustains people over th 

e years. 

"That's the secret of Bread for the World - that scattering of faithful peo 

ple who just won't quit," he said. 

Bread for the World organizes itself along congressional district lines. Ch 

urches as well as individuals can join. 

Churches participate in various ways, said Mike Harning, a national staff o 

fficer at Bread for the World's headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. 

Contributing churches support the organization financially and receive its

newsletter in return, he said. 

Covenant churches go a step further by agreeing to incorporate Bread for th 

e World's literature in their worship services and education programs, he said. 

Bread for the World supplies covenant churches with worship materials, five 

free memberships, the newsletter and kits for planning Hunger Sunday and other 

letter-writing campaigns called offerings of letters, Harning said. 

First Lutheran Church at 542 S. 31st Ave. in Omaha, where Beckmann was orda 

ined and commissioned as a missionary economist 20 years ago, is a covenant chur 

ch. So is First United Methodist Church at 7020 Cass St. in Omaha. They are amon 

g Nebraska's 10 covenant churches. 

Both churches use Bread for the World's liturgies and hymns in worship serv 

ices and its educational materials in forums and classes. They also periodically 

schedule letter-writing campaigns. 

The Rev. Donald Duy, First Lutheran's associate pastor, said the church's c 

ampaigns usually generate 50 to 100 letters. 

The Rev. Carol Windrum of Omaha, director of peace with justice ministries 

for the Nebraska Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, said a recent 

letter-writing effort at First United Methodist produced 32 letters. 

The Nebraska conference supports Bread for the World through its Voices to 

the Capitol program, she said. 

"I think Bread for the World is one of the most credible advocacy organizat 

ions in Washington," she said. "They are very deliberate about gaining bipartisa 

n support. They research very thoroughly. Their educational materials are top n 

otch. And they focus on both domestic and global issues, which is healthy. They 

do great work." 

U.S. Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., a Lutheran who just completed a second thr 

ee-year term on Bread for the World's 41-member board, headed the organization's 

effort this year to revamp the U.S. foreign aid budget by shifting funds from m 

ilitary assistance to development and anti-poverty programs. 

The resolution, which fell 62 votes short of the necessary 218 to pass the 

House, required no additional financial outlays, Bereuter said. 

But this year's Bread for the World proposal to guarantee WIC's nutrition a 

nd health-related services to all eligible low-income women and children by the 

end of 1996 carried a price tag of $4.17 billion, up nearly $1 billion from the 

current $3.21 billion appropriation. The WIC plan was tied to President Clinton' 

s stalled health-care proposal. 

Citing costs, Bereuter did not support the proposal or the organization's b 

acking of the 1993 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. 

"I won't sign on for fiscal reasons in the cases where Bread for the World 

proposes significant increases in expenditures on domestic programs," he said. 

Beckmann defended Bread for the World's support for WIC by pointing to long 

-range sayings gained from reducing low birth weights, infant mortality and nutr 

ition-related health problems. 

He said the organization will continue its push for mandatory full funding 

for WIC as a part of health-care reform. 

Organizationally, Beckmann said, Bread for the World needs to recruit more 

members, raise more money and bring younger people and minorities into its prima 

rily white, middle-aged and middle-class fold. 

It also needs to explore ways of cooperating with other anti-poverty organi 

zations in the United States so that "collectively we can have a bigger impact," 

he said.

"We need to think bigger and build a social movement against hunger and pov 

erty in this country in the 1990's," he said. 

Beckmann said politics and religion can be a volatile brew. 

But Bread for the World, he said, safeguards itself by staying away from pa 

rtisan and denominational politics and by focusing only on issues relevant to hu 

ngry people. 

As a result, he said, it appeals to Christians of all denominational and po 

litical persuasions. 

"We are a specialized ministry," he said. "What we want to be is a thread i 

n the fabric of the church. We're a way churches can multiply their few loaves 

and fishes. 

Judy Marnin of Anita, Iowa, has been a Bread for the World member for 10 ye 

ars. She helped plan Saturday's workshop, which included strategy sessions on gr 

ass-roots lobbying. 

Mrs. Marnin doesn't worry about mixing politics and religion. The Bible, sh 

e said, says clearly that Christians are to feed the hungry and care for the poo 

r. 

"If you are a Christian, you must be socially active in achieving equity an 

d justice for all people," she said. "The only way to achieve that, I'm convince 

d, is on a political level." 



AUTH[Al Koontz 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Just the fax, please 

TEXT[The results are in and there are no surprises. 

The undeniable Fax Machine King is Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey. He trounced a 

host of challengers in the first Tribune Election Year FaxOff contest. 

Facsimile machines have legitimate, viable uses. Unfortunately, however, po 

liticians, salesmen and others have discovered fax machines can be used for othe 

r purposes, such as adding to this country's landfill squeeze. 

Five years ago, a good politician might have mailed out one or two news rel 

eases a week. But a fax machine saves time. A congressional staffer can bang out 

a news release, turn around and fax it to every newspaper in the state with the 

push of a button. That saves the staffer time, time he or she can use to bang o 

ut 

more news releases. 

In this election year congressional staffers are be saving lots of time. 

So, in the investigative spirit of this profession, I conducted a very unsc 

ientific survey of fax messages. The intent was to discover who was best (or wor 

st) at their use of the fax. 

Reliable 

The first step was to find a reliable and accessible fax machine at which t 

o take a count. That was easy. The news department fax machine is nearby, and wo 

nderful Linda, the boss's secretary, hand delivers to my desk nearly all the stu 

ff that slides out of the fax machine's mouth. 

The second step was a little more difficult. l had to find someplace in my 

cluttered corner to store the expected onslaught of paper during the week-long s 

urvey period. I settled on a semi-open patch of rug under my desk.

Then I sat back and waited for the fax lines to heat up. 

A week later, l had a stack of 93 separate faxes on 178 letter-sized pages 

of paper. And those are only the faxes that were NOT newsworthy. Other faxes wit 

h sports results, death notices and legitimate news releases were destined for o 

ther desks and a possible spot on a news page. 

After the count, it is clear that among the two political superpowers, the 

Democrats have taken a huge lead over the Republicans in the fax race. 

But even taken as a whole, the rest of the Democrats shrink back into the s 

hadows when compared to King Kerrey. Over the one-week survey period, The Tribun 

e received 17 different messages on 50 pages from either the Kerrey Senate offic 

e or the Kerrey campaign office. Another seven Kerrey-related items came from th 

e Nebraska Democrats. 

The subject matter of Kerrey's "news" was as could be expected: 

-Mrs. Stoney caught in lie..." or "Stoney would have kept minimum wage at $3.35 

an hour." Others contained information that was probably somewhat newsworthy or 

useful, like Kerrey's schedule or his views on some Senate action or meeting Ker 

rey had with a high-ranking administration official. 

Sen. Jim Exon was second in the fax race, a surprise since he is not in the 

midst of a campaign. Exon sent out a dozen files on 20 pages, mostly touting hi 

s congressional achievements. 

Another Democrat, Gov. Ben Nelson, ranked third in the survey with nine fax 

es (14 pages). The governor won in a landslide over GOP opponent Gene Spence, wh 

o managed just one two-page fax. 

The Third District race for Congress was the only place the GOP held a lead 

, and it was a slim one. Rep. Bill Barrett sent two faxes (three pages) to Democ 

rat Gil Chapin's one (two pages). 

Stoney again 

To be fair, it must be pointed out that the GOP, while not so voluminous, c 

an burn the fax lines as well as any liberal. Jan Stoney's six faxes (16 pages), 

for instance, carried headlines like "Debate proves Kerrey's loyalty to Clinton 

" and "Kerrey votes with Clinton again." Ouch! 

There were other faxes of note. Four came from a group calling itself "Crim 

eStrike," and was listed in teeny print as a "Division of the National Rifle Ass 

ociation." An obscure term limit support group faxed twice. The Department of La 

bor sent a three-page note on Labor Secretary Robert Reich's testimony on Job Co 

rps. 

And some guy named Ross Perot even sent three notices about his radio sched 

ule with Larry King. Hohum. 

All-in-all, 178 pages of waste. On the other hand, perhaps the number of fa 

xes received could be used as a pre-election indicator of how the election will 

turn out. But that's another survey. 




SOUR[Cheyenne Tribune Eagle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[NASE award winners 

TEXT[Washington, D.C.-The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) has

announced the recipients of its Legislative Visionary Award for 1994. The award 

was given to 11 members of congress for their efforts on behalf of the nation's 

small business community. 

The 11 members of Congress receiving the award were: Sen. J. James Exon, D 

-Neb.; Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah; Sen. Joseph L 

ieberman, D-Conn.; Sen. Jim Sasser, D-Tenn.; Sen. Malcolm Wallop, R-Wyo.; Rep. 

Thomas Ewing, R-Ill.; Rep. Fred Grandy, R-Iowa; Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb.; Rep 

. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn.; Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md. 

"This was another busy year for small business," said NASE President Bennie 

L. Thayer. "Health care reform, regulatory reduction, the home office deductio 

n and several tax issues were critical to our members. We wanted to show our ap 

preciation to those in the 103rd Congress who have carried the torch on the issu 

es that are important to small business." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Anonymous 'Hold' Blocks Senate Bills 

TEXT[Washington - Nearly everyone has heard about a Senate filibuster, the parli 

amentary maneuver that allows a minority of 41 senators to block passage of legi 

slation. 

But, said Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., few people outside the 100-member Senate 

know about the "hold," an unwritten Senate rule that allows one senator to delay 

or kill a bill without being identified. 

"A hold is even more devastating than a filibuster because you can break a 

filibuster with 60 votes." Exon said. "There is no way to break a hold." 

Exon estimated that more than 100 bills, including some of considerable imp 

ortance, died in the Senate this year as a result of anonymous holds. 

The Senate historian's office said holds apparently evolved in the Senate f 

rom traditions of senatorial courtesy that are more than 200 years old. 

Holds can be placed on virtually all matters of Senate business, including 

nominations. 

Exon expressed his frustration about holds on the final day of the 103rd Co 

ngress when a pipeline safety bill he sponsored was blocked by an unidentified D 

emocratic senator for unknown reasons. 

The bill, which included provisions for improving driver safety for young m 

otorists, required hours of work by Exon and other members of the Senate surface 

transportation subcommittee. 

"If someone has some objection, let that person come forth, stand up on the 

floor of the U.S. Senate, announce his or her objection and then at least we wi 

ll know where the responsibility falls," Exon said in a Senate speech. 

"I do not think it is fair," he said. "I do not think it is reasonable ... 

that these important pieces of safety legislation are not being allowed to pass. 

" 

Exon said he later learned the identity of the senator who was blocking the 

legislation. However, as part of the Senate tradition, he declined to name the

senator. 

Names of senators placing a hold on legislation are made known in the Senat 

e only to the majority leader, in the case of Democrats, and to the minority lea 

der for Republicans. 

Exon said he spent hours trying to determine who was holding up the safety 

legislation. 

When he finally learned who it was, it was too late. The Senate was ready t 

o adjourn for the year, and the senator with the hold was traveling to his home 

by car. 

"It's all so clandestine," Exon said. 

"At least 10 senators should have to go on record to put a hold on a bill. This 

is a greater shortcoming in our legislative system than the filibuster." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the hold is merely a prelude to a filibuster. 

"The only reason a senator can put a hold on a bill is the threat of a fili 

buster," Harkin said. "If you don't have a filibuster, you don't have holds." 

Harkin said the Senate should consider revising the rule requiring a threefifths 

majority to terminate a filibuster. 

He said he agrees with a proposal made by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., in 1973 to 

gradually reduce the number of votes needed to end debate. 

"You would start out needing 60 votes," Harkin said. "After three or four d 

ays the requirement would drop to 57 votes, then three or four days later it wou 

ld be 54 votes and finally 51 votes," Harkin said. 

"This would still give a minority time to slow a bill down," he said. "It w 

ould enable the minority to alert the public to a bill it opposed, but it wouldn 

't give a vexatious minority the time and ability to totally stop a bill." 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said holds wouldn't be a problem if the Sena 

te did its work in a more timely way. 

"If we worked in January, February and March to get legislation to the floo 

r, you wouldn't have holds at the tail end of the session," Grassley said. 

"The United States Senate is the only place in the political system where a 

minority gets its views heard," Grassley said. "I think we ought to continue th 

at tradition." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said filibusters and holds were used in the 103rd 

Congress to give one political party a perceived advantage over the other party 

in advance of the Nov. 8 election. 

Kerrey said the Senate should not change its rules without consideration of 

long-term consequences. 

"I think we have to be very careful about acting in an election year," he s 

aid. "I'd be far more comfortable talking about proposed changes in 1995." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Tribe receives grant 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has received an $800,000 

federal grant to build a business center in the northeast Nebraska town of Winn 

ebago, said Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb.

The grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will help pa 

y for construction costs in the Thurston County town, Exon and Kerrey said in a 

statement released Friday. 

The tribe is expected to contribute $448,000 toward the project, the senato 

rs said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon finds himself on other side of delay tactic 

TEXT[Washington - Sea Jim Exon, D-Neb., knows gridlock as well as anyone in Cong 

ress; he also has first-hand knowledge that what goes around, comes 

around. 

Back in 1985 when the Senate was trying to finish up work on the farm bill 

so I could go home for Thanksgiving, Exon and Sen. Tom Harkin, 

D-Iowa, two minority members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, staged a filib 

uster that went through Friday night and into Saturday after-noon before Majorit 

y Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., made a deal with the Democrats that would raise commo 

dity price supports. 

Exon and Harkin got what they wanted - a little slack from Dole, who almost 

singlehandedly decoupled commodity price supports from the cost of living index 

. But they pro vented colleagues from getting a jump on the Thanksgiving recess, 

causing many to miss planes and forcing them to scramble for new flight reserva 

tions during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. And that did not make 

the two Midwest senators very popular. 

A week ago, when the Senate finally ended a filibuster led by Sen. Charles 

Grassley, R-Iowa, over the promotions of military officers he did not think were 

deserving, Exon took to the Senate floor to protest one of the most insidious t 

ools of the obstructionist - the "hold." 

Senate rules, many of which are aimed at protecting the minority from the p 

otential dictatorial power of the majority, allow a single member to prevent ful 

l Senate consideration of legislation by placing what is known as a hold on the 

legislation. 

The Senate leader, who is required to accept this hold, is also prohibited 

from identifying the senator who made the request in order to eliminate intimida 

tion as an antidote to this often-used delaying tactic. But the Senate being the 

sieve that it is, the holder is often easily identified. And there are some who 

want to be identified to facilitate deal-making. 

On the last Saturday of the regular 1994 session, Exon had two bills alive 

but in critical parliamentary condition. One was a one call notification bill, i 

n which one call could be made before anyone digs on a right of way to make sure 

they don't dig into something dangerous, such as a gas line. It also had a prov 

ision that would help state and federal officials deal with the "astonishing inc 

rease in young drivers," Exon said. 

The other bill dealt with railroad grade, crossing safety and high-speed ra 

il development. 

Both bills had been passed by the House and were awaiting final approval by

the Senate, which by Saturday afternoon had less than a quorum present. 

The first bill could not be saved, because by the time Exon found out who h 

ad the hold on it, that senator was driving home and could not be reached. 

The second bill at one point had five GOP holds on it, and by the time Exon 

and cooperative Republican colleagues were able to get the holds lifted, Exon w 

as informed a Democrat had placed a hold. 

It was at this point that Exon took to the Senate floor and pleaded and beg 

ged for the anonymous obstructionist to release his or her hold. 

Whether Exon's entreaty worked, or the holder was afraid Exon would never s 

top talking about it and the Senate would never adjourn, the holder came forward 

and lifted his objection. 

Exon did not reveal the person's name. 

He did reveal his anger and frustration and his hope that after this grid-l 

ocked session of Congress that reforms may be made to make the Senate more effic 

ient. 

Harkin said last week that he would like to see the filibuster rules change 

d so that it would take a declining majority to break a filibuster. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon worries Middle East peace may lead to U.S. isolationism 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., is concerned the movement toward pe 

ace in the Middle East might put the United States on a path of isolationism in 

world affairs. 

Americans cannot become complacent with the Middle East peace within reach, 

Exon said at a pro-Israel workshop on Sunday. 

Exon said many Americans are becoming isolationists, casting election votes 

based solely on the U.S. economy and other domestic issues. 

"Why should we care about events elsewhere?" Exon asked in his speech at th 

e event sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "The need for 

U.S. intervention (in world affairs) is greater today than at the height of the 

Cold War. It would be criminal if the free nations of the world didn't move now 

." 

Israel's leaders are "seizing a window of opportunity for peace, over somet 

imes overwhelming opposition," Exon said. 

He said Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his foreign minister, Shim 

on Peres, were deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize they shared with Yasser Arafat 

, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. 

Also at the workshop were Sen. Bob Kerrey and his Republican challenger Jan 

Stoney; 2nd District Rep. Peter Hoagland and his Republican challenger Jon Chri 

stensen; 1st District congressional candidate Patrick Combs, a Democrat from Lin 

coln; Gov. Ben Nelson; state Sens. James Monen and Jessie Rasmussen of Omaha, Ro 

ger Wehrbein of Plattsmouth and Scott Moore of Seward; Jerry Schenken, chairman 

of the Nebraska Republican Party; Judy Schweikart, chairman of the Nebraska Demo 

cratic Party; and Norman Krivosha, former chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme 

Court.

Kerrey said a strong U.S.-Israel relationship benefits the whole world. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon concerned about U.S. isolationism 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., is concerned the movement toward peace 

in the Middle East might put the United States on a path of isolationism in worl 

d affairs. 









. 






"Israel has given hope to all, and rightly deserves the accolades it is rec 

eiving," Exon said. 







cratic Party; and Norman Krivosha, former chief justice of he Nebraska Supreme C 

ourt. 

Kerrey said a strong U.S.-Israel relationship benefits the 

whole world. 

Hoagland said foreign aid for Israel sometimes is a tough sell to Nebraskan 

s, but the United States has a strong strategic interest in maintaining ties to 

Israel, which he termed an "out-post of democracy" in the Middle East. 

Nelson said Israel provides a strong economic market for Nebraska, particul 

arly for the sale of beef. His trip to Israel in 1992 was one of the most import 

ant trade missions for the state, he said. About 100 metric tons of Nebraska bee 

f have been shipped to Israel and that level could be boosted significantly by t 

he opening of a kosher production facility in rural Nebraska. 



AUTH[Susan Szalewski 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Warns Against U.S. Isolationism 

TEXT[Americans cannot become complacent now that Middle East peace is within rea 

ch, U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon said at a pro-Israel workshop Sunday. 

"The time for leadership is now" Exon, D-Neb., said at the workshop's lunch 

eon gathering held at The Georgetowne Club, 24405, 141st Circle. 

About 200 people attended the event sponsored by the American Israel Public 

Affairs Committee, said Harlan Noddle, one of the organizers. 



"Why should we care about events elsewhere?" Exon asked in his keynote spee 

ch. "The need for U.S. intervention (in world affairs) is greater today than at 

the height of the Cold War. It would be criminal if the free nations of the worl 

d didn't move now. 



He said Israeli Prime Minister Yitahak Rabin and his foreign minister, Shim 





"The signal their success sends to the world community is powerful." 

Exon said the world never has been as united as it is now. 

Several local officeholders appeared at the workshop, including U.S. Sen. B 

ob Kerrey, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland, both D-Neb., Gov. Nelson and State Sens. Ja 

mes Monen and Jessie Rasmussen of Omaha, Roger Wehrbein of Plattsmouth and Scott 

Moore of Seward. Moore is running for Nebraska secretary of state. 

Also present were congressional candidates Jan Stoney and Jon Christensen o 

f Omaha and Patrick Combs of Lincoln; Jerry Schenken, chairman of the Nebraska R 

epublican Party; Judy Schweikart, chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party; Mik 

e Milder II, a candidate for the Omaha Public Power District Board; and Norman K 

rivosha, former chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court. 

Nelson greeted the luncheon audience with a short speech. Kerrey, Hoagland, 

Schenken and Ms. Schweikart made a few brief remarks from the audience. 

Kerrey said a strong U.S.-Israel relationship benefits not only the United 

States and Israel but the whole world. 

Hoagland said that foreign aid for Israel sometimes is a tough sell to Nebr 

askans, but the United States has a strong strategic interest in maintaining, ti 

es to Israel, an "outpost of democracy in the Middle East." 


arly for the sale of beef. 

He said his trip to Israel in 1992 was one of the most important trade miss 

ions for the state. About 100 metric tons of Nebraska beef have been shipped to 

Israel, Nelson said, and that level could be boosted significantly by the openin 

g of a kosher production facility in rural Nebraska. 

Exon Calls for Halt To Negative Campaigning 

Congressional candidates should get away from negative campaign tactics and 

focus on the issues, U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon said Sunday at a pro Israel workshop

Exon, D-Neb., said the campaign tactics cause fear and hate instead of educ 

ation and understanding. 

"We must stop the destruction of the electoral process," he said. 

Exon, who does not face re-election this year, praised the American Israel 

Public Affairs Committee, which sponsored the workshop, for its role in educatin 

g voters. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Winnebago Tribe Receives Federal Grant 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has received an, $800,000 fede 

ral grant to build a business center in the northeast Nebraska town of Winnebago 

, said Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 



statement released Friday. The tribe is expected to contribute $448,000 toward 

the project, the senators said. 




SOUR[Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol derivative gas to get tax break 

TEXT[Gasoline containing an ethanol derivative suitable for summer driving will 

be getting a tax break, the Treasury Department said on Monday. 

The department said gasoline containing at least 12.7 percent of the deriva 

tive would qualify for an exemption of 3 cents per gallon from the federal excis 

e tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. 

The exemption, matching that for fuel containing at least 5.7 percent ethan 

ol, was hailed by Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon from the farm state 

of Nebraska. 

Ethanol is derived from corn and other grains. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Fuel with ethanol gets tax exemption 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Gasoline containing an ethanol derivative suitable for summer 

driving will be getting a tax break, the Treasury Department said Monday. 

The department said gasoline containing at least 12.7 percent of the deriva

tive will qualify for a exemption of 3 cents per gallon from the federal excise 

tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. 


ol, was hailed by Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon of Nebraska. Ethano 

l is derived from corn and other grains. 

"We have put a lot of energy into fighting oil interests opposed to ethanol 

. But it is significant that this decision represents unprecedented cooperation 

between ethanol, oil and environmental interests," Kerrey said. 

The derivative is known as ETBE or ethyl tertiary butyl ether. The Environm 

ental Protection Agency has said its low volatility makes it "appropriate for us 

e in summer-grade gasoline." 

Ethanol and its derivatives are being promoted by farm states as a clean-bu 

rning fuel additive. 

The Treasury Department said that the tax break will be available now, befo 

re final regulations are adopted. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Concerned Peace may bring U.S. Isolationism 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., is concerned the movement toward peace 

in the Middle East might put the United States on a path of isolationism in worl 

d affairs. 









." 





, leader of the Palestine Liberation organization. 


eiving," Exon said. "The signal their success sends to the world community is po 

werful." 







of the Nebraska Republican Party; Judy Schweikart, chairman of the Nebraska Demo


Court. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Fuel Exemption Praised 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Farm groups and Nebraska's U.S. senators praised an announcement 

that an ethanol derivative qualifies for a motor fuel tax exemption. 

Farmers, taxpayers and the environment arc winners in the announcement, sai 

d Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

ETHYL TERTIARY butyl ether (ETBE) is described by the Environmental Protect 

ion Agency as "a high-octane, low-volatility oxygenate that is appropriate for u 

se in summer-grade gasoline. 

That means it can be safely blended with gasoline used in summer driving co 

nditions. Some environmentalists have expressed concerns about ethanol's volatil 

ity, Kerrey said. But ETBE apparently nullifies those concerns. 

Kerrey said Monday that the U.S Treasury Department has ruled that gasoline 

containing at least 12.7 percent ETBE will qualify for a tax exemption of about 

3 cents a gallon. 

That's about equal to incentives to ethanol, which is being promoted in far 

m states as a clean-burning fuel additive. Ethanol is derived from corn and oth 

er grains. 

THE NATIONAL Corn Growers Association also applauded the move. 

"This is extremely good news for corn growers ," said Rod Gangwish, the ass 

ociation's president and a farmer from Shelton. 

"The use of ETBE is an environmentally sound program which provides cleaner 

air for consumers and strengthens the economy of rural America," said Gangwish. 

"We anticipate the widespread use of competitively priced ETBE." 

The ETBE announcement was made in Washington, and Kerrey discussed it at th 

e 19-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition meeting in Omaha. 




KERREY SAID it sends a strong message to investors that ethanol and ETBE ar 

e solid products. 

Increased use of ethanol means a bigger market for corn growers, which coul 

d lead to higher prices for the crop and less reliance on government subsides, h 

e said, calling that good news for taxpayers. 

"This announcement by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen represents a fractur 

e in the petroleum alliance that had been against us," Kerrey said. 

"Unlike ethanol, ETBE blended fuel can be moved freely through their pipel 

ines," he said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., also praised the announcement. 

"I have been advocating this for some time. The Bush administration turned 

a deaf ear to Nebraska's ethanol producers, but finally the Clinton administrat 

ion has done the right thing," Exon said in a written statement from Washington,

D.C. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GATT Supporters Fail to Win Over Exon 

TEXT[Washington - Supporters of a new international trade agreement, including P 

resident Clinton, have failed to persuade Sen. J.J. Exon to vote for it, Exon sa 

id Monday. 

Exon, D-Neb., said he still is studying the 123-nation agreement, which req 

uired eight years to negotiate in Punte del Este, Uruguay; Montreal; Brussels, B 

elgium; and Geneva. 

"If I had to vote now I'd vote against it," Exon said. "I've always leaned 

against it, but I have decided against it." 

Exon, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, heard testimony Monday bot 

h for and against the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trad 

e. 

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., a GATT opponent and chairman of the committee 

, is conducting a series of hearings in advance of Nov. 29, when the House and S 

enate return in a special session to vote on GATT. 

Exon said the agreement, which includes rules for agricultural trade for th 

e first time, has about a 50-50 chance of passage during the brief poet-election 

session. 

"I think there may be a majority for it, but I don't think it's a large maj 

ority," Exon said. "Over the years, I have warned Democratic and Republican admi 

nistrations alike that they should refrain from writing American farm programs i 

n Geneva." 

Exon said the agreement may require approval of three-fifths of the 100-mem 

ber Senate if opponents challenge a five-year plan to recover $12 billion in gov 

ernment revenue that will be lost as tariffs are eliminated. 

"I think the agreement had about 58 votes when we adjourned earlier this mo 

nth," Exon said. "Whether the agreement can get 60 votes, I don't know." 

Opposition witnesses who testified Monday were Brent Blackwelder, president 

of Friends of the Earth, and Lori Wallach, an attorney for Public Citizen. 

Testifying in support of the agreement were Mark Silbergard of Consumers Un 

ion and Daniel Brinze, a special adviser to U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kan 

tor. 

Blackwelder and Ms. Wallach said they based much of their opposition on the 

World Trade Organization, which would be formed under the agreement to settle d 

isputes. 

"Under the rules of this new institution, secret panels will be given the p 

ower to determine the legitimacy of the health, safety and environmental laws of 

countries throughout the world," Blackwelder said. 

Ms. Wallach said 30 newspaper publishers and representatives of journalisti 

c societies wrote to Clinton in August protesting the secrecy of the trade organ 

ization. 

"This secrecy flies in the face of the U.S. standards of openness and discl

osure by which Congress and courts are required to operate," Ms. Wallach said. 

Brinze, representing the Clinton administration, said the trade organizatio 

n's actions would not affect U.S. laws. 

"If we want to change a law it will be done in Congress, not the WTO," Brin 

ze said. "This agreement is all about dismantling barriers to trade. The adminis 

tration believes this is crucial to the economic future of the United States." 

Silbergard said the Consumers Union supports the agreement because it will 

save each U.S. household an estimated $2,000 a year. 

He said the savings reflected more competition as tariffs and other trade b 

arriers are phased out on foreign merchandise and commodities. 

"There will be winners and losers, but overall this agreement will benefit 

household budgets," Silbergard said. 

Exon questioned Silbergard about how the agreement would affect the prices 

of farm commodities as Congress prepares to write a new five-year farm bill in 1 

995. 

Brinze said some economists have indicated that there would be a substantia 

l increase in farm income as a result of foreign markets opened to U.S. exports. 

Blackwelder disputed Brinze's testimony, saying: "GATT will hurt family far 

mers, not only in the United States but around the world. Starvation and hunger 

will get worse. This is a short-run strategy that will lead to disaster in the l 

ong run." 




SOUR[Minden Courier 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson Completes training session 

TEXT[Lynn Nelson, a gas service employee for K N Energy Inc. in Minden has compl 

eted a one-week training session at Central Community College in Hastings. 

The session was part of K N's ongoing service training program which is con 

ducted at both Central Community College and Western Nebraska Community College 

in Sidney. 

Every K N gas service employee attends one of the schools for one week each 

year to improve their knowledge and skills in various aspects of natural gas se 

rvice work. 

This is the 22nd year that K N has conducted service training courses at th 

e two schools. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Leads Effort to Reappoint Minden native 

TEXT[U.S. (D-NE) Senator Jim Exon led the effort in the Senate today to confirm 

Minden native Andrew C. "Skip" Hove Jr., to serve another term as Vice Chairman

of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board of Directors. 


n Nebraska and around the country," Exon said. Exon led a successful effort to c 

onvince Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen and President Bill Clinton that the Neb 

raska Republican should be nominated for and reappointed to another six-year ter 

m. He also helped end the long Senate delay in confirming the new FDIC Chairman 

and Vice Chairman Hove. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Whistle- Stops 

TEXT[HOAGLAND: The National Association for the Self-Employed has awarded Rep. P 

eter Hoagland, D-Neb., a 1994 Legislative Visionary Award for introducing a bill 

to restore thee home-office deduction for people who work at home. Hoagland an 

d Sen J. J. Exon, D-Neb., were among 11 members of Congress to receive awards fr 

om the group, which represents 300,000 self-employed workers. 

SEWARD:The Seward County League of Women Voters will hold a candidates forum Oct 

. 24 at the Seward Civic Center. The event will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is 

open to all candidates whose names appear on the Seward County ballot. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Orders for ethanol-powered cars on increase 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Ethanol-powered cars are on a roll. 

The federal government, Nebraska and Iowa are making a major purchase of su 

ch cars, Gov. Ben Nelson said Monday at a meeting of the 19-state Governors' Eth 

anol Coalition. 

Nelson said orders for cars that can run on mixes of up to 85 percent ethan 

ol and 15 percent gasoline might surpass 500 this year. 

By 1996, Nelson said, local, state and federal governments are expected to 

order more than 2,500 of the cars. 

Ethanol derived from corn and other grains is often used as a fuel additive 

. 

Ethanol is a growing industry in Nebraska, with several plants built recent 

ly. 

Nelson said the General Services Administration is purchasing 250 E85 Ford 

Tauruses, the maximum number available from the manufacturer. 

Nelson, who was joined at the conference by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, said the 

state of Nebraska would buy 24 additional ethanol-powered cars, bringing its fl 

eet to 78 - one of the top five ethanol fleets in the nation.

The state of Iowa will buy more than 50 of the ethanol cars, each of which 

is expected to cost less than $14,270. 

That will push Iowa's fleet to more than 100 ethanol-powered cars and repre 

sents an added benefit for corn farmers, Branstad said. 

"With this bumper crop, we have seen prices drop. This is just one of many 

ways we can add value to our corn," Branstad said at a news conference. 

Nelson said ethanol interests expect to win a court battle over an Environm 

ental Protection Agency rule that would benefit ethanol by requiring it in new m 

ixes of gasoline used in the nation's most-polluted cities. 

The oil industry has filed a lawsuit alleging that the EPA is going beyond 

the 1990 Clean Air Act by specifying a fuel additive, and a federal appeals cour 

t has blocked implementation of the rule. 

Nelson said that ultimately, farm interests and oil interests will have to 

work together to resolve their differences. 

"The Congress has continued to support this (the EPA rule). So has the Whit 

e House. We'll play an important role in reformulated fuels," Nelson said. 

In addition, Nelson announced that the federal government had agreed to fun 

d, in part, a $1.3 million effort to add up to 40 publicly accessible E85-vehicl 

e fueling sites throughout the Midwest. 

Nelson said up to $510,000 will come from several government programs, with 

the remaining $810,000 coming from private sources. 

Nelson said state and national groups already have pledged $285,000. 

The most likely states are Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Min 

nesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, Nelson said. 

In addition to those states, the ethanol coalition has representatives from 

Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota 

, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey hails ethanol ruling 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Farmers, taxpayers and the environment are winners in the anno 

uncement that an ethanol derivative qualifies for a motor fuel tax exemption, Se 

n. Bob Kerrey said Monday. 

Ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) is described by the Environmental Protect 

ion Agency as a high-octane, low-volatility oxygenate that is appropriate for us 

e in summer-grade gasoline." 

That means it can be safely blended with gasoline used in summer driving co 

nditions. Some environmentalists have expressed concerns about ethanol's volatil 

ity, Kerrey said. But ETBE apparently nullifies those concerns. 

Kerrey, D-Neb., said the U.S. Treasury Department has ruled that gasoline c 

ontaining at least 12.7 percent ETBE will qualify for a tax exemption of about 3 

cents a gallon. 

That's about equal to incentives that are available to ethanol, which is be 

ing promoted in farm states as a clean-burning fuel additive. Ethanol is derived 

from corn and other grains.

The ETBE announcement was made in Washington, and Kerrey discussed it at th 

e 19-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition meeting in Omaha. 




Kerrey said it sends a strong message to investors that ethanol and ETBE ar 

e solid products. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., also praised the announcement. 



AUTH[David Orenstein 

BK#[ 


HDLN[Tax break for alternative fuel called big boost for farmers 

TEXT[OMAHA- A Treasury Department ruling granting a 3-cent-per-gallon tax exempt 

ion for ETBE, an alternative fuel derived from ethanol, is a major victory for f 

armers and the environment, Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey said Monday. 

The excise tax exemption for ETBE, or ethyl tertiary butyl ether, is also a 

n important symbol of the Clinton Administration's resolve to support biofeuls, 

Kerrey noted in his speech to the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. 

"IT'S A VERY strong signal to the marketplace and to investors," he said be 

fore the speech. Not only does the U.S. ethanol industry face opposition at home 

from oil interests, Kerrey said, but they also face competition from Europe. 

France recently announced that it would build two ETBE plants, offer a tax 

exemption equivalent to $1.40 a gallon, and allow farmers to grow wheat and suga 

r beets on their set-aside acres for ETBE production, Kerrey said. 

"We are not playing on a playing field that is entirely level," he said, ad 

ding that the French programs are all legal under the General Agreement on Tarif 

fs and Trade. 

The ETBE tax exemption, actually a broadening of the exemption granted to e 

thanol, may help bridge the gap between the oil industry and farmers, Kerrey sai 

d. Some oil companies are beginning to make ETBE, and as it becomes more attract 

ive, others could follow. 

ETBE HAS a competitive advantage," he said. "All of us have an opportunity 

to make money." 

Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, added that ETBE 

is important to open distant markets for ethanol because it travels better than 

plain ethanol in pipelines. ETBE's yapor pressure is lower than ethanol in cars, 

making it better suited for use in warm climates and during the summer. 

In Washington, Sen. Jim Exon also hailed the announcement, and praised Pres 

ident Clinton for supporting the measure. 

"This is a major step forward for farmers," Exon said. "I have been advoca 

ting this for some time. The Bush Administration turned a deaf ear to Nebraska's 

ethanol producers, but finally the Clinton Administration has done the right th 

ing." 

EARLIER MONDAY, Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson and industry leaders announced sma 

ll but symbolic advances for the industry, which is struggling in the courts to 

preserve a federal rule mandating a place for ethanol in reformulated gasoline.

"Ethanols future as a transportation fuel has never been brighter," Nelson 

said at a morning press conference where he and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad announc 

ed the purchase of 325 Ford Tauruses that run on an 85 percent ethanol blend. 

Nebraska bought 24 of the cars. Iowa and the federal government bought the 

rest. 

Retired Air Force Gen. Lee Butler, chief executive of Kiewit Fuels of Omaha 

, joined the governors to announce that his firm would begin producing a fuel ma 

de of ETBE and its rival, MTBE. The plants would likely be located on the east a 

nd west coasts, said Butler. 

NELSON AND Branstad also announced $1.3 million for the construction of 40 

public filling stations in the Midwest for the 85 percent ethanol blend known as 

E85. 

Branstad characterized ethanol's future as precarious as it continues to ba 

ttle the powerful oil industry in the courts and in congressional offices on Cap 

itol Hill. 

"We are up against big oil and all their money," Branstad said. He and Nels 

on noted that this summer's close battle over the federal mandate for ethanol c 

ould be renewed again next year. 

And future pro-ethanol rules or policies could face the same opposition, Ne 

lson said. "Anybody can sue at any time for anything. The (American Petroleum I 

nstitute) has proved that." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Money to Help Ethanol Group, not Re-election 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Is Iowa's Republican governor helping -his Democratic counterp 

art from Nebraska in a re-election campaign? 

Only as a joke. 

On display Monday at the Governors' Ethanol Coalition news conference in Om 

aha was a Sioux City, Iowa, police motorcycle altered to run on ethanol. 

The gleaming black-and-white Harley Davidson, sponsored by the coalition, w 

on a crosscountry alternate fuels rally. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad brought a trop 

hy and a $5,000 check to the news conference. 

Branstad presented them to Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson, and introduced the Sio 

ux City police officer who rode the bike - Mark Wyant. 

Branstad quipped that it was a perfect setup because he knew that both ener 

gy and crime were big issues in Nelson's re-election campaign. 

Someone in the audience wondered aloud if the check was a campaign contribu 

tion. 

Nelson made it clear that the monkey goes to the coalition.- 




SOUR[Council Bluffs Non-Pareil

BK#[ 

HDLN[Gas with ethanol may get tax break 


driving will be getting a tax break, the Treasury Department said yesterday. 


tive will qualify for a exemption of 3 cents per gallon from the federal excise 



ol, was hailed by Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon from the farm state o 

f Nebraska. Ethanol is derived from corn and other grains. 


. 

"But it is significant that this decision represents unprecedented cooperat 

ion between ethanol, oil and environmental interests," Kerrey said. 

"I have been advocating this for some time. The Bush administration turned 

a deaf ear to Nebraska's ethanol producers, but finally the Clinton administrati 

on has done the right thing," Exon said. 

The derivative is known as ETBE or ethyl tertiary butyl ether. 

The Environmental Protection Agency has said its low volatility makes it "a 

ppropriate for use in summer-grade gasoline." 

Ethanol and its derivatives are being promoted by farm states as a clean-bu 

rning fuel additive. 

The department said that even though the exemption is only a proposed rule 

change, the tax break will be available now, before final regulations are adopte 

d. 





HDLN[Whistle-Stops 

TEXT[HOAGLAND: The National Association for the Self-Employed has awarded Rep. P 

eter Hoagland, D-Neb. a 1994 Legislative Visionary Award for introducing ability 

to restore the home-office deduction for people who work at home. Hoagland and 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., were among 11 members of Congress to receive awards from 

the group which represents 300,000 self-employed workers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bob Kerrey Learned From '92 Effort 

TEXT[In January 1992, Bob Kerrey made a decision he now regrets. 

His first television commercial as a presidential candidate in New Hampshir 

e showed him standing alone on an ice hockey rink, vowing to defend the U.S. "go 

al" against Japanese trade policies.

The image left impressions with New Hampshire voters that linger, said Will 

Kanteres of Manchester, N.H., who was an aide in Kerrey's presidential campaign 

. 

Kanteres said that even now he meets people who tell him that they remember 

Kerrey only as "cold." 

"With a single advertisement," Kerrey said, "I defined myself as something 

I wasn't." 

Kerrey often has said that the period that most influenced his future cours 

e, including his political beliefs, came during the nine months he spent in the 

Philadelphia Naval Hospital recovering from a Vietnam War wound and the resultin 

g amputation of his right leg below the knee. 

Many Democratic political leaders thought his story of heroism in war and r 

ecovery from life-threatening wounds might help carry him to the nomination. But 

he found in the campaign that the public remained troubled by Vietnam, even its 

heroes. 

"The timing was right, but I wasn't ready," Kerrey said. "I rushed off into 

the campaign without bringing friends in." 

As Kerrey campaigns for a second term as Nebraska's junior U.S. senator, th 

e lessons of his failed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination are being 

applied. 

His advertising campaign is designed and written by him he said, sometimes 

against the advice of his consultants. Nebraska friends are relied on more than 

the political gurus in Washington who dominated his presidential campaign struct 

ure. 

"I'm more humble now," Kerrey said, "not consistently, but at least occasio 

nally." 

Kerrey seemed to sense the looming pitfalls of his presidency in a December 

1991 speech to a literature class at Harvard University. During the appearance 

, Kerrey spoke of Albert Camus' novel "The Fall," in which a man crossing a brid 

ge hears a splash and, though knowing it was a person falling into the water, wa 

lks on. 

In a way, Kerrey said during a recent flight from Scottsbluff to Omaha, the 

scene Camus described played out in his presidential campaign. 

"The comparison isn't a bad one," Kerrey said. "When I watched that (hocke 

y) ad, something inside me heard a splash that said, 'Something isn't good.'"As 

the campaign grew more intense, Kerrey became increasingly separated from his Ne 

braska roots. After announcing for president in late September 1991, Kerrey fle 

w almost immediately to New Hampshire. 

"I'm not as good unless my friends are around me. My decisions are better 

here at home. I shouldn't have left after I gave that speech in Lincoln. I sho 

uld have stayed here for 30 days." 

From his Lincoln send-off to the end of the campaign in early March--when B 

ill Chapman of Omaha and Bill Hoppner of Lincoln joined him in Tuscon, Ariz., fo 

r his decision to drop out--friends and past aids were shed as Kerrey traveled t 

he unfamiliar route of a national presidential campaign. 

Jody Severson of Rapid City, S.D., who had prepared Kerrey's 1982 and 1988 

print advertising, had been fired early in the campaign. 

Joe Rothstein of Washington, a friend who had prepared Kerrey's 1982 and 19 

88 television advertising, was fired before any of the commercials he had produc 

ed for New Hampshire were aired. The Rothstein ads, which never were broadcast, 

were said by Kerrey aides to present a warmer portrait of the candidate.Some of

those decisions were driven by demands of national fund-raisers to bring in bet 

ter-known political operatives. 

As Kerrey's isolation grew, problems surfaced as his message failed to gain 

widespread acceptance. He was undaunted, Kanteres said, and every day Kerrey w 

as able to start anew. 

But each evening, he said, Kerrey seemed to realize that he had made little 

progress in breaking through with New Hampshire voters. 

Another problem emerged that Kerrey was not prepared for. His artificial r 

ight leg began giving him serious problems. 

Kerrey had his right leg amputated below the knee after an action by the SE 

AL team he had led on an enemy-held island in the Bay of Nha Trang on March 4,19 

69. Kerrey's actions in directing a cross fire on the enemy position after the 

explosion mangled his leg later were recognized when President Richard Nixon awa 

rded him the Medal of Honor. 

Kerrey was in the Philadelphia Naval Hospital until November of 1969. He o 

ften has said the experience in the hospital among the severely wounded affected 

him more than any other event. 

After his release, Kerrey struggled with learning to avoid even a limp. Bu 

t he found that he could not stand a full day as a pharmacist--his profession be 

fore going to war. 

Kerrey became a runner, even completing a marathon. There seldom has been 

any evidence in his walk the existence of the artificial leg ad foot below the r 

ight knee. Then, in January of 1992, a day of relaxation in California turned i 

nto a day of attempted adjustments in his leg before returning to New Hampshire. 

Usually, Kerrey said, "I don't have to go to a limb shop every six months." 

But that changed during his presidential campaign. 

"Oh man, I was going a lot. I had a whole new leg made in New Hampshire. 

There were days when I couldn't stand...which is very unusual. 

"When you are in pain, it is more difficult to concentrate ad make good dec 

isions. Kerrey said he began to wonder, "Was this meant to be?" 

After New Hampshire, Kerrey found South Dakota much more to his liking. De 

spite winning the primary there, however, his distant third-place finish in New 

Hampshire had doomed his candidacy. 

"I don't like screwing up," Kerrey said of his presidential bid. I don't l 

ike putting something together as unsuccessful as that. And I did not bring as 

much credit to Nebraska as I wanted to bring. 

"At least I had the good sense to get out at the right time and gave a good 

speech on exit, so that neither I nor the state, in the end, was tarnished." 

In the time since, Kerrey said, he has made certain to rely more on people 

he trusts in Nebraska. 

Republican challenger Jan Stoney has argued throughout the campaign that Ke 

rrey ignored the wishes of the majority of Nebraskans when he voted last year to 

support President Clinton's budget, which raised some taxes and reduced some go 

vernment spending. 

But when Kerrey faced the vote on the Clinton plan in August 1993, Chapman 

was with him in Washington to help him cut through the political crossfire. 

While much has been made of calls Kerrey received asking for his support--f 

rom Clinton, Omaha investor Warren Buffett and Elizabeth Moynihan, wife of Sen. 

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y.--Kerrey said two of the most important conversat 

ions he had were with Minden farmer Rob Raun and Omaha developer Harlan Noodle. 

Both urged him to vote for the Clinton plan. 

"Rob Raun's home is as good a refuge from the storm as I've got," Kerrey sa

id. I do like to go out and spend an evening with him." 

Raun family members, he said, "pray at all meals with no shame. We can hav 

e a fuzzy navel and talk history and go down to the cemetery and see his family, 

three or four generations." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon named to commission on intelligence 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has been appointed to a commission that 

will conduct a thorough review of the roles and capabilities of the U.S. intell 

igence community. 

Appointed by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, Exon is the o 

nly Democratic senator to be named to the panel, which was established in the wa 

ke of the Ames spy scandal and other intelligence failures. 

Exon, chairman of the Senate armed services committee, which has jurisdicti 

on over defense intelligence agencies, is one of 17 members of the commission. 

Nine members were appointed by the president, and eight by the congressiona 

l leadership. 

The Senate and House leaders from each party will each appoint two members 

- one from Congress and the other from private life. 

The commission is to complete its review and send a report to the president 

and the House and Senate intelligence committees by April 1, 1996. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: foreign affairs important 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., is concerned the movement toward 

peace in the Middle East might put the United States on a path of isolationism i 

n world affairs. 









." 


imes overwhelming opposition," Exon said.




SOUR[Omaha World Herald (Midlands Edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[After Day of Hearing, Exon Says He Opposes GATT 

TEXT[Washington supporters of a new international trade agreement, including Pre 

sident Clinton, have failed to persuade Sen. J.J. Exon to vote for it, Exon said 

Monday. 

Exon, D-Neb., said he still is studying the 123-nation agreement, which req 

uired eight years to negotiate in Punte del Este, Uruguay; Montreal; Brussels, B 

elgium; and Geneva. 

"If I had to vote now I'd vote against it," Exon said. "I've always leaned 

against it. But I have decided against it." 

Exon, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, heard testimony Monday bot 

h for and against the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trad 

e. 

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., a GATT opponent and chairman of the committee 

, is conducting a series of hearings in advance of Nov. 29, when the House and S 

enate return in a special session to vote on GATT. 

Exon said the agreement, which includes rules for agricultural trade for th 

e first time. has about a 50-50 chance of passage during the brief post-election 

session. 

"l think there may be a majority for it but l don't think it's a large majo 

rity," Exon said. "Over the years, l have warned Democratic and Republican admin 

istrations alike that they should refrain from writing American farm programs in 

Geneva." 

Exon said the agreement may require approval of three-fifths of the 100-mem 

ber Senate if opponents challenge a five-year plan to recover $12 billion in gov 

ernment revenue that will be lost as tariffs are eliminated. 

"l think the agreement had about 58 votes when we adjourned earlier this mo 

nth," Exon said. "Whether the agreement can get 60 votes, I don't know." 

Opposition witnesses who testified Monday were Brent Blackwelder, president 

of Friends of the Earth, and Lori Wallach, an attorney for Public Citizen. 

Testifying in support of the agreement were Mark Silbergard of Consumers Un 

ion and Daniel Brinze, a special adviser to U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kan 

tor. 

Blackwelder and Ms. Wallach said they based much of their opposition on the 

World Trade Organization, which would be formed under the agreement to settle d 

isputes. 

"Under the rules of this new institution, secret panels will be given the p 

ower to determine the legitimacy of the health, safety and environmental laws of 

countries throughout the world," Blackwelder said. 

Ms. Wallach said 30 newspaper publishers and representatives of journalisti 

c societies wrote to Clinton in August protesting the secrecy of the trade organ 

ization. 

"This secrecy flies in the face of the U.S. standards of openness and discl 

osure by which Congress and courts are required to operate," Ms. Wallach said.

Brinze, representing the Clinton administration, said the trade organizatio 

n's actions would not affect U.S. laws. 

"If we want to change a law it will he done in Congress, not the WTO," Brin 

ze said. "This agreement is all about dismantling barriers to trade. The adminis 

tration believes this is crucial to the economic future of the United States." 

Silbergard said the Consumers Union supports the agreement because it will 

save each U.S. household an estimated $2.000 a year. 

He said the savings reflected more competition as tariffs and other trade b 

arriers are phased out on foreign merchandise and commodities. 

"There will be winners and losers, but overall this agreement will benefit 

household budgets," Silbergard said. 

Exon questioned Silbergard about how the agreement would affect the prices 

of farm commodities as Congress prepares to write a new five-year farm bill in 1 

995. 

Brinze said some economists have indicated that there would be a substantia 

l increase in farm income as a result foreign markets opened to U.S. exports. 

Blackwelder disputed Brinze's testimony, saying: "GATT will hurt family far 

mers, not only in the United States but around the world. Starvation and hunger 

will get worse. This is short-run strategy that will lead to disaster in the l 

ong run." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Winner of NASE Small Business Award 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator J. James Exon (D-Neb) received the 1994 Leg 

islative Visionary Award from the National Association for the Self-Employed. Th 

e NASE award was in recognition of Exon's efforts in Congress on behalf of the n 

ation's small businesses. 

Exon was instrumental in introducing S 1924, the Home Office Deduction Act, 

legislation that addressed a critical issue to many self-employed individuals. 

Exon's legislation, which gathered 15 bipartisan cosponsors, would restore the h 

ome office deduction to thousands of entrepreneurs who work from their homes. A 

1993 Supreme Court decision effectively removed the deduction for tens of thousa 

nds of home-based businesses. 

NASE President, Bennie L. Thayer, presented the award stating, "This award 

symbolizes your foresight in realizing that business is the engine that drives o 

ur nation's economy. You have proven you are a true friend of small business by 

supporting legislation that will assist the upward trend in small business growt 

h and creation." 

Exon was one of eleven members of Congress to receive the NASE's award in 1 

994, including U.S. Representative Peter Hoagland, also of Nebraska. 

The NASE is a small business trade association, representing over 300,000 s 

elf-employed individuals nationwide.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Winnebagos get grant for business center 

TEXT[The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has received an $800,000 federal grant to b 

uild a business center in the northeast Nebraska town of Winnebago, said Sens. J 

im Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb. 



statement released Friday. 

The tribe is expected to contribute $448,000 toward the project, the senato 

rs said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon set to attend fund-raiser for incumbent register of deeds 

TEXT[Nebraska Sen. Jim Exon is scheduled to appear at a fund-raiser and receptio 

n Thursday for Lancaster County Register of Deeds Dan Nolte, Nolte said Monday. 

Nolte, a Democrat, will face Republican challenger Charles Chuck Waldron in 

the general election Nov. 8. 

The event will be held at the home of K.B. and Sue Smith, 6500 Pioneers Blv 

d., from 7 p.m. 

While a college student in the early 198Os, Nolte interned with Exon in Was 

hington, D.C. 

Also Monday, Nolte said he would participate in a debate with Waldron at 4: 

45 p.m. Tuesday on the east side of the County City Building. The Waldron campai 

gn suggested the debate last week. 

Nolte has criticized the manner in which the debate was arranged. He said W 

aldron unilaterally set the time and location for the debate without consulting 

Nolte and had even failed to inform Nolte of the format for the debate. 

Waldron said Nolte was critical of the debate preparations only because he 

wanted an excuse if he performed poorly in the debate. 

"I just can't do anything right with old Dan," Waldron said Monday. 




SOUR[Hayward (Alameda Co. Calif.) Review 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Gasoline with ethanol derivative to get tax break 

TEXT[Gasoline with ethanol derivative to get tax break: Gasoline containing an e 

thanol derivative suitable for summer driving will get a tax break, the Treasury

Department said Monday. The department said gasoline containing at least 12.7 p 

ercent of the derivative will qualify for a exemption of 3 cents per gallon fron 

t the federal excise tax of 15.4 cents per gallon. The exemption, matching that 

for fuel containing at least 5.7 percent ethanol, was hailed by Democratic Sens. 

Bob Kerrey and James Exon from the farm state of Nebraska. Ethanol is derived f 

rom corn and other grains. "We have put a lot of energy into fighting oil intere 

sts opposed to ethanol. But it is significant that this decision represents unpr 

ecedented cooperation between ethanol, oil and environmental interests," Kerrey 

said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says Americans turning isolationist 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon is concerned that the movement toward peace in t 

he Middle East might put the United States on a path of isolationism in world af 

fairs. 

Americans cannot become complacent with Middle East peace within reach, Exo 

n said at a pro-Israel workshop. 







." 








Gov. Ben Nelson told the workshop that Israel provides a strong economic ma 

rket for Nebraska, particularly for the sale of beef. His trip to Israel in 1992 

was one of the most important trade missions for the state, he said. 

About 100 metric tons of Nebraska beef have been shipped to Israel and that 

level could be boosted significantly by the opening of a kosher production faci 

lity in rural Nebraska. 

Nelson said a deal for such a plant is in the works, and details will be an 

nounced within a few weeks. 




BK#[

HDLN[Gas with ethanol to get tax break 


TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Gasoline containing an ethanol derivative suitable for su 

mmer driving will be getting a tax break, the Treasury Department said Monday. 


tive will qualify for an exemption of 3 cents per gallon from the federal excise 



ol, was hailed by Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon 

from the farm state of Nebraska. Ethanol is derived from corn and other grains. 




The derivative is known as ETBE or ethyl tertiary butyl ether. The En-viron 

mental Protection Agency has said its low volatility makes it "appropriate for u 

se in summer-grade gasoline." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Named to Panel to Review U.S. Spying 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., was named Tuesday to a 17-member commi 

ssion that will review U.S. intelligence activities in the post-Cold War world. 

Exon is chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on nuclear deter 

rence, arms control and defense intelligence. 

He said the new Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the U.S. Intell 

igence Community will consist of nine members appointed by the president and eig 

ht appointed by congressional leaders. 

Exon, in an interview, said the commission will review the case of Aldrich 

Ames, a 31-year employee of the Central Intelligence Agency who was arrested in 

February on charges of selling U.S. secrets to Moscow in return for more than $2 

million. 

"How could we have an intelligence agency where an individual was obviously 

living three and four times above his salary and nobody concerned about it?" Ex 

on said. 

"The Ames scandal has to be, by far, the worst such happening in our histor 

y," he said. "We know a lot of people lost their lives as a result of Ames. We d 

on't know how many." 

Exon said the CIA has not been functioning properly for some time. 

"All during the Cold War we got wrong information from them," Exon said. "W 

e had assurances from the CIA that the Soviet economy was good at a time when th 

e Soviets were going bankrupt." 

Exon said that if the CIA were to be abolished its functions would have to 

be shifted to another federal agency.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hails Equal Medicare Payments for Rural Hospitals 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon has praised the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS 

) for implementing the final phase of a change he had long promoted that will pu 

t rural and urban hospitals on a level playing field. 




"I began working on this issue in 1987 when I co-sponsored a bill to elimin 

ate the unfair Medicare payments to rural hospitals," he said."Legislation final 

ly passed in 1990 to phase in an equal Medicare payment rate. That phase-in will 

be completed next month when the 1995 payment rates begin." 

To make the payment rates equal, the federal government increased payment r 

ates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent which began October 

1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Payments to urban hospita 

ls rose by 1.5 percent. 



AUTH[Jena Janovy 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Challenge of Solving Problems Drives Daub 

TEXT[It's the end of another 18-hour work-day, and Hal Daub has adjourned to the 

conference room of his campaign headquarters, his tie slightly loosened and his 

suit coat draped over a metal chair. 

This is about as relaxed as Daub gets these days. Naturally intense and ene 

rgetic, Daub and the other mayoral candidates have less than three weeks until t 

he Nov. 8 special city election. 

Daub is seizing every possible moment to attend as many forums, breakfasts, 

lunches, dinners and other events as he can. He knows that in the business of c 

ampaigns, meeting people is the key. 

"I like interacting with people," Daub said. "I like the challenge of probl 

em-solving and the dynamic of bringing the best of people together." 

Most evenings, he retreats to the office and sets his schedule for the next 

few days. In many ways, this is home for Daub - a familiar setting complete wit 

h a family of campaign workers and a refrigerator in the back room with his favo 

rite cold pop, Mountain Dew. 

He's been here before, perhaps not in this particular office near 72nd and 

Dodge Streets, but definitely in this thing called a political campaign. Off and 

on for nearly 15 years, Daub has been shaking hands and talking to voters. It's 

an environment Daub says he enjoys because he gets to meet people and hear thei 

r concerns. 

There's one questions however, that even Daub's closest friends and adviser

s acknowledge they have asked: After spending eight years as a 2nd District cong 

ressman, running unsuccessfully twice for the Senate and holding down a high pay 

ing job with an international accounting firm, why would he want to run for mayo 

r of Omaha? 

His former wife, Cindy Daub, said the answer is obvious. 

"It's a very simple reason. He loves Omaha. It's his hometown where he grew 

up," Mrs. Daub said from McLean, Va. "Also, in the legislative branch, like Co 

ngress, especially when you're in the minority party, although you work hard you 

really cannot impact much at all. I think as mayor of Omaha, if you're committ 

ed and you know what you're doing and what the city's needs are, I think you can 

make a difference." 

It's with that desire that Daub, 53, is running. 

"It's just the service of it," said Roy Smith, president of H.P. Smith Moto 

rs and a friend and adviser to Daub. "It's what he enjoys. It's something he bel 

ieves in: service. He believes in the political system and government service. 

Daub, who lives at 8614 Douglas St., grew up in Omaha after moving here wit 

h his parents from North Carolina in 1948. A tenacious debater, he was president 

of the Benson High School student council and graduated with honors in 1959. He 

attended Washington University at St. Louis and received his Army second lieute 

nant bars before graduating in 1963. 

Daub attended the University of Nebraska law school and after graduating in 

1966 was stationed in South Korea as a Second Infantry Division platoon leader. 

It was in Korea where he met Shin Shinja, who was teaching a Korean languag 

e course that Daub was taking. They were married in a military chapel in Seoul i 

n April 1968. They divorced last year. 

After leaving the Army, Daub began working for Standard Chemical Manufactur 

ing Co. in Omaha. He was elected chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party 

in 1974 and re-elected in 1976. 

He first sought political office in 1978, losing a close race to Rep. John 

Cavanaugh, D-Neb. In 1980 Cavanaugh declined to run again and Daub won the seat. 

He was re-elected three times. 

In 1988, Daub unsuccessfully challenged Sen. David Karnes, who had been app 

ointed to the seat by Gov. Kay Orr, for the GOP Senate nomination. Karnes won th 

e primary but lost to Democrat Bob Kerrey in the general election. 

Daub became the Republican Senate nominee in 1990, losing to Democratic Sen 

. J.J. Exon. Daub then returned to the private sector working for the Touche Ros 

s accounting firm, which later became Deloitte & Touche. 

During his four terms in the House and his two Senate campaigns, Daub sparr 

ed with political opponents over a variety of issues. He preached the need for f 

iscal conservatism, government efficiency, tax relief, economic development and 

the upkeep of infrastructure - themes that resonate now in his mayoral bid. 

"Growing jobs and, attracting new jobs is a very competitive thing, and we' 

ve lost our momentum," Daub said. "Leadership is crucial. It's one of the reason 

s I'm running. I have the combination of business management and the experience 

in public policy." 

His main philosophy is that at the root of crime is the lack of a job, and 

that the city must combine efforts to improve economic opportunities and reduce 

crime. 

He said government has an obligation to coordinate programs with grass-root 

s organizations, such as Omaha Together One Community, to help engage children t 

hroughout the city in constructive activities. He said he is committed to findin 

g ways to solving problems such as park maintenance and the collection of garbag

e and recyclables. 

Daub also said that the city also has a "tremendous morale problem" in its 

unionized work force, and that a mayor should provide support, rather than criti 

cism for city workers. Daub has earned endorsements from the city police, fire a 

nd civilian employees unions - organized labor groups that frequently sparred wi 

th Mayor P.J. Morgan's administration. 



AUTH[Freler Wyre 

SOUR[Fullerton Nance Co. Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Letter to the Editor 


God's word is true. Will the real Senator Kerrey please stand up? 

God's word says all liars will have their place in the lake of fire ( Rev. 

21:8) This man wants to run with the rabbits and hug the hounds. 

Senator Kerrey has voted with the Clinton crowd on each and every issue and 

now he wants to go back to Washington to help the slick Willies to promote more 

bills that take away the rights of parents to raise their children in a Christi 

an environment. He said he is for the family and at this very moment, Senator Ke 

rrey is co-sponsor of S.R. 70. It is called the U.N. convention on the rights of 

the child. 

This administration is sending a clear message to children that they do not 

have to listen to the advice of their parents. She can get pregnant and the gov 

ernment will put her in an apartment and take care of her and her little crumb-s 

natcher. That is the sum total of this bill. 

It is also urgent to call or write Senator Exon to thank him for not co-spo 

nsoring S.R. 70 and ask him to oppose this U.N. Treaty in its entirety. We need 

to send someone with "high morals" to Washington to help correct what this perve 

rted administration has accomplished in two years. 

I think it is time for Nebraska to open up another can of s-e-n-a-t-o-r-s. 

Come back - good buddy. 

Freler Wyre 

RR 2 Box 22 

Clarkson NE 68629 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon worried about peace effect on U.S. 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The end to the Cold War and peace on the horizon in the Middle 

East give a Nebraska senator reasons for concern about the United States' futur 

e.

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., hopes the more stable world situation doesn't lead t 

he United States to an isolationism mentality. 

Exon said Sunday that many Americans are becoming isolationists, casting el 

ection votes based solely on the U.S. economy and other domestic issues. 

"Why should we care about events elsewhere?" Exon asked in a speech at a pr 

o-Israel workshop sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "Th 

e need for U.S. intervention (in world affairs) is greater today than at the hei 

ght of the Cold War. It would be criminal if the free nations of the world didn' 

t move now." 







eiving," Exon said. "The signal their success sends to the world community is po 

werful." 









Court. 

Kerrey said a strong U.S.-Israel relationship benefits the whole world. 

Hoagland said foreign aid for Israel sometimes is a tough sell to Nebraskan 

s, but the United States has a strong strategic interest in maintaining ties to 

Israel, which he termed an "outpost of democracy" in the Middle East. 


arly for the sale of beef. His trip to Israel in 1992 was one of the most import 

ant trade missions for the state, he said. About 100 metric tons of Nebraska bee 

f have been shipped to Israel and that level could be boosted significantly by t 

he opening of a kosher production facility in rural Nebraska. 

Nelson said a deal for such a plant is in the works, and details will be an 

nounced within a few weeks. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon named to new commission that will examine U.S. intelligence 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon has been appointed by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell 

to serve as the only Democratic senator on the new commission established to con 

duct a thorough review of U.S. intelligence activities since the end of the Cold 

War. 

The commission will examine the future roles and missions of the Central In

telligence Agency and all other intelligence functions of the U.S. government. 

Exon is chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on nuclear deter 

rence, arms control and defense intelligence. 

"In the wake of the now-famous Ames spy scandal and other intelligence fail 

ures...this commission will provide a thorough review of our intelligence activi 

ties," Exon said. 

The 17-member commission will consist of nine members appointed by the pres 

ident and eight members ape pointed by the congressional leadership. 



AUTH[Omaha World Herald 

SOUR[Clarkson Colfax Co. Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Merrick Backs Voluntary School Prayer 

TEXT[Merrick County Supervisors have approved a resolution in support of school 

prayer. 

Merrick joined three other counties in the State-Stanton, Valley and Richar 

dson-in supporting a voluntary prayer resolution that originated in Texas. 

So far nearly 160 of he 254 counties 

Texas have passed the resolution. About 135 counties in 26 states, mostly in th 

e South and Midwest also have passed it, said Lisa Polster, a staff member for t 

he Denton County Commission. 



Merrick County Supervisor Gail Ferris said the passage of the resolution wa 


"What we're saying is that we support voluntary prayer," she said. "If som 

eone chooses not to pray, it's voluntary. It's up to the individual." 

How would it be implemented locally was not discussed, Mrs. Ferris said. 

Ron Wall, superintendent of the Central City Schools, said he had no commen 



on, Nebraska Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, and Reps. Doug Bereuter, Peter Hoag 

land, and Bill Barrett. 


he communities decide," Ms. Polster said. 



AUTH[John Fulwider 

SOUR[Lincoln Daily Nebraskan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Women's Club cooks up fund-raiser 

TEXT[The Nebraska Facility Women 's Club is selling cookbooks for "World Peace."

The painting, that is. 

The Elizabeth Dolan mural, which has hung in the Nebraska Union women's lou 

nge for more than 50 years, badly needed restoration because it had never been c 

leaned, said Daryl Swanson, director of Nebraska Unions. 

"It just had the usual dust and grime which accumulated over 50 years," he 

said, and some minor damage repair was needed. 

The $5,300 restoration which was completed in May, is being financed by the 

women's club through sales off cookbook titled "Refreshments With Permission." 

The club chose the project to mark its 100th anniversary this year, Swanson 

said. 

Olive Copple, the club's spokeswoman, said the cookbook's title humorously 

recalled the early days of the club when members decided that refreshments would 

not be served. 

"Mrs. Webster (a former member) served refreshments, and kept apologizing, 

saying, "I hope I have your permission to serve refreshments,"' Copple said. "An 

d from there on out refreshments were served at all other meetings." 

Noreen Goebel, president of the club, said the book included culinary maste 

rpieces submitted by famous Nebraskans. 

Gov. Ben Nelson's secret formula for "Ambrosia Fruit and Nut Mold is includ 

ed. "Bohemian Teriyaki Beef" is offered by U.S. Sen. Jim Exon 's wife. Also, San 

dra Spanier, a University of Nebraska -Lincoln English professor and Chancellor 

Graham Spanier's wife, contributed her recipe for "Disappearing Marshmallow Blon 

d Brownies." 

But Copple said the book offered more than just recipes. 

"The cookbook has a lot of University history in it," Copple said. 

The cookbook includes a photograph of the first woman hired at the universi 

ty, Ellen Smith, who also is the charter member of the Faculty Women's Club. Smi 

th taught Latin and Greek. 

The caption under an 18895 photo of the university's first football team st 

ates, "A decision was made at the first official meeting of the Faculty Women's 

Club to invite the football team to dinner. 

"They continued that for about 10 years and then decided they couldn't hand 

le it anymore," Goebel said. 

Also, a photo showing a large group of women picking dandelions on the lawn 

in front of Love Library says. "Before herbivores, students helped the universi 

ty with lawn care." 

Goebel said the club didn't have a large project every year like the restor 

ation and cookbook sale. It does staff Association of Students of the University 

of Nebraska voting booths during the Homecoming court and student government el 

ections. 

Copple said the cookbooks had been popular. 

Goebel said about one-third of the 1500 copies of the printed cookbook have 

been sold, and a reprint is possible depending on demand. The books sell for $1 

0 each and are available at University Book Store, Nebraska Bookstore and the Un 

iversity Place Art Center. 




SOUR[Hemingford Ledger

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon hails equal payments 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon praised the Department of Health and Human Services ( 

DHHS) for implementing the final phase of a change he had long promoted that wil 

l put rural and urban hospitals on a level playing field. 

"For years, the federal government has reimbursed rural hospitals for Medic 

are patients at a lower rate than it paid to urban hospitals,"Exon said. "This 

practice was blatantly unfair. Soon, however, those days will be-over." 


nate the unfair Medicare payment to rural hospitals," he said. Legislation final 

ly passed in 1990 to phase in an equal Medicare payment rate. That phase in will 

be completed this month, when the 1995 payment rates begin." 


nt rates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent beginning Octob 

er 1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Payments to urban hospi 

tals will rise by 1.5 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rail transportation law 

TEXT[As one of the last acts on one 1994 session, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon succeeded i 

n clearing rail transportation legislation and sending it to the President for s 

ignature into law. 

The legislation to become law includes provisions on: 

**Rail Safety. This bill will create an Institute of Railroad an Grade Cros 

sing Safety, requiring safety standards for railroad passenger cars and help pre 

vent trespassing and vandalism on railroad property. The bill will also monitor 

the development and deployment of positive Train Control systems, high-tech coll 

ision avoidance systems which many experts have said would have prevented the th 

ree-train crashes in Thedford, Nebraska earlier this year. 

**High Speed Rail. This bill will promote the development of high speed tr 

ains. Investment in high speed rail will reduce traffic congestion on the groun 

d and in the air, boost employment and help America regain its edge in what is n 

ow a high tech industry. 



AUTH[Ted Shelver 

SOUR[Fargo Forum 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Conrad not what we want as a senator 

TEXT[Have you seen Sen. Kent Conrad's, D-N.D., TV ads saying Dr. Ben Clayburgh i

s wrong? And bragging about his voting record and the things he has done? 

When we saw the ad that said the nonpartisan Concord Coalition had named Co 

nrad the most fiscally responsible senator, my wife decided to check on the coal 

ition because that's a strong statement. 

Well, the coalition came out looking great, but Conrad didn't. 

He was wrong. 

The Concord Coalition, with 80,000 members, was formed by Paul Tsongas and 

Warren Rudman two years ago to try to eliminate the deficit by monitoring congre 

ssional voting and reporting it. Each year they list 10 Democrats and 10 Republi 

cans who they feel did the best, and Conrad did make the Democrat scorecard. 

But the fact is, Conrad wasn't the most fiscally responsible senator. James 

Exon, a Democrat from Nebraska, was with 100 percent. 

All Republicans on the list came out ahead of Conrad, too. Three tied with 

96 percent and three tied for the lowest, 86 percent. 

The fact is, Conrad come out near the end of both lists, tying another Demo 

crat with 68 percent. The lowest Democrat score was 51 percent. 

Why Conrad was so insecure he felt he had to lie about his position on a li 

st of praise is beyond us. But it has caused us to ask, if Conrad would tell tal 

l tales about his voting record, what else would he lie about? 

And: Is that what we really want for a senator? 




SOUR[ 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Winnebago tribe receives grant 

TEXT[The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has received an $800,000 federal grant to b 

uild a business center in Winnebago, a town in northeast Nebraska, according to 

Nebraska's Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both Democrats. 

The grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) w 

ill help pay for construction costs in the Thurston County town. The tribe is ex 

pected to contribute $448,000 toward the project. 




SOUR[Niobrara Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ponca's to get housing grant 

TEXT[The Chairperson of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Ms. Deb Wright, has announc 

ed that the Northern Ponca Housing Authority will receive almost $400,000 from t 

he Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing related assistance. W 

ord of the Community Development Block Grant award came from the offices of Nebr 

aska U.S. Senators J. James Exon and Robert Kerrey, Wright said. 

Chairperson Wright said the grant would be used to purchase lots, site 

s, or properties in each of the six Federal Service Areas for the construction o 

f new low income rental and home ownership units. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Ho

using Authority had previously been notified of a $1.9 million dollar grant to b 

uild 20 single-family homes that will he used as rental units for Ponca Tribe of 

Nebraska members. A second grant for $2.0 million would be used to construct 20 

additional homes which would be purchased by individual tribal members through 

the Housing and Urban Development's "Mutual Help Program." Wright said that prog 

ram allows for low down payments and mortgage payments based on income. 

Chairperson expressed the Ponca Tribes of Nebraska's gratitude for the 

housing assistance grants in correspondence to Senator's Exon and Kerrey. 

Chairperson Wright also offered congratulations to the Northern Ponca Housi 

ng Authority Executive Director Daryl Twiss and the Housing Authority Board of C 

ommissioners for their good work on securing the project, the first of its kind 

for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. 




SOUR[Humphrey Democrat 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Crop Insurance deadline may extend 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - It's possible that there will be a change in a key deadl 

ine looming for farmers who want to take part in future government farm programs 

, a Nebraska crop insurance specialist said. 

The Federal Crop Insurance Act signed last week by President Clinton requir 

es a minimum level of catastrophic crop insurance to qualify for future programs 

. 

Ruth Gerdes of Auburn is a crop insurance specialist who worked on passage 

of the Federal Crop Insurance Act. 

She said that the sign-up deadline for the insurance s Oct. 31. But she sa 

id that might be extended because the government might not be able to distribute 

al the necessary forms ad inform farmers of the rule. 

The catastrophic coverage required by the act is meant to replace the speci 

al disaster programs that Congress often drafts after widespread agricultural di 

sasters. 

The minimum coverage will pay a farmer 60 percent of the government calcula 

ted price of a crop if disaster wipes out more than 50 percent of the farm's ave 

rage annual yield, Mrs. Gerdes said. 

Farmers have the option of paying more for coverage. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[untitled article attached to previous article 

TEXT[Merrick County supervisors have approved a resolution in support of school

prayer. 

The board joined three other counties in the state--Stanton, Valley, and Ri 

chardson--in supporting a voluntary prayer resolution that originated in Texas. 







The resolution maintains that recent court decisions banning prayer ha 

ve contributed to thee deterioration of religious beliefs in the country. 

Merrick County supervisor Gail ferris said the passage of their solution wa 



not to pray it's voluntary. If someone chooses to pray it's voluntary. It's u 

p to the individual," she said. 


Ron Wall, superintendent of the Central City Schools, said he had no commen 



on, Nebraska Sens. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, Reps. Doug Bereuter, Peter Hoaglan 

d, and Bill Barrett. 


he communities decide," Polster said. 




SOUR[Verdigre Eagle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[HUD awards to Ponca Housing 

TEXT[The Northern Ponca Housing Authority will receive almost $400,000 from the 

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for housing related assistance 

. Word of the Community Development Block Grant award came from the offices of 

Nebraska U.S. Senators J. James Exon and Robert Kerrey, said Ponca Tribe of Nebr 

aska Chairperson, Ms. Deb Wright. 

Wright said the grant would be used to purchase lots, sites, or properties 

in each of the six Federal Service Areas for the construction of new low-income 

rental and home ownership units. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Housing Authority 

had previously been notified of a $1.9 million grant to build 20 single-family h 

omes that will be used as rental units for Ponca Tribe of Nebraska members. A s 

econd grant for $2.0 million would be used to construct 20 additional homes whic 

h would be purchased by individual tribal members through HUD's "Mutual Help Pro 

gram." Wright said that program allows for low down payments and mortgage payme 

nts based on income. 

Wright congratulated the Northern Ponca Housing Authority Executive Directo 

r Daryl Twiss and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners for their good work o 

n securing the project, the first of its kind for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Cattlemen Review Industry Mandates 

TEXT[Nebraska Cattlemen Executive Committee members met Tuesday to review the st 

atus of actions of cattlemen from Nebraska and surrounding states called for in 

an unprecedented meeting on meat inspection and packer concentration held in Oma 

ha back in June. After reviewing the mandates issued at the June 29 meeting in O 

maha, which were adopted as Nebraska Cattlemen policy in July with minor modific 

ations, the NC leaders developed the following summary of the current status of 

the seven mandates. 

1. Implementation of Spray-Wash Technology (as a replacement 

for the failed hand trimming practice implemented to comply with USDA's zero to 

lerance contamination policy): Current National Cattlemen's Association policy c 

overed the desired ends of the mandate. Action has been painfully slow, but pres 

sure from NC, NCA and other groups continues. Preliminary research results have 

been informally presented to USDA, with further research being done to help stre 

ngthen the industry's request for approval of spray/wash practices as acceptable 

interventions. The final research is expected to be completed by about December 

1. The Executive Committee fears pursuing a law suit, as is called for in the m 

andate, on this now would be futile and counter productive, as a suit initiated 

in Iowa which seeks equity between beef and poultry inspection could indirectly 

help obtain approval of wash/spray practices. 

2. Directive to the Packers & Stockyards Administration (r 

equiring at least one P&S inspector in packing plants at all times to protect ca 

ttlemen's interests): This was voted down at the NCA Midyear meeting in Denver, 

but is still viable from NC's perspective. As the industry evolves toward valuebased 

marketing, NC feels oversight will be essential from either a beefed up P& 

S or from producer funded monitors. 

3. Inspection Uniformity (uniformity between all beef proces 

sing plants, as well as inspection equity between beef and poultry): This is alr 

eady NCA policy and the subject of a pending lawsuit initiated in Iowa which NC 

will discuss joining during its annual convention in late November. 

4. Short Position Limits for Packers (intended to limit pack 

er ability to use futures above reasonable risk management purposes): This was t 

abled at the NCA Midyear meeting with a NCA task force formed by its marketing c 

ommittee; NC President Logan McClelland is a member. The task force just had its 

first meeting and will report to NCA marketing committee next January in Nashvi 

lle. 

5. Large Trader Commitment Reports (seeking more detailed ac 

counting in CFTC and CME larger trader reports): This was approved at the NCA Mi 

dyear meeting; various report options are under consideration by the CFTC survei 

llance and reporting staff. 

6. Justice Department Investigation: This was not addressed 

at the NCA Midyear meeting, but the Justice Department has an ongoing investigat 

ion of packer concentration. The Justice Department has visited the NC office an 

d we have provided background information. Also, the P&S Administration is condu

cting an extensive study of concentration in the red meat industry. Data collect 

ion in the seven-project study is largely complete and analysis is underway. A f 

inal report is expected in late 1995. The work includes: the effect of captive s 

upplies on beef markets and packers; price determination in procurement of fed c 

attle; effects of concentration on prices paid for fed cattle; and the effect of 

concentration on relevant procurement areas. 

7. CFTC and Department of Justice Investigation: Now that th 

e CTFC internal investigation of packer trading is complete, NC is writing to Se 

nators Exon and Kerrey requesting an independent investigation of the process. T 

he CFTC recently released its follow-up analysis of intraday trading by beef pac 

kers in live-cattle futures during the period of April-June 1994. The report sta 

tes the commission didn't find any evidence of market manipulation. The report c 

orroborated the findings of the CFTC's initial analysis released in June. 

The Nebraska Cattlemen association serves as the spokesman f 

or the state's beef cattle industry and represents nearly 5,000 cattle breeders, 

ranchers and feeders, as well as 50 county and local cattlemen's associations. 




SOUR[Great Falls Tribune (Montana) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Ethanol Derivative to get a tax break 


driving will be getting a tax break, the Treasury Department said this week. 

The department said gasoline containing at least 12.7 percent of the d 

erivative will qualify for a exemption of 3 cents per gallon from the federal ex 

cise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. 

The exemption, matching that for fuel containing at least 5.7 percent 

ethanol, was hailed by Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon from the farm 

state of Nebraska. Ethanol is derived from corn and other grains. 

The derivative is known as ETBE or ethyl tertiary butyl ether. The Env 

ironmental Protection Agency has said its low volatility makes it "appropriate f 

or use in summer grade gasoline." 

Ethanol and its derivatives are being promoted by farm states as 

a clean-burning fuel additive. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[U.S. Senate campaign shows need for reform 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Comparing the most recent campaign finance filings by the Nebr 

aska Senate candidates illustrates both the need for campaign finance reform and 

the reason the Republican leadership in Congress has resisted this reform.

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., has raised and spent more than $2 million on 

his campaign this year, bringing to $4.35 million the amount he has raised since 

taking office in 1989. 

Republica n challenger Jan Stoney, who never has run for public office 

before, raised and spent about $1 million on her campaign. 

Kerrey - who has more personal wealth than Stoney despite the fact tha 

t the former head of U.S. West received a $2 million bonus when she retired last 

year - has built up an impressive fund-raising machine during his races for gov 

ernor, U.S. senator and president over the last decade. 

Not only is he able to tap into individual donations from media moguls 

on the West Coast, Texas oil millionaires and industrialists and bankers in Chi 

cago and New York, but he also is a member of the Senate Agriculture and Appropr 

iations Committees, which attract special interest giving from the political act 

ion committees that have a financial interest in federal agricultural policy and 

, more importantly, federal spending decisions. 

Kerrey received more than $683,000 in PAC contributions this year, com 

pared with $131,685 for Stoney. 

The Stoney campaign committee got $34,285 in PAC money between July 1 

and Sept. 30, which may be a new record low for Senate candidates. 

The House and Senate voted this year on campaign reform legislation 

that included limitations on PAC funds, but once it looked like Congress was abo 

ut to approve the final version, Republicans in the Senate led a filibuster 

that blocked final consideration. 

The conventional stance of Republicans, who have blocked campaign reform fo 

r decades, is that it would help the Democrats build an even larger majority in 

Congress. 

Kerrey has voted for campaign reform, including PAC limits, and voted for c 

loture, the parliamentary process of shutting down a filibuster, on the Senate's 

first attempt to get 60 votes to shut off debate. He voted against cloture on t 

he next vote, saying that he could not vote for legislation that would set up wh 

at he called a new entitlement program while serving as chairman of the commissi 

on is attempting to reform costly government entitlement programs. 

The Senate bill, crafted in part by Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., would provide ta 

xpayer dancing for candidates whose opponents refused to keep their campaign exp 

enditures under a certain population-based formula. 

Judging from Kerrey's campaign finance reports through the years, the 

senator could survive as well as any candidate without PAC money. He has a base 

of individual contributors that range, in his most recent report, from Garth Anc 

ier, a Fox Broadcasting official in Beverly Hills, Calif., to former U.S. Navy A 

dmiral Elmo Zumwalt, who lives in suburban Virginia. 

Stoney's connections with Nebraska business over the past 20 years has 

provided a small but generous base for campaign contributions from the captains 

of industry and commerce in the state, but it is a much smaller universe than t 

he one available to Kerrey. 

Stoney is attempting to compensate by pointing out that more than 90 p 

ercent of her contributions came from Nebraskans, but this tactic rarely has pro 

ven effective. 

A majority of voters favor campaign reform, but the same majority oppo 

ses federal funding as a remedy for the current system that allows special inter 

ests to buy influence, or the appearance of influence. 

Stoney's list of individual contributors contains names familiar to Ne

aska GOPs: former Republican Gov. Kay Orr, $2,000; former state GOP Chairman N 

orm Riffel, $1,100; former GOP Sen. Carl Curtis, $958; and longtime Republicans 

Duane and Phyllis Acklie, $1,275 and $1,375, respectively. 

Among her largest PAC contributions was the $10,000 maximum allowed un 

der law from U.S. West. She also received $2,000 from ConAgra and $5,000 from Wh 

irlpool. 

And Kerrey blasted her for that last contribution, pointing out that W 

hirlpool exported Nebraska jobs to Mexico while Stoney was a member of the compa 

ny's corporate board. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[A choice 

TEXT[NORFOLK - We should feel fortunate we have two fine people running for the 

office of Madison County sheriff and that we have a choice between the two when 

we go to the polls Nov. 8. 

We are also fortunate that our present sheriff, Vern Hjorth, with all his r 

esponsibilities, runs his department efficiently, fairly, without prejudice and 

not based on politics, as so many people with power do. 

I feel his record of the last 12 years speaks for itself and I, for one, wi 

ll be casting my vote for Sheriff Hjorth, who does not evade issues but meets th 

em bead on. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Business Leaders Among Fund-Raisers for Kerrey 

TEXT[Political and business leaders will host a $250 per person fund-raiser toda 

y for Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. The reception will be from 5:30 p.m. to :30 p.m. a 

t Kiewit Plaza 3555 Farnam St. 

Hosts include: Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.: Omaha investor Warren Buffett, 

chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and honorary chairman of the campaign; Phili 

p Fletcher, chairman and chief executive officer, ConAgra Inc.; Dick Davidson, c 

hairman, Union Pacific Railroad; Jim Hawes, Nebraska vice president and chief ex 

ecutive officer, U.S. West Communications; and Lee Butler, chairman and chief ex 

ecutive officer, Kiewit Fuels, and former commander in chief of the U.S. Strateg 

ic Command. 

Kerrey, seeking his second term, is opposed by Republican Jan Stoney. 


DATE[10-21-94



BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Honored 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-- Sen. James Exon (D, Neb.) has received the National Security L 

eadership Award in recognition of his activities on a range of defense and forei 

gn Policy Issues during the 103rd Congress. The presentation was made during a c 

eremony on Capitol Hill that was attended by many of his colleagues. 




SOUR[Jewish Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator Exon praises Israel 

TEXT[Senator Jim Exon told an AIPAC audience Sunday that the need for American e 

ngagement in world affairs is greater today than in the Cold War. 

"The time for leadership is now, we are in a position to reap rewards 

due to a long-awaited opportunity to address the ills of mankind." 

He said that famine, human rights abuse, poverty, and hatred need to b 

e addressed, yet there is little consensus as to how to proceed. 

"People are seeking direction." 

Sen. Exon singled out Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreig 

n Minister Shimon Peres as "embodying the type of leaders who are seizing the op 

portunity in history to seek peace now." 

Israel deserves accolades, he said, adding that if peace can be brough 

t to the Middle East, who can say that efforts elsewhere would be in vain. 

Sen. Exon said that learning about Israel in 1972 during a trip he and 

his wife took with Helene and Norman Krivosha educated him to fight the legitim 

ate fight of the Israeli people. 

He pointed out that during a meeting with the late David Ben Gurion, h 

e recognized the framework which eventually led to the accord with Israel's adve 

rsaries. 

Sen. Exon said he recalled the fervor with which Ben Gurion spoke abou 

t Jack Kennedy's "true love for Israel," and that Israel today stands as a "beac 

on for democracy" in the Middle East. 

In introducing Sen. Exon, former Chief Justice Krivosha described the 

senator as "A great American who has served the State of Nebraska well." 




SOUR[Jewish Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Harlan Noddle welcomes 200 to "largest" Nebraska gathering 

TEXT[Nebraska gathering of pro-Israel activists," Harlan Noddle, workshop co-cha

irman, told some 200 attendees Sunday at the Georgetowne Club. 

The first state-wide workshop of Israel supporters attracted men, wome 

n, college students, teenagers, Senators, Congressmen, and 

candidates running for elective office. 

Speakers from Israel, Washington, and Lincoln praised the turnout, cre 

diting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) with performing sign 

ificant service in maintaining steadfast American support for Israel. 

Others on the Steering Committee were Tom Fellman, co-chair, Yale and 

Irene Gotsdiner, Bob Kully, Susie Noddle, and Donald Yale. 

Participants included: Major General Giora Romm, defense attache for 

the Embassy to Israel; Mr. Kully, Karen Kilgarin, director of public affairs for 

Governor Nelson; Jeremy Bash, AIPAC media activities coordinator; Woody Howe, e 

ditor, the Omaha World-Herald. 

Also, Mr. Gotsdiner, Bob Wolfson, executive director, ADL/CRC of the J 

ewish Federation of Omaha; Larry Sitzman, commissioner, State Department of Agri 

culture; Arthur Avnon, counsel general to Israel; Mr. Fellman, Howard Kohr, AIPA 

C managing director. 

Also, Mr. Noddle, Rabbi Paul Drazen, Governor Nelson, Senator Jim Exon 

, Senator Bob Kerrey, Rep. Peter Hoagland, Jerry Schenken, chair, Nebraska Repub 

lican Party; Judy Schweikart, Nebraska Democratic National Committeewoman. 

Sponsors of the workshop were AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League, Community Re 

lations Committee, and the Jewish Federations of Omaha and Lincoln. 



AUTH[Capt. Lindsey Borg 

SOUR[Omaha Air Pulse 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Funds requested for Offutt school upgrades 

TEXT[Bellevue Public Schools has requested congressional finding for a 55 millio 

n project to remodel and expand two of Offutt's three elementary schools. 

Bellevue Public Schools, the administrators of the schools on Offutt, ident 

ified $2.5 million in needed construction at LeMay and Peter Sarpy elementary sc 

hools. The third school, Fort Crook Elementary School, was previously expanded b 

ut is now overcrowded because of the lower capacities of the other schools. 

About 150 elementary students living in Capehart Housing are bused from Cap 

ehart to other schools in the Bellevue School District, according to Cathy Willi 

ams, spokesperson for the school system. She said the construction would elimina 

te the need to take the students outside of their neighborhoods. 

Williams also said the school administration is watching carefully the remo 

deling of Capehart housing units, since when that project is finished, the Capeh 

art population will increase and potentially cause an increase in the number of 

students for the three schools. 

Dr. John Deegan, assistant superintendent of schools, said the administrati 

on is looking to the Nebraska congressional delegation to shepherd the funding r 

equest through the House and Senate budget and appropriations processes. 

"We hope that the Nebraska delegation -- Senators Kerrey and Exon, and Repr 

esentatives Hoagland, Bereuter, Barrett -- will work together to see this throug 

h for our military connected students," Deegan said. 

He said Congress should begin work on the issue in January. "We should know

if the funding was approved by the time the session ends around Nov. 1, 1995. I 

f the finding was appropriated, we'll begin construction in 1996," Deegan said. 

The finding is being sought through the military construction budget area o 

f the Armed Services Committee's annual defense budget appropriation. 

At least three other bases have successfully secured funding for similar pr 

ojects in the past, Deegan said. One base is normally chosen each year to receiv 

e educational facilities upgrade funding. 

According to Mary Busch, director of elementary education for Bellevue Publ 

ic Schools, the money is needed now for the Capehart schools. 

"We've worked very hard to have equal education opportunities throughout th 

e Bellevue Public Schools system; the Capehart schools' facilities are not yet t 

here," Busch said. 

The construction plan includes: 

þ LeMay Elementary School 

þ five regular education classrooms 

þ one kindergarten classroom 

þ two preschool classrooms 

þ a technology lab 

þ workspace for counseling, foreign language, speech, and music training 

þ Peter Sarpy Elementary School 

þ two kindergarten classrooms 

þ one special education preschool classroom 

þ two preschool classrooms 

þ a technology lab 

þ expanded workspace for special media, a library, and physical education tra 

ining 

þ workspace for counseling, foreign language, speech, and music training 

The current library at Peter Sarpy Elementary School is inadequate accordin 

g to school officials. It is housed in two classrooms and is limited in its offe 

rings because of the space constraint. The construction project would add a fill 

-size gymnasium to the school and the library would move into the current gymnas 

ium space. 

Students who attend Fort Crook Elementary School also would benefit from th 

e construction project since the school's class sizes would decrease as the othe 

r schools' capacities increased, Busch said. 

"The project will allow us to redraw the attendance lines, which will allow 

students to attend the schools in their own neighborhoods," she said. "This is 

also a safety issue, since we would no longer have children crossing 25th Street 

to get to their schools." 

The current practice of busing students are to schools outside of their nei 

ghborhoods, even outside of Capehart Housing, to maintain a balanced enrollment 

among schools is an educational concern, Busch said. 

"It can become disruptive to their educational development," she said, sinc 

e the student may change schools more frequently than the administrators would l 

ike. She said some students are bused to another school in the district, perhaps 

for a year, until an opening becomes available in their neighborhood school, an 

d then they're transferred to that school. 

Deegan said an important element for the proposed project's success is the 

demonstration of community support. 

People interested in more information on how to assist the effort should ca 

ll him, Williams, or Busch at 293-4000.



AUTH[Craig Jones 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Rail grain cars can't keep up 

TEXT[Farmers are harvesting one of the best-yielding crops ever, while at least 

one elevator manager says he is having more trouble than ever getting railroad c 

ars to take it away. Brian Groskreutz, grain originator at the North Platte bra 

nch of the Maywood Coop, said getting grain hopper cars when needed from Union P 

acific Railroad has been a problem in his five years here, but this year appears 

to be the worst. 

"It looks like we'll have a real good crop this year, but we have a limited 

amount of space for storage," he said. "You only get so far through harvest an 

d you get full. 

The problem is all over the state, no matter what rail line you're on." 

Between piling on the ground and available elevator space, Groskreutz said 

the co-op can hold about two-thirds of a crop. Rail transportation is needed fo 

r the other one-third of the estimated 3 million-bushel 1994 crop to be taken in 

by the North Platte elevator. 

Groskreutz said UP restructured its car allocation program this year. In th 

e past, allotment was based on average car loadings the previous four years. Now 

it is set at 70 percent of the previous two years average car loadings. 

"Now we're getting in a decent crop, but only getting about two-thirds of t 

he rail cars we've had in the past," he said. "Even if they were (getting cars h 

ere on a timely basis), it's not enough. 

The last unit train at the elevator was loaded Oct. 12. The 75 cars took aw 

ay 265,000 bushels, "but we've dumped a lot of corn since then," he said. Farmer 

s are bringing in that amount now about every two days. 

That train was the first of six the elevator should receive between the fir 

st of October and the end of the year. 

"We've seen 15 percent of the rail equipment with 50 percent of the harvest 

completed," he said. 

Ed Trandahl, a spokesman for UP in Omaha, said the restructuring regulation 

s went into effect Oct. 1. It was done because the railroad found problems in ma 

king accurate car loading estimates based on four years of figures. 

"We're trying to be responsive to changing conditions, not trying to avoid 

commitment," he said 

In an effort to keep up, UP has purchased 1,000 new grain hopper cars this 

year, which have a capacity of 10 percent more than old cars. Trandahl said this 

is part of a program to purchase 3,600 new cars by 1996. 

There are about 15,000 grain hopper cars now in service, he said. 

UP is also running 75- to 100-car shuttle trains to elevators that have lar 

ger capacities, Which Trandahl said should get grain away faster and empty bars 

back quicker for reloading. 

"There is very strong demand (for cars) in Nebraska this year, and there sh 

ould be some relief out there now," he said. "We hope to come close to meeting t 

he demands in October. 

"The farmers are really bringing it in this year."

Corn piled on the ground now at the North Platte elevator represents about 200,0 

00 bushels. Last year, about 700,000 bushels were on the ground, and Groskreutz 

said he expects to approach 800,000 bushels before this year's harvest is over. 

The quality of the corn brought in is good; he said, with test weights in t 

he 57-58 lbs.-per-bushel range. Because there has not been a hard freeze, the gr 

ain is holding some moisture and a lot of corn is still coming in at 16-17 perce 

nt. 

Yields appear to be turning out better than first expected in the valley wh 

ere hail damaged early this summer, Groskreutz said. Wind-damaged corn in the St 

apleton area, however, is not doing as well. 

The price on the board at the elevator is staying in the $2 per bushel rang 

e, the lowest since 1991 when another large crop was harvested. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain railcars in short supply 

TEXT[The grain is there but getting railroad cars to take the crops away is beco 

ming a problem for some grain elevators in Central Nebraska. 

"We can't get enough rail cars and there's nothing we can do about it," sai 

d Don Comer, grain manager at the Aurora Co-op Elevator. "It's too late to lease 

rail cars. We tried." 

said. 

The lack of railcars and truck transportation, coupled with the largest cor 

n crop in history in the making, has resulted in the almost traditional piles of 

corn on the ground he said. 

The co-op began piling corn on the ground Friday at its Chapman and Grand I 

sland facilities, Comer said. 

With the harvest about 70 percent complete by this weekend, the co-op has r 

eceived nearly 2 million bushels of corn in the past week at its seven elevator 

sites, he said. Before the harvest is finished, he expects the co-op could have 

as much as 500,000 bushels on the ground at each of the Chapman and Grand Islan 

d locations. 

"We have felt fortunate that we have not had to go on the ground before thi 

s," he said. 

The large crop was predicted a year ago, if the weather cooperated--which i 

t did, he said. But there's not enough rail cars available even in a small-crop 

year. The shortage of rail cars is an ongoing problem in the large crop years. 

Aurora Coop is among the elevators which have tried to alleviate the proble 

m by building additional storage capacity, he said. 

The co-op built two 400,000-bushel grain elevators at Chapman and two 400,0 

00-bushel tanks in Grand Island to accommodate the large-crop years. But the add 

itional capacity still wasn't enough this year, he said. 

The co-op probably won't have to pile corn on the ground in Aurora because 

the elevator has ample old storage buildings available that were built in the 19 

60s, '70s and '80s, Comer said. 

Further to the west, Cargill in Gibbon began piling corn on the ground last

week and milo on the ground in Ravenna, said Jim Reiff, manager of the Cargill 

elevators in Gibbon, Ravenna and Kearney. 

With about 85 percent of the harvest completed in the area, the company has 

not had to pile any grain on the ground in Kearney, Reiff said. 

The availability of rail cars has been "fairly sufficient" and they have be 

en able to stay ahead of the harvest until this past week, Reiff said. 

"It's starting to get tight," he said, and the railcar availability probabl 

y will get tighter during the coming week. 

He sees this problem as a combination of a large harvest, with good harvest 

conditions and a lack of railcars, Reiff said. The harvest is much better than 

last year and the yields are about average. 

Further west still, the problem is becoming critical. 

In North Platte, getting grain hopper cars from Union Pacific Railroad has 

been a problem in the five years he's been at the North Platte branch of the May 

wood Co-op, but this year appears to be the worst, said Brian Groskreutz, grain 

originator. 

"It looks like we'll have a real good crop this year, but we have a limited 

amount of space for storage," he said. "You only get so far through harvest and 

you get full." 

Union Pacific restructured its car allocation program this year, Groskreutz 

said. In the past, allotment was based on average car loadings in the previous 

four years, but now it is set at 70 percent of the previous two years' average c 

ar loadings, he said. 

"Now we're getting in a decent crop, but only getting about two-thirds of t 

he rail cars we've had in the past," he said. "Even if they were (getting cars h 

ere on a timely basis), it's not enough." 

The last unit train at the elevator was loaded Oct. 12. The 75 cars took aw 

ay 265,000 bushels, "but we've dumped a lot of corn since then," he said. Farmer 

s are bringing in that amount now about every two days. 

That train was the first of six the elevator should receive between the fir 

st of October and the end of the year. 

"We've seen 15 percent of the rail equipment with 50 percent of the harvest 

completed," he said. 

Ed Trandahl, a spokesman for U.P. in Omaha, said the restructuring regulati 

ons went into effect Oct. 1. It was done because the railroad had problems makin 

g accurate car loading estimates based on four 

years of figures. 

"We're trying to be responsive to changing conditions, not trying to avoid 

commitment," he said. 

Union Pacific has purchased 1,000 new grain hopper cars this year, which ha 

ve a capacity of 10 percent more than old cars. That's part of a program to purc 

hase 3,600 new cars by 1996, Trandahl said. 

There are about 15,000 grain hopper cars in service now, he said. 

Union Pacific also is running 75-to 100-car shuttle trains to elevators tha 

t have larger capacities, which Trandahl said should get grain away faster and e 

mpty cars back quicker for reloading. 

"There is very strong demand (for cars) in Nebraska this year, and there sh 

ould be some relief out there now," Trandahl said. "We hope to come close to mee 

ting the demands in October. The farmers are really bringing it in this year."



AUTH[Larry Peirce 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Plugged channel has state and landowner at odds 

TEXT[MARTELL - After a heavy rain, water flows 4 feet deep across Joe Lewis' lan 

d in southern Lancaster County. 

The water flows on a field, not in a plugged channel the state, has neglect 

ed for 16 years, Lewis said. 

The runoff flows northeast two miles to Salt Creek. 

Lewis' 73-acre farm is bordered by U.S. 77 on the west and Stagecoach Road 

on the north. High atop the cast border is a Union Pacific Railroad line. 

The channel is plugged with silt and overgrown with trees. The only water f 

lowing is in a spring that surfaces in several places, Only a trickle runs throu 

gh a county culvert under Stagecoach Road now. 

Lewis said the channel's condition disqualifies him for federal conservatio 

n reserve programs and has made it impossible for him to buy crop insurance. 

Floods have overrun Lewis' sewage lagoon, which is between the channel and 

his house. The house has flooded five times. 

All of the damage has occurred, Lewis claims, because the state has ignored 

a 1976 Lancaster County District Court order leaving maintenance of the channel 

to the Department of Roads. 

The department sought and acquired an easement on the property so it could 

ensure the safe flow of water from under U.S. 77. The easement covers 4.3 acres, 

leaving the last third of the channel up to Lewis. 

The state argued for the right to maintain the channel in a court case invo 

lving the former owners, Lyle, Glen and William Tiedeman. The next year, 1977, L 

ewis bought the land. 

So far, the state has not fulfilled its responsibility. Despite years of re 

quests, Lewis said, state officials have asked him not to sue while they ignored 

the court order. 

Lewis estimates repairs to the channel could cost more than $250.000. 

Allan Abbott, director of the state Department of Roads, said he can't expl 

ain why nothing was done before his appointment in 1992. But Abbott said the sta 

te offered last spring to go to work on the channel. only to have work stalled b 

ecause Lewis failed to cooperate and was difficult to reach by phone and mail. 

"We could never find out even we could get in (on the land) and what he wan 

ted," Abbott said. 

Lewis said he angrily asked surveyors to leave once in August, after he saw 

a state employee chopping away at his milo. 

"They don't have permission to throw my dollars to the wind," he said. 

Lewis said Abbott has exaggerated the incident, labeling him as being hosti 

le to state surveyors. 

Abbott said the department is ready to work when Lewis cooperates and provi 

des a description of the work he wants done on the channel. The state needs Lewi 

s' permission to go onto his land before any work can be done, Abbot said. 

Lewis vehemently disagrees. 

The court order says nothing about the need for the landowner's permission, 

Lewis said.

Asking for written permission was one of several delaying tactics Abbott co 

njured up, Lewis said. 

"They've got a court order," he said. "They don't need permission." 

Abbott should rely on professional engineers to determine what the channel 

needs. Lewis said. 

"They're asking the wrong person (for plans)," he said. 

Abbott said the issue isn't as simple as ordering a bulldozer onto the prop 

erty and going to work. 

Abbott and Lewis disagree on who should lead the way on channel improvement 

s. 

Lewis has his own reasons for leaving the plans up to the state. The state 

wanted him to accept liability for any work done on his property and be responsi 

ble for obtaining permits to satisfy the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the fe 

deral Environmental Protection Agency, he said. 

EPA officials notified Lewis and Abbott's office that the state must secure 

federal environmental permits for the channel work, Lewis said. 

Lewis has spent hours talking about the matter with and writing to Sens. Ji 

m Exon and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who gave urged the two parties to work it out. Le 

wis said he had no success raising the issue with Gov. Ben Nelson. 

Trent Nowka, an aide to Nelson, said he tried to negotiate between Lewis an 

d Abbott, but has dropped his efforts. He said Lewis was unwilling to cooperate. 

State Auditor John Breslow said he visited Lewis' farm and saw that the sta 

te needs to repair the channel, and Lewis needs to cooperate. The state auditor 

can only urge the two parties to work together. 

Breslow said the work should not wait for construction of two new northboun 

d lanes on U.S. 77. a project that could be two years away from completion. The 

lanes eventually will be built on ground to be acquired 

from Lewis. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Wildlife art, artists on display 

TEXT[Fans of wildlife art will have an unparalleled opportunity to meet some of 

the greats in that field as 13 winners of the federal Duck Stamp contest will be 

in Lincoln on Friday. 

A series of events on that day are associated with the diamond jubilee of t 

he national waterfowl stamp competition which has pumped millions of dollars int 

o federal wetland programs since a Ding Darling painting was commissioned for th 

e first stamp in 1934. The diamond jubilee celebration is particularly appropria 

te for the Capital City since Lincoln's Neal Anderson, a two-time winner of the 

national competition, has his painting of a pair of red-breasted mergansers on t 

he 1994-95 duck stamp. 

Friday's activities include a special U.S Postal Service cancellation, an a 

rtist signing, a social hour, dinner, silent and live auctions and a ribbon-cutt 

ing ceremony featuring Nebraska Sen. J. James Exon. 

Proceeds for the day's events will be donated to the Fund for Restoration o

f the Hall of Nebraska Wildlife in Morrill Hall. The display of prints of all 60 

federal Duck Stamps - part of a traveling exhibition will be shown through Jan. 

8th at the Morrill Hall at 14th and U Sts. 

In addition to Anderson, previous winners of the federal Duck Stamp competi 

tion scheduled to be on hand include: 

Doug Bierly. Virginia, 3-time winner, 1956-57; 63-64; 70-71; David Maass, M 

innesota, 2-time winner, 74-75, 1982-83; Jim Hautman, Minnesota, 1990-91; Nancy 

Howe, Vermont, 1991-92; Joe Hautman, New Jersey, 1992-93; Arthur Anderson, Wisco 

nsin, 1987-88; Burton E. Moore Jr., South Carolina, 1986-87; Phil Scholer, Minne 

sota, 1983-84; John Wilson, South Dakota, 1981-82; Martin Murk, Wisconsin, 1977- 

78; Ron Jenkins, Montana, 1965-66; John Ruthven, Ohio, 1960-61. 

"They're coming at our invitation to unveil and open a showing of the colle 

ction (of prints of all 60 federal Duck Stamps) and of their own original painti 

ngs, to hang in Morrill Hall through Jan. 8th," event coordinator Karen Birdsall 

said. The majority of the original paintings the artists will show will be for 

sale, she said, with price tags generally ranging from $1,000 to $18,000. Twenty 

percent of the proceeds go to the Morrill Hall renovation. 

On Friday an exhibition will be set up on the third floor of Morrill Hall, 

with a private preview and ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Sen. Exon. Schedule 

d to be on hand are Robert Lesino, chief of the federal Duck Stamp program; Will 

iam Webster, CEO of Wild Wings, which handles wildlife art including Anderson's; 

and Anderson himself, who will officially give his 1994-95 design print to the 

traveling collection. 

Also scheduled for Friday, at 4:30 p.m., is a commemorative diamond jubilee 

anniversary pictorial cancellation at Morrill Hall with the cancellation stamp 

designed by another Lincoln artist/carver, Cliff Hollestelle. 

"The artists will be next to the cancellation room for signing. They'll sig 

n anything for a $20 donation to the hall restoration. The 60th anniversary duck 

stamp poster will also be available for $30," Birdsall said. 

"All this goes directly to the restoration of the wildlife hall. (Along wit 

h needed restoration) there are new interactive displays we need that can only c 

ome to past if we pay for it," she said. 

The museum's open hours are: Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; 

Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. 

Tickets for the dinner and auctions Friday evening at the Cornhusker Hotel 

are $50 each and reservations may be made by calling Birdsall at (402) 421-3060 

by Wednesday. 



AUTH[Judith Nygren 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Carl Curtis Still Thrives On Politics 

TEXT[Lincoln Carl Curtis listened intently to the caller, his relaxed demeanor b 

ecoming a bit more businesslike, the pace of his speech picking up. 

Yes, he told the campaign aide, he had time to talk politics. He would make 

the time. He always does. 

"I expect I'm a bit like an old fire horse," said Curtis, who. 15 years aft 

er retiring from the U.S. Senate, does most of his business from an office in hi 

s Lincoln apartment. "Every time the whistle blows, I'm off and running."

Nearing his 90th birthday, Curtis' name often appears on the list of attend 

ees at Republican fundraisers. And, said Phil Young, executive director of the N 

ebraska Republican Party, Curtis is a frequent adviser to candidates across the 

state. 

Some of the issues have changed, and the technology that shapes campaigns h 

as become more advanced. But the basics of politics. the way candidates should t 

reat constituents, remain the same - "and Curtis understands that," Young said. 

Curtis, who said his health is so good he hasn't had a headache in his life 

, refuses to let retirement slow him down. Each morning, he said, "l have the ne 

wspaper for breakfast," gleaning facts and figures that later crop up in his pol 

itical discussions. Then he and his wife. Mildred, sit down for their religious 

devotion. 

By 10 a.m., Curtis is on his way to the Cornhusker Hotel. where he and a ha 

ndful of men spend an hour each morning talking about world affairs over coffee. 

"We settle national and international problems, rate athletic teams, talk about 

whatever." 

On Tuesdays, Curtis attends his Rotary Club meeting. Thursdays find him at 

the Scottish Rite Temple. Other days he might be working with the privately fund 

ed transportation program he helped establish for Lincoln's blind residents. Or 

he might be handling personal affairs at his desk, with his two shelves of Bible 

s nearby. 

Curtis said he has to stay busy. It's central to his life. In his book of d 

aily devotions, "To Remind," which he published after retiring from the Senate i 

n 1978, he wrote: 

"When an individual reaches a time when it appears that he has nothing to d 

o, he is likely to become restless and lonely and perhaps depressed. This is bec 

ause we were created to act and to do.... The challenge to do things is a gift f 

rom God." 

For Curtis, the greatest challenge has always been politics. Asked whether 

he grew up seeing himself as a future politician, he deadpanned. "No - not until 

I was about 2 years old." 

Curtis likes to tell how, as a child, he practiced his oratory skills on th 

e barn animals on his family's Kearney County farm. At school, he said, he read 

as much as he could about history and government. 

He had three jobs as a boy, one of them requiring him to light the fire at 

the Catholic church near his home at 6 a.m. each day. He liked the hard work, th 

e active lifestyle. And, he said, politics seemed to be a career that would alwa 

ys keep him on the go. Politicians also held a place of honor. 

"The profession of politics was more respected back then," he said. 

The appeal of politics grew when, as the Kearney County attorney, he became 

concerned about the direction the country was taking under President Franklin D 

. Roosevelt's New Deal. 

Curtis practiced law in the courthouse where his father, a Democrat, had wo 

rked as a custodian. Under Roosevelt's plan to put Americans to work during the 

Great Depression, he said, two to three women would be sent to clean his office 

twice a day. Farmers in the area were encouraged to cut back their production. 

The New Deal, he said, struck him as wasteful and often ridiculous. Particu 

larly when the area where he was living had been devastated by the 1935 Republic 

an River flood, and nothing was being done to prevent future flooding. 

"I was actually frightened about Roosevelt's spending. He was saying, 'The 

national debt doesn't matter. We owe it to ourselves.'

So in 1 938, at the age of 33, Curtis filed as a Republican candidate for t 

he U.S. House. Friends and family members told Curtis he shouldn't do it, he cou 

ldn't win." 

And the day after the primary election, it appeared he couldn't. When he tu 

ned into a radio broadcast, he heard the news. He had finished second. He was ou 

t of the race. 

Curtis told his first wife, the late Lois Wylie-Atwater Curtis, "Well, I've 

got it out of my system." He would go back to practicing law, giving up his pol 

itical aspirations, he decided. 

About 15 minutes later, the phone rang. "Carl," a man with the radio statio 

n said, "we made a mistake. We turned our figures around. You're nominated." 

Curtis went on to win the general election, defeating incumbent Charles Bin 

derup, another Minden resident who attended Curtis' Presbyterian church. Curtis 

remained in office for the next 40 years - 16 in the House, followed by 24 in th 

e Senate. 

Curtis, who held many leadership positions as part of the minority party in 

the Senate, has written a book about his career on Capitol Hill, "Forty Years A 

gainst the Tide." The title, he said reflects the role he played in Washington, 

D.C. 

"I was against the tide on Watergate," sticking by President Richard Nixon 

when few others did, he said. "I voted against federal aid to education. I voted 

against Medicaid and Medicare. I voted against public housing. I voted against 

school lunches, I voted against food stamps. 

Federal aid, he said, "was overdone. They were creating a dependency.... 

"One of the things, for example, that turned me against school lunches was 

that it didn't hurt me to walk to school carrying a lunch pail. But I got letter 

s from little students saying, 'Please vote to continue our school lunch.' 

"Well, l was taught to say, 'Our Father, who art in heaven, give us this da 

y our daily bread.' They've changed that to: 'Oh, politicians, who art in Washin 

gton, give us this day our daily bread.' 

"In other words, I'm for charity. I think in the medical world, if someone 

is ill and doesn't have the resources to get the care, it is the burden of gover 

nment, on some level, to provide it. ...But charity is done because of love. Soc 

ialism is done because of compulsion." 

Some of Curtis' votes drew sharp criticism from people such as national con 

sumer advocate Ralph Nader, who characterized Curtis as being "indentured to cor 

porate power and protective of special interests." 

Even among some of his congressional colleagues, Curtis wasn't what one of 

his former aides, Paul Weyrich, would characterize as popular. 

"Carl was a serious person - not dour," said Weyrich, who served as Curtis 

special assistant from 1973 to 1977 and now is president of the Free Congress Fo 

undation. "But he always came with business. They didn't like that. l remember o 

ne colleague said, 'Carl Curtis was weaned on a pickle, he always wants to come 

and accomplish something.'" 

Curtis had personal struggles. His adopted daughter, Claramae Curtis Hopkin 

s, went blind from diabetes and died in 1967 at the age of 31. Three years later 

, Curtis' first wife died. 

Curtis, who has an adopted son, Carl T. Curtis Jr., remarried in 1972. 

He never succumbed to self-pity or let his personal travails get in the way 

of his obligations to constituents, Weynch said from his office in Washington D 

.C. 

Every day, Curtis "saw more people, had more meetings and made more decisio

ns than anyone I've ever known," Weyrich said. "I asked him once how he got so m 

uch done. He told me, 'A little bit of rudeness helps.'" 

Curtis' efficiency allowed him to make decisions quickly, Weyrich said. And 

once he made a decision, "he never waivered." 

When his colleagues were criticizing Nixon during the Watergate scandal, Cu 

rtis stood by the president, not necessarily because of Nixon himself, but becau 

se he saw the need to protect the power of the executive office, Weyrich said. 

"Carl acted on his principles. He was quite unusual in that sense." 

The people of Nebraska and fellow senators could depend on Curtis to vote c 

onservatively, said Sen J.J. Exon, the Democrat who won Curtis' vacated seat. Cu 

rtis served the "with a great deal of distinction" and he represented his consti 

tuents well, Exon said. 

Curtis, looking still like a legislator in his dark suit and tie, said: "I 

never tried to get everyone to agree with me. My goal was to get them to respect 

me." 

He accomplished that, he said. "I didn't win in most of my battles, I think 

I influenced influence them." 



AUTH[Rhonda Stansberry 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Roman Hruska Still Loves The Law 

TEXT[Roman Hruska retired 18 years ago from lawmaking. He never has retired fro 

m the law. 

At 90, The former Nebraska senator is "of counsel" for the Kutak Rock law f 

irm. He has "the choice of the office building" his secretary said, referring t 

o the fourth-floor corner suite in the Omaha Building at 1650 Farnam St. 

Space and light converge there. Tall, south- and west-facing window's flank 

a corner fireplace, its fire grate shielded by an ornate hammered-brass peacock 

screen, a memento of a trip to Athens. 

On the walls are autographed photos the trophies of 24 years in Washington. 

D.C. - in the House of Representatives from 1953 to 1954 and in the Senate from 

1955 to 1976. 

A massive mahogany desk, cleared for the moment of papers and files, domina 

tes the room. 

"This desk is the one I used in the Senate." Hruska said. "I gave it to the 

Nebraska Historical Society and made this speech. I said, 'Look. I will not cha 

rge you storage if you don't charge me rent.'" 

"They didn't have enough space there when I presented them the key, so they 

said, 'You can use it as long, as you like and then ship it to the society.'" 

Hruska said the desk holds added significance for him because it also belon 

ged to his predecessor in the Senate, Hugh Butler. who died in 1954. 

Four years were remaining in Butler's term when he died, and an election wa 

s held to fill the seat. Hruska resigned from his House seat to make the run. 

During Hruska's tenure in the Senate, the desk held copies of bills dealing 

with federal appellate court reforms and civil rights concerns, special issues 

for Hruska.

He served on the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Co 

mmittee, both powerful and, he said, satisfying positions. Before going to Washi 

ngton, he had served eight years on the Douglas County Board and had been a rege 

nt for the University of Omaha. 

The experiences have had a cumulative effect, which he said has enhanced hi 

s current role as a consultant for Kutak Rock. 

The firm "practices in the field of bankruptcy, finance, bonds, water law, 

environment, most things of a national scope." Hruska said. "And there isn't a f 

ield in which they are active but what there hasn't been, at one time or other, 

legislation in that field. So they' come in once in a while and pay me the compl 

iment of asking. 'What do you remember?'" 

Hruska laughed heartily. "As the years go on," he said. "I remember less an 

d less." 

Barbara Propp, secretary to the senator for nearly 12 years, said her boss 

"keeps his own calendar, pours his own coffee and comes to work almost every sin 

gle day always in a suit and tie. 

Lately Hruska has worked on the estate of his wife, Victoria, who died of c 

ancer in August. The Hruskas were married 64 years and have three children, Roma 

n Lee Jr. of Walnut Creek, Calif., Jana Fagan of Royal Oak, Md., and Quentin, wh 

o lives in Omaha with his father. 

Hruska was born in David City, one of 11 children of Joseph and Caroline (D 

vorak) Hruska. We family moved to Omaha when Roman was 13. 

"My father was a schoolteacher," Hruska said. "He never left us any money b 

ut he brought us to Omaha, where we could get an education." 

A faint accent hints of Hruska's Czech heritage. Hruska and his wife, whose 

maiden name was Kuncl, were descendants of Czechoslovakian immigrants. Both mem 

bers of the Fraternal Order of Sokols, they met during a social gathering at the 

Sokol Auditorium, 13th and Martha Streets, and were married in 1930. 

Hruska received his bachelors degree from the University of Omaha, attended 

the University of Chicago's law school and finished his law degree at Creighton 

University. 

Hruska said his first name is the result of his father's love of ancient hi 

story. 

In later years, a group of "Roman's Legions" was organized, said Wallace Jo 

hnson. The assemblage of Hruska's friends and fans gathered this summer at Mrs. 

Fagan's home to mark the former senator's 90th birthday. 

Johnson, a lawyer and a law professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

, has worked for and with Hruska since 1968. 

"I know him for the respect he commanded in the highest councils of governm 

ent during his senior years in the Senate." Johnson said. 

Hruska was a leader in moving President Nixon's crime program through Congr 

ess, said Johnson, who was minority counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee's 

criminal law subcommittee during that time. Hruska also served on the platform c 

ommittee at the 1968 and 1972 Republican National Committees when Nixon was the 

GOP nominee. 

Hruska said he developed a close relationship with Nixon, dating from the e 

arly 1950s. Nixon, Hruska said, is among the top three U.S. presidents. 

Hruska also worked with John Mitchell, Nixon's attorney general, on judicia 

l nominations and legislation. Johnson said Hruska's style was "to work in harmo 

ny with the administration, whatever the party in place." 

Working in tandem to shape the process was viewed as positive by Hruska, Jo

hnson said. 

"Roman was the Republican who was key on Judiciary.... Roman was the one th 

ey consulted. I worked with Nixon and Mitchell. Both called directly on Roman Hr 

uska for judicial matters. He knew more about the judicial system than any attor 

ney general. And he was a professional senator, unlike those who used the job as 

a stepping stone." 

That long tenure in the Senate led Johnson and others to be concerned about 

how well Hruska would adjust to leaving the Capitol when he stepped down in 197 

6. 

"He adjusted magnificently," Johnson said. "He also made significant contri 

butions on behalf of his clients in the practice of law after his retirement. 

"Of course he has his detractors. But the detractors I've seen are politica 

l detractors, not personal detractors." 

Hruska often is associated with a stir he created in 1970 with his comment 

on the nomination of G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme Court. 

Hruska, who led the debate on the nomination, said of Carswell in a televis 

ed interview: "The President appoints these people, and even if he were mediocre 

, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled t 

o a little representation, aren't they?" The Senate rejected Carswell's nominati 

on, 51-45. 

The comment triggered criticism of Hruska for suggesting a quota system on 

the court, to which Hruska responded: "The point that I tried to make - which I 

confess I made in a rather mediocre way - was that the measure of any man's inte 

llectual powers and talents to hold a position depends more often than not on wh 

ether the person giving out the grade is for or against the nominee." 

Close Hruska friends say it was his integrity as a senator that left a last 

ing mark. 

"I still apply the Hruska test in my daily encounters, said former Gov. Cha 

rles Thone, who was Hruska' s administrative assistant in Washington from 1955 t 

o 1959. 

"He just didn't tolerate anything less than the highest integrity. He's as 

honest as the day is long" and a "prodigious worker." Thone said. "It was unbeli 

evable, his stick-to-itiveness." 

Another longtime Nebraska associate, Charles Durham, chairman and chief exe 

cutive officer of Durham Resources in Omaha, said Hruska's fellow senators "held 

tremendous respect for him and for (Sen.) Carl Curtis. They (Hruska and Curtis) 

were not conducting surveys all the time, and they voted their consciences." 

Hruska still meets occasionally with Czech visitors to Nebraska and was a g 

uest when Czech President Vaclav Havel addressed Congress in 1990. And he became 

involved last year with trying to preserve Czech language classes at the Univer 

sity of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Board of Regents decided in 1993 to go ahead with 

the cut for budget reasons but then decided to offer the program in UNL's Divisi 

on of Continuing Studies, subsidizing it if necessary. 

During his congressional career, Hruska was credited with having legislated 

bail reform, drug abuse laws, civil rights legislation and legal services for t 

he poor. He helped pass the Criminal Justice Act of 1964, the Bail Reform Act of 

1968 and a massive overhaul of Title 18 of the Federal Criminal Code. 

Lawmaking was rewarding, he said, "despite all its grievances and headaches 

." 

"I don't think I did anything earth shaking - it was just some foibles and 

fables. But I have the inner satisfaction that I helped to do certain things, in 

cluding the construction of the Supreme Court."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Yeutter: Name Change Subjected GATT to False Criticisms 

TEXT[Washington - It was a mistake to change the name of the General Agreement o 

n Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to the World Trade Organization (WTO), said former U. 

S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter. 

"The Clinton administration could have avoided all the controversy if it ha 

d left the name the way it was," Yeutter said in an interview. 

Yeutter said the name change is being used as a fallacious argument by U.S. 

industries and labor unions that will lose protection from foreign competition 

as U.S. tariffs are phased out over 10 years. 

There also is opposition to the agreement from some environmental and consu 

mer groups. 

"Changing the name of GATT after 40 years gives opponents of the agreement 

a chance to raise questions that wouldn't have been raised otherwise," Yeutter s 

aid. 

He said opponents have convinced some members of Congress that "World Trade 

Organization" sounds like an ominous entity that could diminish U.S sovereignty 

, leading to weaker environmental and labor laws. 

"That's baloney," said Yeutter who began negotiations that led to the new G 

ATT agreement. 

Yeutter, a native of Eustis, Neb., was the U.S. trade representative in 198 

6 when more than 100 nations met in Punte del Este. Uruguay, to begin rewriting 

the GATT rules involving trillions of dollars in world trade. 

He said that the settlement of disputes through a negotiation process is th 

e main function of both the WTO and GATT a Geneva-based organization that has gr 

own steadily in membership since it was founded after World War II. 

GATT economists have estimated that U.S. farm exports will increase billion 

of dollars over the next five years if the trade agreement is ratified by a spe 

cial session of Congress Dec. 1. 

"It was the Canadians who persuaded the Clinton administration to change th 

e name from GATT to World Trade Organization because they believed it was a more 

accurate description," Yeutter said. 

Bruce Wilson, chief counsel of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee, 

said he agrees with Yeutter. 

"There is nothing to the conspiracy theories," he said. "The name was chang 

ed to give GATT a more permanent status. It's been an ad hoc organization for mo 

re than 40 years." 

Nevertheless, opponents have concentrated their criticism on the WTO, conte 

nding it could enforce actions that would be adverse to the U.S. economy. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., who is undecided about how he will vote on the agre 

ement, said the U.S. vote in the WTO would have no more influence than the vote 

of a tiny Third World country. 

"The WTO will be operated on a one-member-one vote basis where the deck is 

stacked against America," Exon said.

He said that if the United States lost WTO dispute-settlement action the de 

cision could be overturned only by a unanimous vote of the 122 other WTO members 

. 

"That raises serious questions about the loss of U.S. and individual state 

sovereignty," Exon said. 

Exon's criticisms were supported last week by consumer advocate Ralph Nader 

and other witnesses who appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee. 

Nader said WTO has more authority than GATT ever had over U.S. environmenta 

l, labor and human rights standards. 

To compare the old GATT to the new GATT-WTO is to say a pussy cat is equal 

to a saber-toothed tiger, Nader said. 

"The more the media reports this the more the American people will make thi 

s judgment for you," Nader told Exon and other members of the committee. 

"This is an international organization that will grow and expand because it 

will fulfill the global corporate power strategy of pitting one country against 

another," Nader said. 

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., joined Nader in demanding that the agreement be 

rejected. 

"There is an old saying that when you find yourself in a hole it's time to 

stop digging," Dorgan said. 

"This agreement has been widely-advertised as a tax cut for the American pe 

ople," Dorgan said. "The only way you can make that argument is if you believe r 

educing tariffs will make imported goods less expensive." 

Dorgan said that would mean the United States was more interested in promot 

ing consumption than production. 

"A country that is more concerned about consumption than production not goi 

ng to do very well in the long term," he said. 

Nader said his organization, Public Citizen, has joined a long list of oppo 

nents who will be lobbying against the trade agreement next month. 

"All national environmental groups, all trade unions and all, but one of th 

e nation's consumer groups are opposed to this agreement as presently written," 

Nader said. 

He said Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, stands alone among 

consumer organizations in support of the agreement. 

Mark Silbergeld, Washington office director of Consumers Union, said the WT 

O is not a threat to U.S. sovereignty. 

"Our laws could be changed only through the constitutional process, our reg 

ulations could be changed only through established legal processes," he said. 

Defeat or delay of the new trade agreement will be costly, said Abraham Kat 

z, president of the United States Council for International Business. 

Katz testified the U.S. economy will grow by as much as $200 billion a year 

, more than it would without the agreement. 

"It will create hundreds of thousands of new U.S. jobs, and boost average w 

ages by over $1,000 a year," Katz said. 

"Three administrations, two Republicans and one Democratic, pursued a common fr 

ee-market agenda to achieve this agreement," he said. "Let's implement it now." 



AUTH[Hugh Bunnell 

SOUR[Alliance Times-Herald

BK#[ 

HDLN[Where Should We Focus Attention 

TEXT["No to advice. No to vengeance, Yes to reconciliation."- 

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, restored President of Haiti. 

"Our media" pulls our attention to happenings around the world! Here are ju 

st a few: Back in his country where he was the first-ever "democratically electe 

d" president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide has agreed to abide by a provision of its r 

ecently-drafted electoral rules of serving only one five-year-term in office, a 

term to be completed in 1996. America will be watching. 

Otherwise in view, Prince Charles' far-out biography raises a huge question 

, is the British monarchy regime coming to an end? Charles declares he was pushe 

d into marriage with Diana although he never loved her, with his father, Prince 

Philip, pushing. 

Early reaction of the British people, according to a report I watched, is t 

hat they are "thoroughly fed up" with the story. Charles is not getting the symp 

athy he expected, and there's more ahead as Diana has a new book coming out soon 

. Charles is in line to become King upon the end of the reign of Elizabeth II, b 

orn in 1926, wife of Prince Philip, queen since 1952. She seems in excellent he 

alth, and not about to hand over the throne. 

Continuing to get attention is GATT, the General Agreement 

on Tariffs and Trade not as yet accepted by Congress. On CNN recently was a GATT 

session at the Capitol, with Senator Ernest Holling of South Carolina presiding 

-Hollings as he appeared is against GATT. 

Also continuing to be in the frying pan of "the media" in the O.J. Simpson 

case. Journalism and justice should be compatible; the public has a right to kn 

ow. True facts should be presented, not manufactured ones designed to mislead t 

he public or to corrupt the jury panel. 

Campaigning in 1994 drags on, accusatory unconvincing. Candidates are not m 

aking a strong impression even in making their names known to viewers and listen 

ers. There is a little in print. The Texas gubernatorial campaign between Ann Ri 

chards and George Bush Jr. gets more attention in our news than the campaign bet 

ween Nelson and Spence? 

On the bright side, the American economy is doing well with stock market ri 

sing. Important to us is what will happen with proposed merger of the BN and th 

e Santa Fe now that the Up has offered a larger bid and the deal is not done! Wh 

at will happen to railroad jobs in Alliance? Likely not a lot in the remainder 

of this century. 

And there's the weather, recently moisture interfering with corn and beet h 

arvest but beneficial to grasslands and wheat. We can forget lawns and their mow 

ing, and store energy for shoveling snow from sidewalks, which if the drouth con 

tinues won t be deep. Let's focus attention on matters close to home! 





BK#[ 

HDLN[4 Years Make Big Difference For Nelson 

TEXT[Ben and Diane Nelson step out at a brisk pace down Central Avenue at the he

ad of the parade. 

Behind them is a long line of marching bands, floats, clowns, Cub Scouts, e 

ven a cluster of Scottish bagpipers and a huge inflated Ronald McDonald balloon. 

Past Emboli's and the Fort Theater and the crowds gathered on the sidewalk 

s and the curbs for the University of Nebraska atKearney's homecoming parade, th 

e grand marshal and his wife stride into the crisp autumn air. 

"How are ya'?" Nebraska's governor calls, turning front one side of the str 

eet to the other to wave at people. Occasionally, he raises his familiar thumbs 

-up salute. 

"Hi, Ben!" is the usual response. 

One woman steps out into the street after the parade has turned down 9th Av 

enue, stopping Nelson to get her picture taken with him. 

"Hey, Ben, where's your car?" a man yells, noting the line of convertibles 

that are transporting other dignitaries behind him. 

"Budget cuts," the governor responds. 

It's a lot different this time. 

Four years ago, Nelson, 53, won the Democratic primary election by a hair, 

emerging with a 42-vote victory after two recounts. He then ousted Gov. Kay Orr 

from office by a slender margin of 4,030 votes. 

THIS TIME the polls, both published and private, indicate he is far out fro 

nt in his bid for re-election, figuratively leading a voter parade. Some of his 

campaign workers are quietly eyeing the 60 percent to 62 percent vote totals ama 

ssed by Frank Morrison in 1964 and Jim Exon in 1974, the standards set by Democr 

atic governors of Nebraska. 

What happened to change Nelson's base of support so dramatically over the p 

ast four years? 

It was a lot more than budget cuts, Nelson says. 

"I think it's trust," he says. 

Earlier in the morning, leaning forward in the seat of his airplane as it s 

oars through pure blue October skies over the Platte Valley en route to Kearney, 

the governor talks about that. 

"I believe they trust my beliefs. 

"Good government is the best politics. That's what I've tried to provide." 

The choice for voters between him and Republican nominee 

Gene Spence is "a choice between a solid record of accomplishments and rhetoric, 

" Nelson says. 

Spence's recent proposal for sharp cuts in property and income taxes and an 

$80 million reduction in state spending only dramatizes that point, the governo 

r says. 

"WE HAVE cut $100 million and we did it strategically. His is a slash plan 

rather than strategic cuts. He doesn't even say where he would cut. I think most 

people see right through it. 

"Sound fiscal policy says that you cut before you raise taxes, and that's e 

xactly what we've done. 

"Through strategic planning within agencies, we've changed the culture of g 

overnment. If all you do is slash across the board, you miss your opportunity to 

be strategic." 

Nelson uses an analogy to illustrate his belief that government programs sh 

ould always be subject to review and either elimination or reduction. 

"Government is a train. The engine represents the tax structure that pulls 

the train along. If the Legislature keeps adding cars to the train, pretty soon 

there are so many cars that the engine can no longer pull it.

"In the past. we've just added another engine. That is, more taxes. 

"I want to see how many cars are empty now or even half full. I want to red 

uce the number of cars so a single engine can still pull the train." 

OF COURSE, the governor adds, "I do realize there is a point we can't go be 

low." 

Nelson points to a four-year term in which the state went "from (personal p 

roperty) tax crisis to tax consensus," and experienced healthy economic developm 

ent and job growth which have produced widespread "economic prosperity statewide 

." 

"We have had a balanced effort to meet the needs of Nebraskans" he says, on 

e which has also placed emphasis on education and the environment. 

Nebraska created nearly 50,000 new jobs during the first three and a half y 

ears of his term, Nelson says. 

"We are focusing now on how to tie education and skills training and prepar 

ation in technology with the jobs being created." 

His economic development program has included a targeted emphasis on rural 

development and independence, the governor says. 

If he is elected to a second term, Nelson says, he is determined to continu 

e to pursue a national leadership role in two areas that would directly impact N 

ebraskans economically. 

"I BELIEVE we can change the way Washington does business," the governor sa 

ys. He is co-directing an effort by the states to bring an end to unfunded fede 

ral mandates. 

"And we must move away from the one-size-fits-all approach," he says. 

"It's time for the feds to back off and let the states do it. I want to see 

the relationship change." 

An end to unfunded federal mandates is the path to property tax relief for 

Nebraskans, Nelson says. 

"There could be spending relief at the local level which can save property 

taxpayers on the order of $1 billion over a 20-year period," he says. 

Nelson says he will also "continue to push development of ethanol." 

Its future growth translates into economic development for Nebraska and env 

ironmental gains, he says. 

Already, ethanol has triggered "half a billion dollars in new construction" 

in the state, the governor says. Forty-five hundred new jobs are being created 

as a result. 

Also on Nelson's agenda: revision of the state's school aid financing formu 

la to "get the bugs out," and welfare and health care reform instituted at the s 

tate level. 

A FEW HOURS later, he is munching on a hot dog, posing for pictures, shakin 

g hands and chatting with UNK supporters at an outdoor barbecue at the Alumni Ho 

use where bright autumn leaves are fluttering in the air before the homecoming f 

ootball game. 

Asked about recent personal charges leveled at him by Spence, Nelson says: 

"That's desperation at the 11th hour of the campaign. They're wrong, and nothing 

's sticking. 

"I think people would have a lot more respect (for Spence) if he took the h 

igh road instead." 

Supporters greet Nelson later at the new Kearney Family YMCA where he takes 

off his suit coat and leads them on a mile-walk around the indoor track which c 

ircles above the basketball court.

Some of the walkers drop out along the way. 

Engaged in conversation about athletics and ACT tests are three high school 

boys and the governor, leading the pack at the end. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Foul: Stoney's Ad on Death Penalty 

TEXT[The Journal calls a foul on Republican Senate candidate Jan Stoney for her 

new campaign commercial about the death penalty. 

It is simply not true that Sen. Bob Kerrey is responsible for a judge's ove 

rturning the death sentence for John Joubert or for the long years of appeals be 

fore Wili Otey was executed last month. 

The Stoney commercial irresponsibly suggests that he is. It links Kerrey's 

image with mug shots of Joubert and Otey and even with film footage that shows t 

he covered body of one of Joubert's young victims being placed in the back of a 

vehicle. 

The Stoney ad charges that Kerrey voted three times against reasonable limi 

ts on death row appeals. But those votes had nothing to do with the Joubert or O 

tey cases. And Kerrey has supported limits on death row appeals. 

Television deals in emotion. But voters owe it to themselves to consider th 

e facts. Here they are: 

-Vote Number One - In 1990, Democratic Sens. Joe Biden and Bob Graham spons 

ored a crime bill that revised habeas corpus for death row inmates. Habeas corpu 

s refers to a procedure by which prisoners may challenge the legality of their d 

etention. 

Kerrey favored limits on death row appeals but not limits as strict as thos 

e proposed by Sens. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa. He voted ag 

ainst their amendment, which was accepted. Then he voted for the bill on final p 

assage. Later, House-Senate conferees yanked habeas corpus from the bill. 

-Vote Number Two - In 1991, Republicans who objected to a waiting period fo 

r handgun purchases blocked passage of a crime bill that also limited death-row 

appeals. 

Kerrey voted against an amendment offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, on d 

eath-row appeals. The amendment gave prisoners six months instead of a year to f 

ile a federal appeal and narrowed the grounds for appeal. 

Kerrey voted to pass the bill, which included the Hatch amendment. It later 

died because of a Republican filibuster. 

Other crime-bill votes cast by Kerrey show his support for the death penalt 

y. He voted against substituting life in prison for the death penalty for drug k 

ingpins; against substituting life in prison for the death penalty in general; f 

or the death penalty for murders committed with guns carried across state or nat 

ional borders; and for the death penalty for drug murders in Washington, D.C. 

-Vote Number Three - For the 1993 crime bill, Biden came up with a compromi 

se on habeas corpus. It allowed death row prisoners one federal appeal and six m 

onths to file it, but it also required that inmates have qualified defense lawye 

rs.

The issue remained controversial. It was pulled from the bill and offered a 

s a separate bill. Kerrey voted to kill it. So did Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. So did 

Thurmond and Hatch. It died on a 65-34 vote. 

Setting emotion aside, those are the facts. Bob Kerrey has supported reason 

able limits on death row appeals, but he hasn't walked in lock step with Strom T 

hurmond and Orrin Hatch. Bob Kerrey is not "soft on crime." None of his votes go 

t Joubert off death row or kept Otey on it for years. If Stoney were more intere 

sted in informing voters than in inflaming them, she would cancel the ad. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator Exon Receives Award 

TEXT[The National Security Leadership Award was presented to Sen. Jim Exon in re 

cognition of his activities on the defense and foreign policy issues during the 

103rd Congress by the leaders of the Reserve Officers Association, the Navy Leag 

ue, the American Security Council, and the bipartisan National Security Caucus o 

f the U.S.A. Congress. 

Serving as Spokesmen for the group honoring Sen. Exon were the co-chairmen 

of the National Security Caucus, Duncan Hunter (R-Calif) and George Daren (D-Ga) 

. 

Sen. Exon received an 80 percent score on the National Security Voting Inde 

x for the 103rd Congress. This is based on 10 key votes on defense and foreign P 

olicy. 

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, USN (ret.), former chairman of the 

joint chiefs of staff, said Exon's leadership has helped the United 

States maintain its stability in the midst of an increasing chaotic, in some way 

s more dangerous world, than existed before the end of the Cold War. 

This award is given at the end of each congress since 1970. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter, Combs express viewpoints on key issues 

TEXT[First District incumbent Doug Bereuter and Democratic challenger Patrick Co 

mbs were polled recently on their viewpoints on some key issues. 

1. Does the country need health care reform? In what form? 

Combs: Yes. Lower costs. Longterm effort to reach universal coverage. Refor 

m within the industry. Ensure rural access to health care. 

Bereuter: Slow cost increases. Combine best of public and private elements 

of health care, cut bureaucracy, emphasize preventive care. Reform malpractice i 

nsurance. Simplify claim forms. More standardization of minimum insurance covera 

ge programs among the states, maximize ability to choose health care providers a

nd supplemental insurance. 

2. How would you cut the federal deficit? 

Combs: Make cuts across the board cuts. Eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. F 

reeze congressional salaries, cut congressional perquisites, bring congressional 

retirement benefits into line with others. Apply business practices in governme 

nt. Consider means testing for entitlements. 

Bereuter: Has suggested 27 specific cuts to save $157.5 billion over five y 

ears, including whole programs such as below-cost timber sales from national for 

ests and the tobacco price-support program. Need line-item veto, spending limits 

and balanced budget amendments. 

3. What two provisions must be in the 1995 farm bill? 

Combs: Retain Conservative Reserve Program. Increase crop loan prices. 

Bereuter: Reauthorize and reform the CRP. Retain farm commodity programs wi 

th revenue assurance and flexibility while not impeding ability to compete in in 

ternational marketplace. 




SOUR[Auburn Press Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[`95 Farm Bill Featured at Nov. 18 Conference 

TEXT[Nationally recognized speakers will examine the economic state of agricultu 

re, while considering the potential implications of the 1995 Farm Bill, during t 

he 5th annual Ag at the Crossroads Conference in Lincoln Nov. 18. 

The daylong event at the Cornhusker Hotel and Conference Center is co-spons 

ored by the Nebraska AgRelations Council (NAC) and Department of Agricultural Ec 

onomics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, according to Lynn Lutgen, NAC spe 

cial projects chair and marketing specialist at UNL. 

Under the theme, "1995 Farm Bill: Who are the Players; What's the Score?", 

Luther G. Tweeten, noted author and expert on public policy for agriculture and 

economic development and trade, will be the keynote speaker. Tweeten, a professo 

r at Ohio State University in Columbus, will offer an overview of the economic s 

tate of agriculture as it relates to the 1995 Farm Bill. 

Producers and others in the agribusiness sector are expected to be particul 

arly interested in the environmental implications of the 1995 Farm Bill, which w 

ill be discussed by Dennis Grams of Kansas City, Mo., administrator, Region of t 

he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Also scheduled to address general sessions of the conference are: 

-Eugene Glock, rising City, a farmer and state agricultural representative 

for Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), on the question of funding agricultural program. 

-Bruce R. "Randy" Weber, associate administrator, Agricultural Stabilizatio 

n and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., wh 

o will outline the Clinton Administration's approach to developing its version o 

f the 1995 Farm Bill. 

-Glenn Helmers, professor of agricultural economics in the Institute of Agr 

iculture and Natural Resources at UNL, who will explore the economic impacts of 

different farm program choices, ranging from continuation of the present program 

to the free market concept.

The luncheon speaker will he Mark Drabenstott, vice president and economist 

, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Mo., who will discuss the overall economy 

and the current state of agriculture. 

Ben Nelson, governor of Nebraska, has been invited to deliver an opening ad 

dress at the conference, Lutgen said. 

The Thursday conference will conclude with a reactant panel at 4 p.m. Panel 

ists are Randy Cruise of Pleasanton, past president of the National Corn Growers 

Association; Bob Weber, Weber and Sons Feedlots, Dorchester, representing the g 

rain and livestock sectors of Nebraska, respectively; Phil Karsting, legislative 

assistant to Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.), Washington, D.C.; and Diane Vosick, p 

olicy representative for agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Va. 

Advance reservations for the conference at $25 per person may he made throu 

gh Nov. 16 by calling (402) 472-2821, or by mail to: NAC, 104 ACB, University of 

Nebraska, Box 830918, Lincoln 68503-0918. Checks should he made payable to the 

Nebraska Ag Relations Council. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Newcomer, seasoned veteran square off in 1st District race 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP)Patrick Combs puts in 16-hour days in his fight for name re 

cognition and a chance to defeat the eight-term incumbent he faces in Nebraska's 

1st Congressional District. 

But it's a tough race against Republican Doug Bereuter. 

"They know his name and he's been there a long time," said Combs, a Democra 

t and 29-year-old Lincoln businessman who, has never held public office. "He's 

not invincible, but he is an incumbent and he takes full advantage of that incum 

bency." 

Bereuter, 55, is more than just a name. 

In all but two of his seven re-election attempts, Bereuter has carried ever 

y county in the eastern Nebraska district. In each of the two exceptions, he los 

t only one county. 

The district includes Lincoln and covers much of the eastern third of the s 

tate, except for the counties in and near the Omaha metropolitan area - Douglas, 

Sarpy and part of Cass. Republicans hold a slight edge over Democrats among reg 

istered voters. About 42 percent of the registered voters identify themselves as 

Democrats, 48 percent as Republicans and about 10 percent as independents, 

A poll done Sept. 6-8 for the Omaha World-Herald, showed Bereuter with a co 

mmanding lead over Combs. Bereuter was favored by nearly two out of three - 65 p 

ercent - of those surveyed; Combs 

was the choice of 23 percent. 

If he wins in November, Bereuter will surpass retired Republican Rep. Virgi 

nia Smith's tenure representing Nebraska in Congress. Mrs. Smith represented wes 

tern Nebraska's 3rd District for 16 years before retiring in 1990. 

Combs said Bereuter is a bureaucrat while he is a businessman who has had t 

o balance the books. 

He said Bereuter's votes against the Brady bill, which requires a waiting p

eriod before handgun purchases and against the crime bill haven't met the wishes 

of his constituents. 

Bereuter said Combs' comments demonstrate how out of touch he is. Several y 

ears into the Brady bill instant checks will be required on purchasers of rifles 

and shotguns and that goes well beyond Nebraska law, Bereuter said. 

"That's the only reason I voted against it," Bereuter said in a telephone i 

nterview. He said the crime bill was full of pork and won't be effective. 

Combs is a general partner with his father in a Lincoln car-dealership and 

one of three partners in a small-business consulting firm. He said his campaign 

can afford only modest radio and cable television advertising. 

Bereuter has raised about $260,000 to Combs' $100,000. He also has more pol 

itical experience and he plays on that fact. 

Before running for Congress in 1978, Bereuter had served four years in the 

state Legislature, worked as a consultant in urban planning and taught part-time 

for 10 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kansas State University. 

By the time he was 29, he had a master's degree in city planning from Harva 

rd University and served two years as a U.S. Army officer, Bereuter said. 

Among his experiences in politics, Combs counts internships in 1984 and 198 

5 with U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., and the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Zori 

nsky, respectively. 

Combs was a U.S. observer for elections in Taiwan in 1989. Four years later 

, he was a U.S. delegation leader for an international study tour of Taiwan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Combs Tries to Beat Bereuter 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP)Patrick Combs puts in 16-hour days in his fight for name recognit 

ion and a chance to defeat the eight-term incumbent he faces in Nebraska's 1st C 

ongressional District. 

But it's a tough race against Republican Doug Bereuter. 

"They know his name and he's been there a long time," said Combs a Democrat 

and 29-year old Lincoln businessman who has never held public office. "He's not 

invincible, but he is an incumbent and he takes full advantage of that incumben 

cy." 

Bereuter, 55, is more than just a name. 

In all but two of his seven re-election attempts, Bereuter has carried ever 

y county in the eastern Nebraska district. In each of the two exceptions, he los 

t only one county. 

The district includes Lincoln and covers much of the eastern third of the s 

tate, except for the counties in and near the Omaha metropolitan area - Douglas, 

Sarpy and part of Cass. Republicans hold a slight edge over Democrats among reg 

istered voters. About 42 percent of the registered voters identify themselves as 

Democrats, 48 percent as Republicans and about 10 percent as independents. 

If he wins in November, Bereuter will surpass retired Republican Rep. Virgi 

nia Smith's tenure representing Nebraska in Congress. Smith represented western 

Nebraska's 3rd District for 16 years before retiring in 1990.

Combs said Bereuter is a bureaucrat while he is a businessman who has had t 

o balance the books. 

He said Bereuter's votes against the Brady bill, which requires a waiting p 

eriod before handgun purchases, and against the crime bill haven't met the wishe 

s of his constituents. 

Bereuter said Combs' comments demonstrate how out of touch he is. Several y 

ears into the Brady bill instant checks will be required on purchasers of rifles 

and shotguns and that goes well beyond Nebraska law, Bereuter said. 

"That's the only reason I voted against it," Bereuter said in a telephone i 

nterview. 

He said the crime bill was full of pork and won't be effective. 

Combs is a general partner with his father in a Lincoln car dealership and 

one of three partners in a small business consulting firm. He said his campaign 

can afford only modest radio and cable television advertising. 

Bereuter has raised about $260,000 to Combs' $100,000. He also has more pol 

itical experience and he plays on that fact. 

What Combs lacks in money and experience he tries to make up in energy. 

"There's no possibility of outspending this guy," Combs said. "So I've been 

putting in 14-to 16-hour days, going door-to-door, passing out leaflets," he sa 

id. 

Before running for Congress in 1978, Bereuter had served four years in the 

state Legislature, worked as a consultant in urban planning and taught part-time 

for 10 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kansas State University. 

By the time he was 29, he had a master's degree in city planning from Harva 

rd University and served two years as a U.S. Army officer, Bereuter said. 

Among his experiences in politics, Combs counts internships in 1984 and 198 

5 with U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., and the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Zori 

nsky, respectively. 

Combs was a U.S. observer for elections in Taiwan in 1989. Four years later 

, he was a U.S. delegation leader for an international study tour of Taiwan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Six Attorneys Nominated for Judgeship 

TEXT[Six Omaha attorneys have been nominated for a judge's position on the Dougl 

as County Juvenile Court, Gov. Nelson's office has announced. 

They are Suzanne Carney, attorney for Policy Studies Inc., Child Support Se 

rvices of Nebraska (currently on leave of absence); Alan J. Cooper, an attorney 

for the Legal Aid Society; Elizabeth Crnkovich, a deputy Douglas County attorney 

; and Kim Hawekotte, Susan Koenig-Cramer and Wadie Thomas Jr., all in private pr 

actice. 

The six finalists were selected by a judicial nominating committee that met 

Friday at the Douglas County Courthouse. The committee considered 25 applicants 

. 

The governor will have 60 days to make the appointment. The new judge will 

replace Colleen Buckley, who plans to retire Dec. 31.

Judge Buckley, who was appointed by then-Gov. J.J. Exon, has been in office 

since 1973. She previously worked for the Douglas County Attorney's Office. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Candidates concerned about Keno growth 

TEXT[GERING - Voters are poised to upset the status quo of the ScottsBluff Count 

y board on Nov. 8 when they choose between Republican Carol Johnson and Democra 

t John Kissack for Gering's 3rd District seat. 

Both candidates have reservations about the growth of 

the county's keno lottery, which soon will open its second and third branch game 

s. The 3rd District winner would replace John McLellan Jr., a Democrat who has b 

een part of the county board's 3-2 majority for keno expansion. 

And a victory by Johnson, who upset retiring Gering Mayor Bob Unzicker in t 

he GOP primary, would put a woman on the five-member county board for the first 

time in recent memory. Women hold half of the county's remaining 10 elected off 

ices. 

Johnson, a homemaker and a first-time candidate, said she doesn't want to d 

well on the gender issue. She plans to continue her primary strategy of avoidin 

g an active campaign while attending every county board meeting to learn the iss 

ues. 

"I don't believe in all of these signs in the yards and everything," said J 

ohnson, 55, of 1745 Flaten Ave. "I know name recognition is important, but I bel 

ieve knowledge is more important." 

But voters ought to preserve the board's partisan balance, Kissack said. Th 

e office equipment dealer lost bids for state treasurer in 1970 and the county b 

oard in 1974, but served former Democratic Gov. Jim Exon for two years as direct 

or of the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. 

Although partisanship isn't as strong in county government, "it always seem 

ed to me that Republicans try to fit everybody into a mold and into their way of 

thinking," said Kissack, 65, of 

1805 Q St. 

He said he isn't sure keno can remain profitable in the face of competition 

from the Nebraska Lottery and Powerball. He suspects government sponsored gamb 

ling may be contributing to society's problems. 

"Undoubtedly, some people will gamble no matter what," Kissack said. "But t 

he easier it is, the more they're tempted." 

Johnson said she doesn't believe the keno game should expand any further. B 

ut she and Kissack agreed that the county board should consider expansion to Ger 

ing if voters approve a city-sponsored keno game. 

Both candidates oppose the county board's proposed $9 million bond issue fo 

r a new county jail. Johnson also believes control of the jail should be returne 

d to the county sheriff, reversing the county board's 1985 takeover from former 

Sheriff David Schleve. 

"Who has a better command of what's happening in the jail - the sheriff or 

the commissioners?" she said. "They go in once a quarter (for inspections). Do t 

hey go in and get to know the people who run the jail?"

Johnson said commissioners could save money by returning some appointed of 

ficials' duties to elected officials. Salaries also should be cut so the county 

isn't paying more than the private sector for comparable jobs, she said. 

Kissack said he found numerous ways to accomplish more things with less mon 

ey in the state motor vehicles department "I'll be looking into a lot of nooks a 

nd crannies that possibly nobody's thought of yet," he said. 




SOUR[Lexington Clipper 

BK#[ 

HDLN['Ag Crossroads' conference set 


re, while considering the potential implications of the 1995 Farm Bill, during t 

he fifth annual Ag at the Crossroads Conference which is scheduled in Lincoln No 

v. 18. 

The day long event at the Cornhusker Hotel and Conference Center in Lincoln 

is cosponsored by the Nebraska AgRelations Council and Department of Agricultur 

al Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, according to Lynn Lutgen, NA 

C special projects chair and marketing specialist at UNL. 

Under the theme, "1995 Farm Bill: Who are the Players; What's the Score?" L 

uther U. Tweeten, noted author and expert on public policy for agriculture and e 

conomic development and trade, will be the keynote speaker. Tweeten, a professor 

at Ohio State University in Columbus, will offer an overview of the economic st 

ate of agriculture as it relates to the 1995 Farm Bill, Lutgen said. 


arly interested in the environmental implications of the 1995 Farm Bill, which w 

ill be discussed by Dennis Grams of Kansas City, Mo., administrator, Region 7 of 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 


Eugene Glock, Rising City a farmer and state agricultural representative fo 

r Sen. Bob Kerrey on the question of funding agricultural programs. 

Bruce R. "Randy" Weber, associate administrator, Agricultural Stabilization 

and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., who 

will outline the Clinton Administration's approach to developing its version of 

the 1995 Farm Bill. 

Glenn Helmers, professor of agricultural economics in the Institute of Agri 

culture and Natural Resources at UNL, who will explore the economic impacts of d 

ifferent farm program choices, ranging from continuation of the present program 

to the free market concept. 

The luncheon speaker will be Mark Drabenstott, vice president and economist 

, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas, Mo., who discuss the overall economy and the c 

urrent state of agriculture. 



The conference will conclude with a reactant panel at 4 p.m. Panelists are 

Randy Cruise of Pleasanton, past president of the National Corn Growers Associat 

ion; Bob Weber, Weber and Sons Feedlots, Dorchester, representing the grain and

livestock sectors of Nebraska, respectively; Phil Karsting, legislative assistan 

t to Sen. J. James Exon, Washington, D.C.; and Diane Vosick, policy representati 

ve for agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Va. 

Advance reservations for the conference at $25 per person may be made throu 

gh Nov. 16 by calling 402-472-2821, or by mail to NAC, 104 ACB, University of Ne 

braska, Box 830918, Lincoln, NE 68503-0918. Checks should be made payable to th 

e Nebraska AgRelations Council. 




SOUR[Geneva Nebraska Signal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon Gets Leadership Honor 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-Senator James Exon (D-Lincoln) received the National Security Le 

adership Award in recognition of his activities on a range of defense and foreig 

n policy issues during the 1O3rd Congress. The award was presented on Oct. 17 to 

Exon by leaders of the Reserve Officers Association, the Navy League, the Ameri 

can Security Council, and the bipartisan National Security Caucus in the U.S. Co 

ngress. 



ing Senator Exon. They praised his support of the U.S. military and American vet 

erans, and his activities in the National Security Caucus. The Senator was also 

praised for his leadership on the Armed Services Committee. 

The presentation was made to Exon during a ceremony on Capitol Hill that wa 

s attended by many of his colleagues. The Senator was praised for his "outstandi 

ng voting record and many leadership activities on behalf of our national securi 

ty." Senator Exon received a 80 percent score on the National Security Voting In 

dex (NSVI) for the 103rd Congress. The NSVI is based on ten key votes on defense 

and foreign policy issues. The rating has been published by the bipartisan Amer 

ican Security Council at the conclusion of every Congress since 1970. 

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, USN (Ret.), the former Chairman of the Joint Chie 

fs of Staff, noted Exon's "outstanding efforts to promote bipartisan Peace Throu 

gh Strength policies. His leadership has helped our country maintain its stabili 

ty in the midst of an increasingly chaotic, and in some ways more dangerous worl 

d, than existed before the end of the Cold War. America is today able to chart i 

ts course in world affairs with confidence because of the foresight of lawmakers 

such as Jim Exon. When national security is concerned, Senator Exon clearly bel 

ieves that the best politics is no politics," said Moorer. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bids Sought for Construction of bridge over Missouri River

TEXT[NIOBRARA - Bids will be sought in December 1995 with a construction start p 

lanned the following spring on a bridge over the Missouri River at Niobrara. 

That was the word Monday from Schemmer Associates Inc. of Omaha, designer 

of the link between Niobrara and Springfield, S.D. Construction will take up to 

three years, said Andrew Wiest, a company representative. 

Wiest said environmental and other preliminary studies have been completed. 

Only design work and bid letting remain. 

About 90 people attended the public hearing Monday night at the WFLA Hall i 

n Niobrara, including representatives of the Nebraska, South Dakota and federal 

highway departments. 

Chaired by Bob Kayton, Nebraska highway commissioner from Cedar Rapids, the 

hearing was the last one needed before construction can begin. 

Kayton said the funds required for construction will be available as needed 

. 

The bridge carries a $15.2 million price tag. Of the estimated $12.2 millio 

n federal share, $9.9 million already has been appropriated. 

The states of Nebraska and South Dakota will each contribute 10 percent of 

the cost. 

An enlarged aerial map showing bridge and approach locations was displayed, 

and a slide projector illustrated the project to the audience as specifics were 

outlined. 

The 2,953-foot bridge will connect with South Dakota Highway 37 1.4 miles n 

orth of the Running Water ferry landing near Springfield. 

The total project is 2.6 miles beginning at the junction of the old ferry c 

rossing road with Highway 12 in Nebraska and crossing the river a short distance 

east of the old ferry landing near Niobrara. 

The traffic volume forecast on the bridge is 340 vehicles per day, 20 perce 

nt of which are expected to be trucks. 

The Nebraska approach will be a two-lane road with 6-foot shoulders. The st 

eel bridge will be a two-lane 24-foot roadway. 

Vertical clearance above the river will be about 36 feet on the Nebraska si 

de and 75 feet on the South Dakota side. 

The South Dakota approach has been moved somewhat east of its original loca 

tion to avoid a wildlife area. 

Under federal mitigation rules, about four acres of wetlands will have to b 

e replaced for the bridge. 

The project also will require about 300,000 cubic meters of fill dirt to bu 

ild up roads. 

Tom McCarthy, district engineer with the Nebraska Department of Roads in No 

rfolk, said work will be required on Highway 12 to raise it above the high water 

table. 

This will be done later in a separate project. 

McCarthy also said he expects an adequate number of bidders for the bridge 

project. 

State Sen. M.L. Dierks of Ewing said U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey and 

U.S. Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett have been supportive of the project. 



AUTH[editorial


BK#[ 

HDLN[Stenberg an Effective Attorney General 

TEXT[Don Stenberg has been an effective attorney general of Nebraska. It would m 

ake sense for Nebraska voters to give him another term. 

The World-Herald didn't endorse Stenberg in either of his previous campaign 

s for attorney general. In 1986, the endorsement went to Robert Spire, the appoi 

nted attorney general from whom Stenberg unsuccessfully tried to wrest the GOP n 

omination. In 1990, we recommended Gene Crump, the Democrat whom Stenberg defeat 

ed. 

Stenberg, we said in 1990, would move the office in a politicized direction 

, giving it a more activist posture than had been customary under Spire and his 

predecessors. 

Stenberg has indeed been a more political attorney general. His clashes wit 

h Governor Nelson, a Democrat, have sometimes created a longing for the friction 

less relationship that existed between a previous Republican attorney general, P 

aul Douglas, and a Democratic governor, J. James Exon, in the 1970s. 

Stenberg has been unyielding in defending his positions against Democrats, 

opponents of the death penalty and members of the Legislature. 

However, that doesn't disqualify him for re-election. Although he might hav 

e been more successful in getting his anti-crime proposals through the Legislatu 

re if he had been more diplomatic, Stenberg has generally handled his duties wel 

l. 

He and his staff aggressively went after child abusers and bunco artists wh 

o preyed on the public. He argued a death penalty case before the U.S. Supreme C 

ourt and won, eliminating one avenue of appeals by which convicted killers had a 

voided execution. He tested the obscenity laws to determine whether movies that 

are too obscene to be shown in theaters could be banned from video rental outlet 

s. 

He gave the Legislature and state agencies generally sound advice, rooted i 

n the constitution. He advised that it was unconstitutional for the Legislature 

to establish off-track betting without amending the constitution. He has been an 

advocate of open government. He told the Health Department that it had no right 

to keep birth and death records secret. His office won a court case establishin 

g the right of the Pawnee Tribe to have access to State Historical Society recor 

ds. 

Some defense attorneys accuse him of being overzealous in criminal matters. 

Others say he botched the Harold Lamont Otey capital punishment case by having 

his staff appear before the Pardons Board, of which Stenberg was a member, to ar 

gue against clemency. Those critics are wrong. No state or federal court agreed 

with Otey's claims that Stenberg had violated his rights. Otey's execution last 

month was Nebraska's first in 35 years. 

Don Stenberg is the right man for the next four years. Violent crime has in 

creased. Questions have arisen about how society should respond. With some peopl 

e saying that more compassion and less punishment is the answer, it would be goo 

d to have an attorney general who believes that the best way to fight crime is t 

o arrest criminals, convict them and carry out the sentences prescribed by the c 

ourts.



AUTH[Brandon Benson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Don Hansen on GATT and NAFTA 

TEXT[HEMINGFORD - GATT and NAFTA have been major topics of discussion in Congres 

s for the past year. 

NAFTA stands for North American Free Trade Agreement, phasing out the tarif 

fs or products traded between Mexico, Canada and the United States. 

GATT is the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, involving 123 nations i 

n the world. Trade tariffs among these nations will also be phased out in a peri 

od of time but the effects will be much more pronounced because of the larger sc 

ope of the agreement. 

"It'll have a really broad effect on us," Don Hansen told The Times-Herald. 

Hansen is opposed to NAFTA and GATT, stating that the brunt of the financial pr 

oblems will fall on the farmers here and abroad. 

NAFTA has been in effect for almost a year now, and although none of the ad 

verse effects that were predicted by the opposition are yet apparent, there is t 

he general acknowledgement by both the proponents and the opposing side that it 

is still to early to make a decision one way or the other. 

When asked, Hansen said the effects of NAFTA should be 

felt by spring of 1995 and then a decision could be reached concerning its viabi 

lity. 

One of the main reasons that he opposes the trade agreement is that it will 

place the United States on the same level as the countries that are included in 

the agreement. This will not help the U.S., since most of the other countries a 

re third-world and do not have the technology or competitive power that the U.S. 

has achieved. Hansen thinks that farmers in Mexico will soon be starving becaus 

e they cannot get work and can't compete with the U.S. in prices and production. 

"We're not against trade," stated Hansen. He spoke about the people who are 

opposed to NAFTA, saying that fair trade is more important than the amount of t 

rade taking place. 

He also expressed concern about the lack of exports in comparison to the am 

ount of imports. 

According to Hansen, $40 billion will be lost in revenue from the tariffs. 

Three ways are predicted by the opposers to replace the money lost on phasi 

ng out tariffs: raising taxes, increasing the deficit and cutting the farm progr 

am. 

The bulk of the replacement, money would come from farmers, Hansen said. 

With his concern about NAFTA, Hansen thinks that GATT will be an even bigge 

r blunder because of the huge number of countries and products the agreement enc 

ompasses. 

The 1995 Farm Bill is another concern for Hansen. "Right now it's a politic 

al football," he said. 

Hansen and 11 others from Nebraska recently went to Washington, and spoke w 

ith all of the members of Congress and First Lady Hillary Clinton about the farm 

bill. The Nebraskans tried to express the importance of things in the farm bill 

that would be needed for farming to continue in Nebraska. Higher loan rates and 

retaining some version of the CRP were foremost in Hansen's mind. 

He would like Congress to table the farm bill until the next session, which

would begin in January. Hansen expressed a trust of Senator Bob Kerrey, saying 

that Kerrey votes right, in Hansen's opinion, around 90 percent of the time. He 

also spoke very highly of Senator Exon. He mentioned the ease with which Exon sp 

eaks with people and how he helps farmers in Nebraska. 

Hansen is a farmer himself, with around 350 acres of winter wheat, irrigate 

d corn and irrigated beans. Right now he is concentrating on combining the corn. 

His beans were almost totally hailed out this year, and the wheat is doing 

well. The target price for wheat is $4 right now, and the actual price for wheat 

is coming closer to that every day. 

Hansen also serves as a Box Butte County Commissioner. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Council deals with mandates, park 

TEXT[The Curtis City Council has joined a federal agency, a state agency and oth 

er towns in declaring this "National Unfunded Mandates Week." It also has closed 

Mill Park to motorized traffic. 

What are "unfunded mandates?" They are rules laid down by the federal gover 

nment for municipalities, rules requiring certain actions but not providing any 

funds for enforcing them. 

Examples are: ordering towns to close their landfills; ordering municipalit 

ies to test their drinking water; Americans with Disabilities Act; and Fair labo 

r Standards Act. Local governments are required to fund the costs of implementat 

ion while strapped with statutory lids and other financial restrictions. 

What this does to a town like Curtis is gives the town the requirement to f 

ollow the orders but provides no money for it. So, there is a bigger financial b 

urden on the towns. 

City Clerk Jerry Wilcox said the federal mandates without funding could cau 

se an increase in taxes to provide the money for complying with the federal mand 

ates. 

The National League of Municipalities has passed a resolution observing the 

week, the Nebraska League of Municipalities has passed a resolution observing i 

t and Curtis and several other cities have passed similar resolutions. 

What can residents do about it? They can write to their congressional repre 

sentatives expressing dismay at the federal government ordering towns to take ac 

tions such as named above and not providing the funds for the towns. 

Addresses are: Sen. Jim Exon, 528 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, 

D.C. 20510; Sen. Bob Kerrey, 303 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 2 

0510; Rep. Bill Barrett, 1213 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 

20515. 

As for Mill Park, the council closed the road into the park because there h 

as been too much four-wheeling and hot-rodding on the wet grounds. The park is s 

till open to walkers, horseback riders and others. It will be reopened to vehicu 

lar traffic when the grounds dry out but will be closed when the grounds become 

wet or snow-covered again.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator James Exon and Congressman Bill Barrett Receive National Security L 

eadership Award 

TEXT[Senator James Exon and Congressman Bill Barrett Receive 

National Security Leadership Award 

Senator James Exon (D-Lincoln) and Congressman Bill Barrett (Lexington) today re 

ceived the National Security Leadership Award' in recognition of their activitie 

s on a range of defense and foreign policy issues during the 103rd Congress. The 

award was presented to Exon and Barrett by leaders of the Reserve Officers Asso 

ciation, the Navy League, the American Security Council, and the bipartisan Nati 

onal Security Caucus in the U.S. Congress'. 



ing Congressman Barrett and Senator Exon. They praised his support of the U.S. m 

ilitary and American veterans, and his activities in the National Security Caucu 

s. 

The presentation was made to Barrett and Exon during a ceremony on Capital 

Hill that was attended by many of their colleagues. The Senator and Congressman 

were praised for their "outstanding voting record and many leadership activities 

on behalf of our national security." Senator Exon received an 80 per-cent score 

on the National Security Voting Index (NSVI) and Congressman Barrett received a 

100 percent score for the 103rd Congress. The NSVI is based on ten key votes on 

defense and foreign policy issues. The ratings has been published by the bipart 

isan American Security Council at the conclusion of every Congress since 1970. 

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, USN (Ret.), the former Chairman of the Joint Chie 

fs of Staff, noted Exon's and Barrett's "outstanding efforts to promote bipartis 

an Peace Through Strength policies. Their leadership has helped our country main 

tain its stability in the midst of an increasingly chaotic, and in some ways mor 

e dangerous world, than existed before the end of the Cold War. America is today 

able to chart its course in world affairs with confidence because of the foresi 

ght of lawmakers such as Jim Exon and Bill Barrett. When national security is co 

ncerned, Senator Exon and Congressman Barrett clearly believes that the best pol 

itics is no politics. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Honor Sen. Exon 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--Sen. J.J. Exon of Nebraska received the National Security 

Leadership Award Oct. 17 in recognition of his activities on a range of defense 

and foreign policy issues during the 103rd Congress. The award was presented by

the Reserve officers Association, Navy League, American Security Council and th 

e bi-partisan National Security Caucus in Congress. Sen. Exon was praised for hi 

s support of the U.S. military and American veterans and for his activities in t 

he National Security Caucus as well as his leadership on the Armed Services Comm 

ittee. 




SOUR[Central City Republican Nonpareil 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Character, the essential quality for a politician 

TEXT[As we approach the upcoming election and consider which candidate to vote f 

or, no doubt we will consider many things; their knowledge of their constituent' 

s attitudes and preferences, their interest in supporting economic issues affect 

ing us, and their ability to articulate forcefully and convincingly their positi 

on on a wide variety of issues. Yet there is something which we believe is even 

more important to consider, the candidate's moral, ethical and religious convict 

ions. How a politician votes on some of the most crucial bills affecting us will 

be determined more by inner convictions than by a mere knowledge of facts relat 

ed to an issue. 

Examine a sample of the voting record of our current Nebraska congressmen a 

nd see how the above premise works out in practice. 

Voted to lift the ban on open homosexuals serving in the military: Bereuter-No, 

Hoagland-Yes, Barrett-No, Exon-No, Kerrey-yes. 

Voted to make peaceful protests in front of abortion clinics by Pro-Life America 

ns a serious federal crime: Bereuter-Yes, Hoagland-Yes, Barrett-No, Exon-No, Ker 

rey-Yes. 

Voted favorably toward voluntary school prayer: Bereuter-Yes, Hoagland-No, Barre 

tt-Yes, Exon-No, Kerrey-Didn't vote 

The above sample is not intended as an endorsement of any candidate but rat 

her to show that a politician's true moral, ethical, and religious convictions w 

ill be reflected in their voting record in ways that will profoundly affect your 

family and freedoms. We seem to have forgotten a truth that our nation's founde 

rs understood. Our second President, John Adams, declared, "It is religion and m 

orality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely 

stand. A patriot must be a religious man." 

Not all choices a politician must make are clear-cut. Scripture, however, s 

peaks clearly on the above issues. Homosexuality is a rebellious choice against 

our Creator's design, (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1: 26-28). Abortion is murder, a 

personal premeditated choice to take a human life, (Exodus 20:13). The prohibiti 

c institutions represents a refusal to acknowledge God's sovereignty over govern 

ment and of government's dependence upon God for both its existence and its auth 

ority, (1 Chronicles 29:11;John 19: 10, 11). 

Learn your candidates' voting record or past actions that reflect their inn 

er values and convictions. It is these inner values that will determine more tha 

n promises or political rhetoric how they will vote on issues that are crucial t 

o you, your family, and your country. 

This message is sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church of Central City.



AUTH[Speech excerpt 

SOUR[Omaha Jewish Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator J. James Exon speaks at AIPAC Regional Workshop 

TEXT[The following is an excerpt from the speech given by Senator J. James Exon 

at the AIPAC Regional Workshop in Omaha recently. 

"...The need for American engagement in world affairs, I would argue, is ev 

en greater today than it was at the height of the Cold War. It is a mistaken pre 

mise to believe that victory was achieved with the demise of the Soviet empire a 

nd the repudiation of communism. 

So complete is the media reporting on the crisis in places such as Somalia, 

Haiti, Iraq, Cuba, and North Korea, and so overwhelming is the bombardment of i 

mages of suffering and death from around the world, that I worry that Americans 

might become desensitized to what is actually occurring or might find the world' 

s problems all too overwhelming and conclude that despite good intentions, our e 

fforts will be in vain. 

While we cannot be the world's policeman and firefighter, nevertheless, we 

cannot afford complacency, for if it is allowed to prevail, the successes of the 

past in places such as the Middle East, South Africa, Nicaragua, Eastern Europe 

, Cambodia, and Ethiopia will not be repeated and the hopes held by all men, wom 

en and children, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity will be dashed on th 

e rocks of neglect. 

This is where those of you assembled here come in. You and those like you n 

eed to continue to remind me and all elected officials not to lose sight of the 

prize that is within reach before us. History is not static and the future is no 

t preordained; it is in a constant state of flux, being molded continuously like 

a large piece of clay. 

I am a realist and do not look at the world in rose-color glasses. But I kn 

ow America is a great nation and Americans are a great people in large part beca 

use they are willing to look past what is simply best for the individual and thi 

nk of the collective good. 

In an international context, the world's nations have never been as united 

to see that this collective good is addressed as they are today. Now that the gr 

oundwork is in place, it is important to keep the momentum behind our push for p 

eace and security going. 

I have received valuable counsel over the years from many of you here today 

. And whether it is on matters concerning Israel and Middle East or on another s 

ubject, domestic or foreign, I don't want you to be shy (as Krivosha has always 

keen about offering your views and suggestions. 

No one person has all the answers to the problems we face, but I feel confi 

dent that there is no challenge that cannot be overcome as long as we work toget 

her and combine our collective strengths. 

May I now turn to a domestic subject that I challenge AIPAC to address. You 

may have talked about this to some extent in your recently--concluded workshops 

. It's about your traditional values on fairness and resoluteness of the politic 

al process. 

I am not going to go into the mysteries of the failure of the majority part

y to receive any credit from the populace for our successful domestic economic p 

olicies. I will cite an obvious few: 

The lowest deficits in years; the lowest unemployment figures and the highe 

st employment figures since Hector was a pup; inflation very well under control; 

solid stock market performances; a record gross domestic product that is solidl 

y upward. Such confidence and stewardship like that two years ago would have cat 

apulted George Bush to a second term. 

But I do want to talk about a malaise that has struck Americans. It is dest 

roying our electoral policies. 

If you think politics in Nebraska has shrunk to a new low, take a closer lo 

ok around the nation. It can be summed up with a word AIPAC and its four-letter 

word beginning with the letter "h." It is 

"HATE." It inspires its corresponding four-letter word "FEAR." 

When "hate" and "fear" consume the political process electorates -- foreign 

or domestic -- have at times demonstrated a severe breakdown and created "tyran 

ts." We need not go into that further here. But once in a while, we should pause 

and reflect --"lest we forget." 

What I am directing your attention to, with alarm, is the current disgustin 

g campaign of many that destroy, mislead, and lie about a political opponent thr 

ough scandalous negative advertising. It's the rage in the nation. It's dirty, a 

nd regardless of the "winner," the public is bound to lose. It serves to debilit 

ate, not educate. 

Every national report on this subject says that negative campaign commercia 

ls are the only type having any impact. What a sad state of political affairs! T 

he highly-paid campaign so-called "consultants" are having a field day in manipu 

lating the "hate level of the American electorate. It's the "in thing" for 1994. 

This will be a "watershed" election. As we sift through what remains after 

Nov. 8, I hope that AIPAC and the many other of the forces for reason and enligh 

tenment might band together to help bring an end to the deterioration of campaig 

ns and halt the obsession with hate. It would be a noble endeavor. 

Thank you all for your confidence and support over the years. You have been 

a friend that I cherish." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators asking about pork prices 

TEXT[DES MOINES,Iowa (AP)-Midwest members of the Senate Agriculture Committee ar 

e asking retailers and meat packers why farmers are getting low prices for hogs 

while consumers are paying relatively high prices for pork. 

"The distorted relationship of pork prices" is evident since the farmers sh 

are of the pork dollar has dropped by 20 percent while packers' and retailers' s 

hares have increased by more than 10 percent since the first of the year, Sen. T 

om Harkin, D-Iowa, said Thursday. 

An oversupply of pork has resulted in low prices for live hogs, which lives 

tock farmers understand and respond to, Harkin said. "However, they do not feel 

it is fair or economically justifiable for them to bear the full brunt of bringi

ng supply back to demand," he said. 

The National Pork Producers Council said the letters raise questions that a 

ddress the concerns by farmers, as well as consumers, about why the 22-year low 

in live hog prices is not being reflected in most supermarket meat cases. 

Harkin, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and Sen. To 

m Daschle, D-S.D. sent letters to the American Meat Institute, the National Whol 

esale Grocers Association, the Food Marketing Institute 

and to the chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking for an a 

nalysis of the price disparities. 

Kerrey said Wednesday that 16 U.S. senators have signed a letter he wrote a 

sking the Department of Agriculture to approve an allocation under the Export En 

hancement Program authorizing the export of an additional 20,000 tons of pork to 

the former Soviet Union. 

"With hog prices currently at a 22-year low, the U.S. has plenty of reasona 

bly priced pork to sell, and with Russia and the other former Soviet Republics s 

truggling to implement market reforms, they clearly need our product," Kerrey sa 

id in a news release. 

The USDA must help in the sale if the United States wants to avoid losing o 

ut to aggressive, subsidized pork offers from the European Union to Russian buye 

rs, Kerrey said. 

Nebraska ranks fifth nationally in hog production, Kerrey said. 

Senators signing Kerrey's letter included Grassley and Harkin; Jim Exon, D- 

Neb., Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, both R-Miss., Dave Durenberger, R-Minn.,Wende 

ll Ford, D-Ky., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jesse Helmes and Lauch Faircloth, both R 

-N.C., Carl Levin, D-Mich., Carol Moseley-Braun and Paul Simon, both D-Ill., Dav 

id Pryor, D-Ark., and Jim Sasser, D-Tenn. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Offers New Home for Mickey 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Move Mickey to the Heartland? 

Sen. Bob Kerrey thinks it could work. 

The Nebraska Democrat has asked Disney Co. Chairman Michael D. Eisner to co 

nsider locating a theme park in the Cornhusker state. 

Kerrey said C.R. "Bob" Bell, president of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Comm 

erce, asked him to speak to Eisner after Disney's plans to build a history-based 

theme park near Washington, D.C., fell through. 

"Eisner said I'd be the first one he'd call" if a Midwestern location were 

a possibility, Kerrey said Thursday. 




SOUR[Omaha World-Herald

BK#[ 

HDLN[1st District Pits Youth vs. Experience 

TEXT[Lincoln-In a televised debate Thursday, Democratic congressional candidate 

Patrick Combo portrayed himself as a fresh voice out to change "business as usua 

l" in the House of Representatives. 

Eight-term Congressman Doug Bereuter of Nebraska's 1st District, emphasized 

his knowledge of and experience with national and international affairs. At one 

point, he even corrected historical facts cited by debate moderator Ed Howard. 

In a discussion of defense issues, Howard asked Combs if he would have supp 

orted President Clinton's decision to send U.S. troops to Mogadishu, Somalia. Af 

ter Combs said he didn't know, Bereuter corrected Howard by saying he supported 

President George Bush's decision. He then proceeded to discuss what he saw mista 

kes in the mission. 

Live Television 

The NETV debate aired live Thursday night. Howard told Bereuter he misspoke 

when asking the question. 

Combs, 29, is a general partner with his father in a used-car business in L 

incoln. He holds a political science degree from the University of Nebraska-Linc 

oln and has worked as an intern or aide for Sen. J.J. Exon, the late Sen. Edward 

Zorinsky and Secretary of State Allen Beermann among others. 

Bereuter, 55, of Utica, holds a master's degrees in urban planning. He is a 

former state planning director and former state legislator. 

Throughout Thursday's debate, Bereuter tried to subtly highlight Combs' you 

th and apparent naivete. 

"He wants to make a change, and I think he's quite sincere about that." Ber 

euter said. "I commend him for running for Congress. Some people think he should 

have run for something else first, but that's his choice. That's what our syste 

m is all about." 

As Howard guided the debate through issues such as health-care reform, nati 

onal defense and entitlement spending, Combs repeatedly returned to his theme of 

Congressional reform. 

More than once, Combs said "I don't know"' when asked for specifics on how 

he would address health care or other problems. Instead, he said Congress needed 

to reform itself so it can solve problems like the national debt. 

"None of this stuff matters without reform," Combs said after the debate. 

Bereuter agreed with many of Combs' reform proposals, such as rotation of c 

ommittee leadership, a balanced-budget amendment and some form of a line-item ve 

to. 

Both also agreed that term limits are a bad idea unless they are adopted th 

rough a national constitutional amendment so that they apply to every state. 

But Bereuter resisted Combs' efforts to paint him as a part of the "good ol 

' boy" network in Congress. 

Bereuter said many of the problems can be attributed to the Democratic Part 

y that's held control of the House for the past 40 Years. As a Democrat, Combs w 

ould be part of that system, Bereuter said. 

"If you don't like it, don't send reinforcements," he said. 

Bereuter said he is one of the most effective Representatives at garnering 

bipartisan support to pass bills. 

"That doesn't change the fact that there's a colossal problem," Combs said. 

"I'm not part of the problem; I'm part of the solution." Bereuter said. 

"You've had 16 years to change things: now it's time to give someone else a

try," Combs said. 

Health Care 

When asked for his position on health care, Bereuter ticked off a list of p 

roposals that included "moving toward" universal coverage, portability of covera 

ge, tax credits to help pay for coverage and purchasing pools to help individual 

s and small business buy insurance. 

"That sounds very much like what heard President Clinton say a few weeks ag 

o," Howard said. 

"It's a very good part of his plan," Bereuter said. He said the flaw in Cli 

nton's plan was that it was too "bureaucracy heavy." 

Asked for his proposals, Combs said he would emphasize flexibility for stat 

es to develop their own plans, with nothing more than "a blueprint" from the fed 

eral government. Nebraska's health-care problems are different from those of mo 

re urban states, he said. 

"You will not see a Combs plan," he said of health care. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to fund study of Heartland highway route 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF - The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Nebrask 

a Department of Roads a $48,000 grant to study the best location for the stretch 

of Heartland Expressway between Minatare and Alliance. 

The project study, announced Friday by U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, 

is one of 13 selected nationwide for funding this year. 

The Department of Roads will study the route of a four-lane, 43-mile stretc 

h of the Heartland Expressway. 

The expressway would link Colorado and South Dakota with a route that inclu 

des western Nebraska. 

"Construction of the Heartland Expressway is an important component of west 

ern Nebraska's economic development strategy, and we are glad to see the Departm 

ent of Transportation making it a priority," Nebraska's senators said in a state 

ment. 

"Improved transportation infrastructure means improved safety and better jo 

bs for Nebraska. The Heartland Expressway is a key part of our transportation st 

rategy," Kerrey and Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Agate museum exhibits to be installed in '95 

TEXT[AGATE FOSSIL BEDS - Exhibits for Agate Fossil Beds National Monument's muse

um may be installed in 1995, parks officials have announced. 

Park Superintendent Larry Reed said the exhibit plan is proceeding on sched 

ule with installation expected in December 1995. 

The National Parks Service announced that artifacts from the 

Cook Collection were transferred 

to Harpers Ferry, W.Va.,'where 

they will be readied for display before being returned to Agate. 

Nebraska's U.S. senators applauded the announcement. 

"The Park Service is taking quicker action, as we urged," Sens. Jim Exon an 

d Bob Kerrey said in a prepared statement "We're pleased they're moving forward, 

and hope the pace continues." 

In April, Exon and Kerrey arranged a Washington meeting with Park Service o 

fficials in an effort to speed completion of the exhibits. At the time, official 

s estimated the installation would take up to 10 years. 

The Washington meeting was followed by a trip to Agate by Park Service Depu 

ty Director John Reynolds. 

Many of the objects selected for display are built from fragile materials s 

uch as leather, bone, feathers and paints using natural pigments. Each of the 10 

0 artifacts will be treated individually. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Candidates overlook problems with GATT 

TEXT[How come we never hear anything about the General Agreement on Tariffs and 

Trade in our South Dakota congressional race? 

I know the rhetoric is that GATT, as a facilitator of free trade, will help 

farmers by increasing exports. But I think that any export gains would be short 

-lived as giant corporations would eventually gobble up cheap, foreign land and 

work it with cheap, foreign labor, thus ultimately undermining the independent A 

merican farmer. 

Even in the short term, though, I see American gains being made at the expe 

nse of Third World farmers, and I find it hard to believe that South Dakota farm 

ers,having struggled at times to survive themselves, would wish an acceleration 

of the rural-to-city movement in other countries. 

Ross Perot talks about how GATT will drive down American wages at a time wh 

en we have a huge national debt, thus tending to increase the burden on us all. 

Sen. Larry Pressler has problems with sovereignty issues in the agreement. Again 

, why hasn't GATT been addressed? I think it is because both congressional candi 

dates support GATT. I know Rep. Tim Johnson does, and because the political par 

ties nowadays are nearly clones, Jan Berkhout probably does too. It's sad that i 

n Johnson's ads he talks about how he "stood up to the powerful." Sens. J.J. Exo 

n of Nebraska and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota are truly standing up to the powe 

rful in the Senate hearings on GATT, televised on C-Span. 

Reluctantly, I'll vote against Johnson this year, but also against Berkhout 

two years from now, and I'll keep rotating them until we get a true South Dakot 

a representative.

-Dan Craylin, Sioux Fails 





BK#[ 

HDLN[A second term for ben nelson could be especially productive 

TEXT[This year's campaign for governor of Nebraska resembles the campaign of 197 

4. 

Twenty years ago, the Democrats nominated as their candidate for governor a 

n incumbent, J. James Exon, whose support crossed party lines. He was opposed by 

a Republican moderate, Richard Marvel. Marvel's supporters clung to the hope th 

at State Sen. Ernie Chambers, an independent candidate for governor, would pull 

liberal votes from Exon, giving Marvel the victory. 

Late in the campaign, with Exon leading in the public opinion polls, Marvel 

all but conceded defeat. Marvel, a political science professor, told supporters 

that he hadn't wanted to run for governor and that he wished he were back in th 

e classroom instead of on the campaign trail. 

Exon was re-elected with 57 percent of the vote. He is the only Nebraska go 

vernor to be elected to a second term since the 196Os, when the voters lengthene 

d the term from two years to four years. 

Now it's 1994. Ben Nelson, a Democrat and an incumbent who has worked well 

with members of both parties, has a big lead in the polls. His Republican oppone 

nt, Gene Spence, in remarks that were strikingly reminiscent of Marvel's 1974 be 

fore-the-election concession, said Saturday that he has almost no chance of winn 

ing. A write-in campaign is being waged by Chambers. 

Even before Spence's gloomy assessment Saturday, the case for re-electing N 

elson was strong. 

During Exon's second term, the themes of his administration - managing stat 

e government efficiently and holding the line on tax rates - were firmly establi 

shed. Because the constitution doesn't permit a third consecutive term, Exon was 

able to govern without having to think about a re-election campaign. 

Nelson's re-election bid gives Nebraskans the opportunity to again benefit 

from the continuity and knowledge of a second-term governor. We recommend that t 

he voters seize the opportunity and re-elect him. 

He has been a good manager. He showed political courage in solving the pers 

onal property tax problem. He took the lead in an environmental issue in putting 

forth a relicensing plan for Kingsley Dam. He has had a good relationship with 

state senators. His friendly manner has made him well-liked by ordinary Nebraska 

ns regardless of their party affiliation. 

He has built an effective network of advisers. He has championed welfare re 

form, guided a youth crime bill through the Legislature, reduced the growth rate 

in Medicaid spending and used a modified hiring freeze to slow the expansion of 

the state's work force. 

He has taken sensible positions on a number of issues. Putting himself at o 

dds with his party, he came out against President Clinton's proposed federal tak 

eover of health care financing. Nelson said that state-level adjustments could s 

olve many health care financing problems. He used his veto power to avoid genera

l increases in state tax rates. 

Sometimes Nelson has been too effective, in our opinion, for the good of th 

e state. Few people have been more responsible than he for making Nebraska a lot 

tery state and a Powerball state. We hope the governor will be just as committed 

and effective in carrying out the pledge he has made to oppose casino gambling 

in Nebraska. 

At other times Nelson hasn't been effective. He has dragged his feet on sit 

ting a storage vault for low-level radioactive waste in the state, putting Nebra 

ska at odds with the power industry and raising concerns in the medical communit 

y. 

His economic development program has tilted toward rural areas and small bu 

sinesses. Nelson said during his 1990 campaign that small businesses account for 

80 percent of the new jobs created in America. The state has helped Nebraska co 

mmunities band together to encourage job creation. A fund was established to ren 

ovate Main Street storefronts. A commission was established to pursue rural revi 

talization. 

Small businesses and small towns are important. But while Nelson was pursui 

ng those goals, states with which Nebraska competes were investing more heavily 

in programs to attract and keep medium-sized and larger employers. Some Nebraska 

companies expanded into other states, saying that Nebraska lacked enough traine 

d workers. Governors like Terry Branstad of Iowa were providing dynamic leadersh 

ip. 

A World-Herald editorial in January 1994 said, "While Nebraska seems contin 

ually bogged down in arguing about Legislative Bill 775, a seven-year-old incent 

ive package that some people say many other states have long ago outdistanced, I 

owa seems to be charging ahead to invest in its future." 

The federal government, moreover, has indicated that the job-creating abili 

ty of small businesses may be overrated. Many jobs that are credited to small bu 

sinesses, the study indicated, are spinoffs that wouldn't exist without a larger 

employer nearby. Moreover, small-business jobs often pay less and are less like 

ly to survive. 

A second term would give Nelson the opportunity to address the concerns of 

the many economic development specialists who say that Nebraska's competitivenes 

s in the race to create more jobs and opportunities has slipped. 

Other important work remains. Welfare reform needs to be pushed through to 

completion. The adult crime bill deserves another effort to win legislative appr 

oval. The growth of Medicaid expenditures needs to be restrained even more. 

Ben Nelson is the best candidate to be entrusted with the responsibilities 

that lie ahead. We recommend a vote to keep him on the job the next four years. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska First District 

TEXT[Doug Bereuter(R)-Age 55; Utica; incumbent; married, two children; St. Paul 

Lutheran Church, Utica; bachelor's degree, geography, University of Nebraska, 19 

61; master's degree. city planning, Harvard

University, 1963; master's degree, public administration, Harvard, 1973; Army, 1 

965; state senator, 1978; former division director, Nebraska Department of Econo 

mic Development. 

Patrick Combs(D)-Age 29; Lincoln; businessman/consultant; single; Roman Cat 

holic, unaffiliated; bachelor's degree, political science, University of Nebrask 

a Lincoln,1988; former personal aide and driver for Lt. Gov. Donald McGlinley; f 

ormer legislative intern to U.S. Sen. J. J. Exon, D-Neb.; former legislative aid 

e to U.S. Sen. Ed Zorinsky, D-Neb. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State gets grant to study expressway 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) The Nebraska Department of Roads has been awarded a $48,000 gran 

t to study the best location for a stretch of the Heartland Expressway between M 

inatare and Alliance. 

The study is one of 13 selected for funding this year nationwide. Sens. Bob 

Kerrey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., said Friday. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation provided the grant so the route of a 

four-lane, 43-mile stretch of the highway can be worked out. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Expressway Study Grant 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska Department of Roads has been awarded a $48, 

000 grant to study the best location for a stretch of the Heartland Expressway b 

etween Minatare and Alliance. 

The study is one of 13 selected for funding this year nationwide, Sens. Bob Kerr 

ey and Jim Exon, both D-Neb., said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Warn About Complacency 

TEXT[Nebraska Democrats said Sunday they hoped that their supporters did not loo 

k at a recent favorable opinion polls and think that they had won a football bow 

l game when they have yet to finish the regular season. 

"It's kind of like Nebraska football," said Heidi Karr, who organized a get 

-out-the-vote rally Sunday for the Nebraska Democratic Coordinated Campaign. "We

can't get to excited yet." 

Democratic politicians said they were concerned that supporters might becom 

e complacent after seeing opinion polls for some of the high-profile election co 

ntests that showed Democratic candidates with strong leads. 

"The polls are very encouraging, but let's not be fooled," said U.S. Sen. J 

.J Exon, D-Neb. "There have been times before when we have let down our guard. W 

e, are going to get out the vote on Nov. 8." 

Republican candidate for governor Gene Spence said Saturday that he was a l 

ong shot to unseat Gov. Nelson, a Democrat. The latest World-Herald Poll showed 

him trailing Nelson, the incumbent, by 44 percentage points. 

The latest World-Herald Poll also showed that U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, a Democ 

rat, held a lead of 22 percentage points over challenger Jan Stoney, a Republica 

n. 

Exon, who is not facing re-election this year, spoke at the Democratic rall 

y held at the Plumbers Local No. 16 Union Hall in South Omaha. 

A polka band played in the background while Democratic Party supporters nib 

bled on food, frequented an open bar and shouted spirited calls of support for t 

heir candidates throughout the two-hour event. About ]50 people were present dur 

ing Exon's remarks. 

Mike Drelicharz, a tax accountant who lives near Hanscom Park, said results 

of opinion polls released over the weekend definitely boosted Democratic spirit 

s. He said, however, nobody considered the Sunday night event an election victor 

y party. 

"I am not overconfident at all," Drelicharz said. "There are enough races t 

hat are going to be really close that we need to do, everything we can to get ou 

t the vote." 

U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland, a Democrat who is facing a tough reelection chall 

enge this year, said strong turnout by Democratic supporters would be critical t 

o his Election Day success. 

"I am glad Ben Nelson and Bob Kerrey are way up in the stratosphere with th 

eir polling numbers," Hoagland said. "But some of us are not political stars. So 

me of us, are still down in the trenches fighting." 

Kerrey said voter turnout for the election, in a year without a presidentia 

l race, could be about 40 percent in Nebraska. If so few voters decide the races 

, he said, Democrats cannot afford to have large numbers of their supporters sta 

y at home on election day. 

"We need to get our people out to vote", Kerrey said. "Our opponents are co 

unting on our complacency." 

Allan Eurek, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, said he thoug 

ht Spence's comments this weekend were part of a carefully designed 

strategy. 

"It was calculated to depress the Democratic vote," Eurek told the crowd. T 

here is a need to have a good get-out-the-vote effort." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans not happy with Spence's comments

TEXT[Neligh, Neb. - Lois Miner of O'Neill gave Republican governor candidate Gen 

e Spence a hug when he arrived here Sunday, then whispered, "Hang in there." 

"I am hanging in there," Spence, responded. "It isn't over until it's over. 

Spence appeared before nearly 240 Republicans from 23 northeast Nebraska co 

unties to show that he has not folded his campaign tent, despite his weekend ass 

essment that he is a long shot to unseat Democratic Gov. Nelson and results of T 

he World-Herald Poll, which had him trailing Nelson by 44 percentage points. 

"I am running for the office of governor," Spence told the crowd at the Ame 

rican Legion Hall for the Northeast Nebraska GOP Roundup. "I intend to run for t 

he next eight days. I am in it to the finish, no matter what." 

That comment drew no applause or response from the audience. However, at ot 

her times his remarks were greeted with applause. He got his largest ovation whe 

n he voiced optimism about Jan Stoney's chances of unseating Sen. Bob Kerrey. 

"I wish I was as confident in myself as I am in Jan Stoney," Spence said. " 

I am jealous." 

In comments published over the weekend by The World-Herald and the Lincoln 

Journal-Star, Spence put his odds at 100 to 1. His assessments were viewed by so 

me Republicans here as a white flag of surrender as the campaign moves into the 

final week. 

"I'd be less than honest if I said I wasn't disappointed," said Duane Ackli 

e of Lincoln, the GOP national committeeman. "We need a full team to get all the 

voters out. 

"In my opinion, he should have stayed in it to the end. I'm not criticizing 

him. But, in my opinion. l wish he continued in a positive way." 

Even if Spence continues to campaign, Acklie said, the weekend comments hav 

e damaged the GOP ticket. 

State Sen. Scott Moore, the Republican candidate for secretary of state. sa 

id, "I think Gene's always been a straight shooter. l just wish he had sugar-coa 

ted it a little. 

"It's not good for the overall ticket. It may not help those of us down the 

ticket." 

Moore and David Heineman, the GOP state treasurer candidate, said they are 

counting on a strong Republican vote Nov. 8 to carry them to victory. 

For candidates further down the ticket from the headline races, voters tend 

to cast ballots based on party label, said Heineman, a former executive directo 

r of the Nebraska Republican Party. 

Of particular concern to Republican candidates is their hope for a heavy vo 

ter turnout in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers the central and west 

ern two thirds of the state. The 3rd District is heavily Republican. 

I'd like to think there is enough enthusiasm to get the voters out even wit 

hout an aggressive governor's race, said 3rd District Re. Bill Barrett, who has 

a commanding lead in his bid for re-election. 

Barrett, who was chairman of the state GOP when Richard Marvel was defeated 

soundly by then Gov. J.J. Exon in 1976, recalled how Marvel kept a positive pub 

lic pose even when his chance for victory appeared more than remote. 

"I can understand what he (Spence) said and why he said it." Barrett said. 

"But I wish he would keep banging away. 

Mrs. Stoney said that although the latest World-Herald Poll showed Kerrey w 

ith a 22 percentage-point lead, her hopes for election victory had not dimmed. 

She said her election fate is not tied to Spence. "We've run pretty much in 

dependently," she said.

Spence said in an interview that he could have used the help of the Republi 

can leaders earlier. 

"Let me tell you something," Spence said when asked about the criticism fro 

m some Republicans. "Anyone with any sense knows - and I've said it from the beg 

inning - I'm a distant underdog. 

"And one of the reasons is that a lot of Republicans for some reason don't 

want to vote for someone like Gene Spence. So I've got to make it up and find a 

way around it. We will continue to fight the great battle. All I've said is if t 

he election were today, I'd lose. The polls show it. 

"Can I make it up? I don't know." 

Spence. Mrs. Stoney and others urged the Republicans at the dinner to 

continue to work hard through Election Day. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Burlington Northern adds cleaning to grain car costs 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-Burlington Northern Railroad has announced, effective Thursday, 

it no longer will load grain cars with dyed feed grains bound for Mexico because 

of the added cost of cleaning those cars. 

The railroad is charging an additional $500 per car for the grain shipments 

to Mexico, which a company spokesman said barely covered the additional costs o 

f removing the dye stains and shipping the cars to Minnesota to be cleaned. 

The spokesman said the company had sought relief from the federal governmen 

t. But receiving no encouragement and concerned about the complaints from shippe 

rs, it decided to take advantage of a clause in its tariff that allows it to den 

y service when goods cause damage to its cars. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Senate-subcommittee with the most di 

rect jurisdiction over railroads, said that while railroads are faced with more 

difficulty in providing freight cars for this year's bumper grain and soybean cr 

op, the industry seems to be doing a better job than in past years. 

Exon, who has been dealing with railcar shortages for more than 20 harvests 

, including his eight years as Nebraska governor, said in a telephone interview 

that the railroads "seem to be in better shape this year and I've received less 

complaints than usual." There are about 20,000 new cars in operation this year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Letters to the Editor 

TEXT[EDITOR'S NOTE -- The Daily Citizen will not publish any letters dealing wit 

h the current political campaign after Nov. 4. Anyone wishing to submit a letter

on the election campaign should get it to the Citizen office before the close o 

f business on Thursday, Nov. 3. 

Dear Sir: 

This coming U.S. Senator election between Bob Kerrey and Jan Stoney is a ch 

oice between two candidates that have strongly differing philosophies. 

Kerrey's campaign talks conservative, but his voting record is liberal. He 

claims he is a fiscal conservative, yet he voted for a $23,000 Senate pay raise, 

has always voted against a balanced budget amendment, and provided the one vote 

margin for Clinton's 241 billion dollar tax increase (the largest in U.S. histo 

ry). 

Kerrey frequently stresses his independence from party line voting, yet he 

has voted with President Clinton 92% of the time, which is more than most democr 

atic Senators. 

Kerrey likes to emphasize his support of the family, yet he has always, (wi 

th one exception), voted for the homosexual side. His reelection campaign has re 

ceived considerable funding from homosexual organizations. He has always voted f 

or continued government funding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), wh 

ich refuses to cease funding for pornographic "art" projects. 

The latest Christian Coalition score-card on moral & economic Senate voting 

records over the past two years rates Kerrey at a positive 7% compared to Sen. 

Exon's 71%. On abortion, Kerrey claims he is prochoice, yet his proposed nationa 

l health care plan would require every taxpayer to fund elective abortion in the 

U.S. Thats proabortion, not prochoice, for the taxpayer. At 12 million+ annual 

abortions and $300+ per abortion, thats a lot of money. 

I've written to Kerrey a few times, but have received responses that are co 

ol and sometimes unrelated to my comments. This is a vivid contrast to responses 

from Sen. Exon, Gov. Nelson, Rep. Barrett, and especially Virginia Smith. Kerre 

y, in my mind, is a full blown insensitive liberal. 

Jan Stoney would provide a refreshing contrast to Bob Kerrey. She has a sol 

id Christian background. On the previously mentioned issues she would have voted 

just the opposite. 

For example, I can't believe she would have voted to confirm a known homose 

xual activist for a high government office, or provide for government funded con 

dom distribution to youth without parental consent. Kerrey did! Please vote Nov. 

8 and vote for Jan Stoney. 

Sincerely, Sam T. Schrock III 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson likely to win 2nd term handily 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - In four short years, Ben Nelson has gone from being a Democr 

at who barely won his party's nomination to being considered a shoo-in to be the 

first Nebraska governor to win re-election in 20 years. 

One poll released Sunday showed Nelson with a 48 percentage-point lead over 

Republican Gene Spence; another showed him with a 44 point lead. 

Spence stunned GOP leaders and his running mate, state Sen. Kate Witek, by

conceding over the weekend that his chances of winning were about 100-to-1. 

Even before the latest polls, University of Nebraska-Lincoln political scie 

nce professor Robert Miewald compared the Nelson-Spence race to the 1974 race be 

tween Republican challenger Richard Marvel and Democrat Jim Exon, the last gover 

nor to win re-election. 

"What you have is a fairly popular incumbent against someone who doesn't ha 

ve a great case to make," said Miewald. 

"Nelson may not have accomplished great things and changes the nature of th 

e state but I think in the governor's office that may be a plus," he said. 

The poll numbers are quite a change from what Nelson saw before the Democra 

tic primary four years ago, when he won his party's nomination by just 42 votes. 

He defeated Republican Gov. Kay Orr by 4,030 votes, or about 2 percent, in the 

general election. 

Nelson may not set records for a landslide victory this time but appears he 

aded for a margin that would be healthy for a Democrat in a state where Republic 

ans outnumber Democrats, Miewald said. Republicans make up 49.1 percent of the s 

tate's registered voters; 40.3 percent are Democrats. 

Last month, state Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, filed papers as a write-in 

candidate for governor. Death penalty opponents had urged Chambers, a registered 

independent, to enter the race after Nebraska conducted its first execution in 

35 years on Sept. 2. Nelson and Spence support the death penalty; Chambers had s 

ought to repeal it. 

Death penalty opponents may not provide much of a voter base, however. Eig 

hty-one percent of the Nebraskans supported the death penalty in a poll done Sep 

t. 6-8 for the Omaha World-Herald. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats seek voter mobilization 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Noting his slight lead in the polls, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland 

urged Democratic Party faithful attending a rally to get out to vote. 

"Some of us aren't political stars," the three-term congressman said Sunday 

, noting Sen. Bob Kerrey's and Gov. Ben Nelson's leads in the polls. "Some of u 

s have to fight it out in the trenches. We've got to get our people out to vote. 

" 

A poll released in Sunday's Omaha World-Herald showed Hoagland with a 9 per 

centage point lead over Republican challenger Jon Christensen. 

"We try and get a feel at rallies like this," he said before the rally. "I 

t's very positive. The feeling is that the momentum is heading our way." 

Kerrey, who is seeking a second term, also called for voter mobilization. 

"Our opponents are counting on our complacency," he said. "The biggest prob 

lem for Democrats is that only four out of 10 (eligible) voters will be making t 

he decisions for everyone else." 

Kerrey and Hoagland were introduced at the rally by U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-N 

eb., who expressed concern about the growth in "attack" advertising by political 

campaigns.

"We need to talk about the issues and ignore the negative attacks," he said 

. "I'd like to see (state) Democratic and Republican leaders get together and fo 

rm some kind of commission to monitor political advertising." 

Exon said attack ads were "beginning to destroy confidence in government." 

Kerrey, assailed by Republican foe Jan Stoney over the death penalty, gun c 

ontrol and other issues, said he hoped the attack ads had come to an end. 

"When it came to her ad featuring (convicted murderers) John Joubert and Wi 

li Otey, I had to respond," Kerrey said. "I'm hopeful there won't be more of th 

at in the next eight or nine days, but if I'm unfairly attacked again, I'll resp 

ond." 

Exon said there was a real possibility that Republicans could gain control 

of the Senate. 

"There is a threat of that. Everything is up for grabs, and it will be deci 

ded by voter turnout. A low turnout isn't good for Democrats, particularly not i 

n 1994," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Speakers will address farm bill, agriculture economy at meeting 


re and consider the potential implications of the 1995 Farm Bill during the fift 

h annual Ag at the Crossroads Conference Nov. 18. 

The Nebraska AgRelations Council, or NAC, and Department of Agricultural Ec 

onomics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are co-sponsoring the event at the 

Cornhusker Hotel and Conference Center, said Lynn Lutgen. NAC special projects 

chair and marketing specialist at UNL. 

Luther G. Tweeten, author and expert on public policy for agriculture and e 


at Ohio State University in Columbus, will give an overview of the economic sta 

te of agriculture in relation to the 1995 Farm Bill, Lutgen said. 

Dennis Grams, administrator, Region 7 of the U. S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, will discuss the environmental implications of the 1995 Farm Bill. 


þ Eugene Glock of Rising City, a farmer and state agricultural representati 

ve for Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), who will address funding agricultural programs. 

Bruce R. "Randy" Weber, associate administrator, Agricultural Stabilization 

and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., who 

will outline the Clinton administration's approach to developing its version of 

the 1995 Farm Bill. 

þ Glenn Helmers, professor of agricultural economics in the Institute of Ag 

riculture and Natural Resources at UNL, who will explore the economic impacts of 

different farm program choices, ranging from continuation of the present progra 

m to the free market concept. 

The luncheon speaker will be Mark Drabenstott, vice president and economis 

t, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Mo., who will discuss the overall econom 

y and the state of agriculture. 

Gov. Ben Nelson has been invited to deliver an opening address at the confe

ence, Lutgen said. 


Randy Cruise of Pleasanton, past president of the National Corn Growers Associat 

ion; Bob Weber, Weber and Sons Feedlots, Dorchester, representing the grain and 

live-stock sectors of Nebraska; Phil Karsting, legislative assistant to Sen. J. 

James Exon (D-Neb.), Washington, D.C.; and Diane Vosick. policy representative f 

or agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Va. 

To make reservations, call (402) 472-2821 or write to: NAC, 104 ACB, Univer 

sity of Nebraska, Box 830918, Lincoln NE 68503-0918. Reservations will be accept 

ed through Nov. 16. The cost is $25 a person. Make checks payable to the Nebrask 

a AgRelations Council. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats at rally appeal to members 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Democratic Party candidates for Congress urged about 350 party 

faithful attending a rally Sunday to vote. 

"Our opponents are counting on our complacency," said U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, 

D-Neb., who is seeking his second term. "The biggest problem for Democrats is t 

hat only four out of 10 (eligible) voters will be making the decisions for every 

one else." 

U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., echoed Kerrey's call for voter mobilizati 

on. 

"Some of us aren't political stars," the three-term congressman said, notin 

g Kerrey's and Gov. Ben Nelson's leads in the polls. "Some of us have to fight i 

t out in the trenches. We've got to get our people out to vote." 

Hoagland is facing a stiff challenge in the 2nd Congressional District from 

political newcomer Jon Christensen. The campaign has been marked by personal a 

ttacks and accusations of dishonesty from both sides. 

"We try and get a feel at rallies like this," Hoagland said before the rall 

y. "It's very positive. The feeling is that the momentum is heading our way." 

Kerrey and Hoagland were introduced at the rally by U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-N 

eb., who expressed concern about the growth in "attack advertising" by political 

campaigns. 

"We need to talk about the issues and ignore the negative attacks," he said 

. "I'd like to see (state) Democratic and Republican leaders get together and fo 

rm some kind of commission to monitor political advertising." 

Exon said attack ads were "beginning to destroy confidence in government." 

Kerrey, assailed by Republican foe Jan Stoney over the death penalty, gun c 

ontrol and other issues, said he hoped the attack ads had come to an end. 

"When it came to her ad featuring (convicted murderers) John Joubert and Wi 

li Otey, I had to respond," the first-term senator said. "I'm hopeful there won' 

t be more of that in the next eight or nine days, but if I'm unfairly attacked a 

gain, I'll respond." 

Exon said Republicans could gain control of the Senate. 

"There is a threat of that," Exon said. "Everything is up for grabs, and it

will be decided by voter turnout. A low turnout isn't good for Democrats, parti 

cularly not in 1994." 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, Nelson's running mate, was unable to attend the rally, 

which was sponsored by the Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign. 



AUTH[Cindy Connollly 

SOUR[Omaha World-Herald (Lincoln ed.) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Money, Stamina needed as Campaign Nears End 

TEXT[Lincoln lawyer Charles M. Pallesen Jr. ran the 1984 and 1990 campaigns of S 

en. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. With little more than a week until the Nov.8 general elect 

ion, he discussed how political candidates should handle themselves as the clock 

ticks down. 

Q.what is the single most important thing political candidates can do in th 

e last week before an election? 

A.Not run out of money. They need to continue with the program that they pu 

t together months ago or a year ago, all of which was going to culminate in the 

last two weeks. And the most devastating thing that can happen is if you run out 

of money and can't do it. It's not a good time to change your plan. It's time t 

o complete the plan. 

Q.If you were running a campaign, what would your strategy for a candidate 

in the final week? 

A.Assuming the money and, the news media are staying on, continue with the 

media. The thing the candidate himself or herself needs to do is get out the vot 

e - GOTV. It is not money-driven but is volunteer-driven. GOTV means a lot of vo 

lunteers on the telephone, door-to-door, following up on people previously ident 

ified. It's important to know who's going to get out to vote. You'd like to see 

everyone get out to vote. That's a democracy. But short of that, make sure peopl 

e who support you vote. If you've done your homework, you've identified a large 

base of constituents who will vote for your candidate if they vote. You should k 

now the ones who are iffy about getting out to vote. 

Q.Describe a typical last week before an election in Nebraska. 

A. It's very important to maximize your efforts to get around your district 

, the state, to meet the constituency. There are three parts to meeting the publ 

ic. One is the media. The second is campaign volunteers and GOTV, and the third 

is the high visibility of the candidate. Some candidates think thee need to work 

areas where they're least known and need the most publicity or exposure. Other 

candidates feel that in the waning days of a campaign you need to be where your 

supporters are. In other words, the heaviest Democratic area if you're a Democra 

t, and the heaviest Republican area if you're a Republican. I suspect the latter 

is the more well reasoned. 

I can recall one classic example. In the famous 1960 presidential campaign 

between Nixon and Kennedy. Nixon had made a pledge to campaign in all 50 states. 

He got off track for one reason or another with respect to that effort and foun 

d himself in the last few days visiting some very sparsely populated areas. I th 

ink he ended up in Alaska. John F. Kennedy was in Chicago and New York and guess

who won. 

That doesn't mean you ignore the Sand Hills if you're a statewide candidate 

, but it means that you've already been there. You'd better be concentrating on 

Omaha and Lincoln and down the Platte River and the 10 or 12 most populous areas 

of the state. 

Q.How do you keep candidates from getting exhausted and making fatal slips 

of the tongue? 

A.They should get their rest. They tend to want to burn the candle at both 

ends. They want to get to see as many people as possible, shake as many hands. T 

hat's when you make those errors. You're just not thinking. and sometimes you do 

n't realize that you've even made them. The main thing is to get your rest, even 

lying down in the back seat of a car. Fifteen minutes of rest can energize a lo 

t of people. 

Q.Do these sorts of mistakes happen often to candidates? 

A.Yes, on a lot of occasions. It isn't burnout, because they've got a lot o 

f energy. But the brain cells just aren't working 

Q.What's the worst thing a candidate can do during this countdown period? 

A. Introduce a brand-new issue you haven't talked about or thought about 

early on. That's not to say duck new issues. If there is an issue coming up, you 

want to be prepared. But you want to be sure you've thought it through, because 

in a close election a slip of the tongue in the last few days of campaign can m 

ove enough people to cost an election. 

Q. What's the best thing a candidate can do in this time period? 

A. Stay the course. If you have a good campaign plan, you should stick with 

it. And we're assuming that in the last few days of a campaign you do have a go 

od plan. Keep it in place, no new surprises. 

Q. should candidates participate in forums and debates in the last week? 

A. I would like to see the debates out of the way at least 10 days before 

hand. You want to have as much control over the campaign in the closing days as 

you can. When you're put in a situation where you have to answer questions you h 

aven't thought about, or respond to charges made on the spot, even if they're er 

roneous, in the last few days getting an equal opportunity to respond is so remo 

te. If you make a mistake in September or October you've got enough time to corr 

ect it. But if you make a mistake, lose your composure or something in a TV deba 

te, an interview or a newspaper forum, the headline may be your last headline. 



AUTH[Henry J. Cordes and C.David Kotok 

SOUR[Omaha Evening World Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Spence says GOP needs bigger tent 

TEXT[Gene Spence said Monday he has not folded his campaign tent but said Republ 

icans need to enlarge their tent if he is to have any chance to win his race for 

governor. 

Spence issued a challenge to fellow Republicans - who polls indicate are cr 

ossing over in large numbers to support Gov. Nelson - to get behind their party' 

s candidate. Spence said he believe's the exodus is because of the abortion issu 

e. Spence favors abortion rights. Nelson does not. 

"The fact I'm sitting here so far behind in the polls is because Republican

s can't support a candidate like Gene Spence, and that's sad," he said. 

During a morning press conference at his campaign headquarters in Omaha, 

Spence talked of a "malaise" in his party. 

"I'm all the Republican Party has, and they'd better get used to it and qui 

t whining," he said. "They'd better start waking up. I am their candidate. I won 

it fair and square in the primary, and for them to sit on their hands and moan 

and groan and be one-issue just disturbs me terribly." 

Over the weekend, Spence put his odds at unseating Nelson at 100 to 1. A Wo 

rld-Herald Poll published Sunday indicated Nelson led by 44 percentage points. 

Some party officials took Spence's comments on his chances to mean he had r 

aised the white flag in his race with Nelson. 

Spence said he was being candid with reporters in giving his assessment but 

said many in the news media mistakenly interpreted the remarks to mean he had q 

uit the race. 

"Nowhere did I ever use the word quit, withdraw or concede," he said. "For 

anyone to assume that means I'm throwing in the towel doesn't know me very well. 

" 

Some Republican officials during a gathering in Neligh Sunday expressed dis 

appointment in Spence's remarks about being long shot to win. Spence said Monday 

he could assure them he has not quit. 

"But I wilI ask those Republicans to join with me in this campaign rather t 

han stand on the sidelines and see what Gene Spence can do by himself," he said. 

He then expressed frustration with party officials who have abandoned him o 

ver the abortion issue. He said some of the party's county chairmen have decline 

d to help of support him because of his position on abortion. 

Norm Riffel of Springfield, a longtime Republican Party activist who is cha 

irman of Spence's campaign, said he was astounded that the World-Herald poll ind 

icated 55 percent of Republicans back Nelson. 

Riffel, who favors restrictions on abortion, said Republicans should not us 

e abortion as a litmus test on Spence. He said Spence's support of lower takes a 

nd his tough stance on crime represent bedrock Republican values. 

"Quite frankly, this is a missed opportunity for the Republicans in this st 

ate," said Riffel who said Nelson has "failed miserably." 

Spence said Democrats have a "big tent" philosophy and support their party' 

s candidates regardless of their views on abortion. 

"We don't have that in the Republican Party," he said. 

Nelson on Monday defended Spence's weekend comments on his chances, saying 

his challenger was just being realistic. 

"I hope people aren't too hard on Gene on this at all," Nelson said during 

a telephone press conference. "sometimes you recognize something for what it is. 

" 

In Neligh, several party officials say they thought Spence's comments would 

hurt the party's slate next tuesday. 

"I'd be less than honest of I said I wasn't disappointed," said Duane Ackli 

e of Lincoln, the GOP national committeeman. "We need a full team to get all the 

voters out." 

"In my opinion, he should have stayed in it to the end. I'm not criticizing 

him. But, in my opinion. I wish he continued in a positive way." 

Even if Spence continues to campaign, Acklie said, the weekend comments hav 

e damaged the GOP ticket. 

State Sen. Scott Moore, the Republican candidate for secretary of state, sa

id, "I think Gene's always been a straight shooter. I just wish he had sugar-coa 

ted it a little. 

"It's not good for the overall ticket. It may not help those of us down the 

ticket." 

U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett of Lexington who was chairman of the state GOP when 

Richard Marvel was defeated soundly by then Gov. J.J. Exon in 1974, said Marvel 

kept a positive public pose even when his chance for victory appeared remote. 

"I can understand what he (Spence) said and why he said it," Barrett said. 

"But I wish he would keep banging away." 



AUTH[Ed Howard 


BK#[ 

HDLN[This Year in Nebraska Politics Differs from the Normal 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - If you are among those who sort of pay attention to po 

litics and you suspect that this has been a very different type of election year 

in Nebraska, you are right. 

Not sort of right. Entirely right. 

The 1994 level of name calling in close federal elections, to the virtual e 

xclusion of meaningful discussion of the issues, is new to these parts. 

Some observers say "politics in Nebraska has just caught up with other stat 

es, meaning those states where playing semantic games, outright mis-representati 

ons and name-calling have been in vogue in political advertising for years. 

Another view would be that, if such is the case, the direction in which Neb 

raska is headed en route to matching the behavior in other states should not be 

referred to as "up". 

The virtual concession speech by Republican gubernatorial candidate Gene Sp 

ence was also an exercise previously unexperienced in either of the state's area 

codes.And observers of the veteran variety won't quibble about intimations, ind 

ications and interpretations. Read what Spence said. 

"I miscalculated dramatically what the people of this state were looking fo 

r. They've got what they were looking for." He went on to talk about his plans f 

or congratulating Nelson and the governor's campaign manager when the election i 

s over. If it wasn't a virtual concession it reflected a very singular use and 

understanding of words and their meanings. 

And to top it off: Kate Witek, the state senator who would be lieutenant go 

vernor, responded to the Spence comments by saying she wasn't giving up that she 

was the type to fight "to the bitter end." 

But it is the campaigns for the Senate and the 2nd Congressional District t 

hat are going to stand out in the minds of those who care about and diagram the 

political process. 

To hear one Stoney advertisement, one might think that Democratic Sen. Kerr 

ey could have cast votes that would have put a condemned man to death sooner and 

hastened the appeals process for another. To hear one Kerrey ad, one might thin 

k Mrs. Stoney personally made a decision to move a batch of American jobs to Mex 

ico. 

In the 2nd District, Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland and Republican hopeful 

Jon Christensen have endeavored to cast one another's every motive, on virtually

every issue, in the most sinister light. 

The "Yes you did! No I didn't!" school of debate gets tiresome at the presc 

hool stage. Where the governance of the Republic is at issue, it becomes disappo 

inting to many. 

This isn't to say that folk hereabout were treated to Socratic dialogues an 

d debate worthy of Lincoln and Douglas in the last couple of decades. But soiled 

skirts are one thing, while mud balls at 10 paces is quite another. 

To be sure, the quality of political discourse is in the eye of the observe 

r. 

And one person's negative advertisement is another's version of fair enough 

. 

But given all of the above it would not seem unreasonable for a person with 

even a modicum of civility to look at the goings on in the Cornhusker state thi 

s election season and respond, at the very least, with a thoroughly exasperated: 

"Oh, give me a break!" 

There is no choosing of sides in this space. The assumption is that some will as 

sume that Bob Kerrey is being knocked, Jan Stoney is being picked on, Jon Christ 

ensen is being assailed or that Peter Hoagland is being bashed. That is not the 

case. 

The issue is the process itself and the fact that, unless your idea of disc 

ourse falls somewhere to the left of a honky tonk brawl, Nebraskans have been su 

bjected to a dearth of deserving exchanges among the candidates. 

And don't bring up that business about the late John Tower who (as an embit 

tered ex-U.S. senator who didn't get to be secretary of defense) came to Nebrask 

a and said he had heard nasty rumors about Nebraska Sen. Jim Exon. 

That was mild next to what is going on this election year. 

While the Tower gambit was pretty thick and sticky, it was nonetheless tran 

sparent in the face of the overall campaign. 

In Hoagland v. Christensen and Kerrey v. Stoney it has been harder for many 

serious citizens of either party to take the long view and keep their eyes on t 

he legitimate issues - it sometimes being such a long way between issues of poli 

cy that are important and the gamesmanship of politics, which has sometimes seem 

ed petty. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Governor:Nelson for Continuity 

TEXT[The voters of Nebraska appear to be little in need of advice on the 1994 go 

vernor's race. Opinion polls indicate a strong majority favors the re-election o 

f Gov. Ben Nelson, while his Republican challenger, Gene Spence, all but concede 

d the race last weekend. 

Nevertheless, the Journal adds its voice to the chorus of those who say Nel 

son has earned a second term. 

Nelson brings to the governorship a combination of traits that many Nebrask 

ans appreciate: frugality, responsibility and, above all, no surprises. He is n 

ot a governor who stirs great excitement, but he has a steady hand, a penchant f 

or compromise and a reputation as a genuinely nice guy.

He has grappled with tough questions in his first term, notably a personal 

property tax crisis brought on by a succession of court rulings. 

The Journal approves of his approach to a plan to build a low-level nuclear 

waste storehouse in Boyd County. He has steered a lawyerly, safety-first course 

that serves the citizens of the state. 

Nelson has made good on his promise to keep state spending in line. He has 

emphasized rural economic development. If the state had to have a lottery which 

the Journal disputes - at least the proceeds are being spent well, for environme 

ntal and educational projects. 

Besides differing with Nelson about state sponsored-gambling, the Journal a 

lso disagrees with Nelson's opposition to abortion rights and his support for th 

e death penalty. Readers who share the Journal's view on capital punishment may 

write in Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha as a protest vote. 

The Journal has not forgotten that Nelson fought his way to the governor's 

office by capitalizing on resentment about personal income taxes and tax breaks 

on big business. Nelson hasn't touched those business tax breaks and his income 

tax cut for average working families was considerably less expansive than his ca 

mpaign rhetoric. 

Overall, though, Nelson has governed competently. He reflects the views of 

his constituents, most of whom do favor the death penalty, do want a state lotte 

ry and who do like a conservative governor who airs commercials that show him ma 

rking red Xs on the state budget. 

Nebraska has not had a two-term governor since Jim Exon left office in 1979 

. After nearly 16 years of budget woes, a farm crisis, failed financial institu 

tions, an overhaul of the state income tax and a personal property tax thesis, N 

ebraskans seem ready for some calm and continuity. Gov. Ben Nelson stands ready 

to deliver in his second term. 




SOUR[Yankton Press & Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskan Expect Competent Caretaker in Governor Office 

TEXT[ LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - In four short years, Ben Nelson has gone from being a 

Democrat who barely won his party's nomination to being considered a shoo-in t 

o be the first Nebraska governor to win re-election in 20 years. 



Spence stunned GOP leaders and his running mate, state Sen. Kate Witek, by 

conceding over the weekend that his chances of winning were about 100-to-1. Toda 

y in Omaha, Spence said he is not giving up and he resented that his assessment 

of his chances was perceived as a surrender. 


nce professor Robert Miewald compared the Nelson Spence race to the 1974 race be 


nor to win re-election. 

"What you have is a fairly popular incumbent against someone who doesn't ha















35 years on Sept. 2. Nelson and Spence support the death penalty; Chambers has s 


Death penalty opponents may not provide much of a voter base, however. Eigh 

ty-one percent of the Nebraskans supported the death penalty in a poll done Sept 

. 6-8 for the Omaha World-Herald. 

Spence's candidacy has been a long shot at best, Miewald said. 

"What you have, comparatively speaking, are two relatively colorless indivi 

duals who don't strike people as being that much different on the issues," Miewa 

ld said. "I'm not sure what anyone would see as an advantage in changing." 

He said Nelson "seems to have been a competent caretaker and that's what Ne 

braskans expect in the governor's office." 

Nebraska governors tend to get tossed out when people are upset about the e 

conomy, taxes or some other issue, Miewald noted. 

In mid-October, late in the campaign, Spence delivered a promised tax revis 

ion and budgetcutting plan he had promised in August. 

The plan was criticized as laughable and draconian, but Spence said it repr 

esented the medicine needed to cure the state's fiscal ills. 

It featured a 2 percent lid on local real estate taxes and a 10 percent cut 

in the individual income tax. It would cost local governments an estimated $280 

million and the state would lose $80 million. 

Spence offered no substitutes, saying instead that government at both level 

s should simply learn to function with less money - make-cuts, be more efficient 

. 

Nelson said the proposal was preposterous and reflected a desperate candida 

cy. 

Spence tried throughout the campaign to link Nelson to President Clinton. 

The approach seemed to backfire early in the campaign when Spence was criti 

cized for referring to Nelson as "an S.O.B. - Supporter of Bill." 

Nelson campaigned most of the time by making appearances as governor. 

He claimed a laundry list of successes ranging from minor revisions in the 

state income tax system to the creation of state lottery games and economic deve 

lopment efforts in rural areas. He also boasted of revisions in the Workers' Com 

pensation law, expanded beef exports to Japan, a youth crime package that includ 

es plans for a prison for violent juvenile offenders, and a budget reduction of 

$100 million in 1992. 

"The most important thing I have going for me is my record during my first 

term because, with the help of Nebraskans, it has been a good record of accompli 

shment . . . of being part of helping Nebraskans and their communities accomplis

h things," Nelson said. 

Spence said Nelson has tried to take credit for work done by the legislativ 

e branch. 

"A governor is supposed to lead, to take the state in new directions for th 

e benefit of all the people," Spence said. "Ben Nelson's idea of leadership is t 

o take a bow whenever anyone does anything." 

Spence said that Nelson has profited by economic development programs put i 

n place by Mrs. Orr. 

Spence also said that Nelson should have fired some members of the state Pa 

role Board, pushed more and better anti-crime measures through the Legislature, 

supported plans for a nuclear waste dump in Boyd County and developed a better e 

conomic development scheme. 

Both men have homes in Omaha and both point with pride to rural Nebraska up 

bringing. Nelson grew up in McCook, Spence in Franklin. 

Nelson, 53, served as insurance director during part of Exon's administrati 

on and later made millions as an attorney and insurance executive. 

Spence, 60, is a member of the board of the Omaha Public Power District. He 

has long been involved in Republican politics, primarily as a fund-raiser, and 

has been successful in real estate and other business ventures. 

Mrs. Witek rounds out the GOP ticket as candidate for lieutenant governor. 

A first-term lawmaker, she fought for anti-crime measures in the Legislature. Mr 

s. Witek opposes abortion; Spence said he personally opposes abortion but believ 

es it should be a personal choice rather than a governmental policy. 

Nelson's running mate is Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, who is campaigning for the fir 

st time for office. She was appointed to the state's No. 2 job when Maxine Moul 

resigned to take over rural economic development efforts. While Nelson opposes a 

bortion and has signed laws to further restrict and regulate abortion rights, Ms 

. Robak supports abortion rights. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Analyst: State wants caretaker, Nelson considered shoo-in 

TEXT[ LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - In four short years, Ben Nelson has gone from being a 

Democrat who barely won his party's nomination to being considered a shoo-in t 

o be the first Nebraska governor to win re-election in 20 years. 



Spence stunned GOP leaders and his running mate, state Sen. Kate Witek, by 

conceding over the weekend that his chances of winning were about 100-to-1. Toda 

y in Omaha, Spence said he is not giving up and he resented that his assessment 

of his chances was perceived as a surrender. 


nce professor Robert Miewald compared the Nelson Spence race to the 1974 race be 


nor to win re-election.

"What you have is a fairly popular incumbent against someone who doesn't ha 















35 years on Sept. 2. Nelson and Spence support the death penalty; Chambers has s 


Death penalty opponents may not provide much of a voter base, however. Eigh 

ty-one percent of the Nebraskans supported the death penalty in a poll done Sept 

. 6-8 for the Omaha World-Herald. 

Spence's candidacy has been a long shot at best, Miewald said. 


duals who don't strike people as being that much different on the issues," Miewa 

ld said. "I'm not sure what anyone would see as an advantage in changing." 

He said Nelson "seems to have been a competent caretaker and that's what Ne 

braskans expect in the governor's office." 

Nebraska governors tend to get tossed out when people are upset about the e 

conomy, taxes or some other issue, Miewald noted. 

In mid-October, late in the campaign, Spence delivered a promised tax revis 

ion and budgetcutting plan he had promised in August. 

The plan was criticized as laughable and draconian, but Spence said it repr 

esented the medicine needed to cure the state's fiscal ills. 

It featured a 2 percent lid on local real estate taxes and a 10 percent cut 

in the individual income tax. It would cost local governments an estimated $280 

million and the state would lose $80 million. 

Spence offered no substitutes, saying instead that government at both level 

s should simply learn to function with less money - make-cuts, be more efficient 

. 

Nelson said the proposal was preposterous and reflected a desperate candida 

cy. 

Spence tried throughout the campaign to link Nelson to President Clinton. 

The approach seemed to backfire early in the campaign when Spence was criti 

cized for referring to Nelson as "an S.O.B. - Supporter of Bill." 

Nelson campaigned most of the time by making appearances as governor. 

He claimed a laundry list of successes ranging from minor revisions in the 

state income tax system to the creation of state lottery games and economic deve 

lopment efforts in rural areas. He also boasted of revisions in the Workers' Com 

pensation law, expanded beef exports to Japan, a youth crime package that includ 

es plans for a prison for violent juvenile offenders, and a budget reduction of 

$100 million in 1992. 

"The most important thing I have going for me is my record during my first 

term because, with the help of Nebraskans, it has been a good record of accompli

shment . . . of being part of helping Nebraskans and their communities accomplis 

h things," Nelson said. 

Spence said Nelson has tried to take credit for work done by the legislativ 

e branch. 

"A governor is supposed to lead, to take the state in new directions for th 

e benefit of all the people," Spence said. "Ben Nelson's idea of leadership is t 

o take a bow whenever anyone does anything." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Pilger Gets EDA Grant 

TEXT[Sens. Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced last week that the fe 

deral Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $419,000 grant to 

the Village of Pilger. 

The money will pay for building a new Public Works Service Center out of th 

e floodplain. 

Pilger is located north of the Elkhorn River in Stanton County. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Squabbles, Democrats' Luck Often Helped the No.2 Party Win 

TEXT[Gene Spence provided a partial explanation of the problems that the Nebrask 

a Republican Party has had in electing governors and U.S. senators. 

Spence, who has expressed opposition to a constitutional amendment prohibit 

ing abortions, said his campaign for governor has been hampered by a lack of sup 

port from fellow Republicans who oppose abortion rights. 

Certainly the GOP's effectiveness has been bludgeoned by battles between va 

rious factions on the abortion issue. 

But the party's problems in harnessing its long-time edge in voter registra 

tions - outnumbering Democrats by 90,000 voters in a recent count - are nothing 

new. The problems appeared long before the abortion battle heated up in 1973. On 

ly three times in the past 35 years has Nebraska elected a Republican governor, 

and all three were defeated when they sought a second term. Nebraska hasn't elec 

ted a Republican to the Senate since 1972. 

Spence described Nebraska as a populist state that, "despite its conservati 

sm, is not rock-ribbed Republican." 

However, we don't agree that Nebraska has abandoned its Republicanism. In p 

residential elections, it is one of the most consistently Republican states in t 

he nation, having given its electoral votes to the Republican ticket in every el 

ection since 1964. Republican members of the U.S. House - Dave Martin, Virginia 

Smith, Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett, among others, have won consistently. 

Moreover, Nebraskans hold conservative values. They don't like big governme

nt. They were against the Clinton tax increase. They mistrusted Hillary Rodham C 

linton's health care reform. 

However, Nebraskans have an independent streak when they enter the voting b 

ooth. Sometimes they vote a split ticket. They put a candidate's qualifications 

ahead of party registration. Then they drive home in a car bearing a Bereuter-fo 

r-Congress bumper sticker along-side a Nelson-for-governor sticker. 

Encouraging such independence is the fact that the Democrats have frequentl 

y put up more appealing candidates. J. James Exon, some people said, came off as 

the more fiscally conservative candidate for governor in the 1970 election. Exo 

n unseated a liberal Republican governor and went on to serve two terms as gover 

nor and win three elections to the U.S. Senate. 

Ed Zorinsky was a Republican for most of his public life before running for 

the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 1976. He became known as one of the Senate's m 

ore conservative members. Two Democratic governors, Frank Morrison in the 1960s 

and Bob Kerrey in the 1980s, were popular in part because of their fiscally cons 

ervative management style, although both later became more liberal. 

High farm prices during the Exon administration helped Nebraska's economy. 

Another Democratic governor, Ben Nelson, benefitted from his Republican predeces 

sor's economic initiatives. 

Democrats have been lucky in other ways. Exon's first run for office came d 

uring a rift between moderates and conservatives in the GOP ranks. The badly spl 

it Republicans couldn't get their act together in time to win re-election for No 

rbert Tiemann. That rift still exists. Kerrey ran against a sitting Republican, 

Charles Thone, who had been forced to raise state tax rates late in his term. Ke 

rrey used that fact to keep the heat on Thone, portraying him as a tax-raiser. 

When Kerrey ran for the U.S. Senate in 1988, the GOP was further fractured, 

this time because Gov. Kay Orr had appointed Dave Karnes to the Senate after Zo 

rinsky died. Backers of some other Senate hopefuls were lukewarm in their suppor 

t of Karnes. 

Yes, Democrats have been unusually successful, considering their minority-p 

arty status. By most indications, however, their success has nothing to do with 

any ideological shift toward the party of Bill Clinton, Tom Foley and Edward Ken 

nedy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Vegetable Ink Printing Act Will Help NE Ag 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon said today that Nebraska soybean farmers and all Amer 

icans will benefit form Congressional passage of a bill requiring the federal go 

vernment to use vegetable-based ink for government printing Jobs. 



r nations use of non-renewable petroleum for printing ink and increase our use o 

f renewable agricultural products that cause less damage to the environment," he 

said. 

"Furthermore, the Government Printing Office estimates that using vegetable

oil-based ink will add little if any additional cost to government printing." h 

e said. 

l hope other levels of government and private sector companies, if they hav 

e not already done so, will follow the federal government's example." Exon said. 

"For several important reasons, it's right for Nebraska and it's right for all 

of America." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Expressway Grant Awarded 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Roads has awarded the Nebraska De 

partment of Roads a $48,000 grant to study the best location for the stretch of 

the Heartland Expressway between Minatare and Alliance, senators Bob Kerrey and 

Jim Exon announced Friday. 

The study is one of 13 selected for funding this year nationwide. The Depar 

tment of Roads will use the funds to study the route of a four-lane 43-mile stre 

tch of the Heartland Expressway between Minatare and Alliance. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[WTO Opposition Surfacing 

TEXT[Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., said he becomes more concerned with the more he 

learns about the World Trade Organization. 

The organization is created through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tr 

ade. 

"Unlike other major international organizations such as the International M 

onetary Fund or even the current GATT agreement, the WTO will operate on a one m 

ember-one vote basis where the deck is stacked against America," Exon said. 

"The WTO would meet in secret and one vote in that body would be worth no m 

ore than the vote of the smallest nation in the world despite the size of the U. 

S. economy," he said. 

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Exon raised concerns about a potent 

ially serious situation if a trade dispute arises between the United States and 

another country. 

If the United States would lose in a WTO dispute settlement, the only way t 

he decision can be overturned is through a unanimous vote of other GATT members. 

"That raises serious questions about the loss of United States and individu 

al state sovereignty," Exon told the committee. 

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the GATT/WTO policy Dec. I. 

Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen said the international GATT tr

eaty would benefit international grain interests and would hurt small farmers. 

"This agreement will only make the international grain cartel richer and ma 

ke the poor farmer get poorer," Hansen said in a Nebraska Union Farmer story las 

t month. 

The government contends the GATT contract will increase U.S. exports to hel 

p offset the trade deficit. 

Others contend the deficit will not be offset because U.S. imports will inc 

rease when protectionist policies are cut. 

GATT opponents also say the United States will lose its trade sovereignty b 

y subjecting disputes to a ruling by the World Trade Organization. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Winner of Small Business Award 

TEXT[U.S. Senator James J. Exon (D-Neb.) received the 1994 Legislative Visionary 

Award from the National Association for the Self-Employed. The NASE award was i 

n recognition of Exon's efforts in Congress on behalf of the nation's small busi 

nesses. 










BK#[ 

HDLN[The Search is on 

TEXT[The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Nebraska Department 

of Roads a $48,000 grant to study the best location for the stretch of the Heart 

land Expressway between 

Minatare and Alliance, Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced today. 


tment of Roads will use the funds to study the route of a four-lane, 43 mile str 

etch of the Heartland-Expressway between Minatare and Alliance. 



ent of Transportation making it a priority," Kerrey and Exon said. "Improved tra 

nsportation infrastructure means improved safety and better jobs for 

Nebraska.The Heartland Expressway is a key part of our transportation strategy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Property Rights Lobby Needed 


After calling and writing both Sens. Exon and Kerrey several 

times this past year and receiving only one response back from 

each- form letters - I'm concerned as to whether my personal 

contact is received with much recognition. 

It seems as though the only way to have a strong voice is 

through the combined efforts of many. Look at the Sierra Club, 

National Education Association, American Medical Association, 

National Rifle Association. These organizations get things done, 

right or wrong, for their members. 

If each wheat farmer, corn grower, cattle man, hog producer, 

retailer, banker and so on joined and supported the organization 

which would represent and lobby for their industry, their strong 

voice would be heard. 

The loss of private property rights is only one of the many things we shoul 

d be concerned about. Before it's too late we need to join and support an organi 

zation that will fight for our rights.L.C. "Bud" Gillespie, Broadwater 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State Gets $48,00 to Study Location for Stretch of Heartland Expressway 




The study is one of 13 selected for funding this year nationwide, Sens. Bob 








BK#[ 

HDLN[5th 'Agriculture at the Crossroads' Conference Slated for November 18th 

TEXT[LINCOLN--Nationally recognized speakers will examine the economic state of 

agriculture while considering the potential implications of the 1995 Farm Bill d 

uring the fifth annual Ag at the Crossroads Conference which is scheduled in Lin

coln November 18. 

The day-long event at the Cornhusker Hotel and Conference Center in Lincoln 

is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Ag Relations Council (NAC) and Department of Ag 

ricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, according to Lynn Lu 

tgen, NAC special projects chair and marketing specialist at UNL. 

Under the theme "1995 Farm Bill: Who Are the Players; what's the Score?." L 

uther G. Tweeten, noted author and expert on public policy for agriculture and e 





arly interested in the environmental implications of the 1995 Farm Bill which wi 

ll be discussed by Dennis Grams of Kansas City, Missouri, administrator of Regio 

n 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 


*Eugene Glock, Rising City, Nebraska, a farmer and state agricultural repre 

sentative for Sen. Bob Kerrey. on the question of funding agricultural programs; 

*Bruce R. "Randy" Weber, associate administrator, Agricultural Stabilizatio 

n and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D.C., wh 

o will outline the 'Clinton Administration's approach to developing its version 

of the 1995 Farm Bill, and 

*Glenn Helmers, professor of agricultural economics in the Institute of Agr 





, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Missouri, who will discuss the overall ec 

onomy and the current state of agriculture. 




Randy Cruise of Pleasanton, Nebraska, past president of the National Corn Grower 

s Association; Bob Weber, Weber and Sons Feedlots of Dorchester. Nebraska, repre 

senting the grain and livestock sectors of Nebraska, respectively; Phil Karsting 

, legislative assistant to Sen. J.J. Exon,Washington. D.C., and Diane Vosick, po 

licy representative for agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia 

. 

Reservations may be made through November 15 by calling 402-472-2821 or by 

mail to NAC, 104ACB. University of Nebraska, Po Box 830918, Lincoln, NE 68503-09 

18. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hails ETBE Announcement 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Sen. Jim Exon hailed a Clinton Administration announ 

cement which will lead to increased use of ETBE, an ethanol derivative. The prop

osed change will expand markets for ETBE by making it eligible for the same type 

of tax exemption as ethanol. 

"This is a major step forward for farmers," Exon said. "I have been advocat 

ing this for some time. The Bush Administration turned a deaf ear to Nebraska's 

ethanol producers, but finally the Clinton Administration has done the right thi 

ng." 

The Treasury Department ruling will make fuels containing 12.7 percent ETBE 

eligible for a 3 cent per gallon excise tax exemption--a rate commensurate with 

ethanol. ETBE is preferred by some in the fuel industry because it is easier to 

blend with gasoline. 

"This is just the kind of follow-up we need after the hard-fought battle we 

waged this summer with 'big oil' over reformulated gasoline." Exon noted. 

The oil industry fought ethanol supporters and the Clinton Administration o 

ver new guidelines for cleaner-burning gasoline. The dispute led to a showdown i 

n the Senate where the vice president cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of ethan 

ol. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hails Medicare Change 

TEXT[WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has praised the Department of Healt 

h and Human Services (DHHS) for implementing the final phase of a change he had 

long promoted that will put rural and urban hospitals on a level playing field. 



practice was blatantly unfair. 


nt rates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent beginning Oct. 

1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Payments to urban hospital 

s will rise by 1.5 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Winner of NASE Award 

TEXT[WASHINGTON,D.C.-U.S. Senator J. James Exon (D-Neb.) received the 1994 Legis 

lative Visionary Award from the National Association for the Self-Employed. The 

NASE award was in recognition of Exon's efforts in Congress on behalf of the nat 

ion's small businesses. 




ome office deduction to thousands of entrepreneurs who work from their homes. A

1993 

Supreme Court decision effectively removed the deduction for tens of thousands o 

f home-based businesses. 

NASA President,Bennit L.Thayer, presented the award stating, "This award sy 

mbolizes your foresight in realizing that small business is the engine that driv 

es our nation's economy. You have proven you are a true friend of small business 

by supporting legislation that will assist the upward trend in small business g 

rowth and creation." 

Exon was one of 12 Members of Congress to receive the NASE's award in 1994, 

including U.S. Representative Peter Hoagland,also of Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Academy Nomination Deadline Nears 

TEXT[Students interested in being nominated for the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Fo 

rce or Merchant Marine Academy for classes beginning in the summer of 1995 shoul 

d submit applications to either Senator Jim Exon or Bob Kerrey by November 4. 


. Jim Exon, c/o Academy Nominations, 287 Federal Building, Lincoln, Ne., 68508 o 

r U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, c/o Academy Nominations, 7602 Pacific Street, Omaha, Ne. 

68114. Applicants are urged to take either the SAT or the ACT exam as soon as p 

ossible and forward their scores to the offices of either senator. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Two Worthy Candidates 

TEXT[Fellow legislators indicated their high regard for state Sen. Scott Moore o 

f Seward by giving him the chairmanship of the Legislature's Appropriations Comm 

ittee. Three years in that job gave him statewide visibility, and name recogniti 

on which makes him the favorite to succeed, Allen Beermann, as secretary of stat 

e. 

Both Sen. Moore and the Republican candidate for state treasurer, Dave Hein 

eman of Fremont, represent a relatively new breed of Republican. The party can u 

se the infusion of youth since its veterans have seen the 

historic dominance the GOP once enjoyed in state government diminished by the po 

pularity of Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

Both Sen. Moore and Mr. Heineman are well qualified for the jobs they seek 

and would provide effective service.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mrs. Stoney, Kerrey Harvest Praise 

TEXT[Scottsbluff, Neb. - Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., encouraged Nebraskans Wednesday 

to help the Republican Party recapture control of the U.S. Senate by sending Jan 

Stoney to Washington, D.C. 

"This is a very important election," Dole told nearly 300 people attending 

a Stoney rally at the Elks Lodge in this city on the western edge of the state. 

"This is a state we should win," Dole said. "We are going to have a Senate 

majority next Tuesday night, and l want Jan to be a part of that majority." 

On the eastern side of the state, former Sen. Warren Rudman, R-N.H., descri 

bed Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., as a courageous fighter against the federal budget 

deficit. 

Dole's visit was the fifth he has made to Nebraska for the Stoney campaign. 

Mrs. Stoney said her campaign has sought help from people such as Dole, for 

mer President George Bush, former Vice President Dan Quayle and Sen. Alan Simpso 

n, R.Wyo., because they attract people to fund-raisers and attention from the ne 

ws media. 

"It raises the visibility of the campaign," she said. 

Bush will campaign for Mrs. Stoney on Friday in Omaha. 

Dole has been barnstorming around the country to stump for GOP candidates h 

e hopes will wrest control of Congress from the Democrats. 

"We've been out of business in the Congress of the United States since my h 

ero, Dwight Eisenhower, was president," Dole said. 

"It's been 42 years since Republicans controlled the House and the Senate." 

Dole said he thought there was a good chance Mrs. Stoney could defeat Kerre 

y and become one of the seven new Republican senators needed to gain control of 

the Senate. 

"After I cast my vote on Nov. 8, the next vote I want to cast is for Senate 

Majority Leader Robert Dole," Mrs. Stoney told the audience. 

She said Nebraskans need to understand the impact that their votes could ha 

ve on the country. 

"If we want to change the Senate, we have to change the senator," Mrs. Ston 

ey said. 

With the election next Tuesday, Mrs. Stoney used the bulk of one of her pre 

cious few remaining campaign days to fly to Scottsbluff for the rally. 

Nebraska's rural 3rd District plays a key role in her hopes for winning the 

election, she said. Although she has been trailing overall in recent statewide 

election surveys, she has been running close to even in the 3rd District. 

Mrs. Stoney touched on hot-button issues for many 3rd District residents. 

The crowd erupted with applause when Mrs. Stoney referred to her opposition 

to gun control. 

"I believe it is the criminals that are the problem and not the guns in this 

country," Mrs. Stoney said. 

Although Kerrey has been critical of some of her actions as a corporat 

e executive, Mrs. Stoney said, her business experience should not be considered 

a political liability. 

Instead, she said, it shows she knows how to help the government become mor

e fiscally responsible. 

Dole, who frequently has been at odds with President Clinton, did not try t 

o hide the pleasure he felt by the prospects of becoming majority leader. 

"It's not about Bob Kerrey," Dole said. "It's about the future of the Unite 

d States. It's about, how do we slow down some of the Clinton plans?" 

Rudman did not formally endorse Kerrey before the crowd of 80 attending a C 

oncord Coalition meeting at Omaha's Holiday Convention Centre. 

As chairman of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan organization advocating 

a plan to balance the federal budget, Rudman is prevented from using his post to 

endorse any political candidates. However, he came very close in talking about 

Kerrey. 

"Bob Kerrey has been a leader for taking a hard look at the realities of th 

e deficit since he has been a member of the Senate," said Rudman, who served wit 

h Kerrey for four years. 

"I can tell you only (that) we can't afford to lose anyone who works hard o 

n fiscal issues, Bob Kerrey included," Rudman said in an interview. 

Rudman also recognized Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb., as the top-rated senator in t 

he Concord Coalition's scale of budget fighters, with Kerrey ranking second amon 

g Senate Democrats. 

While there can be disagreement over Clinton's 1993 budget proposal of tax 

increases and spending cuts that was supported by Exon and Kerrey, Rudman said, 

at least the deficit has been stabilized for a few years. 

Rudman said Kerrey's work as chairman of the bipartisan Commission on Entit 

lements and Tax Reform should be praised. 

"We should thank politicians for telling the truth instead of damning them, 

" he said 

Kerrey thanked Rudman and the members of the Concord Coalition for educatin 

g the public on the need to deal with deficits and growth in entitlement spendin 

g. 

"We need you in the front line changing the direction of the country," Kerr 

ey said. 

World-Herald staff writer C. David Kotok contributed to this report. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Attacks World Trade Group 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon today attacked the secrecy and power of the proposed 

World Trade Organization in the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). 

"The GATT agreement, as a trade agreement, may or may not be a good thing f 

or the United States," Exon said, "However, the more I learn about the powers of 

the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is also created by the GATT agreement 

, the more concerned I have become." 


onetary Fund or even the current GATT agreement, the WTO will operate on a "one 

member-one vote" basis where the deck is stacked against America," Exon continue 

d. "The WTO would meet in secret and one vote in that body would be worth no mor

e than the vote of the smallest nation in the world despite the size of the U.S. 

economy." 

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Exon brought out that the situation 

is even more serious when there is a trade dispute between the United States an 

d another nation. Of the U.S. would losea WTO dispute settlement, the only way t 

hat decision can be overturned is through a unanimous vote of the other GATT mem 

bers. "That raises serious questions about the loss of United States and individ 

ual state sovereignty," Exon said. 

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the GATT/WTO agreement on December 1st. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Squabbles, Democrats' Luck Often Helped the No.2 Party Win 

TEXT[Gene Spence provided a partial explanation of the problems that the Nebrask 

a Republican Party has had in electing governors and U.S. senators. 

Spence, who has expressed opposition to a constitutional amendment prohibit 

ing abortions, said his campaign for governor has been hampered by a lack of sup 

port from fellow Republicans who oppose abortion rights. 

Certainly the GOP's effectiveness has been bludgeoned by battles between va 

rious factions on the abortion issue. 

But the party's problems in harnessing its long-time edge in voter registra 

tions - outnumbering Democrats by 90,000 voters in a recent count - are nothing 

new. The problems appeared long before the abortion battle heated up in 1973. On 

ly three times in the past 35 years has Nebraska elected a Republican governor, 

and all three were defeated when they sought a second term. Nebraska hasn't elec 

ted a Republican to the Senate since 1972. 

Spence described Nebraska as a populist state that, "despite its conservati 

sm, is not rock-ribbed Republican." 

However, we don't agree that Nebraska has abandoned its Republicanism. In p 

residential elections, it is one of the most consistently Republican states in t 

he nation, having given its electoral votes to the Republican ticket in every el 

ection since 1964. Republican members of the U.S. House - Dave Martin, Virginia 

Smith, Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett, among others, have won consistently. 

Moreover, Nebraskans hold conservative values. They don't like big governme 

nt. They were against the Clinton tax increase. They mistrusted Hillary Rodham C 

linton's health care reform. 

However, Nebraskans have an independent streak when they enter the voting b 

ooth. Sometimes they vote a split ticket. They put a candidate's qualifications 

ahead of party registration. Then they drive home in a car bearing a Bereuter-fo 

r-Congress bumper sticker along-side a Nelson-for-governor sticker. 

Encouraging such independence is the fact that the Democrats have frequentl 

y put up more appealing candidates. J. James Exon, some people said, came off as 

the more fiscally conservative candidate for governor in the 1970 election. Exo 

n unseated a liberal Republican governor and went on to serve two terms as gover 

nor and win three elections to the U.S. Senate. 

Ed Zorinsky was a Republican for most of his public life before running for

the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 1976. He became known as one of the Senate's m 

ore conservative members. Two Democratic governors, Frank Morrison in the 1960s 

and Bob Kerrey in the 1980s, were popular in part because of their fiscally cons 

ervative management style, although both later became more liberal. 

High farm prices during the Exon administration helped Nebraska's economy. 

Another Democratic governor, Ben Nelson, benefitted from his Republican predeces 

sor's economic initiatives. 

Democrats have been lucky in other ways. Exon's first run for office came d 

uring a rift between moderates and conservatives in the GOP ranks. The badly spl 

it Republicans couldn't get their act together in time to win re-election for No 

rbert Tiemann. That rift still exists. Kerrey ran against a sitting Republican, 

Charles Thone, who had been forced to raise state tax rates late in his term. Ke 

rrey used that fact to keep the heat on Thone, portraying him as a tax-raiser. 

When Kerrey ran for the U.S. Senate in 1988, the GOP was further fractured, 

this time because Gov. Kay Orr had appointed Dave Karnes to the Senate after Zo 

rinsky died. Backers of some other Senate hopefuls were lukewarm in their suppor 

t of Karnes. 

Yes, Democrats have been unusually successful, considering their minority-p 

arty status. By most indications, however, their success has nothing to do with 

any ideological shift toward the party of Bill Clinton, Tom Foley and Edward Ken 

nedy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Vegetable Ink Printing Act Will Help NE Ag 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon said today that Nebraska soybean farmers and all Amer 

icans will benefit form Congressional passage of a bill requiring the federal go 

vernment to use vegetable-based ink for government printing Jobs. 



r nations use of non-renewable petroleum for printing ink and increase our use o 

f renewable agricultural products that cause less damage to the environment," he 

said. 

"Furthermore, the Government Printing Office estimates that using vegetable 

oil-based ink will add little if any additional cost to government printing." h 

e said. 

l hope other levels of government and private sector companies, if they hav 

e not already done so, will follow the federal government's example." Exon said. 

"For several important reasons, it's right for Nebraska and it's right for all 

of America." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Expressway Grant Awarded 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Roads has awarded the Nebraska De 

partment of Roads a $48,000 grant to study the best location for the stretch of 

the Heartland Expressway between Minatare and Alliance, senators Bob Kerrey and 

Jim Exon announced Friday. 


tment of Roads will use the funds to study the route of a four-lane 43-mile stre 

tch of the Heartland Expressway between Minatare and Alliance. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[WTO Opposition Surfacing 

TEXT[Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., said he becomes more concerned with the more he 

learns about the World Trade Organization. 

The organization is created through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tr 

ade. 


onetary Fund or even the current GATT agreement, the WTO will operate on a one m 

ember-one vote basis where the deck is stacked against America," Exon said. 

"The WTO would meet in secret and one vote in that body would be worth no m 

ore than the vote of the smallest nation in the world despite the size of the U. 

S. economy," he said. 

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Exon raised concerns about a potent 

ially serious situation if a trade dispute arises between the United States and 

another country. 

If the United States would lose in a WTO dispute settlement, the only way t 

he decision can be overturned is through a unanimous vote of other GATT members. 

"That raises serious questions about the loss of United States and individu 

al state sovereignty," Exon told the committee. 

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the GATT/WTO policy Dec. I. 

Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen said the international GATT tr 

eaty would benefit international grain interests and would hurt small farmers. 

"This agreement will only make the international grain cartel richer and ma 

ke the poor farmer get poorer," Hansen said in a Nebraska Union Farmer story las 

t month. 

The government contends the GATT contract will increase U.S. exports to hel 

p offset the trade deficit. 

Others contend the deficit will not be offset because U.S. imports will inc 

rease when protectionist policies are cut. 

GATT opponents also say the United States will lose its trade sovereignty b 

y subjecting disputes to a ruling by the World Trade Organization.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Winner of Small Business Award 

TEXT[U.S. Senator James J. Exon (D-Neb.) received the 1994 Legislative Visionary 



nesses. 










BK#[ 

HDLN[The Search is on 

TEXT[The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Nebraska Department 

of Roads a $48,000 grant to study the best location for the stretch of the Heart 

land Expressway between 

Minatare and Alliance, Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced today. 


tment of Roads will use the funds to study the route of a four-lane, 43 mile str 

etch of the Heartland-Expressway between Minatare and Alliance. 



ent of Transportation making it a priority," Kerrey and Exon said. "Improved tra 

nsportation infrastructure means improved safety and better jobs for 

Nebraska.The Heartland Expressway is a key part of our transportation strategy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Property Rights Lobby Needed 


After calling and writing both Sens. Exon and Kerrey several 

times this past year and receiving only one response back from 

each- form letters - I'm concerned as to whether my personal 

contact is received with much recognition. 

It seems as though the only way to have a strong voice is 

through the combined efforts of many. Look at the Sierra Club,

National Education Association, American Medical Association, 

National Rifle Association. These organizations get things done, 

right or wrong, for their members. 

If each wheat farmer, corn grower, cattle man, hog producer, 

retailer, banker and so on joined and supported the organization 

which would represent and lobby for their industry, their strong 

voice would be heard. 

The loss of private property rights is only one of the many things we shoul 

d be concerned about. Before it's too late we need to join and support an organi 

zation that will fight for our rights.L.C. "Bud" Gillespie, Broadwater 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State Gets $48,00 to Study Location for Stretch of Heartland Expressway 




The study is one of 13 selected for funding this year nationwide, Sens. Bob 








BK#[ 

HDLN[5th 'Agriculture at the Crossroads' Conference Slated for November 18th 

TEXT[LINCOLN--Nationally recognized speakers will examine the economic state of 

agriculture while considering the potential implications of the 1995 Farm Bill d 

uring the fifth annual Ag at the Crossroads Conference which is scheduled in Lin 

coln November 18. 

The day-long event at the Cornhusker Hotel and Conference Center in Lincoln 

is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Ag Relations Council (NAC) and Department of Ag 

ricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, according to Lynn Lu 

tgen, NAC special projects chair and marketing specialist at UNL. 

Under the theme "1995 Farm Bill: Who Are the Players; what's the Score?." L 

uther G. Tweeten, noted author and expert on public policy for agriculture and e 





arly interested in the environmental implications of the 1995 Farm Bill which wi

ll be discussed by Dennis Grams of Kansas City, Missouri, administrator of Regio 

n 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 


*Eugene Glock, Rising City, Nebraska, a farmer and state agricultural repre 

sentative for Sen. Bob Kerrey. on the question of funding agricultural programs; 

*Bruce R. "Randy" Weber, associate administrator, Agricultural Stabilizatio 

n and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D.C., wh 

o will outline the 'Clinton Administration's approach to developing its version 

of the 1995 Farm Bill, and 

*Glenn Helmers, professor of agricultural economics in the Institute of Agr 





, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Missouri, who will discuss the overall ec 

onomy and the current state of agriculture. 




Randy Cruise of Pleasanton, Nebraska, past president of the National Corn Grower 

s Association; Bob Weber, Weber and Sons Feedlots of Dorchester. Nebraska, repre 

senting the grain and livestock sectors of Nebraska, respectively; Phil Karsting 

, legislative assistant to Sen. J.J. Exon,Washington. D.C., and Diane Vosick, po 

licy representative for agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia 

. 

Reservations may be made through November 15 by calling 402-472-2821 or by 

mail to NAC, 104ACB. University of Nebraska, Po Box 830918, Lincoln, NE 68503-09 

18. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hails ETBE Announcement 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Sen. Jim Exon hailed a Clinton Administration announ 

cement which will lead to increased use of ETBE, an ethanol derivative. The prop 

osed change will expand markets for ETBE by making it eligible for the same type 

of tax exemption as ethanol. 

"This is a major step forward for farmers," Exon said. "I have been advocat 

ing this for some time. The Bush Administration turned a deaf ear to Nebraska's 

ethanol producers, but finally the Clinton Administration has done the right thi 

ng." 

The Treasury Department ruling will make fuels containing 12.7 percent ETBE 

eligible for a 3 cent per gallon excise tax exemption--a rate commensurate with 

ethanol. ETBE is preferred by some in the fuel industry because it is easier to 

blend with gasoline. 

"This is just the kind of follow-up we need after the hard-fought battle we 

waged this summer with 'big oil' over reformulated gasoline." Exon noted.

The oil industry fought ethanol supporters and the Clinton Administration o 

ver new guidelines for cleaner-burning gasoline. The dispute led to a showdown i 

n the Senate where the vice president cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of ethan 

ol. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hails Medicare Change 

TEXT[WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has praised the Department of Healt 

h and Human Services (DHHS) for implementing the final phase of a change he had 

long promoted that will put rural and urban hospitals on a level playing field. 



practice was blatantly unfair. 


nt rates for Medicare patients in rural hospitals by 4.7 percent beginning Oct. 

1, the start of the federal government's fiscal year. Payments to urban hospital 

s will rise by 1.5 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Winner of NASE Award 

TEXT[WASHINGTON,D.C.-U.S. Senator J. James Exon (D-Neb.) received the 1994 Legis 

lative Visionary Award from the National Association for the Self-Employed. The 

NASE award was in recognition of Exon's efforts in Congress on behalf of the nat 

ion's small businesses. 





1993 

Supreme Court decision effectively removed the deduction for tens of thousands o 

f home-based businesses. 

NASA President,Bennit L.Thayer, presented the award stating, "This award sy 


es our nation's economy. You have proven you are a true friend of small business 

by supporting legislation that will assist the upward trend in small business g 

rowth and creation." 


including U.S. Representative Peter Hoagland,also of Nebraska.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Academy Nomination Deadline Nears 

TEXT[Students interested in being nominated for the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Fo 

rce or Merchant Marine Academy for classes beginning in the summer of 1995 shoul 

d submit applications to either Senator Jim Exon or Bob Kerrey by November 4. 


. Jim Exon, c/o Academy Nominations, 287 Federal Building, Lincoln, Ne., 68508 o 

r U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, c/o Academy Nominations, 7602 Pacific Street, Omaha, Ne. 

68114. Applicants are urged to take either the SAT or the ACT exam as soon as p 

ossible and forward their scores to the offices of either senator. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Two Worthy Candidates 

TEXT[Fellow legislators indicated their high regard for state Sen. Scott Moore o 

f Seward by giving him the chairmanship of the Legislature's Appropriations Comm 

ittee. Three years in that job gave him statewide visibility, and name recogniti 

on which makes him the favorite to succeed, Allen Beermann, as secretary of stat 

e. 

Both Sen. Moore and the Republican candidate for state treasurer, Dave Hein 

eman of Fremont, represent a relatively new breed of Republican. The party can u 

se the infusion of youth since its veterans have seen the 

historic dominance the GOP once enjoyed in state government diminished by the po 

pularity of Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

Both Sen. Moore and Mr. Heineman are well qualified for the jobs they seek 

and would provide effective service. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mrs. Stoney, Kerrey Harvest Praise 

TEXT[Scottsbluff, Neb. - Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., encouraged Nebraskans Wednesday 

to help the Republican Party recapture control of the U.S. Senate by sending Jan 

Stoney to Washington, D.C. 

"This is a very important election," Dole told nearly 300 people attending 

a Stoney rally at the Elks Lodge in this city on the western edge of the state. 

"This is a state we should win," Dole said. "We are going to have a Senate

majority next Tuesday night, and l want Jan to be a part of that majority." 

On the eastern side of the state, former Sen. Warren Rudman, R-N.H., descri 

bed Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., as a courageous fighter against the federal budget 

deficit. 

Dole's visit was the fifth he has made to Nebraska for the Stoney campaign. 

Mrs. Stoney said her campaign has sought help from people such as Dole, for 

mer President George Bush, former Vice President Dan Quayle and Sen. Alan Simpso 

n, R.Wyo., because they attract people to fund-raisers and attention from the ne 

ws media. 

"It raises the visibility of the campaign," she said. 

Bush will campaign for Mrs. Stoney on Friday in Omaha. 

Dole has been barnstorming around the country to stump for GOP candidates h 

e hopes will wrest control of Congress from the Democrats. 

"We've been out of business in the Congress of the United States since my h 

ero, Dwight Eisenhower, was president," Dole said. 

"It's been 42 years since Republicans controlled the House and the Senate." 

Dole said he thought there was a good chance Mrs. Stoney could defeat Kerre 

y and become one of the seven new Republican senators needed to gain control of 

the Senate. 

"After I cast my vote on Nov. 8, the next vote I want to cast is for Senate 

Majority Leader Robert Dole," Mrs. Stoney told the audience. 

She said Nebraskans need to understand the impact that their votes could ha 

ve on the country. 

"If we want to change the Senate, we have to change the senator," Mrs. Ston 

ey said. 

With the election next Tuesday, Mrs. Stoney used the bulk of one of her pre 

cious few remaining campaign days to fly to Scottsbluff for the rally. 

Nebraska's rural 3rd District plays a key role in her hopes for winning the 

election, she said. Although she has been trailing overall in recent statewide 

election surveys, she has been running close to even in the 3rd District. 

Mrs. Stoney touched on hot-button issues for many 3rd District residents. 

The crowd erupted with applause when Mrs. Stoney referred to her opposition 

to gun control. 

"I believe it is the criminals that are the problem and not the guns in this 

country," Mrs. Stoney said. 

Although Kerrey has been critical of some of her actions as a corporat 

e executive, Mrs. Stoney said, her business experience should not be considered 

a political liability. 

Instead, she said, it shows she knows how to help the government become mor 

e fiscally responsible. 

Dole, who frequently has been at odds with President Clinton, did not try t 

o hide the pleasure he felt by the prospects of becoming majority leader. 

"It's not about Bob Kerrey," Dole said. "It's about the future of the Unite 

d States. It's about, how do we slow down some of the Clinton plans?" 

Rudman did not formally endorse Kerrey before the crowd of 80 attending a C 

oncord Coalition meeting at Omaha's Holiday Convention Centre. 

As chairman of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan organization advocating 

a plan to balance the federal budget, Rudman is prevented from using his post to 

endorse any political candidates. However, he came very close in talking about 

Kerrey. 

"Bob Kerrey has been a leader for taking a hard look at the realities of th

e deficit since he has been a member of the Senate," said Rudman, who served wit 

h Kerrey for four years. 

"I can tell you only (that) we can't afford to lose anyone who works hard o 

n fiscal issues, Bob Kerrey included," Rudman said in an interview. 

Rudman also recognized Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb., as the top-rated senator in t 

he Concord Coalition's scale of budget fighters, with Kerrey ranking second amon 

g Senate Democrats. 

While there can be disagreement over Clinton's 1993 budget proposal of tax 

increases and spending cuts that was supported by Exon and Kerrey, Rudman said, 

at least the deficit has been stabilized for a few years. 

Rudman said Kerrey's work as chairman of the bipartisan Commission on Entit 

lements and Tax Reform should be praised. 

"We should thank politicians for telling the truth instead of damning them, 

" he said 

Kerrey thanked Rudman and the members of the Concord Coalition for educatin 

g the public on the need to deal with deficits and growth in entitlement spendin 

g. 

"We need you in the front line changing the direction of the country," Kerr 

ey said. 

World-Herald staff writer C. David Kotok contributed to this report. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Attacks World Trade Group 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon today attacked the secrecy and power of the proposed 

World Trade Organization in the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). 

"The GATT agreement, as a trade agreement, may or may not be a good thing f 

or the United States," Exon said, "However, the more I learn about the powers of 

the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is also created by the GATT agreement 

, the more concerned I have become." 


onetary Fund or even the current GATT agreement, the WTO will operate on a "one 

member-one vote" basis where the deck is stacked against America," Exon continue 

d. "The WTO would meet in secret and one vote in that body would be worth no mor 

e than the vote of the smallest nation in the world despite the size of the U.S. 

economy." 

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Exon brought out that the situation 

is even more serious when there is a trade dispute between the United States an 

d another nation. Of the U.S. would losea WTO dispute settlement, the only way t 

hat decision can be overturned is through a unanimous vote of the other GATT mem 

bers. "That raises serious questions about the loss of United States and individ 

ual state sovereignty," Exon said. 

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the GATT/WTO agreement on December 1st.




SOUR[Stromsburg Polk Co. News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce $1.78 Million Grant to Nebraska 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) anno 

unced today that the federal government has awarded $1.78 million to the Nebrask 

a Department of Economic Development to help small and medium sized manufacturin 

g firms throughout the state to shift from defense products to civilian goods. 

The grant will provide funding for two years to create the Nebraska Industr 

ial Competitiveness service, coordinating the efforts of the University of Nebra 

ska, the state's community colleges and other organizations to provide technical 

assistance to companies around the state. It will serve manufacturing firms mu 

ch like the university extension service has served farmers for many years. 

The grant is being awarded by the National Institute of Standards and Techn 

ology in coordination with the Department of Defense. 

"Small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms are an important segment of Ne 

braska's economy," Exon and Kerrey said. "This initiative will help Nebraska's 

firms become more competitive in the global marketplace. It will also strengthe 

n the bond between Nebraska businesses, communities and higher education." 



AUTH[Lee Templar 


BK#[ 

HDLN[TCD Gets Lukewarm Support From Commissioner Candidates 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF - ScottsBluff County's main economic development tool received 

only lukewarm support from four candidates competing for two seats on the county 

commission. 

Speaking at a luncheon forum, John Kissack of Gering said the county needs th 

e Twin Cities Development Association to keep taxes down. When he was director o 

f the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, Kissack told then-Gov. Jim Exon tha 

t Nebraskans want to address inflation without raising taxes. 

"You know as well as I know sitting here that the only way to achieve that i 

s to increase the tax base,"said Kissack, the Democratic candidate for the count 

y board's 3rd District seat. 

But his Republican opponent, Carol Johnson of Gering, said she has found it 

difficult to get answers about TCD activities, so she isn't willing to commit mo 

re tax dollars to it. 

TCD was formed by the county, Scottsbluff and Gering several years ago to attr 

act new businesses and help existing ones expand. The county did not pay its due 

s for two years before commissioners restored funds this summer. 

Incumbent 1st District Commissioner Willard Kamerzel of rural Gering said T 

CD has done its job. "It helps to broaden the tax base by bringing small, indepe 

ndent businesses we need into this area," he said. 

But the county faced a budget crisis, forcing commissioners to deny county e 

mployees pay raises for two years. At those times, TCD must take a back seat, Ka

merzel said. 

His Republican challenger, Ed Martin of rural Melbeta, said there are other 

ways to spur growth. "I would rather see levies go down somewhat to stimulate th 

e economy," he said. "I see TCD getting its money from other sources than the co 

unty." 

During the forum at Grampy's Pancake House and Restaurant, the candidates al 

so were asked their opinions on the county airport and future expansion. 

Kissack said a regional airport authority should oversee operations because 

the airport serves other counties. 

But Kamerzel strongly opposed an airport authority. The county funds airport 

operations through landing fees and revenue from leasing farmland, but an airpo 

rt authority could levy new property taxes, he said. 

Johnson and Martin said they would pursue federal grants to fund more remode 

ling. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Officials Stunned Reagan has Alzheimer's Disease 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Stunned by news that former President Reagan has Alzheimer' s 

disease, Nebraska Republicans and others said Saturday that his decision to dis 

close the diagnosis was a mark of his character. 

"I think it is very typical of Ronald Reagan to face adversity and address 

it openly," said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to the eastern Car 

ibbean in 1981. 

"It's a demonstration that he's showing concern to others even though he ha 

s his own afflictions," Bish said from his home in Grand Island. "Most people wo 

uld hide." 

"I was shocked at the news," U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said. 

He added that Reagan's decision to disclose he has Alzheimer's was mark of 

the former Republican president's character. 

I congratulate President Reagan for coming forth with the information. Rat 

her than just keep it quiet. I think he wisely made the decision to announce it. 

" 

Phil Young, head of the Nebraska Republican party, said he was stunned by 

the news but not surprised that Reagan chose to disclose the diagnosis in hopes 

of promoting awareness. 

Reagan, he said, is a man who can take hardship and tragedy and turn it int 

o something positive. 

"President Reagan has always been a man of compassion. He is loved by Ameri 

cans -- especially Nebraskans." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans Say Revelation Sign of Character 

TEXT[Stunned by news that former President Reagan has Alzheimer's disease, Nebra 

ska Republicans and others said Saturday that his decision to disclose the diagn 

osis was a mark of his character. 


it openly," said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to the eastern Ca 

ribbean in 1981. 

"It's a demonstration that he's showing concern for others even though he h 

as his own afflictions," Bish said from Grand Island. "Most people would hide." 

In a handwritten letter in which he revealed that he has Alzheimer's, Reaga 

n said he and his wife, Nancy, chose to share the news in hopes that it would ra 

ise awareness about the disease. 

"I was shocked at the news," U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said. 

He added that Reagan's decision to disclose he has Alzheimer's was a mark o 

f the former Republican president's character. 

"I congratulate President Reagan for coming forth with the information. I 

think he wisely made the decision to announce it." 

Phil Young, head of the Nebraska Republican Party, said he was stunned by t 

he news but not surprised that Reagan chose to disclose the diagnosis in hopes o 

f promoting awareness. 



"President Reagan has always been a man of compassion," Young said. "He is 

loved by Americans - especially Nebraskans." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Krikava Homecoming Draws Near 

TEXT[Pawnee City, Neb. - It has been a little more than four months since Kevin 

Krikava watched his father walk through the gates of Leavenworth Federal Peniten 

tiary to begin serving a five-month sentence. 

Ernest Krikava, 70, was sentenced on two counts of perjury after he lied about 

the illegal sale of hogs raised on the Krikava farm. He reported to prison on J 

une 30. 

Since that day, Kevin Krikava has been working to gain his father's early rele 

ase. The effort has garnered assistance from a diverse group, including country 

music performer Willie Nelson, Sens. Bob Kerrey D-Neb., and Bob Dole, R-Kan., an 

audience at a country music concert in New Orleans and the producers of a tablo 

id television show. 

But as Krikava's Nov. 28 release date draws near, the possibility of a pard 

on from president Clinton - the only way Krikava can gain an early release - is 

diminishing 

For the elder Krikava, the past four months have passed painfully slowly.

"I'm anxious to get back to the farm again," Ernest Krikava said in telepho 

ne interview from prison. "It'll be a different life there than what I've had he 

re. I'm looking forward to working with the hogs and the livestock." 

For Kevin Krikava, 30, the time has been a blur. 

Just before his father reported to Leavenworth, national news attention abo 

ut the family brought an avalanche of mall and hundreds of telephone calls. 

Some nights, Krikava said, the telephone wouldn't stop ringing. 

"I came home from work at 6:30 and answered phone calls nonstop until 2 o'c 

lock in the morning," he said. "One night, I couldn't even go to the bathroom." 

Newspapers nationwide carried the Krikava story. Television producers lined 

up to profile Ernest Krikava. One tabloid television show, "A Current Affair," 

made the Krikava story a semi-regular feature running at least 18 different segm 

ents about the family. 

"We got an incredible response," said correspondent Steve Dunleavy. "I have 

never seen a story, in the years that I've been here, that got such a viewer re 

sponse." 

Tens of thousands of letters poured in from all over the country in support 

of Krikava Dunleavy said. 

Kevin Krikava, who had never traveled than 200 miles from home, made his fi 

rst airplane flight to help the producers of "A Current Affair" deliver some of 

those letters to the office of U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in Washington D. 

C. 

Dole and Kerrey joined Sens. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., and J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

, and Reps. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., and Jim Slattery, D-K 

an., in sending letters to Ms.Reno and Clinton, requesting that Krikava's reques 

t for clemency be sped up. 

Musician Nelson asked Clinton about the Krikava case personally during a he 

alth-care rally in Missouri this summer. Nelson is the founding force behind Far 

m Aid, a farmers advocacy organization based in Cambridge Mass. 

Officials with Farm Aid said first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told them sh 

e had heard of the Krikavas. The president said he was interested in finding out 

more about the family. 

Later in the summer, Nelson invited Kevin Krikava to take part in Farm Aid 

XII, a benefit concert in New Orleans. 

"Willie introduced (Kevin) from the stage and asked him to come out and mak 

e a presentation about what had happened to the family." said Glenda Yoder, asso 

ciate director of Farm Aid. "It was very well received." 

Krikava said he was glad for the opportunity to tell his story to more than 

200,000 people at once, even though it was nerve wracking. "I've never been in 

front of that many people in my life," he said. 

The Krikava family's problems began in 1991, when Community National Bank 

in Seneca, Kan., began pressuring the family for payments on about $240,000 in l 

oans. That fall, the bank began enforcing liens against the 1,000 acre farm, Kr 

ikava said. 

Bill Chapin, the family's bankruptcy lawyer said most of their problems be 

gan when the Krikavas shifted their banking to Community National, seeking lower 

interest rates. The loans were written to come due in three years, Chapin said 

, creating a payment schedule the Krikavas could not meet. 

The Krikavas' checking account was closed in January 1992, Kevin Krikava s 

aid. In March, the family filed for protection under Chapter 12, the part of th 

e U.S. Bankruptcy Code designed for farmers. 

At one point, the Krikava were forced to turn their pigs loose in a weed p

atch because there was no money to buy feed. Neighbors reported that hogs died 

by the dozens on the farm as the Krikavas battled the banks for funds. 

The family-the two men and Carol Krikava, Ernest's wife and Kevin's mother 

-also suffered, recalls Kevin Krikava. The family sometimes relied on a diet of 

canned peaches and popcorn to make it to the next day. 

It was about the same period when the Krikavas committed the act that sent 

Ernest Krikava to federal prison. 

The family illegally avoided bank liens by selling a group of hogs under a 

relatives name. Attorneys said the family used the proceeds from the hog sale, a 

bout $35,000 to meet expenses for the farm. 

After Community National Bank found out about the illegal hog sales, the Ba 

nkruptcy Court reclassified the Krikava case to a Chapter 7 case, which meant li 

quidation of the Krikava farm. 

All three Krikavas were charged with perjury and convicted of lying about t 

he hog sale. Kevin and Mrs. Krikava did not receive jail time, 

In January of this year, Mrs. Krikava became ill but put off a trip to the 

hospital because the family's health insurance had lapsed. Late that month, an a 

mbulance arrived at the farm to take Mrs. Krikava to the hospital. 

She died of a respiratory ailment the same day. 

Kevin Krikava said doctors told him his mother might have been saved if she 

had gone to the hospital sooner. 

U.S. Senior District Court Judge Warren Urbom said he was forced to sentenc 

e the elder Krikava to five months in prison by federal sentencing guidelines. U 

rbom said he had "grave doubts" about whether sending the elder Krikava to jail 

would do anyone any good. 

Lisa Lozano, Ernest Krikava's court appointed defense attorney, said she ha 

s never seen a defendant lose so much in such a short time, 

"I've never had anyone fall so far," Ms. Lozano said. "To from 70 year old 

farmer to and mainstay of the community to federally convicted felon that's quit 

e a drop. 

"I don't know what lessons we've learned other than sometimes we need to co 

nsider prosecutorial discretion. 

Don Lueger, president of Community National Bank, said the Krikava's could 

have avoided most of their troubles had they not lied under oath. 

"That's one of the things that has not been made clear exactly," he said. 

"What (Ernest Krikava) is facing at this point in time-the fact of the jail time 

that he has had to serve- is all a result of their perjury, their lying under o 

ath." 

The Krikavas initially brought problems on themselves by not cooperating wi 

th bank officials and bankruptcy trustees, Lueger said. Then, by committing per 

jury, Ernest Krikava broke the law and caused bigger problems, Leuger said. 

"He wronged the judicial system," he said. 

Lueger declined to comment on whether he thought Ernest Krikava's prison se 

ntence was proper. 

Tom Monaghan, U.S. Attorney in Nebraska agreed that Ernest Krikava jail sen 

tence probably won't make society any safer or serve any rehabilitation purpose. 

But, he said, it may have served as a deterrent against bankruptcy fraud. 

"I probably wouldn't have done anything differently," said Monaghan, whose 

office prosecuted the Krikava case before Monaghan took over. 

Kevin Krikava continues to raise a few hundred hogs on the 130-acre piece o 

f land the family rents from an investor. The rest of the Krikava was sold duri

ng the bankruptcy case. During the days, Krikava supports himself by working fu 

ll time at another farm. At night, he maintains the Krikava homestead. 

Housework at the Krikava farm has been neglected during Ernest Krikava's st 

ay in prison. On a recent day, a pile of unfolded laundry sat on the living roo 

m couch and a layer of dust had settled in the rooms. 

"It's been tough," Kevin Krikava said. "I've just been running from one thi 

ng to another." 

Nelson is planning another concert this fall to help raise money for the Kr 

ikava farm. Krikava said promoters are trying to arrange the event to coincide 

with his father's release from prison. 

Ernest Krikava, meanwhile, just wants to get out of prison. When the weath 

er is warm, he said, he passes the time by taking walks around the prison ground 

s. 

"I'm getting ready so when I get back to the farm I can do chores again," K 

rikava said. "I think we can bring a lot of the farm back, but it will take qui 

te a few years. The future is in my son's hands." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Haulers Brace for Deregulation 

TEXT[Kent Franzen said his 30-truck fleet has done a nice business hauling refri 

gerated meats and other food products out of Lexington to other points in Nebras 

ka. 

But Franzen, owner of Justa Trucking Inc., is concerned that's all about to 

change. 

Congress in August voted to deregulate the intrastate trucking industry. E 

ffective Jan. 1. the Nebraska Public Service Commission will no longer set the r 

ates for hauling jobs that originate and end within the state. The state also no 

longer will control entry. into the market or restrict companies to serving cer 

tain parts of the state. 

Franzen said he's afraid some big trucking company will now be able to ente 

r his niche of the market, offer a lower rate and take his business away. 

"Some cut throats will come in and do it cheaper," he said. "It's terrible. 

It's going to cost me a lot of business and money." 

Other trucking company officials say the new deregulated environment will g 

ive them new opportunities to expand and compete in a market that had been artif 

icially controlled by the state. 

"All in all, we're looking at this as more of an opportunity than a problem 

for us," said Jerry Noel, president of Wheeler Transport Service, which operate 

s a 100-truck fleet out of Omaha. 

"If you sit and worry, I think you'll worry yourself out of business. I thi 

nk the aggressive companies are go gain from this." 

The trucking industry in Nebraska and across the country is gearing up for 

the change in the trucking market that is coming at the first of the year. Indus 

try officials say some coma may have in the new market, others, particularly sma 

ller coma that don't have the advantage economy of scale, could lose business.

For shippers, industry officials and state regulators say deregulation also 

promises lower rates, and possibly that will translate into lower prices for co 

nsumers. But that may not be true statewide, they said. 

Rates will almost surely be lower if highly competitive areas like Lincoln 

and Omaha, industry officials said. But the rates won't drop as much in rural ar 

eas, and some suggest shippers could end up paying more than they do now,. 

"If you're a business in Lincoln and Omaha, you will probably get your widg 

ets delivered at a lower rate," said Frank Landis, chairman of the Nebraska Publ 

ic Service Commission. 

"I don't know what the effect will be out in Bridgeport. In the past when C 

ongress has deregulated (other industries), what we've found in rural Nebraska i 

s, service suffers," 

The trucking industry was first regulated by the federal government in 1934 

to ensure that transportation services would be available throughout the countr 

y at reasonable rates, 

Previously, the market had been in turmoil, Landis said. Companies were und 

ercutting each other, hundreds of companies were going out of business and servi 

ce was disrupted, he said. 

Under regulation, the federal government and states controlled what compani 

es could charge shippers for service, setting rates that ensured reasonable prof 

its for truckers. 

Even today, two companies, both hauling gasoline, are required to charge th 

e same rate for the 55-mile trip between Omaha and Lincoln. 

In return for having their rates controlled, carriers are also given a cert 

ain amount of protection from competition. Regulators control access to the mark 

et and allow new carriers to compete for business only if they can show current 

service to the area is not adequate. 

Congress in 1980 deregulated interstate trucking, meaning rates and routes 

for hauling jobs between states were no longer subject to federal control. But s 

tates have continued to regulate trucking jobs that start and finish within thei 

r borders. 

U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., was at the center of the decision in Congress 

earlier this year to deregulate intrastate trucking. 

The deregulation issue arose after a California judge ruled that Federal Expres 

s, the national package carrier, should not be subject to intrastate regulation. 

United Parcel Service and other shippers that compete with Federal Express went 

to Congress seeking the same exempt status, 

Exon, chairman of the surface transportation subcommittee in the Senate, sa 

id he and her lawmakers decided Congress shouldn't exempt just part of the truck 

ing industry. 

"We decided what's good for the goose is good for the gander," Exon said. 

Intrastate truck deregulation was amended into an airport runway bill in Ju 

ne and given final approval in August. After Jan. 1, the only motor transportat 

ion markets that will remain subject to state regulation and rate setting are pa 

ssenger hauling and the moving of household goods. 

Those are areas in which trucking companies deal directly with the public, 

said Bud Cuca, legal counsel for the Nebraska Motor Carriers Association. In oth 

er segments of the trucking industry, trucking firms deal with shippers, he said 

, 

The states still will be able to regulate truck safety and assure that intr 

astate trucks have proper licenses and insurance coverage.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission has already eliminated the position 

of the auditor who helped set rates for intrastate trucking and is regulating wh 

at other staffing changes will be needed in the new deregulated environment, Lan 

dis said. 

Already, trucking companies have stopped going to the commission seeking au 

thority to expand their operations. They all know that within two months, they c 

an go anywhere they want and haul for any price they can get.For trucking firms, 

the key to understanding the new economics that will come into play is the conc 

ept of deadheading - when a truck is returning from a delivery with an empty tra 

iler. 

The rates the state has provided trucking companies assumed they would make 

a two way trip, with the return trip made without any cargo. The trucks would u 

sually load at Point A, unload at Point B, and then deadhead back to Point A wit 

h an empty trailer. 

But because deregulation will allow truckers to compete for any job without 

having to gain state permission to enter a market, truckers will be able to avo 

id more deadhead miles. 

At Point B, they can find another load to bring back with them when they return 

to Point A. Chances are, that will be a piece of business that belonged to some 

other trucker previously. 

Additionally, the new hauler would be able to offer a lower rate for the bu 

siness than the previous hauler because the miles from Point B back to A would h 

ave been deadhead miles before, with no payment received. 

"A shipper may say, 'I'll give you $ 10 if you drop this off somewhere on y 

our way back,"' said Jerry More house of Omaha's W.N. Morehouse Truck Line. "Wou 

ld you do that? Hey, 10 bucks is 10 bucks, You had to go that way anyway. But th 

e other guy who has been doing it for a living can't do it for that (little)." 

Some companies, like Franzen's Justa Truck, fear such "back-hauling" will t 

ake away their business. Once the price undercutting is done, he said, deregulat 

ion will be bad for trucking and the state as a whole. 

"In the airline industry, deregulation put all the little ones out of busin 

ess and all the big ones in bankruptcy," he said. "That's what it's going to do 

with trucking." 

Some companies don't think the impact will be that drastic. 

Duane Acklie, president of Crete Carrier Corp. in Lincoln, said he was conc 

erned 15 years ago when the federal government deregulated interstate trucking. 

But overall, he said, he found the change was beneficial to the industry. 

"Some carriers may be adversely affected, but I don't expect to see any maj 

or changes in Nebraska," Acklie said. "I think you'll basically see the same car 

riers continue to succeed. If we do a good job, I don't see any reason a big gun 

can come in and do a better job than we can." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Some Farmers Looking for Place to Put Crops 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) Terminals in Lincoln and other points are clogged with corn, m

ilo and soybeans, in part because of a big harvest and a shortage of rail cars f 

or shipping. 

Kathy Boellstorff of Johnson said she still has some milo in the ground bec 

ause local elevators at times have had difficulty keeping ahead of big harvests 

this fall. 

Overall, the weather has made for a speedy, if chaotic, harvest. 

"It's just real messy," said Boellstorff, who is chairwoman of the Nebraska 

Sorghum Board. Pretty soon, she will have to bite the bullet and wait in line t 

o dump her grain when the elevator can find room for more, she said. 

Marilyn Clark of Clark Grain Co. in Johnson said the elevator tries to make 

some room each day by hauling away what it can. But the last several days have 

been busy, she said. 

Hallam Grain Co. south of Lincoln has turned many farmers away because they 

have not received rail cars promised to them by Union Pacific Railroad, said Me 

l Holsing, who owns the elevator. 

Without rail cars, the elevator can't move grain along. 

"The UP is doing a very poor job," Holsing said. "It just brings a business 

to a halt." 

Union Pacific spokesman Ed Trandahl in Omaha said the railroad expects the 

supply of grain cars to be tight "at least through the end of the year." 

This year's supply of rail cars in the Midwest has been tightened somewhat 

by the floods and fires in the Houston area, Trandahl said. 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who is chairman of the Senate Surface Transport 

ation Subcommittee, is looking several places to help solve the grain car shorta 

ge. 

On Friday, Exon said the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Office of M 

anagement and Budget were following his recommendation to create a National Grai 

n Car Council. 

Exon said the council could help the agriculture community move products to 

market more efficiently. 

"Every fall, there are never enough rail cars available to carry harvested 

grain," Exon said. "This year's bin-busting crop draws attention to this annual 

dilemma." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Reagan Stuns Nebraskans With News 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Stunned by news that former President Reagan has Alzheimer's d 

isease, Nebraska R~ publicans and others said Saturday that his decision to disc 

lose the diagnosis was a mark of his character. 


it openly," said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to the eastern Car 

ibbean in 1981. 


as his own afflictions," Bish said from his home in Grand Island. "Most people w 

ould hide."

In a handwritten letter, Reagan said he and his wife, Nancy, chose to share 

the news in hopes that it would raise awareness about the disease. 

"I was shocked at the news," said U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

He said Reagan's decision to disclose he has Alzheimer's was a mark of the 

former Republican president's character. 

"I congratulate President Reagan for coming forth with the information. Rat 

her than just keep it quiet. ... I think he wisely made the decision to announce 

it." 

Phil Young, head of the Nebraska Republican Party, said he was stunned by t 

he news but not surprised that Reagan chose to disclose the diagnosis in hopes o 

f promoting awareness. 




loved by Americans - especially Nebraskans." 

In the 1980 presidential election, 64 percent of Nebraska voters supported 

Reagan. In 19&4, Reagan captured 68 percent of the vote in Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Officials Stunned by Reagan's Announcement 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Stunned by news that former President 

Reagan has Alzheimer's disease, Nebraska Republicans and others said Saturday th 

at his decision to disclose the diagnosis was a mark of his character. 


it openly" said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to the eastern Cari 

bbean in 1981. 


as his own afflictions," Bish said from his home in Grand Island. "Most people w 

ould hide." 




"I congratulate President Reagan for coming forth with the information. Rat 

her than just keep it quiet ..." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Politics Different in State This Year 

TEXT[LINCOLN - If you are among those who sort of pay attention to politics and

you suspect that this has been a very different type of election year in Nebrask 

a, you are right. 

Not sort of right. Entirely right. 

The 1994 level of name calling in close federal elections, to the virtual e 

xclusion of meaningful discussion of the issues, is new to these parts. 

Some observers say "politics in Nebraska has just caught up with other stat 

es," meaning those states where playing semantic games, outright misrepresentati 

ons and name-calling have been in vogue in political advertising for years. 

Another view would be that, if such is the case, the direction in which Neb 

raska is headed in route to matching the behavior in other states should not be 

referred to as 'up. 

The virtual concession speech by Republican gubernatorial candidate Gene Sp 

ence was also an exercise previously unexperienced in either of the state's area 

codes. 

And observers of the veteran variety won't quibble about intimations, indic 

ations and interpretations. Read what Spence said. 

"I miscalculated dramatically what the people of this state were looking fo 

r. They've got what they were looking for." He went on to talk about his plans f 

or congratulating Nelson and the governor's campaign manager when the election i 

s over. 

If it wasn't a virtual concession it reflected a very singular use and unde 

rstanding of words and their meanings. 

And to top it off: Kate Witek, the state senator who would be lieutenant go 

vernor, responded to the Spence comments by saying she wasn't giving up that she 

was the type to fight "to the bitter end." 

But it is the campaigns for the Senate and the 2nd Congressional District t 

hat are going to stand out in the minds of those who care about and diagram the 

political process. 

To hear one Stoney advertisement, one might think that Democratic Sen. Kerr 

ey could have cast votes that would have put a condemned man to death sooner and 

hastened the appeals process for another. 

To hear one Kerrey ad, one might think Stoney personally made a decision to 

move a batch of American jobs to Mexico. 

In the 2nd District, Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland and Republican hopeful 

Jon Christensen have endeavored to cast one another's every motive, on virtually 

every issue, in the most sinister light. 

The "Yes you did! No I didn't!" school of debate gets tiresome at the presc 

hool stage. Where the governance of the Republic is at issue, it becomes disappo 

inting to many. 

This isn't to say that folk here-about were treated to Socratic dialogues a 

nd debate worthy of Lincoln and Douglas in the last couple of decades. 

But soiled skirts are one thing, while mud balls at 10 paces is quite anoth 

er. 

To be sure, the quality of political discourse is in the eye of the observe 

r. 

And one person's negative advertisement is another's version of fair enough 

. 

But given all of the above it would not seem unreasonable for a person with 

even a modicum of civility to look at the goings on in the Cornhusker state thi 

s election season and respond, at the very least, with a thoroughly exasperated: 

"Oh, give me a break!"

There is no choosing of sides in this space. The assumption is that some wi 

ll assume that Bob Kerrey is being knocked, Jan Stoney is being picked on, Jon C 

hristensen is being assailed or that Peter Hoagland is being bashed. 

That is not the case. 

The issue is the process itself and the fact that, unless your idea of disc 

ourse falls somewhere to the left of a honky tonk brawl, Nebraskans have been su 

bjected to a dearth of deserving exchanges among the candidates. 

And don't bring up that business about the late John Tower who (as an embit 

tered ex-U.S. senator who didn't get to be secretary of defense) came to Nebrask 

a and said he had heard nasty rumors about Nebraska Sen. Jim Exon. 

That was mild next to what is going on this election year. 

While the Tower gambit was pretty thick and sticky, it was nonetheless tran 

sparent in the face of the overall campaign. 

In Hoagland v. Christensen and Kerrey v. Stoney it has been harder for many 

serious citizens of either party to take the long view and keep their eyes on t 

he legitimate issues - it sometimes being such a long way between issues of poli 

cy that are important and the gamesmanship of politics, which has sometimes seem 

ed petty. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Officials Praise Reagan's Decision to Disclose Illness 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Former President Reagan's decision to disclose that he 

has Alzheimer's disease is a mark of his character, Nebraska Republi 

cans and others say. 


it openly," said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to 

the eastern Caribbean in 1981. 

"It' a demonstration that he's showing concern for others even though he 

has his own afflictions," Bish said from his home in Grand Island. 

"Most people would hide." 

In a handwritten letter in which he revealed that he has Alzheimer's, 

Reagan said he and his wife, Nancy, chose to share the news in hop 

es that it would raise awareness about the disease. 


He added that Reagan's decision to disclose he has Alzheimer's was a mark 

of the former Republican president's character. 

"I congratulate President Reagan for coming forth with the information. 

Rather than just keep it quiet ... I think he wisely made the dec 

ision to announce it. 

Phil Young, head of the Nebraska Republican Party, said he was stunned by 

the news but not surprised that Reagan chose to disclose the diag 

nosis in hopes of promoting awareness. 

Reagan, he said, is a man who can take hardship and tragedy and turn it 

into something positive.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Officials Praise Reagan's Decision to Disclose his Illness 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Former President Reagan's decision to disclose that 

he has Alzheimer's disease is a mark of his character, Nebraska Repu 

blicans and others say. 


it openly," said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to 

the eastern Caribbean in 1981. 

"It' a demonstration that he's showing concern for others even though he ha 

s his own afflictions," Bish said from his home in Grand Island. "M 

ost people would hide." 


n said he and his wife, Nancy, chose to share the news in hopes tha 

t it would raise awareness about the disease. 


He added that Reagan's decision to disclose he has Alzheimer's was a mark 

of the former Republican president's character. 


Rather than just keep it quiet... I think he wisely made the deci 

sion to announce it." 

Phil Young, head of the Nebraska Republican Party, said he was stunned 

by the news but not surprised that Reagan chose to disclose the d 

iagnosis in hopes of promoting awareness. 

Reagan, he said, is a man who can take hardship and tragedy and turn it 

into something positive. 


loved by Americans-especially Nebraskans." 

In the 1980 presidential election, 64 percent of Nebraska voters supported 

Reagan. In 1984 Reagan captured 68 percent of the vote in Nebraska 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Crop Insurance Action Praised 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has praised the USDA's 

announcement that the 1995 crop insurance market price election for 

wheat would be raised from $3.15 to $3.35. 

"This is a positive, farmer-friendly decision and illustrates a commitment 

to making crop insurance work," Exon said. "Everyone will be bette 

r served by a crop insurance program that makes sense financially, 

" Exon added.



AUTH[Charley Najacht 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Chapin Says Leadership is Key Issue in Third District Race 

TEXT["This election is about leadership," said Democrat Gil Chapin, Grand 

Island businessman who is challenging Rep. Bill Barrett in Nebraska's 

Third Congressional District race Tuesday. 

"This district cries out for leadership," Chapin said. 

"Both of us are conservatives," he said, adding that he was in the same 

mold as Sen. Jim Exon and Gov. Ben Nelson. 

"I would challenge your readers to name one significant thing that he 

Barrett) has done in his last four years in Washington," Chapin sa 

id. 

"If they can't, they need to vote for Gil Chapin for Congress," he said. 

The candidate promised to run for only three two year terms to the U.S. 

House of Representatives. 

"I will go to Washington. I will get the job done and I will come home," 

he said. 

"My main impression is that people are tired of the partisanship in 

Congress. I believe this will come to an end. We need a leader in this 

congressional seat," Chapin said. 

There are differences in the candidates, Chapin pointed out. 

"Take the 1995 Farm Bill. l favor higher loan rates. He does not. I'm for 

higher loan rates and lower deficiency payments," he said. 

"My opponent has gone on record as voting for foreign aid with no strings 

attached. I will insist that whatever foreign aid is given out be 

spent in this country," Chapin said. 

"I will sponsor legislation to cut foreign aid by 50 percent. There was a 

time when this was needed, but the Cold War is over," he said. 

"The national debt is intolerable, but the answer is not higher income taxes," 

Chapin said. If elected, he promised to call for a coalition of congre 

ssmen to prepare a comprehensive study on how to "cut the fat an 

d reduce the size and scope of the federal government." 

On the subject of gun control, Chapin said, "I will never touch the Second 

Amendment. "On abortion, he said, "I am pro-life," adding, "People w 

ill either love me or hate me." 

Chapin has a bachelor's degree in History and master's degree in 

Government. He served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. 

He has worked for Overhead Door Corporation since 1980, when his family 

first moved to Grand Island. He has had assignments ranging from Reg 

ional Sales Manager to Director of National Accounts. Currentl 

y he is in charge of sales for the McGuire Loading Dock Division 

in 18 states. 

Chapin and his wife, Mary Ellen, have three daughters, Elizabeth, 15, 

Jane, 12, and Mary Louise, 9.



AUTH[William L. Roberts 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Shift in Congress Would Shake Up Transport Agenda 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Behind all the hype and hoopla of Tuesday's elections, 

representatives and senators are preparing for a shift of power on k 

ey committees that will have dramatic implications for the 

transportation industry's legislative agenda. 

The big question is whether the Republicans can gain control of the Senate 

by winning five or more of the 11 Democrat-held seats in which GOP 

challengers are running close races, while holding onto existing s 

eats. 

"The tone and direction of the changes will ultimately depend on what 

happens with Democrats and Republicans in the election in terms of 

a majority," a senior congressional staff member said. 

A shift in control of the Senate to the Republicans would change how the 

key transportation and trade committees function. 

Chairmanship of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee would 

shift from Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., possibly to Sen. Larr 

y Pressler, R-S.D., who moves up with the retirement of Sen. John 

C. Danforth, R-Mo. 

Mr. Hollings blocked a vote on implementing new trade barrier reductions 

under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and has used his committee 

post to hold hearings critical of GATT. GATT is the internatio 

nal body that governs trade throughout much of the world. 

Mr. Pressler, meanwhile, used his influence to block Mr. Hollings' eff 

orts to consider legislation funding $1 billion in operating subsi 

dies for U.S.- flag ocean carriers. 

Senate staff members say he is interested in holding hearings next year on 

U.S. maritime laws ranging from operating subsidies that support 

U.S. flag ships and maritime unions, to cargo preference rules 

that require U.S. government shipments go on U.S. flag ship 

s, usually at above market rates. 

"Pressler is chomping at the bit to get at this," a staffer said. 

Mr. Pressler, who is aligned with other farm state Republicans like Sen. 

Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., also can be expected to play a role in 

the handling of landmark legislation reauthorizing another five ye 

ars of agriculture subsidy programs. 

At the subcommittee level, Sen. John B. Breaux, D-La., would be replaced as 

chairman of the Merchant Marine subcommittee. Sen. Wendell H. For 

d, would be replaced as chairman of the Aviation subcommittee. An 

d Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb. would be replaced as chairman of t 

he Surface Transportation Committee. 

Republican Senators Ted Stevens of Alaska, John McCain of Arizona and Slade 

Gorton of Washington are top among those who would stand to take 

over. 

FINANCE COMMITTEE CRUCIAL

On the Senate Finance Committee, crucial to most major legislation, the 

protectionist-leaning Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., would 

likely be replaced by free-trader Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore. 

In the House, where Republicans have chances of narrowing the Democrats 

76-seat majority by 30 or more seats, the chairmanships of three 

key committees are safe unless Republicans sweep the election and ta 

ke control. There will be, however, shifting among subcommittee chai 

rs. 

The Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, where the House battles over 

any new maritime subsidy reauthorizations will be waged and where 

Democrats have held a 29-19 majority, faces the most turnover. 

Six are not returning. Five are in close races in which re-election is not 

assured. And three ranking members could move to other committees 

. 

Rep. Jack Fields, R-Texas., the ranking minority member of the committee, 

might be required to withdraw from the Merchant Marine and Fisher 

ies in order to retain his position as ranking minority member of 

the Telecommunications and Finance subcommittee of the Energy and Co 

mmerce Committee. 

LEADERSHIP CHANGE 

Republicans are contemplating a caucus rule that would limit members to 

one committee leadership post each. House staffers have speculated 

Mr. Fields would prefer to stay on the Telecommunications and Fin 

ance subcommittee. 

For the same reason, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, may give up his position as 

ranking minority member of the Fisheries Management subcommittee i 

n favor of retaining his position as the senior Republican on the 

Committee on Natural Resources, staffers have said. 

Also, Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, D-La., chairman of the Coast Guard and 

Navigation subcommittee at Merchant Marine and Fisheries, is a can 

didate for a subcommittee chairmanship at Energy and Commerce, and 

might chose to leave Merchant Marine and Fisheries where he has 

at times clashed with the chairman on barge safety bills, staffer 

s have speculated. 

At the same time, some members who were freshman in the 103rd Congress may 

seek to move off of Merchant Marine and Fisheries to other committ 

ees more in line with their interests. 

"You just don't know how that's going to play out until after the 

(Democratic) caucus meets," a committee staffer said. Democrats ha 

ve scheduled their caucus meeting, in which committee assignments a 

re sought and received, to coincide with the lame-duck session on 

GATT Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Republicans will meet the following week. 

ALTERED COMMITTEE 

In the Public Works and Transportation Committee, where trucking, aviation 

and port legislation gets handled, Democrats held a 38-25 majority 

. Seven members are leaving for retirement to seek other offic 

e or because they lost a primary election. Ten others are in close 

races. 

With the retirement of Rep. Douglas Applegate, D-Ohio, chairmanship of the 

Water Resources and Environment subcommittee opens up. The next s 

enior member who could take it is Rep. Robert A. Borski, D-Pa., no

w chairman of the Investigations and Oversight subcommittee 

. After him would be Rep. William O. Lipinski, D-Ill. The water re 

sources subcommittee handles legislation authorizing port 

and waterway dredging projects. 

On the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over rail 

legislation, Democrats have a 27-17 majority. With seven members 

leaving and many others in close re-election races, the committee 

will change. Importantly for the transportation indu 

stry, Rep. Al Swift, chairman of the subcommittee on Transportatio 

n and Hazardous Materials is retiring. He could be replaced by Re 

p. Cardiss Collins, D-Ill., or possibly Mr. Tauzin. 

The committee may also see changes if Congress decides to reorganize 

committee jurisdictions to cut down on the number of subcommittee 

s and meet lower budget figures for the legislative branch. 

RACES TO WATCH 

SENATE 

California: Dianne Feinstein (D) vs. Michael Huffington (R) - Sen. Feinstei 

n has broad support from transportation interests. 

Delaware:Charles Oberly (D) vs. William Roth (R) - Sen. Roth is a 

free-trader who favors tough action against Japan on autos. 

Michigan: Bob Carr (D) vs. Spencer Abraham (R) - Rep. Carr has been a big 

recipient of transportation PAC dollars. 

Tennessee:Jim Cooper (D) vs. Fred Thompson (R) - Mr. Thompson, who is 

opposed to the Uruguay Round bill, could be sworn in by the vote 

this fall. 

HOUSE 

Alaska:Don Young (R) vs. Tony Smith (D) - Rep. Young, a friend of 

maritime, could be senior Republican on the Natural Resources Commit 

tee. 

Florida: Sam Gibbons (D) vs. Mark Sharpe (R) - Acting Ways and Means 

chairman is a strong voice for free trade. 

Illinois: Dan Rostenkowski (D) vs. Mark Flanagan (R) - Once and perhaps 

future Ways and Means chairman once thought he was safe. 

Texas: Greg Laughlin (D) vs. Jim Deats (R) - Rep. Laughlin sits on key 

transportation and maritime subcommittees. 

Washington: Thomas S. Foley (D) vs. George Nethercutt (R) - Speaker Foley's 

loss would make trade hawk Dich Gephardt the Democratic leader. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Storage, Transportation at Premium 

TEXT[Getting enough rail cars and trucks to handle shipping of a bumper crop 

of grain from the Midwest has attracted the attention of Sen. Jim Ex 

on and the Interstate Commerce Commission. The shortage of shipping 

vehicles and full bins has meant millions of bushels of grain is be 

ing temporarily stored on the ground.



AUTH[David Hendee 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Dole, Exon Say Senate Will Change 

TEXT[More than the faces in the U.S. Senate Bill change after today's 

elections. Two Midlands senators said Monday. 

Republicans need a net gain of seven seats to overturn the Democrats' 56-44 

control of the Senate. 

Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., said the GOP has a better than 50-50 chance to do so 

. Dole said he expected that most undecided voters would swing to 

ward Republican candidates. 

Dole, probable majority leader a Republican-controlled Senate, said such a 

turnaround would mean that the GOP would control key committees. 

"We're going to set the agenda," he said. "We're going to be able to stop 

bad legislation. That's a big change." 

Dole campaigned Monday in Omaha for Jan Stoney, the Republican U.S. Senate 

candidate, and in Council Bluffs for Iowa Gov. Branstad. Dole vis 

ited New Jersey earlier and later was en route to Minnesota. 

"I've never been more excited about an election," he said. 

"I can hardly wait until tomorrow. It's going to be the best day Republican 

s have had since my hero, Dwight Eisenhower, was (elected) presiden 

t of the United States in 1952." 

Whether or not the traditional midterm election losses sustained by the 

party in control of the White House turn into a rout remains to b 

e seen, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said in an interview from Lin 

coln. 

The prospect of losing control of the Senate for the first time in eight 

years has Democrats "not panicked but concerned," Exon said. 

Regardless of which party controls the next Congress, he said, there will n 

ot 

be "a working plurality in either the House or the Senate for President Clinton 

in the last two years of his administration." 

Legislative gridlock will be a major problem, Exon said. 

"I'm not looking for the next few years to be an easy time for anybody, 

especially President Clinton," he said. 

Exon said his pre-election scorecard showed the Republicans increasing 

their numbers by four in the Senate with victories in Maine, Ohio, 

Tennessee and Arizona. 

He said Democratic Sens. Charles Robb of Virginia and Edward Kennedy of 

Massachusetts appeared to have been beaten back strong challenges from 

Oliver North and Mitt Romney, respectively, and should win re-election. 

"Virginia, though, could turn around,"Exon said. 

Key battlegrounds remain in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota, 

Oklahoma and New Mexico. 

"Those six states are the ones I'll be watching election night," Exon said.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans Shocked at Reagan's Announcement 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Former President Reagan's decision to disclose that 

he has Alzheimer's disease is a mark of his character Nebraska offic 

ials said. 


it openly," said Milan Bish, whom Reagan appointed ambassador to the 

eastern Caribbean in 1981. 


n said he and his wife, Nancy, chose to share the news in hopes tha 

t it would raise awareness about the disease. 





Rather than just keep it quiet. .. I think he wisely, made the 

decision to announce it. 

Phil Young, head of the Nebraska Republican Party, said he was stunned by 

the news but not surprised that Reagan chose to disclose the diag 

nosis in hopes of promoting awareness. 


loved - especially by Nebraskans." 



AUTH[Dan Craylin 

SOUR[Sioux City Iowa Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Congress Needs to Reject GATT 

TEXT[SIOUX FALLS - The position of your editorial board regarding GATT 

astounds me. Sen. Dorgan of North Dakota, in congressional hearings 

on GATT said he couldn't believe people weren't protesting 

it in front of the capitol. Sen. Exon of Nebraska chided one pr 

oponent for refuting what was in the agreement while speaking in 

defense of it. 

In a recent article, Pat Buchanan gave historic examples of how free-trade 

has hurt a number of different countries. He also quoted from a b 

ook called "The Trap" by Sir James Goldsmith. "Global free-trade 

has become... a sort of moral dogma, a doctrinal position that ev 

en repeated collisions with reality may be unable to shake." Mick 

ey Kantor. U.S. trade representative, talks like a politician but 

in reality is the one thing even worse, an unelected, unres 

ponsive appointee with way too much power and way too little respect for

the taxpayer. 

The United States used to be just that, a united union of separate states. 

Now we are more and more tied to the federal government. A centra 

l bureaucracy and now a central trade representative, who, it seems want 

s to tie us to the World Trade Organization. We need votes ag 

ainst GATT in congress, 

not for.--Dan Craylin 

P/C[ 


AUTH[David Hendee 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Dole, Exon Say Senate Will Change 

TEXT[More than the faces in the U.S. Senate will change after Tuesday's 

elections, two Midlands senators said Monday. 

Republicans need a net gain of seven seats to overturn the Democrats' 56-44 

control of the Senate. 

Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., said the GOP has a better than 50-50 chance to do 

so. Dole said he expected that most undecided voters would swing tow 

ard Republican candidates. Dole, probable majority leader in 

a Republican-controlled Senate, said such a turnaround would mean th 

at the GOP would control key committees 

"We're going to set the agenda," he said. "We're going to be able to stop 

bad legislation. That's a big change." 

Dole campaigned Monday in Omaha for Jan Stoney, the Republican U.S. Senate 

candidate, and in Council Bluffs for Iowa Gov. Branstad. Dole visite 

d New Jersey earlier and later was en route to Minnesota. 

"I've never been more excited about an election," he said. 

"I can hardly wait until tomorrow. It's going to be the best day 

Republicans have had since my hero, Dwight Eisenhower, was (elected) 

president of the United States in 1952." 

Whether or not the traditional mid-term election losses sustained by the 

party in control of the White House turn into a rout remains to b 

e seen, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said in an interview from Lincoln. 

The prospect of losing control of the Senate for the first time in eight 

years has Democrats "not panicked but concerned," Exon said. 

Regardless of which party controls the next Congress, he said, there will 

not be "a working plurality in either the Senate or the House for 

President Clinton in the last two years of his administration." 

Legislative gridlock will be a major problem, Exon said. 

"I'm not looking for the next few years to be an easy time for anybody, 

especially President Clinton," he said. 

Exon said his pre-election scorecard showed the Republicans increasing thei 

r numbers by four in the Senate with victories in Maine, Ohio, Tenn 

essee and Arizona. 

He said Democratic Sens. Charles Robb of Virginia and Edward Kennedy o 

f Massachusetts appeared to have beaten back strong challenges 

from Oliver North and Mitt Romney, respectively, and should win re-

election. 

"Virginia, though, could turn around," Exon said. 

Key battlegrounds remained in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma a 

nd New Mexico. 

"Those six states are the ones I'll be watching election night," Exon said. 

"The returns from those states will be magnified in importance, given the 

way the election landscape looks today." 

Dole said he expected the GOP to win up to nine seats and possibly one or t 

wo more in Virginia, New Jersey, California, New Mexico or Nebraska. 

He said he was counting on Mrs. Stoney to beat incumbent Democratic Sen. 

Bob Kerrey. 

In the other states mentioned by Exon, these contests were considered close 

: 

þ Pennsylvania: Republican Rick Santorum is challenging Democratic 

Sen. Harris Wofford. 

þ Michigan: Republican Spencer Abraham is facing Democrat Bob Carr. 

Democrat Donald Riegle is retiring. 

þ Minnesota: Democrat Ann Wynia and Republican Rod Grams are in a close rac 

e. Republican David Durenberger is retiring. 

þ Oklahoma: Republican James Inhofe and Democrat Dave McCurdy are in a tigh 

t race. Democrat David Boren is retiring. 

þ New Mexico: Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman is in a dead heat with 

Republican Colin McMillan. 




SOUR[Press & Dakotan Yankton 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Nelson Win Top Nebraska Seats 

TEXT[Associated Press reports credit Nebraska voters with passing a term 

limit amendment - yet also with returning the state's top off 

ice holders to their jobs in Tuesday's polls. 

Democrat Sen. Bob Kerrey turned back a determined bid from Republican 

Jan Stoney. 

Democrat Gov. Ben Nelson claimed victory in the first Nebraska governor 

reelection in 20 years. He overcame a relatively weak bid by Republican Gene 

Spence who had essentially conceded the election more than a 

week ago. 

The last time a governor was reelected to office in Nebraska was Democ 

rat Jim Exon, now a U.S. senator, who won his second term 

in 1974. 

Stoney, AP analysts said, may be considering a run against Exon in 199 

6. 

Republican Rep. Doug Bereuter won a ninth term in the 1st District whi 

ch includes Cedar County; and Republican Rep. Bill Barre 

tt won a third term in the 3rd District - which includes 

Knox County. 

Bereuter's opponent on Tuesday, Democrat Patrick Combs, said he oppose

s term limits but can't understand Nebraskans' decision 

making. 

"I have to say I'm real disappointed that voters can return someone li 

ke this back for his ninth term, but vote overwhelmingly 

for term limits," 

Combs said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Wins a Second Term 

TEXT[ OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - In winning a second U.S. Senate term on Tuesday, Bo 

b Kerrey turned back a determined challenge from Republica 

n Jan Stoney and survived a national mood that threw 

many Democrats out of office. 

"The campaign was more negative than l would have liked but think it should 

be said that we were negative toward one another's records 

, not in a personal way," Kerrey said in an interview. "In 

the end, she congratulated me in a very thoughtful way and 

wished me well. 

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson claimed the overwhelming victory 

that had been forecast by pollsters and anticipated by his go 

od natured but 

underwhelming Republican opponent, Gene Spence. 

In the 2nd Congressional District, however, Republican Jon Christ 

ensen 

led incumbent Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland. 

Mrs. Stoney, 54, conceded the election in a telephone call to Ker 

rey at 9:45 p.m.CST and made a gracious, eloquent speech to sup 

porters minutes later. She lauded Kerrey for running his campaign we 

ll run and offering himself for public service. She even alluded 

to his status as a war hero, complimenting him for service to hi 

s country "in uniform." 

"Democracy has worked." Mrs. Stoney said. "We may not like the outcome but 

we cannot deny the result nor should we." 

She sounded like someone looking forward to the possibility of an 

other campaign - perhaps against U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., in 

two years. 

Exon indicated he was likely to seek a fourth term in 1996. 

With 48 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Kerrey had 14 

5,722 votes or 54 percent. Mrs. Stoney had 122,301 votes or 46 

percent. 

Kerrey, 51, said the partisan divisions in the Senate and House w 

ould present problems for the next Congress. 

"Governing will not be easy," Kerrey said. "Bipartisanship will b 

e at a premium and I can only hope that the Congress will l 

ook to the best interests of the nation and look beyond indiv

idual political agendas and party politics." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Survives 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., won a second term Tuesday and 

said that a sharply divided Congress will have to take on a bipa 

rtisan spirit if the nation is to be governed effectively. 

And even in defeat, Republican Jan Stoney sounded like she still had her ey 

es on a Senate seat, perhaps two years down the road. 

Kerrey thanked voters and said he was concerned about the next session of 

Congress. 

"It is going to be harder to govern, not easier," Kerrey said in an 

interview. "It is going to take courage, on both sides of th 

e political aisle, 

to look beyond challenge for the sake of politics, and to the challenges that 

face the country." 

Kerrey bucked a national trend by simply surviving as Republicans claimed 

enough seats to win control of the Senate. That development meant Kerrey would 

be denied the chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Stoney endorsed the democratic process and congratulated Kerrey for his 

campaign and for the dedication he had shown to public service, both in office 

and as a war hero in Vietnam. 

"God bless you all. God bless America," Stoney said to a crowd that roared 

its approval. "If I inspired one Nebraskan who before this election may have 

been indifferent to politics or government, to come out and vote and express 

their voice ... then this effort was worth it. 

She could make another Senate bid in 1996, when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D -Neb. 

, 

must decide whether to seek a fourth term. 

Kerrey agreed with Stoney's assessment that her campaign had sent a message 

to him and to Washington. 

"It showed me that she was a very good candidate, that people are frustrate 

d 

with Congress and that things that are important to them are not getting 

done," Kerrey said. 

"I got that message during the campaign when some people would tell me that 

they liked me but wouldn't vote for me because they wanted to send a message 

to Washington," Kerrey said. 

"What we saw in the crime bill, on health care and deficit reduction was 

intense partisan differences that were less ideological than they were efforts 

by both parties to get political advantage," Kerrey said. "That led citizens 

to say that Congress just can't get the job done." 

"The people need to stay on top of their (elected) people in Washington,

and we need to go to the people and tell them the truth," Kerrey said. 

"You can't get deficit reduction without paying a price, you can't reform 

health care in some easy fashion that just lets us wish our difficult 

situations away," he said. 

"I hope Republicans don't come with that stupid contract with America that 

they dreamed up... there are some things in it worth voting on, but overall 

it was just political pandering and its enactment would only increase the 

deficit. It was feel-good garbage." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Bucks Trend, Nelson Wins 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) When Democrat Bob Kerrey turned back a tough Republican ch 

allenger to win a second term in the U.S. Senate he bucked a national trend that 

gave the GOP control of both houses of Congress. 

When Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson defeated a Republican whose campaign went f 

rom the nonexistent to the ineffectual, he rolled up one of the biggest gubernat 

orial victory margins in the state's history. 

Late returns from Tuesday's election showed Nelson received 74 percent of t 

he vote, compared to the 26 percent for Republican Gene Spence. It was the third 

highest percentage enjoyed by a governor in this century 

Jon Christensen, an unknown from Omaha, salved the GOP wounds to some degre 

e by narrowly defeating incumbent Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland, who had sought 

a fourth term in the Omaha-dominated 2nd District. 

Christensen led Hoagland by 1,819 votes, 51 percent to 49 percent in comple 

te but unofficial returns. 

Kerrey's defeat of Mrs. Stoney was bigger than either side expected. He rol 

led up 55 percent of the vote, carried the 1 St and 2nd Congressional Districts 

and ran close to her in the solidly Republican 3rd District. 

More than half of the voters surveyed in an exit poll by Voter News Service 

, a cooperative of the four television networks and The Associated Press, said K 

errey has "lost touch" with the average Nebraskan. But almost one in five of tho 

se people still voted for Kerrey, the poll data indicated. 

Mrs. Stoney had tried to capitalize on voter mood nationwide against incumb 

ents and President Clinton. She had tried to portray Kerrey as an out-of-touch D 

emocrat who said one thing in Nebraska and voted with the president in Washingto 

n. 

Nearly seven in 10 Nebraska voters said they disapproved of the way Clinton 

was handling his job, the exit poll indicated. Mrs. Stoney out-polled Kerrey ne 

arly 2-1 among those people but it wasn't enough. 

Voters cast 310,653 ballots for Kerrey to 254,588 for Mrs. Stoney. 

"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working for Nebraskans and I 

would say the work that lies ahead presents a challenge of tremendous proportio 

ns," Kerrey said today. "A victory like this is humbling and inspiring at the sa 

me time." 

In graciously conceding defeat, Mrs. Stoney sounded like a woman looking be 

yond a loss to a future that could include another Senate bid in 1996, when incu

mbent Democrat Jim Exon may seek a fourth term. 

"If I inspired one Nebraskan who ...may have been indifferent to politics o 

r government to come and vote ...then this effort was worth it", Mrs. Stoney sai 

d. 

Nelson moved quickly to set the tone for his second term, outlining proposa 

ls for anti-crime legislation and saying he would seek revisions in welfare and 

health care systems. 

"When I first sought this office I said I wanted to contribute to the conce 

pt of one Nebraska, and we have worked to do that," Nelson said. "I hope the tre 

mendous support we received Tuesday was in part a recognition of that effort." 

The ticket of Nelson and Lt. Gov. Kim Robak was never threatened by Spence 

and running mate Kate Witek, a state senator from Omaha. 

In the 3rd District, Republican Rep. Bill Barrett easily won a third term, 

defeating Democrat Gil Chapin. Barrett received 148,980 votes or 79 percent, whi 

le Chapin had 40,295 votes or 21 percent. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., won a ninth term from the 1st District. He easi 

ly outdistanced Patrick Combs. Bereuter rolled up 116,401 votes for 63 percent. 

Combs had 69,379 votes for 37 percent. 

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha ran a write-in campaign for governor. Co 

mmunity activist Jose Soto of Lincoln ran for the lieutenant governor's spot. 

Some counties were not counting write-in votes until canvassing boards meet 

on Thursday. In those counties that did count the write-in votes Tuesday, 104 v 

otes for Chambers were reported. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson Says Lopsided Victory Won't Make Him Complacent 

TEXT[Lincoln - With an overwhelming re-election victory comfortably tucked away, 

Gov. Nelson said Wednesday that "the heat is on" for his administration to cont 

rol spending and make government more efficient. 

"I will not be complacent with the mandate the people have given us," Nelso 

n said at a State Capitol press conference that followed an 8:30 a.m. staff meet 

ing. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak said the early staff meeting, which followed a late nigh 

t celebrating Nelson's 48-percentage-point victory over Republican challenger Ge 

ne Spence, indicated the seriousness of Nelson's message. 

"The heat is on the rest of us to keep up with him," Ms. Robak said. 

Nelson outlined only briefly a second-term agenda that would include develo 

pment of the ethanol industry, job creation, trade development, welfare and heal 

th-care reform and anti-crime legislation. 

He said details would be announced during the two months before the next le 

gislative session. 

He said he would introduce a balanced budget to the Legislature in January 

but said it was premature to give specifics of how he would deal with a projecte 

d $48 million budget gap or how he would propose to streamline government. 

A re-evaluation of state government programs has been under way, including

a study of how Iowa trimmed the size of state government to save about $30 milli 

on a year, Nelson said. 

Nelson said he could do no greater service for Nebraskans than to help "cut 

out the madness in Washington" that has produced mandates for expensive program 

s by state and local governments. 

Nelson, 53, claimed a voter mandate for his style of leadership after takin 

g the softest political ride to re-election ever enjoyed by a Nebraska Democrati 

c candidate for governor. 

He promised to continue to build coalitions and consensus. 

Nelson said his large margin of victory reflected the absence in his admini 

stration of "the bipartisan bickering that is tearing Washington apart." 

Nelson's margin of victory ranked behind only the 50-point and 52-point mar 

gins posted by Republican Dwight Griswold when he won re-elections in 1942 and 1 

944. 

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Nelson and Ms. Robak had 74 percen 

t of the vote to 26 percent for Spence and his running mate, State Sen. Kate Wit 

ek. 

The vote total for State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who filed as write-i 

n candidate, was unavailable. Write-in candidates' votes were still being counte 

d Wednesday. Chambers filed as a candidate to protest Nebraska's death penalty b 

ut did virtually no campaigning 

Spence called the Nelson organization shortly after the polls closed at 8 p 

.m. Tuesday to concede defeat. About 8:15 p.m., he spoke to about 75 supporters 

at the Omaha Club. 

"The quest is over," he said. "It was a good quest, but it came up far, far 

, far short." 

Nelson's victory speech in Lincoln came only minutes after the closing of p 

olls, unlike four years ago when his narrow victory over Republican incumbent Ka 

y Orr was uncertain until Mrs. Orr conceded three days after the election. 

Nelson's margin easily outdistanced the biggest win by a Democratic go 

vernor, which came in 1974 when J.J. Exon topped Richard Marvel by 24 percentage 

points. 

Nelson, the only Omaha resident to be governor of Nebraska this century, re 

ceived barely 50 percent of the vote four years ago in defeating Mrs. Orr, 292,7 

71 to 288,741. 

Coupled with his 41-vote victory in the 1990 Democratic primary, the narrow 

victory over Mrs. Orr earned Nelson the nickname "Landslide Ben." 

The moniker took on new meaning with Tuesday's victory, Ms. Robak said when 

she introduced Nelson Tuesday night in Lincoln. 

Republicans, who outnumber Democrats in Nebraska by more than 90,000, were 

left to speculate on why Nelson became the first two-term governor in Nebraska s 

ince Exon won his second term in 1974. 

Former Gov. Charles Thone, who lost to Bob Kerrey in a re-election bid in 1 

982, said Nelson has had a relatively free ride from Republicans during his firs 

t term. 

"It was kind of an unusual lack of critiquing of the Nelson administration 

by party officials the last four years," Thone said. "It seemed to me that durin 

g my four years, we were reading about this and that against the Thone administr 

ation almost on a daily basis. And the same followed true during Kay Orr's four 

years." 

Spence had been praised for an aggressive primary race in which he defeated 

four other Republican candidates. But after replacing his staff shortly after t

he primary, Spence's campaign never gathered momentum against the well-organized 

, well-financed campaign of Nelson. 

Spence urged Republicans to support the Nelson administration and to work f 

or the good of Nebraska for the next four years. 

He said, "The Republican Party will be back, and we will win." 

World-Herald staff writer Stephen Buttry contributed to this report. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Wins Second Term 

TEXT[ OMAHA (AP) - U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., won a second term Tuesday and s 

aid that a sharply divided Congress will have to take on a bipartisan spirit if 

the nation is to be governed effectively. 

And even in defeat, Republican Jan Stoney sounded like she still had her ey 

es on a Senate seat, perhaps two years down the road. 

Kerrey thanked voters and said he was concerned about the next session of C 

ongress. 

"It is going to be harder to govern, not easier," Kerrey said in an intervi 

ew. "It is going to take courage, on both sides of the political aisle, to look 

beyond challenge for the sake of politics, and to the challenges that face the c 

ountry." 

Kerrey bucked a national trend by simply surviving as Republicans claimed e 

nough seats to win control of the Senate. That development meant Kerrey would be 

denied the chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Stoney endorsed the democratic process and congratulated Kerrey for his cam 

paign and for the dedication he had shown to public service, both in office and 

as a war hero in Vietnam. 

"God bless you all. God bless America," Stoney said to a crowd that roared 

its approval. "If I inspired one Nebraskan who before this election may have bee 

n indifferent to politics or government, to come out and vote and express their 

voice... than this effort was worth it." 

She could make another Senate bid in 1996, when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., 

must decide whether to seek a fourth term. 

Kerrey agreed with Stoney's assessment that her campaign had sent a message 

to him and to Washington. 

"It showed me that she was a very good candidate, that people 

are frustrated with Congress and that things that are important to them are not 

getting done," Kerrey said. "I got that message during the campaign when some pe 

ople would tell me that they liked me but wouldn't vote for me because they want 

ed to send a message to Washington." 

"The people need to stay on top of their (elected) people in 

Washington, and we need to go to the people and tell them the truth. You can't g 

et deficit reduction without paying a price, you can't reform health care some e 

asy fashion that just let us wish our difficult situation away." 

Kerrey said he couldn't predict what would be recommended by the commission

he co-chairs that is supposed to make recommendations on deficit reduction. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson Rolls to Easy Victory 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Gov. Ben Nelson, the survivor of two close elections, looked tow 

ard his second term today with a landslide re-election victory in his pocket and 

a very big smile on his face. 

Democrat Nelson wore a smile so big that one party regular who saw him Tues 

day night said she was afraid he would hurt himself. 

Republican standard bearer Gene Spence whose campaign hardly qualified him 

as a hopeful, was taciturn in defeating. He had acknowledged weeks ago that Nels 

on seemed to be the choice of the people. 

Nelson received 418,831 votes or 74 percent compared with 146,402 votes or 

26 percent for Spence, showed returns from all but four of the state's 1,832 pre 

cincts. 

Only Republican Dwight Griswold, re-elected to two-year terms in 1942 and 1 

944, earned bigger victories in this century. 

"You always want to win, but when you get this kind of support you feel you 

have a special trust to live up to," Nelson said. 

Nelson said he quickly would outline his proposals for anti-crime legislati 

on, revisions in the welfare and health care systems and more economic developme 

nt initiatives. 

Spence, who spent the last two days hunting pheasant on the family farm in 

Franklin, said the GOP would bounce. 

"I can't say I enjoy losing because I don't," Spence said. "But the Repub 

lican Party is still alive and it will be back in four years and it will win". 

Nelson became the first governor to be re-elected since 1974, when Democrat 

Jim Exon defeated Republican Richard Marvel of Hastings 59 percent to 35 percen 

t. 

"I am very grateful for the support reflected in this vote," Nelson sa 

id. "I hope that to some degree he reflects our efforts in the first term to liv 

e up to our vision of one Nebraska." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Sift Through Voting Wreckage of '94 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) Shaken Democrats surveying the wreckage of Election Day are 

likely to fight among themselves over who will lead them in the Republican-cont 

rolled House and Senate. 

Outgoing Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., trailing early today in a tight re-

election fight in his eastern Washington state district, would at best return as 

minority leader. But he seemed in danger of relinquishing that job, too, even i 

f he returned to the Capitol. 

Before Tuesday's GOP tidal wave became clear, some Democrats said their ran 

k-and-file lawmakers would be so infuriated and unnerved by a Republican takeove 

r that Foley would face a fresh challenge for his top job. Some said they believ 

ed that if Democrats lost House control, the 15-term veteran might step down as 

party leader on his own. 

And in the Senate, Jim Sasser, D-Tenn., one of the two announced contenders 

for Democratic leader, was defeated for re-election. Sasser's loss left Sen. To 

m Daschle, D-S.D., as the only declared candidate for minority leader***as is in 

article*** in a vacuum that many said would doubtless be filled by at least one 

other hopeful because of Daschle's inexperience. 

"The defeat of Jim Sasser certainly enhances the chance for Tom Daschle, bu 

t since the apple cart has been upset (with the GOP Senate takeover), that doesn 

't mean it will be no contest," predicted Sen. James Exon, D-Neb. 

Heir apparent to Foley was Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo. The 53-y 

ear old Gephardt is a moderate who is popular with all wings of his party. 

But it was possible that the vastly different wings of the Democratic Party 

would advance their own candidates after analyzing the election losses. Liberal 

s might conclude that the defeats occurred because Democrats did not distinguish 

themselves enough from the GOP, while conservatives could insist that the votin 

g proves the party must shift to the right. 

Possible minority leader candidates included liberal Rep. George Mille 

r, D-Calif., who had already said he was exploring a race for some leadership jo 

b. 

And in a sign of unease on the right, Rep. Ralph Hall, D-Texas, said he wou 

ld nominate fellow Texas conservative Rep. Charles Stenholm for the No. 1 job. M 

any Democrats, however, think Stenholm does not want the position. Conservatives 

are vastly outnumbered by moderates and liberals among House Democrats. 

Moderate Rep. Charlie Rose, D-N.C., seemed likely to enter the race. B 

ut Rose has been fined for failing to report personal financial loans on disclos 

ure forms and is considered a long shot. 

Daschle, who will be 47 next month, has low national visibility after 

spending years focused on agriculture and veterans' issues. A liberal to moderat 

e, he has persistently nurtured relationships with other senators and been a clo 

se ally of the outgoing majority leader, Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine. 

But many senior Democratic Senators consider the eight-year veteran to be t 

oo unseasoned to stand up successfully to the incoming Senate majority leader, B 

ob Dole, R-Kan., who has led Senate Republicans since 1985. 

Senators, lobbyists and Senate aides, speaking on condition of anonymi 

ty, say several senior senators could choose to re-enter the race for minority l 

eader, including: 

þ Wendell Ford, D-Ky., 70, elected 20 years ago, a gravel-voiced moderate w 

ho is the Democrat's whip in the current Congress. 

þ J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., 62, also a 20-year veteran, chairman of the E 

nergy and Natural Resources Committee and staunch defender of his state's energy 

interests, known for being an effective deal-maker. 

þ John Breaux, D-La, 50, an eight-year senator who has tried to push Presid 

ent Clinton into more moderate positions on economic policy, health care and oth 

er issues.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Cartoon 

TEXT[Why didn't we think of that, from Sen. Kerrey, who along with Jan Stoney, P 

eter Hoagland, Jon Christensen and Gene Spence are covered in mud and standing i 

n a muddy river, as Ben Nelson crosses the river on a board saying "clean campai 

gning". 





BK#[ 

HDLN[ICC Chair to Attend Railcar Meeting 

TEXT[WASHINGTON D.C.- At the invitation of U.S. SENATOR JIM EXON (D-NE), Interst 

ate Commerce Commission (ICC) Chairman Gail McDonald will attend the Nebraska Gr 

ain and Feed Association's meeting on Monday. Nov. 14, in Grand Island, Nebraska 

, to discuss the shortage of rail cars to carry this fall's harvest. 

"I am pleased that Chairman McDonald will be meeting with some of the 

very Nebraskans who face this shortage every year," Exon said who also plans to 

attend the meeting'. "Her visit symbolizes the ICC's commitment toward finding s 

ome relief for this annual dilemma." 

Both the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and the Office of Manage 

ment and Budget (OMB) have approved Senator Exon's recommendation to form a Nati 

onal Grain Council to help solve this annual crisis. Exon is chairman of the Sen 

ate Surface Transportation Subcommittee. 

"While the Grain Car Council cannot be formed in the next week, the No 

v. 14 meeting can hopefully bring some assistance to our agricultural community 

during the immediate crisis and help form a consensus on how the Grain Car Counc 

il can function in the future," Exon said. 

The meeting will be held at the Grand Island Interstate Holiday Inn beginni 

ng at noon. For more information contact the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association 

at (402) 476-6174 for details. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Looks Toward a Second Term

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) While U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey basked in victory, Republican J 

an Stoney spoke graciously in defeat and seemed to cast her eyes toward a politi 

cal tomorrow. 

Kerrey's private polls showed that the election could be decided by four pe 

rcentage points - either way. 

In the end, Kerrey received 55 percent and Mrs. Stoney had 45 percent. 

"You are grateful for every vote, and maybe especially grateful for some yo 

u didn't necessarily expect," Kerrey said. 

"I take the responsibility handed to me very seriously," Kerrey said in an 

interview. "It is a responsibility to represent Nebraskans and to provide whatev 

er leadership I can on the national level." 

The challenge is enhanced because Republicans won majority control of 

the House and the Senate, Kerrey said. 

Mrs. Stoney, 54, endorsed the democratic process and congratulated Ker 

rey for his campaign and for the dedication he had shown to public service, both 

in office and as a war hero who earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. 

"God bless you all. God bless America," Mrs. Stoney said as supporters 

bellowed their gratitude. "If I inspired one Nebraskan who before this electio 

n may have been indifferent to politics or government. to come out and vote and 

express their voice ... than this effort was worth it." 

Her demeanor contrasted with the tone and style of the most negative S 

enate campaign in decades. 

"I would say that when the loser comes out and calls names and whines, 

they are done," said Kerrey spokesman Steve Jarding. 

"When a loser is gracious and looks to the future, it is because they want to ha 

ve one." 

Mrs. Stoney could make another Senate bid in 1996, when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon 

, D-Neb., may seek a fourth term. 





BK#[ 


TEXT[U.S. Senator J. James Exon (D-Neb.) received the 1994 Legislative Visionary 



nesses. 

Exon was instrumental in introducing S 1924, the Home Office Deduction 

Act, legislation that addressed a critical issue to many self-employed individu 

als. Exon's legislation, which gathered 15 bipartisan 

cosponsors, would restore the home office deduction to 

thousands of entrepreneurs who work from their homes. 

A 1993 Supreme Court decision effectively removed the deduction for te 

ns of thousands of home-based businesses. 

Exon was one of 12 Members of Congress to receive the NASE's award in 

1994, including U.S Representative Peter Hoagland, also of Nebraska.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon May Be Keys In Building Coalitions 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Back in August, Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon were poised to b 

ecome titled leaders in the Senate. 

Tuesday's extraordinary election in which the Republicans won back the 

House and Senate after 40 years changes that. But the Nebraska Democrats are p 

oised to become major players in the coalition building that will have to take p 

lace if the divided government is to function. 

Exon, who long has recorded the most conservative voting record among 

Northern Democrats, and Kerrey, who tried unsuccessfully to form bipartisan coal 

itions to steer deficit reduction and health reform legislation through Congress 

, are sure to be courted by the White House and the new Republican congressional 

leadership. 

And, given the strong voter disapproval of the Clinton administration 

that pollsters say contributed to the devastating Democratic losses, Kerrey, who 

challenged Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992, is expec 

ted to come under pressure from Democrats who do not want to run with Clinton in 

1996 to try again. 

Kerrey, who bucked the trend and defeated Republican challenger J 

an Stoney, said last night he has no plans other than to try and provide leaders 

hip in Congress and reaffirmed that he expects to support Clinton in 1996. 

Among those joining victorious Republicans are Jon Christensen, who defeate 

d incumbent Peter Hoagland in the Omaha dominated 2nd District, and Rep. Doug Be 

reuter. R-1st District, who defeated Democrat Patrick Combs, giving Nebraska it' 

s first all Republican House delegation since 1988. 

Exon said he expects to become ranking Democrat on the Budge Committee and 

will "reach my hand out to" Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. who is expected to be cha 

irman. 

"I don't think we should try to obstruct Congress like the Republicans did 

so effectively, because the grid lock that would result would make the last one 

look like a junior varsity version," Exon said. 

However, he said, chances for gridlock could increase if Sen. Bob Dole, 

R-Kan., the minority leader who is expected to become Senate majority leader, us 

es his position to "further his presidential ambitions." 

Before the political tsunami, Exon was in line to become chairman of the Bu 

dget Committee and Kerrey was in line to become chairman of the Select Senate Co 

mmittee on Intelligence and head of the Senate appropriations subcommittee with 

jurisdiction over federal spending by the Treasury, Postal Service, White House 

and general government. 

Instead, he will be ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee and on t 

he Treasury, Postal Service and General Government subcommittee, which, under no 

rmal circumstances would be somewhat akin to kissing your sister. 

"There is disappointment - there's a long step down from chairman to r 

anking member," Kerrey said Tuesday night. However, he said he expects to work c 

losely with expected Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., adding "I don't expect

to be a minor player." 

Exon, who is chairman of the surface transportation subcommittee on th 

e Commerce Committee and chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on nuclear 

deterrence, arms control and defense intelligence, will become the ranking minor 

ity member of those panels. 

Bereuter expects to be offered subcommittee chairmanships on the House 

Banking and Foreign Affairs committees, and, because Republican rules prohibit 

anyone from heading more than one subcommittee, he probably will take the helm o 

f a banking subcommittee. 

He could win the chairmanship of the housing subcommittee, which is th 

e second most important subcommittee, and he could become chairman of the subcom 

mittee on financial institutions, the most powerful subcommittee. 

Bereuter said this morning that when Clinton hit the campaign trail la 

st week, he "nationalized the election, and that caused the Democrats to go down 

in a tidal wave." 

He said he feels especially good about his 63 percent to 37 percent vi 

ctory over Combs because the Democratic Congressional Committee "dumped" $50,000 

into Comb's campaign coffers two weeks before the vote. 

"We weren't able to match him on television time during the last weekend of 

the campaign," Bereuter said. Although he described Combs as his most "aggressi 

ve opponent," Bereuter, who will begin his ninth term in Congress, still was abl 

e to do better against Combs than he did against Democrat Gerry Finnegan in 1992 

, who got 40 percent of the vote. 

In Omaha, Christensen defeated three-term incumbent Hoagland by 1,819 votes 

, or 51 percent to 49 percent in a race that attracted widespread attention as a 

n example of negative campaigning. Some absentee ballots still are out, and a re 

count would be triggered if the number of votes separating Christensen and Hoagl 

and is equal to or less than 1 percent of the votes accumulated by the leader, A 

ssociated Press reported. 

"Hard work, right timing, anti-incumbency and Bill Clinton" helped provide 

the win, Christensen told AP. 

Christensen said he looks forward to voting for Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., 

to be House speaker. 

In the 3rd District, which covers the western two-thirds of Nebraska, Rep. 

Bill Barrett defeated Democrat Gil Chapin 79 percent to 21 percent to earn a thi 

rd term in Congress. Barrett, expected to chair a House agriculture subcommittee 

, told AP he looks forward to working with the all-Republican delegation. 

"Peter and I are good friends but philosophically we're not singing out of 

the same hymn book," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Turns Back Stoney Challenge 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) In winning a second U.S. Senate term on Tuesday, Bob Kerrey turn 

ed back a determined challenge from Republican Jan Stoney and survived a nationa 

l mood that threw many Democrats out of office.

"The campaign was more negative than I would have liked but I thi 

nk it should be said that we were negative toward one another's records, not in 

a personal way," Kerrey said in an interview. "In the end, she congratulated me 

in a very thoughtful way and wished me well." 

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson claimed the overwhelming victory 

that had been forecast by pollsters and anticipated by his good natured but und 

erwhelming Republican opponent, Gene Spence. 

In the 2nd Congressional District, however, Republican Jon Christensen 

led incumbent Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland. 

Mrs. Stoney, 54, conceded the election in a telephone call to Kerrey a 

t 9:45 p.m. CST and made a gracious, eloquent speech to supporters minutes later 

. She lauded Kerrey for running his campaign well run and offering himself for p 

ublic service. She even alluded to his status as a war hero, complimenting him f 

or service to his country "in uniform." 

"Democracy has worked," Mrs. Stoney said. "We may not like the ou 

tcome but we cannot deny the result nor should we." 

She sounded like someone looking for ward to the possibility of a 

nother campaign __ perhaps against U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., in two years. 

Exon indicated he was likely to seek a fourth term in 1996. 

With 48 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Kerrey had 14 

5,722 votes or 54 percent. Mrs. Stoney bad 122,301 votes or 46 percent. 

Kerrey, 51, said the partisan divisions in the Senate and House w 

ould present problems for the next Congress. 

"Governing will not be easy," Kerrey said. "Bipartisanship will b 

e at a premium and I can only hope that the Congress will look to the best inter 

ests of the nation and look beyond individual political agendas and party politi 

cs." 

Nelson's victory made him the first Nebraska governor re-election 

in 20 years. Jim Exon, another Democrat, did it first in 1974. 

Voters also approved term limits for the second time in two years but 

returned two Republican incumbents to the U.S. House. Rep. Bill Barrett won a th 

ird term in the 3rd District with about 79 percent of the vote in returns from 4 

0 percent of the district's precincts. Rep. Doug Bereuter won a ninth term in th 

e 1st District, where he captured 62 percent of the vote in returns from 56 perc 

ent of the district's precincts. 

In the often mean-spirited contest of the Omaha-dominated 2nd District 

, Christensen led Hoagland 51 percent to 49 percent. With 64 percent of the prec 

incts reporting, 1,427 votes separated the candidates. 

The Senate campaign was not the most expensive in Nebraska history but 

considered the most negative senatorial contest of modern times. 

Each candidate accused the other of falsehoods and misrepresentations. 

Mrs. Stoney painted Kerrey as an ally of President Clinton and pointed 

to his 1993 decisive vote for Clinton's deficit-reduction plan. Kerrey counter 

ed by pointing to his consistent support for deficit-reduction measures, Republi 

can or Democrat. He chose not to advertise that in Washington circles it is unde 

rstood that he and the president can't stand one another. 

Kerrey emphasized his record of working with the state and local gover 

nments and charged that Mrs. Stoney's proposals, such as a 2 percent cap on most 

federal spending, were laughable but not funny. He said much of what she espous 

ed didn't even have the support of the Senate's most conservative members, inclu 

ding Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, the minority leader who campaigned for Mrs. Stoney

ut remained mum on her views. 

Kerrey's analysts had acknowledged privately that he needed to 

win or break even in the 2nd Congressional District and win handily in the 1st D 

istrict. Their most conservative tracking polls, which were weighted heavily on 

previous voter turnouts in off-year elections, had indicated Mrs. Stoney might w 

allop Kerrey in the mostly rural 

3rd District. 

Kerrey was the fresh-faced golden boy of the Cornhusker electorate in the 1 

980's. He literally burst onto the political scene, having never run for public 

office, by defeating incumbent Republican Gov. Charles Thone in 1982. 

Kerrey ran as the businessman and government outsider in that race, arguing 

that Thone's views and policies didn't reflect "the hopes and dreams" of Nebras 

kans. The Medal of Honor he received for his service in the war in Vietnam, wher 

e he lost part of a leg, and the way be became a millionaire by starting a famil 

y restaurant business played well with the electorate. 

He chose not to seek a second term as governor, but his first term included 

a romantic interlude with actress Debra Winger that fascinated many Nebraskans, 

while annoying the GOP to no end. 

Choosing not to seek a second term as governor cast him as other than 

a career politician. He won election to the Senate by defeating Republican David 

Karnes, who had been appointed to the job, by some 100,000 votes in 1988. 

In his first bid for re-election, he faced Mrs. Stoney's efforts to po 

rtray herself as the successful business person and Kerrey as the politician who 

had lost touch with Nebraska values. 

Although she didn't obtain a college education, Mrs. Stoney became the 

highest-ranking woman at U S West Inc. She had been the first woman to head a B 

ell operating division when she became president of Northwestern Bell in Omaha i 

n 1987. 

After she announced her retirement in 1992, her compensation of some $2.5 m 

illion made headlines. 



AUTH[Don Watson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson Sweeps to Second Term 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson rode to a re-election Tuesday night on a landslide of histo 

ric proportions. 

It was the largest gubernatorial victory in 50 years. 

Nelson wiped out the record for Democratic governors established by Frank M 

orrison when he garnered 60 percent of the vote in 1964, and moved close to the 

record 76 percent plurality amassed by Republican Gov. Dwight Griswold in 1944. 

Celebrating his victory with cheering supporters at Lincoln Station in the 

Haymarket shortly after the polls closed Tuesday evening, the governor said Neb 

raskans had given him "a vote of confidence for moving the state forward while h 

olding the line on spending." 

In an interview, Nelson declined to claim a mandate that would strengthen his po 

wer in working with the Legislature next year.

"We had enough power when we won in 1990," he said. 

For Nelson, the huge triumph represented a remarkable political journe 

y from his razor-thin, 42-vote 1990 primary nod, which was secured only after tw 

o recounts, and his slender 4,030-vote general election victory four years ago. 

HIS RE-ELECTION marked the first time in 20 years that a Nebraska gove 

rnor has won a second four-year term. 

The governor's romp past Republican nominee Gene Spence also swept Kim 

Robak, his running mate, into a four-year term as lieutenant governor. 

Before Tuesday, only Jim Exon, now Nebraska's senior U.S. had won two fouryear 

terms. 

Nelson's triumph handed Democrats their ninth victory in the last 12 g 

ubernatorial elections in Nebraska. 

During the campaign, the governor stressed his conservative fiscal record 

centering on $100 million in state cuts and policies that applied brakes to gove 

rnment growth. 

He emphasized his leadership role in resolving Nebraska's personal pro 

perty tax dilemma in the wake of Supreme Court decisions that had threatened the 

state's tax structure. 

And he pointed to his collaborative approach to solving problems and r 

esolving issues, and his national role in the promotion of ethanol production an 

d in the state/local battle against unfunded federal mandates. 

NELSON, 53, was an Omaha insurance attorney when he ousted Republican 

Kay Orr from the governor's office four years ago. 

Robak, a 39-year old Lincoln attorney, was appointed lieutenant govern 

or by Nelson a year ago to replace Maxine Moul, who resigned to become the state 

's economic-development director. 

Prior to that, Robak had been the governor's chief of staff. 

Spence, 60, an Omaha businessman, keyed his campaign to a late-arrivin 

g tax-reform plan which he unveiled only three weeks before the election. 

Its chief component was a proposal to place a 2-percent constitutional 

lid on local property taxes. 

Spence's plan also called for a 10-percent reduction in the state's in 

dividual income tax rate and an $80 million cut in the state budget, both accomp 

lished over a two-year period. 

But the tax package failed to resuscitate a campaign that ran out of g 

as early. Spence was chronically short of cash after early polls showed him far 

behind, crippling his ability to raise campaign funds. 

THE OMAHA Public Power District board member was abandoned at the outs 

et by a significant portion of the Republican base as a result of his refusal to 

embrace a prolife stance on abortion rights. 

Ten days before Election Day, Spence candidly acknowledged that he was 

a 100-to-1 underdog, and he spent the last couple of days of the campaign hunti 

ng on his farm in south-central Nebraska. 

Going down to defeat with Spence was his running mate for lieutenant g 

overnor, state Sen. Kate Witek of Omaha. 

Yet to be counted is the vote for state Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, 

who agreed to be a write-in candidate for governor at the request of opponents o 

f the death penalty. 

Chambers, 57, probably the most widely known member of the Legislature 

, has been a state senator for 24 years. 

He is the only registered independent in Nebraska's nonpartisan Unicam 

eral.

His lieutenant governor running mate was Jose Soto, a Lincoln communit 

y activist and assistant to the chancellor of Southeast Community College. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans Vow to Push 'Contract' 

TEXT[Republicans, having seized control of both the U.S. House and Senate for th 

e first time since the 195O's, vowed Wednesday to press their conservative agend 

a in the opening days of the 104th Congress next January. 

They nevertheless pledged to be cooperative. 

"There's no reason we can't sit down and try to have a serious discussion i 

n the next few days about places where we do agree," said Rep. Newt Gingrich, R- 

Ga., who is expected to become House speaker. 

President Clinton, whose strategists for weeks had discussed how to prevent 

just such a congressional reversal as occurred Tuesday, urged the new GOP major 

ity to embrace bipartisanship. 

Once the size of the Republican gains became clear Tuesday night, he sent s 

pokeswoman Dee Dee Meyers out to the White House lawn to say: "l think the presi 

dent will certainly want to heal the wounds and close the gap between the partie 

s as quickly as possible, because it's the future of the country and the America 

n people that's at stake." 

Gingrich, having talked before the election about how a GOP-controlled Hous 

e would begin scores of investigations of the Clinton administration, pledged no 

"witch hunts." 

Instead, he said, he hopes Clinton will meet with him and the new Senate ma 

jority leader, Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, to search for common ground in the Republic 

ans' previously announced "Contract With America." 

The Republicans first won a 52-48 majority in the Senate, erasing what had 

been a 56-44 Democratic majority. Then the GOP edge grew to 53-47 when Sen. Rich 

ard Shelby, a conservative Alabama Democrat who for months has been courted by t 

he GOP, announced Wednesday morning that he was switching parties. 

In the House, the Republicans captured - or were leading for - 230 seats to 

204 for the Democrats. Nine of those races remained uncertain. The House's lone 

independent was re-elected. Democrats have controlled the House 256-178. 

The size of their triumph surprised even many people in the GOP. 

"This is a revolution," said Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, member of the GOP Ho 

use leadership. 

"I frankly am surprised at the dimensions of the victory," said Rep. Henry 

Hyde, R-Ill. "It's a tidal wave, really." 

Among the initiatives Republican leaders have said they will push in Congre 

ss: 

A constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. The proposal, whic 

h would require ratification by three-fourths of the states, has fallen just sho 

rt while Democrats controlled Congress. 

A strengthening of Presidential power to kill individual projects in big s 

pending bills, called the line-item veto.

A revamping of Congress' operations. The aim is to trim some of its 30,000 

-plus staff, reduce the number of committees and clamp more restrictions on lobb 

yists and campaign contributors. 

A reduction in the tax burden on families, the elderly and some investors. 

Harsher treatment of criminals. 

A relatively mild revamping of the health-care system, in a more increment 

al and less revolutionary way than Clinton has proposed. 

Tougher work requirements for welfare recipients. 

A halt to recent reductions in the Pentagon's budget. 

Republicans also have spoken of considering deep spending reductions that w 

ould compensate for the tax cuts and reduce the government's budget deficit. But 

they have not given details. 

They have given pledges to show initiative, not merely to oppose Clinton pl 

ans. 

"We've got to have alternatives," Dole said in the glow of victory. "We can 

't be a naysaying party. But at the same time they (voters) want us to stop some 

of these Clinton programs like this big, big government-run health care program 

s. And who knows what he has in mind for welfare reform." 

Dole said the election, in short, was "a vote of no confidence in the Clint 

on agenda." 

Republicans in the House and Senate, outlining in a September "Contract Wit 

h America" what they would do if handed control of Congress, talked in broad ter 

ms of lowering taxes and reducing the size of government as Ronald Reagan promis 

ed to do when elected president in 1980. 

"The American people have rejected government" Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, sa 

id of Tuesday's election results. "They've asked for more freedom." 

Democrats, as they did with Reagan, have countered that the GOP plan would 

result in higher federal deficits, as occurred during the 198Os. 

The White House chief of staff, Leon Panetta, said Clinton would have to "r 

each out now and try to work with the Republicans," especially on the economy, w 

elfare and political reform. 

But he said the GOP would have to cooperate. 

"The Republicans now are going to have to share some responsibility in tryi 

ng to deliver on those concerns he said. "They can't simply walk away from it." 

Democrats in Congress were looking toward how to fit into their new minorit 

y role. 

Some, such as Sen. J.J. Exon of Nebraska, who probably will be the ranking 

Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, declined to predict where the Democrats 

will forcefully oppose the GOP. His party will not "play dead," he said, but he 

emphasized that his own agreement with the GOP calls for a balanced-budget amen 

dment and a line-item veto. 

"Republicans are in control of the agenda," he said. "We Democrats are goin 

g to have to recognize that fact." 

The election brings back the divided government that characterized the Reag 

an and Bush administrations. It puts Republicans Jesse Helms in charge of the Se 

nate Foreign Relation Committee and Alfonse D'Amato in charge of the Banking Com 

mittee, free to reopen the Whitewater investigation of the Clintons' finances in 

Arkansas. 

In Washington, young Republicans piled out of cars at 2 a.m. Wednesday and 

snaked across Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in a conga line. T 

hey floated red, white and blue balloons and chanted, "GOP, GOP, GOP" and "Ninet 

y-six, ninety-six, ninety-six."

Republicans haven't been the House majority since the 1952 election, when D 

wight Eisenhower was president. The Senate also flipped to the G0P that year in 

the biggest Republican year - 221 seats won - before Tuesday's vote. 

But by the 1954 election, voters had put Democrats back in charge in both h 

ouses of Congress. 

A sitting president of one party hasn't lost Congress to the opposition sin 

ce the House and Senate both turned Republican in 1946, under Democrat Harry Tru 

man. On the other hand, GOP strategists will recall how Truman, two years later, 

ran for re-election against a "do-nothing" Republican Congress, winning and hel 

ping turn both houses Democratic again. 

Meanwhile, shaken Democrats surveying the Election Day wreckage probably wi 

ll fight among themselves over who will lead them in next year's House and Senat 

e. 

Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., still locked Wednesday in a tight re-electio 

n fight, could at best return as minority leader now. 

In the Senate, Jim Sasser, D-Tenn., one of the two announced contenders to 

lead the Democrats, was defeated for re-election. That left Sen. Tom Daschle, D- 

S.D., as the only declared candidate for minority leader. 



AUTH[Barbara Van Wassen-Hoven, ltr ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Dedication praised 

TEXT[The Bellevue Education Association would like to extend our sincere thanks 

to our Nebraska congressional delegation: Sens. Exon and Kerrey, Reps, Hoagland, 

Barrett and Bereuter. 

The Impact Aid program faced a crucial year in 1994. The program was up fo 

r reauthorization as well as all language was eliminated and the bill totally re 

written. Taking a bill that has been in place an working since 1950 and rewriti 

ng it from scratch can cause many anxious moments. Impact Aid had now passed. 

Many thanks to our Nebraska delegation for their leadership, commitment and 

dedication to the students in the Bellevue and Pipeline-La Vista School Distric 

ts and to the military families throughout the United States. 

Barbara J. Van Wassen-Hoven, president of the Bellevue Education Associatio 

n. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Few Offices Go Untouched By GOP Surge 

TEXT[Gov. Nelson and Sen. Bob Kerrey stood as lonely, unscathed Democratic warri 

ors Wednesday, amid the rubble of their party's defeat nationally and in Nebrask 

a. 

At the local level, Nebraska Republicans made gains in Tuesday's election a

s the national party swept to majorities in the Senate for the first time since 

1986 and the House for the first time since 1954. 

With three Republicans winning Douglas County Board seats - particularly wi 

th George Mills' upset of State Sen. John Lindsay, a Democrat, for an east-centr 

al board seat - GOP commissioners will have a majority for the first time since 

1956. 

Republican Julie Haney captured the County Treasurer's Office, long a Democ 

ratic power center. She is the first Republican to be elected to the office in 4 

4 years. 

And Republican Tim Dunning upset four-term Democratic Sheriff Dick Roth. 

"It was a significant shift," said Lou Ann Linehan, an Omaha Republican act 

ivist who helped run Dunning's race. "Unfortunately, we did not win the Senate s 

eat or the governorship." 

"It was a very successful night," she said. "You don't win from the top dow 

n. You win from the bottom up. 

"This bodes well for '96," she said. 

Judith Schweikart of Omaha, a Democratic national committee member, said of 

the local results: "The bright lights are (State Sen.-elect) Pam Brown and Bren 

da Council on what was otherwise a dismal night." Both were running for nonparti 

san offices so no party affiliation was noted for them on the ballot. 

The Dec. 13 mayoral run-off race between Ms. Council, a member of the Omaha 

City Council, and Hal Daub, a former four-term Republican congressman, probably 

will provide another test of party strength, Ms. Schweikart said. 

At least with Nelson and Kerrey winning, she said, the election proved that 

Nebraskans continue to split tickets. Ms. Schweikart and others said that witho 

ut the national Republican undertow, Rep. Peter Hoagland would have held off cha 

llenger Jon Christensen, who won narrowly. 

Despite their seemingly easy victories over Republican governor candidate G 

ene Spence and GOP Senate challenger Jan Stoney, Nelson and Kerrey said they had 

heard the protest that voters expressed nationally and in Nebraska. 

James Johnson, a University of Nebraska at Omaha political scientist, said 

Hoagland's defeat by a political newcomer and the defeat of State Treasurer Dawn 

Rockey by longtime Republican operative Dave Heineman provided strong signs of 

the local impact of the GOP surge. 

"Really, the only Democrats are Ben Nelson, who had no effective opposition 

, and Bob Kerrey, who has icon status," Johnson said. 

While the gains made by Nebraska Republicans may reflect a more energized l 

ocal party, Johnson said, the split that developed over Spence's failed candidac 

y reflects remaining problems for the GOP. 

But neither Kerrey nor Nelson demonstrated a significant ability to transfe 

r his strength with voters to others. Kerrey was mourning the loss by his sister 

, State Sen. Jessie Rasmussen of Omaha, and Hoagland, whom he assisted to a vict 

ory in 1988. 

Despite Nelson's best efforts on behalf of the man he appointed to fill an 

unexpired term in the Nebraska Legislature - State Sen. James Monen, in a west O 

maha district - former State Republican Chairman Kermit Brashear was elected to 

the seat. 

Nelson, like Kerrey, tried to boost Hoagland, including posing with Hoaglan 

d for a mailing to South Omaha Democrats. 

The Republican trend also was seen in Iowa, where Gov. Branstad coasted to 

an easy fourth term. In addition, U.S. Rep. Neal Smith, an 18-term Democrat, joi

ned other big-name Democrats such as Reps. Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois and Dan 

Glickman of Kansas as losers. 

All members of the Iowa and Nebraska House delegations in the next Congress 

will be Republicans. 

As the national results gave Republicans control of the Senate and the Hous 

e. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., breathed a sigh of relief that he was not on the ba 

llot. 

"The good Lord always provides," said Exon, who faces re-election in 1996. 

"He sure looked over me this time." 

Exon, who has been active in state national Democratic politics sine 1950s, 

said he had never seen such a sweeping Republican trend, including his narrow r 

e-election in the 1984 landslide for President Ronald Reagan. 

Exon said it was a tribute to Kerrey and Nelson that they weren't swept asi 

de by what he described as a dissatisfaction with the way things are going, peri 

od." 

Kerrey said he sensed the voter anger very early. 

"I did receive a message in this campaign," he said. "I had people come to 

me and say: "I like you. I don't disagree with you. But I'm voting against you b 

ecause I have to send a message." 

Andy Abboud, who managed the Stoney campaign, said Mrs. Stoney's inability 

to match Kerrey dollar for dollar meant that she had only money to try to make h 

er case against Kerrey, but not enough to respond to attacks on her. 

But in the end, it was Kerrey, Abboud said. "Bob Kerrey is one of the guys 

to run against in America." 



AUTH[Daniel G. Urwiller 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Deregulation no solution 

TEXT[I would like to clarify the record in response to the comments made by Greg 

Pallas, chief of staff for Sen. J.J. Exon in your story "Intrastate trucking ch 

ange criticized," Nov. 4. 

None of the nearly 1,000 certified intrastate trucking companies has contac 

ted the Public Service Commission supporting federal deregulation of intrastate 

trucking. Many have voiced their dismay over the action taken by Congress. I sus 

pect the trucking companies supporting the change which Exon's aide spoke of are 

the large interstate carriers which will, thanks to Congress, now be able to in 

vade and dominate the intrastate market unrestrained and shove out the smaller c 

arriers which for many years have only moved in-state freight to support their l 

ivelihood. 

As for the "full hearings" the senator's aide said were held before committ 

ees of both houses, the only public hearing was a one day hearing on the origina 

l limited amendment to deregulate only motor carriers affiliated with an airline 

. This hearing was before the House Public Works and Transportation Committee an 

d was held after, not before, adoption of the amendment in the Senate. Even thou 

gh the issue was extremely important to the states' interests, no state legislat

ive witness was invited or allowed at the hearing. 

The House and Senate Conference Committee, of which Sen. Exon was a member, 

thereafter broadened the original amendment, effectively providing for wholesal 

e preemption of state economic regulation. The expanded legislation, tacked on t 

o an unrelated airport funding bill, was passed without debate or recorded votes 

in both the House and the Senate. Therefore, no public hearing was actually eve 

r held on the issue of totally forbidding the states to regulate motor transport 

ation within their own borders, contrary to the comments made by the senator's a 

ide. 

Unless Sen. Exon's staff can prove there was unrestricted participation in 

public hearings, I stand by my statement that the public was indeed precluded fr 

om participating in full and fair hearings on this important state economic issu 

e. Our Nebraska state senators could never by their own rules get away with snea 

king non-germane legislation through on unrelated bills. Our U.S. senators and r 

epresentatives would well serve the American public if they played by the same d 

emocratic rules. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Nelson Re-elected 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey and Gov. Ben Nelson easily navigated through a Republi 

can storm Tuesday to gain reelection, as most Nebraska voters rejected efforts t 

o tie the two Democrats to an unpopular President Clinton. 

But for three-term Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland, his ferocious campaign a 

gainst Jon Christensen was not enough to overcome a strong Republican message. 

Phil Young, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, said it wa 

s easier to make Hoagland "more of a Clinton clone than Bob Kerrey." 

"Peter Hoagland was tied more closely to Bill Clinton," Young said. 

Republicans helped cement that impression with a late run of radio and tele 

vision commercials in Omaha, paid for by the Republican National Committee, Youn 

g said. 

The Republican trend also was seen in Iowa, where Gov. Branstad coasted to 

an easy fourth term. In addition, U.S. Rep. Neal Smith, an 18-term Democrat, joi 

ned other big-name Democrats such as Reps. Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois and Dan 

Glickman of Kansas as losers. 

As a result of the Tuesday voting, all members of the Iowa and Nebraska Hou 

se delegations in the next Congress will be Republicans. 

Attempts to brand both Nelson and Kerrey as "Clinton clones" by Republican 

governor candidate Gene Spence and GOP Senate candidate Jan Stoney failed to reg 

ister with Nebraskans. 

Given the national trend, some Democrats expressed surprise that Hoagland r 

an as strongly as he did. 

In 1988 Hoagland rode Kerrey's 100,000-vote victory to a win of fewer than 

3,000 votes for a first term. This year, Kerrey's 50,000 vote margin over Mrs. S 

toney was not enough to boost Hoagland to another narrow victory. 

As the national results gave Republicans control of the Senate for the firs

t time since 1986, U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't 

on the ballot this year. 

"The good-lord always provides," said Exon, who faces re-election in 1996. 

"He sure looked over me this time." 

The two Republican incumbent House members, Rep. Doug Bereuter in the 1st D 

istrict and Rep. Bill Barrett in the 3rd District, didn't need the GOP trend to 

register large victories. 

They were staying up late to find out whether they would be in the House ma 

jority under probable Speaker Newt Gingrich. R-Ga., or be part of a much stronge 

r minority in the next Congress. 

Exon, who has been active in state and national Democratic politics since t 

he 1950s, said he has never seen such a sweeping Republican trend, including his 

narrow re-election in the 1984 landslide for President Ronald Reagan. 

Exon said it was a tribute to Kerrey and Nelson that they weren't swept asi 

de by what he described as a "general dissatisfaction with the way things are go 

ing, period." 

Kerrey said he sensed the voter anger very early. 

"I did receive a message in this campaign." he said. "I had people come up 

to me and say: 'I like you. I don't disagree with you. But I'm voting against yo 

u because I have to send a message.'" 

To combat that feeling, Kerrey said, he had to make the case that he had do 

ne things in Nebraska that made a difference. It was complicated, he said. 

He pointed to individual projects begun while he was senator and argued tha 

t they had made a difference in improving lives, Kerrey said. 

In doing so, he said, he was fighting voter skepticism. 

"I had to argue that they weren't pork barrel," Kerrey said. If he had just 

made the case that he had brought dollars back to Nebraska, he said, "that woul 

d have just deepened the skepticism." 

Nelson said Spence's attempt to try to tie him to Clinton was never accepte 

d by Nebraska voters. 

"It just didn't stick," Nelson said. "The voters know I support a bipartisa 

n approach. If you deliver results, voters are not bothered by partisan labels." 

The lesson that could be lost on Republicans, Nelson said, is if they becom 

e too partisan in Congress. 

"If they get into heady partisanship it may be the shortest reign in histor 

y," he said. 

Exon agreed that either party could be punished by angry voters if the part 

ies are too partisan and divided. 

"The only good thing is I'm not the president of the United States," Exon s 

aid of his new status in the Senate minority. "Poor Bill." 

Peter Longo, chairman of political science at the University of Nebraska at 

Kearney, said Kerrey's win was especially impressive, although it was not as la 

rge as his 1988 election to a first term. 

"Bob Kerrey is a very fierce competitor," Longo said. "l would not like to 

play a friendly game of tennis or racquet-ball with him. I'd compare him to the 

Nebraska offensive line. He's not going to be pushed around." 

Mrs. Stoney tried to break through that line by constantly trying to tie hi 

m to Clinton with a charge that he voted with the president 92 percent of the ti 

me in 1994. 

From the beginning of her campaign, she tried to portray Kerrey as out of t 

ouch with Nebraskans.

Exit polls indicated that those should have been powerful arguments. A poll 

of 634 Nebraska voters indicated 70 percent disapproved of Clinton. Half of tho 

se surveyed for The Associated Press said Kerrey had "lost touch" with Nebraskan 

s. 

However, Kerrey captured a quarter of Republican votes in the state, where 

registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 90,000. 

James Johnson, a University of Nebraska at Omaha political scientist, said 

Kerrey was able to project the maverick style that Nebraskans seem to like in th 

eir senators. 

Chuck Hagel, a prominent Omaha Republican with ties to the national GOP, sa 

id Nebraska remains small enough that Kerrey and Nelson can have a personal rela 

tionship with voters. "It's the likability factor," Hagel said. 

The Kerrey campaign saw the anti-Democratic, anti-Congress mood months ago 

and prepared for it, said Paul Johnson, manager of the Kerrey campaign this year 

and in 1988. 

"It was a very negative campaign, and Nebraskans rejected it," he said. "I 

think it's a tribute to his independence." 

Andy Abboud, who managed the Stoney campaign, said Mrs. Stoney's' inability 

to match Kerrey dollar for dollar meant that she had only enough money to try t 

o make her case against Kerrey, but not enough to respond to his attacks on her. 

But in the end, it was Kerrey, Abboud said. "Bob Kerrey is one of the tough 

est guys to run against in America," he said. 

Former U.S. Rep. John Y. McCollister said the 1994 election results should 

end the view that Nebraska is among the nation's most-Republican states, despite 

the state's record of having the highest voter percentages for GOP presidential 

candidates over the past 50 year. 

Beginning with his loss in the 1976 senate race to Edward Zorinsky, McColli 

ster said, Democrats have dominated state politics. It shows the weakness in the 

state GOP, he said. 

Republicans did show underlying strength in a number of races across Nebras 

ka, picking up legislative seats and retaining the secretary of state's office, 

said McCollister and others. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey looking toward second term 

TEXT[While U.S. Sen. Kerrey basked in victory, Republican Jan Stoney spoke graci 

ously in defeat and seemed to cast her eyes toward a political tomorrow. 


rcentage points either way. 





interview. "It is a responsibility to represent Nebraskans and to provide whatev 


The challenge is enhanced because Republicans won majority control of the H

ouse and the Senate, Kerrey said. 

Mrs. Stoney, 54, endorsed the democratic process and congratulated Kerrey f 

or his campaign and for the dedication he had shown to public service, both in o 

ffice and as a war hero who earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. 

America," Mrs. Stoney said as supporters bellowed their gratitude. "If I inspir 

ed one Nebraskan who before this election may have been indifferent to politics 

or government, to come out and vote and express their voice ... than this effort 

was worth it." 

Her demeanor contrasted with the tone and style of the most negative Senate 

campaign in decades. 

"I would say that when the loser comes out and calls names and whines, they 

are done," said Kerrey spokesman Steve Jarding. "When a loser is gracious and l 

ooks to the future, it is because they want to have one." 

Mrs. Stoney could make another Senate bid in 1996, when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, 

D-Neb., may seek a fourth term. 

While acknowledging the negative approach of both camps, Kerrey said it ent 

ered on positions and not personalities. 

Kerrey, 51, ran closer to Mrs. Stoney ban anyone thought he could or would 

in he sprawling 3rd District, a fortress of republican philosophy and voter regi 

stration. 

With substantial Kerrey victory margins in the 1st and 2nd Districts the St 

oney campaign knew her bid was doomed when early returns showed Kerrey might win 

even the 3rd District. 

Mrs. Stoney carried the district but not by the runaway margin she needed. 

Late results showed the Big 3rd gave Mrs Stoney 98,595 votes to 92,168 for Kerre 

y. 

Kerrey, who began his political career by winning the governorship in 1982 

and then declining to seek a second term bucked a national trend by simply survi 

ving the Republican trend nationwide. His victory left some pundits at the natio 

nal level wondering whether he might challenge President Clinton in 1996. 

Kerrey agreed with Mrs. Stoney's assessment that her campaign had sent a me 

ssage to him. 


d with Congress and that things that are important to them are not getting done, 

" he said. 


they liked me, but wouldn't vote for me, because they wanted to send a message 


"What we saw in the crime bill, on health care and deficit reduction was in 

tense partisan differences that were less ideological than they were efforts by 

both parties to get political advantage. That led citizens to say that Congress 

just can't get the job done." 

"The people need to stay on top of their (elected) people in Washington, an 

d we need to go to the people and tell them the truth," Kerrey said. 

"You can't get deficit reduction without paying a price, you can't reform h 

ealth care in some easy fashion that just let's us wish our difficult situations 

away," he said. 


they dreamed up... there are some things in it worth voting on, but overall it w 

as just political pandering and its enactment could only increase the deficit. 

It was feel-good garbage," he said.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson wears big smile after election 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Gov. Ben Nelson, the survivor of two close elections, lo 

oked toward his second term today with a landslide re-election victory in his po 

cket and a very big smile on his face. 

Democrat Nelson wore a smile so big that one party regular who saw him Tues 

day night said she was afraid he would hurt himself. 

Republican standard bearer Gene Spence, whose campaign hardly qualified him 

as a hopeful, was taciturn in defeating. He had acknowledged weeks ago that Nel 

son seemed to be the choice of the people. 


26 percent for Spence, showed returns from all but four of the state's 1,832 pre 

cincts. 










"I can't say I enjoy losing, because I don't," Spence said. "But the Republ 

ican Party is still alive and it will be back in four years and it will win." 



t. 

"I am very grateful for the support reflected in this vote," Nelson said. " 

I hope that to some degree he reflects our efforts in the first term to live up 

to our vision of one Nebraska." 

It was a sweet victory for Nelson, who won his party's nomination four year 

s ago by just 42 votes. His defeated then-Gov. Kay Orr by just 4,000 votes in th 

e 1990 general election. 

Nelson declined to speculate on whether he would seek higher office someday 

. 

"My plate is full," Nelson said. 

Nelson said his administration would reintroduce a proposal for a boot camp 

for nonviolent offenders, push for a three-strikes, you're-out law to sentence 

violent repeat offenders to prison for life, and will offer tougher penalties fo 

r major crimes' 

He also said he would push for changing the system of time off for good beh 

avior to one of "earned time" off by prison inmates.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey looks toward second term 

TEXT[OMAHA While U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey basked in victory, Republican Jan Stoney s 

poke graciously in defeat and seemed to cast her eyes toward a political tomorro 

w. 


rcentage points --either way. 

In the end Kerrey received 55 percent and Stoney had 45 percent. 

"You are grateful for every vote and maybe especially grateful for some you 

didn't necessarily expect," Kerrey said. 

"I take the responsibility handed to me very seriously," Kerrey said in all 

interview. It is a responsibility to represent Nebraskans and to provide whate 

ver leadership I can on the national level." 

The challenge is enhanced because Republicans won majority control of the H 


Stoney, 54, endorsed the democratic process and congratulated Kerrey for hi 

s campaign and for the dedication he had shown to public service, both in office 

and as a war hero who earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. 

"God bless you all. God bless America." Stoney said as supporters bellowed 

their gratitude. "If I inspired one Nebraskan who before this election may have 

been indifferent to politics or government, to come out and vote and express the 

ir voice ... than this effort was worth it." 





ooks to the future, it is because they want to have one." 

Stoney could make another Senate bid in 1996, when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Ne 

b., may seek a fourth term. 

While acknowledging the negative approach of both camps, Kerrey said it cen 

tered on positions and not personalities. 

Kerrey, 51, ran closer to Stoney than anyone thought he could or would in t 

he sprawling 3rd District, a fortress of Republican philosophy and voter registr 

ation. 

With substantial Kerrey victory margins in the 1st and 2nd Districts, the S 

toney campaign knew her bid was doomed when early returns showed Kerrey might wi 

n even the 3rd District. 

Stoney carried the district but not by the runaway margin she needed. Late 

results showed the Big 3rd gave Stoney 98,595 votes to 92,168 for Kerrey. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson back in by landslide

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - When Democrat Bob Kerrey turned back a tough Republican challe 

nger to win a second term in the U.S. Senate, he bucked a national trend that ga 

ve the GOP control of both houses of Congress. 

When Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson defeated a Republican whose campaign went f 

rom the nonexistent to the ineffectual, he rolled up one of the biggest gubernat 

orial victory margins in the state's history. 

Late returns from Tuesday's election showed Nelson received 74 percent of t 

he vote, compared to the 26 percent for Republican Gene Spence. It was the third 

highest percentage enjoyed by a governor in this century. 

Jon Christensen, an unknown from Omaha, saved the GOP wounds to some degree 

by narrowly defeating incumbent Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland, who had sought 

a fourth term in the Omaha-dominated 2nd District. 

Christensen led Hoagland by 1,819 votes, 51 percent to 49 percent in comple 

te but unofficial returns. 

Kerrey's defeat of Mrs. Stoney was bigger than either side expected. He rol 

led up 55 percent of the, vote, carried the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts 

and ran close to her in the solidly Republican 3rd District. 

Mrs. Stoney had tried to capitalize on a voter mood nationwide, against inc 

umbents and President Clinton. She had tried to portray Kerrey as an out-of-touc 

h Democrat who said one thing in Nebraska and voted with the president in Washin 

gton. 

Nearly seven in 10 Nebraska voters said they disapproved of the way Clinton 

was handling his job, the exit poll indicated. Mrs. Stoney outpolled Kerrey nea 

rly 2-1 among those people but it wasn't enough. 

Voters cast 310,653 ballots for Kerrey to 254,588 for Mrs. Stoney. 

In graciously conceding defeat, Mrs. Stoney sounded like a woman looking be 

yond a loss to a future that could include another Senate bid in 1996, when incu 

mbent Democrat Jim Exon may seek a fourth term. 

"If I inspired one Nebraskan who may have been indifferent to politics or g 

overnment to come and vote ... then this effort was worth it," Mrs. Stoney said. 

Nelson moved quickly, to, set the tone for his second term, outlining propo 

sals for anti-crime legislation, and saying he would seek revisions in welfare a 

nd health care systems. 

"When I first sought this office I said I wanted to contribute to the conce 

pt of one Nebraska, and we have worked to do that," Nelson said. I hope the trem 

endous support we received Tuesday was in part a recognition of that effort." 

In the 3rd District, Republican Rep. Bill Barrett easily won a third term, 

defeating Democrat Gil Chapin. Barrett received 148,980 votes or 79 percent, whi 

le Chapin had 40,295 votes or 21 percent. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., won a ninth term from the 1st District. He easi 

ly outdistanced Patrick Combs. Bereuter rolled up 116,401 votes for 63 percent. 

Combs had 69,379 votes for 37 percent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson makes Spence's prediction come true

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Gov. Ben Nelson, the survivor of two close elections, looked tow 

ard his second term today with a landslide reelection victory in his pocket and 

a very big smile on his face. Democrat Nelson wore a smile so big that one party 

regular who saw him Tuesday night said she was afraid he would hurt himself. 

Republican standard bearer Gene Spence, whose campaign hardly qualified him 

as hopeful, was taciturn in defeating. He had acknowledged weeks ago that Nelso 

n seemed to be the choice of the people. 


26 percent for Spence. showed returns from all but four of the state's 1,832 pre 

cincts. 











ican Party is still alive and it will be back in four years and it will win. 



t. 

"I am very grateful for the support reflected in this vote," Nelson said. 

"I hope that to some degree he reflects our efforts in the first term to live up 

to our vision of one Nebraska." 


s ago by just 42 votes. His, defeated then-Gov. Kay Orr by just 4,000 votes in t 

he 1990 general election. 


. 


Nelson said his administration would reintroduce a proposal for a boot camp 

for nonviolent offenders, push for a three-strikes. you're out law to sentence 

violent repeat offenders to prison for life, and will offer tougher penalties fo 

r major crimes. 

He also said he would push for changing the system of time off for good beh 

avior to one of "earned time" off by prison inmates. 

"This will be the Nelson administration bill," he said. "We encourage, we d 

esire and we invite the support of others. We invite the attorney general to sup 

port the bill, but we aren't necessarily inviting him to amend it if you know wh 

at I mean." 

Attorney General Don Stenberg, a Republican, clashed with the administratio 

n and many lawmakers earlier this year when he pushed for anti-crime proposals t 

hat he said were needed, but that many lawmakers felt were unreasonably expensiv 

e and sometimes Draconian. 

"I am interested in looking at our tax situation by approaching it from the 

spending side," Nelson said. "My opponent had proposed lids that would simply 

dump the problem on the local governments and their ability to tax property, and 

I don't accept that at all."

Nelson said he was willing to consider virtually any proposal for tax reduc 

tion "but you have to say up front who loses, who makes up the differences, or w 

hat gets cut. 

Spence had proposed imposing tax lids on local governments, saying that sch 

ool districts and other entities could live with them. 

"Until you limit what government takes in you won't limit what government s 

pends," Spence said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey looks toward a second term 

TEXT[While U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey basked in victory, Republican Jan Stoney spoke g 

raciously in defeat and seemed to cast her eyes toward a political tomorrow. 


rcentage points - either way. 





interview. "This a responsibility to represent Nebraskans and to provide whatev 


The challenge is enhanced because Republicans won majority control of the H 


Mrs. Stoney, 54, endorsed the democratic process and congratulated Kerrey f 

or his campaign and for the dedication he had shown to public service, both in o 

ffice and as a war hero who earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. 

"God bless you all. God bless America," Mrs. Stoney said as supporters bell 

owed their gratitude. "If I inspired one Nebraskan who before this election may 

have been indifferent to politics or government, to come out and vote and expres 

s their voice ... than this effort was worth it." 





ooks to the future, it is because they want to have one. 

Mrs. Stoney could make another Senate bid in 1996, when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, 

D-Neb., may seek a fourth term. While acknowledging the negative approach of bo 

th camps, Kerrey said it centered on positions and not personalities. 

Kerrey, 51, ran closer to Mrs. Stoney than anyone thought he could or would 

in the sprawling 3rd District, a fortress of Republican philosophy and voter re 

gistration. 

With substantial Kerrey victory margins in the 1st and 2nd Districts, the S 

toney campaign knew her bid was doomed when early returns showed Kerrey might wi 

n even the 3rd District. 

Mrs. Stoney carried the district but not by the runaway margin she needed.

Late results showed the Big 3rd gave Mrs. Stoney 98,595 votes to 92,168 for Kerr 

ey. 

Kerrey, who began his political career by winning the governorship in 1982 

and then declining to seek a second term bucked a national trend by simply survi 

ving the Republican trend nationwide. His victory left some pundits at the natio 

nal level wondering whether he might challenge President Clinton in 1996. 

Kerrey agreed with Mrs. Stoney's assessment that her campaign had sent a me 

ssage to him. 


d with Congress and that things that are important to them are not getting done, 

" he said. 


they liked me, but wouldn't vote for me, because they wanted to send a message 


"What we saw in the crime bill, on health care and deficit reduction was in 

tense partisan differences that were less ideological than they were efforts by 

both parties to get political advantage," Kerrey said. "That led citizens to say 

that Congress just can't get the job done." 

"The people need to stay on top of their (elected) people in Washington, an 

d we need to go to the people and tell them the truth," Kerrey said. 

"You can't get deficit reduction without paying a price, you can't reform h 

ealth care in some easy fashion that just lets us wish our difficult situations 

away," he said. 


they dreamed up ... there are some things in it worth voting on, but overall it 

was just political pandering and its enactment would only increase the deficit. 

It was feel-good garbage," he said. 

Kerrey said he couldn't predict what would be recommended by the commission 

he co-chairs which is supposed to make recommendations on deficit reduction. 

"Some members got kicked out of office tonight," Kerrey said. "And after a 

White House memo leaked that talked about one person's view of the options (for 

deficit reduction) some others ran like scared dogs." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson rolls to easy win in governor's race 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Democrat Ben Nelson on Tuesday became the first governor to 

win re-election in 20 years and rolled up a margin that rivaled historic landsli 

des in the state. 

His runaway victory has been expected by everyone, including Republican cha 

llenger Gene Spence. 

Spence, who virtually conceded the election more than a week earlier, spent 

the final two days of the campaign hunting pheasant on the family farm. 

Nelson rolled up 134,229 votes or 74 percent, compared with 46,898 or 26 pe 

rcent for Spence, returns from 31 percent of the state's precincts showed. 


944, earned bigger victories in Uris century. 

Nelson thanked voters and said he was ready with proposals for fighting cri

me, enhancing economic development and revising portions of the state's welfare 

and health care systems. 

Spence conceded the day to Nelson, wished him well and told supporters he e 

njoyed the campaign. 


ican Party is still alive and it will be back in four years and it will win." 


Jim Exon clobbered Republican Richard Marvel of Hastings. 

The only thing that provided suspense in the gubernatorial no contest was c 

uriosity over what would be the ultimate size of Nelson's win: gargantuan, or ju 

st big. 

"I am very grateful for the support reflected in this vote," Nelson said in 

a phone interview. "I hope that to some degree he reflects our efforts in the f 

irst term to live up to our vision of one Nebraska." 

Nelson said he would disclose some plans for his second term Wednesday incl 

uding anti-crime initiatives. 

"We will share our general thoughts about the budget and a theme for the ne 

xt four years," Nelson said. "We will reintroduce a proposal for a boot camp for 

nonviolent offenders. We're going to push for the three strikes and you're in ( 

prison) for violent crimes. We will offer tougher penalties for violent and some 

major crimes." 

He also said he would push for changing the system of giving prison inmates 

time off for good behavior to one of "earned time" off. 

"This will be the Nelson administration bill," he said. "We encourage, we d 

esire and we invite the support of others. We invite the attorney general to sup 

port the bill, but we aren't necessarily inviting him to amend it if you know wh 

at I mean." 

Attorney General Don Stenberg, a Republican, clashed with the administratio 

n and many lawmakers during the 1994 session as he pushed for anti-crime proposa 

l with provisions that he said were needed, but that many lawmakers felt were un 

reasonably expensive and sometimes Draconian. 


s ago by just 42 votes. He defeated then-Gov. Kay Orr, a Republican, by just 4,0 

00 votes in the 1990 general election. 


. 


"I am interested in looking at our tax situation by approaching it from the 

spending side," Nelson said. 

"My opponent had proposed lids that would simply dump the problem on the lo 

cal governments and their ability to tax property, and I don't accept that at al 

l." 

Nelson said he was willing to consider virtually any proposal for tax reduc 

tion "but you have to say up front who loses, who makes up the differences or wh 

at gets cut." 

Spence had proposed imposing tax lids on local governments, saying that sch 

ool districts and other entities could live without the money. 

"Until you limit what government takes in, you won't limit what government 

spends," Spence said. 

Spence also said Republicans had failed to rally to his campaign because, w 

hile he personally opposed abortion, he stood by a woman's right to choose to ha

ve an abortion. 



AUTH[Kathryn Schwartz 

SOUR[Stapleton Enterprise 

BK#[ 

HDLN[It's over! 

TEXT[It's over - all the mud-slinging, the back-stabbing and the asking for mone 

y for the chance to serve the people. I began covering elections more years ago 

than I care to admit as a newspaper reporter, and have helped cover them for the 

voter services for several years as well. 

This year's election coverage reminded me a little of how things went in th 

e years B.C. (before counting machines). B.C. it was not unusual to be at the co 

urthouse until almost dawn, head home, catch 30 minutes of sleep and head into t 

he office for a day's work. A.C. (after counting machine), I found I actually be 

gan to get what is a normal day's sleep for me, so Tuesday night was a bit of a 

shocker as the machine balked each time it encountered a write-in vote, meaning 

it took longer to get results tabulated and posted. 

Accustomed to being home about 11 p.m. (as opposed to the earlier 3-4:30 a. 

m.), I began to get a little anxious as 10 p.m. came and went and we had very fe 

w precincts that we could report over to the services. People in the hallway of 

the courthouse were "dancing" just a little as they too waited for those all imp 

ortant numbers. 

As it got later and later, the person on the other end of the phone who had 

been assigned Washington County for record keeping would ask "Is this a final? 

Is this a final?" Finally shortly after 1:30 a.m., she was able to get the answe 

r she wanted, "Yes, this is a final." 

However, by that time, I had stopped looking at my watch about 1.5 hours ea 

rlier and as I headed home, knowing I needed to relax just a little before headi 

ng for bed, I thought I would just watch a little of the stateside election cove 

rage. WRONG!! 

Local channels had all gone to their regularly scheduled programming and al 

l CNN was covering was the national stuff, so I decided I might as well head for 

the bedroom. Once there I looked at the clock to see that it read 2:30 a.m. Tha 

t can't be right, I thought. If it's 2:30 a.m., I have to be up in three hours, 

so I looked at my watch to assure myself that the clock was wrong. 

Oh, well! I must admit that 5:30 a.m. came earlier than usual, but I keep t 

elling myself that I still got more sleep than I used to get! 

As for voter turnout, if my voting place was any indication of how things w 

ent other places, you had to stand in line. I arrived at my usual time (on the w 

ay to cover city council, via Kennard). I usually walk in, sign the book, pick u 

p the ballot, sit down, mark the ovals and leave. 

Tuesday night, I could barely get in the door when I arrived, the line was 

so long. I was a smidgen late for council meeting because of it, but I am proud 

that so many of you turned out to give the issues and the politicians a piece of 

your mind. Although we may not all have been on the winning side, at least thos 

e who were will know that a percentage of us do not agree with them and know the 

y have to work just a little harder to gain our vote next time around. 

Congratulations to everyone who voted and all those who fought the good fig

ht, whether they won or not. It's that commitment to making the system work that 

makes our country what it is today. With turnouts alike Tuesday, we certainly d 

id not need term limits. 

I traveled to Stromsburg with Mia Madre Sunday for a great dinner and fanta 

stic fellowship with family! We did a little touring of the town Sunday, checkin 

g out the places I had lived as a child, relocating the homes of aunts, grandpar 

ents, cousins and classmates. During that touring (and on the way out) we had an 

opportunity to witness the mountains of corn and soybeans that are piled on the 

ground because of the 'shortage of rail cars. We all commented that since it se 

ems to be a yearly problem, someone should be taking steps to eliminate that yea 

rly problem. 

And what should appear?" on my desk for release on Tuesday, but a news rele 

ase from the Nebraska Senator Jim Exon, who is chairman of the Senate Surface Tr 

ansportation Subcommittee. He apparently has urged Mexico to stop their assista 

nce on dyeing grain and return American grain cars as fast as possible. He also 

indicates that he has asked Transportation Secretary Federico Pena to assure tha 

t America's rural shippers are not indirectly subsidizing the Canadian competiti 

on because of grain car leasing arrangements. 

A second release he forwarded to us said the Interstate Commerce Commission 

and the Office of Management and Budget "are following his recommendation to cr 

eate a National Grain Car Council." Once organized, he said, they can "anticipat 

e and troubleshoot grain car supply problems as they arise and help avoid the an 

nual crisis management which confronts Oral America during harvest time." 

We'll all have to keep our eyes and ears open and see just how well this pl 

an of attack works - next year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Gains Alter Midlanders' Clout On Capitol Hill 

TEXT[Washington - Tuesday's Republican victories mean that Reps. Doug Bereuter a 

nd Bill Barrett, both R-Neb., are likely to become subcommittee chairmen in Janu 

ary. 

But the election returns also mean that the Nebraska and Iowa congressional 

delegations could lose clout in other areas as Democratic senators give up thei 

r chairmanships and several Democratic incumbents in key positions leave office. 

Nebraska and Iowa members of Congress differed over the effect. Their views 

were colored by how Republican control of the House and Senate affected them pe 

rsonally. 

"I don't think there's any question that Nebraska has been hurt some," said 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., who will lose his two subcommittee chairmanships and a 

chance to head the Senate Budget Committee. 

But Bereuter, who should have more influence next year than ever before in 

his 16-year House career, said: "I'm looking forward to it. I can't think of any 

thing negative about the changes." 

The Republican gains in the Senate will prevent Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., fr 

om becoming chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Instead, he must sett

le for being the ranking Democrat on the panel. 

Similarly, Kerrey now is in line for ranking Democrat - not chairman - of t 

he Senate Appropriations subcommittee that handles the Treasury Department, the 

Postal Service and various other government agencies. 

"It's pretty hard to make the case that we won't lose a little," said Kerre 

y, who won re-election Tuesday. "But the disappointment is mixed with great resp 

ect and excitement about the opportunity to serve Nebraskans for the next six ye 

ars. It's important to play the hand that dealt you." 

Kerrey acknowledged that he was considering a move from the appropriations 

panel to the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax, trade, h 

ealth care and welfare reform issues. Kerrey discussed the finance position Wedn 

esday with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., who is chairman of the Finance 

Committee. 

Kerrey's committee switch, if it occur might give Nebraska some of the infl 

uence on key tax and health-care issues that it is losing with the departure Rep 

. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb. Hoagland a member of the House Ways and Means Committee 

, lost his re-election bid to Republican Jon Christensen. 

In Iowa, Republican Greg Ganske's defeat of Rep. Neal Smith. D-Iowa, means 

that the state loses some influence on federal spending decisions. Smith was the 

second-ranked member of the House Appropriations Committee. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, will remain on the Senate Appropriations Committee 

, but he will lose his subcommittee chairmanship. On the other hand, Rep. Jim Ro 

ss Lightfoot, R-Iowa, will become a subcommittee chairman on the House Appropria 

tions Committee. 

It isn't known whether Ganske, Christensen and Rep.-elect Tom Latham, R-Iow 

a, will obtain influential committee assignments. Bereuter said it would be unus 

ual for a freshman to win a spot on Ways and Means, where Latham's predecessor, 

Republican Fred Grandy, served. 

Overall, Nebraska and western Iowa will have more lawmakers in the majority 

party in the House and Senate than in recent years. This year, for example, fiv 

e of 10 Nebraska and western Iowa lawmakers were in the majority Democratic Part 

y. 

Next year, seven of the 10 lawmakers will be in the Republican Party. 

"We're in the majority now," Barrett said. "That's the major plus. The majo 

rity sets the agenda. It just changes the dynamics. 

Among other specific changes: 

þ Exon will move up to ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. He 

would have been chairman if Democrats had retained control of the Senate. He als 

o will shift from chairman to ranking Democrat on his two current subcommittees, 

which deal with strategic military forces and surface transportation issues. 

þ Bereuter said he might become chairman of a top House Banking sub committ 

ee with jurisdiction over either regulation of financial institutions or federal 

housing programs. He said the housing chairmanship would be particularly good f 

or him, since he has a background as an urban planner. 

þBarrett could rise to a subcommittee chairmanship on the House Agriculture 

Committee, unless restructuring cuts the six subcommittees to four or fewer. 

þSen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, will take over chairmanship of several subc 

ommittees. He is the ranking member on three panels on the Senate Judiciary, Fin 

ance and Agriculture Committees. 

þBesides his shift to minority status on Appropriations, Harkin will lose h 

is chairmanship of the Senate Labor and Human Resources subcommittee on disabili 

ty policy.




SOUR[Stapleton Enterprise 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Praises USDA Crop Insurance Action 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon has praised the USDA's announcement that the 1995 cro 

p insurance market price election for wheat would be raised from $3.15 to $3.35. 


to making crop insurance work," Exon said. "Everyone will be better served by a 

crop insurance program that makes sense financially," Exon added. 

The increase is intended to make insurance policies for winter wheat more c 

losely match price projections for the 1995 crop. Winter wheat producers have un 

til October 31st to buy higher levels of insurance. 




SOUR[Wisner News Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Pilger awarded EDA, FEMA, CDBG monies 

TEXT[The Village of Pilger will be replacing sewer lines under village streets a 

fter becoming the recipient of federal and state funds in the amount of $523,750 

. 

The project, funded for public works building, calls for construction and r 

eplacement of sewer lines in primarily the north section of town, and also an ar 

ea on the southeast portion of Pilger in which the present sewer line has experi 

enced - joint failure. Replacement of that line, from the sewer plant to the Elk 

horn River, will take place in early spring of 1995. 

Applications to the Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) for emergency f 

unding were filled out in July of 1993 when the ground above the sewer lines cro 

ssing the Harlan Jackson ground caved in. 

Ken Wiechman, sewer operator for the village, recently received word from t 

he office of Senator J. James Exon that Pilger qualified for federal funds from 

the Economic Development Administration in the amount of $419,000, as well as re 

ceiving FEMA and the state of Nebraska disaster monies ill the form of a Communi 

ty Development Block Grant (CDBG). The FEMA and CDBG monies totaled $104.750. 

Monies from all three funding sources will he used for replacement of exist 

ing sewer lines in all of north Pilger, and to replace a portion of the main tru 

nk line from north to south Pilger, as well as to replace the line in the southe 

ast portion of Pilager. 

The EDA picked up where FEMA leaves off," noted Wiechman, "for a total sewe 

r line replacement of 1,610 feet." 

Of the $523,750 required to complete the projects approximately $100,000 wi 

ll be needed for dewatering, a process of lowering the ground water level in ord 

er to lay the new sewer lines. 

The Community Development Block Grant is the second one Pilger has received

. The first was earmarked for a water project which has come to completion in Pi 

lger, and included a new well, water filtration and distribution system, and wat 

er storage. 

Assisting Wiechman and the members of the village board in the application 

for funding was Renay Robison-Scheer of the Northeast Nebraska Economic Developm 

ent District. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter eyes possible Senate run 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP)-Bolstered by winning a ninth term and looking 

forward to a Republican-controlled U.S. House, Rep. Doug Bereuter talked Wednesd 

ay about a possible run for the Senate in 1996. 

I will look at that opportunity and make that decision in 1995," Bereuter s 

aid. "We have not elected or re-elected a (Republican) senator from Nebraska si 

nce 1972," he said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., could run for his fourth term in 1996. 

"I hope Doug Bereuter and other Republicans show some leadership and think 

about what's best for the nation and the state of Nebraska," Exon said. 

"They shouldn't be casting covetous eyes elsewhere," Exon said. "He wants t 

o be staking a claim in the Republican Party. It's like some wild animal leaving 

its mark on the ground." 

Bereuter said he made a mistake in not challenging Exon in 1984. In the yea 

r former President Ronald Reagan won re-election by a landslide, Exon defeated N 

ancy Hoch by 25,000 votes. 

"I underestimated Reagan's coattails," Bereuter said. 

Bereuter said Republican victories that put him in the majority for the fir 

st time in his tenure in the House make it more likely he will run for the Senat 

e. Republicans also claimed control of the U.S. Senate. 

Bereuter, who holds the Lincoln-dominated 1st District seat, is the state's 

senior Republican. He said he already is working on ways to strengthen the Nebr 

aska GOP. 

He said he talked Tuesday night and Wednesday with Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb 

., who won a third term in western Nebraska's 3rd District, Treasurer-elect Dave 

Heineman and Secretary of State-elect Scott Moore about setting up a meeting wi 

th top GOP officials. 

Bereuter said that in the past, some of his efforts to play a larger role i 

n the state party were resisted by other officials, but he doesn't expect that t 

o happen now. 

GOP challenger Jon Christensen narrowly defeated three-term 2nd District Re 

p. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., to make it a clean Republican sweep of Nebraska's U.S 

. House delegation. 

While Republicans rejoiced, Democrats adjusted. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, who defeated Republican challenger Jan Stoney for his seco 

nd term, said the elections were a sharp rebuke of President Clinton. 

"(Tuesday) night was a severe, sharp and obvious repudiation of the preside

nt," Kerrey said. 

Asked how Clinton could use his political expertise to improve the situatio 

n, Kerrey said, "He is going to have to acquire political expertise." 

Democrats also must change, Kerrey said. 

"Democrats are labeled the party of programs," Kerrey said. But too often t 

he programs lack value, he said. 

Kerrey said he spoke on the telephone with dozens of fellow senators about 

how to get work done in a Republican Congress. 

"It's certainly fair to predict gridlock," Kerrey said. "But I also think t 

hat there is reason to hope that, with political courage, we can break that grid 

lock." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Railroads: How big is big enough? 

TEXT[Anxious eyes in Nebraska are focused on the current takeover battle between 

the nation's two largest railroads, the Union Pacific and the Burlington Northe 

rn. The object of rival attentions is the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, 

the seventh largest in the land. 

The UP and BN are battling for better position in the southwestern United S 

tates. But another major step toward concentration in rail ownership also has im 

portant implications for this state. It is one more reason for thousands of rail 

road workers to worry about job security. The latest grain car shortage is remin 

ding harvest-weary farmers and grain handlers how much they depend on rail outle 

ts. 

Top priority for investors who will vote on a merger offer, of course, is p 

ocketbooks. Looking after the public interest is the job of the federal governme 

nt's Interstate Commerce Commission. 

The understandable anxiety of Nebraskans makes the Journal anxious to see t 

he ICC do an especially careful and painstaking review before it allows this tra 

nsaction to proceed. Rejection of either merger prospect seems far from the wors 

t possible result. This purchase, after all, is not pivotal to the financial sec 

urity of either railroad. 

But federal vigilance is far from assured in a deregulated era. The ICC has 

much less authority and is much less of a force for restraint on merger mania t 

han it was as recently as the 1970s. Proof of its loss of stature is a recent Ho 

use attempt to cut off all its funding, and a dubious compromise with the Senate 

that will trim its budget by 40 percent. 

Deregulation of transportation industries has done a lot to promote competi 

tion and to lower freight and passenger prices. But it has also raised questions 

about how big individual businesses will be allowed to get and how much they wi 

ll be allowed to dominate their markets. The public interest will not be served 

by a private sector that includes one major airline, one major trucking firm, or 

one major railroad that has been allowed to devour all its competition. 

It's not as ridiculous as it sounds. As recently as the end of World War II 

, there were almost 250 railroads that qualified as major, Class I carriers. Now 

there are less than 10; And the biggest two are casting covetous eyes, at No. 7

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Bucks trend; Democratic Nelson beats Gene Spence by landslide 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Gov. Ben Nelson, the survivor of two close elections, looked t 

oward his second term Wednesday with a landslide re-election victory in his pock 

et and a very big smile on his face. 

Democrat Nelson wore a smile so big that one party regular who saw him 

Tuesday night said she was afraid he would hurt himself. 

Republican standard bearer Gene Spence, whose campaign hardly qualifie 

d him as a hopeful, was taciturn in defeating. He had acknowledged weeks ago tha 

t Nelson seemed to be the choice of the people. 

Nelson received 418,831 votes or 74 percent compared with 146,402 vote 

s or 26 percent for Spence, showed returns from all but four of the state's 1,83 

2 precincts. 

Only Republican Dwight Griswold, re-elected to two-year 

terms in 1942 and 1944, earned bigger victories in this century. 

"You always want to win, but when you get this kind of support you feel you h 

ave a special trust to live up to," Nelson said. 


on, revisions in the welfare and health care' systems and more economic developm 

ent initiatives. 




ican Party is still alive and it will be back in four years and it will win. 



t. 

"I am very grateful for the support reflected in this vote, Nelson said. "I 

hope that to some degree he reflects our efforts in the first term to live up t 

o our vision of one Nebraska." 


s ago by just 42 votes. His defeated then-Gov. Kay Orr by just 4,000 votes in th 

e 1990 general election. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter eyes the Senate position

TEXT[Fresh from an impressive re-election triumph, Rep. Doug Bereuter cast his e 

yes Wednesday on Sen. Jim Exon's Senate seat. 

"I've received a lot of encouragement to look at that, and I will," the 1st 

District Republican congressman said. 

"I am certainly going to consider it." 

His decision on whether to seek the Senate seat in 1996, foregoing a bid fo 

r a 10th term in the House, will come sometime next year, Bereuter said. 

"I'm not going to waver into 1996." 

In the meantime, he said, he is looking forward to assuming his first subco 

mmittee chairmanship as the GOP grabs control of the House for the first time in 

his career. 

A Republican majority in the House also will give him the opportunity to "b 

e more effective in advancing legislation to the floor and the president's desk, 

" the Lincoln congressman said. 

BEREUTER SAID he would not vote to approve all of the legislation proposed 

for swift House floor consideration in the Republican campaign "contract with Am 

erica. 

"I could favor some of the tax credits for elderly care, children and adopt 

ion," he said. 

"But there are elements I probably could not vote for... it depends in part 

on whether they are part of a balanced package. 

"We need to look at what a capital gains tax reduction would do, look at th 

e lost revenue, and whether the cut would be combined with things for low-income 

and moderate-income Americans, too." 

Bereuter will have an opportunity to chair a subcommittee of either the Ban 

king, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee or the Foreign Affairs Committee. 

Most likely, he said, it will be banking, and perhaps the subcommittee on h 

ousing and community development, an area in which he has developed legislative 

initiatives and has career training and experience. 

Other possibilities: the subcommittee on financial institutions, supervisio 

n, regulation and deposit insurance or the subcommittee on international develop 

ment, finance, trade and monetary policy. 

IN FOREIGN affairs, Bereuter could have an opportunity to chair the subcomm 

ittee on international security, international organization and human rights or 

the subcommittee on international operations. 

When the new Congress convenes in January, Bereuter said, he believes it ne 

eds to focus on issues like health care and welfare reform, the new farm bill, a 

nd the compromise safe drinking water legislation which failed to receive action 

in the waning days of this year's congressional session. 

This week's Republican wave was "the beginning of a longer-term tide which 

should give us the presidency in 1996," Bereuter said. 

President Clinton "clearly made a mistake in not moving to the center at th 

e beginning of his term. He started with volatile issues on the left. 

"He forgot about welfare reform and middle-class tax cuts, and he appointed 

people who were out of touch." 

BEREUTER SAID he was "very gratified" by the size of his own victory over D 

emocratic challenger Patrick Combs. 

"The 63 percent support was higher than last year's figure, despite the fac 

t that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dropped in $50,000 in the 

closing days and I was outspent on Lincoln and Sioux City television," the cong 

ressman said. 

Combs, he said, conducted the most aggressive, well-financed challenge he h

as encountered, "although I regret the fact that he went quite negative at the e 

nds." 

Combs raised $50,000 in October, including a loan of $20,000 from the candi 

date himself, to lure a late infusion of Democratic congressional campaign commi 

ttee funding, said Jack Cheloha, his campaign manager. 

The committee ultimately provided $40,000 between Oct. 20 and election day. 

Virtually all of the late funds went for media advertising. 

All told, funds for the Combs campaign will reach about $220,000, Cheloha s 

aid. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey no clone of fellow senator 

TEXT[During his recent Senate campaign against Jan Stoney, Sen. Bob Kerrey was a 

sked about Stoney's allegations that he was a "Clinton clone." 

"She says I'm a Clinton clone because I vote with him 80 percent of the tim 

e," Kerrey responded. "Well, I vote with Jim Exon 80 percent of the time, and no 

one has called me an 'Exon clone.'" 

In fact, Kerrey votes with fellow Democrat Exon more than 80 percent of the 

time. According to Congressional Quarterly, in 1993, when both senators voted, 

they voted together 84 percent. In 1994, that percentage climbed to 89 percent. 

According to Kerrey's press secretary, Steve Jarding, no two senators vote with 

each other more often than Nebraska's two Democrats. 

Both Kerrey and Exon consistently place near the top in Congressional Quart 

erly's "most conservative Democrats" lists. They both regularly oppose bills sup 

ported by President Clinton. The Conservative Coalition, an independent associat 

ion of conservative voters placed Exon first and Kerrey third among "most conser 

vative" northern Democrats. 

THE TWO SENATORS have other things in common besides their voting records. 

They both served as governors of Nebraska. They both have great interest in fore 

ign affairs, with Exon serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Kerrey 

on the Senate Intelligence Committee. They're both military veterans and they b 

oth have independent streaks, making them willing to risk criticism from other D 

emocrats for deviating from the party line. 

But for all their similarities, Kerrey and Exon are far from clones, expert 

s said. 

"If they were clones, they would have voted together 100 percent of the tim 

e," said Greg Pallas, Exon's legislative director and chief of staff. "They don' 

t vote together all the time. Nebraska voters don't want Siamese twins in the Se 

nate." 

Kerrey and Exon have disagreed on several key Senate votes over the past tw 

o years, most notably on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Kerrey s 

upported and Exon opposed. They also disagreed on campaign finance reform (Exon 

voted yes and Kerrey voted no), the balanced budget amendment (Exon yes. Kerrey 

no), ending the ban on gays in the military (Kerrey yes. Exon no) and a bill to

kill the Star Wars missile defense program (Kerrey yes, Exon no). 

IN STUDYING minor bills, the two senators ideological differences be-come e 

ven more apparent. 

In 1994, Exon supported three amendments proposed by arch-conservative Sen. 

Jesse Helms. R-NC, all of which Kerrey and most other Democrats opposed. 

Exon voted with Helms on an amendment that would have prohibited the Nation 

al Endowment for the Arts from funding "art that involves human mutilation, inva 

sive bodily procedures on humans dead or alive or the drawing or letting of bloo 

d." Exon was one of only four northern Democrats to support the amendment, which 

failed. 

Exon was one of two northern Democrats to support a failed Helms proposal t 

o prohibit the United Stated from encouraging "population control" measures (nam 

ely abortion abroad). He also joined two northern Democrats in supporting a fail 

ed Helms' amendment to prohibit condom distribution in schools. 

"Sen. Exon is a conservative Democrat, there's no doubt about it," Pallas s 

aid. "On subjects like abortion, Exon's votes reflect a strongly held personal p 

osition - it's not about politics." 

"SEN. KERREY is a notch or two or three to the left of Exon," said Dr. Robe 

rt Sittig, a professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincol 

n. "The gays in the military vote is a good example. It shows Kerrey's greater f 

lexibility and less rigid ideology. Exon has one of the most conservative voting 

records of any Senate Democrat." 

Sittig said that Exon - and to a lesser extent Kerrey - supports conservati 

ve, anti-Democratic bills mainly to stay in the good graces of Nebraska's electo 

rate. 

"They're both serving a state with a long Republican tradition, and that dr 

ives them toward the conservative wing of their party," Sittig said. 

He pointed out that even though Kerrey may seem more liberal than Exon, the 

freshman senator has followed Exon's footsteps by taking Un-Democratic position 

s on a number of issues. 

He spoke of Kerrey's efforts to control entitlement spending and reduce the 

deficit, as well as his vote for NAFTA, a proposal drafted by the Bush administ 

ration. 

Even though anti-gun control forces condemned Kerrey's support of the Brady 

Bill and an assault weapons ban. Kerrey also has been strong on hunter's rights 

, Sittig said. 

PALLAS DISAGREED with Sittig's assessment that the two senators vote with R 

epublicans on many issues merely to please their electorate. He said that Nebras 

ka's voters, like their senators, have an independent streak and are not easily 

categorized as Democrat or Republican. 

"People have the tendency to think Nebraska's a Republican state because it 

's voted Republican in presidential elections since 1968," Pallas said. "But you 

'd be surprised how Nebraskans line up. You can't put them all in a box." 

Pointing to an issue the senators have disagreed on - abortion - Pallas sai 

d the state's voters are evenly split. Because of this, he said, it makes no sen 

se to say Exon is anti-abortion because his electorate is anti-abortion. 

Jarding said Kerrey and Exon's - disagreements on social issues may stem fr 

om generational differences. Kerrey is 51, Exon 73. 

Pallas said that although Exon and Kerrey may differ on social issues, when 

it comes to issues that directly affect Nebraska, they work together. 

Jarding agreed, saying the senators' warm personal relationship makes it ea 

sy for them to cooperate.

"OFFHAND, I can't think of any Nebraska issues where they've disagreed," Ja 

rding said. "Bob has always viewed Sen. Exon as kind of a mentor, someone to loo 

k to for advice and counsel. 

"There's a warm chemistry - they seem to enjoy each other's company and the 

y have a genuine affection for each other. I don't know if father-son is the rig 

ht word, but there's definitely a big bond." 

Jarding said the senators have worked together on many issues important to 

Nebraskans, including ethanol, veterans aid and impact aid for schools attended 

by students whose parents serve in the military. 

"They come from similar backgrounds, and they saw similar problems in agric 

ulture and small business," Jarding said. "They're both former businessmen, whic 

h makes them fiscally conservative, and they were both governors. If people are 

the sum of their experiences, they have a lot of common experiences." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[The bottom line is independent 

TEXT[The bottom line is still independent, not Republican. 

Or even conservative. 

Yes, Nebraska is Republican in the sense that it has 90,000 more registered 

Republicans than Democrats and has voted for a Democratic presidential nominee 

only once in the last 54 years. 

Yes, Nebraskans are conservative if you define that in conventional anti-go 

vernment political terms. 

But more than either of those characteristics, Nebraskans are independent. 

How else could Bob Kerrey, the Democrat and obviously the least conservativ 

e of the two Senate nominees, swim against a Republican national tide that reach 

ed flood proportions on Tuesday, and win re-election? 

How else could Ben Nelson win the largest gubernatorial victory in 50 years 

in this huge Republican year? Nelson was the Democrat and his Republican oppone 

nt, Gene Spence, clearly outbid him in conventional conservative terms with a pr 

oposal to slash Nebraska taxes by $380 million. 

How? 

The bottom line for Nebraska voters is independent. 

THAT'S A TRAIT that fits the only state in the union with a non-partisan st 

ate Legislature. 

And the only one-house Legislature. 

And, for Pete's sake, in this so-called bastion of fundamental conservative 

philosophy, the only fully publicly owned electric utility system in any state. 

The word for that, you know, is (gasp!) socialism. 

It is the independent nature of Nebraska voters that explains seven straigh 

t Democratic Senate victories in a state where Republicans have enjoyed the adva 

ntage in numbers. 

And nine Democratic victories in the last 12 gubernatorial elections. 

Only in metropolitan Omaha's congressional district did the Republican and 

sharply more conservative challenger swim with the tide and safely reach shore t

his week. 

Jon Christensen, an avowed doctrinaire conservative, is Nebraska's newest c 

ongressman, having unseated Peter Hoagland. 

While Nelson's victory was never really in doubt, Kerrey's was. 

Internal polling within both his and Jan Stoney's camps showed the momentum 

moving toward her in early October. Kerrey's lead shrank to single digits at ti 

mes. 

But when Congress adjourned one month before election day, the senator was 

able to return to Nebraska to campaign full time. 

Some analysts will credit Kerrey's campaign advertising, especially the att 

ack ads that steadily chipped away at Stoney in 

response to her concentrated artillery barrage of criticism 

about Kerrey's voting record. 

Some will credit the debates. 

Some will credit Kerrey's superior funding. 

But what occurred, I think, is that Kerrey, freed from his duties in Washin 

gton, came home and reconnected with his constituents during the last four weeks 

. 

That stopped the bleeding, reawakened the bond between Kerrey and most vote 

rs, and stabilized the senator's support. 

And this should not go unnoticed: The word that best describes Bob Kerrey i 

s not conservative or liberal. It is independent. 

Now the spotlight begins to move toward Jim Exon. 

EXON'S SEAT in the Senate will be Nebraska's premier battleground in 1996. 

All signals say Exon, physically fit and robust at age 73, is ready to seek 

a fourth term in two years. 

Encouraged by the prospect that the Democratic senator would face reelectio 

n in a presidential year with a woefully unpopular president at the head of his 

ticket - Clinton's approval rating in Nebraska is a dismal 31 percent - Republic 

ans already are casting their eyes on that Senate seat. 

Doug Bereuter swiftly declared his interest. 

Jan Stoney and Chuck Hagel are lively prospects, although each of them woul 

d have to overcome the unwritten rule of Nebraska politics that says one Senate 

seat goes to an Omahan and the other to someone who does not live in the state's 

largest city. 

Kerrey holds the so called Omaha seat. 

Before a year from now, other Republican names will be floated. 

Among them, perhaps, Don Stenberg? 

Exon has three Senate victories under his belt. 

His vote totals only heighten Republican interest. 

Here's what they show: 

1978: Exon, 334,276; Don Shasteen, 159,806. 

1984: Exon, 332,217; Nancy Hoch, 307,147. 

1990: Exon, 349,779; Hal Daub, 243,013. 

Note:1984 was the only presidential election year. 




SOUR[Omaha World-Herald

BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Leaders Outline Agenda 

TEXT[Tuesday's Republican victories mean that Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barre 

tt, both R-Neb., are likely to become committee chairmen in January. 

But the election returns also mean that the Nebraska and Iowa congressional 

delegations could lose clout in other areas as Democratic senators give up thei 

r chairmanship and several Democratic incumbents in key positions leave office. 

Nebraska and Iowa member of Congress differed over the impact. Their views 

were colored by how Republican control of the House and Senate affected them pe 

rsonally. 

"I don't think there's any question that Nebraska has been hurt some," said 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., who will lose his two subcommittee chairmanships and a 

chance to head the Senate Budget Committee. 

But Bereuter, who should have more influence next year than ever before in 

his 16-year House career, sid: "I'm looking forward to it. I can't think of an 

ything negative about the changes." 

The Republican gains in the Senate will prevent Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb, fro 

m becoming chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Instead, he must settl 

e for being the ranking Democrat on the panel. 

Similarly, Kerrey now is in line for ranking Democrat - not chairman - of t 

he Senate Appropriations subcommittee that handles the Treasury Department, Post 

al Service and various other government agencies. 

"It's pretty hard to make the case that we won't lose a little," said Kerre 

y, who won re-election Tuesday. "But the disappointment is mixed with great resp 

ect and excitement about the opportunity to serve Nebraskans for the next six ye 

ars. It's important to play the hand that's dealt you." 

Even so, Kerrey acknowledged that he was considering a move from the approp 

riations panel to the Senate Finance Committee, which will have jurisdiction ove 

r tax, trade, health care and welfare reform issues. Kerrey discussed the Financ 

e position Wednesday with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., who is now chair 

man of the Finance Committee. 

Kerrey's committee switch, if it occurs, might give Nebraska some of the in 

fluence on key tax and health-care issues that it is losing with the departure o 

f Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb. Hoagland, a member of the House Ways and Means Com 

mittee, lost his re-election bid to Republican Jon Christensen. 

In Iowa, Republican Greg Ganske's defeat of Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, means 

that the state loses some influence on federal spending decisions. Smith was the 

second-ranked member of the House Appropriations Committee. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, remains on the Senate Appropriations Committee, bu 

t he loses his subcommittee chairmanship. On the other hand, Rep. Jim Ross Light 

foot, R-Iowa, will become a sub-committee chairman on the House Appropriations C 

ommittee. 

It isn't known whether Ganske, Christensen and Rep.-elect Tom Latham, R-Iow 

a, will obtain influential committee assignments. Bereuter said it would be unus 

ual for a freshman to win a spot on Ways and Means, where Latham's predecessor, 

Republican Fred Grandy served. 

Overall, Nebraska and western Iowa will have more lawmakers in the majority 

party in the House and Senate than in recent years. This year, for example, fiv 

e of 10 Nebraska and western Iowa lawmakers were in the majority Democratic Part 

y. 

Next year, seven of the 10 lawmakers will be in the Republican Party.

"We're in the majority now," Barrett said. "That's the major plus. The majo 

rity sets the agenda. It just changes the dynamics." 

Among other specific changes: 

Exon will move up to ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. He wo 

uld have been chairman if Democrats had retained control of the Senate. He also 

will shift from chairman to ranking Democrat on his two current subcommittees, w 

hich deal with strategic military forces and surface transportation issues. 

Bereuter said he might become chairman of a top House Banking subcommittee 

with jurisdiction over either regulation of financial institutions or federal ho 

using programs. He said the housing chairmanship would be particularly good for 

him since he has a background as an urban planner. 

Barrett could rise to a subcommittee chairmanship on the House Agriculture 

Committee, unless restructuring cuts the six subcommittees to four or fewer. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, will take over chairmanship of several subco 

mmittees. He is the ranking member on three panels on the Senate Judiciary, Fina 

nce and Agriculture Committees. 

Besides his shift to minority status on Appropriations, Harkin will lose hi 

s chairmanship of the Senate Labor and Human Resources subcommittee on disabilit 

y policy. "I've worked very hard on that," he said. "I would hope (the chairmans 

hip) would go to someone who cares about it as much as I do." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Win Adds To Uncertainty On `95 Farm Bill 

TEXT[Some farm leaders and members of Congress said Wednesday that they worry ab 

out how a Republican majority will write a five-year farm bill in 1995, the firs 

t time the GOP has had total responsibility for that task. 

Republicans controlled only the Senate in 1985 when Congress passed what wa 

s described as a market-oriented farm bill aimed at reducing government subsidie 

s. Democrats controlled both the Senate and House when main elements of the 1985 

bill were reauthorized in 1990. 

Leland Swenson, president of the National Farmers Union, said educating new 

members about the complexities of farm legislation will be a challenge for Rep. 

Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who takes over as chairman of the House Agriculture Commit 

tee. 

"A large majority of new members will have had no previous experience devel 

oping a major farm bill," Swenson said in an interview. 

Swenson said many House members also will have signed the Republican "Contr 

act With America," which Swenson said could require reductions of up to $3 billi 

on a year in federal farm programs. 

Carl Schwensen of the National Association of Wheat Growers said both Democ 

rats and Republicans have been talking about cuts in farm programs. He said redu 

ctions also were suggested in a memorandum from Alice Rivlin, White House budget 

director. 

"We were hearing unfriendly things from both Democrats and Republicans befo 

re the election," Schwensen said.

He said leaders of both political parties were considering more reductions 

in farm subsidies and an increase in the amount of farmland that will be declare 

d ineligible for federal programs. 

Schwensen said a lame-duck session of Congress starting Nov. 29 to vote on 

a new international trade agreement may indicate how a Congress led by Republica 

ns will deal with issues important to agriculture. 

"When Congress votes on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, we'll l 

earn a lot about how Republican leaders will get along with the Democratic White 

House," Schwensen said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said the lame-duck session probably will end wi 

thout enactment of GATT. 

"My guess is that we will wait until next year until Republicans are in con 

trol of both houses of Congress," Bereuter said. "There are some things in the a 

greement that upset a lot of people." 

Both Bereuter and Sen. Bob Kerrey D-Neb., said it would be a good idea to c 

all off the lame-duck session if a rejection of the agreement is inevitable. 

Kerrey, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he is optimistic 

that he can work with Roberts and Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., who will be chair 

man of the Senate Agriculture Committee next year. 

"I think we may have to press the Republicans a little bit, but one thing a 

bout Dick Lugar is that he is very fair," Kerrey said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb., said he did not think Republican control of the Agri 

culture Committees would benefit farmers. 

"In my view, Republicans never have been as attentive to the needs of famil 

y-farm agriculture as the Democrats have been," Exon said. 

Bereuter, Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dic 

k Newpher of the American Farm Bureau Federation said environmental interests ma 

y have less influence on Republican-controlled committees than they would have h 

ad on Democrats. 

Tom Cook of the National Cattlemen's Association said environmentalists may 

have to change their objectives for the 1995 farm bill. "It may be a less green 

farm bill than some thought it would be," Cook said. 

Newpher, executive director of the Farm Bureau's Washington office, said Re 

publicans are more likely than Democrats to be concerned about cost-benefit rati 

os, property rights and unfunded government regulations. 

"The game has changed," Newpher said. "If we are going to have issues like 

the Clean Water Act, then it should be with the recognition that we have limited 

resources and that the legislation will have a tremendous impact on the economi 

c viability of America." 




SOUR[Yankton, S.D. Press & Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Republicans Look To Future After Election Sweep 

TEXT[Democrats held on to two of the state's most important political offices bu 

t Republicans were left with a fist full of victors Wednesday, all of whom could 

challenge one another as well as some Democrats in the future.

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey won a second term, defeating Republican Jan Stoney aft 

er a hard-fought and sometimes acrimonious campaign. He received 55 percent of t 

he vote, doing somewhat better than his own polling had projected. 

Kerrey said he was concerned that a sharply divided Congress, now controlle 

d by the GOP, would have a tough time governing effectively. 

Mrs. Stoney praised Kerrey for his public service and good campaign and gav 

e the impression that she might make another bid for the Senate, perhaps in 1996 

. That is when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., could seek a fourth term. 

Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson reveled in one of the biggest gubernatorial land 

slides of this century. He rolled up 74 percent of the vote in his victory over 

Republican Gene Spence. 

Nelson promptly said he was ready for his next term and promised initiative 

s to fight crime, revise some government programs and boost economic development 

. 

Despite Democratic victories at the top of the ticket, the election didn't 

leave the GOP's future without a shortage of ambitious incumbents, along with Mr 

s. Stoney. 

Republican newcomer Jon Christensen upset three-term Rep.Peter Hoagland, D- 

Neb., in the Omaha-dominated 2nd Congressional District. Christensen 31, hadn't 

voted in many elections but won a House seat in his first bid for public office 

, possibly marking himself for further political future. 

Other Republicans who claimed victories Tuesday, and could be expected to s 

eek more in the future: 

Scot Moore of Seward, who served eight years in the Legislature, was electe 

d secretary of state, a job that can put someone before news media if he wants i 

t that way. 

Attorney General Don Stenberg, who made many headlines in his first term, w 

as re-elected to a second term. 

Dave Heinemann was elected state treasurer. Heinemann once worked for form 

er Congressman Hal Daub. 

Daub, who represented the 2nd District in the U.S. House from 1981-88, adva 

nced to a runoff election for Omaha mayor. Dub, who unsuccessfully ran twice fo 

r Senate, will face City Council member Brenda Council in the runoff Dec. 13. 

All the above named men have interests, public or private, in higher office 

in general and the governorship in particular. 

That means that some of them eventually could square off in GOP primary ele 

ctions en route to a shot at a seat in the U.S. Senate or the governor's office. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter eyes possible bid for Senate in '96 

TEXT[A U.S. House controlled by Republicans for the first time in 40 years and t 

he winning of a ninth term has Rep. Doug Bereuter talking about a possible run f 

or the Senate in 1996. 

"I will look at that opportunity and make that decision in 1995," Bereuter 

said. "We have not elected or re-elected a (Republican) senator from Nebraska s

ince 1972," he said. 




"They shouldn't be casting covetous eyes elsewhere," Exon said. "He wants t 

o be staking a claim in the Republican Party. It's like some wild animal leaving 

its mark on the ground." 




"I underestimated Reagan's coattails." Bereuter said. 






aska GOP. 



Heinemann and Secretary of State-elect Scott Moore about setting up a meeting w 

ith top GOP officials. 



o happen now. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter May Challenge Exon 

TEXT[Doug Bereuter moved swiftly Wednesday to position himself for a Senate bid 

in 1996 and to claim a leadership role in the Nebraska Republican Party. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, the incumbent Democrat with his own re-election plans for 1 

996, said Bereuter and other senior congressional Republicans had better start w 

orrying about governing instead of plotting their personal political ambitions. 

Bereuter said that the Republican victories that put him in the majority fo 

r the first time in his nine terms in the House make the prospect of his running 

for the Senate more likely. 


said. 

"We have not elected or re-elected a (Republican) senator from Nebraska sin 

ce 1972," Bereuter said. Democrats have won the last seven Nebraska Senate races 

going back to 1976. 

Bereuter said he made a mistake in 1984 by not challenging Exon. With the l 

andslide re-election of President Ronald Reagan that year, Exon had a much tough 

er than expected battle against Nancy Hoch, winning by 25.000 votes. 

"For me, it was a missed opportunity in 1984," Bereuter said. "I underestim 

ated Reagan's coattails."

Bereuter has previously considered running for governor or the Senate but a 

lways decided to stay put in what has become a safe House seat in the 1st Congre 

ssional District. The district includes one of the states most conservative area 

s in Norfolk and one of the most liberal in Lincoln. 

In 1987, after the death of Sen. Edward Zorinsky, Bereuter sought the Senat 

e appointment from Gov. Kay Orr. She passed over Bereuter, Hal Daub and others t 

o pick political newcomer Dave Karnes. 

This year Bereuter expanded his advertising to include Omaha radio and tele 

vision stations and The World-Herald. 

In Tuesday's election, Bereuter defeated Patrick Combs, 63 percent to 3 per 

cent. 

The results of Tuesday's election and the prospects of GOP gains in the 199 

6 presidential election "certainly encourage me," Bereuter said. 

Exon has indicated that he is likely to seek a fourth term. 

Exon, 73, was elected to the Senate in 1978 - the same year that Bereuter, 

55 was first elected to the House. 

"The Republicans are already staking out their turf," Exon said. "l hope Do 

ug Bereuter and other Republicans show some leadership and think about what's be 

st for the nation and the state of Nebraska. 

"They shouldn't be casting covetous eyes elsewhere. He wants to be staking 

a claim in the Republican Party. It's like some wild animal leaving its mark on 

the ground." 

Bereuter and other Republicans will find out now that they are the majority 

that they "can't sit back and complain or go out on seek-and-destroy missions," 

said Exon, who will be bumped from important subcommittee chairmanships on the 

Armed Services Committee and Commerce Committee. 

A constitutional amendment for a balanced budget, which he supports, will p 

robably be approved with the Republican majorities. Exon said. Whether such acti 

on serves as a facade or is backed up by Republican proposals is the real test, 

said Exon. 

Bereuter said he recognizes that the Republicans have to produce reform. "I 

t won't be difficult," he said. 

Among the first steps he expects when the new Congress is sworn in is to ma 

ke good on a pledge to reduce the size of the Capitol Hill staff. 

Bereuter, as the state's highest ranking, most senior Republican, said he h 

as already begun working with other Republican officials to strengthen the state 

party. He said he talked Tuesday night and Wednesday with Rep. Bill Barrett Sta 

te Treasurer-elect David Heinemann and Secretary of State-elect Scott Moore abou 

t setting up a meeting with top GOP officials. 

In the past, he said, some of his efforts to play a larger role in the part 

y were resisted by other officials. Bereuter said he doesn't expect to face any 

such objections now. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats get top spots; Republicans look to future

TEXT[Democrats held on to two of the state's most important political offices bu 

t Republicans were left with a fistful of victors Wednesday, all of whom could c 

hallenge one another as well as some Democrats in the future. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey won a second term, defeating Republican Jan Stoney aft 

er a hard-fought and sometimes acrimonious campaign. He received 55 percent of t 

he vote, doing somewhat better than his own polling had projected. 

Kerrey said he was concerned that a sharply divided Congress, now controlle 

d by the GOP, would have a tough time governing effectively. 

Stoney praised Kerrey for his public service and good campaign and gave the 

impression that she might make another bid for the Senate, perhaps in 1996. Tha 

t is when U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., could seek a fourth term. 

Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson reveled in one of the biggest gubernatorial lan 

dslides of this century. He rolled up 74 percent of the vote in his victory over 

Republican Gene Spence. 

Nelson promptly said he was ready for his next term and promised initiative 

s to fight crime, revise some government programs and boost economic development 

. 

Despite Democratic victories at the top of the ticket, the election didn't 

leave the GOP's future without a shortage of ambitious incumbents, along with St 

oney. 

Republican newcomer Jon Christensen upset three-term Rep. Peter Hoagland, D 

-Neb., in the Omaha-dominated 2nd Congressional District. Christensen, 31, hadn' 

t voted in many elections but won a House seat in his first bid for public offic 

e, possibly marking himself for a political future. 

Other Republicans who claimed victories Tuesday, and could be expected to s 

eek more in the future: 

þ Scott Moore of Seward, who served eight years in the Legislature, was ele 

cted secretary of state, a job that can put someone before the news media if he 

wants it that way. 

þ Attorney General Don Stenberg, who made many headlines in his first term, 

was re-elected to a second term. 

þ Dave Heinemann was elected state treasurer. Heinemann once worked for for 

mer Congressman Hal Daub. 

þ Daub, who represented the 2nd District in the U.S. House from 1981 to 198 

8, advanced to a runoff election for Omaha mayor. Daub, who unsuccessfully ran t 

wice for Senate, will face City Council member Brenda Council in the runoff Dec. 

13. 

State Republican Party officials brushed aside any suggestion that Nelson a 

nd Kerrey's victories indicated weakness in the state GOP. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter hints at a Senate race 


he winning of a ninth term has Rep. Doug Bereuter talking about running for the 

Senate in 1996.


said. "We have not elected or reelected a (Republican) senator from Nebraska sin 

ce 1972," he noted. 




"They shouldn't be casting covetous eyes elsewhere," he said. "He (Bereuter 

) wants to be staking a claim in the Republican Party. It's like some wild anima 

l leaving its mark on the ground." 


r former President Ronald Reagan won reelection by a landslide, Exon defeated Na 

ncy Hoch by 25,000 votes. 







aska GOP. 

In the past, Bereuter said his efforts to play a larger role in the state p 

arty have been resisted by other officials, but he doesn't expect that to happen 

now. 

He said he talked Tuesday night and Wednesday with Rep. Bill Barrett of Lex 

ington, R-3rd District, who won a third term in western Nebraska's 3rd District, 

Treasurer-elect Dave Heinemann of Fremont and Secretary of State-elect Scott Mo 

ore of Seward about setting up a meeting with top GOP officials. 

In addition to victories by Heinemann and Moore in statewide races, Republi 

cans claimed another top elected spot when Jon Christensen of Omaha defeated inc 

umbent Democrat Peter Hoagland of Omaha in the 2nd District. 

Hoagland said he wasn't sure voters realize what they'll he getting in a Co 

ngress with Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., as speaker of the next House of Represent 

atives. 

"Gingrich is a political animal focused entirely on acquiring power," Hoagl 

and said. "He is not interested in making things work better. People are going t 

o be even more disillusioned and frustrated than they are now." 

Hoagland's race against Christensen was noted for their attacks against eac 

h other, but on Wednesday Hoagland had no ill words. 

"He has a tough job, one of the toughest in the country," Hoagland said. "W 

e'll have to see how he does." 



AUTH[Dave Zelio 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson shows he's Nebraska's hot Democrat 

TEXT[The day before Tuesday's election, Gov. Ben Nelson leaned over a reporter t 

o glance at a story on the high school football team from his hometown of McCook 

.

Nelson said he was a little nervous, even after he learned McCook had defea 

ted Blair 32-28. The one-term Democrat had shown up for the game at Blair in Was 

hington County and was afraid people might have resented it and decided to vote 

for Republican challenged Gene Spence. 

Nelson must have been joking. 

On Tuesday, Nelson rolled to the largest plurality ever for a Nebraska Demo 

cratic governor in this largely Republican state. He steamrolled Spence 74 per c 

ent to 26 percent to become the first Nebraska governor in 20 years to win re-el 

ection. 

Nelson won with the largest percentage in any of the country's statewide ra 

ces for elected office. He lost only two of Nebraska's 93 counties. 

So how is it that an insurance executive and attorney who won his party's n 

omination for governor four years ago by only 42 votes wasn't among such Democra 

tic casualties as Govs. Mario Cuomo of New York and Ann Richards of Texas? 

"People in Nebraska know I've been able to build a bipartisan base and get 

things done," Nelson said Wednesday. "If you're able to do that you escape their 

wrath, their sword. The so-called juggernaut that moved across America spared e 

lected officials who stayed in touch. Nebraskans liked the last four years." 

Polls showed Nelson was popular, sometimes up by 40 points. Spence said he 

couldn't raise money in what looked like a lost cause and many in the Republican 

party didn't like Spence's abortion rights stand. 

Nelson apparently could do no wrong. At least nine daily newspapers across 

the state endorsed his re-election bid, praising his "no-nonsense" leadership in 

economic and agriculture issues and his friendly rapport. 

Analysts figured the race was Nelson's to lose. 


duals who don't strike people as being that much different on the issues," said 

Robert Miewald, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Linc 

oln. 

Miewald called Nelson "a competent caretaker and that's what Nebraskans exp 

ect in the governor's office." 

Spence couldn't secure old-line Republican support, including that of a for 

mer Republican governor Spence helped get elected in 1986. Former Gov. Kay Orr a 

nd three other former GOP governors endorsed another candidate in this season's 

Republican gubernatorial primary. 

More than a week before the general election, Spence himself estimated his 

chances of victory at 100-to-1, stunning his running mate and GOP leaders. Last 

Friday, Spence said it would "probably take a political miracle" to get elected. 

"I was obviously not the right candidate, and it showed," Spence said. "I t 

hink 100-to-1 was quite fair. You can evade (the poll figures) for only so long, 

but eventually, you have to talk about it." 

Spence, a longtime member of the Omaha Public Power District board, also at 

tributed his poor showing to GOP opposition to his abortion rights stance. 

Spence claimed state GOP leaders abandoned him because of the issue. When P 

hil Young, the state's Republican Party executive director, greeted him four day 

s before the election, Spence joked: "Look! Look! It's a Republican! Someone fro 

m the Republican Party!" 

"In Nebraska, I think only a pro-life Republican should run, unless you hav 

e some really definitive issues to carry you in," Spence said. "I miscalculated 

my own party's reluctance to support someone who was 'a moderate.'" 

Spence also said he ran out of money a month before the election. By Nov. 2

, Nelson had four times as much cash on hand as Spence ($272,293 to $64,547). 

Nelson posted the third-largest winning percentage in a Nebraska gubernator 

ial election (behind Republican Dwight Griswold's 76 percent in 1944 and 74.8 pe 

rcent in 1940). Spence was gracious. 

"I think Nebraskans were quite satisfied with what they had the last four y 

ears," he said. "Even if I had the Republican pro-life vote, I think we would ha 

ve come up short. They don't know Nelson that well, but they know him a lot bett 

er than me." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter could challenge Exon for Senate seat in '96 


he winning of a ninth term has got Rep. Doug Bereuter talking about a possible r 

un for the Senate in 1996. 

I will look at that opportunity and make that decision in 1995," Bereuter s 

aid. "We have not had a (Republican) senator from Nebraska since 1972," he said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., will most likely run for his fourth term in 1996 and 

has a high approval rate among Nebraskans. 


about what's best for the nation and the state of Nebraska," Exon said. "He want 

s to be staking a claim in the Republican Party. It's like some wild animal leav 

ing its mark on the ground." 










aska GOP. 



Heineman and Secretary of State-elect Scott Moore about setting up a meeting wi 

th top GOP officials. 



o happen now. 

GOP challenger Jon Christensen narrowly defeated three-term 2nd District Re 

p. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., to make it a clean Republican sweep of Nebraska's U.S 

. House delegation. 

While Republicans rejoiced, Democrats adjusted. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, who defeated Republican challenger Jan Stoney for his seco 

nd term, said the elections were a sharp rebuke of President Clinton. 

Asked how Clinton could use his political expertise to improve the situatio

n, Kerrey said, "He is going to have to acquire political expertise." 

Democrats also must change, Kerrey said. 

"Democrats are labeled the party of programs," Kerrey said. But too often t 

he programs lack value, he said. 

Kerrey said he spoke on the telephone with dozens of fellow senators about 

how to get work done in a Republican-controlled Congress. 

"It's certainly fair to predict gridlock," Kerrey said. 

"I think we were caught up in a massive Republican landslide in the entire 

country," said Gil Chapin of Grand Island, Barrett's Democratic challenger. 

Hoagland said he wasn't sure voters realize what they'll be getting in a Co 

ngress with Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., as speaker of the next House of Represent 

atives. 

"Gingrich is a political animal focused entirely on acquiring power," Hoagl 

and said. "He is not interested in making things work better. People are going t 

o be even more disillusioned and frustrated than they are now." 

Hoagland said the defeat will give him more time to spend with his family. 

He also didn't rule out running for Congress again. 



AUTH[Jack H. Lowe 


BK#[ 

HDLN[People, Places & Things 

TEXT[POST-ELECTION MUSINGS: The election is over, thank goodness, and the tv bar 

rage has ended for the time being. I continue to insist that if the Lord had kno 

wn we were going to have tv, he would have given us a brain to cope with it. 

It's true that the elephant never forgets. In the last 64 years Democrats h 

ave controlled the U.S. Senate for 54 years; that's 84 percent of the time. In t 

hat same period Democrats have controlled the House for 60 years; that's 93 perc 

ent of the time. In those 64 years Democrats have had control of The White House 

for 36 years; that's 56 percent of the time. But the old elephant never forgets 

. He came romping back Tuesday, stomping everything in his path, except in the " 

politically odd-ball" state of Nebraska where we still have a Democrat governor 

and two United States Senators who now will be in a minority party. 

And speaking of Democrats. I am a registered Democrat. After watching the r 

eturns Tuesday night I came downtown armed with a loaded gun for personal protec 

tion Wednesday morning. I learned this self-protection gambit from the late Lee 

Gain, who ran for sheriff against the late Bill Schulz many years ago and got ve 

ry few votes. I remember him saying: "Anyone who doesn't have any more friends t 

han I do needs to be armed at all times". 

There is one thing you can always expect from the American voter. It is the 

unexpected. 

It's too bad that Jan Stoney wasn't running for a county office in Cheyenne 

County. She soundly whipped incumbent Bob Kerrey in the balloting Tuesday. The 

GOP appears to be alive and well in this county. The old elephant has nothing to 

worry about around here. 

I knew Sen. Gerald Matzke's father, Stan Matzke, Sr., who also was a state 

senator in his day. He is among the departed now, but if he were still around I 

can visualize him telling all his cronies: "Yes, that's my son Gerald". Sen. Mat

zke's mother would be exultant, too, but not as vocal as her husband. It sort of 

restores your faith in family values. 

I've always thought that Sidney is a hard town for newcomers to crack, but 

it didn't take Suzanne Moore long to make her mark. She was elected to the city 

council Tuesday with a very complimentary vote and can take justifiable personal 

pleasure in the knowledge that Sidney not only has accepted her but is willing 

to put itself in her hands as she helps guide the future of this very busy town. 

It will be a learning process at the courthouse. There will be a new county 

clerk (Beth Fiegenschuh) and two new commissioners, Harold Winkleman and John E 

lwell. Fortunately, they will take over an agenda which seems to be well managed 

and in very good shape. Bud Rankin, with two years of experience on the board, 

will be the other commissioner in this challenging scenario. The transition shou 

ld be a smooth one. 

In days of yore when England was Old England, the Lord High Sheriff was the 

top figure in public affairs. Even the king didn't fool around with the Lord Hi 

gh Sheriff: he was a man to be respected because he had clout and he knew where 

all the bodies were buried in case of doubt. Obviously, Cheyenne County has elev 

ated Darrell Johnson to the position of Lord High Sheriff. No one challenged him 

on the ballot Tuesday; even if we had a 'County King' I doubt if he would have 

stepped forth. Sheriff Johnson will be around for at least another four years, a 

nd that's evidence that his subjects are very well pleased with his performance. 

One of the public officials I will miss in western Nebraska is Don Overman, 

who served the City of Scottsbluff as its mayor for almost 20 years. I always l 

ooked upon him as the Mayor of the Panhandle because he was decidedly unprovinci 

al in his activities and influence. He certainly deserves a rest from the daily 

grind of public life, but he will be missed when we need a strong and convincing 

presence in Lincoln or Washington. 

When I was a young reporter for The Sidney Telegraph covering the elections 

, the returns dribbled in very slowly. We always figured to be at the county cle 

rk's office until two or three in the morning; then it was up at six to get to w 

ork and get the complete story in the paper. Henry Pavlat was the first county c 

lerk I remember in those days; Ike Pindell came along later and remained for man 

y years. They always had doughnuts and a pot of coffee to help us stay out the n 

ight. And occasionally, a friend would come along with something stronger to hel 

p us survive those long hours. Ah, youth! What fun it was! 

Back in those days they held city caucuses to nominate their choices for ci 

ty council. Historically, Clayt Radcliffe would chair the caucus; Leon Fine woul 

d be recording secretary. You could just about guess in advance who would show u 

p for the caucus and who would be nominated. You didn't see many women in the ca 

ucus audiences, and there were none in public office. In that respect, thank goo 

dness, time has marched in the proper direction. 

The exit poll reports following last Tuesday's election indicated that Bob 

Kerrey was more popular with women voters than Jan Stoney. Help me out! How do y 

ou figure it? 

When Sidney was changing over to the city manager form of government in the 

1940's and a new city council of five members was to be elected I decided to fi 

le. I thought I probably would head the ticket, given all the work I did in beha 

lf of city management. But when the vote was tallied, I just barely squeaked out 

in fifth place. My ego has never been the same since then. 

I voted against term limits. I think some of the results of the national el 

ection justify that vote. Across the country, in a great GOP sweep, the gains we

e made in open races where no incumbents were involved. The incumbents survived 

Tuesday's blood bath very well, which indicates to me that incumbency is not th 

e part of our government that is under attack. I think term limits is a mistake, 

but by two-to-one margin, other Nebraskans showed what they think of my opinion 

. 

Voters in Union Valley precinct almost made it unanimous for Harold Winklem 

an as their county commissioner, which wasn't surprising because the Winkleman n 

ame has always commanded high respect up around the Dalton/Gurley area. Harold m 

ay feel a bit lonely, sitting over there at the courthouse in that nest of Repub 

licans, but he will adjust very well. Let's see! Was the George Winkleman I knew 

as a young man Harold's father or grandfather? 

Jan Stoney will only be two years older in 1996. There are strong hints tha 

t Jim Exon may be ready to retire, which opens up a United States Senate seat. 

Based on the strong support Nebraskans gave Mrs. Stoney Tuesday in her race agai 

nst Bob Kerrey, it's possible that she could be elected in 1996 (if she chooses 

to run again) and be Nebraska's first woman senator. But not the first to assert 

great influence in Washington. Remember Virigina Smith? 

And speaking of women public officials, Kimball has elected a woman for may 

or. But it isn't a first in this part of the state. Lee Ellen Matzke served Sidn 

ey in that capacity not too long ago. 

Carter Kokjer's interest in aviation which led him to file for Sidney Airpo 

rt Authority is not surprising. His grandfather (Tom Kokjer) was a flyer in Worl 

d War 1. He got badly banged up in a plane crash, spent several months in a hosp 

ital, and that's where he met his wife Isobel. She was his nurse. 

Help me out! Many years ago there was a couple living on a farm up north of 

Potter who served as election officials. They always came in late because they 

were a long distance away and counting ballots was a slow process before the com 

puter speeded it up. She always wore a hat (I often suspected she even slept wit 

h her hat on) and she was widely known as "The Hat Lady". l remember her with gr 

eat respect and affection but I can't recall the name. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Quake-Proofing Lincoln Building Foolish 

TEXT[Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., has urged a federal agency to reconsider its plans 

to spend several hundred thousand dollars to protect a government building in Li 

ncoln against earthquake damage. 

"Lincoln, Nebraska, is certainly at the lower end of risk for an occurrence 

such as an earthquake," Exon said in a letter to the General Services Administr 

ation (GSA). 

"Exceeding building codes ... for earthquake protection or as another examp 

le of waste, tidal waves, is foolhardy," Exon said Thursday. 

He said the work to be done includes securing and reinforcing pipes and cei 

ling lights and bolting down file cabinets and shelves. 

Exon said that if the work is done it probably would make the Robert Denney 

Federal Building the only building in the city that is earthquake proof.

"An ever-continuing concern of mine is the government's lack of setting pre 

cedents for spending programs," Exon said in the letter to GSA Administrator Rog 

er Johnson. 

A GSA spokesman, Ann Marshall, said Friday that Johnson was unavailable for 

comment on the Veterans Day holiday. 



AUTH[Judy Keen and Jessica Lee 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Defeated Democrats fear the worst at hands of Republicans 

TEXT[When voters turned Congress into a Republican power base, President Clinton 

insists they weren't signaling that they wanted the GOP to actually run the sho 

w. 

What voters really meant, he said Thursday, is "they want us to... stop pla 

ying politics now and start pulling together. I know we can do it." 

That may be more wish than fact. 

If they want to, Republicans can slam dunk every bill Clinton sends to Cong 

ress. The GOP can bring to the floor, and pass, dozens of measures that might ne 

ver have gotten out of Democrat-controlled committees. 

And Democrats will probably only rarely be able to muster enough votes to s 

ustain a Clinton veto. 

The sole tactic left for Democrats may well be that age-old and oft-ridicul 

ed GOP roadblock: the filibuster. 

"The big unknown is whether this anti-Democratic, scorched earth, political 

demolition derby we've been in for the last six months is going to continue or 

do we really work together," says Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio. 

Many Democrats fear there's little chance of collaboration. "What the Repub 

licans will try to do is deny Clinton any victory that would enhance his chances 

to get reelected," says Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. 

White House legislative aides say it's hard to predict the fate of Clinton' 

s initiatives until details like ratios of Republicans to Democrats on subcommit 

tees are worked out. 

They acknowledge the overall rightward tilt of the new House will mean a fl 

ood of GOP legislation. But they believe there's a chance - especially in the fi 

rst few months - to push some of their own bills through. 

In the House, says White House chief lobbyist Pat Griffin, "Finding a major 

ity is going to be a challenge for both... You really do have to let things play 

out for awhile. The Republicans have to figure out how to align themselves." 

Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., who will be ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget 

Committee, called on Democrats "not to give up on all their fundamental principl 

es and not roll over and play dead, but to recognize that people have elected th 

e Republicans the majority. I hope Democrats won't fall into the trap of using t 

he filibuster to get even." 

Clinton noted that Republicans helped the Democratic majority enact educati 

on reform, trade pacts, national service and the crime bill. 

"I am ready to share responsibility with the Republican Party," he said. "I 

ask them only to join me in the center of public debate, the place where the be

st ideas for the next generation must arise." 

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., says Clinton still may be able to exert control: 

"The president still has the equivalent of 290 votes in the House and 67 votes i 

n the Senate. He has the veto." 

Republicans, now in the driver's seat, will bring votes on their 10-point " 

Contract With America," including spending cuts, tax breaks and increased defens 

e spending. All would have died in the current Congress. 

And liberal House Democrats fear the worst as new Speaker Newt Gingrich, R- 

Ga., pushes a conservative social agenda. 

"I'm... worried about family, children's and women's issues," says Rep. Pat 

Schroeder, D-Colo. 

Schroeder fears a move to roll back the Family and Medical Leave Act and th 

e law allowing use of federal funds for abortion counseling. 

The House will be especially polarized, many Democrats predict, because mod 

erate Democrats tend to come from districts that are the most competitive, so ma 

ny of them lost in Tuesday's GOP steamroller. 

Democrats must be prepared for the attack, says Rep. John Lewis D-Ga. "We m 

ust be the loyal opposition and defend those things the federal government does 

that work. 

"Americans want changes. But they don't want to do away with services for s 

enior citizens, low-income people, the disabled. They want to be fair," Lewis sa 

ys. 

"There are areas where clearly we can work together," Clinton said Thursday 

. "Welfare reform, congressional reform, the line item veto, continuing efforts 

to reduce and reinvent government." 

Basically, the White House hopes Republicans share their interpretation of 

Tuesday's results: Voters don't want gridlock, they want action. 

"There'll be plenty of good debates about what the right course is for the 

country, but nobody can ignore the voters' disenchantment with politics that's t 

oo partisan and points fingers instead of getting things done," says Bruce Reed, 

a Clinton domestic policy adviser. 

"Both sides heard the voters say that they're going to keep us all on a sho 

rt leash," he said. 

Says senior Clinton adviser George Stephanopoulos: "We have to meet in the 

center." 

Waxman says he'll be surprised if Republicans are willing to do that. "If w 

e look at their actions in the last two years and see them falling in the same p 

attern in the next two years," he says, "I dread the results." 

And retiring Rep. Tim Penny, D-Minn., says Clinton will resort to vetoes if 

Republicans repeal the Brady gun control law and enact a balanced-budget amendm 

ent: "Except for a handful of issues, the liberals are going to be in the wilder 

ness." 





BK 

HDLN[Nebraskans Recall Veterans Sacrifice

TEXT[Nebraskans observed Veterans Day on Friday with parades, memorial dedicatio 

ns and speeches. 

In a ceremony at the Grand Island Veterans Home, past District 6 American L 

egion Commander Harvey Goodwin said the nation has lost respect for military vet 

erans. 

"People don't understand really what a veteran is anymore, what he's done, 

where he's been, what this country would be if we didn't have veterans," Goodwin 

said. 

He said veterans should be remembered every day of the year, not just Veter 

ans and Memorial days. 

Government offices were closed and there was no mail delivery. 

In Lincoln, the state Pearl Harbor Survivors Association dedicated a memori 

al monument to those who served during the battle. About 400 people attended, in 

cluding Gov. Ben Nelson, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon and Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns, said 

Burt Amgwert, the association's Nebraska chairman. 

In Omaha, veterans groups sponsored a parade that ended with a ceremony at 

the city's Memorial Park. 

In York, the American Legion dedicated a marble memorial to veterans of all 

wars from York County. 

American Legion Senior Vice Commander Bob Zersen of Doniphan was among spea 

kers scheduled for the event on the front lawn of the York County Courthouse. 

In Kearney, a parade was planned for the late afternoon, followed by the re 

-dedication of the city's Civil War monument in memory of all veterans. 

Honored guests were members of the Daughters of Union Veterans, a group tha 

t will hold its national convention next year in Kearney. 

The event was sponsored by the Central Nebraska Welcome Home Committee. The 

event will bring to a close the formal existence of the committee formed in 199 

1 to present the salute to all veterans on July 3 that year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Leftovers from the election 

TEXT[Call it an Election Reflection, if you will. But I can't resist looking bac 

k at the election and highlighting some of the oddities resulting from democracy 

in action. 

For the most part the Hastings and area elections were mundane. There was l 

ittle to get excited about unless you had a friend up for election, or were conc 

erned about whether Gene Spence would get any votes in his quest for the governo 

r's mansion. 

But elsewhere there was change, lots of change. Bill Clinton and Big Govern 

ment are likely still reeling from the Election Day Massacre that saw Democrats 

across the country sent heading for the unemployment lines. 

Amid all the carnage, there were some lighter moments. Sparing no expense, 

and taking an afternoon to glean through stacks of area and regional newspapers 

and a collection of other miscellaneous sources, I have uncovered the following 

interesting tidbits:

-One day after winning his ninth campaign for Congress, Nebraska 1st Distri 

ct Rep. Doug Bereuter is already casting his eye towards 1996 and Jim Exon's Neb 

raska Senate seat. Considering that Exon is planning a run for a third term, per 

haps Bereuter should first attend to business at hand and help take care of GOP 

promises for reform. 

(We see this scenario in the Democratic Party plans: Exon will run for his 

third term and retire toward the end of 1998, giving Gov. Ben Nelson the chance 

to appoint himself to finish the final four years of Exon's term. That gives Nel 

son a four-year headstart for the next election. Without that help, Nelson is ou 

t of a job at the end of 1988, with no senate seat open at that time.) 

-In Boone County, Larry Bird was elected county attorney. Not THAT Larry Bi 

rd, but the Larry Bird who currently serves as Boone County attorney. Bird got 9 

0 write-in votes to edge assistant county attorney Don Theobald, who had 77 writ 

e-in votes. Bird had refused to run for the post again, and there were no declar 

ed candidates for the job. 

Nebraska voters indeed sent mixed signals to the "bums" so many Americans t 

hrew out of office. On one hand, Nebraskans approved a poorly-written and ill-co 

nceived term limit initiative. On the other hand, they retained a governor, sena 

tor, two of three congressmen and one of two state constitutional officers facin 

g an election day challenge. The question here? How long before the term limit i 

ssue ends up in Nebraska courts? 

-Most meaningless campaign commercial? Charlton Heston, bad rug and all, st 

umping for the Jane Stoney/NRA ticket against Bob Kerrey. Who needs a Hollywood 

actor to tell Nebraskans how to vote? 

-The award for the most meaningless fax goes to the Nebraska Democrats. Lat 

e in the campaign that august group sent a fax indicating that Stoney didn't kno 

w the law as it related to...mattress tags. Stoney was quoted as saying "If we c 

an protect mailboxes and make it illegal to tear the tag off your mattress, it j 

ust seems logical we can protect our nation's symbol from flag burners." That's 

a reasonable statement, except for the fact that it isn't illegal to tear those 

mattress tags. But the Dems used two pages of a fax to chastise and scold Stoney 

for her faux pas. 

-Our vote for the least prepared candidate to win office? George W. Bush in 

Texas may have ousted incumbent Gov. Ann Richards, but he arrived at his pollin 

g place without identification. He had to sign an affidavit declaring he was who 

he said he was before he was allowed to vote. 

-In Hamilton County, voters decided not to expand the county board from thr 

ee to five members. In Dawson County, the opposite was true, and that county's b 

oard will grow from three to five. 

-If there were an award for "Mr. Squeaky Clean," it would have to go to Gov 

. Ben Nelson. How odd that Nelson, who ran nary a negative commercial or adverti 

sement, won in a gigantic landslide. Were any other candidates or campaign advis 

ors watching? 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Bereuter worry about campaign costs

TEXT[Democratic U.S. Sen. Jim Exon and Republican Rep. Doug Bereuter, whose long 

standing differences could pit them against one another at the polls in 1996, ag 

ree on the need for campaign finance reform. 

They also agree that the negative trend in campaigns needs to be curbed. 

And they agree that it won't be easy to accomplish either goal. 

"Millionaires are becoming ever more prominent in politics because, unfortu 

nately, if you're not worth a million dollars you better not get in the race, an 

d that is true even in Nebraska to some extent," Exon said. 

Bereuter and Exon said the costs of a statewide campaign, such as a Senate 

race, virtually bar ordinary citizens from seeking the office. 

In separate interviews, both men said too much money was being spent on too 

many consultants who recommended too many negative television advertisements. 

"You ask me if I am inclined to run at this time and the answer to that is 

yes, but I am not going to bleed everyone in the state or the country for money, 


Both men favor limits on campaign spending but acknowledge that the U.S. Su 

preme Court has held that the government can't limit what an individual's use of 

personal fortune, such as Huffington's. 

"I wish the Supreme Court could be persuaded to revisit that question," Ber 

euter said. 

Nebraska's recent Senate race featured incumbent Democrat Bob Kerrey and Re 

publican Jan Stoney; each had personal fortunes in excess of $1 million. 

Kerrey ran the seventh most expensive Senate campaign per vote received in 

the country. Figures compiled by The Associated Press show he spent at least $3 

,298,062 to garner 314,442 votes, or $10.49 per vote. That was also the fifth mo 

st expensive winning campaign, per vote, for a Senate seat. 

Kerrey spent more than twice the amount per vote than Stoney did. She spent 

at least $1,391,958 in winning 258,417 votes or $5.39 per vote. That was the 25 

th highest amount spent per vote by a Senate candidate this year. 

"Obviously campaigns are too expensive and we need to figure out a way to r 

eform the system so that there are some limitations," Kerrey said. "Let's also a 

cknowledge that for a lot of reasons this is easier said than done." 

"The problem with the system we have now is that campaigns are so expensive 

and candidates are out there, asking for money, and people have the perception 

that you are selling yourself," Kerrey said. 

Bereuter, the Republican elected to a ninth House term, matched Exon's enth 

usiasm for revising campaign funding rules. Bereuter has said he will announce i 

n 1995 whether he will seek the GOP Senate nomination. 

Exon and Bereuter agreed that a Senate race in Nebraska shouldn't cost more 

than $2 million if the money is well spent and the campaign is on the high road 

. 

Both men also said they don't like fund-raising. 

"The integrity of the system is threatened, in the public's eyes, by what i 

s going on today," Bereuter said. 

Kerrey exceeded the median spending level for incumbents and Stoney did the 

same for challengers. The median for an incumbent was over $2.7 million, while 

the median for a challenger was $846,591. The median figure means half the candi 

dates spent more and half spent less than that amount. 

Still, Kerrey's spending per-vote was well below the $16.7 million $19.17 s 

pent per vote by Republican Oliver North, who lost his Senate bid in Virginia bu 

t led the nation in Senate candidate spending per vote received. The unsuccessfu

l bid of California Republican Michael Huffington cost more than $25.2 million b 

ut worked out to a mere $7.23 per vote. 

"The figures are disgusting... they are an international disgrace," Exon sa 

id. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Statewide, people celebrate Vets Day 





erans. 



said. 









the city's Memorial Pair. 



American Legion Senior Vice Commander Bob Zersen of 

Doniphan was among speakers scheduled for the event on the front lawn of the Yor 

k County Courthouse. 







1 to present the salute to all veterans program on July 3 of that year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter, Exon share concerns about high cost












the country. Figures compiled by The Associated Press show he spent at least $3, 

298,062 to garner 314,442 votes, or $10.49 per vote. That was also the fifth mos 

t expensive winning campaign, per vote, for a Senate seat. 

Kerrey spent more than twice the amount per vote than Mrs. Stoney did. She 

spent at least $1,391,958 in winning 258,417 votes or $5.39 per vote. That was t 

he 25th highest amount spent per vote by a Senate candidate this year. 

Both spent more than the $3.25 per vote median spent by Senate candidates n 

ationwide. 




On one hand, Kerrey said, "it is good that a candidate has to go out and sa 

y, This is what l am about, this is what I believe, this is what I will support 

and oppose, and ask people and convince people to support their candidacy by wri 

ting a check. 

"I don't think it is good to have a system where someone can make a minimal 

effort and have the taxpayers drop a check on them for several million dollars, 

" he said. 




Exon, a Democrat who served two terms as governor before winning three sena 

torial elections, said Congress or the major political parties should agree on c 

ampaign standard before 1996. 

Bereuter, the Republican elected to a ninth House term matched Exon's enthu 

siasm of revising campaign funding rules. Bereuter has said he will announce in 

1995 whether he will seek the GOP Senate nomination. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans officially remember veterans with parades, ceremonies 





erans.



said. 









the city's Memorial Park. 



American Legion Senior Vice Commander Bob Zersen of Doniphan was among spea 

kers scheduled for the event on the front lawn of the York County Courthouse. 







1 to present the salute to all veterans program on July 3 of that year. 

A program at Lewiston School in Virginia, Neb., was to feature Chuck Hagel, 

former deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration, who now is presiden 

t of McCarthy & Co., a privately owned investment firm based in Omaha. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State remembers veterans Friday 


ns and speeches. In a ceremony at the Grand Island Veterans Home, past District 

6 American Legion Commander Harvey Goodwin said the nation has lost respect for 

military veterans. 

"People don't understand really, what, a veteran is anymore, what he's done 

, where he's been, what this country would be if we didn't have veterans," Goodw 

in said. 



Government offices were closed and there was no mall delivery. 






the city's Memorial Park.


noon, followed by the rededication of the city's Civil War monument in memory o 

f all veterans. 



The event was sponsored by the Central Nebraska Welcome Home Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey spends $10.49 per vote 















Kerrey spent more than twice the amount per vote than Stoney did. She spent 


th highest amount spent per vote by a Senate candidate this year. 


ation-wide. 





y, 'This is what I am about, this is what I believe, this is what I will support 

and oppose,' and ask people and convince people to support their candidacy by w 

riting a check. 



" he said. 





torial elections, said Congress or the major political parties should agree on c 

ampaign standards before 1996. 

Bereuter, the Republican elected to a ninth House term, matched Exon's enth

usiasm for revising campaign funding rules. Bereuter has said he will announce i 

n 1995 whether he will seek the GOP Senate nomination. 

Exon and Bereuter agreed that a Senate race in Nebraska shouldn't cost more 

than $2 million if the money is well spent and the campaign is on the high road 

. 

Both men also said they don't like fund-raising. 

"The integrity of the system is threatened, in the public's eyes, by what i 

s going on today," Bereuter said. 

Kerrey exceeded the median spending level for incumbents and Stoney did the 

same for challengers. The median for an incumbent was over $2.7 million, while 

the median for a challenger was $846,591. The median figure means half the candi 

dates spent more and half spent less than that amount. 

Kerrey's spending was more than twice the $5.04 median per-vote amount spen 

t by Senate incumbents. Stoney's spending was more than twice the $2.39 median p 

er-vote spending by Senate challengers. 

Still, Kerrey's spending per-vote was well below the $16.7 million $19.17 s 

pent per vote by Republican Oliver North, who lost his Senate bid in Virginia bu 

t led the nation in Senate candidate spending per vote received. The unsuccessfu 

l bid of California Republican Michael Huffington cost more than $25.2 million, 

but worked out to a mere $7.23 per vote. 

"The figures are disgusting... they are an international disgrace," Exon sa 

id. 

Bereuter and Exon said the costs of a statewide campaign, such as a Senate 

race, virtually bar ordinary citizens from seeking the office. 

In separate interviews, both men said too much money was being spent on too 

many consultants who recommended too many negative television advertisements. 

"You ask me if I am inclined to run at this time and the answer to that is 

yes, but I am not going to bleed everyone in the state or the country for money, 


Both men favor limits on campaign spending but acknowledge that the U.S. Su 

preme Court has held that the government can't limit what an individual's use of 

personal fortune, such as Huffington's. 

"I wish the Supreme Court could be persuaded to revisit that question," Ber 

euter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Many ceremonies mark Veterans Day 

TEXT[Nebraskans observed Veterans Day with parades, memorial dedications and spe 

eches Friday. 

In Lincoln, American Legion Post 3 held a flag retirement service, a marker 

in Bowling Park honoring the Lincoln Air Force Base was dedicated, a program wa 

s held at the VA Medical Center, and Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC units present 

ed a formal military retreat. 

Also in Lincoln, the state Pearl Harbor Survivors Association dedicated a m 

emorial monument to those who served during the battle. About 400 people attende 

d, including Gov. Ben Nelson, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon and Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns,

said Burt Amgwert, the association's Nebraska chairman. 

Government offices were closed, and there was no mail delivery. 

In a ceremony at the Grand Island Veterans Home, former District 6 American 

Legion Commander Harvey Goodwin said the nation has lost respect for military v 

eterans. 


where he's been what this country would be if we didn't have veterans," Goodwin 

said. 

He said veterans should be remembered every day of the year, not only on Ve 

terans and Memorial days. 


Memorial Park. 

In York, the American Legion dedicated a marble memorial to all war veteran 

s from York County. 

In Kearney a parade was held, followed by re-dedication of the city's Civil 

War monument in memory of all veterans. Honored guests were members of the Daug 

hters of Union Veterans, a group that will hold its national convention next yea 

r in Kearney. 

A program at Lewiston School in Virginia featured Chuck Hagel, former deput 

y administrator of the Veterans Administration, who now is president of McCarthy 

& Co., an Omaha investment firm. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Officials decry campaign costs 





They agree that it won't be easy to accomplish either goal. 



d that is true even In Nebraska to some extent," Exon said. 



Kerrey ran the seventh-most expensive Senate campaign per vote received in 




Kerrey spent more than twice the amount per vote that Stoney did. She spent 


th-highest amount spent per vote by a Senate candidate this year. 


ationwide. 


eform the system so that there are some limitations," Kerrey said. "Let's also a




" he said. 



that you are selling yourself," Kerrey said. Exon said Congress or the major po 

litical parties should agree on campaign standards before 1996. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Officials decry campaign costs 












the country. Figures compiled by The Associated Press show he spent at least $3. 

298.062 to garner 314,442 votes, or $10.49 per vote. That was also the fifth mos 


Kerrey spent more than twice the amount per vote than Mrs. Stoney did. She 

spent at least $1,391,958 in winning 258,417 votes or $5.39 per vote. That was t 

he 25th highest amount spent per vote by a Senate candidate this year. 


ationwide. 


eform the system so that there are some limitations." Kerrey said. "Let's also a 



y 'This is what I am about, this is what I believe, this is what I will support 

and oppose,' and ask people and convince people to support their candidacy by wr 

iting a check. 



" he said. 





torial elections, said Congress or the major political parties should agree on c

ampaign standards before 1996. 



AUTH[Marcia Gorham 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Democrats' Grapes Sour 

TEXT[My, my, my - the grapes are a little sour after the election. According to 

a Nov. 10 article, Sen. J.J. Exon has indicated he is likely to seek a fourth te 

rm. Yet when Rep. Doug Bereuter mulls over the same issue, Mr. Exon says "it's l 

ike some wild animal leaving its mark on the ground." 

Democrats are practicing bipartisanship and cooperation, yet Mr. Exon uses 

comments such as "seek and destroy" and "sit back and complain" to describe Repu 

blicans. Sounds like the minority shoe is on the other foot and now it pinches. 

Is this the beginning of Mr. Exon's 1996 negative campaign to retain his Senate 

seat? l hope not. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP tidal wave also washed into many statehouses 

TEXT[Voters on Tuesday put Republicans in control of Congress, ending a 40-year 

power drought for the GOP. 

The development has been heralded as a major event, but voters caused anoth 

er political earthquake as well. 

Nationally, out of the 98 partisan senates, assemblies, or houses of repres 

entatives, Democrats had the majority in 64 before the election. Republicans wer 

e the kingpins in only 31 chambers. In three legislative bodies, Democrats and R 

epublicans held the same number of seats. Nebraska, with its officially nonparti 

san unicameral, was split, with 24 seats held by Democrats, 24 by Republicans an 

d one by an independent. 

Then came the Tuesday temblor. Republicans gained control of 15 chambers at 

the Democrats' expense, and now have the most seats in 46 partisan legislative 

bodies. Three chambers remain tied. Nebraska has slightly tilted to the GOP, 25- 

23-1. 

"The Republican gains are phenomenal," an amazed state Sen. Don Wesely of L 

incoln said after checking into the matter. "Before the election, state legislat 

ures were heavily Democratic. Now, in terms of control, they are virtually even. 

" 

Rep. Doug Bereuter won re-election and then said he is thinking about runni 

ng for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jim Exon two years from now. That leaves Ber 

euter's latest vanquished foe. Patrick Combs. a likely Democratic contender for 

the 1st District seat in 1996. 

But Wesely, a Democrat who toyed with the idea of a House run before, has b

een encouraged by supporters to consider jumping into the race two years hence. 

"It seems a little inconsiderate to voters to win an election and in a matt 

er of days start talking about running for another seat," said Wesely, who just 

won a fifth term. "It's a possibility, but I'm really concentrating getting read 

y for next session." 

Republican picks 'em 

Three weeks ago, two mystery guests made predictions on the lively Omaha le 

gislative races in this column. Phantom Republican had the crystal ball, picking 

five of the six contests correctly. Phantom Democrat chose right four times. 

Phantom Republican correctly predicted that businessman Jim Jensen would de 

feat Sen. Jessie Rasmussen, sister of U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey. 

Phantom Democrat stumbled when he picked Rasmussen. He also selected Tom Sk 

utt Jr., a Republican, to defeat Democrat Pam Brown, but she won. 

Phantom Republican said Rasmussen lost partly because Jensen hit her hard o 

n crime and the death penalty. Jensen received more money than Rasmussen. Two ye 

ars ago, the boundaries of the mainly Republican district were changed, which al 

so hurt Rasmussen because she lost part of her previous support base. 

Crime was an issue in most of the Omaha races, including the one between st 

ate Sen. Jim Monen and Republican attorney Kermit Brashear. In that district, Br 

ashear had the clear advantage because the district had 5,000 more registered Re 

publicans than Democrats. Brashear also raised a ton of money and has surely bro 

ken the fund-raising record of more than $100,000 held by former state Sen. John 

DeCamp. 

How did Brown win while her Democratic colleagues were being drubbed in the 

conservative climate? Brown may have done well because like many candidates fro 

m her party these days, she embraces more conservative views. 

"Pam Brown is a Democrat, but she has been very visible in the community," 

said Kent Kirwan, a political scientist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. 

"She received an (Omaha) World-Herald endorsement, which normally endorses Repub 

licans. She came down strong for the death penalty. She took positions that did 

not offend Republicans, and did not promote herself as a pro-choice candidate, e 

ven though I believe she is. 

Generous Ben? 

During the election, Republicans wondered whether Gov. Ben Nelson would dis 

tribute money from his "Governor's Council" to other Democratic candidates. 

Well, he did, but Nelson remained frugal. He gave $2,500 to state Sen. Eric 

Will, who defeated John Folsom in another feisty Omaha race. Nelson gave $2.000 

each to state Treasurer Dawn Rockey and Secretary of State candidate Allan Eure 

k. They both lost. 

State Sen. Chris Beutler of Lincoln received $1,000 for his successful race 

against Carol McShane. Two Omaha mayoral candidates, Subby Anzaldo and Brenda C 

ouncil, received $500 each. Council is now in a runoff with Hal Daub, who has lo 

aned his own campaign $65,000 so far. 

Even with the contributions, the Governor's Council still has a balance of 

about $450,000. 

State Sen. Scott Moore of Seward, who defeated Eurek, was hoping that Nelso 

n wouldn't use the Governor's Council to help his opponent. 

Is he mad that Nelson did? 

"I won, so I guess I'm not," Moore replied.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Republicans Should Tend to Unity 

TEXT[With headlines across the country describing what one paper called a "GOP K 

nockout" of the Democratic Party last Tuesday, how is it that in the state of Ne 

braska, where Republican voters hold 

a 90,000 registration edge over Democrats, the top three elective offices are st 

ill held by Democrats? 

Nebraska is one of a handful of states where those top three 

offices - the governorship and the two U.S. Senate seats - are today still held 

by Democrats. 

In none of the six states that touch Nebraska does the Republican Party fai 

l to hold at least one of the top three electoral positions. In Kansas and Wyomi 

ng, the results of Tuesday's voting will give the GOP all three of the top offic 

es. 

Even in Massachusetts, the only state that voted for liberal Democratic pre 

sidential candidate George McGovern in 1972, the state where Democratic Sen. Ted 

Kennedy lumbered to re-election last week, the governorship is held by a Republ 

ican. 

True, Republicans won all three House seats in Nebraska in Tuesday's ballot 

ing. But with an opportunity to break the Democratic Party's hold on the Big Thr 

ee seats, Nebraska voters chose to re-elect Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson and Democ 

ratic Sen. Bob Kerrey. 

How come? 

It is a commonly held perception that there is disarray and factionalism in 

the ranks of the Nebraska Republican Party leadership - a situation that has ma 

de a good many Republicans unhappy with that leadership. 

Former Gov. Kay Orr of Lincoln, for example, stirred resentment among some 

Republicans when she took an active role on behalf of her favorite candidate in 

the Republican gubernatorial primary. Critics felt that if Mrs. Orr is to be con 

sidered among the leadership for a unified state Republican Party, she should no 

t have become an active campaigner for any candidate in the party's primary. 

Incidentally, Mrs. Orr's candidate, Ralph Knobel of Fairbury, lost in the p 

rimary to Gene Spence of Omaha, who had raised a good deal of money for Mrs. Orr 

as her campaign treasurer. 

Another example: Some Republicans questioned why National Republican Commit 

teeman Duane Acklie of Lincoln would take an active role in a bitterly contested 

campaign for a seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. 

Incidentally, Acklie's candidate, incumbent Regent Nancy Hoch of Nebraska C 

ity, whose campaign at times had an anti-Omaha-business-community tone, lost to 

Drew Miller of Papillion. 

But, in my opinion, even a well-organized, united Republican Party leadersh 

ip would not have changed Tuesday's election results, although it almost certain 

ly would have substantially reduced Governor Nelson's winning margin. 

I believe Nebraska's top three electoral offices are held by Democrats beca 

use Nebraskans traditionally have been willing to cross party lines to vote for 

popular candidates. And in Senators Exon and Kerrey and Governor Nelson, the Dem 

ocrats have three officeholders more popular - and more experienced - than the R

epublican candidates who opposed them. 

If the disarray in the Republican Party leadership continues, Nebraska Repu 

blicans may fail to take advantage of their next opportunity to break into the " 

Big Three." This opportunity will come two years from now, when Exon's term expi 

res. 

The popular Exon, a Lincoln resident, who would be 75 at the time of the el 

ection, has not indicated whether he will seek a fourth term. Whether he does or 

not, a strong Republican challenge for the so-called "outstate Nebraska" seat c 

an be expected - strong, that is, if the Republican Party can get its act togeth 

er in the next two years. 

Most likely contender for the Republican senatorial nomination in 1996 woul 

d seem to be nine-term 1st Congressional District Rep. Doug Bereuter of Utica. 

Why not include the names of Jan Stoney, who ran a spirited but losing camp 

aign against Senator Kerrey this year, and Chuck Hagel, Omaha business executive 

with considerable Washington experience, regarded as a political comer by a num 

ber of prominent Republicans? 

Both Mrs. Stoney and Hagel live in Omaha. I think it would be a long shot f 

or either of them - or any other Omahan, including Governor Nelson - to mount a 

successful campaign for the outstate seat in 1996. l doubt that a majority of Ne 

braskans would look kindly on the prospect of both U.S. Senate seats being occup 

ied by Omahans. 

The so-called "Omaha seat" is, of course, occupied by Senator Kerrey, who h 

onored political tradition by moving his residence from Lincoln to Omaha when he 

decided to run for the Senate. 

Mrs. Stoney and Hagel certainly could figure in any discussion of attractiv 

e candidates to whom the Republicans might turn in the future. Hagel at 48 and M 

rs. Stoney at 54 have enough years ahead of them that, with some assiduous culti 

vating of political support in the interim, they could look at the governorship 

in four years or the "Omaha seat" in the Senate in six years. 

Interestingly, while Nebraska Democrats hold the Big Three seats, Republica 

ns may have more potential Big Three successors than do the Democrats. In this c 

ategory I would put Bereuter, Mrs. Stoney and Hagel. 

On the Democratic side, the only name that comes quickly to mind is that of 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, who was placed in that position by Governor Nelson in an ap 

parent attempt to start to fill the Democrats' Big Three successor gap. 

Can 31-year-old Republican Jon Christensen of Omaha join the ranks of possi 

bilities for higher office following his paper-thin victory over Democratic incu 

mbent Peter Hoagland in the 2nd Congressional District? 

Christensen's long-term political viability will, in my opinion, be strongl 

y influenced by whether he can persuade voters that (l) his political agenda is 

very much broader than the agenda of the so-called "religious right" and that (2 

) his conversion to political activism springs much more strongly from a desire 

to be of public service than from a desire to satisfy the driving ambition of hi 

mself and his wife, Meredith. 

The opportunity lies before the Christensens, and how they respond will hel 

p determine whether the Nebraska Republican Party has a new young comer in its r 

anks. 

Some mention Attorney General Don Stenberg of Lincoln as another Republican 

who might seek higher office. Stenberg, 46, polled 67 percent of the vote in wi 

nning re-election last week. 

Stenberg's potential for higher office seems to me to depend on one of the

same factors that I mentioned in regard to Jon Christensen's political future: C 

ould Stenberg persuade voters that his political agenda is very much broader tha 

n the agenda of the' so-called "religious right"? 




SOUR[(Belleville, KS) Farmer-Stockman of the Midwest 

HDLN[Exon Urges Taking Action on Grain Car Shortage 

TEXT[Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) wrote to several Cabinet officials and the Mexican 

Ambassador today, urging them to take action to help solve the annual railroad g 

rain car shortage during harvest time. 

Exon, chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee, asked Mex 

ican Ambassador Jorge Montano to stop Mexican insistence on dyeing grain and ret 

urn American grain cars as fast as possible. Exon also asked Transportation Secr 

etary Federico Pena to assure that America's rural shippers are not indirectly s 

ubsidizing the Canadian competition because of grain car-leasing arrangements. 

Exon sent copies of his letters to Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, U.S. Tr 

ade Representative Mickey Kantor and interstate Commerce Commission Chairman Gai 

l McDonald. 

Exon's letter said in part: 

"For years rural America has faced persistent and recurring railroad grain 

car shortages during harvest season. This year is no exception. Huge corn and so 

ybean crops have put the entire U.S. transportation system under stress. This si 

tuation appears to be made worse by Mexican transportation and agricultural poli 

cies. As Chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee, I respectf 

ully request your assistance in finding mutually beneficial solutions to these p 

roblems. 

"First, U.S. grain cars entering Mexico are not being returned on a timely 

basis. A swift turn-around time for grain cars has always been critical to the 

efficient movement of grain. When grain cars are waylayed in Mexico, grain piles 

up in rural America. 

"Second, the Mexican government presently requires that U.S. grain imported 

into Mexico for animal feed be dyed green. The problem with this type of market 

ing is that it stains grain car hoppers, making them unacceptable for future use 

unless cleaned. 

This cleaning delays car turnaround and is so expensive, one railroad now refuse 

s to carry green dyed grain. There are other ways to mark grains which do not ha 

rm grain cars. Certificates of origin or non-toxic "confetti" could achieve the 

same result. 

"Increased agricultural trade is very good for both of our nations. Unfortu 

nately, from an American farmer's point of view the grain car shortage jeopardiz 

es the economic benefits of increased trade. These problems are not insurmountab 

le." 



AUTH[Tim Curran

SOUR[Roll Call 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Election `96: 721 Days and Counting 

TEXT[With the most significant Congressional elections in two decades already a 

week old, political junkies are now faced with a startling revelation. 

There are only 721 days until the 1996 elections. 

Still reeling from the Republican sweep in both chambers last Tuesday, Demo 

crats are facing no short-age of uncertainties in '96 despite obvious upsides, s 

uch as fewer marginal seats to defend in the House and more Republican than Demo 

cratic seats up in the Senate. 

Eighteen Senate Republicans and 15 Democrats will face reelection in 1996, 

and there are few obvious opportunities for Democrats to begin clawing back towa 

rd a minority. Republicans will hold a 53 to 47 seat majority in the 104th Congr 

ess. 

In the House, Democrats must regain 15 seats to retake a majority from the 

Republicans, who it currently appears will control 231 seats in the 104th Congre 

ss, with 203 Democratic and one Independent. Winning 15 seats won't be easy. The 

last time an incumbent Democratic president was on the ballot, in 1980, Democra 

ts dropped 34 seats after losing 15 two years earlier. 

There are at least six Democratic Senators who may consider retiring at the 

end of this session, and at least two of those seats would appear vulnerable to 

a GOP takeover. 

Sen. Howell Heflin (D-Ala) will be 75 when the next election rolls around. 

President Clinton is not likely to run strong in the South and that coupled with 

newly Republican Sen. Richard Shelby's (Ala) party switch could convince Heflin 

to call it quits after three terms. 

Republicans have long tried to attract Bart Starr, the legendary Green Bay 

Packers quarterback and Alabama native, to a statewide bid. 

Rhode Island's Sen. Claiborne Pell (D) will celebrate his 78th birthday in 

November 1996, and Rep. Jack Reed (D) and soon-to-be ex Rep. Ron Machtley (R) co 

uld be contenders if he elects to bring his 36-year Senate career to a close. 

Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark) suffered a heart attack in 1991 and while he has r 

ecovered well, he may also think about cutting his Capitol Hill career short. L 

oyalty to Clinton, however, may outweigh health concerns. 

Retirement speculation will also fall on Democratic Sens. Carl Levin (Mich) 

, Bennett Johnston (La), and 73-year-old James Exon (Neb), and all three of thos 

e seats could be vulnerable in a good Republican year. Levin and Johnston will b 

e 62 and 64, respectively in 1996. Louisiana Republicans haven't been too succes 

sful in finding Senate challengers, but an open seat would be a different story. 

Levin's seat would also be most vulnerable if it were vacant 

Liberal Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone (D) seems certain to seek rejection a 

nd will also be a target. He could face a rematch with the man he upset in 1990, 

then-Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (R). 

Other potentially vulnerable Democrats include Sens. Tom Harkin (Iowa); Bil 

l Bradley (NJ), who barely survived in 1990; Max Baucus (Mont); and Sam Nunn (Ga 

), who may find himself in hot water among Southern voters increasingly hostile 

to the Democratic party. 

Republicans also face potential vacancies, but would have the clear upper h 

and in retaining each of them. 

The Senator faced with the greatest immediate threat is Sen. John Warner (R 

-Va), who has two potentially strong primary challengers. Warner opposed two of

his party's statewide candidates in as many years, 1993 lieutenant governor nomi 

nee Mike Farris and 1994 Senate candidate Oliver North. 

Warner was booed at a victory celebration for newly elected Northern Virgin 

ia Rep. Tom Davis (R), and while he has vowed to run for re-election, there has 

even been speculation that he may make that' bid as an Independent rather than f 

ace a tough primary or convention fight with Farris or North. 

If Republicans are divided, Democrats may be able to attract a strong candi 

date, such as former Govs. Douglas Wilder or Gerald Baliles. 

North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms (R) inevitably appears at the top of Democr 

atic lists, but he has proved anything but an easy mark. Helms will be 75 in 199 

6 and has endured a string of health problems, but he will also be able to wield 

a gavel in the 104th for the first time in years and may be reluctant to give 

up the Foreign Relations chair. 

Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt (D), an African-American who was beaten 

by Helms 53 to 47 percent in 1990, is still seen as the leading contender for t 

he Democratic nomination whether Helms runs or not. If Helms does retire, Rep. C 

harles Taylor (R) would be a possibility, as would newly elected Rep. David Fund 

erburk (R). Funderburk lost a 1986 Senate primary. 

One potential open seat for Republicans to defend comes in South Carolina, 

where Sen. Strom Thurmond (R) will be 93 in 1996 and out-going Gov. Carroll Camp 

bell (R) would be the favorite to succeed him. 

Another vacancy could be in Kansas, where if Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R) steps 

down, Rep. Pat Roberts (R) would probably run to replace her. Democrats saw th 

eir two best statewide hopefuls, Reps. Dan Glickman and Jim Slattery, both defea 

ted in races Tuesday. 

The best shot for a Democratic pickup might come in Oregon, where Sen. Mark 

Hatfield (R), the expected Appropriations Committee chairman, will be facing a 

bid for a sixth term. 

Another target for Democrats will be Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), who 

won reelection narrowly in 1990. But Kentucky is another border state trending 

Republican, and McConnell beat the strongest candidate Democrats could field in 

his last race. 

In addition, well-known Democrats such as Rep. Scotty Baesler have their ey 

es on the statehouse. But Democrats would love to see Louisville Mayor Jerry Abr 

amson (D) make a bid. 

Sen. Phil Gramm (R) is all but certain to run for president in 1996, but Te 

xas hasn't proved too fertile for Democrats in the last couple of years. 

At-large South Dakota Rep. Tim Johnson (D) might decide 1996 is the year to 

challenge Sen. Larry Pressler (R). 

The two new Republican Senators elected Tuesday facing runs for a full term 

in 1996 - Jim Inhofe (Okla) and Fred Thompson (Tenn)-won their seats easily and 

look like good bets to return. 

The House scenario is even more speculative at this point, but there are at 

least four seats guaranteed to be open: Reps. Herb Bateman (R-Va), Steve Gunder 

son (R-Wis), Mel Hancock (R-Mo), and Bob Doman (R-Calif) have all said they will 

retire at the end of the 104th Congress. 

Targeting has already begun for the remaining Members. 

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who won less than 56 perc 

ent," National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Dan Leonard said Fri 

day. "We also believe many veteran Democrats will retire rather than chose to se 

rve in the minority."

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Mike Casey took a dif 

ferent view. 

"The incoming Republican freshman class, combined with a number of Republic 

an incumbents, is filled with people who I think are not going to provide the be 

st representation possible," Casey said, pointing to "a lot of far right-wing fr 

eshmen who have engaged in some extreme rhetoric." 

"The next DCCC chairman and staff will have a lot to work with," Casey conc 

luded. 

Democrats in both chambers will face a constant dilemma in the 104th Congre 

ss. They will be forced to decide whether to stake their fortunes with Clinton i 

n what promises to be mostly unsuccessful legislative battles, or to throw in wi 

th the GOP on legislative initiatives. 

Among Democrats guaranteed tough races in 1996 are those elected with less 

than 50 percent of the vote, such as Reps. Vic Fazio (Calif), Tony Beilenson (Ca 

lif), Mike Ward (Ky), John Baldacci (Maine), Pat Williams (Mont), Maurice Hinche 

y (NY), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), and, if he survives a recount, Sam Gejdenson (Conn 

). 

But the massive tidal wave that swept away at least 35 Democratic incumbent 

s didn't leave much deadwood, and it is Democrats who will be targeting races mo 

st aggressively. 

Unfortunately for the new minority party, most of the seats seized by the G 

OP were in swing districts and will not be surrendered easily. 

The top Democratic target, however, has already been determined by acclamat 

ion: Chicago freshman Rep.-elect Michael Flanagan(R). 

"Like I said, it doesn't take a rocket scientist," the NRCC's Leonard said. 

"We know he's in for a tough race in that district, but we believe the good peo 

ple of Chicago will give him a chance." 

Flanagan ousted indicted Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill) in the Chicago 5th 5 

5 to 45 percent in a district that gave Clinton 51 percent of the vote just two 

years earlier. Potential candidates include outgoing DNC chairman David Wilhelm. 

Democrats are also certain to target many of the GOP House Members they hop 

ed to beat this year, such as Reps. Peter Torkildsen, Peter Blute (Mass), Martin 

Hoke (Ohio), Jay Dickey (Ark), and Gary Franks (Conn), and will try to recruit 

top-flight candidates. 

Members of the freshman class on the Democratic hit list might include Reps 

.-elect Frank Riggs (Calif), Andrea Seastrand (Calif), James Longley (Maine), Ra 

ndy Tate (Wash), Rick White (Wash), and John Hostetler (Ind). 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Hunter says he won't back down over public school budget issues 

TEXT[Toy trains and Vietnam War medals clutter his office, alongside a huge toy 

water gun and photographs of two pet sheepdogs. 

David Hunter's surroundings are as elusive as the man himself, an outspoken 

rebel in Lincoln, a fun-loving but antagonistic guy who enjoys a good fight. 

"I'm really kind of a loner," Hunter said with an elfish grin.

Officially this man is co-owner of State Title Services in Lincoln, a busin 

ess said to be quite successful these days. 

Unofficially. Hunter likes to shake up the inner workings of the city, espe 

cially as one of the most vocal critics of the Lincoln Public Schools administra 

tion. 

Right around 50 years old now, Hunter claims his approach has been tempered 

with time, while others say he's as blunt and abrasive as ever - stirring up sc 

hool officials lately by threatening a petition drive to cap the LPS budget. 

"People always want to know my motivation," Hunter said, sighing. "They nee 

d to understand, it's nothing beyond the fact that I care. 

"But I know I am going to make people angry." 

HUNTER'S APPROACH, in fact, is sometimes akin to a head-on collision. 

He suffers from an ulcer. 

He says he's not always happy with the way he seems to antagonize people. 

But all in all, Hunter is not sorry about his rantings over the LPS budget 

in the past few years. 

"I've created a discussion. I have put this on the table," he said. "No mat 

ter what happens, I feel comfortable that the issue is being discussed on a dail 

y basis. 

"I can sleep nights. My heart is in it." 

Hunter's heart has been in a series of issues over the years. 

While serving as a medical corpsman in Vietnam in the early 1970s, he wrote 

letters to Washington, D.C., to complain about the way the war was run. Yet he 

also flew helicopter rescue missions and returned with a bunch of medals, includ 

ing the Purple Heart. 

As mayor of Hickman, he kept the small community in the spotlight and shock 

ed many townsfolk. Yet he managed to find funds for a new sewage plant and water 

tower. 

AS A LOCAL developer he has sued the city, the downtown association and the 

Lancaster County Board. Yet he has been involved in everything from laundromats 

and car washes to downtown redevelopment, from the Lincoln Independent Business 

Association to the Democratic Party. 

"I used to want people to like me; that's human nature," Hunter said. "But 

I made a decision. ...If you're going to participate in the community, you run t 

his risk. I've accepted that." 

What's more important than being liked? 

"The realization I can leave this world knowing that maybe I made a differe 

nce." 

Hunter grew up in a blue-collar, union family in Kansas City with a father 

who worked as a millwright or machinist at a General Motors assembly plant. 

Hunter admits he was the kind of kid in Kansas City Public Schools who didn 

't pay enough attention in class and who spent time in "eighth period" - staying 

after school. 

Then there are the toy trains. 

Amidst shelves of them filling walls in his office, Hunter pointed to the o 

ldest model train set and explained that it was worn down from rolling off the t 

able when he was a boy trying to see how fast it would go. 

THE OTHER toy trains are newer. 

"Lots of these trains I wanted as a child, but my folks couldn't afford the 

m," he said. "I may be back in my second childhood ... I see myself on these tra 

ins, going places."

However, he added, the trains always return home. 

"Lincoln is a great place to live, a great place to come back to," he said. 

"I don't want to be anywhere else." 

But that doesn't stop him from criticizing the system here, especially the 

public schools. 

"People say I'm too blunt ... and maybe they're right. But it's quicker. It 

gets it out on the table." 

He likes to quote Sen. Jim Exon's advice for politicians: "You should deliv 

er the bad news, and the good news will flow out on its own." 

So why not just run for the Lincoln Board of Education? 

"I would be less effective," Hunter said. "There is less of a tendency for 

the system to control me in this position. 

"When you're inside, you get blinders on," he added. "There has to be a voc 

al voice from outside the system." 

It's difficult to question his effectiveness. 

This year he cried out for three-year budget projections from LPS and got t 

hem. He demanded that the school board cut the original 1994-95 budget proposal 

by $8 million, and it did. 

NOW HE'S threatening to organize a petition drive to put a temporary lid on 

the property tax portion of the school district's spending. People are definite 

ly paying attention. 

"If I were a betting person, I'd say we were going to have a lid," Hunter s 

aid. "I think the petitions would get signed. I think the lid would pass." 

Nonetheless, he has reservations. 

"I'm not sure a lid will solve the problem for the long term," he admitted, 

"because the issue is far bigger than dollars. 

"This is about the whole process of managing the school system." 

Hunter pointed to a nationwide frustration with the amount of money spent o 

n schools compared with the quality of education students receive. 

"Too many people believe that the quality of education relates to throwing 

money at it," he said. "We need to be asking how we can do this more efficiently 

." 

This is a community issue, he stressed, "not a David Hunter issue. People t 

hink if they get rid of David Hunter, then the lid will go away." 

He denied that his voice represents local real estate agents. 

"I don't think I have a conflict here - I'm not bought and paid for by anyb 

ody," Hunter said. "I do not make any financial gain on this; in fact, I may los 

e money." 




SOUR[Omaha World-Herald (Lincoln ed.) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Spence's Campaign A Puzzle 

TEXT[Lincoln - On election night 20 years ago, Republican candidate for governor 

Richard Marvel was still campaigning, standing on a chair amid supporters at th 

e Villager Inn in Lincoln. 

It was midnight and partial results had him 50,000 votes behind.

"If anyone is asking if I concede defeat, the answer is 'Hell, no.' And you 

can print that," he said. "I've never lost a 

fight in my life and I don't intend to acknowledge defeat at this moment." 

Marvel lost to Gov. J.J. Exon by 24 percentage points, the widest margin of 

defeat for a Republican governor candidate - until Gene Spence lost to Gov. Nel 

son by 48 percentage points last week. 

Marvel's fiery campaign finish was in sharp contrast to that of Spence, who 

ended his campaign in isolation from reporters and large population centers, sa 

id Ann Batchelder of Omaha, who was Marvel's running mate in 1974. 

"We never quit," Mrs. Batchelder, 74, said last week. "I can't remember whe 

re, for sure, but I was in South Omaha campaigning the night before the election 

. And I know Dick Marvel never quit." Marvel died in 1986 at age 68. 

People who have worked with Spence in business and politics say he has not 

shown a tendency to quit. Republican supporters blame a variety of factors for h 

is big loss, including lack of support from prominent Republicans, Spence's stat 

ements criticizing the party and the candidate's campaign style. 

Like Marvel's never-say-die effort, other losing campaigns in Nebraska have 

gone out with a hard-working finish. 

Former U.S. Sen. David Karnes, a Republican, said he was "scheduled solid" 

the final two days of his losing campaign against Bob Kerrey in 1988. 

"You're always hopeful that something will ignite," Karnes said. 

Mrs. Batchelder, who contributed $6,500 to the Spence effort, was among Re 

publicans who expressed their puzzlement at Spence's apparent lackadaisical fini 

sh. The campaign was unusually quiet during the summer, prompting some supporter 

s to wonder what was happening. 

It shriveled further 10 days before the election when Spence estimated his 

chances of winning at 100 to 1. He also praised Nelson's campaign effort and cri 

ticized the Republican Party for not embracing his candidacy. 

Then on the two days before the election, Spence staffers said he was hunti 

ng on his farm in Franklin County. Spence said later that he never hunted and th 

at he campaigned in the area. 

Some Republican supporters said they were disappointed in the way the Spenc 

e campaign finished. 

"Even if you know (defeat) is going to happen, you have to work at it as if 

it isn't," Mrs. Batchelder said. 

Patricia Lahr Smith of Lincoln, another Spence contributor, said, "I'm not 

sure if Gene really wanted the job." 

In the wake of his defeat Tuesday night, before leaving on a two-week vacat 

ion, Spence defended the comments he made late in the campaign. 

"Everything I said I meant," he said. 

He was critical, though, of a headline in a Lincoln newspaper on Oct. 29 th 

at quoted him as saying Nelson was going to win. He never quit or said he was qu 

itting, Spence said. The headline should have said, "Spence is way behind but st 

ill fighting," he said. 

Spence declined to analyze in depth where and how his campaign fell short. 

"I may not have been charismatic enough," Spence said with a smile. 

He declined to blame a shakeup of his professional campaign staff in June t 

hat some Republicans said left the campaign without a clear direction. Spence fi 

red most of his campaign staff. 

Some campaign staffers who were cut loose after the primary said they were 

more puzzled than angry by Spence's moves after the primary, which included givi

ng more authority in the campaign to volunteer Sam Jensen of Omaha, a Spence fri 

end and political associate. A Spence staffer said Jensen, an Omaha attorney, em 

erged in a leadership role after Jensen and Spence analyzed the status of the ca 

mpaign during a get-away weekend in mid-May at Lake Okoboji in Iowa. 

Darold Bauer, who managed the primary victory, resisted some campaign strat 

egy decisions, such as one to tie the race to national issues and another to dis 

miss campaign strategist Carol Whitney, a campaign insider said. 

Bauer also was critical of Jensen for writing a memo to several leading Neb 

raska Republicans. The memo said Spence did not understand the operations of sta 

te government and would need tutoring. Bauer contended that to put something lik 

e that in writing was playing with political dynamite because of the potential i 

t would be leaked to the press, the campaign insider said. 

Bauer declined to comment on the memo. Attempts to reach Jensen for comment 

were unsuccessful. 

Those fired after the primary were Bauer, Ms. Whitney, media consultant Jim 

Innocenzi and press secretary Pam Thompson. Brent Rose, who had directed staff 

operations in the primary, was named campaign manager. 

At the time of the change, Spence said he wanted "fresh blood" in the campa 

ign. 

"I couldn't understand the logic of what Spence was doing," Innocenzi said. 

"It was puzzling to me because we helped him win (the primary). Why would you c 

hange horses after you won?" 

Attempts to reach Spence after the election-night interview were unsuccessf 

ul. 

Rose, 26, had worked for Bauer during U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett's successful e 

lection in 1990. 

Rose said Jensen's role was to offer advice. Regular meetings with Jensen e 

nded about a month after Rose's appointment as campaign manager, Rose said. 

As he had before Election Day, Spence said afterward that his campaign had 

underestimated the impact of the abortion issue. Spence is personally against ab 

ortion but opposes a constitutional amendment to ban abortions. He said that pos 

ition cost him support among many Republicans who oppose abortion rights. 

Republicans interviewed discounted the significance of the abortion issue i 

n Spence's race. 

"Mr. Kerrey (U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.) is a pro-choice person, but he h 

ad a big Republican following, regardless," said Mrs. Smith, who has been an abo 

rtion-rights activist in the party and is a former Republican national committee 

woman. 

Spence's contention that he was too moderate to be embraced by the Republic 

an Party was not accurate, Mrs. Smith said. 

"I don't think that follows, when you consider Mr. Bereuter," Mrs. Smith sa 

id. Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., considered a moderate Republican, won easy re-el 

ection in the 1st Congressional District. 

Kames, himself a moderate, also discounted the notion that Spence was too m 

oderate. 

The moderate ideology of Spence clashed with the staunch conservatism of St 

ate Sen. Kate Witek, who emerged 

from the primary election as Spence's lieutenant governor running mate, Spence s 

taffers said. 

The two candidates basically went their own ways during the campaign, maint 

aining a cordial campaign rhetoric, the staffers said. But behind the scenes, th 

ey said, Sen. Witek was critical of Spence's moderate positions, his remarks abo

ut the Republican Party and the difficulties of obtaining the anti-abortion vote 

. 

The Spence team, although publicly supportive of Sen. Witek, was irritated 

about a dispute over whether Sen. Witek had lived in Nebraska long enough to ser 

ve as lieutenant governor. 

"She should have been off the ticket," said one Spence staffer. 

The campaign was also troubled by steadily worsening showings in polls. 

Several times, Spence and campaign workers referred to a June poll that ind 

icated that Spence trailed by 24 points as a devastating turning point. It was t 

he day after that poll was published that fund raising became difficult, Rose sa 

id. 

In September, a World-Herald Poll had Spence trailing by 35 percentage poin 

ts. By late October the spread was 44 points. 

But Spence isn't the first candidate to face disappointing poll results. 

A World-Herald Poll a month before Marvel's loss had him trailing by 40 poi 

nts. The difference was that Marvel scraped for every last vote, cutting his mar 

gin of loss by nearly half of the poll's indicated result. 

Spence's final result on Election Day was worse than the opinion polls. 

In spite of the meager campaign stretch run, political and business associa 

tes of Spence say that quitting is not a trait he has exhibited in the past. 

Even Ron Jensen of Dallas, who fired Spence in 1975 as head of Fidelity Tit 

le Co., said there was nothing in Spence's business acumen to suggest he would f 

old under pressure. 

"I always thought he was a pretty spunky guy," Jensen said in a telephone i 

nterview. 

He said his parting with Spence came as the result of a personnel matter in 

a Houston office, which Spence managed from Omaha. 

Bauer, who managed a successful congressional campaign in Wyoming after bei 

ng fired by Spence, said, "It is absolutely wrong to perceive of Gene Spence as 

a quitter." 

Spence showed his mettle on two occasions that Bauer could recall. 

In 1988, Spence's son David was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at the sam 

e time Spence was finance chairman of the State Republican Party. 

"He never quit helping his son and he never quit helping Republicans," Baue 

r said. 

Also in 1988, Spence was credited with prompt and decisive action when the 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant needed i 

ncreased scrutiny. 

As chairman of the Omaha Public Power District's board, Spence gave OPPD ma 

nagement 10 days to produce a plan for correcting the situation and a year to ha 

ve Fort Calhoun off the regulators' list of troubled plants. 

"Gene Spence is no quitter," OPPD President Fred Peterson said. "I would ch 

aracterize him as tenacious." 

Peterson said the Fort Calhoun problem was one of the most difficult he's f 

aced in seven years as OPPD president. 

"Gene challenged management vigorously in that process," Peterson said, "Th 

ere was no doubt who was in charge." 

In less than a year, OPPD improved the plant's rating by opening an $18 mil 

lion training center and hiring additional engineers, technicians, trainers and 

other specialists. 

Kames said Spence may have been discouraged by the cool support of some Rep

ublicans after he won the primary. 

"I think the primary created some fissures in his Republican foundation," K 

arnes said. 

Former Republican Govs. Charles Thone and Kay Orr supported Ralph Knobel of 

Fairbury in the primary and were mostly on the sidelines in the general electio 

n campaign, a number of Republican Party regulars said. 

Several times during the campaign, Spence was asked about the support of th 

ose he had helped in previous campaigns. He was never critical. "They (Thone and 

Mrs. Orr) will do whatever I ask," Spence said on one occasion. "But they were 

the (primary) losers, after all." 

Rose was candid in his disappointment. "Kay Orr never did offer to help," h 

e said. "When Ralph Knobel did not win, the Republican hierarchy became apatheti 

c in his race." 

Rose made it clear he was referring to individuals and not the Republican P 

arty organization, which he said gave $16,000 to Spence's campaign and was consi 

stently supportive. 

Campaign finance reports show Mrs. Orr and her husband, Bill, contributed $ 

500 to the Spence campaign. Spence and his wife, Ann, contributed $4,100 to Mrs. 

Orr's successful race for governor in 1986 and $8,565 to her unsuccessful re-el 

ection attempt in 1990. 

Spence learned that few Republicans were willing to work as hard for him as 

he had for the party's candidates, Bauer said. 

"As long as a person had an 'R' behind their name, Gene would help them," B 

auer said. Political observers, including Karnes, suggested that Spence may have 

underestimated the rigors of campaigning. Some Republicans have said he didn't 

appear at as many events across the state as they expected from a state-wide can 

didate. 

Both Bauer and Rose said much of the effort put in by Spence was behind the 

scenes and that at times he seemed tireless in his approach to campaigning. 

"I remember in the primary where Gene would go on the road for 10 days, and 

I remember where he would be on the phone for 10 days, raising money and recrui 

ting county chairmen," Bauer said. 

"From my vantage point, I think the general election campaign was a real pe 

rsonal struggle for him," Bauer said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans Split Over Spence's Losing Campaign 

TEXT[Lincoln On election night 20 years ago, Republican candidate for governor R 

ichard Marvel was still campaigning, standing on a chair amid supporters at the 

Villager Inn in Lincoln. 

It was midnight and partial results had him 50,000 votes behind. 

"If anyone is asking if I concede defeat, the answer is 'Hell, no.' And you 

can print that," he said. "I've never lost a fight in my life, and I don't inte 

nd to acknowledge defeat at this moment." 

Marvel lost to Gov. J.J. Exon by 24 percentage points, the widest margin of 

defeat for a Republican governor candidate - until Gene Spence lost to Gov. Nel

son by 4 percentage points last week. 

Marvel's fiery campaign finish was in sharp contrast to that of Spence's wh 

o ended his campaign in isolation from reporters and large population centers, s 

aid Anne Batchelder of Omaha, who was Marvel's running mate in 1974. 

"We never quit," Mrs. Batchelder, 74, said last week. "I can't remember whe 

re, for sure, but I was in South Omaha campaigning the night before the election 

. And I know Dick Marvel never quit." Marvel died in 1986 at age 68. 

People who have worked with Spence in business and politics say he has not 

shown a tendency to quit. Republican supporters blame various factors for his bi 

g loss, including lack of support from prominent Republicans. Spence's statement 

s criticizing the party and the candidate's campaign style. 

Like Marvel's never-say-die effort, other losing campaigns in Nebraska have 

gone out with a hard-working finish. 

Former U.S. Sen. David Karnes, a Republican, said he was "scheduled solid" 

the final two days of his losing campaign against Bob Kerrey in 1988. 

"You're always hopeful that something will ignite," Karnes said. 

Mrs. Batchelder, who contributed $6,500 to the Spence effort, was among Rep 

ublicans who expressed their puzzlement at Spence's apparent lackadaisical finis 

h. The campaign was unusually quiet during the summer, prompting some supporters 

to wonder what was happening. 

It shriveled further 10 days before the election when Spence estimated his 

chances of winning at 100 to 1. He also praised Nelson's campaign effort and cri 

ticized the Republican Party for not embracing his candidacy. 

Then, on the two days before the election, Spence staffers said he was hunt 

ing on his farm in Franklin County. Spence said later that he never hunted on th 

ose days and that he campaigned in the area. 

Some Republican supporters said they were disappointed in the way the Spenc 

e campaign finished. 

"Even if you know (defeat) is going to happen. you have to work at it as if 

it isn't." Mrs. Batchelder said. 

Patricia Lahr Smith of Lincoln, another Spence contributor, said, "I'm not 

sure if Gene really wanted the job." 

After his defeat Tuesday night. before leaving on a two-week vacation, Spen 

ce defended the comments he made late in the campaign. 

"Everything I said I meant," he said. He was critical, though, of a headlin 

e in a Lincoln newspaper Oct. 29 that quoted him as saying Nelson was going to w 

in. He never quit or said he was quitting, Spence said. The headline should have 

said, "Spence is way behind but still fighting," he said. 

Spence declined to analyze in depth where and how his campaign fell short. 

"I may not have been charismatic enough," Spence said with a smile. 

He declined to blame a shake-up of his professional campaign staff in June 

that some Republicans said left the campaign without a clear direction. Spence f 

ired most of his campaign staff. 

Some campaign staffers who were cut loose after the primary said they were 

more puzzled than angry by Spence's moves after the primary, which included givi 

ng more authority in the campaign to volunteer Satin Jensen of Omaha, a Spence f 

riend and political associate. A Spence staffer said Jensen, an Omaha attorney, 

emerged in a leadership role after Jensen and Spence analyzed the status of the 

campaign during a getaway weekend in mid-May at Lake Okoboji in Iowa. 

Darold Bauer, who managed the primary victory, resisted some campaign strat 

egy decisions, such as one to tie the race to national issues and another to dis

miss campaign strategist Carol Whitney, a campaign insider said. 

Bauer also was critical of Jensen for writing a memo to several leading Neb 

raska Republicans. The memo said Spence did not understand the operations of sta 

te government and would need tutoring. Bauer contended that to put something lik 

e that in writing was playing with political dynamite because of the potential i 

t would be leaked to the press, the campaign insider said. 

Bauer declined to comment on the memo. Attempts to reach Jensen for comment 

were unsuccessful. 

Those fired after the primary were Bauer, Ms. Whitney, media consultant Jim 

Innocenzi and press secretary Pam Thompson. Brent Rose, who had directed staff 

operations in the primary, was named campaign manager. 

At the time of the change, Spence said he wanted "fresh blood' in the campa 

ign. 

"I couldn't understand the logic of what Spence was doing," Innocenzi said 

. "It was puzzling to me because we helped him win (the primary). Why would you 

change horses after you won?" 

Attempts to reach Spence after the election-night interview were unsuccessf 

ul. 

Rose, 26, had worked for Bauer during U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett's successful e 

lection in 1990. 

Rose said Jensen's role was to offer advice. Regular meetings with Jensen e 

nded about a month after Rose's appointment as campaign manager, Rose said. 

As he had before Election Day, Spence said afterward that his campaign had 

underestimated the impact of the abortion issue. Spence is personally against ab 

ortion but opposes a constitutional amendment to ban abortions. He said that pos 

ition cost him support among many Republicans who oppose abortion rights. 

Republicans who were interviewed discounted the significance of the abortio 

n issue in Spence's race. 

"Mr. Kerrey (U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.) is a pro-choice person, but he h 

ad a big Republican following, regardless," said Mrs. Smith, who has been an abo 

rtion-rights activist in the party and is a former Republican national committee 

woman. 

Even campaign staffers said most of Spence's county chairmen held anti-abor 

tion views. 

"In the primary, people got on board who were very, very strong pro-lifers, 

" Bauer said. 

Spence's contention that he was too moderate to be embraced by the Republic 

an Party was not accurate, Mrs. Smith said. 

"I don't think that follows, when you consider Mr. Bereuter," Mrs. Smith sa 

id. Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., considered a moderate Republican, easily won reelection 

in the 1st Congressional District. 

Despite the meager campaign stretch run, political and business associates 

of Spence's say that quitting is not a trait he has exhibited in the past. 

Even Ron Jensen of Dallas, who fired Spence in 1975 as head of Fidelity Tit 

le Co., said there was nothing in Spence's business acumen to suggest that he wo 

uld fold under pressure. 

"I always thought he was a pretty spunky guy," Jensen said in a telephone i 

nterview. 

He said his parting with Spence came as the result of a personnel matter in 

a Houston office, which Spence managed from Omaha. 

Bauer, who managed a successful congressional campaign in Wyoming after bei 

ng fired by Spence, said, "It is absolutely wrong to perceive of Gene Spence as

a quitter." 

Spence showed his mettle on two occasions that Bauer could recall. 

In 1988, Spence's son David was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at the sam 

e time Spence was finance chairman of the State Republican Party. 

"He never quit helping his son, and he never quit helping Republicans," Bau 

er said. 

Also in 1988, Spence was credited with prompt and decisive action when the 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant needed i 

ncreased scrutiny. 

As chairman of the Omaha Public Power District's board, Spence gave OPPD ma 

nagement 10 days to produce a plan for correcting the situation and a year to ha 

ve Fort Calhoun off the regulators' list of troubled plants. 

"Gene Spence is no quitter," OPPD President Fred Petersen said. "I would ch 

aracterize him as tenacious." 

Petersen said the Fort Calhoun problem was one of the most difficult he's f 

aced in seven years as OPPD president. 

"Gene challenged management vigorously in that process," Petersen said. "Th 

ere was no doubt who was in charge." 

In less than a year, OPPD improved the plant's rating by opening an $18 mil 

lion training center and luring additional engineers, technicians, trainers and 

other specialists. 

Karnes said Spence may have been discouraged by the cool support of some Re 

publicans after he won the primary. 

"I think the primary created some fissures in his Republican foundation," K 

arnes said. 

Former Republican Govs. Charles Thone and Kay Orr supported Ralph Knobel of 

Fairbury in the primary and were mostly on the sidelines in the general electio 

n campaign, a number of Republican Party regulars said. 

Several times during the campaign, Spence was asked about the support of th 

ose he had helped in previous campaigns. He was never critical. "They (Thone and 

Mrs. Orr) will do whatever I ask," Spence said on one occasion. "But they were 

the (primary) losers, after all." 

Rose was candid in his disappointment. "Kay Orr never did offer to help," h 

e said. "When Ralph Knobel did not win, the Republican hierarchy became apatheti 

c in his race." 

Rose made it clear he was referring to individuals and not the Republican P 

arty organization, which he said gave $16,000 to Spence's campaign and was consi 

stently supportive. 

Campaign finance reports show Mrs. Orr and her husband, Bill, contributed $ 

500 to the Spence campaign. Spence and his wife, Ann, contributed $4,100 to Mrs. 

Orr's successful race for governor in 1986 and $8,565 to her unsuccessful re-el 

ection attempt in 1990. 

In interviews during the campaign, Spence said that Mrs. Orr had helped beh 

ind the scenes in raising money from other Republican givers. 

Attempts to reach Mrs. Orr for comment were unsuccessful. 



AUTH[Heather Hooper 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Bumper crop piling up on ground 

TEXT[The bumper crops of this year's harvest have not meant good news for everyo 

ne. 

Across Central Nebraska are mountains of grain dumped on the ground outside 

of elevators. Grain dealers say they can't get enough railroad cars to haul the 

bounty away. 

It's an annual problem, but one that has been accentuated in recent years b 

y a rail industry that continually drops the number of railcars allocated for th 

e grain harvest and often reduces service to the smaller elevators. 

A bumper crop has not helped the problem. 

"We went from a 6 billion (bushel) crop last year to a 10 billion (bushel) 

crop this year. They didn't give us enough cars last year with a short crop," sa 

id Rod Ely, owner of a private grain co-op in Guide Rock. 

A meeting of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association Monday outlined the fr 

ustrations for Sen. J. James Exon and Gail McDonald, chairman of the inter-state 

Commerce Commission which regulates the nation's rail-roads. 

Exon announced plans for a new national Railcar Grain Council, which would 

bring representatives of the railroads grain shippers and receivers, and train m 

anufacturers together to air their differences. 

About 30 representatives will be selected for the council within the next m 

onth. 

"Part of airing the problems is freeing people to talk out what the rules o 

f the game are, and their effects on all the players," McDonald said. 

One of the biggest problems grain dealers have with the railroad companies 

is the change in rules from year to year. 

Union Pacific Railroad recently changed its rail car distribution policy fr 

om allocating cars on a four-year average to allocating 70 percent of the averag 

e number of cars distributed in the past two years, said Ron Ziggafoos, member s 

ervices director of the grain association. 

Not only are grain dealers losing 30 percent of their rail cars, but often 

the railroad is unable to provide the full number of cars to meet the promised 7 

0 percent, he said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying Certificates of Transportation (CO 

T) which guarantee delivery of a certain number of rail cars. 

The problem there is that Burlington Northern railroad has pledged only 40 

percent of their cars for the COT program. 

"Where's the other 60 percent?" asked Ray Brandt with Cooperative Producers 

of Hastings. 

The dealers said they've tried to accommodate the railroads by consolidatin 

g shipping points and providing larger shipments to fill more box cars for a "un 

it train" shipment. 

"Railroads continue to restrict us under the veil of efficiency, but they h 

aven't been able to get that efficiency standard," said Mike Pollnow, with the C 

rossroads Co-op of Sidney. 

Smaller dealers said they are often at a disadvantage because they can't sh 

ip an entire train-load of grain. 

"The market I ship to is a three-car market. They don't want 26 cars," Ely 

said. 

As a result, rail service to his business has dwindled from three deliverie 

s a week to one, because it's less costly for the rail companies, he said.

Another strike against the grain dealers is the nature of the grain market 

itself. Rail companies prefer to ship commodities like coal that are not seasona 

l in nature, Pollnow said. 

"It's a matter of priority," he said. But, "we don't think the railroads ar 

e losing money by hauling grain." 

Exon charged the railroad companies for "feeding their bottom lines," placi 

ng the shareholders' interests ahead of the customers. 

Some of the problems of restrictions placed by the railroads can be control 

led by the Interstate Commerce Commission. McDonald said to keep her office info 

rmed of problems and she would try to remedy them. 

The North American Free Trade Agreement has also added a kink in the system 

. Exon said although railroads are providing 20 percent more box cars, they are 

spread over larger distances hauling into Mexico and Canada. 

Trains hauling to Mexico are often delayed by bureaucratic red tape and gre 

en corn. The Mexican government has requested that any American corn shipped int 

o the country that is not meant for human consumption be dyed green so it is not 

sold as food. 

The green dye adds expenses and time as the railcars are cleaned between tr 

ips, Exon said. 

There has to be a better solution for hauling grain to Mexico, said Daryl E 

rickson of Greenwood, president of the grain and feed association. 

"It's a messy job. It does open markets for us, but if we have to spray cor 

n it creates terrible problems," he said. 

Exon pledged to help the grain dealers any way he can. The new railcar coun 

cil should open the doors of discussion and hopefully solve the problems, he sai 

d. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Railroads, grain dealers told to talk 

TEXT[A new National Grain Car Commission, greater involvement of the Interstate 

Commerce Commission and talks with Mexico will help grain shippers cope with gra 

in car shortages during harvest, says Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

The grain car commission, to he formed as an arm of the ICC as soon as next 

month, would provide a forum for grain dealers and railroads to work out soluti 

ons to the problems, Exon told about 20 grain dealers at a meeting in Grand Isla 

nd Monday. 

He also encouraged the dealers to report their problems to his office and t 

he ICC, which is fighting perceptions of ineffectiveness as it tries to stave of 

f attempts to gut its budget. 

"The barking dog is more likely to get relief than one that curls up its ta 

il...and says 'there isn't anything I can do about it,'" Exon said. 

He later told the dealers that he and his staff would do everything they co 

uld to help resolve disputes and problems the dealers have with railroads.{sic} 

Among the complaints from elevator operators at the meeting were allegation

s that railroads favor large dealers over small ones, favor coal over grain, and 

are falling far behind on promised car deliveries. 

The Association of American Railroads has opposed the grain car commission, 

calling it unnecessary, and short-sighted, said Rusty Jesser, a spokesman for t 

he Burlington Northern in Fort Worth. Instead of focusing on grain cars, the ICC 

should also look at barges and trucks, Jesser said. 

John Bromley, a spokesman for the Union Pacific added that perceived favori 

tism and "shortages" actually result from economies of scale and tie-ups at elev 

ators and ports that are beyond the railroads' control. 

The UP and BN have added cab to their fleets and have worked with terminals 

and ports to get cars back into operation quicker, Bromley and Jesser said. The 

y denied favoring coal. 

ICC Chairwoman Gail Mcdonald, who also attended the meeting, said that whil 

e the commission had substantial authority over unfair practices, enforcement wo 

n't go very far. She said she favors "creative solutions" such as smaller elevat 

ors forming consortia to increase leverage with the railroads. 

The grain car commission will help her and other commissioners get a better 

idea of what can he done, she said. She invited the Nebraska Grain and Feed Ass 

ociation to suggest a nominee for an open Republican seat on the ICC. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon and Kerrey agree: Gridlock likely in Congress 

TEXT[The leadership that America needs to address crucial issues might be hard t 

o come by in the next session of Congress, both of Nebraska's U.S. senators say. 

Democrats Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon indicated in recent interviews that gridl 

ock is more likely than leadership. 

Kerrey said he was hopeful but not optimistic about recommendations that co 

uld come from the entitlement review commission he heads and by what Congress mi 

ght be willing to enact. 

"We don't need compromise so much as we need genuine leadership," Kerrey sa 

id in an interview after the election. "My concern is that a lot of people are c 

oming back to Congress, or here just elected to Congress, who have reason to bel 

ieve that Americans just want to hear the feel-good stuff. 

"The message America should get, loud and clear, is that there is no free l 

unch," said Kerrey, who won a second term last week. "You want deficit reduction 

, you reduce spending now and down the road. If you're going to promise more def 

ense spending and tax cuts and say that entitlement programs aren't on the table 

, you are either very naive or entirely cynical." 

"My hope is that people who know tough decisions have to be made won't look 

at the results of these elections and run like scared dogs," Kerrey said. 

Although Republicans captured a majority of seats in the House and Senate i 

n Tuesday's election, they have no more control of either institution than did t 

he Democrats, Exon said. 

"No one is in control and unless the leadership of both parties (in both ho 

uses) show some statesmanship and not worry about whether Bob Dole will be the n

ext president - and I predict he never will be - we are going to have a disaster 

and the people of the U.S. are going to be hurt most by it," Exon said. 

"You're going to see in many instances gridlock like you've never seen befo 

re," Exon said. "We've had filibusters on almost every major issue and the flagr 

ant use of the filibuster by Republicans has sent a very bad tone." 

Kerrey agreed with Republicans and others who feel that federal regulations 

and taxes sometimes impede job creation and investment. 

"The best family policy and the best economic policy is reflected in a work 

er getting a decent wage," Kerrey said. 

"The biggest social problem in America today isn't that wealthy people can' 

t build a summer house," Kerrey said. "What is straining families is that people 

, like a woman I just talked to, are taking out a second mortgage to send their 

kind to the University of Nebraska. I support NU, but you shouldn't need a secon 

d mortgage to send a son or daughter there. 

"People of average means are shouldering huge amounts of taxes and have too 

little left to save and the way we address government should reflect that reali 

ty," he said. 

Kerrey said there were times during his re-election campaign when it seemed 

that some constituents either didn't hear or wouldn't accept his message. 

"I want to reduce the deficit and I won't vote for anything that would make 

the deficit bigger, and I don't care if it is a tax feel-good thing, or some ot 

her feel-good program," Kerrey said. "It seems that some people cling to the fan 

tasy that you can get government under control and reduce taxes by just cutting 

things they don't like, while spending money on what they do like. That is just 

not true." 

Kerrey said he calls it "a Big Newton" when U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., 

expected to be the next Speaker of the House, implies that taxes can go down wh 

ile defense spending goes up. "If you go for too many of those, you will make yo 

urself sick," Kerrey said. 

Some members of Congress "come back to Washington and forget what they lear 

ned in the coffee shops and drugstores and parking lots back home when they talk 

ed to individuals," Kerrey said. 

"That's in part because of the collective sense, I think, that cynicism won 

elections the last time and you could say honesty didn't do all that well," he 

said. 

Exon said effective government can only come from bipartisanship. 

Kerrey said he hoped he might have a chance to play an effective role as a 

coalition builder. He said his record of support for deficit cutting, exceeding 

the cuts sought by President Clinton, and his support for Republican-backed init 

iatives on health care, could contribute to his credibility. 

Exon and Kerrey agreed that the Republicans' "Contract With America" contai 

ned some ideas worthy of being voted on by Congress. 

"My concern is that much of it is very shallow and reflects a philosophy th 

at would go back to adding to the deficit," Kerrey said. 





BK#[

HDLN[Nebraska's senators predicting gridlock 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon agree that leadership is 

needed in the next session of Congress but both Nebraska Democrats fear that Ame 

rica will get gridlock instead. 

Kerrey is hopeful but not optimistic about what might be recommended by the 

entitlement review commission he heads and by what Congress might be willing to 

enact. 


id in an interview after the election. "My concern is that a lot people are comi 

ng back to Congress, or were just elected to Congress, who have reason to believ 

e that Americans just want to hear the feel good stuff. 









"No one is in control, and unless the leadership of both parties (in both h 

ouses) show some statesmanship and not worry abort whether Bob Dole will be the 

next president - and I predict he never will be - we are going to have a disaste 

r and the people of the U.S. are going to be hurt most by it," Exon said. 


re," Exon said. "We've had filibusters on all most every major issue and the fl 

agrant use of the filibuster by Republicans has sent a very bad tone." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain Car Council may help alleviate shortage of cars 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a Nati 

onal Grain Car Council. 

"I believe the Interstate Commerce Commission very shortly will be asking f 

or volunteers from around the country" to form a council to alleviate grain car 

shortages, Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association on Monday. 

The council will include representatives of railroads, grain shippers and r 

eceivers, and train manufacturers. 

ICC Chairman Gail McDonald, who accompanied Exon, said the National Grain C 

ar Council could be operational in about a month. 


is yearly changes in rules. 




ervices director of the grain association.


the railroad is unable to provide enough cars to meet the promised 70 percent, h 

e said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying Certificates of Transportation, wh 

ich guarantee delivery of a certain number of rail cars. 

But Burlington Northern Railroad has pledged only 40 percent of its cars fo 

r the certificates program. 

"Where's the other 60 percent?" asked Ray Brandt of Cooperative Producers o 

f Hastings. 

Exon charged that the railroad companies are "feeding their bottom lines," 

placing the shareholders' interests ahead of the customers. 

The North American Free Trade Agreement has created more problems, he said. 

Although railroads are providing 20 percent more box cars, they are spread over 

larger distances hauling into Mexico and Canada, 

he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[National Grain Car Council created 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon on Monday announced the creation of 

a National Grain Car Council. 



shortages, Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association. 













e said. 



But Burlington Northern railroad has pledged only 40 percent of their cars 

for the COT program. 


f Hastings. 




Although railroads are providing 20 percent more box cars, they are spread over

larger distances hauling into Mexico and Canada, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain Car Council to Study Shortages 

TEXT[Grand Island, Neb. - Formation of the National Grain Car Council was announ 

ced Monday at a meeting of grain elevator operators at the Holiday Inn. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Gail McDonald, chairman of the Interstate Comme 

rce Commission, said the council will be an advisory arm for the commission. 

The goal will be to work out the solutions to recurring problems between sh 

ippers and rail lines, Ms. McDonald said. Linda Morgan, vice chairman of the com 

mission, will head the council. 

Richard Sanne, executive vice president of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Asso 

ciation, said the grain industry in Nebraska has invested millions of dollars to 

improve rail sidings and loading facilities over the past decade because the ra 

ilroads said that would improve grain shipping and railroad efficiencies. 

But the rail systems had problems providing cars then, and they still have 

problems today, he said. 

With 50 million bushels of grain piled on the ground in Nebraska and more o 

n farms awaiting storage and transportation, continued rail problems threaten th 

e survival of many elevators, he said. 

Shippers wonder why the only cars available seem to be those that the shipp 

ers must bid extra to obtain, even though the higher rates supposedly apply to o 

nly 40 percent of some railroads' cars. Sanne said. 

"Where's the other 60 percent?" he asked. 

Even last year, when crops were one-third behind this year's record yield, 

there weren't enough cars, he said. 

Segments of the rail industry have lobbied against formation of a grain car 

council, saying it would create an unneeded layer of federal bureaucracy. 

"We feel that the National Grain Car Council is a solution without a proble 

m," Carol Perkins, a spokeswoman with the Association of American Railroads, sai 

d in Washington. "However, if the grain car council comes into being, the AAR wi 

ll participate fully in their activities." 

To be effective, Ms. Perkins said, the council needs to avoid focusing too 

narrowly on rail carriers. The council should study the nation's grain hauling n 

etwork as a whole, she said. 

According to a draft of the grain car council charter provided by the assoc 

iation, the council would be composed of at least 30 members, five of whom would 

represent railroads. 

John Bromley, a spokesman at Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, said it wasn' 

t clear whether U.P. would be represented on the council. 

"We're willing to cooperate," Bromley said. 

At the Grand Island meeting, Mike Pollnow of Sidney, Neb., general manager 

of Crossroads Cooperative and United Cooperative Service, said the elevators he 

manages are 1,100 cars behind in their Union Pacific rail car orders. 

At the current rate of rail car arrivals, Pollnow said, he may not get this

year's wheat moved and sold before the next crop is harvested in July. "We can' 

t take delivery on contracted grain or sell it until we get the cars," he said. 

Daryl Erickson, general manager of the Greenwood Farmers Cooperative in Gre 

enwood, Neb., and president of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association, said: "T 

hey keep asking us to make improvements to achieve efficiencies, but we get less 

efficiency and less and less service. The rates have gone up, too, probably dou 

bled in, the last 10 years, but service is no better." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon fear more gridlock 

TEXT[Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon agree that leadership is needed in the next s 

ession of Congress, but both Nebraska Democrats fear that America will get gridl 

ock instead. 



enact. 




e that Americans just want to hear the feel-good stuff. 



, you reduce spending now and down the road. If you're going to promise more de 

fense spending and tax cuts and say that entitlement programs aren't on the tabl 

e, you are either very naive or entirely cynical." 




"NO ONE IS in control and unless the leadership of both parties (in both ho 

uses) show some statesmanship and not worry about whether Bob Dole will be the n 





ant use of the filibuster by Republicans has set a very bad tone." 








kid to the University of Nebraska. I support NU, but you shouldn't need a second 

mortgage to send a son or daughter there. 

"People of average means are shouldering huge amounts of taxes and have too

little left to save, and the way we address government should reflect that real 

ity," he said. 

Kerrey said there were times during his reelection campaign when it seemed 


"I WANT TO reduce the deficit and I won't vote for anything that would make 


her feel-good program," Kerrey said. 

"It seems that some people cling to the fantasy that you can get government 

under control and reduce taxes by just cutting things they don't like, while sp 

ending money on what they do like. That is just not true." 

Kerrey said he calls it "a Big Newton" when Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., expe 

cted to be the next Speaker of the House, implies that taxes can go down while d 

efense spending goes up. 

"If you go for too many of those, you will make yourself sick," Kerrey said 

. 



coalition-builder. He said his record of support for deficit cutting, exceeding 



Exon and Kerrey agreed that the Republicans' so-called "Contract With Ameri 

ca" contained some ideas worthy of being voted on by the Congress. 



AUTH[Grand Island AP 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Announces Creation Of National Grain Car Council 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP)-U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a 

National Grain Car Council. 

I believe the Interstate Commerce Commission very shortly will be asking fo 

r volunteers from around the country to form a council to alleviate grain car sh 

ortages, Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association on Monday. 










ervices director of the grain association. Not only are grain dealers losing 30 

percent of their rail cars, but often the railroad is unable to provide enough c 

ars to meet the promised 70 percent, he said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying Certificates of Transportation whi 

ch guarantee delivery of a certain number of rail cars. 

But Burlington Northern Railroad has pledged only 40 percent of its cars fo

the certificates program. 


f Hastings. 










BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain car council created 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND. Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of 

a National Grain Car Council. 

"I believe the Interstate Commerce Commission very shortly will asking for 

volunteers from around the country" to form a council alleviate grain car shorta 

ges, Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association on Monday. 

The council will include representatives of railroads, grain shippers recei 

ve cars, and train manufacturers. 

ICC Chairman Gail McDonald, who accompanied Exon, said National Grain Car C 

ouncil could be operational in about a month. 




om allocating cars on a four-year average to allocating 70 percent of average nu 

mber of cars distributed in the past two years, said Ron Ziggafoos, member servi 

ces director of the grain association. 


the railroad is unable to provide enough cars to meet the promised percent, he s 

aid. 







BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain-car shortage solutions offered 

TEXT[A new National Grain Car Commission, greater involvement of the Interstate 

Commerce Commission and talks with Mexico will help grain shippers cope with fru 

strating harvest-time grain car shortages, Sen. Jim D-Nebraska, said Monday. 

The grain car commission, to be formed as an arm of the ICC as soon as next 

month, would provide a forum for grain dealers and railroads to work out soluti

ons to the problems, Exon told about 20 grain dealers at a meeting in Grand Isla 

nd. 

He also encouraged the dealers to report their problems to his office and t 

he ICC, which is fighting perceptions of ineffectiveness as it tries to stave of 

f attempts to eviscerate its budget. 

"THE BARKING DOG is more likely to get relief than one that curls up its ta 

il...and says 'there isn't anything I can do about it,'" Exon said. He later tol 

d the dealers that he and his staff would do everything they could to help them 

resolve disputes and problems with railraods. 

Among the complaints from elevator operators at the meeting were allegation 

s that the railroads favor large dealers over small ones, favor coal over grain, 

and are falling way behind on promised car deliveries. 

The Association of American Railroads has opposed the grain car commission, 

calling it unnecessary, said John Bromley, a spokesman for the Union Pacific Ra 

ilroad. The perceived favoritism and "shortages" actually result from economies 

of scale and tie-ups at elevators and ports that are beyond the railroads' contr 

ol, Bromley said. 

Union Pacific has added cars to its fleet and has worked with terminals and 

ports to get cars back into operation quicker, Bromley said. He denied that UP 

favors coal. 

NO ONE at Burlington Northern could be reached for comment. 

ICC Chairwoman Gail McDonald, who also attended the meeting, said that whil 

e the commission had substantial authority over unfair practices, enforcement wo 

n't go very far. She said she favors "creative solutions" such as smaller elevat 

ors forming consortia to increase their leverage with the railroads. 

The grain car commission will help her and other commissioners get a better 

idea of what can be done, she said. She invited the Nebraska Grain and Feed Ass 

ociation to suggest a nominee for an open Republican seat on the ICC, and she ca 

lled on group members to volunteer for the new grain ear commission. 

Exon said he will continue to work with the White House and the Mexican gov 

ernment to stop the Mexican practice of dying feed corn green because it forces 

cars out of commission until they can be cleaned. He noted that increased trade 

under the North American Free Trade Agreement has spread the stressed car supply 

even thinner. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey fear gridlock 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon agree that leadership is needed in the n 

ext session of Congress but both Nebraska Democrats fear that America will get g 

ridlock instead. 



enact. 


id in an interview after the election. "My concern is that a lot of people are c

oming back to Congress, or were just elected to Congress, who have reason to bel 

ieve that Americans just want to hear the feel good stuff. 

















BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon:Grain car council taking shape 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon on Monday said his plan for a National Grain Car Council 

is taking shape. 


or volunteers from around the country ... to form a council that is reflective a 

nd can bring to the attention of the ICC some of the specific recommendations th 

at could be carried out to alleviate the situation now and also in the future," 

Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association. 




grain," Exon said earlier this month. "This year's bin-busting crop draws attent 

ion to this annual dilemma more than ever." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Panel to look at fix for lack of grain cars 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND (AP)-U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a Nation 

al Grain Car Council. 





eceivers, and train manufacturers.

ICC CHAIRMAN Gail McDonald, who accompanied Exon, said the National Grain C 










e said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon and Kerrey Agree: Gridlock Is Likely When Congress Convenes 


















at the results of these elections and run like scared dogs," Kerrey said. Altho 

ugh Republicans captured a majority of scats in the House and Senate in Tuesday' 

s election, they have no more control of either institution than did the Democra 

ts, Exon said. 





"You're going to see in many instances gridlock like you've never 

seen before," Exon said. "We've had filibusters on almost every major 

issue and the flagrant use of the filibuster by Republicans has sent a very bad 

tone." 

Kerrey agreed with republicans and others who feel that federal regulations 

and taxes sometimes impede job creation and investment.


er getting a decent wage," Kerrey said. "The biggest social problem in America t 

oday isn't that wealthy people can't build a summer house," Kerrey said. "What i 

s straining families is that people, like a woman I just talked to, are taking o 

ut a second mortgage to send their kind to the University of Nebraska. I support 

NU, but you shouldn't need a second mortgage to send a son or daughter there. 



ty," he said. 




the deficit bigger, and l don't care if it is a tax feel-good thing, or some ot 




not true." Kerrey said he calls it "a Big Newton" when U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich, 

R-Ga., expected to be the next Speaker of the House, implies that taxes can go d 

own while defense spending goes up. If you go for too many of those, you will m 

ake your-self sick," Kerrey said. Some members of Congress "come back to Washing 

ton and forget what they learned in the coffee shops and drugstores and parking 

lots back home when they talked to individuals," Kerrey said. 



said. Exon said effective government can only come from bipartisanship. Kerrey s 

aid he hoped he might have a chance to play an effective role as a coalition bui 

lder. 

He said his record of support for deficit cutting, exceeding the cuts sough 

t by President Clinton, and his support for Republican-backed initiatives on hea 

lth care, could contribute to his credibility. Exon and Kerrey agreed that the R 

epublicans' "Contract With America" has ideas worthy of being voted on by Congre 

ss. 





AUTH[Josh Stafursky 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain car shortage addressed 

TEXT[The chairwoman of the Interstate Commerce Commission Monday said she hopes 

a new federal council will help alleviate the annual rail car shortages that pla 

gue grain dealers during harvest. 

Gail McDonald said she hopes the National Grain Car Council will foster coo 

peration among the railroad industry, farmers, grain dealers and other shippers. 

McDonald spoke during a Nebraska Grain aid Feed Association meeting Monday at t 

he Interstate Holiday Inn near Grand Island. 

The Grain Car Council was created with the help of Sen. Jim Exon, McDonald 

said. The Nebraska Democrat, who also attended the meeting, was instrumental in

pushing the proposal through the White House, she said. 

"By bringing together all of the players, we'll keep the lines of communica 

tion open and hopefully see results," McDonald said. 

Exon said he pushed for the council because of the annual problems created 

by the lack of rail cars for grain shipment. Despite increasing numbers of cars 

on the market, shippers in rural America still are having a difficult time findi 

ng ways to move their grain, he said. 

Elevator operators and grain dealers from across Nebraska discussed the rai 

l car problems with Exon and McDonald at the meeting. 

Some complained that despite efforts by the railroad companies to increase 

efficiency, grain shipment service actually has declined. Rail car delivery is e 

rratic and many rural communities are seeing fewer and fewer regular routes thro 

ugh their areas, some said. 

Coal shipments, often more profitable for the railroad industry because the 

y occur on a more regular basis, take priority over grain pickup, one dealer sai 

d. 

All of these issues mean higher costs for dealers and, in turn, lower price 

s for farmers. 

Exon said a variety of circumstances led to a shortage of rail cars. The ne 

west problem can be directly attributed to the North American Free Trade Agreeme 

nt. 

"We have more cars in Mexico and Canada than ever before," he said. "The pr 

oblem is, once they get there they're hard to get back right away." 

Exon said many grain dealers and elevators have done their part to make gra 

in shipment more efficient by updating their loading areas to suit the railroads 

. It's about time for the railroad industry to sit down and work to make grain d 

eliveries less of a strain on rural America, he said. 

"The railroads are diametrically opposed to the creation of the Grain Car C 

ouncil." Exon said. "They opposed it right down to the end. But I look at this a 

s an opportunity to bring people together and solve problems." 

Despite the industry's disapproval. Exon officially announced the formation 

of the council Nov. 4. McDonald said about 30 volunteers will he chosen to sit 

on the council, which will act as an adviser to the ICC. 

The ICC will accept nominations for about two weeks and McDonald said she h 

opes a council can he seated in about a month. 

"This isn't' something that we want to wait and get to next year," Exon sai 

d. "We want something to be in place for this year's harvest." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon makes move to end shortage of rail grain cars 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND (AP) U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a Nation 

al Grain Car Council. 



shortages, Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association on Monday.

THE COUNCIL will include representatives of railroads, grain shippers and r 







om allocating cars on a four year average to allocating 70 percent of the averag 





e said. 

DEALERS TRY TO get around that by buying Certificates of Transportation, wh 


But Burlington Northern Railroad has led pledged only 40 percent of its car 

s for the certificates program. 


f Hastings. 

Exon charged that the railroad companies are feeding their bottom lines, pl 

acing the shareholders interests ahead of the customers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey agree: Gridlock is likely 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - The leadership that America needs to address crucial issues 

might be hard to come by in the next session of Congress, both of Nebraska's U.S 

. senators say. 


















n Tuesday's election, they have no more control of either institution than did t




ext president- and I predict he never will be - we are going to have a disaster 
















ty," he said. 








not true." 










said. 





iatives on health care, could contribute 

to his credibility. 









BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Agree: gridlock is likely when Congress convenes 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The leadership that America needs to address crucial i 

ssues might be hard to come by in the next session of Congress. both of Nebraska 

's U.S. senators say. 







id in an interview after the election. "My concern is that a lot of people are 

coming back to Congress, or were just elected to Congress, who have reason to be 

lieve that Americans just want to hear the feel-good stuff." 













ext president - and l predict he never will be - we are going to have a disaster 


"You're going to see many instances gridlock like you've never seen before, 

" Exon said. "We've had filibusters on almost every major issue and he flagrant 

use of the filibuster by Republicans has sent a very bad tone." 



The best family policy and the best economic policy is reflected in a worke 

r getting a decent wage, Kerrey said. 


t build a summer house," Kerrey said. "What is straining families is that peopl 

e, like a woman I just talked to, are taking out a second mortgage to send their 

kind to the University of Nebraska. I support NU, but you shouldn't need a sec 

ond mortgage to send a son or daughter there. 





BK#[

HDLN[U.S. senators agree: Gridlock likely in Congress 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - The leadership that America needs to address crucial issues 

might be hard to come by in the next session of Congress, both of Nebraska's U.S 

. senators say. 

































like a woman I just talked to, are taking out a second mortgage to send their k 

ind to the University of Nebraska. I support NU, but you shouldn't need a second 

mortgage to send a son or daughter there. 



ty," he said. 







things they don't like."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey says gridlock likely in Congress 































ty," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain Car Council to Study Rail-Hauling Network 

TEXT[Formation of the National Grain Car Council was announced Monday at a meeti 

ng of grain elevator operators at the Holiday Inn here. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Gail McDonald, chairman of the Interstate Comme 

rce Commission, said the council will be an advisory arm for the commission.

The goal will be to work out the solutions to recurring problems between sh 

ippers and rail lines, Ms. McDonald said. Linda Morgan, vice chairman of the com 

mission, will head the council. 




ilroads said that would improve grain shipping and railroad efficiencies. 






Even last year, when crops were one-third behind this year's record yield t 

here weren't enough cars, he said. 




m," Carol Perkins, a spokeswoman with the Association of American Railroads, sai 

d in Washington. "However, if the grain car council comes into being, the AAR wi 

ll participate fully in their activities." 




According to a draft of the gram car council charter provided by the associ 

ation, the council would be composed of at least 30 members, five of whom would 


John Bromley, a spokesman at Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, said it wasn' 

t clear whether U.P. would be represented on the council. 




manages are 1,100 cars behind in their Union pacific rail car orders. 

At the current rate of rail car arrivals, Pollnow said, he may not get this 

year's wheat moved and sold before the next crop is harvested in July. "We can' 

t take delivery on contracted grain or sell it until we get the cars," he said. 


enwood, Neb., and president of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association, said: "T 



bled in the last 10 years, but service is no better." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain council taking shape 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon on Monday said his plan for a 

National Grain Car Council is taking shape.


or volunteers from around the country...to form a council that is reflective and 

can bring to the attention of the ICC some of the specific recommendations that 

could be carried out to alleviate the situation now ... and also in the future, 

" Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association. 





AUTH[Bryce Lambley 


BK#[ 

HDLN[CRP program helps wildlife populations 

TEXT[I haven't agreed with President Bill Clinton too often in the past two year 

s (and neither, it seems, has the majority of Americans). But in a letter dated 

Sept. 30, the President and other members of the administration signaled strong 

support for continuation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). That, I app 

laud. 

The CRP, part of the 1985 Farm Bill, is a program which paid farmers to tak 

e some land out of production and plant it over to native grasses. It was done, 

in part of course, to decrease the total amount of crops produced in an effort t 

o boost prices of those commodities. 

But another positive aspect of the program has been the conservation part o 

f the plan. Lands taken out of production and put back into native vegetation we 

re usually the acres that were marginal for farming to begin with. Converting th 

em back to grasslands has helped curb erosion problems, and has also been a boon 

to wildlife populations of all types. 

Unfortunately, the CRP plans were 10-year contracts and the first of those 

are nearing termination. And as of this writing, it is very doubtful than the CR 

P program will be reinstated without grassroots support from people to convince 

lawmakers in Washington of its merits. 

According, to Pheasants Forever Magazine, the battle lines have been drawn. 

Among those wanting CRP to stay are most farmers, many cattlemen, and probably 

all conservationists. They say the results of ending the CRP would lead to the w 

orse beef glut in years, as well as reduced crop prices and landscapes without w 

ildlife. 

Meanwhile, farm chemical, grain storage/processing and other agribusiness c 

oncerns are "licking their chops," according to Pheasants Forever, at the though 

t of turning 36.5 million acres of sod into surplus crops. 

While I agree the federal government must do something about reducing the b 

udget deficit, and I'm not a big fan of entitlement programs to begin with, I th 

ing the CRP us one such program which should be continued. Land taken out of cul 

tivation may sound counterproductive, but in fact it has benefits far beyond the 

financial price supports it allows farmers and ranchers. 

Wildlife species, both game and non-game, benefit immensely. Especially in 

eastern Nebraska where the norm seems to be the scorched-earth, fence row to fe 

nce row, maximum tillage mode of farming...which leaves very little vegetation f 

or wildlife. Bird and mammal species need roosting and bedding cover, travel are

as, and other safe havens, and the CRP has been a bonus for them much of the sam 

e as the old Soil Bank programs of yesteryear. 

If you feel the way I assume most outdoorsmen, farmers and ranchers do, I u 

rge you to contact Senators James Exon and Bob Kerrey, and Congressman Doug Bere 

uter to register your support. They'll be considering the 1995 Farm Bill soon an 

d the fate of CRP is in the balance. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Council Formed to Solve Shortage of Grain Cars 

TEXT[Grand Island, Neb. - Formation of the National Grain Car Council was announ 

ced Monday at a meeting of grain elevator operators at the Holiday Inn. 

Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb., and Gail McDonald, clan of the Interstate Commerce C 

ommission, said the council will be an advisory arm for the commission. 

The goal will be to work out the recurring problems between shippers and ra 

il fines, Ms. McDonald said. Linda Morgan, vice chairman of the commission, will 

head the council. 




ilroads told them that would improve grain shipping and railroad efficiencies. 






Shippers wonder why the only cars available seem to he those they have to b 

id extra to obtain, even though the higher rates supposedly apply to only 40 per 

cent of some railroads' cars, Sanne said. 

"Where's the other 60 percent?" he asked. 

Even last year, when crops were one-third behind this year's record yield, 

there weren't enough cars, he said. 




m," said Carol Perkins, a spokeswoman with the Association of American Railroads 

, from the association's offices in Washington, D.C. "However, if the grain car 

council comes into being, the AAR will participate fully in their activities." 




According to a draft of the grain car council charter provided by the assoc 

iation, the council would be composed of at least 30 members, five of whom would 


John Bromley, a spokesman at Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha said it wasn't 

clear whether U.P. would be represented on the council.




manages are 1,100 cars behind in their Union Pacific rail car orders. 

At the current rate of rail car arrivals, Pollnow said he may not get this 

year's wheat moved and sold before the next crop is harvested in July. "We can't 

take delivery on contracted grain or sell it until we get the cars," he said. 


enwood, Neb., and president of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association, said, "T 



bled in the last 10 years, but service is no better." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey predict gridlock 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon agree that leadership is 

needed in the next session of Congress but both Nebraska Democrats fear that Ame 

rica will get gridlock instead. 



enact. 


















re," Exon said. "We've had filibusters on all most every major issue and the fla 

grant use of the filibuster by Republicans has sent a very bad tone." 






t build a summer house," Kerrey said. "What is straining families is that people






ty," he said. 

Kerrey said there were times during his re-election campaign when it 

seemed that some constituents either didn't hear or wouldn't accept his message. 






not true." 








SOUR[Huron Daily 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Composting plan hearing planned 

TEXT[Army biologists admit a plan to dump tons of leaves, grass clippings and tr 

ees into the Missouri River isn't popular with South Dakota officials, but suppo 

rters say it could stop the decline in fish populations. 

Under the three-year pilot project proposed by the Nebraska Game and Parks 

Commission, trees and yard waste would be put into the river at three sites; ups 

tream from Lewis and Clark Lake, which straddles the Nebraska-South Dakota borde 

r. 

A total of 205,000 tons of yard waste and 75 trees would be put in the rive 

r at sites - north of Lynch, Verdel and Niobrara. Up to 5,000 tons and 15 trees 

would be used in the first year at the Verdel site; trees would be marked with a 

buoy to warn river users. 

All waste would be composted for a year before being discharged. The waste 

also would be examined. 

The plan needs approval from the Army Corps of Engineers' Omaha office. 

Keith Tillotson of the corps' office in Kearney last week told the Omaha Wo 

rld-Herald that South Dakota officials have objected to the plan, saying it woul 

d result in violations in that state's water-quality standards. 

A public hearing on the plan is scheduled for 9 a.m. CST at the Yank ton (S 

.D.) Community Library on Dec. 13. 

Larry Hesse, a Nebraska state fisheries biologist, in 1992 said dumping the 

vegetation into the river would restore "some of the rich organic soup" fish on 

ce thrived on. 

Organic material, once dumped into the river by floods, gradually has disap 

peared as the river was dammed and channelized, Hesse said. The material snagged

on the river bottom, attracting insects that in turn fed fish. 

The river's ability to breed and maintain fish populations has declined 80 

percent since the dams were built and the river channelized, according to game c 

ommission research. 




SOUR[Brookings Daily Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[National Grain Car Council to be formed to deal with shortage 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a National Grain Car Counc 

il. 
















e said. 









BK#[ 

HDLN[Tribal Chairman Faults Hospital in Mom's Death 

TEXT[Macy. Neb. - The chairman of the Omaha Tribe and his sister want federal in 

vestigations into what they said was negligent care and abuse at the Winnebago I 

ndian Hospital that resulted in the death of their mother last March and the dea 

th of at least one other patient. 

Representatives of the 30-bed hospital on the Winnebago Indian Reservation 

in northeast Nebraska said Tuesday that inquiries by two Indian Health Service d 

octors found no problems with the care provided to Mary Lieb Mitchell in the wee

ks before her death. 

They said they had received no complaints about abuse or neglect resulting 

in the deaths of other patients. 

The Indian Health Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Hu 

man Services, is seeking independent medical authorities to conduct an additiona 

l review of Mrs. Mitchell's case. 

The Indian Health Service oversees the Winnebago hospital. 

Rudi Mitchell, chairman of the Omaha Tribe, said federal officials were dra 

gging their feet and were not willing to pursue the matter aggressively enough. 

He said he wanted the hospital to fire the doctors who cared for his mother. 

His sister, Happy Mitchell Carmona, said their mother developed numerous be 

dsores, was forced to lie in her feces and did not receive treatment for burns o 

n her mouth that appeared to have been caused by hot soup or hot foods. Ms. Carm 

ona said she, not hospital staff, discovered that her mother was dead when she v 

isited the hospital. 

Hospital officials denied that Mrs. Mitchell's family found her dead. 

"I feel the doctors were negligent," Ms. Carmona said. "She was neglected a 

nd abused." 

Ms. Carmona said she is collecting information from families of other patie 

nts who she said received inadequate care at the hospital. She blamed the hospit 

al for the death of one other person but would not provide any details. 

She said she had discussed the case with the office of Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb 

., and planned to forward to him the information she collected. 

Exon said that he would contact Indian Health Service officials and monitor 

the case but that he did not intend to start an investigation of his own. 

John Blackhawk, chairman of the Winnebago Tribe, serves with Mitchell on a 

governing board that oversees the hospital. 

Blackhawk said he did not have any concerns that patients were suffering fr 

om neglect or abuse by hospital staff. No specific complaints have been brought 

to his attention recently, he said. 

Mrs. Mitchell died March 28 at the age of 92. She had heart and kidney prob 

lems and diabetes. 

Her death certificate states that her death was the result of respiratory c 

ardiac arrest caused by kidney failure and congestive heart failure. 

Mrs. Mitchell was admitted to the Winnebago hospital Feb. 18 after being tr 

ansferred from St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha. 

Jim Rixner, acting service unit director of the Winnebago hospital, said th 

e hospital and its medical staff were vindicated by the Indian Health Service re 

views, which found no evidence of inappropriate care. 

The reviews recommended that the hospital try to improve communication betw 

een staff members and families of patients, according to a letter from an Indian 

Health Service official. 

Rixner said he was sympathetic to Mrs. Mitchell's family for their loss. Th 

e hospital was trying to keep "a very frail" woman as comfortable as possible un 

til she died, Rixner said. 

"Her prognosis was very poor," he said. On the morning that Mrs. Mitchell d 

ied, Rixner said, hospital workers had bathed her at 5 a.m. and checked her agai 

n about 6 a.m. The medical staff was with Mrs. Mitchell when she died two and a 

half hours later because they were trying to revive her, he said. 

Rixner said the hospital would welcome additional reviews of the case or an 

y other case in which there are concerns.

"We take all of this very seriously," he said. "It was investigated thoroug 

hly." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators predict gridlock 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The leadership that America needs to address crucial i 

ssues might be hard to come by in the next session of Congress, both of Nebraska 

's U.S. senators say. 


















n Tuesday;s election, they have no more control of either institution than did t 
















kid to the University of Nebraska. I support NU, but you shouldn't need a second 

mortgage to send a son or daughter there." 



ty," he said.





her feel-good program 

Kerrey said. "It seems that some people cling to the fantasy that you can get go 

vernment under control and reduce taxes by just cutting things they don't like, 

while spending money on what they do like. That is just not true. 

Kerrey said he calls it "a Big Newton" when U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. 

expected to be the next Speaker of the House, implies that taxes can go down whi 

le defense spending goes up. "If you go for too many of those, you will make you 

rself sick," Kerrey said. 






said. 












BK#[ 

HDLN[2 Financiers Differ Sharply Over the Wisdom of GATT 

TEXT[Two financiers with global experience gave Congress conflicting advice Tues 

day on how to vote on a new international trade agreement. 

Sir James Goldsmith, a British financier who is a member of the European pa 

rliament, said the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade s 

hould be defeated. 

Felix Rohatyn, senior partner in Lazard Freres & Co. of New York, said worl 

d financial markets would be badly rattled if GATT is rejected by Congress next 

month. 

"A negative vote on GATT could put great pressure on the dollar," Rohatyn s 

aid. "The impact on the markets and on the economy would be extremely negative." 

Rohatyn, testifying-before the Senate Commerce Committee, said rejecti 

on of GATT could be followed by a decline in the value of the dollar, a depresse 

d U.S. stock market and increases in mortgage interest rates and automobile loan 

rates. 

Goldsmith disputed Rohatyn's testimony, cautioning that the trade agre 

ement "will impoverish and destabilize the industrialized world while at the sam 

e time cruelly ravaging the Third World."

He said Rohatyn, who had left the hearing room, represented global cor 

porations who were interested only in paying the cheapest rates for labor. 

Goldsmith said the GATT round if implemented would force U.S corporati 

ons to go outside the Unite' States for labor. 

Smith said the concept of global free trade should be replaced by regional 

free trade, giving each region the freedom to decide whether will enter bilatera 

l agreements with ether regions. 

"We must not simply open our markets to any and every product regardless of 

whether it benefits our economy, destroys our employment and destabilizes our s 

ociety," Goldsmith said. 

Rohatyn said the vote on GATT, scheduled for Dec. 2, will be watched by wor 

ld leaders as an indication of whether leaders of a new Republican majority in C 

ongress can work with a Democratic president. 

He said any postponement of the vote would be "the practical equivalen 

t of a rejection and a signal that the United States is turning inward." 

Rohatyn said that would reduce trade worldwide at a time when world fi 

nancial markets are more integrated than the world trading system. 

"The stock market crash of October 1987 had as one of its origins a di 

spute between the United States and Germany on interest rates," Rohatyn said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., questioned both Rohatyn and Goldsmith about ho 

w U.S. sovereignty would be affected by the 130-nation World Trade Organization 

which would be created by the agreement. 

Goldsmith said he agreed with Exon's analysis that U.S. sovereignty wo 

uld be restricted by the agreement. 

Rohatyn said he did not believe the United States would be required to acce 

pt rulings of the World Trade Organization if it deemed them to be harmful to U. 

S. interests. 

Exon said he has not decided how to vote on the agreement. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon has concerns about GATT features 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon remained undecided on the General Agreement on T 

ariffs and Trade Tuesday and suggested that Congress should delay action on the 

issue. 

Exon said he likes some sections of the agreement, but is concerned about o 

thers, particularly the establishment of the World Trade Organization, which wou 

ld enforce the agreement. 

"There's lots of good things in the agreement," Exon told reporters after a 

hearing on the accord before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Co 

mmittee. 

"On balance, it's good for agriculture, and I'm by nature a free-trader. It 

will knock down a lot of barriers. But I have a lot of concerns, primarily with 

the WTO." 

Nebraska's three House members already have come out in favor of GATT. Sen. 

Bob Kerrey is uncommitted, although he voted in favor of the North American Fre 

e Trade Agreement last year.

EXON SAID HE worries that the WTO designed to settle disagreements among GA 

TT's 123 member nations, would endanger U.S. sovereignty. Small Third World nati 

ons would be equal to the U.S. in voting strength, he said. 

He pointed out that the U.S. would have no veto power in the WTO, as it doe 

s in the United Nations Security Council, and would have to abide by whatever de 

cisions the organization makes. 

"Under the new GATT, if the U.S. and another country, let's say Bangladesh, 

can't agree on a trade issue, it would be moved to a three-member panel which w 

ould talk in secret and come out with a ruling that would say whether the U.S. o 

r Bangladesh is right," Exon said while questioning witnesses. "If Bangladesh is 

declared the winner, there is very little we could do." 

Exon said the only way the U.S. could overturn the decision would he if all 

member nations, including Bangladesh, voted to override it. 

"DOESN'T THAT affect the sovereignty of the U.S.?" he asked. 

Felix G. Rohatyn, senior partner at Lazard Freres & Co., a New York-based i 

nvestment banking firm, defended the agreement, saying the U.S. would benefit fr 

om the modernization of Third World countries caused by free trade. 

Rohatyn acknowledged the WTO would play a large role, but he said any loss 

of U.S. sovereignty would be made up for by increased trade opportunities. 

"These developing economies in Latin America and Asia will be the locomotiv 

es that pull our economy over the next 10 years," he told the committee. "The WT 

O sounds reasonable to me." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon fear gridlock 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon agree that leadership is needed in the n 

ext session of Congress but both Nebraska Democrats fear that America will get g 

ridlock instead. 



enact. 














uses) show some statesmanship and not worry about whether Bob Dole will be the n



"You're going to see in many instances grid lock like you've never seen bef 

ore," Exon said. "We've had filibusters on almost every major issue and the flag 

rant use of the filibuster by Republicans has sent a very bad tone." 





The biggest social problem in America today isn't that wealthy pe 

ople can't build a summer house, Kerrey said. "What is straining families is tha 

t people, like a woman I just talked to, are taking out a second mortgage to sen 

d their kid to the University of Nebraska. I support NU, but you shouldn't need 

a second mortgage to send a son or daughter there. 



ty," he said. 

Kerrey said he calls it "a Big Newton" when U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. 

, expected to be the next Speaker of the House, implies that taxes can go down w 

hile defense spending goes up. "If you go for too many of those, you will make y 

ourself sick," Kerrey said. 


ned in the coffee shops and drug stores and parking lots back home when they tal 

ked to individuals," Kerrey said. 



said. 




AUTH[Vicki Ozenbaugh 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Ohiowa 

TEXT[Dedication ceremonies were held on veteran's Day, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. at the 

Veterans Memorial Gardens in Antelope Park in Lincoln. About 400 people attende 

d. Among those participating in the services were Gov. Ben Nelson, Mayor Mike Jo 

hanns, Sen. Jim Exon and Burt Amgwert, the Associations Nebraska Chairman. A pos 

t-ceremony reception was held at the Auld Recreation Center. CMSgt. Robert L. Th 

eobald was a Pearl Harbor survivor and his name is one of the many engraved on t 

he monument. Those attending from Ohiowa were Erma Theobald, Ivan and Pat Dunse 

and Lucille Thomas. 





BK#[

HDLN[Senator: Railroads, shippers to form grain-car council 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a Nat 

ional Grain Car Council. 












e number of cars distributed in the past two years, said Ron Ziggafoos member se 

rvices director of the grain association. 



e said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying Certificates of Transportation, gu 

aranteeing delivery of a certain number of rail cars. 




f Hastings. 










BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon applauds grain car council creation 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon praised the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and 

the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for following his recommendation to cr 

eate a National Grain Car Council. 

"Every fall, there are never enough rail cars available to carry 

harvested grain," said Exon chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcom 

mittee. "This year's bin-busting crop draws attention to this annual dilemma mor 

e than ever. I'm pleased that the ICC and OMB have agreed to my urgent request t 

o form a National Grain Car Council. While not a panacea, the Council can help o 

ur entire agricultural community move the products of our harvest to market more 

efficiently." 

This past April, Exon hosted the ICC's National Grain Car Supply 

Conference in Omaha. 

"With that conference, we began a dialogue among grain shippers, railr

oads and car suppliers that we can now continue," Exon said. "Once organized, th 

e Grain Car Council can anticipate and troubleshoot grain car supply problems as 

they arise and help avoid the annual crisis management which confronts rural Am 

erica during harvest time." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Train shortage to be studied 


il. 









is yearly ranges in rules. 







e said. 

dealers try to get around that by buying Certificates of Transportation, wh 



placing the shareholders' interests ahead of the customer. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nature Conservancy Official Seeks Farm Friends 

TEXT[Nebraska City, Neb. It's not agriculture OR the environment, says Diane Vo 

sick. It's agriculture AND the environment. 

Ms. Vosick, a policy representative for the Nature Conservancy, is hoping t 

o get that message across during a four-day visit to Nebraska that includes talk 

s with farmers, visits to conservation and water quality projects, an ethanol pl 

ant tour and discussions with local and state officials. 

In an interview Wednesday at the Arbor Day Farm Lied Conference Center here

, Ms. Vosick and Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, sa 

id the tour is intended to reduce the divisions that often exist between environ 

mental and agricultural interests. 

The corn industry group is sponsoring the tour, with assistance from the of 

fice of U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

Phil Karsting, an aide to Exon, said the two sometimes divergent groups may 

need each other to achieve their goals next year as Congress debates a new five 

year farm bill and discusses funding for clean water and environmental cleanups 

. 

Ms. Vosick said the Nature Conservancy and many farm groups share an intere 

st in continuing funding for conservation programs, such as improved conservatio 

n practices, continuing the conservation reserve program and expanding the Wetla 

nds Reserve program. The conservation reserve program idles farmland that is sub 

ject to erosion. 

The Nature Conservancy is concerned that Republican control of Congress wil 

l usher in a "wholesale assault on farm program dollars," Ms. Vosick said. 

Many urban dwellers don't see the need for conventional farm programs, she 

said, and object to farm program payments, But they do have an interest in conse 

rvation and wildlife, which she said have benefitted from both the carrot and st 

ick in existing policies. 

The major focus of the Nature Conservancy is preservation, said Ms. Vosick. 

That means buying or arranging the voluntary use of land with a particular valu 

e for the vegetation, terrain or creatures its holds, and preserving the ecosyst 

ems that support them. 

The group also wants to preserve areas vital to rare, endangered or threate 

ned species, or that have other unique features. The group works with land owner 

s rather than fighting them, she said, 

The Conservancy would rather see farmers and ranchers continuing their trad 

itional lifestyles and practices m rural areas than to see earthmovers make way 

for housing developments or shopping centers, she said. 

In an Indiana watershed project, she said, "the Conservancy helped farmers 

make down payments on no-till farm equipment. On the Fat Coast, the group is hel 

ping farmers grow high-value alternative crops to preserve land from development 

." 

"Farmers and ranchers are conservation-minded. They want to be good steward 

s of the land," Ms. Vosick said. "We can't buy whole ecosystems. We need to work 

with farmers to preserve and protect vital ecosystems and condors. 

The Conservancy allows grazing on some of the western lands it owns where g 

razing is beneficial, she said. The group holds more than 1 million acres in 1,3 

00 preserves, making it the largest private landholder in the world. 

Ms. Vosick said the Conservancy has helped protect 68,000 acres in Nebraska 

, including 59,000 acres it owns or manages at these sites: 54,000 acres along t 

he Niobrara River, 1,750 acres along the Platte River near Grand Island, the 1,2 

98-acre Arapahoe Prairie in Arthur County, 840 acres in Garden County in the San 

d Hills, 284 acres of woodlands along the Missouri River near Rulo and 610 acres 

of prairie near Red Cloud. 



AUTH[Josh Strafursky


BK#[ 

HDLN[Different Interests find common ground 

TEXT[HARVARD - Environmental groups and members of the agriculture community, of 

ten at odds over public policy issues, can work together to meet a variety of co 

mmon goals, said a member of the Nebraska Corn Board. 

John McKenzie of rural Harvard said by cooperating on many nature conservat 

ion issues, farmers and environmentalists can satisfy their bottom lines without 

unusual sacrifice, McKenzie Wednesday led a round-table discussion that feature 

d input from legislators, city officials, federal wildlife officials and a polic 

y-maker from one of the nation's largest environmental stewardship groups. 

Diane Vosick, agriculture policy representative for the Nature Conservancy, 

a Virginia-based environmental advocacy group, is in Nebraska this week as part 

of a tour sponsored by the Corn Board.McKenzie said the visit, which includes s 

tops in a communities across the state, is designed to meet the Corn Board's edu 

cational goals. 

"We want this opportunity to tell (agriculture's) side of the story as far 

as what we're doing in,terms of conservation - which I think sometimes gets lost 

, McKenzie said. We also want to hear the other side of the story and see what w 

e can do to bring ourselves to a common ground. 

The Nature Conservancy is one of the loudest voices for environmental issue 

s in Washington, D.C. The group has a membership of 790,000 and currently owns o 

r manages more than 1.2 million acres and almost 1,500 nature preserves across t 

he country. 

Since its formation in 1951, the group had protected more than 7.9 million 

acres of ecologically significant land. 

Vosick said the group has been successful in meeting its goals and the need 

s of the agriculture community. The non-profit organization purchases land in o 

rder to preserve its natural state, but only on a willing-buyer, willing-seller 

basis. Other creative methods of preserving land often are used to meet a commo 

n goal, she said. 

"It would not be unusual for the group to make a grant to a farmer for the 

purchase of no-till equipment because of its overall benefit for the land," she 

said. "When it helps our end goal then we'll look at more creative solutions." 

Phil Karsting, an aide to Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., is accompanying Vosick on 

the Nebraska tour. He said dialogue among agriculture and environmental interes 

t groups such as the Corn Board and the Nature Conservancy will help in crafting 

legislation that can be beneficial to both. 

"We need to talk about how we can integrate real life issues with the polic 

y discussions going on in Washington," Karsting said. "Next year we'll be lookin 

g at issues such as Superfund, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Farm Bill. It 

's important to begin a dialogue now." 

Karsting said recent political changes in Congress could have a dramatic ef 

fect on the issues that are discussed. Lawmakers will work to meet government sp 

ending and deficit reduction goals, possibly at the expense of both environmenta 

aid. 

Steve Moran, coordinator of the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, said conserv 

ation goals will have to be met in many cases through private efforts, rather th 

an with government assistance. The joint venture, which aims to preserve habita 

t for migratory waterfowl over a 4,200 square-mile area in central Nebraska, is 

an excellent example of a win-win situation for environmentalists and members of

the agriculture community. 

"Farmers have been sold short on their interest in conservation and protect 

ing habitat," Moran said, "The Rainwater Basin is an excellent example of bringi 

ng different interests together and everybody ending up with something they need 

." 

Moran said as part of the joint venture, farmers can learn how to maintain 

wetlands and receive help in finding ways to make wetlands profitable, rather th 

an burdensome parts of their land, marsh land that provides yearly headaches and 

is not profitable for a farmer could be restored to a wetland that could garner 

hunting or birdwatching fees. 

"We don't have to buy land to make this work, he said. We just need to talk 

to each other, find out what we need and figure out how we can all benefit." 

Vosick said the Nature Conservancy, which has offices in all 50 states, wor 

ks on a case-by-case basis with the agriculture community to meet its goals. The 

Nebraska trip only serves to strengthen the common goals that the group and far 

mers' share, she said. 

Hastings Mayor Phil Odom, City, Attorney Michael Sullivan and Utility Manag 

er Marvin Schultes participated in the meeting. Other participants were Phil Kar 

sting, an aide to U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., Sutton City Administrator Mac Til 

berg, John McKenzie of Harvard, a member of the Nebraska Corn Board; and Roger B 

urken, general manager of Chief Ethanol Fuels. 

Odom and Sullivan described Hastings' struggles under the federal Superfund 

law. Schultes explained Hastings Utilities' problems with federal copper conten 

t regulation iteming from the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

The three men said environmental quality should be watched closely, bu 

t that "one-size-fits-all" regulations enforced nationwide and oppressive liabil 

ity rules don't make sense and create more problems than they solve. 

Tilberg said burgeoning environmental regulations and the costs that a 

ttend them eventually will drive municipalities to financial ruin. 

"I don't know where the end of it is," he said. "It isn't very far off." 

Odorn said cities like Hastings and area farmers and ranchers need to realize 

how much they need each other. Hastings still is an agricultural community, but 

its industrial diversification will help the whole area survive when times are 

tough for farming, he said. 

Because of the close relationship, Odom said, Hastings will have a signific 

ant interest in the 1995 federal Farm Bill. 

Although farmers already are subject to environmental regulation, he 

said, they need to realize how serious their situations would be if the federal 

government began looking for contamination on individual farms the way it has hu 

nted for contamination in the city of Hastings. 

McKenzie agreed that farm groups and cities should recognize their com 

mon ground and look for more ways combine their efforts. 

"I don't know if we've solved anything here tonight, but I hope we've opene 

d up some dialogue to share some ideas," he said. 

Vosick, a Minnesota native who colds a bachelor's degree in biology and a m 

aster's degree in geography works in the Nature Conservancy's office in Alexandr 

ia, Va. She said her group is grassroots-oriented and considers itself a pragmat 

ic partner of farmers in the cause for wise stewardship. 

The Nature Conservancy, a private organizations has 4,000 members in Nebras 

ka and has assisted in the purchase of more than 68,000 acres of environmentally 

sensitive land in the state. It supports aspects of farm legislation that provi

de farmers incentive to practice conservation and protect biological diversity, 

Vosick said. 

While federal environmental laws have been used to good ends in many places 

, blanket regulations are inappropriate, she said. 

Like farm groups and municipalities, Vosick said. Her group wants to find a 

way to obtain realistic, workable federal policies that accomplish realistic go 

als. 

"I think the solution is somewhat nebulous, but it comes down to flexibilit 

y, trust and common sense," she said. 

Odom said he hopes meetings like Wednesday's can lead to greater cooperatio 

n between causes and, ultimately, better decisions by the federal government. 

"I think we need to find ways to help you help us," he said to Vosick. As 

a group that disseminates information and tries to base its decisions on real-li 

fe experience, Vosick said, the Nature Conservancy only can do its job better as 

a result of ventures like her tour of Nebraska. 

"The personal contact with the issues is invaluable," she said. "It takes g 

etting out, being in the community and finding out what works and what doesn't. 



AUTH[Grand Island 

SOUR[Mitchell Daily Republic 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon announces creation of National Grain Car Council 

TEXT["I believe the Interstate Commerce Commission very shortly will be asking f 









Union Pacific Railroad recently change rail car distribution policy from al 

locating cars on a four-year average to allocating 70 percent of the average num 

ber of cars distributed in the past two years, said Ron Ziggafoos, member Servic 

es director of the grain 

association. 



e said. 





"There's the other 60 percent?" asked Ray Brandt of Cooperative Producers o 

f Hastings. 



The North American Free Trade Agreement has created more problems, he said.





AUTH[Paul Hammel 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Groups Unite, Seek to Kill Trade Treaty 

TEXT[Lincoln - A coalition of 16 farm, labor and peace groups began a campaign T 

hursday to defeat a new international trade agreement under the General Agreemen 

t on Tariffs and Trade. 

The GATT treaty, coalition representatives said at a State Capitol press co 

nference, threatens food safety, environmental laws, American jobs and national 

sovereignty. They said it also would increase the federal budget deficit. 

The more people learn about GATT and the trade-offs involved, the less they 

like it," said John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union. 

"This is public policy based only on profit," said Walt Bleich, director of 

Nebraska Citizen Action, a public-interest group. 

The coalition, the Citizens Trade Campaign of Nebraska, will begin an adver 

tising campaign this weekend to educate Nebraskans about the dangers of adopting 

the GATT treaty, representatives said. 

Congress is to begin debating the treaty later this month. 

Hansen said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., is the state's only congressional repre 

sentative who has voiced opposition to the trade accord. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., is undecided, Hansen said, and the state's three U 

.S. representatives, Bill Barrett, Doug Bereuter and Peter Hoagland, all support 

the trade agreement. 

Brad Hansen, a Hemingford, Neb., farmer and vice president of the Nebr 

aska Wheat Growers Association, said other "so-called free trade agreements" alr 

eady have harmed wheat growers. 

He said that an agreement with Canada flooded the United States with s 

ubsidized wheat and that the North American Free Trade Agreement had also failed 

to help U.S. producers. 

Bleich said that environmental groups are unanimous in their oppositio 

n to the GATT accord. 

As an example of why, Bleich cited U.S. laws protecting dolphins from 

tuna-fishing operations. If the World Trade organization that governs GATT deter 

mines those laws restrict free trade, it could impose fines on American companie 

s or impose tariffs on U.S. goods entering other countries, he said. 

Rosalie Shepherd, state director of the Ross Perot-founded United We Stand 

America, said GATT would add $38 billion to the federal budget deficit. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Environmentalist to visit York, Polk county farms, projects

TEXT[Washington based agricultural policy representative for The Nature Conserva 

ncy was in York today to meet with local farmers, conservation officials, govern 

ment leaders and agribusiness representatives. 

Diane Vosick was scheduled talk to John Turnbull. Upper Big Blue NRD g 

eneral manager, and Richard Plock, Nebraska Corn Growers Association president a 

bout the York Recharge Lake project and study of atrazine management in the wate 

r project. She was to have lunch at noon with representatives from the corn grow 

ers association and the Nebraska Corn Board. Later in the afternoon, she was sch 

eduled to visit farms at Jerry Stahr's, Ron Uffelman's and Ed Barnes' as part of 

the Mid-Nebraska Water Quality project. 

Vosick was scheduled to stay at Dave and Christine Bankson's farm 

at Hordville. Dave Bankson is a director of the National Corn Development Found 

ation. 

Phil Karsting, an aide to Sen. Jim Exon, was to accompany Vosick 

on her tour. The tour was sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board as part of the or 

ganization's long-range plan to develop a closer relationship between agricultur 

e and environmentalists. 

Other communities on the tour included Nebraska City, Firth, Harv 

ard, Kearney, Hastings, Grand Island, Aurora and Lincoln. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon asks Mexico to speed up cars 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (Dem.-NE) wrote to several Cabinet officials and the 

Mexican Ambassador urging them to take action to help solve the annual railroad 

grain car shortage during harvest time. 

Exon, chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee, asked Mex 

ican Ambassador Jorge Montano to stop Mexican insistence on dyeing grain and ret 

urn American grain cars as fast as possible. Exon also asked Transportation Secr 

etary Federico Pena to assure that America's rural shippers are not indirectly s 

ubsidizing the Canadian competition because of grain car leasing arrangements. 

Exon sent copies of his letters to Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, U.S. Tr 

ade Representative Micky Kantor and Interstate Commerce Commission Chairman Gail 

McDonald. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kinders, Sylvesters attend Pearl Harbor Memorial dedication 

TEXT[Over 400 people attended he Pearl Harbor Memorial Monument dedication cerem 

onies in Lincoln on Veterans' Day Nov. 11. 

The meaningful memorial monument, located at the Veterans Memorial Gardens

in Antelope Park in Lincoln, as the names of all Nebraskans who were serving in 

the Pearl Harbor area on that "Day of Infamy," Dec. 7, 1941, when the harbor was 

attacked. There were several Chase 

County service men in the area of the attack that day. Andrew Kinder was killed 

during the attack. 

Special guests of honor at the monument dedication 

were families of those killed that day and also survivors and their families. 

Among the honorees attending were W. D. Rusty and Lloyd Kinder, brothers of 

Andrew Kinder; and Glen Silvester and members of his 

family. 

Glen Silvester, formerly of Chase County, but now a resident of Santa Rosa, 

Calif., was stationed on the USS Regal. His ship survived the attack although p 

ictures show him working diligently fighting fires immediately following the bom 

bing. His brother, Bill Silvester of Champion, and other members of the family, 

also attended the ceremonies Friday. 

Another survivor, Lyle Hancock, who formerly lived in Champion and now resi 

des in Chicago, Ill., had also planned to attend but did not make it. 

Glen Silvester recalled that he and Hancock had met the Sunday before the a 

ttack and had arranged with Andrew Kinder for all three to meet for a little out 

ing on Sunday, Dec. 7. The unexpected attack changed their plans. 

U. S. Senator Jim Exon presented the dedication address. Also making comm 

ents during the ceremony were Gov. Ben Nelson and Lincoln Mayor, Mike Johanns. 

There were 88,000 people serving on ships and the area of Hickam Field at t 

he time of the attack. There were 48 Nebraskans who lost their lives in the atta 

ck. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon appointed to Sen. Intelligence Committee 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon has been appointed by the Senate Majority Leader to b 

e the only Democratic Senator to sit on the Commission on the Roles and Capabili 

ties of the U.S. Intelligence Community. 

The Commission was established in law to conduct a top-to-bottom 

review of U.S. intelligence activities in the post-Cold War world. It will exami 

ne the future roles and missions of the Central Intelligence Agency and all othe 

r intelligence functions of the U.S. government. Exon, chairman of the Senate Ar 

med Services Sub-committee on Nuclear Deterrence Arms Control and Defense Intell 

igence, has jurisdiction over many U.S. intelligence functions. 

"In the wake of the now-famous Ames spy scandal and other intelli 

gence failures, we need and this Commission will provide a thorough review of ou 

r intelligence activities," Exon said. "The debacle of the Ames scandal, where p 

eople died as a result, and other failures must not be allowed to happen again. 

This mess must be cleaned up." 

The 17-member Commission will consist of nine members appointed b 

y the President, and eight members appointed by the Congressional Leadership. Th 

e Senate and House Majority and Minority Leaders will each appoint two members, 

one of whom will be a sitting Member of Congress, and other will be from private

life. 

The Commission is due to report to the President and the Senate and House I 

ntelligence Committees no later than March 1, 1996. 




SOUR[Ord Quiz 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Bumper crop leaves handlers scrambling 

TEXT[Mountains of grain sitting outside grain elevators across Nebraska and the 

rest of the Midwest are ample evidence of this year's record corn crop. 

They also stand as an indication of the difficulty grain handlers are havin 

g getting the corn shipped out. 

Elevators everywhere are scrambling to find enough railroad grain cars to g 

et their corn hauled away. 

The shortage has hit Ord area grain dealers, too. 

"We have been short of cars, compared to what we wanted to get, anyway," sa 

id Kurt Peterson, manager of Cargill, Inc., of Ord. 

Cargill is better off than many handlers, because the company leases cars a 

year at a time. 

"During the fall, they're nice to have, but it gets expensive during the su 

mmer when not much corn is moving," Peterson said. 

Even with its own cars, though, "we've been short of cars, too," Peterson s 

aid. 

Cargill currently has about 1.2 million bushels of corn at its facility; ab 

out 1 million bushels of it are sitting in two huge piles outside the elevator. 

He said his crews loaded a train on Monday and planned to load another 75-c 

ar unit on Wednesday. It takes about 14 hours to fill a train. 

"We're starting to get caught up," Peterson said. 

"But we're still a little behind." 

Trotter grain's elevator in Arcadia is not on a rail line, so the grain has 

to be trucked to other terminals, but this year has been a challenge there, too 

. 

This year's crop "just came in too fast to get out," said Jess Trotter. Th 

at was good in some ways, but "we filled up rather fast." 

Trotter's has been able to ship out much of the grain. "We still have on p 

ile to go," Trotter said. 

Even though they're not on a rail line, the grain car shortage affected the 

Arcadia elevator, because "when they have troubles, we have troubles," Trotter 

said. 

Peterson said it's hard to predict if the rail car situation will improve i 

n years to come. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., and Gail McDonald, chairman of the Inte 

rstate Commerce Commission, met with members of the Nebraska Grain and Feed Asso 

ciation in Grand Island this week to talk about the problem. 

Exon announced plans for a new national Rail Car Grain Council, which would 

bring representatives of the railroads, grain shippers and receivers and train 

manufacturers together to air their differences. 

Both Peterson and Trotter said a crop like this year's can't always be anti 

cipated.

"You can't expect these kinds of yields all the time," Trotter said. "It w 

as a good year. Yields are up and prices are down. But a lot of people did fai 

rly well because they had enough bushels out there." 

Peterson said part of the problem is that this year comes on the heels of a 

low last year. 

"A lot of times it's hard to determine the size of the crop," Peterson said 

. "Last year it was a lot smaller." 

He added that railroads are more interested in committing cars for coal and 

other year-round shipments. 

"Every year the volume of grain is a lot different and the railroads have a 

hard time adjusting," Peterson said. "And they can't adjust fast enough to han 

dle it." 

Peterson said Cargill was paying $2.01 a bushel for corn on Tuesday. But h 

e said many farmers had contracted earlier for prices as high as $2.55. 

Cargill is currently contracting for corn for as far as July 1996, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Business, ag leaders rally for GATT 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Europe and Japan will "leap with joy" if Congress fails to app 

rove the GATT accord this year because delay will kill it, said Dean Kleckner, p 

resident of the American Farm Bureau. 

Kleckner's warning about the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was ech 

oed by Vice President Al Gore and by all the congressional leaders except Senate 

Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., who still has concerns about the world trade 

pact. 

The Wednesday rally was sponsored by the Alliance for GATT Now, a group of 

business and agricultural leaders working to win congressional approval of GATT 

implementation legislation. 

The other key Republican missing from the group backing GATT was Sen. Jesse 

Helms of North Carolina, who is expected to be named chairman of the Senate For 

eign Relations Committee when the GOP takes control of Congress in January. 

Helms sent a letter to President Clinton promising that if Clinton agrees t 

o delay implementation of GATT until early next year, "it will have an exceeding 

ly positive effect on my making certain that the administration's positions on a 

ll foreign policy matters during the 104th Congress will be considered fairly an 

d fully." 

That is being viewed as a threat from a senator who has an unequaled reputa 

tion for calling filibusters at the drop of a hat, but because GATT is on what i 

s known as 'fast-track,' it cannot be amended or filibustered. However, the thre 

at does give the administration pause, because Helms, as chairman of the foreign 

relations panel, could stall and kill virtually any foreign relations policy or 

nominations sent to Congress by the administration. 

Congress is scheduled to vote on the legislation in an unusual lame duck se 

ssion during the week of Nov. 28 unless action is delayed. 

Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., who is expected to be named chairman of the Sena 

te Finance Committee when Republicans take over the Senate next year, downplayed

the impact of Helms' letter. He said Helms is evidently trying to protect the i 

nterests of the textile industry in his home state. That industry opposes GATT v 

ehemently. 

Kleckner, a corn, soybean and hog farmer from Iowa, represented the Agricul 

ture Alliance for GATT at Wednesday's rally. The alliance is a group of more tha 

n 160 agriculture groups that have won a number of promises from the administrat 

ion in exchange for their support of GATT. 

The administration has promised to provide up to $600 million in so-called 

"greenbox" funds for agriculture that will allow for the promotion of exports wi 

thout violating GATT by subsidizing the export, as well as a two-year extension 

of the Conservation Reserve Program. It also has pledged not to cut price suppor 

ts from their current levels over the next two years. 

The administration is meeting with Dole in an effort to assuage his concern 

s over the World Trade Organization created to administer the trade pact. 

Dole and others, including Nebraska Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exo 

n, are concerned the WTO would diminish the United States' sovereignty. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Military Cuts Set to Start In Early '95 

TEXT[ A nationwide restructuring of National Guard and reserve units that wi 

ll eliminate more than 750 soldier positions in Nebraska will begin early next y 

ear, a U.S. Army Reserve official said Thursday. 

"You will see these units start to dry up real fast," said Lt. Col. Wetzel 

Brumfield of the Army Reserve's Headquarters Command in Atlanta. "I don't know w 

hat the dates of the inactivations are, but we would like to get the units off t 

he books from a pure dollar standpoint as soon as possible." 

Brumfield said Nebraska will lose 939 soldier positions as the reserve elim 

inates or restructures 10 units in Omaha, Lincoln and Fremont. 

Another unit in Omaha, one in Lincoln and one in Hastings will receive 183 

additional positions as a result of the restructuring effort. 

Information available late Thursday showed that the state would experience 

a net loss of 756 reserve positions, Brumfield said. 

An Army Reserve official in Wichita, Kan., said earlier Thursday that Nebra 

ska would lose 860 soldier positions. 

Nebraska Guard officials said they did not think they would see significant 

cuts. 

Brumfield said Nebraska faced an overall reduction of about 36 percent of i 

ts 2,000 reserve troops. 

He said he did not know what the average reduction was in each state. But l 

osses in other states, he said, included 73 percent of the reserve troops in Nor 

th Dakota, 45 percent in Oregon, 24 percent in West Virginia and 13 percent in K 

ansas. 

The largest Nebraska unit targeted for elimination, Omaha's 82nd Field Hosp 

ital with more than 400 members, had been fighting for survival for months. 

Col. John Aita, commander of the 82nd, said he hoped that most of the docto

s and nurses in the unit would find jobs with a smaller Omaha-based medical uni 

t that would be created to replace the 82nd when it is inactivated in September. 

Brumfield said he was not sure how the Pentagon's announcement Wednesday ab 

out trimming the nation's guard and reserve forces would affect the plans to cre 

ate the new medical unit in Omaha. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he would protest plans to eliminate the 82nd. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he would check to make sure that the cuts sche 

duled for Nebraska were appropriate. 

He said, however, that it appeared that Nebraska was being asked to accept 

its "fair share" of a nationwide reduction. 

"You always hate to lose some employment," Exon said. "But overall, this is 

just part of the pain and process that is going on with regard to having to hav 

e some downsizing of the military forces." 

The nationwide cuts were ordered by Congress in the fiscal 1995 budget pass 

ed this year as part of a long-term reduction in the size of both the active-dut 

y and reserve military forces. 

Membership in the National Guard and reserves in the Army, Navy, Marine Cor 

ps and Air Force will drop from 1,036,000 to 996,100 a reduction of 39,900, or a 

lmost 4 percent. 

Long-term Pentagon plans call for cutting an additional 44,400 by 1999. 

The 5th Brigade in Lincoln will lose its 138 positions when it is inactivat 

ed. 

Dennis Collier, staff administrator for the brigade, said unit officials in 

itially tried to resist the proposed cut. 

"We realized about six months ago that it wasn't going to happen," Collier 

said. "In the long run this is for the good of the Army. We have tried to keep a 

positive attitude." 

Collier said the unit has been trying to help its members find positions wi 

th other reserve units in the region. 

"We are trying to take care of as many people as possible," he said. "One w 

ay or another, we are going to find them a home." 

The largest cuts are coming from the Army and Navy reserves: 25,300 from th 

e Army Reserve, 9,100 from the Navy Reserve and 1,800 from the Army National Gua 

rd. Marine Corps Reserve and Air National Guard forces will be cut only slightly 

. The Air Force Reserve will be cut by 2,900. 

Officials with the Army and Air National Guard in Nebraska said they did no 

t expect to see severe reductions. 

Nebraska's guard forces are small relative to those in larger states and pr 

obably would not be trimmed significantly, said Lt. Col. Joe Johnson, a spokesma 

n for the Nebraska Air Guard. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GATT: Twelve years is enough agonizing 

TEXT[Jesse Helms, one of the Senate's most artful dodgers, is trying to dodge th 

e General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. If Helms has his way, there will be no 

vote on the GATT treaty in a lame-duck session after Thanksgiving. If Helms has

his way, an international trade agreement that has been on the negotiating tabl 

e for a dozen years will never be voted on at all. The net effect will be no rat 

ification by the United States of a plan pivotal to the futures of more than 120 

nations. 

No one could ever accuse Homebody Helms of not representing the folks back 

home in North Carolina, and those folks are worried about international competit 

ion in textile industries. 

The Journal favors ratification, believing that a strategy of lower tariffs 

and fewer trade restrictions holds more benefits than costs for the Nebraska ec 

onomy and for the trade future of the entire country. 

As the time for a vote approaches, critics are raising some legitimate conc 

erns about both economic and social costs. Cheaper labor pools in other countrie 

s could exert downward pressure on wages and the U.S. standard of living. How mu 

ch of a voice this country will have in trade disputes decided by the World Trad 

e Organization, enforcer of GATT rules, is also an issue. 

But it's time for the GATT proposal to move past the pros and cons. Congres 

s has already raised anxieties by backing away from an expected vote before the 

election recess. Now Helms and others want another delay. If they prevail, a sel 

f-imposed "fast track" deadline of Dec. 31 could not be met. 

Fast track rules mean approval or rejection without amendment. That is the 

only reasonable approach to this task, because succumbing to the temptation of t 

inkering would set off an epidemic of tinkering in other countries and quickly t 

urn an always arguable framework into chaos. 

Since the international deadline for GATT action is mid-1995, Congress migh 

t be able to set up a new fast track and agonize on. But the Journal has had eno 

ugh. 

Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey are understood to hold two of many u 

ndecided votes on GATT and there is certainly plenty to be uncertain about. If t 

hey vote no at the end of an all-night debating marathon, there will still be pl 

enty of room to respect them in the morning. 

But agonizing for a few more months over the pain that goes with the gain o 

f freer trade will not make the pain go away. If GATT is going to stand, let it 

stand now. if it is not, then let it fall now, too. 



AUTH[Clay Chandler and Eric Pianin 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Budget Scorekeepers Await Changes 

TEXT[Congressional Republican leaders are seeking to replace the directors of tw 

o crucial budget scorekeeping entities, the Congressional Budget Office and the 

Joint Committee on Taxation, with analysts more sympathetic to their proposals f 

or cutting taxes and reducing the deficit. 

Senate and House leaders are pushing competing lists of candidates for 

the two jobs, and working out a compromise could pose the 

first serious test of relations between Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who is in line to 

become House speaker, and Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.), who will take over as Senate 

majority leader. 

The appointments to the CBO and the joint tax committee posts are

highly sensitive because the agencies are charged with offering nonpartisan ass 

essments of the budgetary and macroeconomic consequences of legislative proposal 

s. Though their work is technical and arcane, their analysis often plays a criti 

cal roll in whether legislation lives or dies. 

GOP leaders are in agreement that the two agencies need to be revamped 

, but House leaders appear to be pushing harder for directors who would use "dyn 

amic" scoring-accounting methods that put greater faith in the notion that tax c 

uts help boost government revenue by stimulating economic growth. This method of 

budgeting is favored by adherents of "supply-side" economics for assessing the 

impact of changes in the budget and tax laws. 

James C. Miller III, a former budget director in the Reagan administra 

tion and an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP Senate nomination in Virginia thi 

s year, is on a short list of candidates for the CBO spot. He is being promoted 

by Gingrich and Rep. Richard K. Aliney (Tex.), a supply-side advocate in line to 

become House majority leader. However, Miller this week expressed reservations 

about taking the job, according to a Republican House Budget Committee aide. 

Edward W. Gillespie, communications director for the House Republ 

ican Conference, stressed yesterday that the selection process is in the early s 

tages and that although Gingrich and Almey respect Miller's talents, "no one has 

approached Miller about a job." 

House Republicans also are considering Tim Muris, a former Reagan budg 

et aide and a law professor at George Mason University. 

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans, according to party sources, are conside 

ring a list that includes economists John Cogan of the Hoover institute at Stanf 

ord University, John Makin of the American Enterprise Institute, and Stephen Bel 

l, a former GOP Senate budget staff director who now manages the Washington offi 

ce of the Solomon Brothers investment firm. Bell is a longtime adviser and frien 

d of Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), who will claim the chairmanship of the Sena 

te Budget Committee in January. 

Republican aides on the Senate Budget Committee say Domenici is resist 

ing the appointment of Miller and has insisted upon broadening the list of candi 

dates to include more mainstream economists. Others being considered include Pri 

nceton University economist David Bradford and Stanford University economist Joh 

n Taylor. 

"This is not going to be something where the speaker of the House make 

s a unilateral decision," said a Republican Senate aide. "This is too important 

a position to leave to the conservative spin masters in the House. 

It's not clear any of the candidates on Domenici's list would support 

use of "dynamic scoring" techniques that Gingrich and his allies have advocated 

for budget analysis. 

Republican aides said Domenici and Sen. J. James Exon (Neb.), in line 

to become ranking Democrat on the committee, have organized a search committee t 

o review candidates to succeed CBO Director Robert D. Reischauer when his term e 

xpires Jan. 4. 

Reischauer, who has indicated that he would stay on if asked, has the respe 

ct of many Republican leaders, including Domenici and Dole. But Gingrich, who as 

House speaker will share with the president pro tem of the Senate ultimate auth 

ority to choose the new CBO director, has insisted that Reischauer be replaced. 

John Buckley, the chief of staff for the Joint Committee on Taxation, told 

members of his staff this week that he intends to resign, according to GOP congr 

essional sources.

Gingrich and other conservative Republicans have said that appoin 

ting new heads for CBO and the joint committee are essential first steps in thei 

r assault on government accounting methods they assert are narrow minded and ina 

ccurate. 

Of particular concern to these conservatives is how the two agencies tally 

up the impact of tax cuts. Republicans say that conventional scorekeeping method 

s overstate the loss in government revenue from tax cuts because they fail to co 

nsider the extent to which tax cuts stimulate growth in the economy. However, Al 

ice M. Rivlin, President Clinton's budget director, warned Republicans this week 

that the administration would fight any effort to use "nonsense" accounting met 

hods to justify tax cuts that she said would "bust the budget" and trigger a new 

cycle of inflation and recession. 

Rep. John R. Kasich (R-Ohio), in line to become chairman of the House Budge 

t Committee, yesterday dismissed Rivlin's statements as "irresponsible." 

Although Gingrich is eager to find a new CBO director before the beginning 

of the next session, Reischauer may remain in office beyond the expiration of hi 

s term unless Republicans can agree on a successor. 

Miller met with Kasich Wednesday to discuss a wide range of issues, includi 

ng the CBO position. "Miller said he was not campaigning for the job and he had 

some concerns and comments," said an aide to Kasich. Miller could not be reached 

by telephone for comment. 

Republican leaders on the House side said they expect the new directors wil 

l replace nearly all the professional economists and analysts at each agency. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Meaningful Dialogue 

TEXT[Along with every fall corn harvest comes an annual rail car shortage. 

This year the shortage is worse than usual. There weren't enough cars 

a year ago when the harvest produced 6 billion bushels. This year's crop is esti 

mated at 10 billion. 

The grain car shortage has been called a problem without a soluti 

on. The cars don't exist because they are needed only during the harvest seasons 

, and rail companies say they find that prospect costly and inefficient. 

Farmers and elevator operators say they have been making adjustments e 

ach year to accommodate the rail companies but nothing seems to help. They compl 

ain the rules keep changing and that rail companies have never been able to make 

the needed improvements. 

This week Sen. James Exon of Nebraska and Gail McDonald, chairman 

of the Interstate Commerce Commission, attended a Nebraska Grain and Feed Assoc 

iation meeting in Grand Island. Exon announced plans for a Railcar Grain Council 

to focus on the shortage. The idea is to bring representatives of the railroads 

, grain shippers and receivers, and train manufacturers together in search of an 

swers. 

It is problematic whether the formation of such a council will produce 

any meaningful solutions. But at least there is a dialogue. Rail company offici 

als and train manufacturers need to look at the piles of corn across Nebraska ju

st to grasp the magnitude of the problem. Farmers and elevator operators need to 

get a similar look at the rail industry's big picture. 

At the very least, those who harvest and sell the corn and those who t 

ransport it will be talking to each other instead of about each other. 



AUTH[South Sioux City AP 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Funds for hospital in Winnebago to be tough to get: Exon 

TEXT[SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) - The controversy over site selection and alleg 

ations of negligence and abuse may have damaged the chances for a new hospital o 

n the Winnebago Reservation, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said. 

Exon's comments came in the wake of allegations from the chairman of the Om 

aha Tribe that substandard care at the Winnebago hospital resulted in the death 

of his 93-year-old mother on March 28. 

"Just when you think everybody is together, something else pops up. Money i 

s hard to come by in Washington these days," Exon said. 

"It's going to be very easy to scuttle this project. Maybe it's already scu 

ttled," he added. 

Tribal Chairman Rudi Mitchell has accused the hospital's staff of negl 

igence in the care of his mother, Mary Lieb Mitchell, who suffered from heart an 

d kidney problems and diabetes. 

Her death certificate states that she died as a result of respiratory 

cardiac arrest caused by kidney failure and congestive heart failure. 

The Indian Health Service has already conducted two in-house investiga 

tions into the death but has found no wrongdoing, said Jim Rixner, acting servic 

e unit director of the Winnebago hospital. 

In response to a request from Mitchell, the IHS plans to seek an independen 

t investigation, Rixner said. 

Hearing of Exon's concerns, Mitchell said: "In other words, we shouldn't co 

mplain that there are deaths and neglect that are going on there," he said. 

Congress is scheduled to appropriate $1.4 million next year to begin the de 

sign phase for the new hospital that would replace the 70-year-old facility in W 

innebago. 

In addition to concerns of abuse, Mitchell and the Omaha Tribe have express 

ed concern about the location of the proposed hospital near the old hospital on 

the neighboring Winnebago Reservation. 

IHS didn't follow the proper procedures to determine the location, Mitchell 

said. He said he would like the agency to review the selection process before t 

he spring round of appropriations. 

"If it goes to Winnebago, then we will accept that. We just want it to be f 

air and equitable," Mitchell said. 

A spokesman for the IHS said the agency follows strict criteria when select 

ing sites for new facilities, and the Winnebago location is the best site, said 

Bruce Bad Moccasin, regional director of IHS. 

It has taken more than eight years to get the federal government to recogni 

ze the need for the new hospital, and to lose it would hurt the tribe, Exon said

. 

"If the tribe can't present a unified front, the House Appropriations 

Committee will use the money elsewhere in the IHS system, Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Abuse allegations could hurt hospital 

TEXT[SOUTH SIOUX CITY (AP) - The controversy over site selection and allegations 

of negligence and abuse may have damaged the chances for a new hospital on the 

Winnebago Reservation, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said. 


aha Tribe that sub-standard care at the Winnebago hospital resulted in the death 

of his 93 year-old mother on March 28. 

"Just when you think everybody is together, something else pops up. Money 

is hard to come by in Washington these days," Exon said. "It's going to be very 

easy to scuttle this project. Maybe it is already scuttled." 

Chairman Rudi Mitchell has accused the hospital's staff of negligence in th 

e care of his mother, Mary Lieb Mitchell, who suffered from heart and kidney pro 

blems. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Hospital plans may not fly 

TEXT[SOUTH SIOUX CITY (AP) - The controversy over site selection and allegations 

of negligence and abuse may have hurt the chances for a new hospital on the Win 

nebago Reservation, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said. 


aha Tribe that sub standard care at the Winnebago hospital resulted in the death 

of his 93-year-old mother on March 28. 

"Just when you think everybody is together, something else pops up," Exon s 

aid. "Money is hard to come by in Washington these days. 

"It's going to be very easy to scuttle this project. Maybe it's already scu 

ttled," he said. 

Chairman Rudi Mitchell has accused the hospital's staff of negligence in th 

e care of his mother, Mary Lieb Mitchell, who suffered from heart and kidney pro 

blems and diabetes. 

Her death certificate states that she died as a result of respiratory cardi 

ac arrest caused by kidney failure and congestive heart failure. 

The Indian Health Service has already conducted two in-house investigations 

into the death but has found no wrongdoing, said Jim Rixner, acting service uni 

t director of the Winnebago hospital. 

In response to a request from Mitchell, the IHS plans to seek an in-depende

nt investigation, Rixner said. 

In response to Exon's comments, Mitchell said: "In other words, we shouldn' 

t complain that there are deaths and neglect that are going on there." 

Congress is scheduled to appropriate $1.4 million next year to begin the de 

sign phase for the new hospital that would replace the 70-year-old facility in W 

innebago. 

In addition to concerns of abuse, Mitchell and the Omaha Tribe have express 

ed concern about the location of the proposed hospital near the old hospital on 

the neighboring Winnebago Reservation. 

IHS didn't follow the proper procedures to determine the location, 

Mitchell said. He said he would like the agency to review the selection process 

before the spring round of appropriations. 

"If it goes to Winnebago, then we will accept that," Mitchell said. "We jus 

t want it to be fair and equitable." 

A spokesman for the IHS said the agency follows strict criteria when select 

ing sites for new facilities, and the Winnebago location is the best site, said 

Bruce Bad Moccasin, regional director of IHS. 

It has taken more than eight years to get the federal government to recogni 

ze the need for the new hospital, and to lose it would hurt the tribe, Exon said 

. 

If the tribe can't present a unified front, Exon said, the House Appropriat 

ions Committee will use the money elsewhere in the IHS system. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Jim Exon occupies on-deck circle for '96 

TEXT[This is no formal announcement but, heck, yes, Jim Exon's going to seek ano 

ther term in the Senate in 1996. 

"My plan now is to run for re-election," Nebraska's senior senator says, le 

aning across his desk at the Federal Building in Lincoln. 

"I can't see any reason why I would not." 

But a final determination and announcement will wait until sometime in 1995 

, he says. 

Exon has been a giant on Nebraska's political landscape for 24 years. 

In 1970, the former Lincoln businessman and Democratic national committee-m 

an ousted incumbent Republican Gov. Norbert Tiemann in his first bid for public 

office. 

In 1974, he won reelection in a romp. His eight years as governor is a Nebr 

aska record for longevity, although Ben Nelson has now earned the right to match 

it with a second four-year term. 

EXON WAS ELECTED to the Senate in 1978, succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, 

who stepped aside after 24 years in the Senate. 

Then he won re-election in 1984 and 1990. 

A consummate baseball fan, Exon is batting 10 for 10, counting primary vict 

ories. And he's crouched in the on-deck circle now. 

He can match Curtis' four terms with a re-election triumph in 1996. 

Only the legendary George Norris served Nebraska in the Senate longer than

that - 30 years, ending in 1943. 

Already, Doug Bereuter has let it be known that he may go after Exon's seat 

two years from now. 

Bereuter, the 1st District congressman and Nebraska's senior GOP officehold 

er. is "sending a signal to other potential Republican contenders," Exon says. 

"Obviously, he is kind of like a wild animal staking out his mark, his terr 

itory. That's common practice in the animal kingdom." 

IN THE WAKE of last week's election results, which changed the configuratio 

n of the Congress, Bereuter "should be talking about how we are going to work co 

nstructively together on the new challenges that affect Nebraska rather than cas 

ting covetous eyes on some other office," Exon says. 

"But he has done these things before." 

Exon says he is prepared to work cooperatively with members of the new Repu 

blican majority in both houses of the Congress. But he raises an early warning f 

lag about GOP plans to reduce axes and raise defense spending bow. 

"I'll be very supportive of their efforts if they can clearly and honestly 

do those things without raising the deficit and the national debt," he says. 

"l don't see any way they can do that, but I'm willing to listen." 

WHAT HE FEARS, he says, is that "Republicans are going down the same road t 

hey did after 1980, when they turned a $100 billion annual deficit and a debt ju 

st under a trillion dollars into $300 billion-plus deficits and a $4.7 trillion 

national debt by 1994." 

What Ronald Reagan and George Bush offered were "Rosy Scenario and Laffer C 

urves," Exon says. 

"They said if you just reduce taxes, that's the way to reduce the deficit. 

"I hope more sound Republican principles will come to pass now. 

"The Republican myth is that all those deficits were due to a Democratic-co 

ntrolled Congress. The facts are that the Democratic Congress always approved sp 

ending below the budgets recommended by Reagan and Bush." 

Exon says he is prepared to support Republican efforts to seek a constituti 

onal amendment to require a balanced federal budget and legislation to grant lin 

e item appropriations veto power to the president. 

BUT HE SAYS there's a better way to allow voluntary prayer in the schools t 

han the constitutional amendment approach proposed by Newt Gingrich. 

"Let's pass a law that says there can be a moment of silence in the schools 

. Then we don't have to change the Constitution to allow prayer. 

Last week's election results changed life in the Senate for Exon. 

"My ability to influence legislation is not going to be as easy," Exon says 

. 

"But I think I'm in a pretty key position to keep things from becoming too 

hostile." 



AUTH[Zacklyne Kerbis 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: too early to predict outcome of trade voting 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon (D-Neb) said Friday it is too early to tell if the General Ag

eement on Tariffs and Trade will be passed by Congress this year. 

"I have not received a lot on mail or phone calls on GATT from 

my constituents in Nebraska," said Exon. "Generally speaking Nebraska business 

supports the issue while the ag community seems split." 

According to a statement made in the Senate, GATT is one of the most i 

mportant and one of the most significant pieces of economic and trade policy we 

will confront in a quarter of a century. 

Walt Bleich, director of Nebraska Citizen Action, joined members of ab 

out 10 other groups who plan to fight the proposal. The U.S. House of Representa 

tives is scheduled to consider the GATT on Nov. 29 and the Senate in early Decem 

ber. 

"One should rightfully approach a treaty such as this as if it was a b 

omb about to go off," Bleich said. 

He said the GATT would give too much power and authority to the World 

Trade Organization the treaty would create. 

President Clinton signed the agreement in April, however, it will not 

be implemented in the United States until it is ratified by Congress. 

The GATT agreement is the only thing slated to be worked on between th 

e end of November until January, when the 103rd Congress will end and the newly 

elected 104th Congress will begins. 

Congress has approved what is called "fast-track" legislation for this 

agreement. In "fast-track" legislation amendments are not allowed to be attache 

d and members can only vote with a "yes" or "no" vote. 

Two items need to be voted on: a budget waiver which allows money to be spe 

nt outside the already approved budget, and the treaty itself. 

Depending on who you talk to, the budget waiver could increase 

spending by $15 billion to $30 billion over a five-year period," Exon said. 

This revision is called the Uruguay Round since the 

beginnings of these negotiations began in Uruguay in 1986. Several provisions ha 

ve been added to the agreement that were not in any of the previous revisions. 

One new area is in agriculture, an item never before included in any p 

rovisions. 

"Agriculture concerns will now have a recourse if a country bans any o 

f our products based on unfounded or no scientific merits," said the USDA office 

. 

"For example, several years ago the European community banned $10 

0 million of beef trade because the Europeans did not like hormones in their bee 

f," the USDA reports. Scientific research did not back up their concerns, but th 

ey did not change their beef ban. 

The World Trade Organization (WTO) will be formed to solve disputes. I 

t will be a three to five member panel that will vote in secret on issues brough 

t before it. Proponents say WTO is no concern because the United States, along w 

ith Europe and Japan, will probably use the WTO more than less developed countri 

es with no tariff trade barriers. 

The recourse of retaliation is provided for in the new version of the GATT. 

If an unreasonable action is taken against one of our agriculture products by a 

country there is a "challenge" procedure to follow. A WTO panel of three to fiv 

e countries will be chosen by the two countries in disagreement. The panel then 

makes a final decision of who is at fault. 

In the Uruguay Round version, the only way to appeal the decision is b 

y unanimous vote by all 113 member nations including the one who is putting fort

h the challenge. 

"This may be changed, however, and I am awaiting a letter from Mickey 

Kantor, a U.S. trade representative, to detail the possible changes," said Exon. 

Exon said he is concerned about the "one country, one vote" clause in 

the treaty. In the United Nations, the United States has the power to veto any 

provision, there is no similar protection in the GATT agreement. "There is a his 

tory of the smaller underdeveloped nations voting against us in the U.N." he con 

tinued. 

He also has concerns about decisions made by a panel in challenge case 

s such as: "does the panel's decision stand forever?; can there be a way to appe 

al other than the present formula of a worldwide unanimous vote?; can we extrica 

te ourselves from GATT if we don't like it down the road?" 

When asked how we can change a treaty that has already been signed by 

the President, he replied, "We can approve the treaty with the stipulation of ce 

rtain recommended changes. This is basically writing a blank check, but the othe 

r alternative is to not ratify it as stands and go back to the negotiating table 

. 

If the treaty is not ratified it is a possibility that the Uruguay Rou 

nd of negotiations would be dead and we would continue to operate under the prov 

isions of the present GATT." 

On December 8, an multinational conference will meet to see who has signed 

and who is intending to sign. 

M. Sloan of the Foreign Agriculture Service said the world group may delay 

final implementation until the United States indicates its intentions. 

"Some countries like Japan and Germany are waiting to see the intentio 

ns of the U.S. and if it looks likely that we will sign," Sloan said. "If it loo 

ks like we are likely to vote no, the Uruguay Round of the GATT is essentially d 

ead." 

According to the USDA, the current GATT version has a decision making panel 

, but no repercussions are allowed. In the new version, the U.S. may raise tari 

ffs on other products imported from another if we are unsatisfied with the panel 

's decision concerning our made an "challenge." 

Exon's concern is that U.S. agriculture products can be targeted for retali 

ation by other countries. They could use this type of "challenge" to target any 

of our products to either ban or place high tariffs on, he said. 

Sovereignty is also a concern. "When we get into an agreement with ano 

ther country, for example Bangladesh, whose wages, standard of living is so diff 

erent than our own, we are putting to risk our own wages and standard of living, 

Exon said. The USDA says that the United States can legislate any laws it want 

s to so therefore this is sovereignty is a mute point. 

Bleich said he doubts the organization would have the power to unilaterally 

change the laws of federal or state government. "It will however have the power 

to force us to change laws that the WTO decides are non-tariff trade barriers, 

he said. 

Exon said. "Kantor has explained that WTO panel will have to be approv 

ed by us before they can begin to make any decisions. It is unlikely that the pa 

nel will be used very often because most countries, like Bangladesh, will want t 

o argue with us because they want to have access to our markets." 

"We've strengthened our resolve and united farm, labor and environment 

al groups to fight hard against the passage of GATT," Hanson said. The groups ha 

ve been organized into the Citizens Trade Campaign, which will buy print adverti 

sing and radio and television commercials, he said.

Speakers from groups ranging from the state AFL-CIO to WIFE (Women In 

Farm Economics) spoke briefly to reporters in the Capitol rotunda. 

"The more people know about GATT, the less likely they are to support 

it," Hanson said. 

Nebraska Wheat Growers Association Vice President Brad Hansen of Hemmi 

ngford wrote that he has experience with such agreements. 

"The Canadian Free Trade Agreement, negotiated by many of the same peo 

ple who negotiated GATT, has resulted in a flood of Canadian wheat into the U.S. 

," Hansen said in a written statement. 

"We have no reason to believe GATT will not cause our industry further prob 

lems," he said. 

In a written statement for the Heartland Operation to Protect the Envi 

ronment, Diane Burton of Auburn said the trade organization would enable develop 

ing member countries to challenge federal and state laws. 

"...and not just commerce laws but laws effecting labor, agriculture a 

nd the environment, as creating trade barriers," she wrote. 

Omaha anti-tax activist Ed Jaksha wrote to say he has a similar concer 

n. 

"We should wonder why GATT should not model itself on the American phi 

losophy - even with its warts - rather than on the speculative controls of a dis 

tant, possibly oppressive entity," he wrote in a statement. 

"The movement towards a global economy must be protected from a euphor 

ia fostered by immediate beneficiaries, whose profits are early and large, and f 

rom those to whom political advantage may accrue," Jaksha said. 

Also included is the elimination of the Export Enhancement Program (EI 

P) that allows countries to pay a bonus to another country and sell the produce 

at less than cost on the world market. The Guaranteed Credit program will not ch 

ange, such as is used with Russia. 

Another new exportation area is that of intellectual property rights, 

and trade in services. This should stop the countries that practice reverse eng 

ineering," the taking apart products to find out their technology and then manuf 

acturing their own models with no royalty to those whose ideas built the origina 

l product. At present, the only solution is bilateral negotiations which do not 

seem to be effective. 




SOUR[Bozeman Daily Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Grain car council formed 

TEXT[U.S, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has announced the creation of a National Grain 

Car Council. 

"I believe the Interstate Commerce Commission very shortly will be ask 

ing for volunteers from around the country to form a council to alleviate grain 

car shortages," Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association on Monday. 

The council will include item representatives of railroads, grain ship 

pers and receivers, and train manufacturers. 

ICC Chairman Gail McDonald, who accompanied Exon, said the National Gr

ain Car Council could be operational in about a month. 

One of the biggest problems grain dealers have with the rail-road comp 

anies is yearly changes in rules. 

Union Pacific Railroad recently changed its rail car distribution poli 

cy from allocating cars on a four-year average to allocating 70 percent of the a 

verage number of cars distributed in the past two years, said Ron Ziggafoos, mem 

ber services director of the grain association. 



e said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying certificates of transportation, wh 


But Burlington Northern Railroad has pledged only 40 percent of its ca 

rs for the certificates program. 

"Where's the other 60 percent?" asked Ray Brandt of Co-operative Produ 

cers of Hastings. 

Exon charged that the railroad companies are filling their bottom line 

s," placing the shareholders' interests ahead of the customers. 

The North American Free Trade Agreement has created more problems, he 

said. Although railroads are providing 20 percent more box cars, they are sprea 

d over larger distances hauling into Mexico and Canada, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans Would Make Mistake By Stalling Vote on Free Trade 

TEXT[Of course republicans are entitled to the power and influence that come wit 

h seizing control of Congress. But it would be a mistake, in our opinion, if Rep 

ublicans in the Senate, out of a desire to embarrass President Clinton, stalled 

or defeated a vital free-trade measure that is scheduled for a vote before the e 

nd of the year. 

The vote will determine whether the United States accepts liberalized 

trading rules under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, a 123-nation pac 

t that governs international commerce. The new agreement would phase out protect 

ive tariffs over 10 years, increasing opportunities for global trade and spurrin 

g economic growth in the United States and other participating nations. 

Originally, the vote was expected before the Nov. 8 elections. But Sen 

. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., whose home-state textile, industry is concerned about 

foreign competition, maneuvered Congress and the White House into an agreement 

to put off the vote until a post-Thanksgiving lame-duck session. Sen. J. James 

Exon of Nebraska, a Democrat, supported the delay, saying that he was concerned 

about a possible loss of U.S. sovereignty if the new agreement took effect. 

Concerns about sovereignty came about in connection with the powers of the 

World Trade Organization, by which the new agreement would refer to GATT dispute 

settling mechanism. Other concerns have arisen about the tariff revenue that co 

uld be lost to the federal treasury. Certainly those issues should be examined 

carefully, with plenty of time for debate.

GATT has strong bipartisan support. The agreement was negotiated during the 

Reagan and Bush administrations. One of the U.S. negotiators was Clayton Yeutt 

er, a former Nebraskan who was President Ronald Reagan's trade representative. Y 

eutter says concerns about sovereignty are uninformed. 

President Clinton is a strong GATT supporter. So is Rep. Newt Gingrich, wh 

o is expected to be the next speaker of the House of Representatives, Clinton ha 

s been assured by the leaders of both parties in the House that the House will v 

ote overwhelmingly for GATT.But in the Senate, the measure's prospects have beco 

me less certain since the Nov. 8 elections. GATT opponents have focused their lo 

bbying on the victorious Republicans, who will become the majority party after t 

he lame-duck session. Influential GOP senators, including Robert Dole of Kansas, 

Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Tex 

as, have yet to commit to GATT. 

Moreover, Jesse Helms, the North Carolina Republican who is likel 

y to head the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has gone public with a tacky p 

olitical threat. If Clinton wanted other foreign policy initiatives "considered 

fairly and fully," Helms said, the president should put off a GATT vote until ne 

xt year. Helms, as Economist magazine said, thereby "joined a growing number of 

Republicans who seem willing to cast aside their party's historical support for 

free trade in order to score political points against the president." 

We hope Helms doesn't succeed in delaying the vote. Felix Rohatyn 

, a respected New York economist, has said a delay would be "the practical equiv 

alent of a rejection." A rejection, Rohatyn said, would be a signal to the rest 

of the world that "the United States is turning inward." 

As Vice President Gore has said, U.S. economic leadership hangs in the 

balance. A representative of Consumers Union said the agreement would eventuall 

y save each U.S. household $2,000 a year, on the average, by reducing the cost o 

f imported goods. 

The decision shouldn't be difficult for senators who favor a tax cut, 

who favor free trade, who favor reduced regulations and who favor economic growt 

h and opportunity in the private sector. GATT is consistent with those goals. We 

hope the measure receives the votes it needs - and that Midlands senators contr 

ibute to the margin of victory. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Squabble Jeopardizes Funds To Replace Hospital, Exon Says 

TEXT[A squabble between the Omaha and Winnebago Indian Tribes has jeopardized $l 

.4 million in planning money to replace a 70-year-old hospital, U.S. Sen. J.J. E 

xon said Saturday. 

"I would suspect funding for the hospital in Winnebago is hanging from 

a pretty thin thread right now," said Exon. 

Exon said he led the Nebraska congressional delegation in an effort to 

obtain money for a new hospital on the Winnebago Indian Reservation that would 

be shared by both tribes. 

The Appropriations Committee agreed to provide the money only if the t 

ribes were united in support of the project, Exon said.

"The attitude coming out of the Indian community up there hasn't enhan 

ced this effort one iota and may have placed in grave danger the chances of comp 

leting the facility in Winnebago as scheduled." Exon said. "I hope the wake-up s 

ignal is sent. They better work together or they won't get anything." 

Rudi Mitchell, the chairman of the Omaha Tribe, raised concerns recent 

ly about the quality of care being provided to patients at the current hospital 

in Winnebago. 

He said his mother's death last March was caused by hospital workers' 

negligence and abuse. His mother was 92 and suffering from diabetes, kidney prob 

lems and heart problems. 

The Indian Health Service already has made two investigations and foun 

d no problems with patient care. Mitchell said he wants another investigation. 

Mitchell told The Associated Press that he also has concerns about the 

process used to select the Winnebago Reservation as the site for the new hospit 

al. 

He said he wanted the Indian Health Service to review the selection pr 

ocess. 

Indian Health Service officials said a selection process with strict c 

riteria was used and the Winnebago Reservation was chosen as the best site. 

Exon said the Omaha Tribe also is pushing for a wellness center on its 

reservation, in addition to the hospital proposed for the neighboring Winnebago 

reservation. 

"With all of the difficulty we had in getting this project for the Omaha Tr 

ibe to say, 'We want a wellness center, too.'" 

Exon said, "that is a bit much." 

Exon was not directly critical of Mitchell's raising concerns about possibl 

e abuse or negligence at the hospital. 

"Any instance of improper care is a proper issue to be raised and a proper 

issue for the Indian Health Service to make a thorough investigation," Exon said 

. 

He said, however, that he feared other groups vying for the money proposed 

for the new hospital planning would use the incident to derail the project. 

"There are plenty of other hospitals around the country that may have just 

as much justification for upgrading as the Winnebago hospital," Exon said. "Ther 

e is fierce competition for an ever-dwindling pool of money to upgrade Indian ho 

spitals. Any problems now could be seized on by others." 



AUTH[Jack Kennedy 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Even critics generally admire chancellor 

TEXT[Graham Spanier has moved rapidly on several fronts since he became Universi 

ty of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor three years ago. 

He put energy, humanity and decisiveness behind a full slate of ideas, many 

supporters say. 

One of Spanier's top goals was to promote and hire more minorities and wome 

n. He picked an assertive new affirmative action officer. He also created contro 

versy, however, when Spanier's wife, Sandra, was put on the English faculty at a

time when the budget was already tight. 

Spanier has spoken out locally and nationally about the needs of children a 

nd other human rights issues, another of his longtime concerns. He has branded a 

s false some charges of corruption in the Christian Children's Fund charity that 

he chairs. 

Spanier has defended the rights of gays and of minorities. This irritated S 

en. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who thought him too strong a supporter of gays in ROTC. 

He often pops up in dormitories and classrooms, to get closer to students. 

But Andrew Loudon, student body president, says students were hurt the most 

when Spanier replaced parking with green space north of the Nebraska Union. 

"He's been very open to student concerns," and set higher standards, Loudon 

said. "But there have been a few cases where he is probably more liberal than m 

ost of the student body." 

The chancellor also began a faculty driven planning process, seeking to avo 

id hassles when tough future budget decisions must be made. 

He promoted new admission standards, effective in 1996, and has vowed to at 

tract more top scholars to UNL. 

There are mixed reviews of that list of Spanier priorities. 

"He administers on a set of principles," said Linda Pratt of the UNL Englis 

h department. "One might disagree with his strategy, but his principles command 

respect. Much of his harshest criticism has been unfair. He has stood up for the 

kinds of things that faculty believe in." 

It's better to be debating parking problems, Pratt said, than to have contr 

oversy over cutting budgets and staff - a crisis Spanier put behind him swiftly 

after he came. 

One current dispute is over a prod posed sexual harassment policy. 

The topic is divisive, Jane Conoley of the Teachers College faculty and Aca 

demic Senate President Fred Choobineh agreed. A faculty committee will clarify t 

he issue by next spring. 

Conoley, who chairs the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women, cal 

led Spanier a visionary leader who has improved training of graduate teaching as 

sistants whose first language is not English, added more class sections and rais 

ed general education requirements. 

Spanier's predecessor, Martin Massengale, "wanted to make sure that the out 

side image of the university was that everything was rosy," the Academic Senate' 

s Choobineh said. Spanier likes to put problems on the table, openly, Choobineh 

said. 

The Lincoln chancellor gets praise from some quarters where it might be lea 

st expected: University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor Del Weber, sometime Span 

ier critic Regent Robert Allen of Hastings and UNO backer Regent Rosemary Skrupa 

. 

Allen said Spanier at times puts his human rights agenda before the need to 

improve quality and facilities. 

But he's exceptional in many areas, Allen said. "He's got a marvelous perso 

nality. He's been able to attract some outstanding talent. He does a lot of good 

things. His strengths outweigh his weaknesses. You can't deny, the guy's got ch 

arisma." 

UNO's Weber said the current debate over whether Omaha should have its own 

engineering school hasn't hurt his working relationship with Spanier. "I happen 

to think that he is a very good administrator. He knows what he believes in. He 

stands up for his campus."

Scott Moore of Seward, former Appropriations Committee chairman and now sec 

retary of state elect, said he respects Spanier and does not expect him to lobby 

legislators constantly. 

"He's not at all part of the old-boy network. Graham marches to his own dru 

mmer. He reaches out to more people. He's not afraid to ask questions, but once 

he makes a decision, he sticks with it." 

Moore and a few others interviewed said the chancellor must reach out more, 

though, to the Lincoln business community or circles of power. 

Some Lincolnites are still smarting from the increase in price for premium 

football and basketball seats, and over Spanier's choice of Bill Byrne as athlet 

ic director rather than Al Papik, a longtime, popular athletic staff member. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans still split on GATT 

TEXT[The big bout has been delayed by some fancy footwork in the Senate, but in 

less than two weeks Congress is expected to come out voting on the General Agree 

ment on Tariffs and Trade. 

Free traders hail the Uruguay Round for knocking down import barriers and e 

xport subsidies for agriculture. But going into the vote, Nebraskans' score card 

s reflect a split decision, if not a draw. 

Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, for instance, remained on the fen 

ce, but not for a lack of pressure to hop off and signal their stances. 

I can't imagine any reason a Nebraska House member or Senate member would n 

ot vote for GATT," said Rep. Doug Bereuter. R-1st District. "There probably isn' 

t a sector in Nebraska that wouldn't benefit from it." 

But John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, views matters dif 

ferently. "This was big business cutting a deal for big business," said Hansen, 

who asserts agribusinesses will absorb any benefits and producers won't get much 

. 

GATT detractors are unswayed by estimates from the U.S. Department of Agric 

ulture and others predicting increases in farm incomes, farm prices and exports 

for almost every farm commodity as time goes on. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2005 under GATT farm i 

ncomes would be $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion higher and exports by value could j 

ump 15 percent over the GATT-less baseline. 

Farmers' well-being, the USDA said, would save taxpayers $2 billion to $2.6 

billion on deficiency payments and other supports. 

Nations under GATT would eliminate import bans, reduce tariffs by at least 

15 percent over six years, reduce trade distorting internal supports by 20 perce 

nt from 1986-88 levels, and reduce export subsidies by 36 percent of dollar valu 

e from 1986-90 levels. 

Because the United States has already slashed internal farm benefits, said 

USDA analyst Gene Hasha, no further reductions are required. The European commun 

ity, however, has some of the most unfair trading practices in the world and fac 

es major cutbacks. 

But the projected benefits, realized or not, could follow cuts in agricultu 

re spending that compensate for lost tariff revenue. Bereuter said he and other

lawmakers hope to borrow on GATT's promise and get a waiver on the law requiring 

such cuts. 

Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation President Bryce Neidig said he is confident 

that agriculture spending will survive, and that GATT's benefits are worth wait 

ing for. 

GATT advocates note that the Uruguay Round is not the last chance to negoti 

ate. 

Neidig's optimism is shared by Nebraska's biggest commodity groups, such as 

corn, beef and pork producers who are earnestly searching for ways to move huge 

supplies. But others, such as soybean and Nebraska wheat growers, feel slighted 

. 

Mike Fitzgerald of the Nebraska Cattlemen's Association said America's supp 

ly-heavy beef industry will be able to survive the onslaught of imports under GA 

TT as protections in the Meat Import Act fizzle. 

America's grain-fed steers produce a higher quality meat than grassfeeding 

nations, such as Argentina or Australia. The higher quality will help set apart 

U.S. beef worldwide. Beef sales have boomed in Japan after it lowered its tough 

restrictions. 

Rod Gangwish, Nebraska farmer and president of the National Corn Growers As 

sociation, said Mexico has similarly encouraged corn growers. Under free trade, 

corn exports to Mexico have nearly tripled. 

"That's a case in point that the NAFTA agreement is working and that GATT w 

ill follow the same pattern," Gangwish said. The GATT agreement is a first step 

with long-term benefits, he said. 

The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute of Iowa State Universit 

y and the University of Missouri estimates that corn prices under GATT would be 

8 to 10 cents to a bushel higher than normal. But, Hansen notes, the institute 

assumed current levels of government help would survive two more farm bills. 

The American Corn Growers Association, which is smaller than the Gangwish o 

rganization, opposes GATT. 

Bob Eilts, a soybean grower in Central City and director on the United Soyb 

ean Board, said oilseeds were not a priority of the GATT negotiators. 

"The agreement does not create the level playing field for soybeans that it 

was supposed to," he said, noting that the American Soybean Association does no 

t support GATT. 

Continued advantages for South American growers and the legal maneuvers of 

the Europeans, Eilts said, will extend America's loss of oil-seed export market 

share. 

The universities' institute is more optimistic, predicting a per-bushel inc 

rease of 12-27 cents thanks to GATT. 

Pork producers, suffering landmark lows in hog prices, are optimistic, said 

Dave Hilgenkamp, president of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association. America 

is a net importer of pork, largely because of heavily subsidized exports from E 

urope, he said, but GATT could help the United States become a net exporter. 

Reforms making sanitation standards more scientific and consistent will hel 

p U.S. pork break through barriers in nations like South Korea that had been usi 

ng regulations to keep it out. 

Ron Saylor, Hastings sorghum grower and vice chairman of the U.S. Feed Grai 

ns Council, said milo producers support GATT for the same reasons as corn produc 

ers. Milo prices tend to shadow corn prices. 

In sympathy for barley producers however, Saylor tempered his assessment of

the council's support: "it's not great but we are for it." 

Some wheat producers share the barley producers' concerns. As the nation's 

Export Enhancement Program is reduced under GATT, they will lose important subsi 

dy dollars. 

Mike Sullivan, president of the Nebraska Wheat Growers Association, added t 

hat producers are still shaken by the recent blizzard of Canadian wheat under fr 

ee trade rules. 

"We are very wary of what can happen," he said. He noted that while subsidi 

es overseas will drop, they will still not be equal to those in the United State 

s. "We're not very convinced that GATT will be the best thing for us." 

Sullivan, too, doesn't trust the statistics of USDA and the universities' i 

nstitute predicting price increases for wheat. 

Other commodities in Nebraska, might also strain under GATT, Dairy producer 

s, always straining under the weight of Surplus production, could see further tr 

ouble as imports flow in, noted Roy Frederick, an agriculture economics professo 

r at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

Exon noted that the state's sugar beet growers are nervous about cheap Sout 

h American Sugar. 

And while he and Frederick said they believe the agreement will help farmer 

s overall, Frederick cautioned, "I don't think we want to make this out to be th 

e salvation for all Nebraska farmers." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon adjusts to minority role 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - "What's a nice guy like me doing with a couple of robber baron 

s like you," Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., asked the incoming chairmen of the House and 

Senate budget committees at the start of a meeting last week. 

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., future chairman of the Senate panel, and Rep. J 

ohn Kasich, R-Ohio, future chairman of the House Budget Committee, laughed, Exon 

related in an end-of-the-week interview. 

While Exon has had his share of disputes with Domenici and Kasich over the 

years, he had no trouble getting along with them last week and expects no proble 

m when the new Congress convenes. 

If the Democrats had kept control of the Senate, Exon could well be sitting 

where Domenici will be sitting on Jan. 4, the opening of the 104th Congress. 

And, as Domenici said, "If the Democrats (had) listened to you, we wouldn't 

be in the majority," But, as Exon said, that was not to be, and now is the time 

to adjust to what will be. 

"I'm coping with it," he said. "I've been there before," he said of the min 

ority role. 

"The Republicans know I'm not going to be an obstructionist, nor am I 

going to roll over and play dead." 

The senator also was heartened to learn that Domenici, who fought him so fe 

rociously last summer over the so-called "Exon-Grassley" budget amendment, now s 

upports it. The original amendment would have reduced federal spending by $26 bi

llion for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1st eventually was reduced to $13 b 

illion. 

Domenici was concerned last summer that "Exon-Grassley" cuts would come out 

of the defense budget, which Domenici and the Republican leadership felt alread 

y was reduced as much as it could be. 

Exon, second-ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said l 

ast week that he agrees with Domenici that "they've gone about as far as they ca 

n go," in cutting defense spending. 

Exon said the Republicans can talk about their ambitious plans for the firs 

t 100 days of the 104th Congress, including a balanced budget amendment, a line 

item veto and welfare reform, but the most important battle will be over the bud 

get. And if they can't win that battle, their agenda is going to be in trouble, 

the Nebraskan believes. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, has 16 years seniority in the House and 

is in line to chair subcommittees on the banking and foreign affairs. committee 

s. House GOP rules prohibit anyone from chairing more than one subcommittee, and 

Bereuter said his top priority is a banking subcommittee because it would have 

more immediate impact on his district than foreign affairs. 

Bereuter recently sent a letter to Speaker-in-waiting Rep. Newt Gingrich, R 

-Ga., and his transition team urging them to back off a plan to shift jurisdicti 

on over federal housing from the banking committee to the House Education and La 

bor Committee. 

Bereuter wants to become chairman of the banking subcommittee on housing, w 

hich has jurisdiction over the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In h 

is letter, the Nebraska Republican argued that 75 percent of the federal governm 

ent's housing role involves securities that are under the jurisdiction of the ba 

nking committee. 

The Nebraska Republican's term on the House Intelligence Committee ends at 

the end of this year, and while that has been one of Bereuter's favorite assignm 

ents, he said late last week that he does not plan to seek an extension or to wi 

n assignment to another committee. He says he has enough work with the banking a 

nd foreign affairs panels. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says he's thinking about running for 4th term 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) -- After three terms in office, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., sees no 

reason why he shouldn't run for his fourth in 1996. 

"My plan now is to run for re-election," Nebraska's senior senator said. 

However, a final decision and announcement will not be made until 1995, Exo 

n said. 


In 1970, the former Lincoln businessman and Democratic national committee m 


office. 

In 1974, he won re-election. Four years later, Exon was elected 10 the

Senate succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, who stepped aside after 24 years in t 

he Senate. 

He won re-election in 1984 and 1990. 

As Exon ponders his future, his colleagues on the other side of the politic 

al fence are also mulling things over. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., has said he may run. 

As the 1st District congressman and Nebraska's senior GOP officeholder, Ber 

euter is sending a signal to other potential Republican contenders, Exon said. 

"Obviously he is kind of like a wild animal staking, out his mark, his terr 

itory. That's common practice in the animal kingdom," Exon said. 

In light of last week's election, Exon said he is prepared to work wit 

h members of the new Republican majority in both houses of the Congress. 

But he raises an early warning flag about GOP plans to reduce taxes an 

d raise defense spending now. 

I'll be very supportive of their efforts if they can clearly and hones 

tly do those things without raising the deficit and the national debt," he said. 

"I don't see any way they can do that, but I'm willing to listen." 

In addition, Exon said he is prepared to support Republican efforts to 

seek a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget and legisl 

ation to grant line item appropriations veto power to the president. 

But there's a better way to allow voluntary prayer in the schools than 

the constitutional amendment approach proposed by Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., he 

said. 

"Let's pass a law that says there can be a moment of silence in the sc 

hools. Then we don't have to change the Constitution to allow prayer." 

Last week's election results changed life in the Senate for Exon. 

"My ability to influence legislation is not going to be as easy," Exon 

says. 

But I think I'm in a pretty key position to keep things from becoming 

too hostile." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon eyes 4th term 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - After three terms in office, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., se 

es no reason why he shouldn't run for his fourth in 1996. 

"My plan now is to run for re-election," Nebraska's senior senator sai 

d. 

However, a final decision and announcement will not be made until 1995 

, Exon said. 


In 1970, the former Lincoln businessman and Democratic national commit 

tee man ousted incumbent Republican Gov. Norbert Tiemann in his first bid for pu 

blic office. 

In 1974, he won re-election. Four years later, Exon was elected to the 

Senate, succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, who stepped aside after 24 years in

the Senate. 


As Exon ponders his future his colleagues on the other side of the political 

fence are also mulling things over. 


As the 1st District congressman and Nebraska's senior GOP officeholder, Be 

reuter is sending a signal to other potential Republican contenders, Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon thinking about running for 4th term 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - After three terms in office, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., sees no 

reason he shouldn't run for his fourth in 1996. 

"My plan now is to run for re-election," Nebraska's senior senator said. H 

owever, a final decision and announcement will not be made until 1995, Exon said 

. 

Exon has been a giant on Nebraska's political landscape 

for 24 years. 



office. 

In 1974, he won re election. Four years later, Exon was 

elected to the Senate, succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, who stepped aside afte 

r 24 years in the Senate. 



al fence also are mulling things over. 





h members of the new Republican majority' in both houses of the Congress. 

But he raises an early warning flag about GOP plans to reduce taxes and rai 

se defense spending now. 

"I'll be very supportive their efforts if they can clearly and honestly do 

those things without raising the deficit and the national debt," he said. 


In addition, Exon said he is prepared to support Republican efforts to seek 

a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget and legislation 

to grant line item appropriations veto power to the president. 



AUTH[Lincoln AP


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon considering 4th term 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - After three terms in office, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., sees no 

reason he shouldn't run for his fourth in 1996. 

"My plan now is to run for re-election," Nebraska's senior senator said. H 

owever, a final decision and announcement will not be made until 1995, Exon said 

. 

Exon has been a giant on Nebraska's political landscape 

for 24 years. 



office. 

In 1974, he won re election. Four years later, Exon was 

elected to the Senate, succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, who stepped aside afte 

r 24 years in the Senate. 



al fence also are mulling things over. 





h members of the new Republican majority' in both houses of the Congress. 



"I'll be very supportive their efforts if they can clearly and honestly do 

those things without raising the deficit and the national debt," he said. 





But there's a better way to allow voluntary prayer in the schools than the 

constitutional amendment approach proposed by Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., he said 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Chooses Top Minority Staff For Budget Committee 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Exon, who is in line to be ranking Demo 

crat on the Senate Budget Committee in the new Congress, announced recently that 

he has selected Bill Dauster to be Minority Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel fo 

r the committee. 

Exon also announced that Jerry Slominski, who currently serves as 

Exon's Budget and legal Counsel, will be named Deputy Minority Staff Director o 

f the Senate Budget Committee. 

Dauster is currently the acting staff director of the Committee, and served

for several years as the Committee's Chief Counsel under Chairmen Jim Sasser of 

Tennessee and Lawton Chiles of Florida. 

"Bill brings a wealth of experience to the job, and I am de-lighted that he 

will be serving as Staff Director for the minority in the next session of Congr 

ess," Exon said. "He is an extremely bright individual who will serve the Commi 

ttee with distinction." 

Exon also said: "I have the utmost confidence in Jerry Slominski, who is on 

e of the most talented people on Capitol Hill. He and Bill will make a dynamic 

team." 



AUTH[R.W. Apple Jr. 

SOUR[York Dispatch 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton grip slipping? 

TEXT[It is still only a question, but a politically portentous one, and it is on 

the lips and in the minds of prominent Democrats across the country: Can Bill C 

linton--should Bill Clinton be the party's presidential nominee in 1996? 

So sweeping was the Democratic defeat in the elections 13 days ago, an 

d so deep is the Democratic dejection in its wake, that the president's place at 

the head of the ticket two years from now is no longer taken for granted. 

The odds are strongly in his favor: he is still the president, and he 

has few obvious challengers. But the doubts are there. 

"A year from now, maybe much sooner," said a party elder the other day 

, "people will take stock. If they see him as the probable cause of another deba 

cle, they'll prevail upon him to call it quits, or they'll run against him." 

In much the same vein, a young congressman who survived the Republican 

onslaught commented, "Unless he can rebound quickly, a lot of us would just as 

soon he didn't seek re-election." 

And a well-connected White House aide said when asked whether Clinton' 

s staff expected a challenge for the nomination, "The question is not really if, 

but when and from whom." 

All talk?: Such talk may turn out to be only talk. But for as long as 

it persists, it further weakens an already wounded president and makes it harder 

for him to govern the nation effectively. 

For the record, the White House expresses confidence that Clinton can 

win the nomination. But even the president's advisers concede that he is likely 

to face at least the kind of distraction that President George Bush endured from 

Patrick Buchanan two years ago, and perhaps a more serious fight of the kind th 

at Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts gave President Jimmy Carter in 1980. 

Much depends, of course, on how successfully Clinton can assess the ne 

w political reality, rally his remaining troops, establish priorities and reasse 

rt his leadership. 

Much depends also on whether the exuberant Republicans handle their ne 

wly won power on Capitol Hill constructively or self-destructively. 

Tough times ahead: But in politics as in life, self-preservation is th 

e primal instinct, and at the moment many Democrats feel threatened, not protect

ed, by their president. Some of the senior Democrats up for re-election in 1996, 

including Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Jim Exon of Nebraska, J. Bennett Johnsto 

n of Louisiana and Howell Heflin of Alabama, must run in states where Clinton is 

highly unpopular. 

The decision by Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama to leave the Democratic 

Party and join the Republicans, as well as the possibility that several Souther 

ners in the House may do the same, suggests how bleak Democrats and the South co 

nsider their electoral prospects to be. And a similar view prevails in the Midwe 

st, where even the powerful Daley family in Chicago is said to be disillusioned. 

Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, who is running for minority leader, s 

aid last week that Senate Democrats need an identity separate from that of Presi 

dent Clinton." 

History repeating: Three of the last four Democratic presidents, excep 

ting only John F. Kennedy, ran into severe trouble, and all three faced major in 

ternal challenges. Confronted with deep splits within the party, two of the thr 

ee decided not to run. 

In 1952, Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee announced his candidacy and 

won the Democratic primary in New Hampshire. 

President Harry Truman kept his counsel for weeks, but in April he announce 

d that he would not seek a second full term. 

In 1968, Sen. Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota challenged Lyndon B. Johns 

on in New Hampshire, mainly because of the Vietnam War, and finished a surprisin 

gly strong second. The president soon pulled out of the race. 

In 1980, Kennedy mounted a full-scale campaign to wrestle the Democrat 

ic nomination from Carter. He won several primaries but was ultimately unsuccess 

ful. 

Nor have Republican presidents been immune to challenge. In 1976, Ronald Re 

agan very nearly took the nomination from President Gerald Ford, who had been we 

akened by the pardon he had granted former President Richard Nixon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon plans to run again 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)--After three terms in office, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., see 

s no reason why he shouldn't run for his fourth in 1996. 



n said. 




office. 

In 1974, he won re-election. Four years later, Exon was elected 10 the Sena 

te succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, who stepped aside after 24 years in the Se 

nate. 


As Exon ponders his future, his colleagues on the other side of the politic







In light of last week's election, Exon said he is prepared to work with mem 

bers of the new Republican majority in both houses of the Congress. 



I'll be very supportive of their efforts if they can clearly and honestly d 

o those things without raising the deficit and the national debt, he said. 

I don't see any way they can do that, but I'm willing to listen. 




But there's a better way to allow voluntary prayer in the schools than the 

constitutional amendment approach proposed by Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., he said 

. 

"Let's pass a law that says there can be a moment of silence in the schools 

. Then we don't have to change the Constitution to allow prayer." 



AUTH[Thomas Fogarty 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Medco given disputed contract 

TEXT[Iowa welfare officials announced Monday they will award a disputed $100 mil 

lion state contract for mental-health management to a California firm that was r 

unner-up last summer in competition for the lucrative piece of state business. 

Donald Herman, the Iowa Department of Human Services administrator in charg 

e of the state Medicaid program, said agency officials have decided to enter int 

o a contract with Medco Behavioral Corp. of South San Francisco, Calif. 

"Our primary motivation is to get this program up and running," Herman 

said in announcing the decision to contract with Medco even while a pending law 

suit remains unresolved. "In our minds, this is the most expedient way." Herman 

said human-services officials and Medco have agreed to have the management plan 

in effect by March 1. 

Under the plan, Medco will organize a statewide network of psychiatric 

service-providers and manage the mental-health care of an estimated 190,000 Iow 

a Medicaid recipients. The Department of Human Services began planning the initi 

ative last year as an alternative to the current unmanaged, fee-for-service arra 

ngement. Officials say the plan is exacted to provide patients with better care 

while saving taxpayers an estimated $500,000 a month. 

Initial plans called for the mental-health initiative to take effect in Sep 

tember. For the last several months the plan has been snagged in a complex lawsu 

it involving the state, Medco and Value Behavioral Health Inc., the Falls Church 

, Va., firm that the Department of Human Services initially identified as the wi 

nner of the competition for the contract.

Last June, the state announced that Value had been chosen from among eight 

bidders for the mental-health contract. After the announcement, Medco, which had 

been given the second-highest score among bidders, challenged the decision in P 

olk County District Court, alleging flawed selection procedures. 

The chief flaw in the process, Medco lawyers argued, was that Value had a s 

erious conflict of interests. Specifically, they cited intricate business links 

between Value and related companies that had been involved in designing the new 

program. 

In siding with Medco, Judge Arthur Gamble acknowledged that no evidence had 

been presented to indicate that Value won the contract on the basis of inside i 

nformation. At the same time, Gamble wrote, "the circumstantial evidence of impr 

opriety is overwhelming." 

Gamble ordered Value disqualified from bidding, but gave the state no speci 

fic directions on how to proceed. 

Lawyers for Value last week appealed Gamble's decision. No company represen 

tative could be reached for comment Monday on the latest action, but the firm, i 

n a recent press release, seemed to anticipate it. In the release, Value promise 

d to "initiate separate proceedings against DHS should it make a determination.. 

. adverse to Value Health's interests." 

Lisa Suennen, a Medco senior vice president, reacted differently. "Obviousl 

y, we're delighted. This is the best possible outcome for us," Suennen said. 



AUTH[John H. Zucker, ltr. ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Now Exon Reappears' 

TEXT[A strange thing happened the day after this past election, Sen. J.J. Exon e 

merged. For the past year, he seemed to he missing or on sabbatical. All announc 

ements that came out of Washington for the past year seemed to come from Sen. Bo 

b Kerrey. Coincidence? Not likely. 




SOUR[Aurora News Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nature Conservancy rep visits area farms 

TEXT[Diane Vosick, policy representative for agriculture at The Nature Conservan 

cy, paid a visit to Nebraska, including Hamilton County, to meet with farmers, c 

onservation officials, government leaders and agribusiness representatives. 

Her host for much of her visit was Christine Bankson of Hordville, who serv 

es on the Nebraska Corn Board's research committee and is a director of the Nati 

onal Corn Development Foundation. 

Mrs. Bankson and her husband Dave have a corn and soybean farm near Hordvil 

le. 

Vosick stayed in their home Thursday night and then met with members of the 

Hamilton County Corn Growers board early Friday morning in Aurora.

Vosick was accompanied by Phil Karsting, aide to Sen. James Exon, who helpe 

d to arrange Vosick's visit to Nebraska. 

Vosick's visit was sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board as part of the orga 

nization's long-range plan to develop a closer relationship between agriculture 

and the environmental community. 

"Environmental issues and sound public policy are critical to all Americans 

, including the agricultural community," said Lee Klein of Battle Creek, chairma 

n of the Nebraska Corn Board. "Only by better understanding each others' views o 

n the environment can we begin working together to bring all of us who care so m 

uch about our air, water and earth, closer to developing sound public policy." 

The Nature Conservancy is a private, non-profit organization that works to 

acquire land in order to preserve its natural state. The organization's Nebraska 

field office has assisted in the purchase and management of more than 68,000 ac 

res in the state. Vosick represents the national organization's views to Congres 

s and acts a liaison to USDA. 

Joining her for the Aurora meetings was Brent Lathrop, stewardship and prod 

uction specialist for The Nature Conservancy, whose office is in Aurora. 



AUTH[Stefanie Senn 

SOUR[Wheeler Co. Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[NASC State Student Council 

TEXT[Stef Sean, Zonna Porter, and Candace Cain were three out of 1600 student co 

uncil members across the state of Nebraska to attend the 1994 State Student Coun 

cil Convention. It lasted from 2:30 in the afternoon on Friday, November 18 to 9 

:45 am, Saturday, November 19. Activities and sessions were continuous through o 

ut the evening. Stefanie and Zonna were the voting delegates from Burwell and th 

ey voted for the 1995-96 president of the NASC. Sessions included a communicatio 

ns expert from Pennsylvania who showed the group sign language, a magician with 

a leadership message, Senator J. James Exxon {sic}, the mayor of Lincoln, and hy 

pnotist. 

The NASC wrote several letters to Hillary Clinton to try to get her to speak but 

she sent back a letter telling them that her "schedule would not permit her to 

attend." Stef, Zonna, and Candace averaged a half an hour of sleep a piece and w 

ould attend a convention like this again, given the opportunity. 



AUTH[James Joyce 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Breslow switches parties 

TEXT[State Auditor John Breslow is no longer a Democrat. 

On Tuesday, Breslow mailed a voter registration card to the Lancaster Count

y Election Commissioner's office that officially switched his political affiliat 

ion to the Republican Party. 

Breslow said he switched parties because he "feels more comfortable with th 

e basic philosophy of the Republicans, which is that government should be as sma 

ll and efficient as possible." 

Breslow denied the switch is intended to position him to run for gover 

nor four years from now. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak currently is considered the heavy favorite to win the De 

mocratic gubernatorial nomination if she wants it. 

"In 1998, if I do run for governor, I will do it as a Republican, and if I 

don't do it, I will still be a Republican," he said. 

In June 1993, Breslow commissioned a poll he said was primarily intended to 

gauge how the public perceived his performance as auditor, but he also said it 

might lead to his switching parties and seeking the Republican nomination in 199 

4. 

Breslow subsequently decided to seek a second term as auditor and was re-el 

ected without opposition two weeks ago. 

But Breslow's poll and his comments about considering a switch to the Repub 

lican Party and running for governor irritated many Democrats, including Gov. Be 

n Nelson. 

The governor, who breezed past GOP challenger Gene Spence in the general el 

ection, said that if Breslow's switch is politically motivated, it could backfir 

e. 

Pointing to his own easy triumph and the re-election of Democratic U.S. Sen 

. Bob Kerrey, Nelson said Nebraskans don't vote along party lines "at least for 

major offices." 

"HE MIGHT BE MAKING a mistake," Nelson said. "I think he may be oversimplif 

ying the importance of party. But if he's more comfortable with the other party, 

that's his choice." 

The governor took issue with Breslow's characterization of the Republicans 

as the party of less and more efficient government. 

Nelson said he, Kerrey and U.S. Sen. Jim Exon are all fiscal conservatives 

who believe strongly in "less government, less regulation and more efficient gov 

ernment. 

Breslow agreed that the three Democratic leaders are all fiscal conservativ 

es and said his party switch wasn't intended to "second guess" them. 

"They have to do what they feel good about, and I have to do what I feel go 

od about," he said, adding that "some friends have told me I might be committing 

political suicide, but I think I have to do what's right." 

BRESLOW SAID he has always believed that government was too big and expensi 

ve but never really thought about it in terms of political parties until seeing 

government up close as state auditor. 

Breslow said being a Republican might help him persuade the next Legislatur 

e to give his office the authority to do performance audits of state agencies. 



AUTH[Patrick Lalley 


BK#[

HDLN[Bereuter cautions tribes on hospital 

TEXT[Rep. Doug Bereuter asked the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Tuesday to put concern 

s about the proposed location for a new hospital behind them. 

In a prepared statement, the Republican congressman also said he would clos 

ely monitor a pending Indian Health Service investigation into the treatment of 

Mary Lieb Mitchell while she was a patient at the IRS hospital in Winnebago. 

Mary Mitchell died last March at 93. Members of her family, including Rudi 

Mitchell, chairman of the Omaha Tribe, have claimed that the staff of the hospit 

al provided sub-standard care and abused the woman in the days before her death. 

The new hospital would replace the existing 70-year-old, 30-bed facility th 

at serves both the Winnebago and Omaha Tribes. The Omahas, based in Macy, Neb., 

have expressed concern about the site selection process. The recent controversy 

over the Mitchell family's charges have again fueled the Omaha Tribe's concerns. 

Bereuter said he supports the site selection which places the new 

hospital next to the old. 

"Given the public services and access available at the site selected by the 

(IRS), and the fact that the site is adjacent to the existing Drug Dependency U 

nit, their decision makes sense," said Bereuter. "If an agreement between the tw 

o tribes is not reached, the result will be that there won't be any hospital. Th 

erefore, I am urging the leaders of the two tribes to work together to implement 

the planned construction of the replacement hospital." 

Ironically, the representatives of the tribes are scheduled to meet today t 

o discuss the issues surrounding the hospital. 

Bereuter's office also forwarded a letter to Rudi Mitchell from Sens. J.J. 

Exon and Bob Kerrey, as well as Bereuter, that supported the IRS site selection 

process and said Omaha concerns had been remedied. 

Exon said last week that further disagreement between the tribes seriously 

jeopardized the chances of funding the estimated $26 million hospital. The House 

Appropriations Committee is scheduled to approve $1.4 million for further plann 

ing and design next spring. 



AUTH[David Melmer 

SOUR[Indian Country Today 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Winnebago hospital might be in jeopardy 

TEXT[WINNEBAGO, NEB. - The resignations of three top officials and two doctors o 

f the Winnebago unit of the Indian Health Service are being sought by Omaha Trib 

al Chairman Dr. Rudi Mitchell and two of his sisters, Happy Mitchell Carmona and 

Glenna Slater. 

The demand was prompted by allegations of medical mistreatment of Mary 

Lieb Mitchell, Mr. Mitchell's mother, who at age 93 was a patient at the servic 

e unit hospital front February 18 until death March 28. 

Dr. Mitchell and his sisters contend that the treatment given to their 

mother was sub-standard, and that it lead to their mother's discomfort prior to 

her death. The three accuse service unit Director Wehnona 

St. Cyr and Acting Director Jim Rixner of lying and accuse the medical staff of 

neglect and mistreatment. 

Mr. Rixner disputed the family's charges and said a full investigation

has been conducted. He said hospital staff are "caring and capable," and added 

that some relatives of the deceased women work at the hospital. 

"My mother died alone," said Ms. Carmona, "and according to Omaha trad 

ition and custom, when a person leaves from one world to another they should not 

be alone." The hospital did not call the family when hypoglycemia was detected 

the morning of her mother's death, Ms. Carmona said. "I will always wonder if m 

y mother called out for me," said Dr. Mitchell. 

Family members said they only discovered that Ms. Mitchell had died wh 

en they arrived at about 7:30 a.m on March 28. "I yelled to the nurses that some 

thing was wrong," said Ms. Carmona. "I saw them just sitting around talking at t 

he time. They are trying to cover up the events of that morning," she said. 

According to hospital records, Ms. Mitchell was bathed at 5 a.m. check 

ed on at 6 a.m. and received a check for blood sugar at 6:30 a.in. At that time 

she was found to have hypoglycemia. Dr. Mitchell and his sisters contend that th 

ey should have been called immediately. The hospital staff "said they didn't cal 

l because the family was there. That's a lie," said Dr. Mitchell. "We didn't get 

there until 7 a.m.," he said. 

"Her mouth was burned from probably eating some hot soup or hot food, even 

the mortician noticed that," Ms. Carmona said. 

"There was no accident report filled out," she said. The three family members sa 

id they saw dried fecal matter on their mother's body along with bed sores. "Whe 

n she was transferred from St. Joeseph's in Omaha, she didn't have the bed sores 

," Ms. Carmona said. 

"My mother was a complicated case," said Ms. Carmona, noting that she was s 

uffering from diabetes, kidney failure and heart disease. According to the death 

certificate, Ms. Mitchell's death was the result of respiratory cardiac arrest 

caused by kidney failure and congestive heart failure. 

Ms. Carmona said her mother had told her in the Omaha language that sh 

e wanted to get well. "She tried so hard." Ms. St. Cyr, quoted in the Sioux City 

Journal, said that Ms. Mitchell told her to let her go; that she was tired. Ms. 

St. Cyr said the family wouldn't listen to her. Ms. Carmona, Dr. Mitchell and M 

s. Slater dispute Ms. St. Cyr's statement. 

Family members say the medical staff either neglected their mother. Th 

ey said that racism wasalso present. "Indian nurses were very carrying, but we d 

id have a problem with the white nurses, said Ms. Mitchell. 

Two investigations have been conducted and, although some recommendations w 

ere made, no improprieties were found by the IHS medical staff. An Independent i 

nvestigation will be conducted in the near future coordinated from the IHS regio 

n office. 

"We want a congressional investigation into this matter," said Ms. Carmona. 

"We want them to talk to the people," she said. 

"We want to make sure tribal people get good quality health care," sai 

d Ms. Slater. "We are doing this because we were taught by our mother to be asse 

rtive, because Indian people never speak out, just take things," she said. 

Mr. Rixner said there are issues in contention over what was said by p 

eople. "Who the first people were to find Ms. Mitchell is also another argument, 

" he said. 

"We provide a hospice care service here. Ms. Mitchell was 93 years old 

with multiple diseases, and I don't know what expectation the family had in ter 

ms of her recovery," said Mr. Rixner. We have a caring and capable staff here, s 

ome of them were even related to Ms. Mitchell. We were happy to have her here to

take care of her," he said. 

"I can't judge what prompted them to do this. We have had investigations, a 

nd if that isn't enough, there is always litigation. That way we will know all t 

he details," said Mr. Rixner. 

The service unit hospital at Winnebago serves two tribes, the Winnebago and 

the Omaha. Looming on the horizon is the possible construction of a new hospita 

l that the Winnebago tribe has been working on for the past eight years. 

The controversy being raised about Mary Mitchell's health care is not witho 

ut it's effect on that project. John Blackhawk, chairman of the Winnebago Tribe, 

said the tribe was tired of being held hostage. The Omaha Tribal council hasn't 

yet approved the project. 

At the heart of the matter is the site location, he said. 

"The council worked hard in the project and then the Omahas came along 

and wanted it on their lands," said Mr. Blackhawk. "We have spent eight years 

trying to get the hospital, and now if it goes under it will be very embarrassin 

g," he said. "Both of the councils need to sit down and make progress on the ma 

tter." 

"If they want to shoot the project down, then (expletive) shoot. I've trie 

d to be a diplomat on it. It's time to make a decision," Mr. Blackhawk said. T 

here will be a meeting of the Winnebago council this week to discuss the issue, 

he said. 

The frustration over the project extends to the congressional level. Sen. 

John Exon of Nebraska, in an interview with the Sioux City Journal, said the con 

troversy could just scuttle the project. 

Mr. Blackhawk said that he was satisfied with the results of the IHS invest 

igations, but if another investigation turned up anything wrong, he said, he wou 

ld advocate for Mr. Mitchell. 

Dr. Mitchell said the issue of his mother's care has nothing to do with the 

hospital project. "The hospital issue is not part of it. It's the timing, tha 

t's all," he said. 

It's time for Dr. Mitchell to quit the negative activities and let the grie 

ving process go on," said Mr. Blackhawk. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Breslow Says Philosopy Led Him to GOP 

TEXT[State Auditor John Breslow said Wednesday that philosophy - not personaliti 

es or ambition - led to his decision to switch his party allegiance from Democra 

t to Republican. 

"I believe in smaller, more efficient government. That's it," Breslow said 

from his second home in Phoenix. 

Breslow, 45, said his political ambition and his often cold relationship wi 

th Gov. Nelson, a Democrat, were not factors in his decision to mail a change of 

registration card to the Lancaster County Election Commissioner's Office before 

flying his own plane to Phoenix on Tuesday. 

"This may be political suicide for me," said Breslow, who was first elected

state auditor in 1990. He was unopposed for re-election on Nov. 8. 

His decision caught Nebraska Democratic Party officials off guard. Breslow 

and Joe Bataillon, chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said Breslow had w 

orked on behalf of a number of Democratic candidates during the fall campaign. 

Breslow, a close political ally of U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., did not no 

tify any Democratic Party officials that he was considering switching parties. B 

reslow said he tried unsuccessfully to reach Kerrey on Tuesday. 

There was no active effort to recruit Breslow, said Jerry Schenken of Omaha 

, chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party. 

Breslow said he called Duane Acklie of Lincoln, Republican national committ 

eeman, on Sunday to say he was thinking about switching parties. He contacted A 

cklie, a personal friend, again on Monday to say he had decided to do it, Breslo 

w said. 

Acklie told him to give it serious thought and that he would be welcome, Br 

eslow said. 

"I think it's great," Schenken said. "I welcome it." 

Bataillon, of Omaha, said he was disappointed: "lt's a loss." 

With substantial popularity and a capacity to finance a statewide campaign, 

Bataillon said, Breslow could prove "a formidable opponent." 

Bataillon speculated that Breslow may have observed the Republicans' voterregistration 

advantage in Nebraska - more than 90,000 over Democrats - and deter 

mined that his chances for future office might be better in the GOP. 

Breslow has talked about running for governor in 1998. Although Democrats w 

ill have held the governor s office for 28 of the last 40 years in 1998, Republi 

cans have won the governorship in every year since 1996 that no incumbent was se 

eking re-election. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, who was chosen by Nelson for her office in the midst of 

his first term is clearly positioned as the heir apparent to Nelson, Breslow sa 

id. But he insisted that the potential of Ms. Robak or other Democrats to affect 

his plans was not a factor in his decision to switch. 

"Kim Robak did not play a role in my decision," he said. 

While Breslow included Nelson, along with Kerrey and U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, a 

mong his democratic friends, he said he and Nelson seldom confer. 

Although his office in the Capitol is just down the hall from Nelson's, Bre 

slow said, "I never talk to him. There is this idea of a Democratic team, but I 

hardly ever talk to Ben Nelson. 

Nelson said of Breslow: "I don't think it will change our working relations 

hip one bit." 

"I think the recent election shows that Nebraskans vote for the person, not 

the party," Nelson said. "What's important is to be able to work on a bipartisa 

n basis. 

Breslow said his experience in business may have affected his decision 

because of problems he has had with government regulation, including a substant 

ial fine for violating labor rules on a airplane chaser service he once owned. 

On a number of issues, including term limits and reduction of governme 

nt, Breslow said, his positions are clearly more in line with Republican views t 

han Democratic. 

"I don't agree with every plank" in the GOP platform, Breslow said' "I woul 

d prefer that the abortion plank were out of the state platform." 

Breslow said he does not expect his support of abortion rights to hurt him 

in the GOP.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lobbyist Says Dole's Backing Doesn't Guarantee GATT's Passage 

TEXT[Washington - Endorsement of a controversial trade agreement by Sen. Bob Dol 

e, R-Kan., does not guarantee that the treaty will get the 60 votes needed to pa 

ss the Senate, the chief lobbyist of the country's largest farm organization sai 

d Wednesday. 

"I don't think it's home free," said 'Paul Drazek, director of government a 

ffairs for the three-million-member American Farm Bureau Federation. 

"We don't know how many senators Dole will bring along," Drazek said. "Reme 

mber, this is the old Congress that's voting." 

Drazek said it is difficult to predict actions of a lame-duck session of Co 

ngress, which will include many members who are retiring and those who were defe 

ated in the Nov. 8 election. 

The election shifted majority control of both the Senate and the House from 

the Democrats to the Republicans. 

Soon after Dole announced his support of the Uruguay Round of the General A 

greement on Tariffs and Trade, organizations supporting the agreement circulated 

a list of senators who have announced opposition to GAIT or who are leaning aga 

inst it. 

The 13 senators listed as opposed were Ted Stevens, R-Alaska; Howell Heflin 

, D-Ma.; Hank Brown, R-Colo.; Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho; Conrad Burns, D-Mont.; L 

auch Faircloth, R-N.C.; Jesse Helms, R-N.C.; Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.; Alfonse D'Ama 

to, R-N.Y.; Ernest Hollings, D-S.C.; Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.; Russ Feingold, D-Wi 

s.; and Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. 

Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, were included in a list o 

f 14 senators reported to be leaning against approval. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., is listed with 24 senators reported to be undecide 

d on how they will vote. 

Forty-nine senators, including Dole, are reported to be either in favor of 

GATT or leaning toward approval. 

The agreement needs 60 votes to pass because of a Senate rule requiring a t 

hree-fifths majority to waive the Budget Act, which requires that any loss of go 

vernment revenue be offset immediately by either tax increases or budget cuts. T 

he government will lose revenue under GATT as tariffs on imported products are r 

educed and eventually phased out entirely. 

A budget waiver is not required under rules of the House of Representatives 

, where GATT is expected to win approval by a wide margin Tuesday. 

By reducing or knocking down trade barriers to create a more global marketplace, 

GATT is likely to increase export sales of products the United States can 

produce at a competitive advantage, such as some grain products. But it also wo 

uld end some government-subsidized production and would allow U.S. buyers freer 

access to foreign goods, including food and manufactured products. 

Opponents of GATT include some labor unions, some consumer and environmenta 

l organizations and some import-sensitive industries now protected from foreign

competition by tariffs and quotas. 

Another opponent, Texas billionaire Ross Perot, announced Tuesday he would 

start a third political party if the trade agreement is approved. 

Diane Wildman, an aide to U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, said som 

e opponents of GATT have used erroneous information in an effort to defeat it. 

"Every day I hear that this agreement is 22,000 pages long and that the imp 

lementing legislation is 4,900 pages long," she said. That's wrong. 

She laid many pages attached to the 2,000-page agreement list products expo 

rted by the 123 nations covered by GATT. 

"If you want to know what Bangladesh charges Thailand for fish, then you lo 

ok at one of the tariffs listed on pages attached to the agreement," Ms. Wildman 

said. 

She said a number of provisions in the implementing legislation deal with r 

eplacing revenue for lost tariffs. 

"There are various things you can pick out and make sound different than th 

ey are," Ms. Wildman said. 

Talk show host Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, who b 

egan the negotiations leading to GATT, has raised a number of questions aimed at 

undermining support for the agreement. 

A newsletter produced by the younger Reagan said the implementing legislati 

on would allow Carl Ichan, owner of Trans World Airlines, to recover $200 millio 

n he paid to the underfunded TWA pension fund when he acquired the airline. 

Den Fleming, a spokesman for TWA in St. Louis, said the provision actually 

extends a federal law scheduled to expire next year that reinforces the pensionfund 

responsibilities of Ichan. 

Reagan's newsletter said GATT requires that every newborn have a taxpayer i 

dentification number, a provision requested by the Social Security Administratio 

n and the Internal Revenue Service to prevent erroneous exemption claims. 

Reagan's newsletter said the legislation would authorize the U.S. Treasury 

to eliminate the guaranteed minimum interest on Treasury bonds. The Treasury Dep 

artment said the provision, which it requested, enables the U.S. government to i 

ssue savings bonds that more accurately reflect market conditions. 

A Treasury spokesman said the government would be barred from lowering the 

4 percent guaranteed interest rate on bonds already issued. 




SOUR[Wisner News Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Attends Lincoln ceremonies 

TEXT[On Veterans Day Marianna Schilling attended the dedication ceremonies for t 

he Pearl Harbor Memorial Monument which is located in the Veterans Memorial Gard 

ens in Antelope Park in Lincoln. The dedication ceremonies were presented by the 

Nebraska Chapter of Pearl Harbor Survivors. 

A large crowd of Pearl Harbor survivors, their families and friends attende 

d and participated in the dedication. Senator James Exon, Governor Ben Nelson, a 

nd Lincoln Mayor Mike Johanns were among the invited participants. 

Earl Brandes of Central City is a Pearl Harbor survivor. He is the father o

f Gail Brand and the grandfather of Eric Schilling, the latter two of Seward. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon gets involved in county hospital concern 

TEXT[Hope may be in store for the Saunders County Community Hospital according t 

o a report made to the Saunders County Board of Supervisors Nov. 15. 

Mike Brown, Health Services Director, appeared before the board to update t 

hem on the happenings at the hospital. 

Senator J.J. Exon's office called and advised Brown it would be contacting 

the Office of the Inspector General. In the office's opinion, there needs to be 

an investigation since Medicare is issuing numbers for doctors who are sanction 

ed, Brown said. He added that Plainview was having the same problem. 

Exon's office wants to see if there is any way Saunders County can get some 

relief, Brown said. He was referring to the $100,000 in payments Medicare says 

they plan to withhold in order to collected what Medicare feels it overpaid the 

hospital. 

"As of ten days ago, we started getting funds again," said Brown. He added 

the hospital figured Medicare had accumulated $40,000 already. The hospital aske 

d for a recap, but had not received it. 

"We'll get by okay." Brown added. "We haven't had to borrow against our li 

ne of credit, and things are looking better." Examples given included that hospi 

tal had operated on cash flow in September and October without the county tax ch 

eck. Brown said during the summer the hospital operated in the red. 

Brown explained the revenue would not really increase until Dr. Naila Haroo 

n would begin duties after the first of the year. 

As far as things running in general, Brown said morale seemed to be decent. 

They were still attempting to recruit a resident and a nursing assistant. 




SOUR[Clay County News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[GATT-Lame Duck Congress will vote on controversial treaty shortly after Tha 

nksgiving recess 

TEXT[The General Agreement on Tarrifs{sic} and Trade, better known now as GATT, 

will be in the agenda for the "lame duck" congress which returns to Washington n 

ext week. 

On November 8th of this year, angry voters defied even the most optimistic 

GOP pollsters, and swept the Republicans to victory in congressional elections. 

In January, both the House and the 

Senate will be controlled by the Republicans. 

President Clinton is adamant that the vote will take place before his congr 

ess adjourns. Nebraska's two senators, Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, are undecided on

how they will vote on the issue. Because GATT is a treaty, it will take 60 vote 

s in the senate to pass the treaty. 

The negotiations are the culmination of talks that began in 1947 in Geneva. 

Agreement between participating nations was reached in 1993 in Uruguay. 

Those 100 - plus nations that have joined GATT have agreed to eliminate imp 

ort bans, reduce tariffs by at least 15 percent over a six year period, reduce t 

rade -impediments such as internal supports and subsidies from levels set in 198 

6 through 1990. These countries represent 90 percent of the world merchandise tr 

ade. 

Eliminating the worldwide tariffs would, according to reporters open-up pre 

viously closed markets, expanding the opportunities not only for the manufacturi 

ng sector, but also for agricultural interests, which includes the farmer. 

The GATT framework emphasizes: 

*trade without discrimination; 

a preference for tariffs rather than non-tariff barriers (subsidies and governme 

nt regulations) to protect domestic producers if a country does choose to improv 

e barriers; 

*negotiated maximum tariff levels; and, 

*consultation and conciliation in resolving disputes. 

Due to GATT agreements over the last 46 years, tariffs have been lowered fr 

om an average of 40 percent in the early 1950's to an average of less than 4 per 

cent today. 

Despite significant accomplishments in removing barriers to trade in the fi 

rst seven rounds of talks, many member nations saw a need to expand GATT coverag 

e to new areas of international trade, such as agriculture, financial services, 

pharmaceutical, computer 

software and entertainment products, such as books, movies and recordings. 

Domestic resistance to free trade is strong and emotional in most parts of 

the world. Advocates of the treaty insist that if the U.S. rejects a treaty that 

bears its strong imprint, the entire "GATT treat might fail." 

In the area of agriculture, GATT strives to bring agriculture fully into th 

e GATT framework, and level national levels of market access, domestic support a 

nd export competition, by setting ceilings on permissible tariffs and subsidies, 

limiting export restrictions, and discouraging the intentional use of health st 

andards to protect domestic producers. 

Members of congress representing some southern states, such as North and So 

uth Carolina - where the textile industry flourishes - are opposed to GATT. The 

treaty would phase out allowable quotas and brings this sector under GATT. Impor 

t quotas would end immediately for product categories constituting 16 percent of 

each importing country's textile trade. That percentage would rise to 33 perce 

nt in 1998, 51 percent in 2002 and 100 percent in 2005. 

Southern legislators fear that products manufactured by cheap labor on the 

Pacific rim would glut the American market, and put the domestic clothing makers 

out of business. 

In Nebraska, Warren Buffett is wholeheartedly in favor of GATT, which is wh 

y some are convinced that Sen. Kerrey will, eventually support the treaty. 

The National Corn Growers Association is beating the drums for passage of t 

he treaty, but smaller American Corn Growers Association is firmly GATT. 

The American Soy Bean Association does not support the agreement, according 

to Bob Ellis, a Soy Bean farmer in Central City and a Director on the United So 

ybean Board. He notes that GATT tips the advantage to South American growers.

The Nebraska Wheat Growers Association, still bothered by the massive amoun 

ts of Canadian Wheat being brought into the U.S. because of the relaxation of fr 

ee trade rules, are not convinced that GATT will be beneficial for their members 

. 

The GATT Treaty will be administered by the World Trade Organization, with 

headquarters in Europe. All trade disputes will be settled by the WTO, and possi 

bly the World Court. 

Some who oppose the treaty feel that for the first time, the United States 

will turn what should be a domestic matter over to foreign 

governments. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Anti-Treaty Effort Launched 

TEXT[A coalition of 16 farm, labor and peace groups began a campaign Thursday to 

defeat a new international trade accord under the General Agreement on Tariffs 

and Trade. 

The GATT treaty, coalition representatives said at a State Capitol press co 

nference, threatens food safety, environmental laws, American jobs and national 

sovereignty. They said it also would increase the federal budget deficit. 

"The more people learn about GATT and the trade-offs involved, the less the 

y like it," said John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union. 

"This is public policy based only on profit," said Walt Bleich, director of 

Nebraska Citizen Action, a public-interest group. 

The coalition, the Citizens Trade Campaign of Nebraska, will begin an adver 

tising campaign this weekend to educate Nebraskans about the dangers of adopting 

the GATT treaty, representatives said. 

Congress is to begin debating the treaty later this month. 

Hansen said Sen. J.J. Exon D-Neb., is the state's only congressional repres 

entative who has voiced opposition to the trade accord. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., 

is undecided, Hansen said. 

ED. NOTE: You can bet that with Kerrey's record of voting with Pres Clinton 92% 

of the time, he will vote for the multi-national companies and the international 

bankers and forget the American middle class, which this treaty will devastate 

as well as most of America's small business owners. 

Remember this, folks - the rest of the world the other 122 nations inv 

olved need us more than we need them. Why should the U.S.A. bow down to those ot 

her countries and to a few huge industries while forgetting John Q. Public? 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Denounces Plan to 'Earthquake Proof' Lincoln Building

TEXT[OMAHA. (AP) - A Nebraska senator is shaking his head over a proposal to "ea 

rthquake proof" a federal building in Lincoln - a city that last experienced a q 

uake of any significant size in 1877. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., believes the General Services Administration's lates 

t attempts to protect against earthquakes in low-risk areas goes beyond congress 

ional intent. 

It would be better if the $70,000 the GSA plans to spend on the Robert Denn 

ey Federal Building in Lincoln would be used to reduce the nation's budget defic 

it, Exon said. 

"While I understand the need to take prudent precautions to protect people 

in the event of a natural calamity... (we) must be prudent in the expenditure of 

federal funds," Exon said in a letter to the administration, the agency in char 

ge of maintaining federally owned buildings. 

A spokesman for GSA said the earthquake reinforcements will be done in acco 

rdance with federal law to protect lives and the federal government against futu 

re lawsuits. 

Although the risk is not as high as in California or other parts of the nat 

ions, a life-threatening earthquake in Nebraska is not out of the question, fede 

ral officials said. 

"I guarantee you, if an earthquake were to happen out there, this would be 

a different story," said Hap Connors, director of media relations with the GSA i 

n Washington, D.C. 

A 1977 federal law requires the GSA to set earthquake standards for new and 

existing federal buildings, but not to remodel the buildings, Exon said. 

In addition, a 1989 amendment expanded that law and requires the federal ag 

ency to develop comprehensive earthquake standards for federal buildings by Dec. 

1. 

The new amendment "would set standards nationwide that would for the first 

time include low-risk areas," said Greg Pallas, Exon's chief of staff. 

Estimates on how much the GSA's new standards would cost were not available 

on a nationwide basis. Pallas said such figures probably would not be available 

until after the Dec. 1 deadline. 

Nebraska has been subjected to various tremors throughout the years, includ 

ing three quakes that measured at least 4.7 on the Richter scale; in 1877 near S 

eward, in 1935 near Tecumseh and in 1964 in northwest Cherry County. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has rated Lincoln and parts of sout 

heast Nebraskans as low risk in terms of earthquakes or "2A" on a risk scale of 

zero to four. 

Connors agreed that the decision to spend the $70,000 would be left to the 

discretion of the GSA, but said the agency has the responsibility to protect liv 

es. 

The government plans to renovate the 1974 building after the Immigration an 

d Naturalization Service moves out as part of the remodeling project, the GSA pl 

ans to reinforce parts of the building's walls to withstand an earthquake, Conno 

rs said. 

The current remodeling plan is only a proposal and is subject to change, sa 

id Bond Faulwell, GSA's deputy regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. 

"We're simply looking at what the scope of the project would be," Faulwell 

said, noting that a final decision has not been made. 

That's good news to Exon, who hopes to put the brakes to the project. 

"Sen. Exon is trying to send a shot across their bows that this should be r 

econsidered," Pallas said.

ns. 

Connors said the agency is reviewing its policies in light of Exon's concer 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon isn't thrilled with building plan 

TEXT[OMAHA. (AP) - A Nebraska senator is shaking his head over a proposal to "ea 

rthquake proof" a federal building in Lincoln - a city that last experienced a q 

uake of any significant size in 1877. 



ional intent. 






federal funds," Exon said in a letter to the administration, the agency in char 

ge of maintaining federally owned buildings. 



re lawsuits. 





a different story," said Hap Connors, director of media relations with the GSA i 






1. 

The new amendment "would set standards nationwide that would for the first 

time include low-risk areas," said Greg Pallas, Exon's chief of staff. 







The Federal Emergency Management Agency has rated Lincoln and parts of sout 

heast Nebraskans as low risk in terms of earthquakes or "2A" on a risk scale of 

zero to four. 

Connors agreed that the decision to spend the $70,000 would be left to the


es. 

The government plans to renovate the 1974 building after the Immigration an 

d Naturalization Service moves out as part of the remodeling project, the GSA pl 

ans to reinforce parts of the building's walls to withstand an earthquake, Conno 

rs said. 



AUTH[Esther Miller, ltr. ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon an argument against term limits 

TEXT[On Nov. 8, I voted against the amendment for limited service in our governm 

ent. The old saying is, "Experience is the best teacher." 

I make a practice of voting for the man or woman who is capable and experie 

nced, who stands for legislation that he or she knows is best for our country. 

We need to keep them in office. 

Sen. Jim Exon, a Democrat from Nebraska, is such a man. I'm registered as a 

Republican, but no matter, I admire him as he supports legislation he feels is 

good for our country. I sometimes write to him to inquire about his views. He wr 

ites long letters back to me explaining them. 

We need to keep him in and others like him, no matter the length of service 

. 

Esther Miller 

Dannebrog 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon questions earthquake proofing 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) A Nebraska senator is shaking his head over a proposal to "earth 

quake proof" a federal building in Lincoln - a city that last experienced a quak 

e of any significant size in 1877. 

Sen. Jim Exon, believes against earthquakes in low-risk areas goes beyond c 

ongressional intent. 

It would be better if the $70,000 the GSA plans to spend on the Robert 

Denney Federal Building in Lincoln would be used to reduce the nation's budget 

deficit, Exon said. 



re lawsuits. 




SOUR[Yankton Press and Dakotan

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator Exon Denounces Plan to 'Earthquake Proof' Federal Building 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska senator is shaking his head over a proposal 

to "earthquake proof" a federal building in Lincoln - a city that last experienc 

ed a quake of any significant size in 1877. 



ional intent. 






federal funds," Exon said in a letter to the administration the agency in charg 

e of maintaining federally-owned buildings. 

A spokesman for GSA said the earthquake reinforcements will be done in 

accordance with federal law to protect lives and the federal government against 

future lawsuits. 




I guarantee you, if an earthquake were to happen out there, this would be a 

different story," said Hap Connors, director of media relations with the GSA in 

Washington, D.C. 





1. 

The new amendment 'would set standards nationwide that would for the first 

time include low-risk areas,' said Greg Pallas, Exon's chief of staff. 







The Federal Emergency Management Agency has rated Lincoln and parts of s 

outheast Nebraskans as low risk in terms of earthquakes or "2A" on a risk scale 

of zero four. 

Connors agreed that the decision to spend the $70,000 would be left to the 


es. 




SOUR[Aberdeen American News 

BK#[

HDLN[National grain car council announced 


il. 





eceivers, and train manufacturers. Exon, said the National Grain Car Council cou 

ld be operational in about a month. 

One of the biggest problems grain dealers have with the railroad compa 

nies is yearly changes in rules. 

Union Pacific Railroad recently changed its rail car distribution po 

licy from allocating cars on a four-year average to allocating 70 percent of the 

average number of cars distributed in the past two years, said Ron Ziggafoos, m 

ember services director of the grain association. 

Not only are grain dealers losing 30 percent of their rail cars, but o 

ften the railroad is unable to provide enough cars to meet the promised 70 perce 

nt, he said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying Certificates of 

Transportation, which guarantee delivery of a certain number of rail cars. 

But Burlington Northern Railroad has pledged only 40 percent of its ca 

rs for the certificates program. 

"Where's the other 60 percent?" asked Ray Brandt of Cooperative Produc 

ers of Hastings. 

Exon charged that the railroad companies are "feeding their bottom lin 

es," placing the shareholders' interests ahead of the customers. 

The North American Free Trade Agreement has created more problems, he 

said. Although railroads are providing 20 percent more box cars, they are sprea 

d over larger distances hauling into Mexico and Canada, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nimby Syndrome lives 

TEXT[The Nimby Syndrome is alive and well in Hastings. 

"Nimby" refers to the "not in my backyard" stance taken by those who are wi 

lling to promote economic development--campgrounds, ethanol plants, major retail 

stores and the like--until officials propose to locate it near their home or bu 

siness. 

The Nimby syndrome was demonstrated vividly this week as the Hastings Plann 

ing Commission began debate on whether to recommend approval of new, multimilli 

on-dollar ethanol plant on the edge of Hastings. 

Because construction is on a very tight deadline, Ag Processing, Inc. has alread 

y begun dirtwork on the 130-acre plant site cast of Bypass Road. AGP hopes to ha 

ve the plant operating by the end of 1995 to qualify for a 20-cent per gallon et 

hanol production tax credit. 

AGP purchased an idle Tennessee ethanol plant with plans to move it to Hast

ings. Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey played a vital role in working with AGP and the D 

epartment of Energy to make the arrangement work. Gov. Ben Nelson and Sen. Jim E 

xon also played key roles. 

The Planning Commission's role is to recommend that the 

City Council either approve or deny a conditional use permit for the plant's con 

struction. The commission has jurisdiction because the plant site lies within t 

he city's two-mile zoning limit. 

People living in the area of the plant are understandably concerned about t 

he proposed change in their region's landscape. Traffic, odor, noise and other p 

otential problems have been raised as concerns. 

The surprise, however, comes from one sector of opposition to the plant. De 

b Hardin-Quirk, who attended their first meeting as an appointee to the commissi 

on, raised numerous questions about the plant. Her husband, John Quirk, spoke ou 

t against the plant. 

The Quirks' bias in itself is not odd, until you consider the ties they hav 

e to Kerrey, Nelson and Exon, the three Democrats who worked so hard to acquire 

the plant for Nebraska. Hardin-Quirk has been a high-ranking member of the State 

Democratic Party and a member of the Democratic National Committee. Quirk is a 

Nelson appointee to the Nebraska Rural Development Commission, which has as its 

role the job of boosting economic development in rural areas of Nebraska. How ir 

onic that they would oppose what three prominent Democrats have worked so hard t 

o build. 

The AGP plant would employ about 60 people, with a payroll of up to $2 

million annually. The plant would pay Hastings Utilities about $2 million annua 

lly for services. And local businesses could expect to provide an estimated $1.2 

to $1.5 million a year in goods and services. 

Those benefits should be forgotten? We don't think so. 



AUTH[Lynn Miller, ltr. ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Say no' 

TEXT[I've been reading a lot about GATT lately and there seems to be a lot of de 

al-making going on. Sen. Helms is linking the treaty's passage with the administ 

ration's foreign policy initiatives. Sen. Dole has suggested that he will suppor 

t the treaty if the administration leans favorable to a cut in the capital gains 

tax. Rep. Gingrich is pretty much in favor of GATT, period. Nowhere have I read 

that an elected official has solicited the judgment of his or her constituents. 

Here at home, Rep. Barrett has come out in favor of the treaty. Sen. E 

xon has voiced his reservations and Sen. Kerrey is entirely undecided. If any of 

them asked me, I'd tell them that I have serious doubt about an instrument whic 

h threatens U S. sovereignty and requires waiving the Budget Act, and to "Just s 

ay No!"' Nebraskans, don't wait for a phone calf Contact your representatives an 

d tell them you war them to represent you. 



AUTH[Terry Wingett, ltr. ed


BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon understand the needs 

TEXT[Is it time to stop the handout bandwagon? 

Does this mean: 

þ Stop Social Security? 

þ Stop aid to disabled veterans? 

þ Stop aid to mentally and physically disabled? 

þ Take people out of nursing homes? 

þ Stop money for all charity? 

The list goes on and on. 

I thank God every day that he gave me the health and education to hold a 

job. If some of my ta; dollars go to help the less fortunate so be it. 

A recent letter said the time has come to stop the handout bandwagon and re 

quire all to share the load, no excuses, no free rides. That Sens. Kerrey and Ex 

on don't get it. Ah, I think they do. 



AUTH[Glade Smith, ltr. ed 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Give me liberty or give me death!' 

TEXT[Sir -- Patrick Henry proclaimed, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to 

be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I kno 

w not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me dea 

th!" 

Bravery, integrity and selflessness have been the trademark of the people w 

ho created and sustained our great Nation. We have weathered every storm to bec 

ome the "city on a hill." Along with our Pilgrim fathers we have much to be than 

kful for. 

No power on earth has been able to subdue or enslave us. However, our Gover 

nment is about to see our liberty to the highest bidder. The freedom our forefat 

hers have fought and died for is being traded for the mirage of economic advance 

ment through "free trade," by way of the GATT treaty. 

Congress may debate the passage of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tra 

de - GATT treat as early as Nov. 29. Passing the GATT treaty will create the Wor 

ld Trade Organization - WTO, (a global institution like our Supreme Court which 

will implement the GATT treaty.) 

We are the greatest nation the world has ever known. If Congress passes GAT 

T, we will become 1 vote out of 177 nations. We will have no veto power. We will 

be forced to follow the rules set up by the World Trade Organization. They can 

require us to alter our laws or face the consequences of heavy fines and trade r 

estrictions. We have elected representatives who make our laws. We have a Suprem 

e Court which protects our Constitution. With the passage of GATT we will have t 

he World Trade Organization telling us what to do. 

A modern day Patrick Henry would say, "Is GATT so dear and the World Trade 

Organization so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery." We 

must with one unified deafening voice tell our representatives in Congress, "Vo 

te no on GATT." Sen. Exon's number is 202-225-6435, the Capitol number is 202-22

4-3121. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Foresees OK of GATT 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., predicted Monday that a new internati 

onal trade agreement would pass Congress this week and indicated that he would s 

upport it. Kerrey previously had said he was undecided. 

"I don't want to declare this morning that I am 100 percent for it, but I a 

m certainly in the positive camp," Kerrey said in a telephone interview from Oma 

ha. 

A three-fifths majority of the Senate, or 60 votes, will be required to pas 

s the agreement. 

"We expect this to be approved by the House and Senate this week," U.S. Tra 

de Representative Mickey Kantor said at a press conference. "We are not overconf 

ident, but we feel very, very good today." 

Sen. John Breaux, D-La., said a majority of Republicans and Democrats 

now endorse the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

Breaux, in a press conference, said he would join at least 59 other se 

nators Thursday in waiving a law requiring the Senate to replace any revenue los 

t from the elimination of U.S. tariffs. 

"Most economists agree that this agreement is going to generate more r 

evenue for the United States in terms of more businesses, more trade and more ex 

ports than the $13 billion in lost tariffs," Breaux said. 

He said savings already made in other government programs have accounted 

any tariff loss during the first five years of the agreement. 

The waiver, required under Senate rules, would apply only to revenues lost 

in the second five years of the agreement, Breaux said. 

Meanwhile, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, continue to 

be listed as undecided on the agreement. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, announced his support on the agreement earli 

er this year. 

House members from Nebraska and western Iowa have indicated that they will 

vote in favor of the agreement. 

Kerrey said he still had minor questions about the 123-nation World Tr 

ade organization (WTO) that would be created by the agreement. 

"The biggest question was whether it would benefit the United States," Kerr 

ey said. "I believe it was a change that will be beneficial." 

He said the WTO first was proposed by Congress in 1988 to ensure that 

trade agreements would be enforced. 

Opponents of the agreement, including consumer advocate Ralph Nader, h 

ave said the WTO would weaken U.S. sovereignty. 

In a letter to congressional leader Monday, Nader said the United Stat 

es would have only one vote in the WTO and no veto power. 

He said WTO rules would be enforced in secret tribunals where foreign natio 

ns can challenge our health, safety and ether living standards as being trade-li 

miting, as in food-safety standards."

Nader said that if the WTO decides chat U.S. laws are adverse to world trad 

e the United States would "either have to repeal our laws or standards or pay pe 

rpetual trade fines." 

Arguments against the WTO by Nader and others, including Texas billionaire 

Ross Perot, were defused somewhat last week when President Clinton agreed to cha 

nges recommended by Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., incoming Senate majority leader. 

Dole won assurances that the United States would withdraw from the WTO if a 

panel of retired federal judges, to be appointed by Clinton, ruled that three W 

TO rulings had been unfair to the United States. 

Kerrey said U.S. agriculture could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of t 

he new agreement. 

He said he expected increases of several billion dollars in U.S. farm expor 

ts, which totaled a near-record $43.5 billion this year. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that farm exports would i 

ncrease by as much as $8.7 billion in 10 years, boosting U.S. farm income by $2. 

5 billion. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Party Squabble Divided Kerrey, Nelson Campaigns 

TEXT[Gov. Nelson and U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey stood out on Nov. 8 as Democratic vict 

ors on a night of Republican triumph. But differences between the Kerrey and Nel 

son campaigns could be detected as the two Democrats held separate victory parti 

es at the Old Mill Holiday Inn. 

Kerrey and Joseph "Sonny" Foster, manager of Nelson's campaign, said confli 

ct between the two camps began during the summer over the importance of a get-ou 

t-the-vote effort on behalf of the entire Democratic ticket. 

The conflict culminated late in the campaign when Nelson refused Kerrey's r 

equest to commit additional financial support for a final voter-identification a 

nd get-out-the-vote push. 

There has been grousing by some Kerrey staff members and party officials th 

at Nelson did not do enough to help other Democratic Party candidates, especiall 

y when he ended the campaign with more than $600,000 in excess contributions. 

Foster insisted that it was he, not Nelson, who made decisions during the c 

ampaign that angered Kerrey staff members. 

"Whatever friction there was between the staffs is my fault," Foster said. 

"My job is to run my candidate's campaign. I did that, and I did it well." 

Kerrey said he had heard that the reason for the separate election-night pa 

rties was that Nelson thought his Republican and anti-abortion supporters would 

be uncomfortable at an "ill-Democratic event with Kerrey and U.S. Rep. Peter Hoa 

gland, who lost to Republican Jon Christensen. 

Foster dismissed that notion. "It was the Kerrey people who couldn't get th 

eir act together on where they were going to he election night," he said. 

Nelson declined to he interviewed about his relationship with Kerrey. Foste 

r quoted Nelson as saying, "I do not want to make it a bigger story than it is." 

"The governor has no difference with Bob Kerrey or Peter Hoagland," Foster 

said. "Ben Nelson has never run from being a Democrat. But it is not his job to

spend his time on day-to-day activities of the Democratic Party." 

Nelson and Kerrey have not been close. Both, however, say they work well to 

gether on projects. 

"I can go to the governor and say, 'Here is what I want to do.' and he is a 

partner," Kerrey said. "There was some friction, but it was minor." 

Several Democratic Party officials said the differences reflected the men's 

contrasting campaign styles. A common view among the party officials who spoke 

on condition that they not be identified, is that Kerrey demands the spotlight b 

ut tries to help other Democrats, while Nelson tends to run his races separate f 

rom those of other Democratic Party candidates. 

One prominent Douglas County Democrat described the conflict as 

being one that involves "a three letter word that begins with 'e' and ends with 

'o'-ego." 

Some complaints about Nelson stem from his runaway 3-to-1 victory over 

Republican Gene Spence. Several prominent Democrats said there was some sentime 

nt in the campaigns of other Democrats that Nelson could have spent more time an 

d money helping others on the ticket - particularly Hoagland and State Treasurer 

Dawn Rockey - even if it cost him votes. 

Foster said such complaints were unjustified. Nelson provided personal 

support for a number of candidates for state and local offices, he said. 

Some issues made it difficult for Nelson, Kerrey and Hoagland to run a 

s a true team. Kerrey and Hoagland support abortion rights, while Nelson opposes 

abortion and had the backing of anti-abortion groups. Kerrey and Hoagland were 

more supportive of gun restrictions than Nelson was. 

At one point, Foster said, Nelson agreed to appear with Hoagland to co 

unter the National Rifle Association's opposition to Hoagland. Foster said he ni 

xed the planned event. 

Two weeks before the election, Nelson avoided taking a position in the 

Senate race between Kerrey and his Republican challenger, Jan Stoney. 

The Lexington Clipper quoted Nelson as saying on Oct. 25: "I have to run my 

own race. I know Jan Stoney, known her for a long time. I've known Bob Kerrey f 

or a long time. I think Nebraskans have a choice to make in that race between tw 

o individuals with considerable background and skill." 

The incidents during this year's campaign come against a background of 

natural rivalry between Nelson, 53, and Kerrey, 51: 

- 1982: Nelson was among prominent Democrats who decided against chall 

enging then-Gov. Charles Thone, clearing the way for Kerrey's upset of the incum 

bent Republican and his emergence as the party's future leader. 

- 1988: Nelson contributed to Kerrey's campaign for the Senate against 

Republican Dave Karnes but was caught in an awkward position. Karnes' wife, Uz, 

had introduced Nelson to his future wife, Diane, and the two couples remained f 

riends. 

- 1990: Kerrey made a late endorsement of his former aide Bill Hoppner 

for the Democratic nomination for governor. Nelson won the nomination by only 4 

1 votes. Kerrey backed Nelson against then-Gov. Kay Orr. 

- 1992: Nelson was all but ignored in Kerrey's bid for the Democratic 

presidential nomination. At a February rally for Kerrey in Omaha, Nelson was pre 

sent but was not asked to introduce Kerrey or speak to the crowd. 

Both sides agree that the conflict this year was set off by the import 

ance that Kerrey placed on the effort to identify Democratic voters and get them 

to the polls.

Kerrey said he put a high priority on the coordinated campaign effort. He a 

greed to raise the funds for the effort and viewed himself and Hoagland as the c 

hief beneficiaries. 

"The governor placed a much different value on the get-out-the-vote effort, 

" Kerrey said. "It was very important to me. Most of the lightning-rod issues i 

n 1994 went directly back to Washington." 

But when his race against Mrs. Stoney became more competitive than Nelson's 

effort against Spence, Kerrey said, he went to Nelson for support. 

"We did have a disagreement," Kerrey said. "It was clear he had a different 

point of view." 

Kerrey raised about 99 percent of the nearly $500,000 collected for the Dem 

ocratic coordinated campaign, said Deane Finnegan, executive director of the sta 

te party. The money was used for staff, phone banks and mailings throughout the 

state. 

There are conflicting opinions about whether Nelson could have used some of 

the $600,000 left in his two committees to help finance the coordinated campaig 

n. 

Dannie Troutwein and Frank Daley, the executive director and general counse 

l to the State Accountability and Disclosure Commission, said the Nelson funds c 

ould have been used as long as it could be shown that Nelson would benefit. 

Foster said there were legal problems. They might have been avoided, he sai 

d, if the program had been designed with the state campaign finance laws in mind 

. 

In any event, Foster said, he did not want to put the Nelson campaign in a 

legally questionable position. The Nelson campaign did provide about $16,000 to 

the effort, he said. 

Foster said he may have overreacted in August to officials of the coordinat 

ed campaign. At that time, volunteers were difficult to find and some liberal De 

mocrats were reluctant to work from a telephone script that included Nelson, Fos 

ter said. The objection to Nelson involved his anti-abortion position, Foster sa 

id he was told. 

Foster said he blew up. "I've got the most popular guy in the state," be re 

called saying at the time. "If you are worried about Nebraskans for Peace and th 

ink it's really going to help more, then take Ben Nelson's name off the script." 

Many party officials are quick to point out that Nelson does work to help t 

he party. Mrs. Finnegan noted that he opens his home in Omaha's Regency area for 

party fund-raisers. 

Nelson was chairman of the Nebraska delegation to the 1992 Democratic Natio 

nal Convention. 

Foster noted that Nelson wrote letters or made campaign commercials for a n 

umber of candidates, including State Sen. Jessie Rasmussen of Omaha, Kerrey's si 

ster, who lost her reelection bid. 

Carol Lee Strickler, manager of Brenda Council's campaign or Omaha mayor, s 

aid she was counting on help from Kerrey and Nelson in the Dec. 13 runoff electi 

on against Hal Daub. Nelson endorsed Ms. Council, a Democrat, on Friday. Kerrey 

has kept the Omaha-area coordinated campaign offices open to work on Ms. Council 

's campaign. 

As a former governor who faced complaints that he did not do enough to buil 

d the party, Kerrey said, he understands Nelson's predicament. 

"The governor has to govern," Kerrey said. "His principal concern is to gov 

ern - not build the party." 

But the Republican gains were hard to take, Kerrey said.

"We lost a lot of people up through. We've got some work to 

do." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon still undecided; all 4 others for GATT 

TEXT[Nebraska's three House members are expected to vote with the House majority 

later today in passing the implementing legislation for the world trade agreeme 

nt known as GATT. 

Lawmakers supporting the historic 124-nation trade accord hope a predi 

cted 100-vote victory margin in the House today will build momentum in the Senat 

e, where the outcome remains in doubt and the vote comes later in the week. 

In that upper chamber, Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb., signaled he intends to supp 

ort GATT. But Sen. Jim Exon, his Democratic colleague from Nebraska. was still u 

nsure how he will vote. 

Kerrey was undecided until Monday evening, when he announced he was "90 per 

cent sure" he would vote for the legislation needed to implement the treaty. Thi 

s morning he was "absolutely sure" he would vote for the legislation. 

Despite intense lobbying from President Clinton, Vice President Al Gor 

e and U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, Exon this morning said he is stil 

l "legitimately undecided." 

Both Nebraska senators have expressed concern over the World Trade Org 

anization, which will rule on trade disputes under terms of the accord fashioned 

by the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, the senior House member from Nebra 

ska and an ardent supporter of free trade, bitterly complained on Monday about n 

ational campaigns against the trade agreement investing significant amounts of m 

oney in Nebraska on "inflammatory and error-ridden radio advertisements attackin 

g the trade agreement." 

Bereuter didn't pull any punches in retaliating. 

"Those ads are probably the most intentionally deceptive commercials I have 

ever heard, and after the elections, that's saying something," he charged. 

"The World Trade Organization will not be able to compel countries to adopt 

its ruling, change a nation's laws or regulations, or even impose sanctions," h 

e said. "Only countries can do that to other countries. 

"Unfortunately, a hodgepodge of critics from the far-left and far-right - i 

ncluding opportunists like Patrick Buchanan. Ralph Nader, Pat Choate, Jesse Jack 

son, Jerry Brown and Tom Hayden - have grossly exaggerated the powers of the Wor 

ld Trade Organization by falsely arguing that the World Trade Organization can c 

hange U.S. laws and impose fines on the United States," Bereuter said. 

Reps. Peter Hoagland, D-2nd District, a member of the House Ways and Means 

Committee that had original jurisdiction over the implementing legislation, and 

Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, are strongly in favor of the GATT. 

The vice president today urged supporters of the accord to keep the pressur 

e on lawmakers during the final hours before the House vote in the first lame-du 

ck session of Congress in 12 years. 

"The vote counts are coming in a way that tells us we're close to victory.

But we're not there yet. ...We have got to really turn it on now," Gore said at 

a rally in the Capitol. 

Clinton left no stone unturned either. He lobbied House members today in la 

rge and small groups, as his aides expressed confidence that GATT would pass its 

first test. 

The aides were setting their sights on the Senate, which votes Thursday. "I 

t is not done yet, but we expect by Thursday we will have the votes." said Dee D 

ee Myers, White House press secretary. 

In the Senate, two lawmakers generally supportive of free trade - Max Baucu 

s, D-Mont., and Hank Brown, R-Colo. - said they would oppose GATT because of con 

cerns that the World Trade Organization would infringe on U.S. sovereignty. 

Gore shrugged off the losses, saying, "We tried to get them all. I'm not su 

re we're going to get them all. We'll always lose some." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter approves of early vote on GATT 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Rep. Doug Bereuter, who voted in favor of the General Agreemen 

t on Tariffs and Trade approved by the House, said he was glad Congress didn't p 

ut off the vote. 

Some critics of GATT had urged Congress to forego this week's "lame-duck" s 

ession and wait until 1995 to vote on the agreement. But Bereuter said the vote 

might have come out differently had Congress waited. 

"It's usually bad to do anything in a lame-duck session," the Republican co 

ngressman said in a telephone interview Tuesday evening. "But we've got so many 

new members coming in next session and we've got to work on other priorities, li 

ke the Contract With America. 

"BESIDES, WE have a more conservative group of Republicans coming in, and t 

hey've been hearing some nasty and misleading stuff about GATT. It's better to g 

o with the horses we have here now than with the ones coming into the barn in Ja 

nuary." 

Earlier in the day, in House debate on the trade agreement, Bereuter 

spoke on the floor urging his colleagues to vote for GATT. He said the agreement 

would bring "expanded trade and prosperity for both the United States and the w 

orld," and he quoted one of the Founding Fathers to help make his point. 

"Over 200 years ago, Benjamin Franklin said that no nation was ever ruined 

by trade," Bereuter said. "Today, this member is entirely confident that Frankli 

n's axiom remains true and approval of the Uruguay Round Trade Agreement is clea 

rly in the overall best interest of the United States." 

BEREUTER WAS A strong advocate of GATT during the months of debate that led 

up to Tuesday's vote. 

He said he expects the Senate to narrowly approve the agreement when it votes Th 

ursday. 

He also praised Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey, who announced Tuesday that he w 

ould vote in favor of GATT. 

"I applaud Kerrey for this," Bereuter said. "He's putting the national int

erest over the fears of a few opportunists who've been railing against GATT for 

their own personal benefit." 

Bereuter said he expected Nebraska's other senator, Jim Exon, against the a 

greement. As of Tuesday evening, Exon still had not announced his position, but 

he seemed to be leaning against it. 

Omaha Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-2nd, who lost the November election to Republi 

can Jon Christensen also voted for GATT. 

Republican Rep. Bill Barrett's vote for the agreement gave GATT all three o 

f Nebraska's votes in the House. 




SOUR[Neb City News Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter, Kerrey support GAAT (GATT) 

TEXT[Rep. Doug Bereuter said today that passage of the General Agreement on Trad 

e and Tariffs would mean expanded trade and prosperity for both the United State 

s and the World. 

Bereuter, (R-Neb) voted in favor of the Uruguay Round Trade Agreement 

as it passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. 

Bereuter said Nebraskans were treated to "inflammatory and terror ridd 

en radio advertisements attacking the trade agreement over he Thanksgiving weeke 

nd. 

Bereuter said the $ 11.9 billion ax cut in GATT should lower the feder 

al budget deficit, and the lowering of foreign country's agricultural subsidies 

could give Nebraska grain and livestock 

producers and additional $3.5 billion to $6.5 billion over the next 10 years. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, (D-Neb), also said he will support the 124-nation tra 

de agreement. 

"I just think that, on balance, that any time you can get an agreement 

that takes trade barriers and dismantles them, it's good," Kerrey said in a tel 

ephone news conference from his Washington office. 

Kerrey said the GATT, which faces a Senate vote Thursday, would benefi 

t Nebraska agricultural interests. 

"We have a competitive advantage in agriculture now," Kerrey said. "I 

think it's a tremendous boost to American agriculture." 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has not announced whether he will support 

the treaty. 

Kerrey said he was convinced that treaty provisions cited by critics d 

idn't represent genuine threats to U.S. interests. 

The expansion of U.S. markets under GATT will outweigh the weaknesses 

in the agreement, Kerrey said. 

"We have wanted teeth in enforcement provisions" of trade agreements a 

nd GATT provides them, Kerrey said. "I still think it benefits us. I just think 

that we, on balance, have an agreement that will result in the largest tax decre 

ase in our history." 

President Clinton has said the reduction of tariffs, which are border 

taxes imposed to put foreign goods at a competitive disadvantage, represents the

iggest tax cut in history - worth $744 billion globally. 

Critics, like consumer advocate Ralph Nader, say foreign countries wil 

l attack American laws protecting consumers, workers and the environment as unfa 

ir barriers to trade. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Trenton group uses community building 

TEXT[TRENTON - The Trenton Community Development Commission will conduct its mee 

ting Thursday in the community's new medical center/community building. This wil 

l be the first time the new building is used. 

According to Marlene Striegel, TCDC member, the building isn't complet 

ely finished yet, but it is well on its way. The meeting will start at 7 p.m., a 

nd the agenda includes discussion of fund-raising projects to help pay for the b 

uilding. 

Striegel said the public is invited to the meeting, and can tour the b 

uilding at the same time. 

A three-year $255,142 Rural Health Outreach grant will purchase equipm 

ent and supplies and pay salaries for the new medical/dental clinic included in 

the building. U.S. Senator Jim Exon announced in August the federal government w 

ill guarantee a $135,000 loan from the State Bank of Trenton for the building's 

construction. The Trenton bank is loaning the money to the TCDC, and the Rural D 

evelopment Administration is guaranteeing the 20-year loan. 

Other sources of funding for the center include the TCDC, which is con 

tributing $21,700, and the Village of Trenton, which is providing $40,000. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey pledges to support GATT, Exon still undecided 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., remained the only Nebraska 

congressmen who hadn't made up his mind on a world trade treaty that has receiv 

ed the blessing of all three Nebraska House members. 

The House approved the agreement 288-146 Tuesday night, sending the me 

asure to the Senate for a vote expected Thursday. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., has s 

aid he will vote to pass the agreement aimed at reducing global tariffs and boos 

ting international trade. 

U.S. Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett, both Republicans, defended 

and supported the 124-nation General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Rep. Peter 

Hoagland, D-Neb., has long supported the treaty. 

The GATT accord would cut tariffs by 38 percent worldwide, expand the 

rules of world trade to agriculture and services and create a new, more powerful

World Trade Organization to referee disputes. 

The Clinton administration estimated that the reduced tariffs equate t 

o a $744 billion global tax cut over a decade. For Americans, it would represent 

a $36 billion cut in border taxes on imported goods and services over 10 years. 

"One of the biggest fears I heard about GATT was that U.S. sovereignty 

would be threatened by the World Trade Organization," Barrett said. "This isn't 

the case. The WTO can't fine or place sanctions on the United States - it can't 

force the United States to do anything." 

Bereuter said Nebraska grain and livestock producers could see an addi 

tional $3.5 billion to $6.5 billion in export sales over the next decade because 

of the GATT. The measure also drew the endorsement of Nebraska Farm Bureau Fede 

ration. 

"Did we get everything we wanted? Of course not," Hoagland said. "But 

we opened the barn door a mile wide, and future negotiations can open it many mo 

re miles..." 

Kerrey, D-Neb., earlier Tuesday said he would vote for GATT, but Exon 

said he remained undecided. Treaty supporters were still searching for the votes 

needed for passage in the Senate. 

"While it is not perfect, I believe the new agreement will open new ma 

rkets for agricultural and other products in our state, creating new opportuniti 

es for Nebraska workers and businesses, and new jobs in export industries," Kerr 

ey said. 




SOUR[Colfax Co.Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Annual City Awards Dinner Held 

TEXT[The Third Annual Employee Achievement and Awards Banquet was held Sunday, N 

ovember 27, 1994 at 6:00p.m. at the Clarkson City Hall. 

Featured speakers were U.S Senator J.J. Exon, Lt. Gov. Kim Robak 

and Nebraska Senator Curt Bromm. 

Lt. Gov. Robak presented to the group the importance of home town 

family life in the small communities. 

Senator Exon elaborated on Lt. Gov. Robak's speech of how importa 

nt it is for our young generation to continue helping the small communities, suc 

h as Clarkson in all facts of life. 

He stressed to all that family values begin at home and continue 

through to the schools, churches and the work force. 

Senator Curt Bromm thanked the City Council for inviting him to t 

his banquet and commented how valuable this town is to the State of Nebraska. He 

is pleased to associate himself with the many fine individuals and businesses i 

n the town of Clarkson. 

Senator J.J. Exon and Mayor Donald J. Evans closed the program wi 

th the presentation of many plaques and certificates. 

One of the plaques presented was to the Clarkson Trail Riders for 

their outstanding work at the Clarkson rodeo grounds and the new addition of a 

concession stand, lavatory facilities and additional seating at no expense to th

e City of Clarkson. This effort is proof what a small group of young individual 

s can accomplish. 

Ronald Vavrina and Harlan Hamernik were cited for their tireless 

efforts in promoting the Clarkson Fire Department, the Czech Festival and the Al 

l- City Arboretum. 

Robert Brabec, Czech Queen Pageant Coordinator, was presented a p 

laque for his efforts of establishing Clarkson to host the Nebraska Czech Queen 

Pageant. 

Those not present to receive their plaques were as follows: Johns 

on, Erickson, O'Brien, City Engineers; Deb Nadrchal, City Librarian and Barbara 

Vavrina Executive Secretary for the Clarkson Housing Authority. 

More photos of the banquet and information in the next issue of The Co 

lfax County Press. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Trade pact faces tougher go in Senate 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The House, brushing off critics who protested the legitim 

acy of a vote by a lame-duck Congress, passed a sweeping world trade agreement T 

uesday. President Clinton hailed it as a "historic vote for American workers, fa 

rmers and families." 

The House voted 288-146 for the rewrite of the General Agreement on Ta 

riffs and Trade, sending the measure to the Senate, where supporters were still 

searching for the votes needed for passage. 

The bipartisan vote included 167 Democrats and 121 Republicans in favo 

r of the accord and 89 Democrats, 56 Republicans and one independent opposed to 

it. There is one vacancy in the 435-member House. 

The four hours of debate were brought to a close by House Speaker Thom 

as Foley, who in his final speech in the chamber where he had served for 30 year 

s urged his colleagues to pass the measure. 

"It is impossible to imagine a single act of this Congress that can do 

more to contribute to our economic growth," said Foley, who was defeated in the 

November elections in a Republican sweep that gave control of both the House an 

d the Senate to the GOP for the first time in 40 years. 

The administration had been hoping for a large margin of victory in th 

e House to provide momentum for the Senate, where the measure faces stiffer oppo 

sition. 

"The eyes of the world are now on the United States Senate," Clinton s 

aid in a statement. "I can call on the Senate to pass GATT with the same strong, 

bipartisan support as it received in the House of Representatives." 

In the Senate, supporters will need 60 votes Thursday on a key procedu 

ral motion. 

An Associated Press head count found 47 senators either supporting the 

agreement or leaning toward approval. An additional 21 senators were opposed or 

leaning toward voting no, and 32 were still undeclared. 

The GATT accord would cut tariffs by 38 percent worldwide, expand the

ules of world trade to new areas such as agriculture and services and create a 

new, more powerful World Trade Organization to referee disputes. 

The administration estimated that the reduced tariffs equate to a $744 

billion global tax cut over a decade. For Americans, it would represent a $70 b 

illion cut in border taxes on imported goods and services over 10 years. 

Foley and other supporters argued that a defeat of the trade agreement 

would be disastrous for America's standing in the world. But opponents pleaded 

with equal fervor that the 124-nation GATT accord was too complex to be settled 

"on the 11th hour" by many lawmakers who had been voted out of office. 

The 142-vote margin of passage represented a victory for President Cli 

nton, who had worked the telephones throughout the day talking to undecided lawm 

akers. 

It was the first post-election test of whether the White House and Rep 

ublicans who will control Capitol Hill come January could work together. 

Clinton said the House vote "demonstrates to the American people that 

Democrats and Republicans can work together in the national interest." 

Supporters said the trade agreement, which took seven years to negotia 

te, would mean lower prices for U.S. consumers on everything from computer chips 

to potato chips, and would aid American companies and farmers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska's congressmen vote with majority 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - All three members of Nebraska's House delegation voted Tuesd 

ay to approve a world trade treaty aimed at reducing global tariffs and boosting 

international trade, sending the measure on to the U.S. Senate. 


and supported the 124-nation General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Rep. Peter 

Hoagland, D-Neb., has long supported the treaty. 





The House approved the agreement 288-146. 



of the GATT. The measure also drew the endorsement of Nebraska Farm Bureau Fede 

ration. 

"Did we get everything we wanted? Of course not," Hoagland said. "But 

we opened the barn door a mile wide, and future negotiations can open it many mo 

re miles..." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., earlier Tuesday said he would vote for GATT, 

expected to come before the Senate on Thursday. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he r 

emained undecided on the treaty. 

The expansion of American markets under GATT will outweigh the weaknes 

ses in the agreement, Kerrey said. He said Nebraska agriculture would benefit fr

om the treaty. 

"We have a competitive advantage in agriculture now," Kerrey said. "I 

think it's a tremendous boost to American agriculture." 




nd GATT provides...balance, have an agreement that will result in the largest ta 

x decrease in our history." 

Bereuter said some critics of the treaty had used inflammatory and ina 

ccurate rhetoric in attacking it. 

Bereuter called GATT "the single most important step we can take to st 

imulate the economy of this country." 

"There is absolutely no justification for a Nebraska House member or s 

enator to vote against this," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GATT Wins All Votes of Delegation 

TEXT[Washington - House members from Nebraska and western Iowa left no doubt Tue 

sday that they favored the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and 

Trade. 

"This historic trade accord will instantly benefit all U.S. exporters and c 

onsumers by reducing tariffs by one-third," said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. 

"Approval of GATT is the single most important step we can take to stimulat 

e the economy of this country," Bereuter said. "There is absolutely no justifica 

tion for a Nebraska House member or senator to vote against this." 

The House voted 288-146 for GATT Tuesday. 

A vote on the agreement is scheduled Thursday in the Senate, where Sens. Bo 

b Kerrey, D-Neb., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, have announced their support. Se 

ns. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa have said they are undecided. 

Bereuter said the tariff reductions required by GATT will translate into pr 

ice reductions of $11.9 billion on foreign products purchased by U.S. consumers 

over the next five years. 

He said lowering international trade barriers as required by the agreement 

will mean Nebraska grain and livestock producers could increase their export sal 

es by as much as $6.5 billion over 10 years. 

Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., said GATT is forward-looking, particularly in 

areas where the United States is strong. 

"Its outlook is even stronger m areas important to Omaha, such as informati 

on-processing, efficient agriculture and some financial services," he said. 

Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, said the agreement will reduce nontariff barriers, 

including quotas that have closed a number of foreign markets to U.S. farm prod 

ucts. 

Smith said his major concern was that GATT could be used as an argument to 

reduce government spending on farm programs. 

"They will use it as an excuse," Smith said. "They will argue we have GATT

so we don't need to spend money on farm programs. I don't care what the price is 

, you still need stable supplies if you are going to be a world supplier of farm 

products. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said the expansion of U.S. trade with Mexico und 

er the North American Free Trade Agreement has demonstrated the value of reducin 

g barriers to exports and imports. 

Barrett said that since NAFTA was approved last year, Mexican demand for U. 

S. farm products have made Nebraska one of the fastest-growing export states in 

the country. 

"Our exports in Nebraska have grown 429 percent since 1987," he said. "I th 

ink GATT is just going to continue that trend." 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa, said the agreement was particularly import 

ant to increasing U.S. trade with the European Union and Japan "where the rules 

have been stacked against us." 

Lightfoot said he expected the agreement to lead to higher-paying jobs in t 

he United States and increased farm income. 

"Even though the agreement requires some farm programs to be cut, main-stre 

am farm organizations support GATT as an extraordinary opportunity to increase e 

xports," Lightfoot said. 

Barrett and Bereuter said they rejected arguments that GATT would require t 

he United States to change its laws. 

"There is nothing in GATT that will force a change in any federal, state or 

local laws," Barrett said. "Many of those opposed to GATT are afraid - afraid o 

f challenges to U.S. laws and basically afraid of change." 

Bereuter, in a House speech, denounced "a hodgepodge of critics from the fa 

r left and far right, including opportunists like Patrick Buchanan, Ralph Nader, 

Jesse Jackson and others who seek to divide this bipartisan support for expande 

d trade." 

The critics, Bereuter said, were "trying to arouse America's most basic fea 

rs" with false arguments that U.S. laws could be changed by the World Trade Orga 

nization created by the agreement. 

Rep. Fred Grandy, R-Iowa, also voted for the accord. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon last state holdout on GATT 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon remained the only Nebraska congressmen wh 

o hadn't made up his mind on a world trade treaty that has received the blessing 

of all three Nebraska House members. 

The House approved the agreement 288-146 Tuesday night, sending the measure 

to the Senate for a vote expected Thursday. Sen. Bob Kerrey has said he will vo 

te to pass the agreement aimed at reducing global tariffs and boosting internati 

onal trade. 


and supported the 124 nation General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Rep. Peter

Hoagland, a Democrat like Kerrey and Exon, has long supported the treaty. 

The GATT accord would cut tariffs by 38 percent worldwide, expand the 

rules of world trade to agriculture and services and create a new, more powerful 

World Trade Organization to referee disputes. 

The Clinton administration estimated that the reduced tariffs equate t 

o a $744 billion global tax cut over a decade. For Americans, it would represent 

a $36 billion cut in border taxes on imported goods and services over 10 years. 




SOUR[Scottsbluff Star-herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Barrett support GATT 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., joined the state's three-membe 

r House delegation Tuesday in endorsing a treaty aimed at a global reduction of 

tariffs and more international trade. 

U.S. Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett, both Republicans, defended and 

supported the 124-nation General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Rep. Peter Hoag 

land, D-Neb., has long supported the treaty. The treaty won approval Tuesday fro 

m the House by a margin of 142 votes. The Senate was scheduled to vote on the tr 

eaty Thursday. 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he remained undecided on the treaty. 

The expansion of American markets under GATT will outweigh the weaknesses i 

n the agreement, Kerrey said. 

"We have a competitive advantage in agriculture now," Kerrey said. "I think 

it's a tremendous boost to American agriculture." 

Kerrey said he was convinced treaty provisions cited by critics didn't repr 

esent genuine threats to U.S. interests. 

"We have wanted teeth in enforcement provisions" of trade agreements and GA 

TT provides them, Kerrey said. "I still think it benefits us. I just think that 

we, on balance, have an agreement that will result in the largest tax decrease i 

n our history." 

President Clinton has said the reduction of tariffs, which are border taxes 

imposed to put foreign goods at a competitive disadvantage, represents the bigg 

est tax cut in history - worth $744 billion globally. 



ir barriers to trade. 

The GATT treaty doesn't give America power to veto an adverse decision 

by the World Trade Organization in such cases. 

Kerrey called the issue a "red herring" because the same provisions ca 

n protect American interests. 

He also noted the U.S. has other options that could include pulling ou 

t of GATT with six months notice. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators reply to burning issue 

TEXT[Pearl Vasina recently received replies from Nebraska's Senators in Washingt 

on DC after writing them, on behalf of the Morse Bluff American Legion Auxiliary 

, in support of legislation prohibiting the burning of American flags. 

A letter from Senator Bob Kerrey said he would keep her views in mind "if t 

he Congress revisits the flag burning issue." Senator J.James Exon said he has c 

osponsored legislation "that would begin the process of amending the Constitutio 

n to allow states and federal government to pass laws prohibiting the desecratio 

n of our flag." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Task Force support GATT 

TEXT[The Governmental Affairs Task Force of the Lexington Area Chamber of Commer 

ce voted unanimously Monday morning to support the GATT Bill that is scheduled f 

or a vote in Congress this week. 

"Basically, the committee decided that adoption of the GATT Bill would help 

our local economy," said Bob Cappel, the chamber's executive director. "It is b 

elieved that GATT will benefit the agricultural community." 

The task force will send letters to Sens. Bob Kerrey and James Exon, 3rd Di 

st. Rep. Bill Barrett, and others who could influence passage of the bill, accor 

ding to Cappel. The bill is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives 

today. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon gets attention in big GATT push 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - With House approval of a sweeping world trade accord behind it 

, the Clinton administration today focused on seeking support for the pact from 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., and others in the Senate still undeclared on the vote loo 

ming there. 

The House concluded four hours of sometimes impassioned, sometimes perfunct 

ory debate Tuesday by voting 288-146 to ratify a vast expansion of the General A 

greement on Tariffs and Trade, also known as GATT. 

"This vote demonstrates to the American people that Democrats and Republica 

ns can work together in the national interest," President Clinton said afterward 

.

Favoring the accord were 167 Democrats and 121 Republicans. Opposed were 89 

Democrats, 56 Republicans and one independent. 

The accord will reduce tariffs by 38 percent worldwide, extend the rul 

es of world trade to agriculture, provide greater protection for U.S. patents an 

d trademarks, and create a new, more powerful World Trade Organization to refere 

e trade disputes. 

The agreement will cut taxes paid by American consumers on imported goods b 

y $70 billion over 10 years, the Clinton administration said. 

"The eyes of the world are now on the United States Senate," Clinton declar 

ed. 

In that upper chamber of Congress, Exon was among the senators being courte 

d even as the debate got under way there. Exon is a member of the Senate Commerc 

e Committee that held extensive hearings on the trade pact, but despite that rev 

iew remains among the handful of undecided votes. Sen. Bob Kerrey, his Democrati 

c colleague from Nebraska, decided Tuesday to support GATT. 

Under fast-track rules for considering trade agreements, no amendments will 

be permitted to the ratifying legislation. But Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., vowed 

to challenge the bill under the Senate's budget rules. Sixty senators must vote 

to waive them, making each undeclared senator's vote crucial. 

Byrd said the bill falls $14.5 billion short in offsetting the $43 billion 

in tariff revenues expected to be lost in the first decade after GATT takes effe 

ct. Supporters contend economic growth stimulated by the accord will raise far m 

ore money for the government than it will cost. 

An Associated Press survey found 47 senators either supporting the agreemen 

t or leaning toward approval. An additional 21 senators were opposed or leaning 

toward voting no, and 32 were still undeclared. According to other vote counts, 

the administration has between 54 and 56 votes. 

Exon said he is not holding out for something in exchange for his vote. "Yo 

u know I don't play that game," he said this morning. 

The Nebraska Democrat took the Senate floor minutes after debate got under 

way to complain no time was being set aside for senators who have not made up th 

eir minds and want to ask questions. 

Exon said that based on letters and calls he has received, his constituents 

appear to be evenly split on the issue. 

His concerns, he said, are with methods the World Trade Organization will u 

se in handling trade disputes. 

Byrd's central objection involves his outright fear that the new World Trad 

e Organization will run roughshod over U.S. sovereignty in the process. 




SOUR[sioux City Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska delegation backs GATT 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - All three members of Nebraska's House delegation voted 

Tuesday to approve a world trade treaty aimed at reducing global tariffs and bo 

osting international trade, sending the measure on to the U.S. Senate. 

Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley intends to vote in favor of

a new international trade deal later this week, aides said. Democratic Sen. Tom 

Harkin has yet to decide, but will announce his position by Wednesday, aides sa 

id. Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey will support the treaty. Sen. James Exon is undecid 

ed. 

The Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on the new agreement under th 

e General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and the vote is considered close. 

U.S. Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett, both Nebraska Republicans, 

defended and supported the 124-nation General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. Re 

p. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., has long supported the treaty. 





The House approved the agreement 288-146. 



of the GATT. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., earlier Tuesday said he would vote for GATT. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he remained undecided on the treaty. 

The expansion of American markets under GATT will outweigh the weaknes 

ses in the agreement, Kerrey said. He said Nebraska agriculture would benefit fr 

om the treaty. 




nd GATT provides them, Kerrey said. "I still think it benefits us. I just think 

that we, on balance, have an agreement that will result in the largest tax decr 

ease in our history. 



ir barriers to trade. The GATT treaty doesn't give American power to veto an adv 

erse decision by the World trade Organization. 

Kerrey called the issue a "red herring" because the sam e provisions can pr 

otect American interests. He also noted the U.S. has other options that could i 

ncluded pulling out of GATT with six months notice. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Morgan Says Daub Will Get His Vote 

TEXT[P.J. Morgan said Tuesday that he plans to vote for Hal Daub to succeed him 

as mayor of Omaha. But Morgan said he doesn't intend to formally endorse Daub. 

Morgan, who left office Sept. 20 to become president of Duncan Aviation Co. 

in Lincoln, said Daub is a better candidate than his opponent, City Councilwoma 

n Brenda Council, because of his political and accounting background, his toughon-crime 

stance and his ideas-about economic development. 

Morgan said Daub also benefits from his time away from political office.

"Hal has left politics for a time... I think that's healthy," Morgan said f 

rom his office in Lincoln. I think he has a strong commitment and I'm not sayin 

g Brenda doesn't, but having left, I think he really has a strong background." 

Daub was elected to Congress in 1980 and served four terms. He chose not to 

run for re-election in 1988 and unsuccessfully challenged Sen. David Karnes for 

the GOP Senate nomination. Daub won the Republican Senate nomination in 1990 bu 

t lost the general election to Democratic Sen. J.J. Exon. 

Morgan, who lives in Omaha, was 11/2 years into his second term when he res 

igned as mayor. City Council President Subby Anzaldo is interim mayor. 

Morgan said he didn't want to "get involved in the race" by making a formal 

endorsement. 

"I really think it's up to each voter to exercise the right to vote and mak 

e his own judgment," he said. 

Morgan said Omaha police officers appreciate Daub's "real tough approach" t 

o crime. 

"I think that there's a real need to give our officers the strong backing.. 

. It's important to have prevention programs, but I also think you need the carr 

ot-and-stick approach. And I think there's a real need for toughness. 

Daub has been endorsed by the Omaha Police Union. Throughout the campaign h 

e has described himself as the candidate who, as mayor, would get tough on crimi 

nals, favoring harsher sentences and the death penalty. Ms. Council has criticiz 

ed him for bringing the death penalty into the mayor's race. 

"I'm not certain the death penalty really belongs in the race," Morgan said 

. "At the same time, you have an ability (as mayor) to go down to the Legislatur 

e on certain issues. You are the representative of the largest city in the state 

, and I'm certain with some state senators there's a feeling of where the mayor 

of Omaha stands in formulating their decisions." 

Morgan said Daub's ideas about economic development also are a plus. Daub, 

who recently resigned from the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, has said he wo 

uld provide incentives to new businesses considering locating in Omaha. 

Morgan said Daub's time away from political office should have given him a 

healthier perspective. 

"Sometimes politicians on a national and local level start to think that th 

ey own it, that it belongs to them. And I think that when you move away from it 

into the private sector you have a better picture of who you are," he said. 

Morgan said former Douglas County Commissioner Mike Albert developed such a 

proprietary attitude. Albert resigned his seat after pleading guilty in August 

to mail fraud. 

"I think Mike Albert contributed a lot of good in the community. But I thin 

k serving 20-some years on the County Board was really harmful to a lot of what 

happened to Mike - familywise, businesswise. You get a lot of time, which he did 

, you start to think in some ways you own it." 




SOUR[Osmond Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Student Council lock-in educational and fun

TEXT[Four members of the OHS Student council attended the Nebraska State Student 

Council convention held at Lincoln High School on Nov. 18 and 19. Students atte 

nding were Michelle Kumm, Darbi Jones, Nicole Gudenkauf and Michelle Lemke. The 

event was held as a "lock-in" from 4 p.m. on Friday to 10 a.m. on Saturday. Ther 

e were 1,600 students from all areas of Nebraska involved. 

The theme for this year's convention was "One Palette, Many Colors." A 

ccording to one Lincoln High student, this theme means "that each one of us has 

a special color inside of us that makes us special, unique and important. As hum 

an beings, we must come together, respect each other's colors, learn to work tog 

ether, and love each other." This theme was reinforced throughout the convention 

by a variety of speakers and events. 

Four main speakers were a part of the event: Senator James Exon; David 

Parker, a communications expert; Jessie Miles, the featured speaker; Earl Reum, 

known as "Mr. Student Council, and Jim Wand, a "Master of the Mind." 

With such a large crowd, the students had to eat in shifts. During sup 

per, which consisted of all the pizza one could eat, one shift went to supper, o 

ne group was entertained by comedian Kevin Mattran and the third was entertained 

by a band, "Baby Jason and the Spankers." Each group cycled through all three. 

The formal series of events also included district meetings, "breakout 

discussion groups" led by a variety of speakers in small group situations, cand 

idate speeches, awards presentations, student speakers, voting delegate meetings 

, etc. 

Students also had the opportunity to attend any of 13 different movies 

, from "Speed" to "Aladdin" to "The Breakfast Club" to "West Side Story" to "Mrs 

. Doubtfire," etc. They also had the option to attend an all-night dance by Mr. 

Tunes, and they had an opportunity to take part in a bingo marathon, a twister t 

ournament or ping-pong play, or even sleep. 

A midnight snack consisted of all the hamburgers they could eat. In the mor 

ning, they were served a continental breakfast. 

OHS students in attendance said this was an interesting and educational exp 

erience - as well as a lot of fun. They are looking forward to next year's conve 

ntion. 



AUTH[Ann Harrell 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Poll Finds Nebraskans Choosy About Democrats 

TEXT[President Bill Clinton isn't very popular in Nebraska, but fellow Democrat 

Sen. Jim Exon is well thought of by his constituents, poll results show. 

The telephone poll of 800 registered voters, conducted Oct. 18-23 for the L 

incoln Journal, the Lincoln Star and KMTV, Channel 3 in Omaha, showed only 30.6 

percent of Nebraskans approve of Clinton's job performance while 53.8 percent th 

ink Exon is doing a good job. 

More than half of those polled - 57.5 percent - disapproved of Clinton, and 

11.3 percent were undecided. 

For Exon, traditionally a popular politician with Nebraskans, 18.3 percent 

disapproved of his performance and 22.5 percent were undecided. 

The polling was done by National Research Corp. of Lincoln. The margin of e 

rror is plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Men, voters 35 to 54 years of age and rural Nebraskans were particularly ha 

rd on Clinton, with disapproval ratings ranging to 63.8 percent among voters age 

45-54. 

Among Omahans, 34.2 percent approved of how the president is doing his job 

but 56.4 percent disapproved. In Lincoln, the evaluation was nearly split, with 

42.5 percent registering approval and 43.7 percent disapproval. 

Support for Clinton divided along political party lines. Half the Democrats 

, 50.5 percent, approved of his job performance while 32.6 percent disapproved. 

Among Republicans, only 13.7 percent approved and 79.1 percent disapproved. Abo 

ut one-third of independents approved and 51.9 percent disapproved. 

Generally speaking, as the average incomes of those polled increased, so di 

d Clinton's disapproval rating. 

Clinton fared best in Nebraska's 1st Congressional District and worst in th 

e largely rural 3rd District. In the area around Lincoln, Clinton's performance 

won 35.1 percent approval and disappointed 50.2 percent. In the 3rd District, 24 

.5 percent of those polled approved of how the president is doing his job and 64 

.4 percent disapproved. 

Exon did particularly well among voters 45-64 years of age, but nearly onethird 

of voters under age 34 - 29.1 percent - had no opinion. 

Voters who support Sen. Bob Kerrey were more likely to approve of fellow De 

mocrat Exon's performance than those who said they support Republican Jan Stoney 

, Kerrey's challenger in Tuesday's election. 

In the 1st Congressional District, 63.1 percent of voters polled approved o 

f Exon's job performance and 13.3 percent disapproved. In the 2nd District, the 

numbers were 54.5 percent approval and 20.1 percent disapproval; in the 3rd Dist 

rict, 58.6 percent approved and 21.5 percent disapproved. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Praises USDA Action 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon has praised the USDA's announcement that the 1995 cro 

p insurance market price election for wheat would be raised from $3.15 to $3.35. 


to making crop insurance work," Exon said. "Everyone will be better served by a 

crop insurance program that makes sense financially," Exon added. 

The increase is intended to make insurance policies for winter wheat more c 

losely match price projections for the 1995 crop. Winter wheat producers have un 

til October 31st to buy higher levels of insurance. 





BK#[

HDLN[Urwiller Blasts Legislation 

TEXT[Public Service Commission Daniel Urwiller of Kearney recently criticized Co 

ngress and Preside Clinton for passing and signing in law last August federal le 

gislation which preempts state regulation intrastate freight transportation effe 

ctive January l, 1995. 

The Senate succeeded in attaching a midnight amendment as a ride to an airp 

ort funding authorization bill which would have deregulate intermodal all cargo 

air carriers, and air freight forwarders. This amendment was adopted on a voice 

vote near midnight. Neither Senator Exon nor Kerrey's offices could confirm tha 

t either senator was present and voting when this amendment was offered on the S 

en at floor. 

When this legislation came before the House and Senate Conference Committee 

, it was further broadened to include all intrastate motor carriers of property 

under the umbrella of deregulation. Senator Exon was one of the conferees. The d 

eregulation amendment sailed through passage in both houses of Congress, tacked 

on to a aviation appropriations bill. 

Urwiller noted that state regulation of the rates, routes, and services of 

motor carriers was implemented by the state legislatures to protect rural areas. 

"In yielding to the special interest politics of few large carriers, our leader 

s in Washington have written the death warrant for many small carriers which wil 

l be unable to compete. Worse still, this action will increase rates and decreas 

e or eliminate service altogether in rural areas, except along the 1-80 corridor 

. One has only to examine what the deregulation of buses, trains, and airplanes 

has done to rural Nebraska to see the potential effect of intrastate motor carri 

er deregulation," Urwiller said. 

Urwiller was critical of both the substance of the amendment and the proces 

s by which it was adopted. "The process by which this legislation was adopted is 

a prime example of why Americans have become so cynical about the way Congress 

does business," Urwiller said. "Intrastate trucking regulation is a major state 

economical issue which should be considered on its own merits with full and fair 

hearings and input from the public before Congressional committees. To take awa 

y the states' right to regulate trucking within their own borders by sneaking an 

amendment through on an unrelated airport bill is bad government, and contrary 

to the democratic process." 





BK#[ 


TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (center) recently received the 1994 Legislative visio 

nary Award from the National Association for the Self-Employed in recognition of 

Exon's efforts in Congress on behalf of the nation's small businesses. Picture 

d with Exon are Julia Whitt, Director of Government Relations for the NASE and B 

enson Goldstein Legislative and Tax Consultant for the Washington, D.C.-based or 

ganization (photo courtesy of N.E.S.A.) 

U.S. Senator J. James Exon (D-Neb.) received the 1994 Legislative Visionary



nesses. 


legislation that addressed a critical issue to many self- employed individuals. 

Exon's legislation, which gathered 15 bipartisan cosponsors, would restore he h 


1993 Supreme Court decision effectively removed the deduction for tens of thous 

ands of home-based businesses. 

NASE President Bennie L. Thayer presented the award stating, "This award sy 


es our nation's economy. You have proven you are a true friend of small busines 

s by supporting legislation that will assist the upward trend in small business 

growth and creation." 


including U.S. Representative Peter Hoagland, also of Nebraska. 

The NASE is a small business trade association, representing over 300,000 s 

elf-employed individuals nationwide. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Some Crops Remain in Field as Elevators run Out of Room 

TEXT[A few farmers still haven't harvested their crops, but don't call them stra 

gglers - there just isn't room. 

Even the multimillion-bushel terminals in Lincoln are clogged, with many ta 

king corn, milo or soybeans on contract only. The jam spreads all down the line. 

Johnson farmer Kathy Boellstorff still has some milo in the ground because 

local elevators at times have been barely able to keep ahead of the record suppl 

y of corn, milo and soybeans this fall. 

She said she's not, comforted by reports of snow in the western half of the 

state, even though there are no similar forecasts for the east. Overall, the we 

ather has made for a speedy, if chaotic, harvest. 


Sorghum Board. Pretty soon, she added, she is going to have to bite the bullet 

and wait in a line to dump her grain when the busy elevator can find some room 

for more. 

MARILYN CLARK of Clark Grain Co. in Johnson said the elevator tries to make 

some room each day by hauling away what it can. But the last four to five days 

have been busier. 


have not received railcars promised to them by the Union Pacific said Mel Holsi 

ng, who owns the elevator. Without railcars, the elevator can't move grain along 

. 

"The UP is doing a very poor job" Holsing said. "It just brings a business 

to a halt." 

Union Pacific spokesman Ed Trandahl in Omaha said that while their records

don't reflect a missed delivery to Hallam, a mixup is possible. Trandahl added t 

hat Holsing should see five of the 10 cars he ordered for November as early as F 

riday. 

Trandahl said the railroad expects the supply of grain cars to be tight "at 

least through the end of the year." 

This year's supply of rail cars in the Midwest has been tightened some what 


Sen. Jim Exon, who chairs the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee, i 

s looking to Mexico to help solve the grain car shortage. In a Nov. 1 letter to 

Mexican Ambassador Jorge Montano, the senator from Nebraska noted that some Mexi 

can regulations are keeping U.S. cars south of the border longer than they can b 

e spared. 

MEXICO REQUIRES that U.S. grain for animal feed be dyed green, Exon noted, 

making the cars unusable until they can be cleaned. 

Trandahl added that other problems in Mexico have sapped the rail car suppl 

y. "There was a dramatic slowdown in Mexico in October," he said. 

For this harvest UP has added about 1,000 new, higher capacity cars in the 

Nebraska area, Trandahl said. But, he added, cars seem scarce at any year's harv 

est time. 

So does space. 

In Valparaiso, about 110,000 bushels of corn are on the round or in tempora 

ry storage, said Mike Masek, manager of D & D Elevator Inc. Masek began refusing 

corn Thursday for the first time this year. 

With Lincoln terminals filling up, "we're pretty limited as far as what we 

can do." 

AGP Grain Cooperative in Lincoln is still open to milo, but is only taking 

corn and soybeans on contract, said merchandiser Mary Hanke. The elevator was s 

hut down most of this week due to a mechanical breakdown but is expected to reo 

pen Friday. 

Although the harvest logjam could be worse, Hanke said, "we've had our peop 

le working around the clock." 



AUTH[John 

SOUR[Beaver City Times-Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[As the Crow Flies 

TEXT[I think all of us are probably looking forward to the election. We will kno 

w who won and most of all we won't have to listen to any more campaign commercia 

ls. 

It wouldn't be quite as bad if some of them weren't so negative; the Bob Ke 

rrey, Jan Stoney contest in particular. There is probably some truth in what the 

y both say. Sometimes the whole truth is not as bad as half the truth. However, 

there are other things that worry me. 

The Omaha World-Herald reported on October 15th that Bob Kerrey is the fi 

rst candidate in Nebraska to top $4 million in campaign contributions. Jan Stone 

y had raised a little over one million at that time. Jim Exon only spent $843,00 

on his last election.

As much as 80% of Kerrey's contributions come from out of state, mostly New 

York liberals and the Hollywood crowd according to Carl T. Cuftis, retired U. S 

. senator. I'm sure those out-of-staters will expect something from Kerrey in re 

turn. It seems logical that casting a vote favorable to the out-of-staters or th 

e people of Nebraska, we will lose. You have to remember that he is a career pol 

itician and will need money for re-election in six more years. 

I don't think his voting record reflects the wishes of most Nebraskans. He 

voted against term limits, campaign contribution reform and the balanced budget 

for a few. He voted for the biggest tax increase in history and votes with Clint 

on over 90 percent of the time. 

It seems to me that Kerrey is a good example of why we need term limits. If 

politicians were not concerned with getting re-elected time after time, they mi 

ght take more interest in what would be best for the people they represent inste 

ad of how to cultivate campaign contributions for the next election. 

Don't waste your vote by failing to vote. 

john 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Poll Shows Exon has a 59% Approval Rating 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon gained 59 percent approval for the way he is doing his job in 

a statewide poll of 800 registered voters. 

Eighteen percent of the respondents in the poll conducted for The Lincoln S 

tar, the Lincoln Journal and Omaha television station KMTV said they disapprove 

of the way Exon is performing as senator. 

Twenty-two percent expressed no opinion. 

Exon, whose Senate term expires in two years, won his strongest approval ra 

ting in eastern Nebraska's 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln. 

His weakest approval rating was in metropolitan Omaha's 2nd District. 

The figures by congressional district: 

þ1st District: 63 percent approval, 13 percent disapproval. 

þ2nd District: 54 percent approval, 20 percent disapproval. 

þ3rd District (western and central Nebraska): 59 percentapproval, 21 percen 

t disapproval. 

Half of the registered Republicans, just over 50 percent, approved of the w 

ay the Democratic senator is doing his job. Twenty-five percent disapproved. 

Among Democrats, Exon received a 71 percent approval rating while 10 percen 

t disapproved. 

Sixty-nine percent of the respondents who said they expect to vote for Demo 

cratic Sen. Bob Kerrey this year said they approved of Exon's job performance. 

Forty-five percent of the respondents who plan to vote for this year's Repu 

blican senatorial nominee, Jan Stoney, gave Exon's job performance their approva 

l. 

Within Lincoln, Exon received 62 percent approval and 14 percent disapprova 

l from respondents. 

The telephone poll was conducted by National Research Corporation of Lincol

n during a six day period ending on Oct. 23. It has a margin of error of 3.46 pe 

rcent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[More Than Half Disapprove of Clinton 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - More than half of the Nebraska responding in a poll publishe 

d Thursday disapproved of President Clinton's job performance. 

Clinton received unfavorable ratings from 57.5 percent of those in the poll 

for the Lincoln Journal, The Lincoln Star and Omaha television station KMTV. On 

ly 30.6 percent approved of Clinton's performance and 11.3 percent were undecide 

d. 

Democratic Sen. Jim Exon fared much better. 

In the telephone poll conducted Oct. 18 to 23, 53.8 percent approved of the 

job Exon was doing, 18.3 percent disapproved and 22.5 percent were undecided. 

The poll of 800 registered voters was done by National Research Corp. of Li 

ncoln and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. 

Clinton's support was weaker among men, voters ages 35 to 54 and rural Nebr 

askans. About six out of 10 voters ages 45 to 54 - 63.8 percent - disapproved of 

Clinton's performance. 

More than half of the Omaha respondents- 56.4 percent, gave Clinton disappr 

oval ratings and 34.2 percent approved of the job he was doing. Lincoln responde 

nts were nearly split: 42.5 percent approved and 43.7 percent disapproved. 

More than half of the independents surveyed (51.9 percent) disapproved of C 

linton's job performance while about one-third of the independents rated the pre 

sident favorably. 

About half of the Democrats (50.5 percent) approved of Clinton's job perfor 

mance and nearly a third (32.6 percent) disapproved. Among Republicans, only 13. 

7 percent approved and 79.1 percent disapproved. 

Clinton's disapproval rating generally rose among respondents with higher a 

verage incomes. 

Less than one-quarter, 24.5 percent, of those polled in the 3rd Congression 

al District in the western two-thirds of the state approved of Clinton's job per 

formance. Slightly more than 64.4 percent in that district disapproved. 

By contrast, Exon received approval ratings from 58.6 percent of the respon 

dents in the 3rd District, where 21.5 percent disapproved of his job performance 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Poll: More Than Half of Nebraskans Disapprove of Clinton

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) Two polls found that a majority of Nebraskans surveyed disappr 

ove of President Clinton's job performance. 

In an Omaha World-Herald poll published today, 59 percent of 1,011 Nebraska 

voters said they disapproved of Clinton's performance, 35 percent said they app 

roved and 6 percent had no opinion. 

The poll was conducted Oct. 26-28 by the Gallup Organization. The margin of 

error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. 

In a September World-Herald poll, 61 percent disapproved, 31 percent approv 

ed and 8 percent had no opinion. 

Participants in the latest poll also were asked their opinion on Clinton's 

handling of the economy and foreign affairs. On the economy, 58 percent disappro 

ved of his performance, 36 percent approved and 6 percent had no opinion. On for 

eign affairs, 53 percent disapproved, 41 percent approved and 6 percent had no o 

pinion. 

Clinton's approval rating was lower among college graduates - 33 percent - 

than among people with no education beyond high school 41 percent. 

Sixty-two percent of Democrats and 17 percent of Republicans said they appr 

oved of Clinton's performance. 

His approval rating was highest among people in the lowest income bracket o 

f those surveyed. Of those who make less than $20,000 a year, 46 percent said th 

ey approved of Clinton, compared with 35 percent of those who make $20,000 to $5 

0,000 and 30 percent of people who make more than $50.000. 

Clinton received unfavorable ratings from 57.5 percent of those in the poll 

for the Lincoln Journal, The Lincoln Star and Omaha television station KMTV. On 

ly 30.6 percent approved of Clinton's performance and 11.3 percent were undecide 

d. 

Democratic Sen. Jim Exon fared much better. 

In the telephone poll conducted Oct. 18-23, 58.8 percent approved of the jo 

b Exon was doing, 18.3 percent disapproved and 22.5 percent were undecided. 

The poll of 800 registered voters was done by National Research Corp. of Li 

ncoln and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The poll 

was published Thursday. 

Clinton's support was weaker among men voters aged 35-54 and rural Nebraska 

ns About six out of 10 voters aged 45-54 - 63 percent - disapproved of Clinton's 

performance. 



AUTH[T.L.Henion 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Campaign Watchers: Nastiness Unrivaled 

TEXT[The 1994 election may be remembered as the year that candidates in the Midl 

ands pushed the needle off the nasty meter. 

From the U.S. Senate race between Bob Kerrey and Jan Stoney to the attacks 

between congressional candidates Peter Hoagland and Jon Christensen to skirmishe 

s in legislative races, the preferred method of campaigning appears to be all-ou 

t assaults on the opponent's character, honesty and integrity. 

Candidates have said they don't like using those tactics. The public, too,

has indicated it frowns on such campaign strategy. 

Yet it continues. 

Why? Because it works, say the experts. 

"You never do anything in this business if it isn't effective." said Bill L 

ee of Omaha, a political consultant to three candidates - two Republicans and on 

e Democrat - during this election year. 

"l can't recall a year where there have been more personal attacks between 

candidates. There have been more allegations and false representations than I've 

ever seen," he said. 

A favorite tactic this year has been to label opponents as lying. 

Kent Kirwan, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska at 

Omaha, said much of the campaign vitriol can be attributed to frustration. 

"l think that voters are very frustrated by Congress in terms of expectatio 

ns," Kirwan said. "Congress is perceived as not solving our problems and as spen 

ding our money not to solve problems. So what you have, in that kind of climate, 

are incumbents who are extremely defensive." 

"Then you throw in political newcomers who sense that, and they go right fo 

r the jugular. Then, of course, the incumbent gets incensed and fights back, and 

before long you wind up where we are right now." 

Sen. J.J. Exon speaking at a recent Democratic Party rally in Omaha express 

ed concern about the growth in "attack" advertising by political campaigns. 

"We need to talk about the issues and ignore the negative attacks." he said 

. "I'd like to see Democratic and Republican leaders get together and form some 

kind of commission to monitor political advertising." 

Exon, who is not on the ballot this year said attack ads were "beginning to 

destroy confidence in government." 

Kirwan, a Democrat, said the tone of politics across the nation partly was 

to blame for the emphasis on personal attacks. 

"On the one hand - and I hesitate to use this term - is the so-called Chris 

tian right," he said. "On the other hand is the political left. What we have is 

a polarization of opinion, with each side having a very skewed view of the other 

side. Right now the political right is on the offensive, and the political left 

is in retreat." 

Kirwan said what results is "a crass volley of insults. People are really b 

eginning to worry about the lack of civility in political campaigns. Here in Neb 

raska, the Hoagland-Christensen race has been a perfect example of what I'm talk 

ing about. Their behavior during the campaign has been a disgrace to the state." 

The Wall Street Journal has labeled the Hoagland-Christensen race a "mud-sl 

ide." 

Lee said personal attacks often serve as a way for candidates to graphicall 

y point out the differences between themselves and their opponents. 

He said the sensationalism of a personal attack on an opponent often gets t 

he news media's attention and that, in return, brings more attention to the race 

and provides more opportunities for candidates to get across their messages. 

"The key to any campaign is to stress the differences between you and your 

opponent," Lee said. 

Kirwan said: "Negative campaigning is a necessary evil, to some extent, in 

any campaign. But this has been an extreme political year. It has been absolutel 

y appalling."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Intrastate Trucking Change Criticized 

TEXT[Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Daniel Urwiller of Kearney issued a st 

atement this week criticizing Congress and President Clinton for enacting federa 

l legislation which exempts intrastate trucking from state rate-setting authorit 

y. 

In his statement, Urwiller claimed that the exemption was amended onto an a 

irport-funding bill without taking account of the effect on small trucking compa 

nies or rural states such as Nebraska. 

Urwiller criticized Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.) for supporting the change as 

a member of a joint Senate-House conference committee. 

"In yielding to the special interest politics of a few large carriers, our 

leaders in Washington have written the death warrant for many small carriers whi 

ch will be unable to compete." he said. 

"Worse still, this action will increase rates and decrease or eliminate ser 

vice altogether in rural areas except along the 1-80 corridor. One has only to e 

xamine what the deregulation of buses, trains and airplanes has done to rural Ne 

braska to see the potential effect of intrastate motor carrier deregulation," he 

said. 

Urwiller claimed the deregulation amendment was adopted without "full and f 

air hearings and input from the public." 

Greg Pallas, Exon's chief of staff in Washington, said in fact the issue ha 

d full hearings before committees of both houses, including the Senate Surface T 

ransportation Committee, which Exon chairs. The issue arose after a federal cour 

t in effect exempted Federal Express trucking operations from state regulation, 

on the grounds that the company is an air cargo firm. 

Nebraska trucking companies and the American Trucking Association supported 

the change, he said, which actually will allow small companies to better compet 

e in markets now dominated by large operators. 

"If nothing had been done, Federal Express could have come in with huge res 

ources and really wiped out a lot of little companies," Pallas said. 

The change will increase competition, not destroy it, Pallas said. While th 

e state Public Service Commission will lose its intrastate rate-setting authorit 

y, the state will still retain authority over safety, insurance, routing of haza 

rdous materials and other nonfinancial issues, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Some Farmers Having Trouble Finding Place to put Their Crops 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Terminals in Lincoln and other points are clogged with corn,

milo and soybeans, in part because of a big harvest and a shortage of rail cars 

for shipping. 



this fall. 


"It's just real messy, said Boellstorff, who is chairwoman of the Nebraska 

Sorghum Board. Pretty soon, she will have to bite the bullet and wait in line to 

dump her grain when the elevator can find room for more, she said. 









to a halt." 







ge. 

On Friday, Exon said the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Office of M 







BK#[ 

HDLN[Record Harvest Crowds Elevators 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb.(AP)Terminals in Lincoln and other points are clogged with co 

rn, milo and soy-beans, in part because of a big harvest and shortage of rail c 

ars for shipping. 



this fall. 








Hallam Grain Co. south of Lincoln has turned many farmers away because they





to a halt." 



This year's supply of rail cars in the Midwest has been tightened some what 


Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcom 

mittee, is looking several places to help solve the grain car shortage. 

In a Nov. 1 letter to Mexican ambassador Jorge Montano, Exon noted that some M 

exican regulations are keeping U.S. cars south of the border longer than they ca 

n spared. 

Mexico requires that U.S. grain for animal feed be died green, Exon said, m 

aking the cars unusable until they can be cleaned. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Farmers Having Trouble Finding Crop Storage 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Terminals in Lincoln and other points are clogged with c 

orn, milo and soybeans, in part because of a big harvest and a shortage of rail 

cars for shipping. 



this fall. 






some room each day by hauling away what it can. 

But the last several days have been busy, she said. 






to a halt." 







ge. 

On Friday, Exon said the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Office of M



Exon said the council could help the agriculture community move products to 

market more efficiently. 


grain," Exon said. "This year's bin-busting crop draws attention to this annual 

dilemma more than ever." 

Exon also is looking to Mexico. 

In a Nov. l letter to Mexican Ambassador Jorge Montano, Exon noted that som 

e Mexican regulations are keeping U.S. cars south of the border longer than they 

can be spared. 

Mexico requires that U.S. grain for animal feed be dyed green, making the c 

ars unusable until they can be cleaned, Exon said. 

Trandahl added that other problems in Mexico have sapped the rail car suppl 

y. "There was a dramatic slowdown in Mexico in October," he said. 

For this harvest UP has added about 1,000 new, higher-capacity cars to the 

Nebraska area, Trandahl said. 

But cars seem scarce at any year's harvest time, he said. 

So does space. 

In Valparaiso, about 110,000 bushels of corn are on the ground or in tempor 

ary storage, said Mike Masek, manager of D & D Elevator Inc. Masek began refusin 

g corn Thursday for the first time this year. 

With Lincoln terminals filling up, "we're pretty limited as far as what we 

can do," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate GATT OK appears set; Exon, citing concerns, will vote 'no' 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - A lobbying barrage by the Clinton administration and a small a 

rmy of corporate executives appeared to sway the Senate toward passage of the wo 

rld trade accord, but it didn't persuade Nebraska's senior senator to join the p 

robable winning camp. 

In a climactic vote tonight, the Senate was expected to approve the General 

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade pact. But hours before that tally was taken, Sen 

. Jim Exon, D-Neb., announced he would oppose the trade accord. 

Exon said his concerns hadn't been properly addressed and the more he studi 

ed the pact, the more he was convinced the proper course was to vote against it. 

The announcement was no surprise to the Clinton administration and its legi 

ons of lobbyists, including a coalition of more than 300 agricultural groups. Ex 

on has never been a fan of GATT and every attempt to win his support has failed. 

"He's gone." an agricultural lobbyist said Wednesday during a pro GATT rall 

y. "He has not said one positive word about GATT, and while he insists he hasn't 

made up his mind it's clear he's not going to vote for us." 

In a Senate speech prepared for delivery later today, Exon said he has "ser 

ious reservations" about waiving budget rules to pass the trade treaty and about 

the agricultural portions of the agreement. 

"While many farm groups support passage of this agreement, it seems to me w

e have been down this road before," Exon said. "The promise of a pot of gold for 

American farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfulfilled. I am troubl 

ed that even after the adoption of this agreement, some of our European competit 

ors will still have higher domestic subsidies than the United States. Yes, this 

agreement is progress, but faulted." 

He said he is afraid the trade agreement will give traditional opponents of 

federal farm programs "one more arrow in their quiver to fire in the heart of A 

merican farm families. Mark my words, during consideration of the 1995 farm bill 

, some of the most innovative reforms will be met with protestations that reform 

is GATT illegal...As a veteran of many congressional battles for family farmers 

, I predict passage of this agreement holds nothing but peril for the new five-y 

ear farm bill that must be passed in 1995." 

He also said the pact would threaten U.S. sovereignty, put low-skill Americ 

an jobs at risk and, while the agreement prohibits exports of goods made by pris 

on labor, it "allows exports made by children of, say, 12 years of age working f 

or 50 cents per hour. Now that's something we can be proud of! We protect crimin 

als, but not the kids." 

Exon, the only member of Nebraska's congressional delegation to oppose the 

GATT, is not expected to affect the outcome. The Clinton administration is confi 

dent it has the 60 votes it needs to overcome a parliamentary roadblock and that 

count does not include Exon. 

Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen declared "momentum is swinging our way" an 

d a smiling U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor also was optimistic. 

"We're in very good shape," Kantor said. 

The House endorsed the accord, negotiated under the General Agreement on Ta 

riffs and Trade, by a 288-146 vote on Tuesday. 

For the Senate to join the House, 60 senators must vote to override the par 

liamentary and procedural objection lodged by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. 

According to an Associated Press survey that confirmed the Clinton administ 

ration's confidence was warranted, GATT proponents appeared to have achieved tha 

t number, when counting those who were leaning in favor but not firmly committed 

. 

Opposed or leaning against. according to the AP pre-vote tally, were 24 sen 

ators; 16 were undeclared. 

President Clinton, hoping to clinch victory, had a breakfast meeting today 

with 20 lawmakers, including some of the uncommitted and a late but crucial supp 

orter, Senate Republican leader Bob Dole. 

Exon declined to attend that breakfast. He was too busy putting his final t 

houghts on GATT on paper in preparation for his vote disclosure statement later 

in the day to take time out for breakfast at the White House. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grassley Backs GATT, Sees Economic Advantage 

TEXT[Washington - A new version of an old trade agreement was formally endorsed 

Wednesday by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, one day after Sen. Bob Kerrey,D-Neb. 

, announced his support.

Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, have said they are undecid 

ed on the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The vote 

is scheduled for tonight. 

Grassley, in a press conference, said approval of GATT would be in the best 

interests of Iowa, the United States and the world. 

Kerrey said Tuesday that he would vote in favor of GATT despite having conc 

erns about the power of the World Trade Organization, which will be created by t 

he agreement. 

Exon said in a Senate speech Wednesday that testimony by Harvard Law Profes 

sor Lawrence Tribe before the Senate Commerce Committee indicated that some of t 

he smallest nations would have as much authority as the United States in the Wor 

ld Trade Organization. 

"I would like to have someone, if they could, assure me ... about the loss 

of sovereignty," Exon said. 

After the GATT vote, the Senate will elect leaders Friday for the opening o 

f the 104th Congress next month. 

Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., is uncontested for majority leader. Sens. Alan Simps 

on, R-Wyo., and Trent Lott, R-Miss., are candidates for majority whip. 

Grassley said Simpson would be better than Lott at bringing together the ri 

ght and left wings of the Republican Party. 

Grassley said he also wants Simpson the Senate leadership, where he would i 

neligible to hold a post coveted by Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary C 

ommittee. 

Grassley said he is the third-ranking member of the Judiciary Committee beh 

ind Simpson and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who will become committee chairman in 

January. 

"Two things have to happen for me to be chairman," Grassley said. "Hatch ha 

s to be appointed to the Supreme Court, and Simpson has to stay in the leadershi 

p. 

Grassley said he probably would remain on the Senate Agriculture Committee, 

as well as on the Finance Committee. He said he wants to hold subcommittee chai 

rmanships on all three committees. 



AUTH[Medill News Service 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon and Kerrey expected to back Daschle as leader 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - When the now-minority Senate Democrats line up to choose a lea 

der Friday, Nebraska Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey likely will support Sen. Thom 

as A. Daschle, D-S.D., aides said Monday. 

Daschle is running against Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., for the top spot 

among Senate Democrats. The position became open when Sen. George Mitchell, D-M 

aine, announced his retirement last spring.Daschle was first elected to the Sena 

te in 1986, Dodd in 1980. 

Although Exon has made no formal endorsement of Daschle, Exon's press secretary, 

Molly Klocksin, said Monday that the Nebraska senator is almost certain to vote 

for his South Dakota colleague. 

"He hasn't really elaborated on the whys and wherefores, but he's going to

support Daschle," Klocksin said. She said she didn't know whether Exon would mak 

e his endorsement official before Friday's vote. 

Kerrey also hasn't made his support for Daschle official, but is expected t 

o vote for the South Dakotan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon mum on world trade pact 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Clinton administration officials say the U.S. Senate is 

poised to approve a sweeping world trade pact today while Sen. Jim Exon of Nebra 

ska remained one of a handful of lawmakers undecided on the agreement. 

A head count by The Associated Press showed the administration had achieved 

the number of senators needed to clear a key procedural hurdle. Sixty senators 

support or lean in support of the procedural test vote, with 26 against or leani 

ng against and 14 undeclared. 

Exon has not said which way he will vote. Fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Kerrey o 

f Nebraska has said he will vote for passage of the General Agreement on Tariffs 

and Trade. 

Under GATT, overall tariffs would drop by about a third in the 124 countrie 

s signed on to the agreement. Some cuts start Jan. 1; others are staged over 10 

years. The pact is aimed at boosting international trade. 

The House passed the measure Tuesday, with the support of all three Nebrask 

a delegates. But on Wednesday, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said he wasn't comple 

tely happy with the pact. 

The pact doesn't go far enough in establishing rules for international trad 

e in services, shipping and telecommunications. 

"We must no waste any more time in pressing this and future administrations 

to persuade other countries to further open their markets to U.S. goods and ser 

vices," said Bereuter, who represents Nebraska's 1st District. 

The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, endorsed the GATT. 

"Nearly all of our members, as well as the whole state of Nebraska, would b 

e favorably impacted by passage of GATT," said chamber president C.R. Bell. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon remains among undecided 

TEXT[After three terms in office, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., sees no reason why he s 

houldn't run for his fourth in 1996. 



n said. 

Exon has been a giant on Nebraska's political landscape for 24 years.



office. 

In 1974, he won re-election. Four years later, Exon was elected 10 the 

Senate succeeding Republican Carl Curtis, who stepped aside after 24 years in t 

he Senate. 










h members of the new Republican majority in both houses of the Congress. 

But he raises an early warning flag about GOP plans to reduce taxes an 

d raise defense spending now. 

I'll be very supportive of their efforts if they can clearly and hones 

tly do those things without raising the deficit and the national debt, he said. 

I don't see any way they can do that, but I'm willing to listen. 

In addition, Exon said he is prepared to support Republican efforts to 

seek a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget and legisl 

ation to grant line item appropriations veto power to the president. 

But there's a better way to allow voluntary prayer in the schools than 

the constitutional amendment approach proposed by Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., he 

said. 

"Let's pass a law that says there can be a moment of silence in the sc 

hools. Then we don't have to change the Constitution to allow prayer." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon remains among undecided 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Clinton administration officials say the U.S. Senate is 

poised to approve a sweeping world trade pact today while Sen. Jim Exon of Nebra 

ska remained one of a handful of lawmakers undecided on the agreement. 





Exon has not said which way he will vote. Fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Ker 

rey of Nebraska has said he will vote for passage of the General Agreement on Ta 

riffs and Trade. 

The pact is aimed at boosting international trade.




SOUR[Sherman Co. Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Slominski Moved to Committee 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon, who is in line to be ranking Democrat on the Senate 

Budget Committee in the new Congress, Announced that he has selected Bill Dauste 

r to be Minority Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel for the Committee. 

Exon also announced that Jerry Slominski, who currently serves as Exon 

's Budget and Legal Counsel, will be named Deputy Minority Staff Director of the 

Senate Budget committee. Slominski is a former resident of Loup City. 

Exon said: "l have the utmost confidence in Jerry Slominski, who is on 

e of the most talented people on Capitol Hill. He and Bill will make a dynamic t 

eam." 

Dauster is currently the acting staff director of the Committee, and s 

erved for several years as the Committee's Chief Counsel under Chairmen Jim Sass 

er of Tennessee and Lawton Chiles of Florida. 

"Bill brings a wealth of experience to the job, and I am delighted tha 

t he will be serving as Staff Director for the minority in the next session of C 

ongress," Exon Said. "He is an extremely bright individual who will serve the Co 

mmittee with distinction." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grassley Backs GATT, Sees Economic Advantage 

TEXT[Washington - A new version of an old trade agreement was formally endorsed 

Wednesday by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, one day after Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb 

., announced his support. 

Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, have said they are undecid 

ed on the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The vote 

is scheduled tonight. 

Grassley, in a press conference, said approval of GATT would be in 

the best interests of Iowa, the United States and the world. 

I am going to vote for GATT because I can't believe we would have a very 

prosperous world if we throw GATT out the window after 40 years," he said. 

Grassley said most of the 124 nations that belong to GATT have high trade b 

arriers that would be reduced by the Uruguay Round agreement, which was the resu 

lt of negotiations that started in 1986 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. 

"The agreement would give the United States a tremendous economic advantage 

because trade barriers in other nations are going to have to come down faster t 

han ours will," Grassley said. 

He rejected arguments that the agreement would encourage U.S. businesses to 

transfer jobs to countries with lower wage scales. 

"With or without GATT we'll be exporting some jobs in this dynamic global e 

conomy," Grassley said.

Kerrey said Tuesday that he would vote in favor of GATT despite having conc 

erns about the power of the World Trade Organization, which will be created by t 

he agreement. 

"While the World Trade Organization is not a perfect idea, global trade agr 

eements have to have some sort of enforcement mechanism if we want to resolve un 

fair trade disputes," Kerrey said. 

Exon said in a Senate speech Wednesday that testimony by Harvard law profes 

sor Lawrence Tribe before the Senate Commerce Committee indicated some of the sm 

allest nations would have as much authority as the United States in the World Tr 

ade Organization. 

"I would like to have someone, if they could, assure me...about the loss of 

sovereignty," Exon said. "There may be some explanation that l have missed." 

After the GATT vote, the Senate will elect leaders Friday for the opening o 

f the 104th Congress next month. 

Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., is uncontested for majority leader. Sens. Alan Simps 

on R-Wyo., and Trent Lott, R-Miss., are candidates for majority whip, the No. 2 

leadership post. 

Grassley said he is supporting Simpson who held the job throughout the 1980 

s. Grassley predicted Simpson will win by a three-vote margin, 28-25. 

Lott was minority whip during the 1980s in the House of Representatives, wh 

ere he was an ally of Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who will be House speaker in th 

e 104th Congress. 

Grassley said Simpson would be better than Lott at bringing together the ri 

ght and left wings of the Republican Party. 

Grassley said he also wants Simpson in the Senate leadership, where he woul 

d be ineligible to hold a post coveted by Grassley: chairman of the Senate Judic 

iary Committee. 

Grassley said he is the third-ranking member of the Judiciary Committee beh 

ind Simpson and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who will become committee chairman in 

January. 

"Two things have to happen for me to be chairman," Grassley said. "Hatch ha 

s to be appointed to the Supreme Court, and Simpson has to stay in the leadershi 

p." 

Grassley said he probably will remain on the Senate Agriculture Committee a 

s well as on the Finance Committee. He said he wants to hold subcommittee chairm 

anships on all three committees. 

P/C[ 




BK#[ 

HDLN[Last, solemn days for Democrats 

TEXT[Talk about lame ducks - this Democratic flock had clipped wings too. 

It was like a wake, one of them remarked, since the postscript session of C 

ongress was the last rite before the Republican takeover on Jan. 3. 

The symbols abounded. 

There were farewells to 10 senators and "a day steeped in nostalgia" for on 

e of the 84 House members who won't be back, but got one last vote, on the Gener 

al Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

Then there was most of the 73 new House Republicans jammed into a caucus ro 

om for a day of briefings and box lunches. The 13 Democratic newcomers won't nee 

d to hire a hall. 

A Democratic nemesis of the tobacco industry convened one more hearing, but 

it was no match for the command performances of the past - the corporate chiefs 

who once came to be rebuked declined to show up this time. 

The defeated speaker of the House offered a postscript salute to the GOP le 

ader who retired on the eve of the majority rule he never enjoyed. So Rep. Rober 

t Michel of Illinois did get to rap the speaker's gavel. One time. 

Sweet victory, he'd told incoming Republicans. "I've been around here 38 ye 

ars and never did reach your status." 

"An awkward day," said Rep. Jim Nussle of Iowa, in charge of the transition 

to Republican rule. 

An end and a beginning, another Republican observed. "This is not a happy b 

usiness," said Rep. Henry Hyde. "This is a tough business." 

The tough business at hand, of course, was the world trade agreement, 

overwhelmingly approved by the House on Tuesday, facing a more difficult test in 

the Senate today. Once that's done, so is the 103rd Congress, the 11th to meet 

in lame-duck, post-election session in the 61 years since they were automatic. 

Such sessions are rarely innovative, though an extraordinary notion did cro 

p up in the Senate on Wednesday - provoking an intraparty spat that stood out in 

a week of mannered camaraderie. 

It started when one senator said the trade debate, 20 repetitive hours on i 

ssues that have been argued off and on for a year, might actually determine whet 

her he'll vote yes or no. 

And he wanted to be assured of some time to discuss it himself. 

But Sen. Ernest Hollings, who sprang the parliamentary trap that forced the 

session in the first place, said he had no time to cede to the undecided. "They 

can listen." 

Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, a fellow Democrat, found that arrogant. 

"There are those of us who reserve the right to make up our minds during th 

e debate," Exon said. "I know that is a revolutionary idea to take place in the 

United States Senate." 

Then again, the times are revolutionary. Republicans are taking full contro 

l. They'd had six years in Senate power during Ronald Reagan's presidency, so th 

e sense of upheaval there didn't match that in the House, Democratic since 1954. 

That prompted the wake-like atmosphere Rep. Bill Richardson, reelected from 

New Mexico, discerned among his Democratic colleagues. 

While GATT was the business, goodbye was the word. 

This is my last press conference," said retiring House Speaker Thomas 

Foley, not an original line; a bitter, beaten Richard M. Nixon spoke it angrily 

in 1962. But Foley spoke it with "a sense of satisfaction and pride" in his 30-y 

ear House career, regrets notwithstanding. 

Until 1933, there was a lame duck session every election year. The voters e 

lected a new Congress in November, but didn't get one until March 4 of the follo 

wing year. Until then, the old Congress stayed in power, including the lame duck 

s the voters had beaten. 

While that often led only to stalling, it lasted until the "lame duck" cons 

titutional amendment was ratified the year Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, so 

that new Congresses take office in January. 

But the old way prevailed one last time; FDR's Hundred Days of bills t

o combat the Depression had to wait out the lame ducks. 

Walter R. Mears 

Editor's note - Walter R. Mears, vice president and columnist for The Assoc 

iated Press, has reported on Washington and national politics for more than 30 y 

ears. 



AUTH[Kelly Ann Kennedy 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Health Services finances improving 

TEXT[With an October loss of about $2,000 without tax receipts for Saunders Coun 

ty Health Services (SCHS), an official said things are heading in the right dire 

ction. 

SCHS Director Mike Brown said he was optimistic by the progress SCHS has ma 

de in recent months. 

At the health services board of directors meeting held last week, Brown sai 

d gross patient service revenue, pharmacy revenue, activity and several other ar 

eas affecting the SCHS financial summary had increased. 

More patients and fewer long-term cases were two of the reasons Brown gave 

for the financial improvement. 

While he said that health services' finances are improving, he continued to 

specify the areas that need to be addressed. 

Brown began this discussion by bringing the board's attention to the operat 

ing profit or loss figures of the SCHS's October financial summary The amount wa 

s $10,875.10 which was up from last year's amount of $7,380.88. 

"This is the number we need to focus on," Brown said, "It has got to be zer 

o or better." 

One of the areas of high cost that Brown said needed to be addressed was th 

e amount of money paid to nursing services for additional staffing of the care c 

enter. The care center amount for October was $93,786.03 which was up from $73,1 

19.20 last year. 

According to Brown, SCHS currently recruiting nurses an nursing assistants 

to be placed on the staff. This, he said, would reduce the amount paid for outs 

ide nursing services. Staffing at the care center has stabilized recently becaus 

e of an increase of wages and advertising positions in area newspapers, Brown sa 

id. He also announced that six nursing assistants were currently enrolled in a c 

ertification class. 

"The only way to solve the staffing problem is to hire more nurses," Brown 

said. 

Another issue discussed at the meeting was the hiring process ofDr. Naila H 

aroon. Brown reported that Dr. Haroon recently passed the second hurdle in being 

approved to work in the United States. Health Services officials expect that sh 

e will be completely approved to begin employment by Jan. 1. After she receives 

a green card, she will be allowed to work at the facilities. The process began w 

hen SCHS sought to hire Dr. Haroon to replace Dr. Seward Boyd, Jr. in July. 

The Dr. Boyd billing issue was another item that was discussed at the meeti 

ng. Brown said that Senator J. James Exon recently offered to get involved in ef 

forts to receive the Medicare funds which have been denied. Medicare has alread

y with held $33,000 of claims from SCHS because it said over $100,000 on claims 

made by Dr. Boyd were paid in error. 

Care center information which was reported at the meeting was activities ha 

ve been improving, Brown said this area has been 

changed and will include a bigger variety and more active activities. 

We're trying to get some ingenuity into the program. And we're starting to 

see some results in the people participating," he said. 

In other business, Brown reported: 

* that outside legal counsel was contacted about Health Services' attempts 

to lease the facilities. Brown said counsel said leasing possible without legis 

lation, but suggested getting a legislation. He will be meeting with County Atto 

rney Loren Lindahl to further discuss necessary action on this issue. 

* a surgeon will be coming to the SCHS two times a month to hold a clinic o 

n Monday mornings. The Ears-Nose-Throat (ENT) doctor will be doing more traditio 

nal ENT procedures. 

* new dining chairs have arrived and the exhaust fan work has been complete 

d at the care center. 

* the SCHS is recruiting full time home health registered nurses and weeken 

d registered nurses. 

The board approved the following motions: 

* acceptance of October financial summary, cheek register and open invoice. 

* acceptance of Dr. Lloyd Tenney for laproscopic procedures. 

* a lease agreement for computer equipment. 

* the use of over $2,900 of Care Center Capital Improvement Funds to make a 

partial payment on flee nurse call light system. 

* a list of SCHS Board of Trustees. 

* amendment to the bylaws of the Foundation on the year end 

audit. The motion changed the requirement to audit when the assets exceed $100,0 

00 instead of yearly. 

* amendment to the bylaws of the SCHS Foundation concerning the members. Th 

e group will now include up to regular members, thechief executive officer and a 

n SCHS board liaison member. 



AUTH[Jeffery J. Bielser 

SOUR[Custer County Chief 

BK#[ 

HDLN[It's My Turn 

TEXT[A small piece of health care reform came to Custer County this month. 

The Ansley Clinic opened for business Nov. 9. 

A cooperative effort between Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center, Brok 

en Bow doctors and the residents of Ansley, the new clinic shows what cooperatio 

n can achieve. 

It's been 30 years since Ansley has had a doctor's office. When the regular 

office closed back in the mid-1960s, a clinic was conducted for a time, but for 

the better part of three decades, people who needed to see a doctor had to driv 

e to Broken Bow or somewhere else. 

Even though it is only open one day a week, the clinic will provide an impo 

rtant service to senior citizens who cannot make the drive to Broken Bow, or fam 

ilies with young children who need regular checkups.

The clinic will make an improvement in the well-being of the community. 

It's something folks like Rep. Bill Barrett, and Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim E 

xon should look at when they discuss health care reform. 

When the 104th Congress goes into session after the first of the year, heal 

th care will still be high on the list of priorities for its members and a major 

concern for their constituents. A CBS/New York Times poll released this week, s 

howed health care reform is still the top concern of Americans. 

Ansley's clinic is not unique. In fact, the Sargent District Hospital has o 

pened satellite clinics in Brewster and Taylor to serve its patients in those co 

mmunities better. 

There are stories from across the country where local doctors, hospitals an 

d communities have taken matters into their own hands. They have grown tired of 

waiting for the government to provide the health care people so desperately need 

in some parts of the country. 

They have done what they can to make things better. 

In almost every case, those changes have come about because of cooperation. 

That is something the people in Washington, new and old alike, should study 

. 

Everyone has seen what a lack of cooperation can achieve. Everything from t 

he Clinton health care plan which died partly under its own weight, and mostly b 

ecause of partisan and special interest fighting, to Republican plans that never 

saw the light of day -- all are casualties because of a lack of cooperation. 

People basically want good, affordable health care, and they don't want to 

have to worry about-losing it because they become ill, move or lose their jobs. 

It's a pretty simple request really, but it has more complexities than ther 

e are medical forms. 

True health care reform, the kind that will satisfy that basic, human reque 

st, will take cooperation. 

Any kind of plan, Democratic or Republican, that faces the juggernaut of po 

litics and special interests will die without cooperation from the president dow 

n to the people on the street. 

Reforming a multi-billion-dollar industry will take more cooperation than j 

uggling doctors' schedules and renovating an old variety store. 

On the other hand, maybe those folks in Washington ought to come out to Ans 

ley, and see how a 

little cooperation can be very healthy. 




SOUR[Ashland Gazette 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Health Services finances heading in right direction 

TEXT[With an October loss of about $2,000 without tax receipts for Saunders Coun 

ty Health Services (SCHS), an official said things are heading in the right dire 

ction. 

SCHS Director Mike Brown said he was optimistic by the progress SCHS has ma 

de in recent months. 

At the health services' board of directors meeting held last week, Brown sa

id gross patient service revenue, pharmacy revenue, activity and several other a 

reas affecting the SCHS financial summary had increased. 

More patients and fewer long-term cases were two of the reasons Brown gave 

for the financial improvement. 

While he said that health services' finances are improving, he continued to 

specify the areas that need to be addressed. 

Brown began this discussion by bringing the board's attention to the operat 

ing profit or loss figures of the SCHS's October financial summary. The amount w 

as $10,875.10 which was up from last year's amount of $7,380.88. 

This is the number we need to focus on," Brown said, "It has got to be zero 

or better." 

One of the areas of high cost that Brown said needed to be addressed was th 

e amount of money paid to nursing services for additional staffing of the care c 

enter. The care center amount for October was $93,786.03 which was up from $73,1 

19.20 last year. 

According to Brown, SCHS is currently recruiting nurses and nursing assista 

nts to be placed on the staff. This, he said, would reduce the amount paid for o 

utside nursing services. Staffing at the care center has stabilized recently bec 

ause of an increase of wages and advertising positions in area newspapers, Brown 

said. He also announced that six nursing assistants were currently enrolled in 

a certification class. 

"The only way to solve the staffing problem is to hire more nurses," Brown 

said. 

Another issue discussed at the meeting was the hiring process of Dr. Naila 

Haroon. Brown reported that Dr. Haroon recently passed the second hurdle in bein 

g approved to work in the United States. Health Services officials expect that s 

he will be completely approved to begin employment by Jan. 1. After she receives 

a green card, she will be allowed to work at the facilities. The process began 

when SCHS sought to hire Dr. Haroon to replace Dr. Seward Boyd, Jr. in July. 

The Dr. Boyd billing issue was another item that was discussed at the meeti 

ng. Brown said that Senator J. James Exon recently offered to get involved in ef 

forts to receive the Medicare funds which have been denied. Medicare has already 

withheld $33,000 of claims from SCHS because it said over $100,000 of claims ma 

de by Dr. Boyd were paid in error. 

Care center information which was reported at the meeting was that activiti 

es have been improving. Brown said this area has been changed and will include a 

bigger variety and more active activities. 

"We're trying to get some ingenuity into the program. And we're starting to 

see some results in the people participating," he said. 


* that outside legal counsel was contacted about Health Services' attempts 

to lease the facilities. Brown said counsel said leasing is possible without leg 

islation, but suggested getting a legislation. He will be meeting with County At 

torney Loren Lindahl to further discuss necessary action on this issue. 

* a surgeon will be coming to the SCHS two times a month to hold a clinic o 

n Monday mornings. The Ears-Nose-Throat (ENT) doctor will be doing more traditio 

nal ENT procedures. 

* new dining chairs have arrived and the exhaust fan work has been complete 

d at the care center. 

* the SCHS is recruiting full-time home health registered nurses and weeken 

d registered nurses.

The board approved the following motions: 

* acceptance of October financial summary, check register and open invoice. 

* acceptance of Dr. Lloyd Tenney for laproscopic procedures. 

* a lease agreement for computer equipment. 

* the use of over $2,900 of Care Center Capital Improvement Funds to make a 

partial payment on the nurse call light system. 

* a list of SCHS Board of Trustees. 

* amendment to the bylaws of the Foundation on the year end audit. The moti 

on changed the requirement to audit when the assets exceed $100,000 instead of y 

early. 

* amendment to the bylaws of the SCHS Foundation concerning the members. Th 

e group will now include up to 10 regular members, the chief executive officer a 

nd an SCHS - board liaison member. 



AUTH[Lynn J. Miller, ltr ed. 

SOUR[Tri-City Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Doubt expressed 

TEXT[To the editor: 

I've been reading a lot about GATT lately, and there seems to be a lot of d 

eal-making going on. Sen. Helms is linking the treaty's passage with the adminis 

tration's foreign policy initiatives, Sen. Dole has suggested that he'll support 

the treaty if the administration leans favorably to a cut in the capital gains 

tax. Rep. Gingrich Is pretty much in favor of GATT, period. Nowhere have I read 

that an elected official has solicited the judgment of his/her constituents. 

Here at home, Rep. Barrett has come out in favor of the treaty, Sen. Exon h 

as voiced his reservations, and Sen. Kerrey is entire- unchecked. If any of them 

asked me, I'd tell them that I have serious doubts about an instrument which th 

reatens U.S. sovereignty and requires waiving the Budget Act, and to just say no 

! Nebraskans, don't wait for a phone call- contact your representatives, and tel 

l them hew you want them to represent you. 

Sincerely, 

Lynn J. Miller, Cozad 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says he will vote 'no' 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said today he would not vote for a swee 

ping world trade pact because the bill's negatives outweigh its positives. 

As an example; Exon said the global trade accord bans exports made by priso 

n labor, but allows exports of goods made by children who work for 50 cents a ho 

ur. 

"Now that's something that we all can be proud of. We protect criminals but 

not the kids," Exon said in a news release.

The Senate is expected to vote on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trad 

e sometime today. 





Exon's fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska has said he will vo 

te for GATT. 

Under GATT, overall tariffs would drop by about a third in the 124 cou 

ntries signed on to the agreement. Some cuts start Jan. 1; others are staged ove 

r 10 years. The pact is aimed at boosting international trade. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska: Exon Facing Possible '96 Bereuter Challenge 

TEXT[A 1996 election battle may be shaping up between Sen. Jim Exon (D) and Rep. 

Doug Bereuter (R) in Nebraska. 

Despite the greater number of GOP Senators facing voters in 1996 - 18 Repub 

licans and 15 Democrats will be up for re-election Democrats face a difficult ta 

sk in winning back the Senate. That's due in part to the prospect of several Dem 

ocratic retirees in the chamber. Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill) already announced his r 

etirement last month. 

But recently Exon told the Lincoln Journal Star he would likely seek a four 

th term in 1996. Exon was re-elected in 1990 with 59 percent of the vote. 

"My plan now is to run for re-election," Exon told the paper. "I can't see 

any reason why I would not." 

Journal-Star columnist Don Walton quoted Exon as saying that 1st district R 

ep. Bereuter, elected to his ninth term last month, has been "sending a signal t 

o other potential Republican contenders" about his intentions to make the race. 

He said Bereuter should be concentrating on his role as a member of a new majori 

ty rather than "casting covetous eyes on some other office." 

"Obviously, he is kind of like a wild animal staking out his mark, his terr 

itory," Exon said, "That's common practice in the animal kingdom." 

In an interview Wednesday, Bereuter said he had decided to either run for t 

he Senate seat or retire after the 104th before the Nov. 8 elections, but that h 

is status as a member of the majority made it possible he would remain in the Ho 

use. 

He said he believed he would be the "strongest candidate" for the GOP and w 

ould make a decision early next year. 

Fourteen House Members sought Senate seats last year and six won, all Repub 

licans. GOP Rep. Doug Bereuter (above) is "staking out his mark" for a Senate bi 

d, says incumbent Democratic Sen. Jim Exon. 

Other likely candidates include Democrats Mary Landrieu, the state treasure 

r and a former real estate agent and developer, and Lt. Gov. Melinda Schwegmann, 

who is also well known for her family's grocery store chain in the New Orleans 

area. 

Republican candidates include two former House Members and governors - Davi

d Treen, who is currently with the Washington law and lobbying firm O'Connor & H 

annan, and Buddy Roemer, now chairman of the Sterling Group Inc., in Baton Rouge 

. 

Also, 38-year old state Rep. Quentin Dastugue (R) and ex-Ku Klux Klan grand 

wizard David Duke (R) are potential candidates. Duke ran for governor in 1991, 

getting 32 per-cent of the vote in an open primary face-off against Edwards and 

Roemer - and eliminating Roemer from the contest. Duke went on to get 39 percent 

in the general election against Edwards. 

This time, the primary is set for Oct. 1,1995, and the top two vote getters 

, regardless of party affiliation, will face off in November. 



AUTH[JJ Exon 

SOUR[Omaha Magazine 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Holiday Memories 

TEXT[The Christmas of 1945 will always remain my fondest holiday memory. I was o 

nly 24 and finishing two years of military service in the Army Signal Corps in t 

he South Pacific and with the U.S. occupation forces in Japan. 

I left Japan aboard an aircraft carrier on December 13, not expecting to re 

turn to Nebraska before Christmas. But we crossed the Pacific Ocean faster than 

expected, and I was honorably discharged at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver on De 

cember 23. 

My wife, Pat, traveled to Denver to meet me, and the next day we boarded a 

train for Omaha. Six hours later, with a light dusting of snow for Christmas eve 

, we climbed the steps to her parents' house. 

At a time when so many young American men were sacrificing their lives, non 

e of us took being alive for granted. Going home was the best gift any soldier c 

ould have received. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Budget Fears Prompt 'No' Vote 

TEXT[Sens. J.J. Exon D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, announced opposition Thursd 

ay to waiving a budget rule to permit a $15 billion loss in U.S. tariffs over 10 

years under a new international trade agreement. 

Exon said he opposed the waiver and the agreement. 

Harkin said he opposed the waiver while supporting the accord, the General 

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

"I think the good - at least for the state of Iowa - outweighs the bad," Ha 

rkin said at a press conference. "My main objection is that it is deficit financ 

ed." 

A Senate rule required that the bill include provisions making tip for lost 

tariff revenue. Senators needed 60 votes to waive this rule. Passing GATT requi 

red a simple majority. Senators Thursday voted 68-32 on the budget rule and 76-2

4 on GATT. 

Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., had said earlier the 

y would support the budget waiver and the agreement. 

Exon, in a press conference, said he stayed up until 2 a.m. writing a speec 

h on his opposition to GATT. 

"The more I study it, the more convinced my conscience dictates 'no,'" Exon 

said. "Primarily I am concerned about busting the budget once again. The first 

thing we do is come back here and see the Republican leadership in both the Hous 

e and Senate say we are going to balance the budget...then bust the budget wide 

open." 

Exon said he also was concerned about the loss of U.S. sovereignty in a Wor 

ld Trade Organization, which GAIT would create. In WTO the United States will be 

one of 124 nations with one vote and no veto. 

"There are some good things in this agreement that might - and I emphasize 

might - provide some help for agriculture," Exon said. "The promise of a pot of 

gold for American farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfulfilled." 

But, he said, GATT contains provisions helping the U.S. banking, insurance 

and financial services industries. It also would protect intellectual and other 

property rights for U.S. technology, he said. 

Harkin said he had no doubt that GAIT would benefit Iowa farmers and applia 

nce manufacturers, including Amana, Frigidaire and Maytag. 

He said he was impressed with Exon's speech, especially his point about GAT 

T's prohibition on the use of prison labor. 

Exon said GATT prohibits exports of goods made by prison labor but allows e 

xports made by children working for 50 cents an hour. 

Exon said he was concerned that GATT would accelerate the loss of U.S. manu 

facturing jobs with provisions encouraging U.S. companies to seek low-cost labor 

in other countries. 

"The free-trade gurus live in a world where workers are simply a cost of pr 

oduction," Exon said. "I do not apologize for being concerned about the Nebraska 

apparel workers, sugar beet growers in the Panhandle and workers in small and l 

arge factories throughout the state." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Negatives outweigh positives in pact on trade 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. AP - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Thursday he would not vote for 

a sweeping world trade pact because the bill's negatives outweigh its positives 

. 

As an example, Exon said the global trade accord bans exports made by priso 

n labor but allows exports of goods made by children who work for 50 cents a hou 

r. 

"Now that's something that we all can be proud of. We protect criminal 

s but not the kids," Exon said in a news release. 

The Senate was expected to vote on the General agreement on Tariffs an 

d Trade sometime Thursday. 

A head count by The Associated Press showed the administration had achieved



ng against and undeclared. 

Exon's fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska has said he will vote fo 

r GATT. 

Under GATT, overall tariffs would drop by about a third in the 124 countrie 

s signed on to the agreement. Some cuts start Jan. 1; others are staged over 10 

years. The pact is aimed at boosting international trade. 


a delegates. But on Wednesday, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said he wasn't comple 

tely happy with the pact. 


e in services, shipping and telecommunications. 

"We must no waste any more time in pressing this and future administrations 

to persuade other countries to further open their markets to U.S. goods and ser 

vices," said Bereuter. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's Lawmakers Doubt Parts of GATT 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Congress has overwhelmingly approved a 124-nation, tariff-slas 

hing trade pact and while Nebraska's five national lawmakers said they didn't co 

mpletely support the deal, only one voted against it. 

The Senate voted 68-32 Thursday night to waive budget rules in order to con 

sider the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, with Sen. Bob Kerrey voting 'Y 

es' and Sen. Jim Exon 'No.' The two cast the same votes as the Senate approved t 

he pact 76-24. 

"AS THE largest but already the most open economy in the world, the United 

States has something to lose but certainly much to gain as we reduce our trade b 

arriers still further..." Kerrey said on the Senate floor. In turn, the United S 

tates secures from other GATT nations "the obligation to provide even greater ac 

cess to their markets." 

Kerrey also said the United States would see more employment, income and ta 

x revenue under the GATT. 

The agreement would slash tariffs, or border taxes, by an average of 38 per 

cent worldwide on thousands of food and manufactured products. 

IN AGRICULTURE, the GATT would reduce government supports to farmers that c 

urrently cost taxpayers in wealthy countries an estimated $160 billion a year. 

Supporters say U.S. farmers will find their products more competitive on ov 

erseas markets. 

Exon said be isn't so sure. 

"While many farm groups support passage of this agreement, it seems we have 

been down this road before," he said. "The promise of a pot of gold for America 

n - farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfulfilled." 

The House passed the measure Tuesday by 142 votes, with the support of all 

three Nebraska delegates. 

REPUBLICAN Rep. Doug Bereuter and Democrat Peter Hoagland said they had res

ervations about the GATT. 


e in services, shipping and telecommunications, Bereuter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Backs Military Boost 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton's pledge to seek a $25 billion increase in d 

efense spending over six years won praise Thursday from Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., 

a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

"I am delighted the president has come forth with that proposal," Exon said 

at a press conference. 

The president announced Thursday that he would seek the additional $25 bill 

ion to bolster military preparedness and for modernization of weapons. It was Cl 

inton's first policy initiative since the Republican victory in the Nov. 8 elect 

ions. 

Clinton said the $25 billion would cover part of the $40 billion needed for 

annual inflation and to pay for a military pay raise approved by Congress. The 

Pentagon's budget this year was $264 billion. 

Clinton also said he would ask Congress for an extra $2.3 billion for the c 

urrent year's defense budget to help reimburse the military for peacekeeping and 

rescue operations that it says has siphoned off money needed to maintain readin 

ess. 

While praising the Clinton proposal, Exon said he would use his position ne 

xt year as ranking minority member of the Senate Budget Committee to insist that 

any spending increases be matched by cuts in other programs. 

He said he would oppose any program or project that would increase the nati 

onal debt. 

"I am going to do everything I can to see the United States... does not go 

back to what happened in the 1980s with Reaganism," Exon said. 

"When Ronald Reagan became president of the United States, the national deb 

t was under $1 trillion" Exon said. "Now here we are 14 years later, and we are 

at $4.7 trillion. 

"I am very fearful that the Republicans may be going back to doing what's p 

opular with the public and let the ever-skyrocketing national debt be damned." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Talk Turns to '96 as Ex-Senators Lauded 

TEXT[A curtain call for former Sens. Roman Hruska and Carl Curtis on Thursday fo 

und several potential GOP contenders for the 1996 Senate race waiting in the win 

gs more than 300 Republicans paying tribute to the two former GOP - senators and 

celebrating the party's November victories, the positioning for a 1996 challeng

e to Democratic Sen. J.J. Exon was under way. 

The dinner at the Holiday Convention Center, 72nd and Grover Streets, benef 

itted Attorney General Don Stenberg, who carried $33,000 of a $187,000 debt from 

1990 into the event. 

Stenberg said in an interview that he had been encouraged as he sought a se 

cond term this year as attorney general to consider running for the Senate or go 

vernor is not the only one looking 

forward to the next election. Chuck Hagel, an Omaha investment banker; Dr. Jerry 

Schenken, state GOP chairman; and Jan Stoney, the 1994 Senate candidate, are ex 

pected to make early decisions next year about 1996. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., signaled the day after the Nov. 8 election that 

he would take a serious look at challenging Exon, a former two term governor co 

veting his third Senate term. Bereuter appeared to be staking out a potential is 

sue earlier this week when he said no Nebraska House or Senate member could poss 

ibly oppose the new world trade treat, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trad 

e, which was passed by the Senate Thursday. 

Exon was the only member of the Nebraska and Iowa congressional delegations 

to oppose GATT. 

At the Hruska-Curtis event Thursday night, Stenberg said the tradition of o 

ne Senate seat being held by an Omaha resident (currently Sen. Bob Kerrey) proba 

bly would work against a Republican challenger from Omaha to Exon in two years. 

"There is a historic tradition to the Senate in Nebraska," Stenberg said. " 

Is that tradition just a sign of years gone by? With a governor (Ben Nelson) fro 

m Omaha and one senator from Omaha, an Omaha running against Exon would be at a 

disadvantage. 

The Omaha-dominated 2nd Congressional District "is just one-third of the st 

ate," Stenberg said. "I'm not sure all three top officials should come from one 

district. 

Hagel, who also was part of the program, said an anti-Omaha sentiment shoul 

d not apply to him, since he spent his first 22 years growing up in the 3rd Cong 

ressional District. The most important issue will be which Republican is most qu 

alified to be the Republican Senate nominee, Hagel said. He is president of McCa 

rthy & Co. and a former official in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Rea 

gan and George Bush. 

Hagel said he would meet with other potential candidates and make a determi 

nation early next year. That is the same time frame for Mrs. Stoney and Schenken 

. 

Mrs. Stoney, who lost to Kerrey in her first bid for public office, was on 

vacation and did not attend the dinner. Andy Abboud, her 1994 campaign manager, 

said Mrs. Stoney was giving another Senate bid serious consideration. 

"She will make a decision early next year," Abboud said. "I'm sure there wi 

ll be some sort of public service in her future." 

Dr. Schenken, the two-term state GOP chairman, said he would not discuss hi 

s personal political plans until a replacement is selected next February. 

While the potential 1996 Republican candidates were staking out positions, 

Hruska and Curtis were paying respect to each other for the 22 years they served 

together as Nebraska's tandem of Republican senators. 

The dinner was billed as a joint 90th birthday for Hruska, who turned 90 in 

August, and Curtis, who will be 90 next March. As it turned out, Thursday, also 

was the 22nd anniversary of Curtis marriage to his wife, Mildred. 

Former Gov. Charles Thone suggested that Hruska and Curtis flip a coin to s

ee who will run in 1996. 

Letters of appreciation were sent from a number of GOP leaders, including f 

ormer President Gerald Ford and Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. Dav 

id and Julie Eisenhower noted under their signatures that they are admirals in t 

he Nebraska Navy. 

A letter that brought significant applause came from the newest Republican 

official, State Auditor John Breslow. Breslow, who changed parties after the ele 

ction, did not attend the dinner. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Split As Senate Approves GATT 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Congress has overwhelmingly approved a 124-nation, tarif 

f-slashing trade pact and while Nebraska's five congressmen said they didn't com 

pletely support the deal, only one voted against it. 





"As the largest but already the most open economy in the world, the United 

States has something to lose but certainly much to gain as we reduce our trade b 

arriers still further..." Kerrey said on the Senate floor. In turn, the United S 

tates secures from other GATT nations "the obligation to provide even greater ac 

cess to their markets." 

Kerrey also said the United States would see more employment, income a 

nd tax revenue under the GATT. 

The agreement would slash tariffs, or border taxes, by an average of 3 

8 percent worldwide on thousands of food and manufactured products. The Clinton 

administration has said this represents the largest global tax cut in history, a 

reduction in customs duties of $744 billion. 

A permanent World Trade Organization would enforce rulings in tra 

de disputes. 

In agriculture, the GATT would reduce government supports to farmers t 

hat currently cost taxpayers in wealthy countries an estimated $160 billion a ye 

ar. Supporters say U.S. farmers will find their products more competitive on ove 

rseas markets. 

Exon said he isn't so sure. 

"While many farm groups support passage of this agreement, it seems we 

have been down this road before," he said. "The promise of a pot of gold for Am 

erican farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfulfilled." 

Exon also said he didn't like-the structure of the world trade or 

ganization. 

He cited a hypothetical dispute between the United States and Ban 

gladesh that would go to a three-nation panel for a binding decision. 

Exon said such situations would "stack the deck" against the Unit 

ed States "since most countries want unlimited access to the coveted U.S. market 

."

But Kerrey said there needed to be "some teeth" in the enforcemen 

t of settling international trade disputes. He also said he wasn't completely ha 

ppy with the pact. 

"For example, nothing in the agreement prompts the United States and i 

ts trading partners to cooperate in a deliberate way to develop the environmenta 

l and labor standards that we have" to avoid environmental degradation and worke 

r exploitation, he said. 




SOUR[Daily Nebraskan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska senators disagree on GATT 

TEXT[Nebraska's two Democratic senators split as the U.S. Senate Thursday night 

approved a 124-nation, tariff-slashing trade pact to close the 103rd Congress. 

"As the largest but already the most open economy in the world, the Un 

ited States has something to lose but certainly much to gain as we reduce our tr 

ade barriers still further..." Kerrey said on the Senate floor. In turn, the Uni 

ted States secures from other GATT nations "the obligation to provide even great 

er access to their markets." 







A permanent World Trade Organization would enforce rulings in trade di 

sputes. 


hat currently cost tax payers in wealthy countries an estimated $160 billion a y 

ear. Supporters say U.S. farmers will find their products more competitive on ov 

erseas markets. 


"While many farm groups support passage of this agreement, it see 

ms we have been down this road before," he said. "The promise of a pot of gold f 

or American farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfulfilled." 

Exon also criticized the agreement's ban on exports made by prison lab 

or while allowing exports of goods made by children who work for 50 cents per ho 

ur. 

"Now that's something that we all can be proud of. We protect cri 

minals but not the kids," Exon said on the Senate floor. 

Exon said he didn't like the structure of the world trade organiz 

ation. 

He cited a hypothetical dispute between the United States and Banglade 

sh that would go to a three-nation panel for a binding decision. 

Exon said such situations would "stack the deck" against the United St 

ates "since most countries want unlimited access to the coveted U.S. market." 

But Kerrey said there needed to be "some teeth" in the enforcement of 

settling international trade disputes. He also said he wasn't completely happy w

ith the pact. 







AUTH[Helen Cooper and John Harwood 

SOUR[Wall Street Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Major Shifts in Trade Are Ensured as GATT Wins U.S. Approval 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - After eight years of agonized negotiations and intense politic 

al debate, a sweeping trade pact that should boost economies around the world wo 

n decisive U.S. congressional approval last evening. 

The Senate, in a 76 to 24 vote, gave bipartisan blessing to the newest vers 

ion of the trade pact known as GATT, which should lead to approval by other cou 

ntries without much trouble. This is the seventh and biggest global free-trade a 

greement ????? and probably the last for many years to come.But the drive to lib 

eralize world commerce will continue, mainly on a regional basis. 

"Expanded international trade has been the engine of American prosperity si 

nce the end of the Second World War," declared retiring Sen. George Mitchell of 

Maine. In his final legislatIve act as majority leader. "This trade agreement wi 

ll define the American role in the global economy and in world affairs well into 

the 21st century." 

"It's not a perfect trade agreement," added GOP Leader Robert Dole of Kansa 

s, who delivered decisive Republican votes after calming conservative fears abou 

t the role of a New World Trade Organization 

created by the agreement. "But...it's clearly going to be a net gain for the Ame 

rican people." 

The Senate decision mirrored the lop-sided vote earlier this week in the Ho 

use, where each party voted roughly 2-to-1 for the pact, indicating broad bipart 

isan support for trade expansion. The final Senate approval came after a crucial 

procedural vote on a budget waiver - essential to GATT passage-by a 68-32 margi 

n. 

"Just like the historic vote on Nafta a year ago, this vote for GATT shows 

once again that our country is moving in the right direction," a jubilant Presid 

ent Clinton said last night after the final tally. 

A TRADE LEGACY 

Victory came because Mr. Clinton invested his politIcal capital in strikIng a de 

al with opposition leaders and worried industries, proving he can work with Repu 

blican foes on certain issues. Along with last year's North American Free Trade 

Agreement, GATT approval does establish open trade as an unambiguous legacy of C 

linton's administration. 

??????We can hardly be assured of any lasting political benefIt, in part be 

cause the trade debate underscored anxieties of the same middle-class voters who 

just last month turned U.S. politics upside down. 

"This agreement is exactly what a lot of disaffected voters were angry abou 

t," says Mark Anderson, director of the AFL-CIO's task force on trade. As Bob Ca 

rter, an apparel worker in Louisville, Ky., puts it: "We keep telling the politi

cians, try to think about us." 

MORE TALKS 

Mr. Clinton has reaffirmed his desire to expand free trade because, as he s 

aid last night he believes that "for middle-class Americans who work hard and pl 

ay by the rules, more trade and fair trade means more and higher wage jobs." Las 

t month he agreed with PacIfic leaders to work out a liberalization with America 

's biggest economic rivals in Asia. Next week he goes to Miami to call for yet a 

nother free-trade pact, this one of Western Hemisphere nations. Meanwhile, his n 

egotiators in Geneva are trying to cut a deal with China, with it's large trade 

surplus and huge pool of peasant workers, to join the GATT system. 

The agreement approved yesterday, which was negotiated by 124 nations under 

the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, will slash tariffs 

by 40%, cut subsidies globally, expand protection for intellectual property and 

set rules for investment and trade in services. Exporters all over the world sho 

uld benefit, along with big agricultural interests and producers of books, softw 

are and compact disks. Among likely losers: workers in the textile and apparel i 

ndustries in high-wage countries. 

Apart from its particular provisions, the GATT accord represents the triump 

h of free-market economics. Countries that only a decade ago hid behind walls of 

high tariffs-India, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand and South Korea - committed the 

mselves to opening their economies to imports, respecting foreign copyrights and 

, albeit haltingly, liberalizing rules for foreign investors. Meanwhile, China, 

Russia, Taiwan and 19 others are clamoring to join the new World Trade Organizat 

ion, which is to supersede the GATT bureaucracy on Jan. 1. For the signatories, 

the agreement helps lock in reforms and ensure that they will pursue market-orie 

nted economies. 

"GATT confirms the fact that a number of countries made decisions to move t 

oward liberal policies," notes I.M. Destler, director of the University of Maryl 

and's Center for International and Security Studies. "GATT prevents backsliding. 

To turn around, countries would have to reject an international regime and a se 

t of commitments." 

But while Washington has chosen the course of free trade, it is far from su 

re how to placate fretful voters who fear free trade might cost them their jobs. 

Many of these voters have watched their earnings stagnate for two decades as th 

e U.S. has become increasingly integrated into a global economy. And their pligh 

t is likely to be a critical political and economic issue over the next two year 

s. 

"Why don't they want to protect the American workers?" asks Mr. Carter, the 

Louisville apparel worker. "These trade issues happen, the companies move offsh 

ore, and you say: 'Where do I go?'". 

Mr. Carter's Democratic congressmen and Republican senator both supported t 

he agreement. "The clock has tolled on the whole question of protecting" jobs wi 

th trade barriers, says the congressman, retiring Rep. Romano Mazzoli. And Sen. 

Mitch McConnell explains: "In a dynamic capitalist economy, jobs go out of exist 

ence and come into existence all the time. On the whole, I believe it is in the 

best interest of my state and the country." 

Yet they and their parties strongly disagree on how to help workers navigat 

e shifting economic currents. President Clinton's Democrats maintain that gover 

nment sponsored education and training programs, albeit in streamlined form, sti 

ll offer the best hope for easing the transition to new jobs if workers are disp 

laced in an unforgiving international marketplace. That has been the traditional 

government response to trade liberalization: indeed, nearly every other major t

ade pact of the past 50 years has been accompanied by measures to expand traini 

ng, education and assistance for affected workers. 

But the Republicans who will control the next Congress take a sharply diffe 

rent view. They propose cuts in government training programs, which they argue h 

aven't worked well. They hope to appeal to the anxious middle-class workers by g 

etting the government "off their backs" and reducing their taxes. 

Restless voters aren't likely to give either side much time to make its cas 

e. "It took [Democrats] 40 years to prove they could govern us into this mess," 

says Republican Rep. William Goodling of Pennsylvania, who will head the House E 

ducation and Labor Committee. "If voters only give us two years, that's a littl 

e unfair. But I'm afraid that's the position we're in." 

CAPITAL GAINS 

The GATT debate foreshadows a nasty fight over reducing taxes on capital ga 

ins. That is because Republicans who voted for the Clinton-backed GATT budget wa 

iver are sure to cite this as precedent in the coming tax battle. The waiver inv 

olved a rule that would have required raising taxes or reducing spending to offs 

et revenue losses over 10 years from GATT's tariff cuts. The administration argu 

ed that the waiver made sense because lower tariffs mean more trade and more eco 

nomic growth and in the long run more taxes for the Treasury. 

But the same argument can be made to justify cutting capital-gains tax rate 

s. If structured carefully, such a cut can raise money for the government, propo 

nents say, by promoting savings, investment and economic growth. The Democrats d 

ismiss such arguments and brand a capital-gains tax cut a break for the wealthy. 

The incoming GOP leader, Richard Armey of Texas calls a capital-gains tax c 

ut the "single most powerful thing you've got to" to spark creation of high-wage 

jobs through capital investment. His Democratic counterpart, Richard Gephardt o 

f Missouri, offers a radically different prescription for a 1990's 

"crisis in the economy" akin to the Depression: a middle-class tax cut, a higher 

minimum wage, new infrastructure spending and job-training incentives for corpo 

rations. "I'm not optimistic" about finding a middle ground, Rep. Gephardt says. 

Mr. Clinton has a strong incentive to find a compromise because s 

ome senior White House advisers are beginning to worry about the political costs 

of his free-trade commitment. Administration officials are seeking ways to addr 

ess the fears of middle-class workers. A strong, growing economy is clearly part 

of the answer. Some administration officials believe it is most of the answer, 

at least in the short run. 

Even if Congress were willing to comply-and it probably won't bethe 

administration's list of affordable options that might actually do something 

for working-class wallets and spirits is painfully short. Labor Secretary Rober 

t Reich has made some headway in his internal campaign for middle-class tax brea 

ks crafted to encourage workers to get more education and training. The notion i 

s to offer a distinct - and cheaper - Clintonesque alternative to the Republican 

$500-a-child tax break. It also has the virtue of encouraging the only thing th 

at might actually boost workers' wages and productivity in the long run. The Tre 

asury has reservations, however, fearing that abuse of such tax breaks might be 

too widespread. 

For their part, many traditional members of Mr. Clinton's party f 

ear their "New Democrat" colleagues may skimp on federal efforts. Rep. Pat Willi 

ams of Montana, conceding, he "may be a salmon swimming upstream,"argues that "t 

here's an important, critical place" for federal spending to "repair workers who 

are dislocated, particularly because of action by their government." Meanwhile,

the centrist Democratic Leadership Council plans next week to propose scrapping 

those very programs and using the money for training vouchers that would amount 

to a "GI bill for American workers." 

ELEMENTS FOR COMPROMISE 

The GATT voting itself showed that a Democratic White House and GOP le 

gislators can work together - at least to the extent that the White House promot 

es issues dear to Republicans. And amid the partisan rhetoric, there are other e 

lements for compromise on measures to enhance economic opportunity. Rep. Goodlin 

g and his Senate counterpart, Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas, applaud the thrust of S 

ecretary Reich's Re-employment Act to streamline the federal crazy-quilt of 150 

job-training programs, but would consolidate them even further. Though he wants 

to reduce the $25 billion now spent on those programs, Mr. Goodling thinks Washi 

ngton can still deliver better service. 

Sens. Sam Nunn (D., Ga.) and Pete Domenici (R., N.M.) have an even mor 

e ambitious bipartisan initiative in mind: junking the income tax and replacing 

it with a consumption tax that rewards savings and investment. "We will never so 

lve the problem" of economic unease with the current system, Mr. Domenici argues 

, adding, "The public is really looking for very bold things." 

There seems little doubt about that-or about the sense of urgency that 

many office holders feel to respond. Political figures from Ross Perot to Jesse 

Jackson have raised the prospect of forming third parties to appeal to the vola 

tile mass of disaffected Americans. "These folks want to know: 'What are you doi 

ng for me?'says Gerald Austin, an Ohio-based Democratic consultant who managed M 

r. Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign. "The 1990s voter is not willing to give 

anybody more than two years to perform." 

"There's an unparalleled amount of political alienation in this countr 

y," warns Ron Blackwell, chief economist of the anti-GATT Amalgamated Clothing a 

nd Textile Workers Union. "Will Americans tolerate an indefinite decline in thei 

r living standards? Or will they act politically?" 

-Bob Davis and David Wessel contributed to this article. 



AUTH[Walter Mears 


BK#[ 

HDLN[The Solemn Last Days for Democrats 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Talk about lame ducks - this Democratic flock had clipped 

wings too. 

It was like a wake, one of them remarked, since the postscript session 

of Congress was the last rite before the Republican takeover on Jan. 3. 

The symbols abounded. 

There were farewells to 10 senators and "a day steeped in nostalgia" f 

or one of the 84 House members who won't be back, but got one last vote, on the 

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

Then there was most of the 73 new House Republicans jammed into a cauc 

us room for a day of briefings and box lunches. The 13 Democratic newcomers won' 

t need to hire a hall. 

A Democratic nemesis of the tobacco industry convened one more he 

aring, but it was no match for the command performances of the past - the corpor

ate chiefs who once came to be rebuked declined to show up this time. 

The defeated speaker of the House offered a postscript salute to the G 

OP leader who retired on the eve of the majority rule he never enjoyed. So Rep. 

Robert Michel of Illinois did get to rap the speaker's gavel. One time. 

Sweet victory, head told incoming Republicans. "I've been around here 

38 years and never did reach your status." 

"An awkward day," said Rep. Jim Nussle of Iowa, in charge of the trans 

ition to Republican rule. 

An end and a beginning, another Republican observed. "This is not a ha 

ppy business," said Rep. Henry, Hyde. "This is a tough business. 

The 103rd Congress is the 11th to meet in lame-duck, post-election ses 

sion in the 61 years since they were automatic. 

Such sessions are rarely innovative, though an extraordinary notion di 

d crop up in the Senate on Wednesday - provoking an intraparty spat that stood o 

ut in a week of mannered camaraderie. 

It started when one senator said the trade debate, 20 repetitive 

hours on issues that have been argued off and on for a year, might 

actually determine whether he'll vote yes or no. 

And he wanted to be assured of some time to discuss it himself. 

But Sen. Ernest Hollings, who sprang the parliamentary trap that force 

d the session in the first place, said he had no time to cede to the undecided. 

"They can listen." 

Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, a fellow Democrat, found that arrogant. 

"There are those of us who reserve the right to make up our minds duri 

ng the debate," Exon said. "I know that is a revolutionary idea to take place in 

the United States Senate.' 

Then again, the times are revolutionary. Republicans are taking full c 

ontrol. They'd had six years in Senate power during Ronald Reagan's presidency, 

so the sense of upheaval there didn't match that in the House, Democratic since 

1954. 

That prompted the wake-like atmosphere Rep. Bill Richardson, re-electe 

d from New Mexico, discerned among his Democratic colleagues. 

While GATT was the business, goodbye was the word. 

"This is my last press conference," said retiring House Speaker Thomas 

Foley, not an original line; a bitter, beaten Richard M. Nixon spoke it angrily 

in 1962. But Foley spoke it with a "sense of satisfaction and pride" in his 30year 

House career, regrets notwithstanding. 

Until 1933, there was a lame duck session every election year. The vot 

ers elected a new Congress in November, but didn't get one until March 4 of the 

following year. Until then, the old Congress stayed in power, including the lame 

ducks the voters had beaten. 

While that often led only to stalling, it lasted until the "lame duck" 

constitutional amendment was ratified the year Franklin D. Roosevelt took offic 

e, so that new Congresses take office in January. 

But the old way prevailed one last time; FDR's Hundred Days of bill to comb 

at the Depression had to wait out the lame ducks. 

Walter R. Mears, vice president and columnist for The Associated Press, has 

reported on Washington and national politics for more than 30 years. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Passes World Trade Pact by Hefty Margin 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate approved and sent to President Clinton on Thur 

sday night a historic 124-nation trade agreement that will slash tariffs worldwi 

de. 

The Senate gave final congressional approval to the General Agreement on Tariffs 

and Trade on a vote of 76-24. The House had voted approval of the accord Tuesda 

y. 

The controversial trade vote split Nebraska's senators. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Ne 

b., said he'd vote against GATT, warning that "passage of this agreement holds n 

othing but peril for the new five-year Farm Bill that must be passed in 1995." H 

e noted that Nebraska's corn, hog and cattle producers favor the agreement, but 

wheat, milk and soybean producers were opposed. 

GATT would reduce government supports to farmers that currently cost tax-pa 

yers in wealthy countries an estimated $160 billion a year. Supporters say U.S. 

farmers will find their products more competitive on overseas markets. 

Exon said he isn't so sure. "While many farm groups support passage of this 

agreement, it seems we have been down this road before," he said. "The promise 

of a pot of gold for American farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfu 

lfilled." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb, supported GATT. 


a delegates including 3rd District Rep. Bill Barrett. 

President Clinton, badly in need of a congressional victory to lift his bat 

tered fortunes following the November elections, had worked throughout the day t 

o convince wavering lawmakers to support the deal. 

"The bottom line is we just can't isolate ourselves from the rest of the wo 

rld," Senate Republican leader Bob Dole said before the Senate began voting. 



AUTH[C.David Kotok 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Talk Turns to the Future as Ex-Senators Honored 

TEXT[ A curtain call for former U.S. Sens. Roman Hruska and Carl Curtis on Thurs 

day found several potential GOP contenders for the 1996 Senate race waiting in t 

he wings. 

With more than 300 Republicans paying tribute to the two former GOP se 

nators and celebrating the party's November victories, the positioning for a 199 

6 challenge to Democratic Sen. J.J.Exon was under way. 

The dinner at the Holiday Convention Centre, 72nd and Grover Streets, 

benefitted Attorney General Don Stenberg, who carried $33,000 of a $187,000 debt 

from 1990 into the event. 

Stenberg said in an interview that he had been encouraged as he sought 

a second term this year as attorney general to consider running for the Senate 

or governor. 

Stenberg is not the only one looking forward to the next election. Chu

ck Hagel, an Omaha investment banker; Dr. Jerry Schenken, state GOP chairman; an 

d Jan Stoney, the 1994 Senate candidate, are expected to make early decisions ne 

xt year about 1996. 

U.S. Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., signaled the day after the Nov. 8 election 

that he would take a serious look at challenging Exon, a former two-term govern 

or completing his third Senate term. Bereuter appeared to be staking out a poten 

tial issue earlier this week when he said no Nebraska House or Senate member cou 

ld possibly oppose the new world trade treaty, the General Agreement on Tariffs 

and Trade, which was passed by the Senate Thursday. 

Exon was the only member of the Nebraska and Iowa congressional delegations 


At the Hruska-Curtis event Thursday night, Stenberg said the tradition of o 

ne Senate seat being held by an Omaha resident (currently Sen. Bob Kerrey)work a 

gainst a Republican challenge from Omaha to Exon in 

two years. 

"There is a historic tradition to the Senate in Nebraska," Stenberg said. " 

Is that tradition just a sign of years gone by? With a governor (Ben Nelson) fro 

m Omaha and one senator from Omaha, an Omahan running against Exon would be at a 

disadvantage," Stenberg said. 

The Omaha dominated 2nd Congressional District "is just one-third of the st 

ate." Stenberg said. "I'm not sure all three top officials should come from one 

district." 

Hagel, who also was part of the program, said an anti-Omaha sentiment shoul 

d not apply to him since he spent his first 22 years growing up in the 3rd Congr 

essional District. The most important issue will be which Republican is most qua 

lified to be the Republican Senate nominee, said Hagel. He is president of McCar 

thy & Co. and a former official in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reag 

an and George Bush. 

Hagel said he would meet with other potential candidates and make a determi 

nation early next year. That is the same time frame for Mrs. Stoney and Schenken 

. 

Mrs. Stoney, who lost to Kerrey in her first bid for public office, was on 

vacation and did not attend the dinner. Andy Abboud, her 1994 campaign manager, 

said Mrs. Stoney is giving another Senate bid serious consideration. 

"She will make a decision early next year," Abboud said. "I'm sure there wi 

ll be some sort of public service in her future." 

Dr. Schenken, the two-term state GOP chairman, said he would not discuss hi 

s personal political plans until a replacement is selected next February. 

While the potential 1996 Republican candidates were staking out positions, 

Hruska and Curtis were paying respect to each other for the 22 years they served 

together as Nebraska's tandem of Republican senators. 

The dinner was billed as a joint 90th birthday for Hruska, who turned 90 in 

August, and Curtis, who will be 90 next March. As it turned out, Thursday, also 

was the 22nd anniversary of Curtis marriage to his wife, Mildred. 

Former Gov. Charles Thone suggested that Hruska and Curtis flip a coin to s 

ee who will run in 1996. Thone noted that either Hruska or Curtis is younger tha 

n Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C. 

Letters of appreciation were sent from a number of GOP leaders, including f 

ormer President Gerald Ford and Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. Dav 

id and Julie Eisenhower noted under their signatures that they are admirals in t 

he Nebraska Navy.

A letter that brought significant applause came from the newest Republican 

official, State Auditor John Breslow. Breslow, who changed parties after the ele 

ction, did not attend the dinner. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GATT's Impact in the Details--in Prune Juice, Beer, Bayonets 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Forget the grand words about how GATT would set loose a " 

powerful wind of economic freedom." Imagine instead that it could usher in the g 

olden age of American prune juice. 

Beneath the glowing principles of GATT is a mountain of minutia, a collecti 

on of exotic and ordinary things that trading nations say should become cheaper 

for nearly everyone. 

Consider: Beer drinkers abroad should be able to load up on Bud withou 

t losing their shirts. And after all these years, American swine livers should f 

inally be within reach of the average European shopper. 

There's something in the deal for Americans, too. They should get a bi 

t of abreak on imported garlic, tulip bulbs, refrigerators, bamboo luggage and p 

ig fat. 

There are good times ahead for bicyclists needing inner tubes. And U.S 

. duties on bulldozers, bayonets, buttons and bras will come down, some a little 

, some a lot. 

IT'S ALL spelled out in tariff schedules stacked at the U.S. Trade Rep 

resentative's Office - the ultimate catalogue of what the world makes and buys. 

The Senate approved the agreement Thursday by a vote of 76-24. Nebrask 

a's senators split on the decision, with Bob Kerrey supporting GATT and Jim Exon 

voting against it. The House passed the accord on 

Tuesday. 

U.S. supporters talk of the opportunities it will bring to American ex 

porters, especially farmers who will be able to sell more to Japan and Europe an 

d high-tech companies poised for gains in long-protected markets. 

Beyond that, Japanese duties will drop to 14.4 percent from 22.5 perce 

nt on American prune juice, to zero from 15 percent on beer, and to zero from 24 

.5 percent on whiskey. 

CRITICS SAY even the limited round of U.S. tariff and quota cuts will 

put thousands of jobs at risk in the textile, dairy and other import-sensitive i 

ndustries already reeling from foreign competition. 

"I went out to buy toys for my god-children last weekend - couldn't fi 

nd a single one made in America," Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio said. "Ca 

nned fruit from Thailand, VCRs from Japan. It's hard to find an American product 

to buy." 

U.S. duties are already low by world standards so benefits to American 

consumers are expected to be modest. Still, officials suggest even little price 

cuts could save families a few hundred dollars a year. 

So let's go GATT shopping. 

Imagine a mall stocked with items described in the 1,281 pages of the 

U.S. tariff schedule (17 pages on chocolate alone).

IN THE GROCERY store, imported steak is 10 percent cheaper. Frozen cuts of 

foreign chicken are down 4.4 cents a kilogram. Cinnamon and molasses are down al 

most imperceptibly. Imported toilet paper is 3.5 percent cheaper. 

Now the toy store. Stuffed dolls, electric trains, robots, monsters, tea se 

ts, crossword puzzle books and kites - all now subject to a 6.8 percent duty - a 

re duty free in the mall, most of them immediately. 

In the clothing store, shoppers must pick carefully to reap the benefits of 

GATT. 

The 18.8 percent duty on women's cotton suits is dropping by half over 10 y 

ears, but the 12.2 percent duty on cotton dresses is going down less than a perc 

entage point. 

Duties are being halved on men's wool suits. And if the suit is a synthetic 

-wool blend, the entire duty - 77.2 cents a kilogram plus 20 percent of the suit 

's value - will be eliminated. 

Then there are items not to be found at a mall. 

Somebody might benefit from the duty reduction on this item: "Human hair, u 

nworked, whether or not washed or scoured." Same deal on "waste of human hair." 

If all that makes a person want to celebrate, foreign fireworks will be che 

aper, too. 



AUTH[Walter Pincus 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Panel Head Presses Clinton, CIA to Close Gap 

TEXT[ The outgoing chairman of the House intelligence committee believes a " 

serious" gap has grown between the president and the CIA, and it needs to be clo 

sed. 

Rep. Dan Glickman (D-Kan.), in an interview looking back on his six years o 

n the committee, the last two as chairman, said, "There is a serious distance be 

tween the White House and the CIA" that is harmful to President Clinton, the age 

ncy and the development of foreign policy. 

This is not the first time officials have expressed concern about Clinton's 

relationship with the CIA although Glickman is the first knowledgeable official 

to discuss it publicly. As an example of the problem, Glickman said Clinton and 

CIA Director R. James Woolsey should have cooperated more closely in the case o 

f confessed spy Aldrich H. Ames. 

"The magnitude of the losses cried out for more active White House particip 

ation," Glickman said. Instead he added, "Woolsey did it all by himself which mi 

nimized its qualitative and quantitative importance." 

Glickman said Anthony Lake, Clinton's national security adviser, "needs to 

sit down and do a reevaluation of the role between the White House and the agenc 

y . . . and decide how to close the relationship." He said it ought to be done b 

efore the new Republican-controlled Congress goes into session in January. 

"This is not all the White House's fault," Glickman said. Woolsey "could ta 

ke some initiative," he said, while declining to provide details. 

Woolsey rarely sees the president but has a weekly Wednesday afternoon sess 

ion with Lake. Early in the administration, the White House canceled scheduled C 

IA intelligence briefings, and agency officials complained privately that the ca

ncellations illustrated Clinton's lack of interest in intelligence and foreign p 

olicy. Late in 1993, Lake responded by designing the morning briefings to includ 

e a 15-minute CIA presentation three times a week. 

Woolsey has had a hard time on Capitol Hill the past two years and was 

sharply criticized recently by the Senate intelligence committee for the mildne 

ss of the punishments handed out to active and retired agency personnel involved 

in the Ames case. 

Woolsey's problems on the Hill and lack of a personal relationship wit 

h Clinton have fueled speculation in Congress and the administration that the di 

rector could be replaced in coming months. Glickman refused to discuss that. Ask 

ed about Glickman's comments, White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers said yes 

terday, "The CIA has served the president well and we expect that to continue." 

While acknowledging the Ames case illustrated that "clearly there have been prob 

lems at the agency, Woolsey has undertaken some changes." 

A CIA spokesman declined to comment on Glickman's statements. 

Myers also said members of a congressionally mandated presidential com 

mission to study intelligence in the post-Cold War world are about to be named. 

Les Aspin, former defense secretary and now chairman of the President's For 

eign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB), is to be chairman. Former senator Warr 

en B. Rudman (R-N.H.), vice chairman of PFIAB, is to be vice chairman of the new 

group. In addition, the other 10 members of the PFIAB will be regular or ex off 

icio members of the 17-member panel. 

According to congressional sources, the eight panel members to be named by 

the House and Senate leaders from both parties include: Sen. John W. Warner (R-V 

a.), who wrote the legislation that created the panel; Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb 

.), a longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; former senator Wyc 

he Fowler Jr. (D-Ga.), once a member of the House intelligence committee; Rep. N 

orman D. Dicks (D-Wash.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and fo 

rmer representative Tony Coehlo (D-Calif.). 

In the Ames case, Glickman said, the lack of close White House/CIA rel 

ations meant the agency ended up "looking weaker than it should be and the publi 

c has less faith in it." He added it was ironic that Woolsey has "the Ames case 

hanging around his neck when it really occurred while [William J.] Casey, [Willi 

am H.] Webster, and [Robert M.] Gates were directors." 

Glickman, defeated for reelection last month, said the Permanent Select Com 

mittee on Intelligence-its formal name-under GOP leadership "will do an aggressi 

ve job" investigating why senior Republican members were misled several years ag 

o when they asked CIA officials about the apparent loss of Soviet agents. 

The intelligence committee's report on its investigation into the CIA' 

s handling of the Ames case, released Wednesday, charged there was "a pattern of 

lack of candor by senior CIA officials in answering questions of committee memb 

ers about the losses of Soviet assets." The report described five times between 

1988 and 1992 when inquiring members were misled or not given information known 

to the CIA about losses of agents and operations that were finally disclosed to 

Congress earlier this year after Ames was arrested. 

Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) was apparently one of those misled while he was ra 

nking Republican on the intelligence panel during the 1990-1992 period. Although 

he refused to provide details, Shuster said in a telephone interview the "repor 

t was accurate" and he was "very unhappy with the CIA." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Split on GATT Approval 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Congress has overwhelmingly approved a 124-nation, tariff-slas 

hing trade pact and while Nebraska's five congressmen said they didn't completel 

y support the deal, only one voted against it. 

The Senate voted 68-32 Thursday night to waive budget rules in order t 

o consider the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade, with Sen. Bob Kerrey votin 

g 'Yes' and Sen. Jim Exon 'No.' The two cast the same votes as the Senate approv 

ed the pact 76-24. 


cent worldwide on thousands of food and manufactured products. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Split Over GATT 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Congress has overwhelmingly approved a 124-nation, tariffslashing 

trade pact and while Nebraska's five congressmen said they didn't compl 

etely support the deal, only one voted against it. 






ited States has something to lose but certainly much to gain as we reduce our tr 

ade barriers still further..." Kerrey said on the Senate floor. In turn, the Uni 

ted States secures from other GATT nations "the obligation to provide even great 

er access to their markets." 

Kerrey also said the United States would see more employment, income and ta 

x revenue under the GATT. 


cent worldwide on thousands of food and manufactured products. The Clinton admin 

istration has said this represents the largest global tax cut in history, a redu 

ction in customs duties of $744 billion. 

A permanent World Trade Organization would enforce rulings in trade dispute 

s. 

In agriculture, the GATT would reduce government supports to farmers that c 

urrently cost taxpayers in wealthy countries an estimated $160 billion a year. S 

upporters say U.S. farmers will find their products more competitive on overseas 

markets. 





Exon also said he didn't like the structure of the world trade organiz

ation. 

He cited a hypothetical dispute between the United States and Bangladesh th 

at would go to a three-nation panel for a binding decision. 

Exon said such situations would "stack the deck" against the United States 

"since most countries want unlimited access to the coveted U.S. market." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Conscience Dictates 'No' Vote 

TEXT[Washington - Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, announced opp 

osition Thursday to waiving a budget rule to permit a $15 billion loss in U.S. t 

ariffs over 10 years under a new international trade agreement. 

Exon said he opposed both the waiver and the agreement itself. 

Harkin said he opposed the waiver while supporting the accord, the General 

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

I think the good - at least for the state of Iowa - outweighs the bad, 

" Harkin said at a press conference. "My main objection is that it is deficit-fi 

nanced." 

A Senate rule required that the bill include provisions making up for lost 

tariff revenue. Senators needed 60 votes to waive this rule, while passing GATT 

itself required only a simple majority. Senators Thursday voted 68-32 on the bud 

get rule and 76-24 on GATT itself. 

Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Bob Kerrey. D-Neb., announced earlier t 

his week that they would support both the budget waiver and the agreement. 

Exon, in a press conference, said he stayed up until 2 a.m. writing a speec 

h on his opposition to GATT. 

"The more I study it, the more convinced my conscience dictates 'no'," Exon 

said. 

"Primarily I am concerned about busting the budget once again," he said. "T 

he first thing we do is come back here and see the Republican leadership in both 

the House and Senate say we are going to balance the budget ... then bust the b 

udget wide open." 

Exon said he also was concerned about the loss of U.S. sovereignty in 

a World Trade Organization, which GATT would create. In WTO the United States wi 

ll be one of 124 nations with one vote and no veto. 

"There are some good things in this agreement that might - and I empha 

size might - provide some help for agriculture," Exon said. "The promise of a po 

t of gold for American farmers in foreign markets has been a promise unfulfilled 

." 

But, he said, GATT contained provisions helping the U.S. banking, insu 

rance and financial services industries. It also would protect intellectual and 

other property rights for U.S. technology, he said. 

Harkin said he had no doubt that the agreement would benefit Iowa farm 

ers and appliance manufacturers. 

But, he said, both supporters and opponents of GATT have exaggerated t 

heir claims.

Exon said the agreement prohibits exports of goods made by prison labo 

r but allows exports made by children working for 50 cents an hour. "We protect 

criminals but not the kids," he said. 

Harkin said he has long advocated postponing action until the new Cong 

ress convenes next year to vote on a fully funded agreement. 

He disputed arguments that a rule limiting debate on the bill and proh 

ibiting amendments expires this year. 

"The vote to uphold the point of order on the budget waiver does not kill t 

he agreement. It only delays it," Harkin said. 

Exon said he was concerned that GATT would accelerate the loss of U.S. manu 

facturing jobs with provisions encouraging U.S. companies to seek low-cost labor 

in other countries. 

"The free-trade gurus live in a world where workers are simply a cost of pr 

oductions" Exon said. 

Exon said calls to his office were about nine-to-one opposed to GATT. 

But, he said, his personal surveys led him to believe Nebraskans were about 

equally divided. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[States Seek to Regain Some Power 

TEXT[Lincoln - A movement by state officials to wrest some power from Washington 

may flourish in a climate of change in the nation's capitals Gov. Nelson and ot 

her officials say. 

Nelson and Gov. Mike Leavitt of Utah, two leaders of the movement, will pro 

pose Monday that a conference of states be held to discuss taking power from the 

federal government. 

The significance of such a conference is documented by history. 

The last one was in 1786, when five of the 13 states met to deal with a percepti 

on that the federal government was too weak. It led to the Constitutional Conven 

tion in Philadelphia the next year. 

Now many governors and other state and federal officials agree that the pen 

dulum of power has swung too far the other way. 

"States are no longer competitive forces able to act as a check and balance 

to the federal government" says an action plan for the proposed conference. 

"It's clear that our government has really been changed by 180 degrees, sai 

d Richard Duncan, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Nebrask 

a-Lincoln. "We don't have the kind of government that the Constitution was desig 

ned to give us." 

The advent of a Republican-controlled Congress in 1995 should help the 

cause of state leaders who want more "balanced competition," as they call it, i 

n governing the nation, Nelson and Leavitt said. 

Republican leadership in Congress has vowed to downsize the federal governm 

ent. Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who will become House speaker, voiced his suppor 

t of the Conference of the States at a recent national governors conference. 

"We probably would have gotten this done with the previous Congress," Nelso 

n said. "But because the Republican rhetoric has been so strong, whatever our ch

ances were in the past, they're excellent now." 

Nelson, a Democrat, has been at the forefront of the movement to get s 

tates to band together to pressure Congress into giving up some of its control. 

Monday he will join with Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, a Republican, to prop 

ose to the Council of State Governments that a summit be called. The meeting wou 

ld be aimed at harnessing the states' discontent into formal action. 

Nelson is president of the council, which is meeting in Pinehurst, N.C. 

If approved, a "resolution of participation" would be filed in each state l 

egislature during the 1995 session. If the resolution passed a majority of the l 

egislatures, a Conference of the States nonprofit corporation would be formed to 

establish rules and select a site. 

Promoters of the 1995 conference say there would be historical symbolism in 

holding it in Annapolis, Md., the site of the 1786 conference. 

The conference would have five representatives from each state, including t 

he governors. 

From the proposed conference would emerge a "states' petition" that would h 

ave no force of law or binding authority. But it would gain political authority 

"from the sheer power of the process the states follow to initiate it," says the 

governors action plan. 

If three-fourths of the states' legislatures pass resolutions approving it, 

the petition would be presented to Congress for action as early as l996. 

"Ignoring the petition would signal to the states an intolerable arrogance 

on the part of Congress," says the governors action plan. 

The governors plan does not propose a full-fledged constitutional conv 

ention, like the one in 1787 that followed the last Conference of the States. 

"The threat is implicit in this approach," said Jan Vermeer, professor of p 

olitical science at Nebraska Wesleyan University. 

Nelson and Leavitt are adamant that the states' movement needs to be b 

ipartisan, needs to steer clear of special interest groups and should not attemp 

t to swing the pendulum too far by proposing too much authority for the states. 

In their action plan to be presented Monday, the governors suggest tha 

t the conference focus on "process amendments" that would give the states more e 

qual footing. 

An example would be a proposal to give states the power to over rule a 

ny federal law - except those dealing with defense and foreign affairs - by a pe 

tition of two thirds of the state legislatures. 

Another would be to add a sentence to the Constitution clearly stating 

that courts have responsibility to interpret the boundaries between national an 

d state authority. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states must defend against feder 

al encroachment by lobbying Congress, rather than filing actions in court. State 

s are then treated "like any special interest group," the governors say in their 

action plan. 

Nelson said he and Leavitt are hoping that a vote Monday or Tuesday by 

the delegates at the Council of State Governments would set the plan in motion. 

Leavitt said Friday that opposition to the conference was sure to deve 

lop. 

"There are people who believe strongly in centralized control," Leavit 

t said. "I expect some will object." 

Leavitt has talked to all other governors to explain the concept and get th 

eir input. "The larger states are very much on board," Leavitt said.

Leavitt and Nelson have had the deepest involvement as the plan has em 

erged over the past six months, Leavitt said. 

Partially, the conference idea evolved from Nelson's proposal to have a nat 

ional conference on government efficiency, similar to one that he sponsored at t 

he state level in November of 1993. That conference resulted in a Mandates Relie 

f Initiative, requiring state agencies to develop strategies to relieve local go 

vernments of state-mandated programs. 

"That clearly was one of the factors that had me think of this summit and C 

onference of the States," Nelson said. 

The conference concept was endorsed earlier in the summer by the National G 

overnors' Conference and the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

The Council of State Governments was chosen to take action on the plan beca 

use it includes governors, state legislators and other state government official 

s, Leavitt said. 

Unlike the national governors and legislators groups, the council does not 

lobby Congress, Leavitt said. "It's important that the group was more involved i 

n the intellectual exercise of government," he said. 

Six state senators from Nebraska are attending the Pinehurst conference. 

To be successful, the nation's governors will need to be highly organized a 

nd persistent, said Congressman Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. 

"The governors, collectively and on both sides of the aisle, need to be str 

enuously in support," Bereuter said. 

"Legislatures are prone to pass these kinds of things (resolutions) freely, 

" he said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said states need to be concerned that the federal g 

overnment could react by dumping problems on the states without giving them reso 

urces to handle them. 

"If I was a governor, I would be concerned today because we have a budget p 

roblem at the federal level," Exon said. "I think the states are in some peril t 

oday." 

"That is one of our main concerns," Nelson said. 

Nelson said there was value in having two former Nebraska governors - Exon 

and Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. - in the Senate, because they understand the state's 

problems. 

Besides the favorable climate in Congress, the governors believe 1995 is go 

od timing to push their initiative because it is not an election year. 

"We have just finished a highly partisan political year that has left the c 

itizenry cynical and distrustful of government," the action plan states. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Passes Tariff-Slashing GATT Accord 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate overwhelmingly approved a historic 124-nation, 

tariff-slashing trade agreement Thursday night, bringing to a close a strife-fi 

lled 103rd Congress with a rare note of bipartisan unity. 

President Clinton called the vote a "victory for America" and said he 

hopes it is a harbinger of cooperation between his administration and Republican

s who soon will assume control of Congress. Final congressional approval to the 

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) came on a 

76-24 vote in the Senate. The House on Tuesday had approved the accord, the most 

sweeping rewrite of global trading rules in four decades. 

Congressional leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, joined Clinton at a 

victory celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. 

"Let's make the GATT vote the first vote of a new era of cooperat 

ion on,"said Clinton, , n whowas joined by Democrats and Republicans alike in a 

victory celebration on the South Lawn ofthe White House. "America's best days ar 

e ahead of us." 

Clinton said the GATT agreement would increase world trade, bring 

ing new, high-wage jobs to the United States. 

Departing Senate Democratic Leader George Mitchell said the vote 

sends a signal to the world that America and its workers remain the world's lead 

ers. "We do not fear competition; we welcome it. We do not shrink from the futur 

e; we welcome that," Mitchell said. 

Republican Leader Sen. Bob Dole, who will assume Mitchell's post 

as majority leader in January, said the vote was an example of how bipartisanshi 

p can work. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Applauds Defense Spending Increase 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton's pledge to seek a $25 billion increase in d 

efense spending over six years won praise Thursday from Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb., 

a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

"I am delighted the president has come forth with that proposal," Exon said 

at a press conference. 

But Exon said he would use his position next year as ranking minority membe 

r of the Senate Budget Committee to insist that spending increases be matched by 

cuts in other programs. 

Clinton said the $25 billion would cover part of the $40 billion needed for 

annual inflation and to pay for a military pay raise approved by Congress. The 

Pentagon's budget this year was $264 billion. 

Exon said he would oppose any program or project that would increase the na 

tional debt. 

"When Ronald Reagan became president of the United States, the nationa 

l debt was under $1 trillion. Now here we are 14 years later, and we are at $4.7 

trillion. 

"I am very fearful that the Republicans may be going back to doing what's p 

opular with the public and let the ever skyrocketing national debt be damned." 




SOUR[The Grand Island Independent

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate passes GATT 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate overwhelmingly approved a historic 124-nation, 

tariff-slashing trade agreement Thursday night, bringing to a close a strife-fi 

lled 103rd Congress with a rare note of bipartisan unity. 

President Clinton called the vote a "victory for America" and said he hopes 

it is a harbinger of cooperation between his administration and Republicans who 

soon will assume control of Congress. 

Final congressional approval to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 

(GATT) came on a 76-24 vote in the Senate. 

The House on Tuesday had approved the accord, the most sweeping rewrite of globa 

l trading rules in four decades. 

Congressional leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, joined Clinton at a 

victory celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. 

"Let's make the GATT vote the first vote of a new era of cooperation," said 

Clinton. "America's best days are ahead of us." 

The president said the GATT agreement would increase world trade, bringing 

new, high-wage jobs to the United States. 

Departing Senate Democratic Leader George Mitchell said the vote sends a si 

gnal to the world that America and its workers remain the world's leaders. "We d 

o not fear competition; we welcome it. We do not shrink from the future; we welc 

ome that," Mitchell said. 

Republican Leader Sen. Bob Dole, who will assume Mitchell's post as ma 

jority leader in January, said the vote was an example of how bipartisanship can 

work. 

"This was not about some new world order," Dole said. "This was about 

jobs and opportunities for Americans. It was all about trade. All about the futu 

re. All about America. And all about our place in the world." 

Just minutes before the final vote, the Senate voted 68-32 to waive it 

s budget rules and remove the last procedural motion standing in the way of GATT 

's passage. Sixty votes were needed for the crucial budget waiver. On it, the ac 

cord was supported by 31 Republicans and 37 Democrats and was opposed by 15 Repu 

blicans and 17 Democrats. 

Clinton, badly in need of a congressional victory to lift his battered 

fortunes following the November elections, had worked throughout the day to con 

vince wavering lawmakers to support the deal. 

Opponents charged that the approval of the global trade agreement was 

a serious setback to American workers and could cause middle class voters to tur 

n against both parties. 

"I think today's vote will mark the turning point in the breakup of th 

e two-party system by new political forces soon to be unleashed," consumer activ 

ist Ralph Nader said. "This vote has to be seen as a repudiation of the majority 

of the American people and a victory for global corporations." 

The 124-nation trade agreement cuts tariffs by an average of 38 percen 

t worldwide, and for the first time extends GATT rules to such new areas as redu 

ction of trade-distorting agriculture subsidies, lowering trade barriers in serv 

ice industries, such as banking and clamping down on copyright piracy. 

It also creates a more powerful World Trade Organization to referee tr 

ade disputes and eliminates the one-country veto that a losing nation could use 

to block an adverse ruling. 

Supporters said the agreement, by cutting the border taxes Americans h

ave to pay while at the same time lowering barriers U.S. businesses and farmers 

face overseas, would provide a tremendous boost to the U.S. economy. 

The Clinton administration estimated this would create a half-million 

new jobs and mean an annual increase of $150 billion in U.S. economic growth a d 

ecade from now, when the deal is fully implemented. That extra growth would put 

$1,700 more a year in the pockets of the average family, the administration said 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey split on trade pact 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska's two Democratic senators split as the U.S. Senate Th 

ursday night approved a 124-nation, tariff-slashing trade pact to close the 103r 

d Congress. 

The Senate voted 68-32 to waive budget rules in order to consider the 

GATT, with Sen. Bob Kerrey voting 'Yes' and Sen. Jim Exon 'No.' The two cast the 

same votes as the Senate approved the pact 76-24. 


ited States has something to lose but much to gain as we reduce our trade barrie 

rs still further..." Kerrey said on the Senate floor. In turn, the United States 

secures from other GATT nations "the obligation to provide even greater access 

to their markets." 







A permanent World Trade Organization would enforce rulings in trade di 

sputes. 


hat currently cost taxpayers in wealthy countries an estimated $160 billion a ye 

ar. Supporters say U.S. farmers will find their products more competitive on ove 

rseas markets. 





Exon also criticized the agreement's ban on exports made by prison lab 

or while allowing exports of goods made by children who work for 50 cents per ho 

ur. 

"Now that's something that we all can be proud of. We protect criminal 

s but not the kids," Exon said on the Senate floor. 

. 

Exon said he didn't like the structure of the world trade organization

He cited a hypothetical dispute between the United States and Banglade 

sh that would go to a three-nation panel for a binding decision. 

Exon said such situations would "stack the deck" against the United St 

ates "since most countries want unlimited access to the coveted U.S. market." 

But Kerrey said there needed to be "some teeth" in the enforcement of 

settling international trade disputes. He also said he wasn't completely happy w 

ith the pact. 





The House passed the measure Tuesday, with the support of all three Ne 

braska delegates. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Trade Vote Will Expand Opportunities 

TEXT[An important battle has been won. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Tra 

de measure has passed the House and the Senate by wide margins. The victory was 

a tribute to bipartisan cooperation and common-sense legislating. 

U.S. acceptance of the agreement was seen as a key to its approval in other 

parts of the world. A delay, many observers feared, would signal an unfortunate 

step toward isolationism in America. Some people worried that congressional Rep 

ublicans, encouraged by their gains in last month's elections, would attempt to 

embarrass President Clinton by sidetracking the legislation. 

Congress came through impressively. The 76-24 approval in the Senate and th 

e 288-146 approval in the House constituted a deserved victory for President Cli 

nton - a victory that might not have occurred without Republican votes. 

GOP House members gave the agreement 121 votes of its 288-vote total. Repub 

lican senators gave the measure 35 votes. Those votes secured the victory after 

89 Democrats in the House and 13 in the Senate, including J. James Exon of Nebra 

ska, voted no. 

After GATT is ratified by the 123 other treaty partners, many of whom had w 

aited for the United States to make the first move, tariffs will begin to come d 

own. Over the next 10 years, that should increase opportunities for trade and ge 

nerate economic growth. Some estimates are that GATT could save each U.S. househ 

old $2,000 a year, on the average, by reducing the cost of imported goods. 

Clinton said that GATT should provide new jobs for 150,000 Americans a year 

as trade expands and the agreement is fully implemented. 

The accord would cut tariffs by an average of 38 percent on about 85 percen 

t of all goods and services that move between the participating nations. It woul 

d eliminate trade quotas. It would provide copyright protection for a variety of 

products and, for the first time, reduce trading barriers for agricultural prod 

ucts. It is forward-looking. It opens the door to wider use of electronic commun 

ications. 

Trade is playing an increasingly important role in the American economy. In 

1970, it accounted for about one-eighth of the nation's output of goods and ser 

vices. It's now one-fourth. Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., a supporter of the GATT mea

sure, said that in another 15 years "more than a third of our wealth will, depen 

d entirely on doing business with other nations." 

By approving the GATT measure, the United States has committed itself to a 

worldwide system of open trade. It has rejected the protectionist pressures that 

have arisen in the past decade. It has refused to make a sharp turn toward isol 

ationism, signifying instead that it plans to compete and lead in the global eco 

nomy. GATT is an opportunity. Congratulations to the senators and congressmen wh 

o voted to grasp it. 



AUTH[Le Templar 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Overman caps 25 years of public service 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF- He's saved every scrap of paper from 1,100 City Council meetin 

gs. 

Tucked away in the back storage room, yellow envelopes fill every inch of s 

pace on seven shelves at Don Overman's insurance office. 

Starting on the left, the packages are rather slim. Moving to the right, t 

he envelopes build in bulk. Documents threaten to burst from a few of the packe 

ts. 

A slice of Scottsbluff's history rests here, stretching back 25 years as th 

e city and Overman have matured together. 

"Looking back at those days, the agendas were pretty thin. There was not a 

lot happening," says Scottsbluff's mayor. "The town was not growing like it is 

today." 

Overman's public career will come to a bittersweet end Tuesday night, when 

he raps his gavel for the last time and the City Council chooses a new mayor. 

In his secretary's office, gray, steel cabinets hide other city documents: 

audits, budgets, memos. Somewhere at 21 E. 20th St. is every report and note o 

n city business that has passed through Overman's hands. 

Friends and family say Overman's obsession with these documents is a symbol 

of his commitment to serve the Panhandle. 

Overman has been a City Council member for more than one quarter of Scottsb 

luff's existence. Officials believe his 10 consecutive elections are the most f 

or any mayor of Nebraska's first-class cities.Logging more than 30,000 hours of 

public service, he has crisscrossed the country to lobby for the Twin Cities and 

swapped stories with U.S. presidents and senators, ambassadors and governors. 

All for a man who represents a town of 13,000 people, where the office of m 

ayor is an honorary title. 

The rise from aisle sweeper to local statesman was filled with air pockets. 

But Overman has always confronted personal adversity and the public's temper wi 

th a self-deprecating sense of humor and an iron will. 

One year ago Overman announced that he would retire. He had hoped to become 

a director of the Nebraska Public Power District but lost the election Nov. 8. 

After Tuesday's meeting, Overman will be left without a public office - for 

now. But council member Mark Harris, who likely will be the new mayor, says cit 

y leaders will still rely on Overman's knowledge and experience.

"I assume that as he allows us to, we will be calling on Mayor Overman in a 

n advisory capacity for a long time to come," said Harris. 

"Perhaps sometime down the road someone will begin to accumulate even a fra 

ction of the political savvy and clout that Mayor Overman has, but it is going t 

o take 10, 15 years, a very long time." 

The license plate on Overman's cherry red 1990 Lincoln Town Car is SCB I. O 

n his lapel is a pin with the city logo. 

Dozens of photographs line his office wall; Overman with Presidents Ford, R 

eagan and Bush, Gov. Ben Nelson, Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, and Congressman 

Bill Barrett. 

A proud Republican, Overman has always dealt easily with Democrats. A signe 

d portrait of President Clinton is nestled between Reagan and Bush. 

Knickknacks clutter desks and tables: flags, paperweights and key chains. S 

itting straight in a gray-green office chair, the 64-year-old grandfather speaks 

with candor about growing up during the Great Depression. 

Overman lived with his parents and older brother Jack in a two-bedroom hous 

e in Pittsburg, Kan. He made money from chunks of coal that fell off delivery tr 

ucks. "I would pick up the coal and sell it to the neighbors. I guess I have alw 

ays been a salesman," he said. 

At age 9, an accident left him blind in one eye. He and some friends were t 

ossing corn cobs when one struck Overman's face. Doctors replaced his left eye w 

ith glass. 

His wife, Bernadine, said Overman has never let that injury interfere with 

his dreams. "He's a very optimistic and self-confident person," she said. 

At 14, Overman started working after school as a stock boy at the local Woo 

lworth's store. "I chose to stay with Woolworth's because I knew I would be pres 

ident some day," he said. 

After he graduated from college in 1951, Overman moved to Great Bend, Kan., 

to be an assistant manager for a Woolworth store. That's where he met his futu 

re wife. 

Bernadine was engaged to a sailor stationed overseas, and when Overman prop 

osed, she turned him down, knowing their families would object for religious rea 

sons (He's a Baptist; she's Catholic). 

In 1953, Overman was transferred 600 miles away to Odessa, Texas. He made s 

ix trips back to Great Bend. Each time he asked Bernadine to marry him; each tim 

e she said no. 

Overman remembers his final trip. "I told her this was the last time I was 

going to ask her, and she said no again," he said sadly. "I cried all the way ba 

ck to Texas." 

Two days later, Bernadine called to say she had changed her mind. "I guess 

I decided I liked him, and I felt like I should feel that way about the one I wo 

uld marry," she recalls. 

Their marriage has lasted 41 years, and they have four children: Mark, Barb 

ara, Chris and Donna. The family struggled as Overman pursued his career, moving 

seven times in nine years. 

The Overmans came to Scottsbluff in 1964, where Woolworth was opening a new 

store. After 2 1/2 years, executives were disappointed in sales and forced Over 

man to resign as manager. 

He was hired by Ivan Childs as an insurance agent for Lincoln National Life 

Insurance, and sold more policies in his first year than any other agent in the 

history of the company. Overman saw that as sweet revenge and let his former bo 

sses know about it.

"A year ago, you said you thought I was in the wrong business," Overman tol 

d a Woolworth vice president in 1968. "I thought you were full of it. But I want 

to thank you, because you were right. 

The city of Scottsbluff should thank that nameless executive. Woolworth had 

a strict policy forbidding involvement in politics. Lincoln National allows its 

agents more freedom, which opened the door for him to run for City Council in 1 

969. 

As chairman of the Scottsbluff Noon Kiwanis public affairs committee, Overm 

an convinced the City Council to hire another firefighter for each shift. 

That re-ignited his interest in politics. The first council campaign was fa 

irly simple, with the children placing handbills in doorways. "We did not spend 

any money- we didn't have any." 

After four years, Overman was hooked. He campaigned for his second term on 

the platform that he wanted to be mayor. The council minutes in June 1974 record 

that Overman was elected mayor unanimously. But there was some opposition behin 

d the scenes. 

"I don't think they all really wanted me to be mayor," he said. "But I had 

three votes, and that's all I needed." 

Scottsbluff has a council-manager form of government, so the city manager o 

versees the staff. Every two years the council selects a president to run counci 

l meetings. 

The council president is named mayor to serve as goodwill ambassador. Frank 

Koehler, Scottsbluff's city manager from 1962 to 1989, said before Overman's pr 

edecessor, C.I. Thomas, the title of mayor rotated among the council members. Th 

omas served as mayor for six years, then Overman was chosen. 

"He was very good at recognizing when in effect he could lead, and in effec 

t when the majority of the council thought differently than he did, and accepted 

that," Koehler said. 

Current City Manager Keith Jantz said Overman has perfected the art of comp 

romise by drawing together differing viewpoints to find a solution. 

Jantz points to the yard waste collection program as a prime example. 

The council created the program in late February to comply with state law. 

Changes were made in the garbage collection schedule to accommodate the separati 

on of yard waste. 

Furious residents packed City Hall, but Overman defused their anger by offe 

ring his own plan. 

"He never lost focus of the issue," Jantz said. "He does a good job of list 

ening to what people have to say." 

Overman identifies more than 70 projects and programs that have improved th 

e quality of life in Scottsbluff in his 20 years as mayor. Projects such as Esse 

ntial Air Service, the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument visitors center and t 

he Heartland Expressway all were helped by Overman's contacts and membership on 

national committees. 

But he takes the most pride in the council's decision to encourage construc 

tion of Monument Mall in the mid-1980's and his efforts to open a dialogue with 

Scottsbluff's neighbor to the south of the North Platte River. 

Before 1974, the Scottsbluff and Gering mayors rarely talked to each other. 

"When I first moved here 30 years ago, it used to get kind of nasty at (Sco 

ttsbluff-Gering) football games, downright nasty," he recalled. 

Overman saw the Twin Cities as one community split by the river. He called 

Gering Mayor John McLellan Jr. (also elected in 1974) to start reducing tensions

. 

"Our coming together didn't happen overnight," McLellan said. "We were able 

to establish an ongoing working relationship between the cities that goes on ev 

en today. 

"The cooperation led to an eventual monthly meeting where we talked jointly 

about things that could be done and how we could cooperate." 

Those efforts resulted in the creation of Twin Cities Development, the coun 

ty's consolidated communication center and a joint building inspection departmen 

t. 

Some downtown merchants feared the mall would destroy their businesses. One 

said Overman and Koehler were forcing it down Scottsbluff's throat. 

The mayor no longer hears those complaints. "Without any question it was th 

e difference between the growth of this town and going backward," Overman said. 

"Now there is a spin-off of other businesses in the area." 

"The mall would have happened somewhere," says Koehler, a public administra 

tion instructor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. "It's doing less damage to 

downtown... than if it was located five miles away or south of Gering." 

Overman considered running for Congress when Virginia Smith stepped down in 

1990. But he and Bernadine didn't want to move to Washington, D.C. 

"I didn't want to give up my private life, my family, my grandkids," he sai 

d. "I have done as much for Scottsbluff as mayor as I could have in Congress." 

After his defeat in November, Overman said he doesn't plan to run for publi 

c office again. He will miss the role of mayor, but says he doesn't have any reg 

rets about stepping down. "I've had my day. Let someone else run with the ball." 

But no one believes Overman will just walk away from public life. 

"It will be difficult, and I think he will want to be involved some 

way, somehow," Bernadine said. 



AUTH[Le Templar 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Notable quotes from the mayor's colleagues 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF - As the managing agent for Lincoln-Overman and Associates, Don 

Overman sets his own schedule, meeting clients at their convenience, days, nigh 

ts and weekends. 

His secretary, Betty Bennett, "subsidized" the city's budget by typing most 

of the mayor's correspondence. Overman rarely submits all of his receipts for t 

rips as mayor, usually paying some of the cost out of his own pocket. 

Community and business leaders, family and friends had this to say about Ov 

erman, as a leader and as a person: 

"Our representatives in Lincoln or Washington can hide, but those of us ser 

ving locally can easily be located when a controversial issue appears," said for 

mer Scottsbluff Vice Mayor Marjorie Mandujano. "Don always accepted this extra r 

esponsibility. I'll admit that I was often glad Overman was easier to locate in 

the phone book than Mandujano." 

"Don was always able to balance these demands and make his decision based o 

n the facts and what he felt was the best for all concerned, even if someone los 

t in the end," said council member Robert Glandt "That takes guts."

"Mayor Overman has an uncanny knack that enables him to be the facilitator 

of a solution to many a difficult situation," said council member Mark Harris. " 

Even in times when the council members were in disagreement among themselves, he 

would be the one to step in and initiate a solution where each side felt they h 

ad accomplished some-thing." 

"I doubt if there are many people, even in Scottsbluff, who realize the tim 

e and effort that Don has selflessly put into the air service program," says Ray 

mond Rasenberger, a Washington attorney who represents a national air-service co 

mmittee. "He is a one-man grass-roots campaign. Without his help, I suspect the 

program could very well be dead today." 

The mayor was a founding member of the Friends of Agate Fossil Beds, Inc., 

formed to build a museum and visitors center. 

"Mayor Overman was an active, hard-working member of the board whose leader 

ship highly contributed to the success of the organization and its project," sai 

d JoAnn Kyral, former superintendent of Agate Fossil Beds and the Scotts Bluff N 

ational Monument 

The Rev. Floyd Sauer, executive director of the Northfield Villa in Gering, 

called on his next-door neighbor when a new retirement center in Scottsbluff, t 

he Residency, was in the planning stages. "(Overman) helped us with the rezoning 

of the property as well as with the municipal bond issue and other areas," Saue 

r said. 

"He clearly knew the importance of Lockwood (Corp.) to the community as he 

had been personally part of the community stock subscription that had saved the 

company in 1988," said Lockwood's president, Bruce Wood. "During the dark days o 

f January 1993, when Lockwood faced certain closure, Dan supported Lockwood by c 

learing his schedule and traveling to Omaha to be with us in bankruptcy court." 

"Never have the boundaries of our political parties prevented us from worki 

ng together to mend the fences of our joint property," said U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey 

said. 

"The Agate National Fossil Beds, the Scottsbluff Monument, the Heartland Ex 

pressway, and River Run are legacies to your vision, and at the end of the day, 

your desire to build your city, not your party." 

"Mayor Don Overman's legend is of a man who will be remembered for being an 

ethical public servant who has given his all for the betterment of his communit 

y and its men, women and children," said Jim Exon, who has worked with Overman f 

or 20 years as governor and U.S. senator. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Stockyards Issue in Mayor Race 

TEXT[Brenda Council, a candidate for Omaha mayor, said Monday that a plan propos 

ed by Hal Daub, her opponent, to turn the South Omaha stockyards into an industr 

ial park could harm the area by creating unneeded waste sites for hazardous mate 

rials. 

"It smacks of the establishment of unsafe and unhealthy toxic types of indu 

stries in South Omaha," Ms. Council said following her press conference at the P 

olish Home, 25th and L Streets. 

"It reminds us of the establishment of the old paunch manure site here in S

outh Omaha," she said. "That's what South Omahans want to move away from. They d 

on't want to see their community viewed as the place where you establish those k 

inds of businesses. 

In response, Daub said in an interview that his vision is to create a moder 

n and environmentally sound industrial tract that would bring high-paying, blue- 

collar and white-collar manufacturing and industrial jobs to South Omaha. 

"The best space available happens to be the current area described as the o 

ld stockyards, which has already had some very modern commercial activity built 

there," Daub said. "It's in that way that we can concentrate on our river corrid 

or, particularly in South Omaha, where new and modern facilities are needed." 

Ms. Council said there may be a way to incorporate the stockyards and the L 

ivestock Exchange building in a redevelopment plan for South Omaha. She said she 

did not want to impose her views on the area but rather wanted to listen to the 

residents of South Omaha and the entire city about what form that development s 

hould take. 

Daub said Ms. Council was uninformed about the potential of develop-ment in 

South Omaha. 

"It's she who is defending the status quo," he said. "It's she who isn't wi 

lling to embrace positive change. She has no plan and no new ideas. She's only c 

riticizing me." 

Ms. Council and Daub face each other in a Dec. 13 runoff election to replac 

e former Mayor P.J. Morgan. 

The issue of development in South Omaha arose during a press conference in 

which Ms. Council received endorsements from Sen. J.J. Exon, former Rep. John Ca 

vanaugh, State Sen. Don Priester of Omaha, City Councilman Paul Koneck, Douglas 

County Clerk Tom Cavanaugh, Douglas County Register of Deeds George Buglewicz, O 

maha school board member Bernie Kolasa and several South Omahans. 

Standing with his arm around Ms. Council's shoulder, Exon predicted that th 

e mayor's race would be decided in South Omaha. He said Ms. Council has proven t 

hat she understands the needs of the area, and the entire city. 

John Cavanaugh said Ms. Council's candidacy gives voters the chance to vote 

for a candidate, rather than choose the lesser of two evils. 

Cavanaugh said she was the most prepared candidate he has ever seen run for 

the Mayor's Office because of her involvement in school, city and community aff 

airs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[New Senate Ag Leader Plans Review of Farm Programs, Including Cuts 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Richard Lugar, R-ind., incoming chairman of the Senate Ag 

riculture Committee, has informed the Budget Committee chairman that he plans a 

thorough "bottom-up" review of farm programs with an eye toward cutting or even 

eliminating federal farm programs and replacing them with block grants. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said 

he welcomes Lugar's approach. "I hope other chairmen are as aggressive as Lugar 

is in putting their budgets on the table," Kerrey said. "I think it's an excell 

ent starting point, looking at all options."

However, Kerrey said, the subsidies programs are not causing the agricultur 

e budget to rise. The cause, he said, is twofold: pressure on the administration 

to keep Acreage Reduction Programs low and ad hoc disaster aid. which has avera 

ged about $2 billion a year. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb.. who is expected to be the ranking Democrat on the Re 

publican-controlled budget committee. said he was startled by the tone and subst 

ance of Lugar's letter. 

"It proves what I have been saying for a long time now. The agriculture bud 

get is going to be a prime target next year," he said."I want to say money, too, 

but when I hear the administration saying it wants to spend $25 billion more on 

defense, which I support, and a tax cut for the middle class, I wonder where th 

e money is going to come from." 

He said talk of closing down the Interstate Commerce Commission and branch 

offices of various government agencies, including agriculture, would be "a drop 

in the bucket." 

In his letter to incoming Budget Chairman Sen. Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M., Lu 

gar said: "I would not rule out any options, including the abolition of the prog 

rams, their conversion into block grants for administration by the states, the c 

reation of a user-funded revenue assurance program, or a redirection of funds in 

to priorities like research, rural empowerment and market development." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: GATT Enemy of American Farmers 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Jim Exon stayed up until 2 a.m. Thursday befor 

e deciding to vote against the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. 

Exon announced his decision on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon, and he 

elaborated on it at a news conference later in the day. The senator said that ev 

en though numerous GATT supporters tried to persuade him to vote for the accord, 

he could not, in good conscience, vote for an agreement that he said would rais 

e the federal deficit, hurt farmers and undermine U.S. economic sovereignty. 

"The president called me, the vice president called me and (Treasury Secret 

ary) Lloyd Bentsen called me," Exon told reporters. "I tried very hard to be obj 

ective and listen to all the arguments, but in the end, my conscience would not 

allow me to support this." 

Exon said the agreement's negatives outweighed its benefits. He said that b 

ecause GATT would lower tariffs, reducing the amount of money the country takes 

in, it would increase the federal deficit. It would also hurt U.S. agriculture, 

he said. 

"I am fearful passage of this trade agreement will give opponents of agricu 

lture and rural programs one more arrow in their quiver to fire in the heart of 

American farm families," Exon said. 

"Mark my words: During consideration of the 1995 Farm Bill, some of the mos 

t innovative reforms will be met with protestations that reform is 'GATT illegal 

.'" 

Exon, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said that testimony he hea 

rd during the committee's hearings played a big role in convincing him to vote a

gainst GATT. He said the testimony of Sir James Goldsmith, a member of the Europ 

ean Parliament, was particularly disturbing. 

Goldsmith, who testified before the committee last month, warned that the W 

orld Trade Organization, which would settle trade disputes under GATT, would thr 

eaten U.S. economic sovereignty by forcing America to abide by its decisions. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon to Address Nebraska Farmer's Union Convention 

TEXT[ Before the ink dries on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GA 

TT), United States Sen. J. James Exon (D-NE), one of only 24 Senators to oppose 

the agreement will address members attending the 81st Annual Convention of the N 

ebraska Farmers Union to be held Dec. 9-10, at the Riverside Inn in Grand Island 

. 

Sen. Exon cited many of the concerns shared by Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU 

) as his reasons for opposing GATT on Thursday. "Senator Exon remains a champion 

of rural Nebraska families and we're proud that he will address our members nex 

t week," said NeFU President John Hansen. Exon will address the convention at Fr 

iday's noon luncheon. 

Even before the Senator's address, NeFU members will be briefed on the pres 

ent and future status of the recently enacted USDA Reorganization Act of 1994, w 

hich will drastically change the delivery and administration of federal farm pro 

grams. Stan Foster, State Director of the Farmers Home Administration, and Frank 

Johanssen, State Director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Se 

rvice, will provide the details Friday morning. 

Also on Friday, participants will learn of the imminent attacks to be waged 

against Nebraska's Initiative 300 anti-corporate farming law and similar laws o 

f surrounding states. Center for Rural Affairs program director Marty Strange an 

d Kansas Farmers Union President Ivan Wyatt will discuss defense strategies. Bio 

mass fuel and energy production will be discussed by Mike Tennis of the Union of 

Concerned Scientists. Attorney Pat Knapp will outline conjunctive water use issu 

es and a legislative panel will discuss legislative issues likely to impact rura 

l Nebraska during the coming year. State Senators Ardyce Bohlke, George Coordsen 

and Jan McKenzie will discuss these issues along with property tax reform and e 

thanol funding. 

Saturday's line-up includes a Washington, D.C. congressional update from Na 

tional Farmers Union's vice president of government relations Larry Mitchell and 

a panel, which will discuss the prospects of crafting a favorable 1995 Farm Bil 

l. 

With their theme of "The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number," Hansen sai 

d NeFU members will spend Saturday afternoon incorporating the information gaine 

d throughout the convention to establish the organizational policies and priorit 

ies for the upcoming year. "The policies adopted by our members represent the c 

ollective goals and aspirations they have for rural Nebraska," he said. 

Everyone is welcome to attend this important gathering.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Reports Update Campaign's Financial Activity 

TEXT[Brenda Council raised and spent more money than Hal Daub did during the fir 

st three weeks after the Nov. 8 general election in the race for Omaha mayor. 

Financial documents made public by the campaigns Monday show that during th 

e most recent reporting period - between Nov. 9 and Nov. 29 -Ms. Council raised 

$82,668 in cash and in-kind contributions, while Daub raised $66,747. During tha 

t time, Ms. Council spent $78,000 and Daub $52,000. 

In the two weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 election, Ms. Council received ab 

out $6,000 more in cash than Daub did. 

The latest report shows that Ms. Council, who had trailed Daub 2-to-1 in to 

tal fund raising and spending before Election Day, had narrowed the gap by Nov. 

29 and trailed by about a 3-to-2 margin. Daub had raised $307,000 and spent $29 

1,000. Ms. Council had raised $195,000 and spent $191,000. 

Of the nearly $67,000 his campaign received in donations during the most re 

cent reporting period, $20,000 came from a personal loan Daub made. Daub's campa 

ign repaid the $20,000 loan, part of the $52,000 in expenditures. 

In the prior reporting period - the two weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 elec 

tion - Daub lent $28,000 of his own money to his campaign and was repaid $18,500 

of that. The campaign still owed Daub $71,550 on Nov. 29. 

The candidates' expenditures paid for television advertising, postage, camp 

aign payroll and expenses, printing, equipment rental and office space. 

Among Daub's most recent contributors: 

Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc., $5,000; Con Agra., $3,000; The Lund Co. $2,493; Fi 

rst Tier, $2,000; Pacesetter Corp., $2,000; Erickson & Sederstrom law firm, $1,0 

00; Great Plains Energy Corp., $1,000; Re-publican National State Elections Comm 

ittee, $1,000; Committee to Reelect Chris Abboud to Legislature, $1.000; and Bar 

on Leasing, $1,000. 

Individual contributors included David Sokol, chairman and chief executive 

officer of California Energy Co., $5,000; George Grogan, chief executive officer 

of Financial Brokerage Inc., $2,000; Larry and Jan Stoney, unsuccessful candida 

te for U.S. Senate and her husband, $1,000; Thomas J. Skutt, chief executive off 

icer of Mutual of Omaha, $1,000; Roy A. Smith, president of H.P. Smith Motors, $ 

2,500; Robert F. Krohn, former chairman of Commercial Federal Corp., $1,000; Den 

man Kountze Jr., chairman of the Hitchcock Foundation, $700; John and Susan Pack 

ett, LaVista police chief and his wife, $600; Dennis P. Hogan III, chairman of t 

he Douglas Racing Corp. board, $500; Charles T. Hagel, president of McCarthy and 

Co., $500; Edward and Veretta Kohout, president of Packers Nebraska Bank and Tr 

ust and his wife, $300; and former Sen. Roman Hruska, $250. 

Among Ms. Council's individual contributors: 

Alan Lozier, chief executive officer of Lozier Corp., $13,000; Susan Buffet 

t, president of the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center Foundation and daughter 

of Warren Buffett, $1,100; Michael Yanney, chairman and chief executive officer 

of America First Cos., $1,500; Gail Walling Yanney, chairwoman of the Nebraska A 

rts Council and the Nature Conservancy Nebraska Board of Trustees, $1,500; James 

Dolan, vice president of law for Union Pacific Railroad, $500; Bill Fairfield, 

president of Valcom, $500; John C. Kenefick, retired chief executive officer of

Union Pacific, $250; Louis Lamberty, former city public works director, $200; Ja 

y Noddle, real estate manager, $750; Douglas County Commissioner Carole Woods Ha 

rris, $200. 

Other contributors included Guarantee Mutual Life Co., $2,500; Reelect Exon 

for Senate Committee, $1,000; Pacesetter Corp., $5,000; Omaha Area Food Council 

, $2,000; Steamfitters Local No. 464, $5,000; Plumbers Local No. 16, $1,000; Tea 

msters Joint Council, $500; Anne Boyle for City Council, $250; Jim Jansen for Co 

unty Attorney, $200; and the Union Pacific Black Employee Network, $150. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[A 'Quake in Lincoln? 

TEXT[One doesn't usually associate Nebraska with earthquakes. Not unless you're 

the federal government, that is. 

The General Services Administration qualifies in that regard. In its quest 

for a better, safer federal government, the GSA has budgeted $70,000 to retrofit 

the Robert Denney Federal Building in Lincoln, making it less vulnerable to ear 

thquakes. The project, said GSA officials, is in accordance with federal law to 

protect lives and the federal government from lawsuits. 

And though the risk of an earthquake in Nebraska is about the same as the o 

dds on Tom Osborne being fired, the GSA is set to go ahead with its plans. Never 

mind that only three Nebraska earthquakes have tickled the Richter Scale at 4.7 

in the last 117 years. The last was in Cherry County in 1964. 


a different story," said Hap Conners, director of media relations with the GSA i 


Fortunately, Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska has a better idea. 

Exon thinks the GSA plan goes beyond what was intended by Congress when it 

passed a 1977 law requiring the GSA to update earthquake standards for new and e 

xisting federal buildings. Exon said the standards were not meant to include rem 

odeling of old buildings. 

Exon says rather than earthquake-proof a building, the cash should go towar 

d reducing the federal deficit. Stabilizing the federal cash outgo, says Exon, m 

akes more sense than stabilizing a 20-year-old building against earthquakes in N 

ebraska. 

Now if the GSA was concerned about tornado damage, we might make a case for 

the cash... 



AUTH[Kim Johnson 

SOUR[Hebron Journal-Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[ 

TEXT[Nebraska's two senators, Bob Kerrey and J. J. Exon split their U.S. Senate 

votes in GATT. Kerrey feels that GATT will offer benefits for Nebraska industrie

s, including agriculture, manufacturing and services and open new market for Neb 

raska products. 

He said that in turn will create new, high-paying jobs. "We are learni 

ng that lesson under NAFTA. The giant sucking sound that critics predicted is oc 

curring in the other direction--jobs are moving to the United States, not from i 

t. I believe the same thing will happen under GATT. The United States must keep 

pace with economic changes that are tearing down barriers and bringing our world 

closer together and GATT is an important step." 

Contrast what Kerrey said with Exon's view, which is that while there 

are improvements for some agricultural producers, there are others which aren't 

likely to fare well at all. Exon cites the corn, hog, cattle and milo producers 

supporting GATT, while soybean, milk and sugar beet producers opposed GATT. 

Exon also has trouble with World Trade Organization determining trade 

disputes. 

The facts are that nobody knows exactly how GATT will play out. But fr 

ee trade will certainly benefit most Americans in the long haul. 

As U.S. Congressman Bill Barrett says, policies of free and fair trade 

have made Nebraska the second-fastest growing export state in the nation. GATT 

will open doors for our state and keep exports growing. 

K-K 

Those of you who are outer space buffs will have a new treat nearby. T 

he newest film at the Lied IMAX Theatre in Hastings is "Destiny 

in Space," which begins today (Dec. 7). 

The IMAX in itself is worth a visit you enjoy exploration of the last 

frontier, outer space, the giant-screen adventure of astronauts will thrill your 

senses. 

K-K 

The lasting legacy of the Clinton administration may turn out to be fr 

ee and open trade has never been a rallying cry of the Democratic party. 

Clinton relied on Republicans in Congress the North American Free Trad 

e Agreement and the GOP gave GATT a big shove to 12 to push it over the top. 

The triumph of free-market economics means that many, many nations whi 

ch hid behind barriers of high tariffs, will commit themselves to open their eco 

nomies to imports, including United States products. 

GATT will involve 124 nations and cut their import tariffs by 40 perce 

nt. Exporters will benefit and the winners in the United States include agricult 

ure. It will take up to 10 years for all the provisions of GATT to be fully impl 

emented, but the affects of economic growth world wide should help those United 

States companies which export to all parts of the globe, and are forced to pay o 

ther nations high tariffs to get their products into certain nations. 

There is a downside to one U.S. industry, that is in textiles. The ups 

ide is that United States consumers will probably pay less for clothing and appa 

rel goods. 

The Wall Street Journal has a summation of the GATT provisions, which 

can be found on this page. It's a short primer on what to expect in the future f 

or the new world trade order. 




SOUR[West Point News

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Farmer's Union Convention Set 

TEXT[Registration for the 81st annual convention of the Nebraska Farmers Union w 

ill be held Friday and Saturday at the Riverside Inn in Grand Island, beginning 

with registration at 8 a.m. 

On hand will be Senator J. James Exon to address Friday's noon luncheo 

n. 

Also on Friday, the membership will be briefed on the status of the USDA Re 

organization Act of 1994. 

Center for Rural Affairs program director Marty Strange and Kansas Farmers 

Union president Ivan Wyatt will discuss strategies against attacks on state anti 

-corporate farming laws. 

Biomass fuel and energy production will be discussed by Mike Tennis of the 

Union of Concerned Scientists. Attorney Pat Knapp will outline water use issues. 

A legislative panel will discuss issues likely to impact rural Nebraska. S 

tate Senators Ardyce Bohlke, George Coordsen and Jan McKenzie will discuss these 

issues along with property tax reform and 

ethanol funding. 

On Saturday, a Washington, D.C. congressional update will be 

given by National Farmers Union's vice president of government relations Larry M 

itchell and a panel which will discuss the 1995 Farm Bill. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon to Address NeFU Convention 

TEXT[Lincoln - Before the ink dries on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trad 

e (GATT), United States Sen. J. James Exon (D-NE), one of only 24 Senators to op 

pose the agreement, will likely receive a heroes welcome from the members attend 

ing the 81st Annual Convention of the Nebraska Farmers Union to be held December 

9 and 10, 1994, at the Riverside Inn in Grand Island, Nebraska. 

Sen. Exon cited many of the concerns shared by Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU 

) as his reasons for opposing GATT on Thursday. "Senator Exon remains a champion 

of rural Nebraska families and we're proud that he will address our members nex 

t week," said NeFU president John Hanson. Exon will address the convention at Fr 

iday's Noon luncheon. 

Even before the Senator's address, NeFU members will be briefed on the pres 

ent and future status of the recently enacted USDA Reorganization Act of 1994 wh 

ich will drastically change the delivery and administration of federal farm prog 

rams. Stan Foster, State Director of the Farmers Home Administration and Frank J 

ohanssen, State Director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Serv 

ice will provide the details Friday morning. 

Also on Friday, participants will learn of the imminent attacks to be waged 

against Nebraska's Initiative 300 anti-corporate farming law, and similar laws 

of surrounding states. Center for Rural Affairs program director Marty Strange a 

nd Kansas Farmers Union president Ivan Wyatt will discuss defense strategies. Bi 

omass fuel and energy production will be discussed by Mike Tennis of the Union o

f Concerned Scientists. Attorney Pat Knapp will outline conjunctive water use is 

sues and a legislative panel will discuss legislative issues likely to impact ru 

ral Nebraska during the coming year. State Senators Ardyce Bohlke, George Coords 

en and Jan McKenzie will discuss these issues along with property tax reform and 

ethanol funding. 

Saturday's lineup includes a Washington, D.C. congressional update from Nat 

ional Farmers Union's vice president of government relations Larry Mitchell and 

a panel which will discuss the prospects of crafting a favorable 1995 Farm Bill 

featuring National Farmers Union president Leland Swenson who will also deliver 

Saturday's luncheon address. 

With their theme of "The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number," Hansen sai 

d NeFU members will spend Saturday afternoon incorporating the information gaine 

d throughout the convention to establish the organizational policies and priorit 

ies for the upcoming year. "The policies adopted by our members represent the co 

llective goals and aspirations they have for rural Nebraska," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mayor's Race Gains Flavor of Partisanship 

TEXT[The race for mayor of Omaha has become more partisan during the final two w 

eeks of the campaign. 

Hal Daub, a Republican, and Brenda Council, a Democrat, speak of having bro 

ad support across party lines. Both have lists of backers from the other party. 

"There is a difference between rhetoric and reality," said Orville Menard, 

a political science professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has wri 

tten about Omaha politics. 

"Superficially, we have a nonpartisan mayor," Menard said. "But look at the 

election map. It's concentrated along party lines. 

State Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha, a Republican and early supporter of Ms. C 

ouncil's, said signs of growing partisanship have been unmistakable in the last 

week. 

Among them: 

þMs. Council has been endorsed by Gov. Nelson, U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and J. 

J. Exon and Interim Mayor Subby Anzaldo, all of whom are Democrats, along with a 

number of city council members and state senators who are Democrats. 

þ Daub picked up endorsements Tuesday from U.S. Rep.-elect Jon Christens 

en, Attorney General Don Stenberg, Secretary of State-elect Scott Moore and Stat 

e Treasurer-elect David Heineman, all of whom are Republicans, as well as the Re 

publican members of the City Council and Douglas County Board. 

þ Ms. Council is benefiting from Kerrey's effort to raise more than $20, 

000 to keep three Democratic Party offices with 45 telephones open from the Nov. 

8 general election until next Tuesday's mayoral runoff election. 

þ Joseph "Sonny" Foster, manager of the Nelson campaign, has become an i 

mportant adviser to Ms. Council. 

þ Daub is being helped by Doug Patton, press aide to the Christensen cam 

paign. Several former campaign aides to Republican Senate candidate Jan Stoney a 

re working out of the Douglas County Republican headquarters soliciting voluntee

s for Daub from lists provided by the Stoney and Christensen campaigns. 

þ Daub has received a $1,000 contribution from the National Republican C 

ommittee, along with a letter of encouragement from National Chairman Haley Barb 

our. 

The Daub campaign began objecting to the increased partisanship this week. 

Steve Kupka, manager of the Daub campaign and a former staffer in the administra 

tions of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, said he has seen "a massive e 

ffort by the Democratic Party in this race." 

The Daub campaign has never taken a GOP-only approach, Kupka said. With nea 

rly 16,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the city, Daub has to h 

ave bipartisan support to win, he said. 

"We started this campaign as a positive campaign on the issues," Daub said 

"with the promise of delivering nonpartisan leadership to the city." 

Ms. Council, he said, is "as Democrat as they come and as liberal as they c 

ome." 

Such comments reveal the partisanship that Daub is injecting into the campa 

ign, Ms. Council said. 

"If you are looking at partisanship, there is much more partisan rhetoric c 

oming out of his campaign," she said. The Daub advertisements that accuse her of 

being softer on crime and more willing to raise taxes seem to come out of the R 

epublican congressional playbook, she said. 

Daub is a former Douglas County Republican chairman and five-time Republica 

n U.S. House candidate. Twice he tried to become a Republican U.S. senator. He s 

aid this history does not make him the Republican candidate for mayor. 

Ms. Council frequently mentions that she has never sought a partisan office 

and has never held a party post. She is a member of the City Council and former 

ly served on the Omaha school board. Those positions appear on the nonpartisan b 

allot. 

Party officials remained neutral in the fall mayoral campaign, focusing the 

ir efforts on federal, statehouse and county races. Ms. Council and Daub fostere 

d bipartisan images and messages during that campaign. They emerged from a field 

of eight in the Nov. 8 balloting. 

Judith Schweikart, an Omaha attorney and Democratic national committeewoman 

, said most voters are not using partisanship in making their choice between Ms. 

Council and Daub. "I'm still assuming they are more likely to ignore party affi 

liation," she said. 

With only one race to focus on, partisanship is less important to the avera 

ge voter, she said. 

But the timing of the election - five weeks after the partisan state and na 

tional election - invites party involvement, Ms. Schweikart said. "The campaig 

ns haven't dismantled everything," she said. 

The voter and volunteer lists gathered by the campaigns have yet to be stor 

ed away for 1996 and activists still have their campaign juices flowing, she sai 

d. 

Tim Lonergan, executive director of the Douglas County GOP, makes no preten 

ses about what the party is doing. 

"Everyone is helping Hal," Lonergan said. "If you are an active Republican, 

you are helping Hal. The party is behind Hal 110 percent." 

Among other factors increasing partisan pressure, Ashford said, are the per 

ception that the contest is close and the potential national significance of the 

outcome.

Both parties in Nebraska are looking to the election as a signal of the pol 

itical tide, Ashford said. The Nov. 8 election in Nebraska ended with Mixed resu 

lts, he said, with Democrats winning the governor's office and the U.S. Senate r 

ace and Republicans winning the 2nd District House seat and a number of other po 

sitions. 

"Both parties won some and lost some," Ashford said. "There are also nation 

al implications with an African-American woman who is a Democrat against a forme 

r conservative Republican congressman." 

Ashford said the atmosphere is much different from when he became involved 

with Ms. Council's exploratory committee in the summer. "The party apparatus and 

foot soldiers are all coming out at the end," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[WSC 

TEXT[ The Student Council and sponsor Jan Coone have recently completed a number 

of projects. A quick listing includes clean up of Highway 25 for the Adopt-a-H 

ighway project, displayed a large banner in front of the school proclaiming Amer 

ican Education Week, hung promotional posters at the businesses, served a delici 

ous breakfast to teachers and staff, and served as hosts to speakers who came to 

present mini-sessions one day. They also took part in the Lincoln County food d 

rive sponsored by KELN radio station and Bob Spady car dealership. Students brou 

ght food for the project and principal Larry Seger delivered the non-perishable 

foods to Spady. 

On Thursday, Nov. 17, five students traveled to Lincoln to participate in a 

school exchange project. Thursday evening, Jenny Hasenauer, Josh Wendell, Mindi 

Holm, Melonly Lundvall and Seth Hasenauer met with members from Lincoln Northea 

st High School getting acquainted at the university student union. 

On Friday, they attended Lincoln Northeast High participating in a variety 

of activities and classes. LNE arranged for special performances by the Star Str 

utters Drill Team and the sophomore choir. They took a tour of the school during 

a scavenger hunt game and exchanged ideas while getting acquainted. Ms. Coone a 

ttended two Spanish classes, exchanging ideas with teachers and helped supervise 

ice breaker games. She also shared STUCO information with the LNE sponsor. 

More experiences were in store for the Wallace group. The Wallace STUCO mem 

bers checked in to the overnight lock-in convention at Lincoln High School. A re 

cord-breaking 1500 students settled in the auditorium and were greeted by the LH 

S Student Council president, the LHS principal, the Lincoln Mayor and Senator Ja 

mes Exon. Awards were given to schools for the Hands Across Nebraska products, t 

he Outstanding Sponsor Award and the All-State Council Awards. 

A communication expert, using sign language renditions of songs and popular 

phrases was highly entertaining with his enthusiastic, comedic style. 

After dinner, entertainment included a performance by LHS Stephchain, a cad 

ence dance group. Presentations were given to schools participating in the state 

charity, Make-A-Wish Foundation, which raised over $30,000 from councils across 

the state. Jessie Myles from the Department of Education spoke on the importanc 

e of recognizing the negative influences in our music. 

Small groups were then organized, advisors met to exchange ideas, and distr

ict meetings were held and voting for state offices took place. After that stude 

nts could choose from activities; movies, dances, games, reunions or even sleepi 

ng. 

The convention ended Saturday morning with a lot of good ideas and memories 

for students to take back to their respective schools. 




SOUR[Tryon Graphic 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Farmer's Union Leader Calls Exon's "No" Vote Courageous 

TEXT[Nebraska Farmers Union president John Hansen, who also heads the state's Ci 

tizens Trade Campaign, praised Senator J. James Exon's decision to vote against 

the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). 

"Senator Exon distinguished himself as a courageous statesman and leader wh 

en he did his homework, asked the tough questions and let his "conscience" be hi 

s guide in voting against a badly flawed trade treaty," he said. 

"The GATT Treaty approval process mirrored the NAFTA vote. Once again, just 

as in the NAFTA, the more the American people knew about this trade deal the le 

ss they liked it. Once again we won the issue out in the country, and once again 

big business and the Clinton Administration teamed up to circumvent the will of 

the American people. The overwhelming number of citizens who felt strongly enou 

gh about this critical issue to write or call their Congressmen and Senators sai 

d "No to the WTO," he said. 

Hansen added, "When Senator Exon analyzed this GATT agreement to determine 

who would win and lose, he reached the same conclusions we did," said Hansen, "t 

oo few winners and too many losers." 

In his speech to the Senate, Exon cited the threat to U.S. sovereignty, the 

potential loss of U .S. jobs, the lack of safeguards for family farmers and the 

environment as among the controlling reasons for his decision to oppose GATT. 

Hansen said Senator Exon has been around long enough to know that trickledo 

wn economics does not work to the benefit of most Nebraskans, and this GATT was 

trickle down trade and trickle down economics. Hansen said that Sen. Exon has e 

arned the respect and admiration of many thousands of Nebraskans represented by 

the wide range of member organizations of the Citizen Trade Campaign. "Sen. J.J 

ames Exon's courage and leadership on this controversial and complicated issue d 

oes the legacy of Sen. George W. Norris proud," Hansen concluded. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Washington Thrills Shared With Club 

TEXT[An exciting week in the nation's capital--having fun, gaining knowledge and 

even debating political issues--was recounted to the Wausa Community Club Thurs 

day night, Dec. 1.

Six Wausa High School girls who spent Nov. 13 to 19 in Washington, D.C 

., under the Close Up Government Studies Program shared their adventures by spea 

king, showing pictures and singing. 

They were Rebecca Seagren, a junior; Jennifer Nelson, Traci Clarkson, 

Kathi Sukup and Stacy Finck, sophomores and Jill Wakeley, freshman. 

The Community Club met for dinner at Double 'L' Cafe. Before the progr 

am, the meal was served to 32 people. 

On behalf of the six, Jennifer Nelson thanked the Club for its donatio 

n to their trip. She presented a certificate of appreciation to President Gene J 

ohnson. 

It cost each girl $1,100 to go, most of it earned in jobs and fund raising 

sales. Wausa organizations also supported the trip. In the capital, people in go 

vernment, as well as visits of new and old sites, aided the learning experience. 

SAW CONGRESSMAN BEREUTER 

The Wausa girls conversed with Rep. Doug Bereuter, whose First Distric 

t includes Cedar but no longer Knox County, and with staff aides of U.S. Senator 

s Jim J. Exon and Bob Kerrey. 

There were tours and visits to the White House and Capitol, the Smiths 

onian Institution, The Ford Theatre, Arlington National Cemetery, among other si 

tes. 

Traveling by bus and the "clean and safe" Metropolitan subway, they di 

ned at the National Press Club and saw "Fiddler on the Roof" in dinner theatre. 

There were trips to the "inner city" slums, to the Mount Vernon, a tou 

r and tavern meal at Historic Williamsburg and visits to affluent suburbs and sh 

opping malls. 

In Washington seminars with "Close Up" colleagues from other towns and 

states, the Wausa girls pressed their views on issues of national political iss 

ues. 

Traci Clarkson and Jill Wakeley spoke on California's voter-enacted de 

nial of social services to illegal aliens. Jennifer Nelson and Rebecca Seagren i 

nvolved themselves in the gun control debate. Stacy Finck and Kathi Sukup discus 

sed limiting the terms in Congress. 

One of their pictures revealed involvement of the Wausa girls in anoth 

er national concern. They were seen holding colorful umbrellas as rain from Hurr 

icane Gordon fell on Washington. 

As a finale to the Community Club, the Close Up sextet sang "More Than 

Music." They performed without accompaniment, as they had at a the farewell ban 

quet in Washington. They had first sung the song in a Wausa High School concert. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Board Endorses Exon Safety Plans 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon applauded the National Transportation Safety Board's 

endorsement of his calls to improve safety for trains and planes. 

"The NTSB shares my desire to establish a firm timetable to develop and dep 

loy new safety technology for our nation's railroads," said Exon, chairman of th 

e Surface Transportation Subcommittee. "This system, called Positive Train Contr

ol, could have prevented the fatal collision of three trains this past June near 

Thedford, Nebraska." 

Positive Train Control essentially takes control of a train away from engin 

eers who may misconstrue signals or run too fast. Exon has been a leading advoca 

te of this technology, and his recently enacted rail safety legislation puts pre 

ssure on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to develop and deploy it. 

Meanwhile, the NTSB has also recommended imposing tougher safety standards 

on commuter airlines. 

Exon, a senior member of the Aviation Subcommittee, has repeatedly sought r 

eassurance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that airlines are not 

trying to save money by cutting corners on safety. Also, Exon expressed his conc 

ern about commuter airline safety to the FAA in June, 1994 following a fatal com 

muter crash in Hibbing, MN. 

"With the increase in commuter air travel and the increasing reliance on co 

mmuter service by rural America, I am most concerned about the safety of commute 

r travel," he said. 

"The safety of commuter airlines, while important to everyone, is especiall 

y important for many Nebraskans, who depend on them to make connections to major 

airlines," Exon said. 

The NTSB's recommendation was prompted by fatal commuter crashes near Hibbi 

ng, MN, and Columbus, OH. Serious pilot errors were identified in both crashes. 



AUTH[Allen O'Donnell 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Exon Correct on GATT' 

TEXT[From: Allen O'DonneIl, Wayne. Neb. 

I think l speak for a great number of Nebraskans who are very proud to have 

J.J. Exon as their U.S. senator. His vote against the General Agreement on Tari 

ffs and Trade was right on the money. Though in the minority, he would not sully 

the Constitution with a vote for this agreement. 

As Senator Exon pointed out, this agreement supports the use of children as 

slave labor in the Third World. So Exon said no. Principle. Morals. Ethics. The 

y do count with some politicians. We all owe a big thank-you to Jim on this one. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha Prepares for WW II Anniversary Celebration 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Events marking the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II 

already are taking shape in Omaha. 

A parade, fireworks and military air shows are among events planned for the 

"Victory 95" celebration to take place Sept. 2, 1995. 

The event will honor Midwestern men and women who served during the war, sa 

id Robert Daugherty, chairman of the Victory 95 celebration committee.

The celebration also will honor the families of those who served and the pe 

ople who assisted the war effort with victory gardens, salvage drives and other 

home-front efforts, Daugherty said. 

Omaha is ahead of the country in organizing an event to commemorate th 

e end of the war, U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Thursday. 

The event is being organized by local, county, state and federal officials, 

and business and industry groups. 

OMAHA (AP) - The Army has awarded a $5.4 million contract to Duncan Aviatio 

n, Nebraska's senators announced Thursday. 

Under the contract, employees of the Lincoln company will perform maintenan 

ce on Army passenger and cargo aircraft, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Events to Mark WW II's End, Sen. Exon Says 

TEXT[A parade, fireworks and military air shows are among events or a Sept. 2, 1 

995, celebration in Omaha commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World 

War II. 

"Victory 95" is being organized by local, county, state and federal of 

ficials, and business and industry groups. 

Omaha is ahead of the country in organizing an event to commemorate th 

e end of the war, U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said during a press conference Th 

ursday at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. 

"It's going to be world recognized," Exon said. 

The event will honor Midlands men and women who served during the war, 

said Robert Daugherty, chairman of the Victory 95 celebration committee. The ce 

lebration also will honor the families of those who served and the people who as 

sisted the war effort with victory gardens, salvage drives and other home-front 

efforts, Daugherty said. 

Gov. Nelson said that Nebraskans statewide played an important role in 

the war effort. He mentioned ordinance plants, the former Martin Bomber Plant i 

n Sarpy County and the country's largest USO canteen in North Platte, which serv 

ed troop trains. 

The Sept. 2 events will include a morning parade in downtown Omaha. Or 

ganizers said they will try to attract entrants from all 50 states. There will b 

e a dedication ceremony at Memorial Park in the afternoon. 

Evening events will include a performance at Rosenblatt Stadium by the U.S. 

Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment from the Marine Corps Barracks in Washingt 

on D.C. 

"It sends chills of patriotism up and down your spine," Exon said. 

A fireworks display at the stadium will cap the day's events. 

Victory 95 will coincide with the Offutt Air Force Base air show and open h 

ouse. The events at the base will include performances by the Thunderbirds and d

isplays of World War II aircraft. Also, the Air Force's seventh B-2 bomber will 

be at the base and will be named the "Spirit of Nebraska" in a dedication ceremo 

ny. 



AUTH[Richard Brack 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Earthquakes a Threat to Iowa Buildings? 

TEXT[The Federal Emergency Management Agency, under a presidential order signed 

last week, has ordered federal officials to evaluate the seismic safety of every 

federally owned or leased building, including those in Iowa, and to calculate t 

he costs of making the buildings earthquake-safe. 

"The position of the earthquake experts is that you can get a damaging eart 

hquake in any area of the country," said Arthur Zeizel of FEMA's mitigation dire 

ctorate in Washington, D.C. "Iowa certainly is not risk-free." 

FEMA officials were unable to say how many federal buildings in Iowa would 

be included in the inventory. The list apparently would include all post offices 

, federal courthouses, federal office buildings and farm offices such as those o 

f the Farm Service Agency, formerly the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservat 

ion Service. 

The assessment was called for by legislation passed by Congress in 1990 und 

er an amendment to the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977. 

Told of the plan Wednesday afternoon, Cindy Gaedke, a program assistant in 

the Kossuth County Farm Service office, had this to say: 

"You're kidding." 

" I'm not relating this to us," she said. "We haven't been shaking aroun 

d here lately." 

But FEMA is serious. Said Zeizel: "Of course, the highest degree of ha 

zard is in California, but the New Madrid (fault) area is very high, too, and th 

at extends up into Iowa." 

The New Madrid fault, which extends south of Iowa, gained notoriety in 

1990 after a New Mexico scientist predicted a major temblor along the rift. The 

quake never materialized. However, minor temblors associated with the fault are 

fairly common. 

Under FEMA's plan, a committee will issue guidelines within the next year o 

n how agencies should go about developing the inventory and doing the cost estim 

ates. Federal departments and agencies then will have four years to complete and 

submit the estimates to FEMA. FEMA, in turn, will prepare a comprehensive repor 

t that must be submitted to Congress within six years. 

Then, assuming Congress approves expenditures for the rehabilitation work, 

FEMA would prioritize the work. Zeizel said buildings with high occupancy or tha 

t need to be functional after a disaster likely would get top priority. 

Officials were unable to say how much the assessment is likely to 

cost or what rehabilitation of the buildings might cost. 

"The degree to which any building has to be rehabbed is dependent on t 

he amount of risk," Zeizel said. "Iowa wouldn't have to do that much." 

Richard Moore, FEMA's associate director of mitigation, said the plan was m

eant partly to get communities thinking about the risks they face. 

"The federal government's leadership in the implementation of seismic safet 

y standards for federal buildings will set an example for state and local govern 

ments and the private sector to follow," he said. 

He called the undertaking timely in light of FEMA's current development of 

a national strategy to reduce the impact of all natural disasters. 

An executive order issued in 1990 directed all federal agencies to incorpor 

ate seismic safety measures in all new buildings. The latest order expands it to 

include existing buildings. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Worried About Farm Program Future 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND - Sen. Jim Exon said Friday that he is worried the 

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the new Republican majority in Congre 

ss will be a double whammy for farm programs. 

He said he was especially concerned about the rise of Sen. Richard Lug 

ar, R-Ind., who, just after GATT passed, said he wouldn't rule out cutting commo 

dity programs completely. 

"I become alarmed when the new chairman of the agricultural commi 

ttee begins the discussion by talking about wholesale elimination of price suppo 

rts." Exon told delegates at the Nebraska Farmers Union annual convention. "I am 

fearful that the new GATT deal will be justification for some for eliminating o 

ur farm programs altogether." 

GATT was endorsed by some farm groups, Exon said, but the extra $1.5 b 

illion profit that the USDA projects farmers will make under GATT pales in compa 

rison to the $8 billion a year in price supports they could lose. 

The farmers union opposed GATT. 

Exon was one of only 24 senators to vote against GATT earlier this month. H 

e said that many proposed reforms to the farm bill will be declared illegal unde 

r the agreement, which cuts trade distorting measures such as tariffs, quotas an 

d some domestic subsidies. 

WHATEVER THE pretext, Exon said, deep cuts in the agriculture budget w 

ould be unfair based on farmers' disproportionate contribution to deficit reduct 

ion so far. Exon, who will become the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Comm 

ittee next year, said he will do his best to add reasonableness to the deficit r 

eduction fever. 

"While the scalpel of cuts will still be needed," Exon said, "the 

meat axe should be put aside." 

Specifically, Exon predicted that farm programs likely would become su 

bject to "means testing" in which only poorer farmers would receive support. 

He noted that farm program cuts would hurt consumers who depend o 

n an ample supply of cheap food and small towns who depend on farmers for busine 

ss. He called for "small-town USA" to join farm groups in defending farm spendin 

g. 

Farmers Union delegates also were warned Friday about mobilizing 

for the newest battle on Initiative 300, the state's anti-corporate farming amen

dment. 

"It's here," said farmers union President John Hansen. "We may well have to 

deal with this in the state Legislature (this year)." 

Marty Strange, director of the Center for Rural Affairs, called on the dele 

gates to flood state senators with calls to counter the pro-corporate agenda of 

the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. 

ALSO AT the convention, farmers union lobbyist Pat Knapp said that a bill b 

y the Governors Water Council will help solve a conflict with neighboring states 

by recognizing that ground and surface waters should be regulated together, as 

they are in other states. 

The bill also merits support, she said, because it would let natural resour 

ces districts, rather than state government, regulate water use. 

Larry Mitchell, National Farmers Union vice president for government relati 

ons, said reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will result in be 

tter service. 

The convention will continue Saturday with remarks by National Farmers Unio 

n President Leland Swenson and delegate votes on key policy issues. 



AUTH[Jena Janovy and Paul Goodsell 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Daub's Record Is Sign Of Fiscal Conservatism 

TEXT[In his four term as Nebraska's 2nd District congressman, Hal Daub behaved l 

ike a fiscal conservative, voting in favor of proposals to freeze the federal bu 

dget, limit domestic spending and cut taxes. 

After two unsuccessful attempts to reach the Senate, Daub has brought his p 

hilosophy, style and approach to doing government business into the 

race for Omaha mayor. 

The question is: Although the job of a federal legislator is different from 

being mayor of a city, what does his record on issues say about the kind of may 

or he might be? 

Daub faces City Councilwoman Brenda Council in a runoff election Tuesday. 

Daub said the most important things that would help him be a good mayor did 

not stem exclusively from his experience in Congress. 

"I think they come from my community involvement, my business experience, a 

nd from Congress third," Daub said in an interview. 

"The evidence of what you've done is the best indicator or road map of what 

you will do. You can say there weren't very many taxes I met that I liked. Ther 

e weren't many new programs to add or expand government that I liked." 

Daub served in Congress from 1980 to 

Please turn to page 11 Col. 1 

Continued from Page 1 

1988, when he gave up his seat to run for the Senate against fellow Republican D 

avid Karnes. He lost to Karnes in the primary, then lost a 1990 bid for the Sena 

te to Democratic Sen. J.J. Exon. 

During his congressional career, Daub built-a reputation as a tireless advocate 

for his point of view and as an effective representative at capturing federal fu 

nds for his Nebraska constituents. 

A conservative Republican, he voted with his party and President

Ronald Reagan more than fellow Nebraska Republicans Virginia Smith and Doug Bere 

uter. 

Daub showed strong support for the president early. In 1981 Daub 

supported Reagan's cutting of taxes and limiting domestic spending in-creases, a 

lthough the action cut funding for agencies in his district, such as the Visitin 

g Nurse Association and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. 

Daub generally received high marks from conservative and business orga 

nizations while scoring poorly with liberal groups and organized labor. In 1988 

, for example, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce rated Daub's voting record at 80 per 

cent, while the AFL-CIO gave him a 13 percent score. 

Daub sided with Reagan 63 percent to 78 percent of the time, according 

to Congressional Quarterly's annual vote studies. His party unity scores ranged 

from 85 percent to 93 percent, which meant that he voted with other Republicans 

most of the time. 

Daub's votes show that he opposed two deficit reduction bills in the 1 

980s. He said that one raised some taxes and the other failed to cut spending e 

nough. Daub supported the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings balanced budget amendment. 

In 1982 he opposed tax increases supported by Reagan, arguing that the 

president's defense budget was riding too fast. He repeatedly voted against rai 

sing the national debt ceiling and against stopgap funding measures to keep the 

government running while Congress debated regular appropriations bills. 

As a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, Daub su 

cceeded in getting a bill passed to ban Social Security payments to nonresident 

aliens. Daub said the measure had saved the country millions of dollars. 

Daub did, however, support increased spending for the elderly. He once 

proposed a bill that would create a federal insurance program to pay for long-t 

erm nursing home or at-home care for the elderly. 

He also introduced a bill to raise payments to the Social Security "no 

tch babies," a group of recipients who receive less in benefits than others beca 

use of their birth date. Although it was the least expensive of 20 proposals on 

the subject, it was estimated to cost $24.3 billion over 10 years. 

Daub may have a few more gray hairs, but his approach to government ha 

sn't changed much. 

In his campaign for mayor, Daub called for a reduction in state income tax 

rates, belt-tightening in city departments and the merger of city and Douglas Co 

unty operations - all in an effort, he says, to limit government spending. 

He says the city should provide solid-waste collections at the lowest possi 

ble cost without charging a fee. He said the city could provide those services 

within current budget constraints and should find ways to lower the cost. 

His vision for Omaha is founded on his plan to merge city and county govern 

ments. The city is moving west into Douglas County anyway, Daub says, and consol 

idating the governments would reduce the overall cost of government and enhance 

Omaha's competitive edge against other cities. 

He also has proposed getting tougher on criminals by putting more police on 

the streets and fighting for stiffer sentences. He also wants to boost the city 

's economy by developing industrial tracts in North and South Omaha. 

Daub has talked repeatedly about belt-tightening, but some of his proposals 

involve more spending. Daub has suggested: 

þ Increasing the city's commitment to the Chamber of Commerce's Target 

Omaha development campaign to $20 million over a four-year period. He wants the 

$20 million in city money to be coupled with $20 million in private funds to he

lp spur economic development. The city donated $50,000 to Target Omaha this year 

. About $6.5 million has been raised from private and public sources. 

þ Shifting police officers from desk jobs to street patrols, a move th 

at Police Chief James Skinner announced Wednesday. Daub has said that the redepl 

oyment could be done without raising taxes but that the change would involve "so 

me small cost." 

þ Issuing bonds to help build "environmentally safe" industrial tracts nort 

h and South Omaha and to redevelop areas in eastern Omaha from the Mormon Bridge 

to the Sarpy County line. 

Former Mayor Mike Boyle, who served when Daub was in Congress, described Da 

ub as more of a Nixon Republican than a Reagan Republican because he wants state 

s to have more control over spending federal tax dollars. 

"Of all things, he's not stingy," Boyle said. 

Boyle, a Democrat who supports Ms. Council, said Daub was adept at "bringin 

g home the pork" for several housing and transportation projects that needed fed 

eral support. 

But the former mayor expressed concern that Daub was off-base with some of 

his proposals, in particular his $40 million proposal to spur the city's economy 

. 

"I don't think he has a grasp of what it takes to put the deals together, B 

oyle said. "I was really neutral in this race ... and was even leaning toward s 

upporting him. But what made me wonder was his concept of putting $20 million of 

city money with $20 million of local private funds. That's Washington money. It 

doesn't exist around here." 

Jim Suttle, former City Public Works director who was the city's point man 

on the Papio River watershed dam project in the 1980s, said all of the members o 

f the state's congressional delegation were helpful in pulling together funding 

and support for that project. 

"But Hal Daub was extremely energetic and a dedicated hard worker on helpin 

g us," Suttle said. "He was more involved for two reasons: He was in the House o 

f Representatives; these projects were in his district. That's the way the syste 

m works." 

Daub's personal style was good and bad, Suttle said. 

"On the plus side, I think Hal Daub has a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and he 

's a Type A personality who wants to charge ahead and get things done," he Said. 

"On the negative side, Hal does more talking and not enough listening, but that 

's the way God made him." 

Marty Shukert, Omaha planning director while Daub was in Congress, said Dau 

b and other congressional delegates played an important role in obtaining U.S. H 

ousing and Urban Development grants for the rehabilitation of the Orpheum Tower 

and the renovation of the old First National Bank building into rental units for 

low- and moderate- income people. 

Shukert, who said he was supporting Ms. Council for mayor, said Daub 

consistently approached projects with great intensity. He said that was a positi 

ve at times and a negative at others. 

"He is an intense person, and sometimes as a result of that he will go off 

in his direction and, in some cases, not always listen to you." Shukert said. "O 

n the other hand, somebody with that intensity is somebody who actually does car 

e about what he's saying." 

On the House Ways and Means Committee, Daub had such a reputation as an inc 

essant talker that Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, D-Il., once threatened to lock Rep 

ublicans in a room with Daub for 12 hours to prod them into supporting the 1986

tax reform bill. 

Daub said his intensity was abrasive to some. He said his high energy level 

, his stiff hand gyrations and his propensity to talk a lot were fodder for joke 

s and sneers. But he's not about to calm his hands or swallow his words and apol 

ogize for his actions. 

"I think that is part of the chemistry of what people like about me. They'r 

e sort of willing to forgive my foibles and my intensity," Daub said. "Overall, 

they evaluate me in a much larger sense than my critics understand. 

Sam Clark, who served as Daub's legislative counsel in 1981-84, said Daub s 

erved his constituency well by drowning himself in details. 

"You may not want to hear so one talk about impact aid for half an hour," C 

lark said, "but if you're going to work as hard as he did for those issues you'v 

e got to care that much about it. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon warns that farm programs threatened 

TEXT[ Sen. J. James Exon sounded a battle cry to save federal farm programs Frid 

ay in a speech to the Nebraska Farmers Union convention in Grand Island. 

Farm programs have been put at risk by the General Agreement on Tariff 

s and Trade, the incoming Republican chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committe 

e and the latest trend in deficit reduction, which targets agriculture, he said. 

"Make no mistake about it. We are in for a fight - a big one. We must 

be united. We must be loud. We must be strong, and we must prevail," Exon said. 

Much of his speech centered on the GATT agreement passed recently by t 

he House and Senate. Exon was one of 24 senators to oppose the agreement. Nebras 

ka Farmers Union also opposed the trade agreement. 

One of the most disturbing aspects of GATT is the dispute resolution. 

Exon explained that if two countries have a disagreement over trade, the laws of 

those countries are subject to the view of the World Trade Organization, which 

administers the agreement. 

"Such a structure will clearly stack the deck against the United States sin 

ce most countries want unlimited access to our coveted markets. Virtually every 

country will have an invitation to challenge indirectly U.S. law, which impedes 

any imported products," Exon said.Taking it one step further, Exon said he feare 

d GATT would be a justification to eliminate farm programs altogether. Reforms 

in the upcoming Farm Bill may be called "GATT illegal" by opponents, such as Sen 

. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the incoming Senate Agriculture Committee chairman. 

"While I'm glad to entertain a discussion of how we might make farm program 

s more efficient and less complicated for farmers, I become alarmed when the new 

chairman of the agriculture committee begins the discussion by talking about wh 

olesale elimination of price supports before he is even officially handed the ga 

vel," he said. 

Exon said federal spending cuts must 

be made across the board, and agricultural programs should be no exception. But 

the farm programs have already undergone cuts over the past 10 years, and other 

programs, should be considered for spending reductions.

"If you made a list of entitlement spending items by size, agriculture woul 

d come in about 10th. Simply put, it's dwarfed by some much bigger ticket items, 

" he said. 

Opponents also need to look at the focus of the farm programs, which h 

ave shifted from price supports and loan rates to environmental goals. If farmer 

s are squeezed too much by reduced farm programs, they may abandon the environme 

ntal programs, he said. 

One such program at risk is the Conservation Reserve Program which wil 

l expire in 1995. Although the program has a lot of political support, Congress 

must reauthorize the program by finding "new" money in the budget, Exon said. 

"The kicker is whether those supporters will be willing to put their m 

oney where their mouth is," he said. 

The 1995 Farm Bill will be the toughest Congress has ever written - th 

e toughest to get a fair deal, Exon said. 

As the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Exon pledged to be 

the voice of reason and reality for farmers and ranchers. 

"I need you to be the foot soldiers in the upcoming battle." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Says GATT May Spur Gutting of Farm Programs 

TEXT[Grand Island, Neb. - Farmers could see a wholesale gutting of farm programs 

when the new Congress convenes in January. Sen. J.J. Exon told the Nebraska Far 

mers Union here Friday. 

"I'm concerned that GATT (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) will 

be used as an excuse for an all-out attack on farm programs," he told the Nebras 

ka Farmers Union here Friday. 

Within hours of GATT's passage, the future head of the Senate Agriculture C 

ommittee, Richard Lugar. R-Ind., was talking of elimination of farm programs bec 

ause they are "GATT-illegal," Exon said. 

Cuts in farm spending are inevitable, said Exon, who as minority leader of 

the Senate budget committee will help control the purse strings of federal spend 

ing. Exon said he would use as much power as he can to hold back the "meat ax" t 

hat some want to wield against farm spending. He favors "surgical cuts." 

In questions after his appearance at the Riverside Inn. Exon wouldn't say 

what sort of changes he favors in farm supports.But he said Farmers Union member 

s should not be deceived by the contention of some farm program foes that farmer 

s would gain an additional $ 1.5 billion in annual profits under GATT by the yea 

r 2000. 

Farm programs receive about $8 billion a year, of which farmers in Nebraska 

received about $500 million in 1993 for support programs and disaster relief. T 

hat is far more than farmers could gain under GATT if the projections are accura 

te, Exon said. 

Gains under GATT, he said, "will be substantially less than some farm organ 

izations predict, but there's no use crying over spilled milk." Instead, he said 

, lawmakers need to work to mitigate the adverse effects of GATT on farmers. 

Nor should farmers accept state farm support block grants to replace farm b

ill programs, Exon said. "Block grants are the first step toward making farm pro 

grams welfare programs," he said. 

Exon said those who favor elimination of all farm programs are overlooking 

farm programs' benefits to rural America and the public as a whole, including as 

sistance to businesses and small towns whose economic health depends on farmers. 



AUTH[Nadine Miners 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Exon saw GATT Is Bad' 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon is not only a good man; he is aye man who loves America. Why 

didn't the other senators see the truth about the General Agreement on Tariffs 

and Trade? 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Elders was too liberal even for most liberals 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., summed up Friday's firing of Surgeon General Jo 

ycelyn Elders best: 

"Dr. Elders did not reflect the mainstream values Nebraskans and the nation 

hold dear." 

His comments came minutes after President Clinton terminated the former Ark 

ansas pediatrician and professor for remarks about teaching children about mastu 

rbation. Clinton commended his appointee for the progress she had made in bring 

ing key health education issues to the forefront. But he admitted that her lates 

t remarks just went too far. 

Elders is certainly the most controversial of Clinton's appointees, but unl 

ike former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, she failed to bring credibility to s 

uch a key position. 

Koop was the best of all of President Reagan's appointees. He was forthrigh 

t, independent and authoritative, and his Opinions were delivered from a positio 

n of credibility. He was able to use the job to increase the nation's awareness 

of a broad range of health issues. These included smoking dangers, avoiding unwa 

nted pregnancies, not overexercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

Elders did none of these. While she opened avenues for discussion about par 

ents' abdicating responsibility for their children's health and sex education, s 

he did so in a combative style with no room for compromise. Her views were too l 

iberal for most liberals. 

Elders is the latest in a series of Arkansans who came to Washington with C 

linton less than two years ago only to resign. Among the others: Associate Attor 

ney General Webb Hubbell, who pleaded guilty this week to two felonies in connec 

tion with overbilling at a law firm in Little Rock, Ark., and David Watkins, the 

White House administrator who hopped a presidential helicopter for a golf outin 

g.

The president clearly needs to choose his advisers considerably more carefu 

lly. It would be nice to think that Clinton's dismissal of Elders marks a turnin 

g point in his record on presidential appointments. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exports still the key for farmers 

TEXT[The importance of agricultural exports for the United States has been empha 

sized by a recent fiscal 1994 report made by the Department of Agriculture. Far 

m exports totalled $43.5 billion, near the 1981 record of $43.8 million. And whi 

le down slightly because of greater imports (for which increased coffee prices w 

ere partially responsible), agriculture actually showed a $17 billion favorable 

balance of trade (offsetting somewhat all those oil and other imports which kee 

p the overall balance negative). 

Japan bought $9.2 billion of those U.S. agricultural products, with the Eur 

opean Union second at $6.6 billion and Canada third at $5.3 billion. Mexico, Sou 

th Korea, Taiwan, the former Soviet Union and Hong Kong followed. 

NAFTA has already contributed to export gains to both Canada and Mexico, an 

d GATT promises to open even more agricultural markets. (And why did a rural sta 

te senator like J.J. Exon oppose it?) 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Fires Outspoken Dr. Elders 

TEXT[Washington (AP) - Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders. a target of conservative 

s for her views on abortion, drug legalization and sex education, was abruptly f 

ired by President Clinton Friday for saying schoolchildren should be taught abou 

t masturbation. 

"There have been too many areas in which the president does not agree 

with her views," White House chief of staff Leon Panetta said. "This is just one 

too many." 

Clinton asked for and received Dr. Elders' resignation. Panetta said. She 

had been warned to temper her remarks, he said, and "if she had not resigned, sh 

e would have been terminated." 

Dr. Elders was ousted a month after a Republican election landslide th 

at was seen as a shift toward the right among voters. Since then, Clinton has be 

en struggling to tailor himself to more centrist positions. 

Incoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who repeatedly had attacked Dr. 

Elders for her outspoken views, said, "It's good for the country and good for th 

e president that she's departed." 

Sen. Nancy Kassebaum. R-Kan., the incoming chairwoman of the Senate Labor a 

nd Human Resources Committee, called Dr. Elders' ouster "necessary and long over 

due." Said Rep. Marge Raceme of New Jersey. the most senior Republican woman in

the House; "Great, what took her so long?" 

However, the Planned Parenthood Federation. which advocates birth control t 

o limit population growth, said Dr. Elders "brought to Washington a welcome dose 

of real-world wisdom that raised the stature of the office." 

As surgeon general, Dr. Elders had a bully pulpit in the administratio 

n to espouse her views without a lot of actual control over federal health progr 

ams or policy. 

Her firing resulted from her remarks Dec. l at a World AIDS Day confer 

ence in New York, when she was asked her views on masturbation. 

She said, "As per your specific question in regard to masturbation, I 

think that is something that is a part of human sexuality and it's a part of som 

ething that perhaps should be taught. But we've not even taught our children the 

very basics. And l feel that we have tried ignorance for a very long time and i 

t's time we try education." 

In a telephone interview from her home outside Washington. Dr. Elders 

said she had intended to relate her belief that students should be taught that m 

asturbation is a natural part of human sexuality - not that youths should be tau 

ght how to masturbate. "Heavens, no. That's not what I was trying to say." she s 

aid. "You can't teach people how to do that, just like you can't teach them how 

to have sex. 

Dr, Elders, 61, said she was not bitter, although she expressed surpri 

se over the way her remarks were interpreted. "People have taken a lot of things 

I've said in a most unusual way," she said. 

In a written statement, Clinton said 

Please turn to Page 4 Col. 1 

Continued from Page 1 

differences with Dr. Elders "have made it necessary for her to tender her resign 

ation. Those statements in no way diminish her devotion to her work and the enor 

mous positive impact she has had on the problems she tackled and the people she 

served." 

Panetta said the White House had objected previously to Dr. Elders' sa 

ying drug legalization should be considered, her support for teaching young peop 

le to use condoms and her remark that Catholics had a "love affair" with fetuses 

. 

Eighty-seven House Republicans signed a letter demanding her firing la 

st June after Dr. Elders attacked the un-Christian religious right." 

On Capitol Hill, Gingrich said, "I think a lot of us felt that, first 

of all her anti-Catholic statements were totally unacceptable; and, second, that 

her suggestions that illegal drugs might be legalized were just exactly the wro 

ng signal, and, third, that her approach to mass distribution of condoms just ma 

de no sense in the long run for this culture and sent the wrong signal to young 

people." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Says Elders Firing A Long Overdue Move 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton's firing of Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders

"was long overdue," Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Friday. 

"Dr. Elders did not reflect the main-stream values Nebraskans and the natio 

n hold dear," Exon said. "I knew that when she was nominated, and that's why I v 

oted against her then and support the president's decision to fire her now. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Regional Lawmakers Defend Ag Subsidies 

TEXT[Washington- Nebraska and Iowa members of Congress said they were prepared t 

o defend farm subsidies from a challenge issued last week by Sen. Richard Lugar, 

R-IN., who will be chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. 

Lugar, in a press conference and in a letter to the Senate Budget Committee 

, indicated it may be time to rewrite every page of a farm law that had its root 

s in the Great Depression of the 1930s. 

"I would not rule out any options, including the abolition of the programs, 

" Lugar said in a letter to Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, who will be Budget Committ 

ee chairman. 

Lugar's comments shocked some farm-state members of Congress, including Sen 

- J.J. Exon, D-Neb., who will be the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. 

"I am alarmed that the incoming Agriculture Committee chairman would make s 

uch a statement," Exon said, "Unfortunately, the agriculture budget is going to 

be a prime target next year." 

Exon said cuts in agriculture won't begin to cover administration plans to 

spend an additional $25 billion on defense, which he said he supports, or to pro 

vide a tax cut for middle-income Americans. 

"I am willing to review agriculture programs and look for efficiencies, but 

agriculture already has been whacked at the deficit-reduction table, and there 

must be fairness," Exon said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., a member of the Agriculture Committee, said consum 

ers would have to pay more for food if federal price supports were eliminated fo 

r corn and wheat. 

"It would be a very, very big mistake for consumers," Kerrey said. "They wo 

uld get a big lesson in a hurry about how these programs benefit them." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, another committee member, said no major change is 

likely in farm programs in 1995. 

"We are not going back to the 1920s in agriculture," he said. "We just simp 

ly are not going to wipe out the farm programs. If we did there would be a consu 

mer revolt in the United States." 

Nevertheless, Harkin said, there may be a successful effort to reduce or el 

iminate federal payments to the most-affluent farmers. 

"People are tired of seeing money go to these multimillion dollar operation 

s," he said. "But I do not anticipate drastic cuts in farm programs." 

Sen. Charles Grassley. R-Iowa, who probably will be a subcommittee chairman 

on the Agriculture Committee, said he would have no objection to reviewing all 

elements of the farm law in 1995. 

"However, agriculture must be treated fairly." he said. "I believe it is my 

responsibility to see that the unfair cuts to the ag budgeting 1990 and 1993 ar

e not repeated. 

Rep.-elect Jon Christensen, R-Neb., who will be a member of the tax-writing 

House Ways and Means Committee, said he agreed with Lugar's call for a full rev 

iew of farm programs. 

"However, in doing so, it is imperative that we proceed carefully so as not 

to endanger those family-farm operations that have made our country the bread-b 

asket to the world," Christensen said 

"My number one priority for the 1995 farm bill from a cost perspective 

is to encourage a top to bottom, A-to-Z review of all farm programs to assess t 

heir continued validity,' he said. 

"Simply put, we must gradually move away from a government-controlled syste 

m rooted in subsidies and bureaucratic intervention to one based on the law of s 

upply and demand and the efficiency and productivity of the American farmer," sa 

id Christensen, who grew up on a farm near St. Paul, Neb. 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa, said the 1995 farm bill should continue "t 

o ensure a cheap and plentiful food supply for the nation," a goal that will to 

be accomplished at a time when spending cuts are a congressional priority. 

"Agriculture should not be singled out for cuts," Lightfoot said, "This bur 

den must be shed equally with other segments of American society." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter. R-Neb., said Lugar's statement was to be expected from 

a committee chairman wanting to begin debate on major legislation. 

"When all is said and done, I believe the number of fundamental changes for 

farm support and conservation programs will be minimal, Bereuter said. 

He said he intends to reintroduce his bill to extend and revise the Conserv 

ation Reserve Program, which enables farmers to rent highly erodible land to the 

government for 10 years. 

"My legislation caps the annual rental payments at no more than 80 percent 

of previous annual rental payments." Bereuter said. 

He said surveys have indicated that many farmers are willing to keep their 

land in the program even if the rental payments are reduced. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., sixth-ranking member of the House Agriculture Co 

mmittee, used his weekly column to constituents to comment on the questions rais 

ed by Lugar. 

"The debate may focus on what size of farm producers should receive governm 

ent subsidies or if those with off-farm income should receive them," Barrett sai 

d. 

"We must determine if our agriculture policies are best serving those they' 

re designed to serve, and if taxpayer dollars are being used in the most benefic 

ial way," he said. "We are likely to find they are." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon fears for farm programs 

TEXT[GRAND ISLAND (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon doesn't like prospects for the 1995 

Farm Bill after Senate passage of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and 

the Republican takeover of Congress. 

"Make no mistake about it. We are in for a fight - a big one," the Nebraska

Democrat told the Nebraska Farmers Union convention on Friday."WE MUST be unite 

d. We must be loud. We must be strong, and we must 

prevail," he said. 

GATT, the incoming Republican chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee 

and the latest trend in deficit reduction, which targets agriculture, has put fa 

rm programs at risk, Exon said. 

Exon was one of 24 senators who opposed the GATT agreement. The Nebras 

ka Farmers Union also opposed GATT, which is designed to open world markets. 

But resolution of disputes is one of the most disturbing aspects of the agr 

eement, Exon said. 

IF TWO countries disagree over trade, the laws of those countries are subje 

ct; to the view of the World Trade Organization, which administers the agreement 

, Exon said. 

"Such a structure will clearly stack the deck against the United States, si 

nce most countries want unlimited access to our coveted markets," Exon said. 

GATT also could serve as justification for efforts to eliminate farm progra 

ms altogether, Exon said. 

Proposed reforms in the Farm Bill could be called GATT illegal by oppo 

nents, such as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., incoming Senate Agriculture Comm 

ittee chairman, Exon said. 





vel," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Army awards contract 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The Army has awarded a $5.4 million contract to Duncan Aviatio 

n, Nebraska's senators announced Thursday. 

Under the contract, employees of the Lincoln company will perform maintenan 

ce on Army passenger and cargo aircraft, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said 

. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Dead Wrong 

TEXT[Following the Nov. 8 election, I wrote a column hitting the electoral highl 

ights in Nebraska and elsewhere. 

The last thing we expected was a response from Sen. Jim Exon. 

The column speculated that, despite the senatorial hopes and dreams of Firs 

t District Congressman Doug Berueter, the Democrats had a plan in place to preve

nt a GOP takeover of one of the Nebraska senate seats. 

The scenario put Exon seeking another term in 1996, then retiring 1998, all 

owing Gov. Ben Nelson to appoint himself to finish out Exon's term. Why? Becau 

se Nelson is a lame duck and cannot seek another term in 1998. That would give 

Nelson a four-year head start on the 2004 election for Exon's senate seat. 

Exon, however assures that there is no such plan. 

"I would not be a party to any such 'scenario' speculations invented by the 

Demo party or any other individual or group that would dream up the clandestine 

arrangement where I would run with the intent to resign to help or try and mana 

ge a replacement," he wrote. 

"I have always been straight forward with the people and I hope you underst 

and that," he said. "It might be interesting speculation, but I assure you that 

it is dead wrong." 

Remember, you heard the meandering speculation here first, and now you hear 

d it refuted here first! 



AUTH[David Orenstein and David Lynch 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Farm Bill Fights: Geography not ideology 

TEXT[Pick your cliche. Election Day 1994 was an earthquake, a tidal wave, a gale 

-force wind of change. The Republican rout reshaped the landscape in Washington. 

Except in farm programs. 

Partisan posturing now will become regional rapprochement later, inside pla 

yers and observers say, with most farm state lawmakers closing ranks to protect 

their cattle and corn turf despite party affiliation. 

The 1995 farm hill debate is shaping up as the usual war of geography inste 

ad of ideology 

"This is not going to be a partisan issue (as much as) it is an issue of fa 

irness." said Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd district, a rising player on the House Ag 

riculture Committee. He said partisan sniping will give way once the dust from N 

ov. 8 clears. 

But for the moment, politicians are doing what they can to make their rival 

s look bad to farm constituents. The practice has a history on the Plains. 

In 1992, Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., won the South Dakota Democratic president 

ial primary, in part because he presented Bill Clinton as the candidate who woul 

d cut federal agricultural price support programs. 

Kerrey backed up that charge with a copy of an interview with Rob Shapiro, 

a Clinton adviser, who recommended in a policy paper that Clinton cut the price 

support programs to pay for new urban programs. 

More recently. William Kristol. key political strategist for the GOP, becam 

e Kansas Republican Sen. Bob Dole's Rob Shapiro. Kristol said on "Meet the Press 

" that to meet budget cuts that will be required under the Republicans' Contrac 

t With America, entitlement programs such as farm subsidies will have to be cut. 

Kristol also said Dole, who is set to become Senate majority leader next ye 

ar, "will take a courageous position and look at radically reducing farm subsidi 

es. 

Dole quickly distanced himself from Kristol's prediction but Kerrey, Sen. T

om Harkin, D-Iowa, and other Democratic farm state lawmakers and candidates had 

jumped on the Kristol statement. They told their constituents Republicans were 

going to emasculate, perhaps even eliminate, farm subsidies to pay for the Contr 

act With America. 

But Kerrey is not looking at the farm bill as fundamentally partisan, said 

agricultural aid Tim Galvin. Kerrey and Barrett generally agree on the need to 

retain farms subsidies. 

Barrett noted that a bipartisan farm coalition is a necessity. 

"I look forward to a lot of cooperation between the senator and myself," he 

said "We're going to have to." 

Their farm bipartisanship is reflected in their assessments of the two new 

chairmen of the agriculture committees. Rep. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., is respected 

for his support of farm programs, and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., is feared for a rec 

ent letter in which he said he would not rule out completely scraping farm progr 

ams. 

Galvin points out that Indiana isn't as much of a farm state as it used to 

be. While still a large corn producer, he said, Indiana has moved to light manu 

facturing. 

But because agriculture chairmen are often considered spokesmen for agricul 

ture, Barrett said, Lugar's open-season rhetoric could become an excuse for urba 

n congressmen looking to cut farm programs. 

"Lugar has identified with their position certainly more than Pat Roberts." 

he said. Galvin added, "There's no better example than the Lugar letter." 

But farm programs have bipartisan friends at the top of the Senate. Dole, 

heading the now dominant GOP, and incoming minority leader Tom Daschle, D.-S.D., 

are expected to oppose ruinous cuts in farm programs. 

The Senate Budget Committee, which determines how much money the Agricultur 

e Committee will have to work with, will be strongly influenced by another farm 

state lawmaker, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. 

If agriculture take a hit anyway, Galvin and Barrett said, it will be becau 

se after a lot of hand-wringing, Grassley felt he was bound by the Contract with 

America and the budget-cutting climate. 

"It could be a difficult problem for him," Barrett said. "I wouldn't envy 

him." 

Iowa voters are a powerful force not just for their own senators, but also 

for prospective presidential candidates such as Dole and Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texa 

s. 

The Iowa caucuses are the first presidential tryout in the nation and Iowa 

voters' agricultural focus makes a candidate vulnerable to partisan finger-point 

ing. 

With Dole and Gramm running for the nomination among what promises to be a 

large and hungry field, Iowa's caucuses may help save the federal farm subsidies 

from severe cuts. 

Gramm, who has made his own noises about cutting farm programs, has been qu 

ick to deny any predictions that he wants to hurt agriculture. 

This is not lost on Harkin, who recently warned Gramm that House Speaker-to 

-be Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and Rep. Dick Armey R-Texas will look for "any phony e 

xcuse" to cut federal farm programs. 

Virtually everyone involved in federal government policy, and anyone who wa 

nts to be involved in it in chief executive status, has acknowledged that there 

are virtually no sacred cows in the budget-cutting process that will have to be

undertaken over the next year. The goal is to avoid further federal deficits. 

The Democrats, too, have a list -- vilified by opponents -- that includes a 

griculture. It was first put together by Budget Director Alice Rivlin's staff an 

d is being worked on by every agency in government in preparation for the presid 

ent's budget request, which will go to Congress in February. 

Just as friends of agricultural spending are bipartisan at heart, so are th 

e proponents of deep budget cuts. 

With both parties focusing on deficit reduction, farm subsidies which make 

up only 1 percent of federal spending are going to take a sustainable hit, Galvi 

n and Barrett acknowledge. They just hope farmers are not alone. 

"At the end of the day the programs will still be there," Galvin said. Barr 

ett added, "I just want to be careful we're not balancing the budget on the back 

s of agriculture again." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Farming has major GOP allies 

TEXT[Although Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., says the new Republican majority will have 

an adverse effect on farm programs, he says he is counting on Republicans among 

farming's closest allies. 

Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan,the incoming Senate majority leader and Rep. Pat Rober 

ts, R-Kan, who will be White House Agriculture Committee chairman, are major all 

ies when it comes to farm issues Exon said. 

And Exon hopes he, Sen. Chuck Grassley. R-Iowa, and Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D 

., will team up to influence Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M. 

The Budget Committee, where Exon will be the ranking Democrat, tells the Ag 

riculture Committee how much money it will have. 

Exon said he otherwise doesn't count Domenici as a pro-farm vote. Teamwork 

will be necessary, Exon said. in light of what Exon termed the "all-out attack" 

on farm programs that has been launched by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind, the incomi 

ng chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon fears for farm programs 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon doesn't like prospects for the 1995 Farm Bill after Sen 

ate passage of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Republican tak 

eover of Congress. 

"Make no mistake about it. We are in for a fight -- a big one," the Nebrask 

a Democrat told the Nebraska Farmers Union convention on Friday. 

"We must be united. We must be loud. We must be strong, and we must prevai 

l," he said. 

GATT, the incoming Republican chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee



Exon was one of 24 senators who opposed the GATT agreement. The Nebraska F 

armers Union also opposed GATT, which is designed to open world markets. 

Resolution of disputes is one of the most disturbing aspects of the agreeme 

nt, Exon said. 

If two countries disagree over trade, the laws of those countries are subje 

ct to the view of the World Trade Organization, which administers the agreement, 



nce most countries want unlimited access to our coveted markets," Exon said. "V 

irtually every country will have an invitation to challenge indirectly U.S. law 

which impedes any imported products," he said. 



Proposed reforms in the Farm Bill could be called "GATT illegal" by opponen 

ts, such as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., incoming Senate Agriculture Commi 

ttee chairman, Exon said. 








AUTH[Bradley Graham 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans Plot Military Maneuvers; Draft Legislation Revives Star Wars, I 

ncreases Spending, Creates Panel 

TEXT[In their "Contract With America," House Republicans have committed to more 

military spending. But their draft legislation on defense provides few clues abo 

ut how they intend to find the money or spend it. 

With other pledges to cut taxes and eliminate the federal deficit hard enou 

gh to reconcile, Republican legislative leaders appear inclined to study militar 

y issues for at least a year before embarking in costly new directions. 

Their draft bill, known as the "National Security Restoration Act," stipula 

tes the creation of a blue-ribbon, 12-member commission to reassess U.S. securit 

y needs and modernization and readiness plans. The legislation does not specify 

any particular level of defense spending over the next five years. calling merel 

y for "restoring" adequate national security funding. 

And it says little about any particular military program, except in the are 

a of antimissile defense. In a bid to revive the Star Wars program, the bill wou 

ld require the Defense Department to deploy "at the earliest possible date" a na 

tional missile defense system designed to protect the continental United States 

against long-range missile threats--an expensive proposition that, in fact, not 

all congressional Republicans think is worth the price. 

While buying time to develop a new military blueprint, the Republicans prop 

ose restoring budget "fire walls" to prevent the transfer of Defense Department

funds to other agencies to finance social programs unrelated to military readine 

ss. The fire walls came down after President Clinton took office and pursued dee 

per defense cuts. 

The rest of the draft Republican bill deals with limiting U.S. involvement 

with the United Nations and reaffirming U.S. commitments to NATO. 

Since their landslide electoral victory on Capitol Hill, the Republicans ha 

ve stepped up attacks on the administration's management of the military, focusi 

ng on acknowledged readiness problems. 

Administration officials contend they are moving aggressively to address th 

e drop in the readiness ratings of some units and have put the blame on a slow c 

ongressional response to requests for emergency funding to pay for missions in H 

aiti, Rwanda, the Persian Gulf region and off the coast of Cuba. But Republicans 

led by Rep. Floyd Spence (R-S.C.), soon-to-be chairman of the Armed Services Co 

mmittee, have rejected this argument, saying the readiness problems reflect a mo 

re systematic error in the administration's overall funding plan. 

This line of attack fits with a growing consensus in the defense community 

that Clinton's fundamental commitment to maintain a military capable of fighting 

two major regional conflicts nearly simultaneously is well-intentioned but unde 

r-funded, despite the $25 billion, six-year increase announced by the president 

earlier this month. Even former defense secretary Les Aspin, architect of the ad 

ministration's long-term defense program known as the "Bottom Up Review" (BUR), 

said last week that the Pentagon's projected budgets for the rest of the decade 

would not support the planned force and provide it with a new generation of weap 

ons. 

"Defense Secretary [William J.] Perry would be well-advised to have a BUR N 

umber 2," Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), a senior member of the Armed Services Com 

mittee, told reporters last week. 

At the same time, skepticism abounds that the House Republicans can fulfill 

their commitment to bolster defense while also keeping to pledges to balance th 

e federal budget and cut taxes. 

"As a senior Democratic member on the Armed Services Committee, I'm appalle 

d at what's been coming out of all those on the other side," Sen. J. James Exon 

(D-Neb.) said in an interview. "Anyone who understands our budget knows you can' 

t realistically do all they're talking about doing without raising taxes, which 

I'm sure they don't want to do. Their program lacks any reasonable ring of reali 

ty." 

Most incredible for many Democrats is the Republican move to revive Star Wa 

rs. The Democrats have little problem with the provision in the proposed bill to 

implement advanced theater missile defense systems "as quickly as possible." Bu 

t the legislation goes on to direct the Pentagon also to "develop for deployment 

at the earliest possible date a cost-effective, operational anti-ballistic miss 

ile defense system" to protect the United States against missile attacks. 

This would reverse a series of actions that the Clinton administration has 

taken over the past two years to turn away from talk of space-based sensors and 

firing devices. The administration renamed the Strategic Defense Initiative orga 

nization the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization--a change that illustrated a 

decreased emphasis on strategic systems. Funds for programs related to strategi 

c defenses--such as Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Eyes and National Missile Defen 

se--were cut. The military services focused instead on developing deplorable sys 

tems for defending against missiles in the field. 

In an interview with wire service reporters last week, Perry rejected the c 

all for the revival of a Star Wars missile defense system. He said the administr

ation's upcoming budget proposal would include instead a "robust program" for bo 

th sea-based and ground-based antimissile defense systems. 

"What we will not have in the program is a robust program leading to deploy 

ment of a continental missile defense system, and that's where I think the debat 

e is going to be in the Congress," Perry said, according to an Associated Press 

account. The secretary added there is no current threat to the United States tha 

t would justify building such a huge missile defense system. 

If the language on Star Wars is sure to generate controversy, a large secti 

on of the bill critical of U.S. involvement with the United Nations is likely to 

strike a sympathetic chord even among many Democrats on Capitol Hill. The draft 

legislation plays to bipartisan congressional sentiment that the United Nations 

has been a disappointment in responding to post-Cold War crises and poses a ris 

ky association for the U.S. military. 

"The draft bill really is a political document, and it can score points by 

pointing to the inadequacy of the United Nations," said Robert Tomkin, a nationa 

l security specialist with the Democratic Study Group, which before its dissolut 

ion last week advised Democratic members of Congress on policy issues. 

The legislation would prohibit the United States from participating in U.N. 

operations that would place American troops under foreign command, except in ca 

ses that the president determines are "vital to U.S. national security interests 

" and that Congress approves. 

These and other criteria stipulated in the Republican bill already are U.S. 

policy, formalized last May in a presidential decision directive spelling out w 

hat U.N. operations the United States would support and how it would support the 

m. But the Republicans say the conditions need tightening and contend the admini 

stration has failed to adhere to its own criteria in operations such as the rece 

nt intervention in Haiti. 

By proposing a series of strict reporting requirements to Congress, the Rep 

ublicans also hope to keep close track of what the United States is spending on 

U.N. peacekeeping activities. 

Signaling they have not soured on all multinational organizations, the Hous 

e Republicans call in their draft legislation for a strengthened U.S. commitment 

to the alliance and an expansion of NATO membership to former Soviet bloc count 

ries. 

The bill proposes a program that would assist Poland, Hungary, the Czech Re 

public and Slovakia--and perhaps other former communist countries--in becoming m 

embers of NATO by the end of the century, provided that they "meet appropriate s 

tandards," meaning democratic governments, free market economies and civilian co 

ntrol of the military. The program would assist the new nations with joint plann 

ing and military exercises with NATO forces and encourage greater inoperability 

of military equipment. 

Such enthusiasm for NATO, however, appears dated amid the transatlantic str 

ains that flared in recent days over use of NATO military power in Bosnia, promp 

ting Sen. Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.), the next Senate majority leader, to question 

the usefulness of the Atlantic alliance. 




SOUR[Alliance Times-Herald

BK#[ 

HDLN[Virginia Kennedy Coffee, Dr. Gaylord E. Moller; Two Former Alliance Residen 

ts Receive Distinguished Service Awards At CSC 

TEXT[Two former Alliance residents will be presented Distinguished Service Award 

s during Chadron State College's winter commencement exercises at 2 p.m. Friday, 

Dec. 16, in the Armstrong Gymnasium. 

They are Virginia Kennedy Coffee of Harrison and Dr. Gaylord E. Moller of O 

maha. 

Mrs. Coffee and her husband, Bill, own and operate the historic Hat Creek a 

nd Warbonnet ranches in northern Sioux County. 

She has been involved in countless activities that have contributed much to 

the historic, cultural and civic betterment of the region. 

Moller has been principal of Central High School in Omaha for 26 years, and 

has long been recognized as one of the state's outstanding educational administ 

rators. 

Mrs. Coffee was the valedictorian of the Class of 1938 at St. Agnes Academy 

in Alliance. 

With the help of a scholarship, she enrolled at Chadron State that fall. 

As a prelude of what was to follow, she was a part of many activities in co 

llege. 

She was a member of the chorus and orchestra, a class officer, a student co 

uncil member and was tapped by Cardinal Key National Honorary Society. 

She recalls being asked to sing "This Is My Father's Land" at a college con 

vocation a few hours after the United States had declared its entry into World W 

ar 11. 

Because of the war, her time as a student ended earlier than she had antici 

pated. 

In the spring of 1942 prior to receiving her degree, she was recruited to t 

each and become principal at Whitman High School after her predecessor there had 

received a Civil Service appointment in Washington, D.C. 

Mrs. Coffee has held many leadership roles. They include chairing the commi 

ttee that published "Sioux County: Memoirs of Its Pioneers" in 1967; heading "Op 

eration Handshake," a Nebraska Cow Belle project that brought Omaha youths by tr 

ain to western Nebraska to acquaint them with ranching; and serving on the Harri 

son school, Harrison village, Harrison Community Club and Sioux County Historica 

l Society boards. 

She was mayor of Harrison 1978-80, the only woman to ever hold that post. 

She also served six years as a director of the Nebraska State Historical So 

ciety; was appointed by former Gov. James Exon to the Fort Robinson Centennial C 

ommission, which, among other projects, founded the annual Western Art Show in e 

arly July; and headed the Sioux County Bicentennial Celebration Committee, when 

Harrison and Sioux County were the first in Nebraska to meet all the state guide 

lines. 

Two of the major projects of the latter committee were establishing a museu 

m and developing Coffee Park in Sowbelly Canyon north of Harrison from land dona 

ted by Guy and Ila Coffee, her husband's uncle and aunt. 

Mrs. Coffee has been a director and vice president of Friends of Agate Foss 

il Beds since 1988, is listed in Who's Who in the Midwest and Who's Who of Ameri 

can Women and was named an Honorary Nebraska Centennial Governor for her part in 

that observance. 

She has been on committees that have erected four historical markers.

The Coffees have four daughters. A few years ago on Mother's Day they surpr 

ised her by providing the seed money for the Virginia Kennedy Coffee Scholarship 

through the Chadron State Foundation. 

The scholarship is now fully endowed. Preference is given to Chadron State 

students from the area who are studying agriculture or music. 

Moller was born at Pilger, Neb., but his family lived in several states bef 

ore moving to Alliance, where he graduated from Alliance High in 1947. After se 

rving in the Army, he attended Chadron State for two years. 

He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln i 

n 1954 and began a seven-year stint with the Valentine Schools. 

He was a teacher for two years and was then appointed junior-senior high sc 

hool principal. 

He earned a master's degree from Chadron State in 1959. 

Moller also served as principal at Gering High School for two years before 

becoming assistant principal of Central High School. 

He has been the principal since 1968, taking over a few weeks after earning 

an Ed.D. degree from UNL. 

Under his leadership, Central has maintained a strong reputation for excell 

ence in many aspects. 

Its U.S. Academic Decathlon Team has won state championships six of the pas 

t eight years, math team members have won state championships 35 of the last 44 

years and won regional memberships six of the last nine years, English students 

have won six National Council of Teachers Writing Achievement Awards in recent y 

ears and art students have won 11 national awards in the last seven years. 

Central has the largest number of advanced placement course offerings in th 

e state and has produced the most National Merit Scholarship semifinalists of an 

y high school in Nebraska three of the past six years, including 10 in 1993 and 

six in 1994. 

Moller calls his leadership style "participative management" which requires 

many meetings and staff input into decision-making. He sometimes writes as many 

as 500 notes in a week, remembering what a professor once told him, "The worst 

insult in the world is the failure to be acknowledged." 

Another of his management techniques is placing top priority on the sanctit 

y of uninterrupted classrooms. In 1989, Executive Educator Magazine recognized M 

oller as one of the 100 outstanding school administrators nationally. 

Moller said some of his greatest satisfaction has come from working with fl 

edgling teachers. Approximately 15 of his former associates now hold leadership 

positions in Omaha schools. Known most of his life as "Doc," Moller has been ma 

rried for 44 years to the former Betty Steggs, a native of Alliance and a regist 

ered nurse. They have two daughters. 



AUTH[Josh Stafursky 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans set sights on future 

TEXT[The state's top three elected Republicans Saturday said the 1994 elections 

were an indication that Nebraskans are prepared turn the reins of government bac 

k over to the GOP.

But in order to cash in on this year's Republican push in the 1996, 1998 an 

d 2000 elections, the party must prove its worth with good policy and strong val 

ues, one official said. 

"The best politics is good government - pure and simple," said state Treasu 

rer-elect Dave Heineman, "If we carry through on these pledges. the elections wi 

ll take care of themselves," 

Heineman spoke Saturday at the final quarterly meeting of the Nebraska Repu 

blican Party's Central Committee. Attorney General Don Stenberg, Secretary of St 

ate-elect Scott Moore and state Auditor John Breslow, a recent Republican conver 

t, also addressed the committee at the Hastings Convention Center. 

Stenberg, who in November von an easy re-election over Adams County Attorne 

y Steve Scherr, said Nebraskans clearly rejected the policies of Clinton Democra 

ts. 

"They said 'no' to a government that puts more emphasis on the lives of spo 

tted owls and snail darters that it does on the lives of men and women," he said 

. 

Stenberg said he hopes the party can go on to claim more seats in the state 

, including U.S. Sen. Jim Exon's, D-Neb., in 1996. 

"l hope we can get a Republican in that Senate seat for the first time in 2 

4 years," he said. "After 18 years, it's time for Exon to go, whether voluntaril 

y or with our help." 

Moore said the party now has clear objectives, set out in two-. four- and s 

ix-year goals. In 1996. Republicans should beat Exon; in 1998, the party should 

recapture the governor's mansion; and in the year 2000, Republicans should captu 

re Bob Kerrey's Senate seat. 

"There is something very wrong in this state when the top statewide elected 

(Republican) official is the Secretary of State." Moore said. "We have some wor 

k to do." 

Heineman said the Republican Party won key seats in 1994 because it had bet 

ter candidates who outvoted their Democratic opponents, had more supportive volu 

nteers and listened to voters on the issues. 

"They wanted less government, less regulation and a more cost-efficient, co 

st-effective government." he said, "Now we have to give it to them." 

Breslow, who was re-elected in 1994 as a Democrat, announced shortly after 

the election that he was switching to the Republican Party. He received a standi 

ng ovation from the 115 delegates at the Saturday meeting. 

"You know (that feeling) when you're headed to summer camp or to your first 

day of school and you wonder if you're going to be accepted by people," Breslow 

said to the group. "I had that same feeling on my way down here (Friday). But t 

oday I feel very pleased to be a Republican." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Fears For Farm Programs 

TEXT[Farm programs could be in jeopardy with Senate passage of the General Agree 

ment on Tariffs and Trade and the Republican takeover of Congress, U.S. Sen. Jim 

Exon said.

The 1995 Farm Bill will be the toughest Congress has ever written - the tou 

ghest to get a fair deal, the Nebraska Democrat said. 

"Make no mistake about it. We are in for a fight - a big one," Exon told th 

e Nebraska Farmers Union convention on Friday. 

"We must be united. We must be loud. We must be strong, and we must prevail 

," he said. 




Exon was one of 24 senators who opposed the GATT agreement. The Nebraska Fa 

rmers Union also opposed GATT, which is designed to open world markets. 




ct to the view of the World Trade Organization,which administers the agreement, 



nce most countries want unlimited access to our coveted markets," Exon said. "Vi 

rtually every country will have an invitation to challenge indirectly U.S. law w 

hich impedes any imported products," he said. 




ts, such as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., incoming Senate Agriculture Committ 

ee chairman, Exon said. 


s more efficient and less complicated for farmers, l become alarmed when the new 




Federal spending cuts must be made across the board and agricultural progra 

ms should be no exception, Exon said. 

But farm programs already have been cut over the past 10 years and other pr 

ograms should be considered for spending reductions, he said. 



" he said. 

Opponents also need to realize that the focus of farm programs has shifted 

from price supports and loan rates to environmental goals, Exon said. If farmers 

are squeezed too much by reduced farm programs, they might abandon environmenta 

l programs, he said. 

One such program at risk is the Conservation Reserve Program, which will ex 

pire in 1995, Exon said. 

The program has a lot of political support, but Congress must reauthorize t 

he program by finding "new" money in the budget, Exon said. 

"The kicker is whether those supporters will be willing to put their money 

where their mouth is," he said. 

As a Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Exon said he would be a voice 

of reason and reality for farmers and ranchers. 

"I need you to be the foot soldiers in the upcoming battle. As l always hav 

e been in the past, I will help lead the charge for you - our family farmers and

anchers who do the work and feed the families of the world," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says some farm programs in danger 









arid the latest trend in deficit reduction, which targets agriculture, has put f 

arm programs at risk, Exon said. 



P/C] 


AUTH[Harry R. Spohn 


BK#[ 

HDLN[RSVP unveils impressive numbers 

TEXT[In keeping with the season, a festive air was present in the Holidome of th 

e Holiday Inn Sunday as the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of North Platte 

said thank you to its more than 400 volunteers. 

From Aug. 1, 1993, to Sept. 30, 1994, RSVP volunteers gave 99,465 hours of 

service to the community through 50 different organizations. Using the minimum 

wage as a base, the service was valued at $462,512.25. 

RSVP director Sandra Miller-James presented a symbolic check in that amount 

to North Platte Mayor Keith Richardson. 

Thanking the volunteers for their work on behalf of the city, Richardson jo 

kingly said he was going to cash the check. "The city needs all the budget help 

it can get," he said. Besides the mayor and his wife, several other city council 

members and city employees were also present. 

Third District Rep. Bill Barrett of Lexington was a special guest at the ev 

ening banquet. And Miller-James read a letter from U.S. Sen. James Exon thanking 

the RSVP members for their volunteer service. 

Loy Shepherd, a 21-year member of RSVP, was recognized for leading all volu 

nteers with between 23,000 and 24,000 hours of service. Others logging 9,000 or 

more hours were Dolly Razes, Viola Wayman, Marie Todd, Stella Carruth, Sybil Pea 

se, Bonnie Reitan and Wilma Sweley. 

The exclusive 20-year club of RSVP now has 15 members with three newcomers 

in 1994. They are Harold and Louise Hollen and Ruth Murdock.



AUTH[Barry Bedlan 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Gering council bids farewell to two-term Mayor Bob Unzicker 

TEXT[The city said goodbye to its mayor of eight years and hello to new leadersh 

ip Monday night at the Gering City 

Council meeting. 

Outgoing Mayor Bob Unzicker was thanked with various gifts and a standing o 

vation from a crowd of 30. 

"I think a lot of people will look back and say you truly changed the face 

of Gering," said new Mayor Doug Leafgreen, as he handed Unzicker the key to the 

city. 

Unzicker was also given a framed collection of photographs picturing the ci 

ty's accomplishments during his two terms from 1986 to 1994. 

Leafgreen said Unzicker's efforts led to the building of the city hall and 

office complex, the Robidoux R.V. Park and the Gering Civic Center, which he cal 

led "the city's crowning jewel." 

"It was a give-and-take situation at times, but I think in the end I receiv 

ed a lot more, considering all the friends I made," Unzicker said. "The things w 

e accomplished were not just because of me, it was all of these (council members 

) working together as a team." 

Scottsbluff developer Irvin Rushall relayed messages of thanks from U.S. Se 

ns. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, and a letter was read from Gov. Ben Nelson. 

Plaques were presented to outgoing council members Larry Gibbs, Gene Hartma 

n and Leafgreen. 

"I've never had to use it that much and hopefully you won't have to either 

," said Unzicker as he handed over the mayor's gavel to Leafgreen. 

After a brief recess and the shuffling of nameplates, the new council took 

their seats. Jean Bauer, Larry Matthesen and Adrian Smith took the oath of offic 

e, alongside Leafgreen and re-elected 

councilman Rick Reitz. 

In its first order of business, the council appointed a committee to review 

the keno lottery approved by voters last month. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Farm states will be watching Congress 

TEXT[Are federal subsidies inherently bad? The question arises as a very importa 

nt one here in the high plains section of the country where agriculture is the e 

conomic linchpin. The future of farm subsidies as we have known them since the 1 

930's is in serious doubt because of a statement made recently by Sen. Richard L 

ugar of Indiana, who will be chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the 

upcoming session of the Congress. In a letter to his colleague, Sen. Pete Domen 

ici of New Mexico, Sen. Lugar wrote: "I would not rule out any options, includin

g the abolition of the programs." 

Those are tough words and very blunt. They immediately caught the attention 

of farm-state members of Congress, including Sen. J. J. Exon of Nebraska, who w 

ill be the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. "I am alarmed that the inco 

ming Agriculture Committee chairman would make such a statement," Exon said. He 

did acknowledge that the agricultural budget "is going to be a prime target next 

year," and that should alarm farm-state residents just as it does Sen. Exon. 

The history of federal subsidies goes back as far as the government itself. 

The subsidies reflected the time in which they were created. Vast amounts of 

money went to the shipping industry; the federal government subsidized the railr 

oads as they expanded across the country; private industry of many different kin 

ds has been the beneficiary of federal funds in times of need or trouble. So, wh 

en President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the first of what has been a sixty-y 

ear-plus subsidy for American farmers and ranchers, it was not innovative. 

However, many urban members of the Congress say the program is obsolete, no 

longer needed and too expensive. It will be interesting and vitally important t 

o the farm states to see what comes out of Congress next year. 




SOUR[Albion News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Effort to designate portion of Highway 14 National Highway System 

TEXT[An effort is underway to have a portion of Highway 14 designated as part of 

the proposed National Highway System. The segment would extend from the new Mis 

souri River bridge at Niobrara to the junction with Interstate Highway 80 at Aur 

ora. 

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Highway Assn. passed a resolution Wednes 

day urging Nebraska Congressman Bill Barrett and Senators J.J. Exon and Robert K 

errey to ask the Nebraska Department of Roads to recommend approval of the propo 

sal to the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Highway 14 Assn. president Merv Jacobsen told the meeting a road connecting 

the proposed Missouri River bridge at Vermillion, SD, and Nebraska Highway 12 w 

hich does not now exist, has already been approved by the Nebraska Department of 

Roads as part of the proposed National Highway System. He said he had learned t 

his action was taken at the request of Congressman Doug Bereuter. 

He acknowledged invaluable help in securing approval in Congress of the bri 

dge at Niobrara by Bereuter when Knox County was a part of his district. The cou 

nty has since become a part of Congressman Bill Barrett's district. 

Bruce Rieker, Bill Barrett's deputy chief of staff, suggested the resolutio 

n be made, saying he would bring it to Barrett's attention at once. 

Some association members had already written letters to government official 

s noting the Niobrara bridge is approaching the construction phase and a linkup 

of Highway 14 and Highway 37 north of Springfield, SD, would create a federal hi 

ghway connecting Nebraska Interstate 80, South Dakota Interstate 90 plus the cit 

ies of Mitchell and Huron, SD. 

Tom McCarthy, district engineer for the Nebraska Department of Roads, Norfo 

lk, told the group the timetable for the bridge is unchanged, with bids accepted 

late next year and construction to begin in 1996. He said he expected the final

$2.5 million in federal funding will be forthcoming to avoid construction delay 

s. The environmental statement has received final approval, he said. 

Commenting on the estimate that 350 vehicles per day would use the bridge, 

he said, "Our experience is that the figure is probably low." 

The National Highway System bill is due for approval by next September, he 

said. "After that time, the rules may change and be less favorable to Nebraska," 

he said. 

Several members commended McCarthy on the successful completion of the land 

slide bypass project of Highway 14 south of Niobrara. 

Dean Henn, Elgin, and Dee Robinette, Verdigre, were elected to the group's 

board of directors. The current officers: Jacobsen, vice president Robert Olson 

of Niobrara and secretary/treasurer Rhonda McDonald, Neligh, were reelected for 

1995. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Offutt to join major commemoration 

TEXT[A major celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 11 was 

announced Thursday at the offices of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. 

Termed "Victory '95"' the event will take place Sept. 2 and will involve Of 

futt Air Force Base, Omaha, Bellevue and Sarpy County. 

A full complement of military and government officials attended the announc 

ement. They included Strategic Command Commander in Chief Henry Chiles, 55th Win 

g Commander Brig. Gen. Thomas Keck, Gov. Ben Nelson, U.S. Sen. J. James Exon, Om 

aha Mayor Subby Anzaldo, and County Board chairman Drew Miller. 

Exon said the celebration will be national in scope with representatives of 

every state invited to parade through downtown Omaha. 

The day will begin with a victory breakfast followed by the National Home F 

ront Parade. During the afternoon, there will be a dedication ceremony at Memori 

al Park in Omaha. 

The evening celebration will center around events at Rosenblatt Stadium fea 

turing the U.S. Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment from the Marine Corps Barra 

cks in Washington, D.C. 

The Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment includes the Marine Corps Color Gu 

ard, the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Platoon. These M 

arines appear in many ceremonies annually across the nation and around the world 

. 

The show will culminate with a fireworks show. 

The date of the celebration coincides with the Offutt Air Force Base and Op 

en House, to be held Sept. 3-4. Sept. 4 is Labor Day. 

The 1995 Open House will feature the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's aerial d 

emonstration team. It will also feature World War II-era aircraft owned and oper 

ated by members of the Confederate Air Force. 

Coinciding with the air show and the victory parade will be the naming of t 

he nation's seventh B-2 "stealth" bomber. The aircraft will be named "The Spirit 

of Nebraska" at a dedicatIon ceremony at Offutt. 

Exon said the Victory '95 celebration is intended to put a positive note to

the end of World War II anniversaries that began in 1991 with remembrances of t 

he Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 

"It's something that ends World War Il and the recognition of World War II 

on a positive note," he said. "And nothing is more positive than victory." 

Nelson said it is fitting that Nebraska should take the lead in commemorati 

ng the end of World War II. He pointed out that the Enola Gay, the B29 that help 

ed end the war by dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, was 

built at Offutt Air Force Base. 

He described the home front effort in Nebraska as "tremendous" 

"It stretched across the entire state from the Nebraska Ordnance Plant at M 

ead, to the Hastings Naval Ammunition Depot, to the largest USO canteen operatio 

n in the United States in North Platte," he said. 

The Victory '95 celebration committee is chaired by Robert Dougherty, chair 

man of the board of Valmont Industries. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Aurora KICK kids return from capitol with trophy 

TEXT[Six Aurora elementary students, members of the Community Problem Solving gr 

oup KICK (Kids Involved in Community Klean-up), recently returned from a nationa 

l awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

Vice President Al Gore presented the President's Youth Environmental Award 

to 10 youth groups, each representing one of the Environmental Protection Area r 

egions. The Aurora students were the winners in Region 7, which included Nebrask 

a, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. 

Members of the winning KICK group are Caitlin Anderson, Aaron Erickson, Jam 

ie Farrand, Matt Kliewer, Melissa Ramsour and Nicole Vrana. 

They were commended by the EPA for their efforts to change peoples' attitud 

es about waste disposal. The group has been active for more than two years carry 

ing out a variety of projects. Many additional projects are still being planned 

by this Class of 2000 group. 

Since returning to Aurora, the KICK group has been contacted by a writer fr 

om McMillian Publishing interested in doing a story about KICK and youth involve 

ment in the community. The company will be publishing a series of books on vario 

us topics, according to sponsor Marilyn Vrana. 

Educational experiences were abundant while the students were in Washington 

, Vrana said. The students and their sponsors visited national monuments, the Na 

tional Air and Space Museum, the museums of Natural and American History, the Na 

tional Zoo and Aquarium, Ford's Theater, FBI headquarters, the Bureau of Printin 

g and Engraving and the Holocaust Museum. 

They also saw the Supreme Court in session and visited Capitol Hill. Sen. B 

ob Kerrey and U.S. Representative Bill Barrett also met with the group. Sen. Jam 

es Exon also had scheduled a meeting with the Aurora students, but he was detain 

ed on the Senate floor. Students watched part of his debate on the Senate televi 

sion while waiting in his office. 

Many Aurora groups and businesses helped to defray the expenses of the trip 

that were not covered by the EPA.




SOUR[Elgin Review 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Highway 14 Association elects Elginite to board of directors 

TEXT[Henn of Elgin was elected to the board of directors of the Nebraska Highway 

14 Association during the group's annual meeting last at Albion last Wednesday 

night, Dec. 7. 

Also elected to the group's board of directors was Dee Robinette of Verdigr 

e. 

All of the current association officers were reelected to their same posts 

for 1995. The officers are Merv Jacobsen of Neligh, president; Robert Olson of N 

iobrara, vice president, and Rhonda McDonald of Neligh, secretary/treasurer. 

Jacobsen reported during the business meeting that an effort is underway to 

have a portion of Highway 14 designated as part of the proposed National Highwa 

y System. The segment would extend from the new Missouri River Bridge at Niobrar 

a to the junction with Interstate 80 at Aurora. 

A resolution was passed by the association, urging Nebraska Congressman Bil 

l Barrett and Senators J.J. Exon and Robert Kerrey to ask the Nebraska Departmen 

t of Roads to recommend approval of the proposal to the U.S. Department of Trans 

portation. 

Jacobsen announced that a newly proposed road connecting the proposed Misso 

uri River bridge at Vermillion, SD, and Nebraska Highway 12, has already been ap 

proved by the Nebraska Department of Roads as part of the proposed National High 

way System. Jacobsen said he had learned that this action was taken at the reque 

st of Congressman Doug Bereuter. 

He acknowledged the invaluable help in securing approval from Congress of t 

he bridge at Niobrara by Bereuter when Knox County was part of his district. The 

county has since become a part of Congressman Bill Barrett's district. 

Bruce Rieker, Barrett's deputy chief of staff, suggested that the resolutio 



s, noting the Niobrara bridge is approaching the construction phase and a link-u 

p of Highway 14 and Highway 37 north of Spring-field, SD, would create a federal 

highway connecting Nebraska Interstate 80 and South Dakota Interstate 90, plus 

the cities of Mitchell and Huron, SD. 

Tom McCarthy, district engineer with the Nebraska Department of Roads at No 

rfolk, told the group that the timetable for the bridge is unchanged, with bids 

accepted late next year and construction to begin in 1996. He said he expected t 

hat the final $2.5 million of federal funding will be forthcoming to avoid const 

ruction delays. The environmental statement has received final approval, he said 

. 


McCarthy said: "Our experience is that the figure is probably low." 


said. "After that time, the rules may change and be less favorable to Nebraska," 

he said. 

Several association members commended McCarthy on the successful completion

of the landslide bypass project of Highway 14 south of Niobrara. 



AUTH[Governor Ben Nelson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Fight against unfunded mandates moves to Washington 

TEXT[We've all enjoyed the vast, open expanse that is Nebraska. Travelling with 

family or friends is a wonderful experience as we trek across the state, passing 

through the many rural communities that dot our highways. We marvel at the beau 

ty of the landscape and the wide-open space between communities. 

But as we marvel, we often do not consider the economic impact that being s 

pread out across Nebraska has upon our communities and our state as a whole. And 

yet, the very beauty of our geography has profound implications when considerin 

g unfunded mandates from the federal government. Because Nebraska is comprised 

of large collections of rural communities often separated by great distance, it 

is difficult for us to combine services and share costs. We do our best, and the 

local leaders throughout the state deserve great credit for all they have 

achieved in this respect. But in the face of stringent mandates, we often lose g 

round. The end effect is that more and more of our local dollars are eaten up by 

unfunded mandates handed down from Washington. 

Consider these statistics: In 1992, there were more federal mandates handed 

down than in the previous two decades combined; the share of local revenue dive 

rted to comply with these mandates grew to more than 12 percent; since 1990, 42 

federal mandates were placed on state and local governments--only 14 were handed 

down between 1930 and 1960. 

Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that by th 

e year 2000, environmental costs per household will equal $1,580 for communities 

of less than 500. This compares to estimates of $763 per household in communiti 

es between 500 and 2,500 population and between $400 and $600 per household for 

communities with over 2,500 population. 

At the state level, we have taken action to end the madness of unfunded man 

dates. I have placed a moratorium on unfunded state mandates and ordered agency 

directors to work with local officials and to consider the fiscal impact their a 

ctions will have on local communities. We continue to take our fight to Washingt 

on. When our forefathers framed the Constitution and spelled out the formula for 

that states must have the authority and ability to develop solutions to their ow 

n local problems. We have strayed from that philosophy and it's time we take bac 

k our right to control our futures. As president of the Council of State Governm 

ents, I, along with Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, proposed a "Conference of the States 

" to deal with this issue. The council approved the resolution and we are moving 

forward with efforts to convene such a conference in the fall of 1995. 

Additionally, working through the National Governors' Association, I have b 

een a leader in the fight to end unfunded mandates and return power to the state 

s. This does not mean that the states should ignore the federal government or vi 

olate federal laws. It simply means that we must return to the federal governmen 

t the belief and philosophy that states can better handle their unique problems 

than can the federal government and bureaucracy. We must define the appropriate 

roles of each level

of government. 

I have sponsored a resolution through the NGA seeking mandate relief and I 

have taken our fight to Washington. This effort has the overwhelming support of 

our nation's governors and the effort is gaining momentum in Washington. Preside 

nt Clinton has issued an executive order regarding unfunded mandates and the las 

t Congress considered 30 mandate-relief bills. 

This is a fight that crosses party lines and has gained support from Republ 

icans and Democrats alike. It is crucial that this bipartisan effort continues, 

and I believe it will. We are fortunate to have Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey an 

d our Congressional delegation fighting this battle for us as well. 

The citizens of Nebraska expect and deserve the best government possible at 

the lowest cost possible. We deserve to know that our elected leaders, at all l 

evels, are committed to working together to develop strategies that will brighte 

n our futures, strengthen our economy and improve the quality of life for all ci 

tizens in this One Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon Hires Hoagland Aide 

TEXT[Russ Rader, press secretary to Rep. Peter HoagIand, D-Neb., will move to a 

similar job with Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., in January. 

Rader's job switch is one of several changes forced by Hoagland's loss to R 

ep.-elect Jon Christensen. When the Republican freshman arrives, all of Hoagland 

's 13 staff members in Washington and Omaha will be out of work. 

Most of Hoagland's staff members are still seeking jobs, said Paul Landow, 

manager of his Omaha district office. 

One exception is Kathleen Ambrose, who was Hoagland's top Washington aide. She s 

tarted work last week as deputy general counsel in the Commerce Department, wher 

e she supervises 384 agency lawyers. 

Ms. Ambrose said she had accepted the Clinton administration post before th 

e Nov. 8 election and would have left Hoagland's staff even if he had won. 

Another Hoagland aide, Susan Gaffney, has been hired by a Washington law fi 

rm as an assistant to a lobbyist. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Road to the Mayor's Office Includes 4 House Terms, Two Failed Senate Runs 

TEXT[Hal Daub emerged on the Omaha political scene 20 years ago when he was elec 

ted chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party. 

After serving four straight terms in the House of Representatives and faili 

ng twice to win a U.S. Senate seat, Daub is assuming office once again -- this t 

ime as mayor of Omaha.

Daub, 53, will be inaugurated at a City Hall ceremony Jan. 9. 

While serving in Congress, Daub built a reputation as a hard-working, aggre 

ssive lawmaker who behaved like a fiscal conservative. 

He preached the need for government efficiency, tax relief and economic dev 

elopment. 

The cornerstone of his vision for Omaha's future is his plan to merge city 

and county governments, thereby reducing the overall cost of government and enha 

ncing Omaha's competitive edge against other cities, he says. 

Proposals to merge city and county governments have come and gone over the 

past 20 years, bogging down because of personality conflicts and city-county tur 

f battles. 

Daub thinks it will be easier to make progress on a merger now that several 

Republicans are on the County Board. 

In related economic development proposals, Daub has called for an increase 

in the city's commitment to the Chamber of Commerce's "Target Omaha" development 

campaign. Daub wants the city to give $20 million over four years to Target Oma 

ha. He wants the $20 million -- which he says the city can glean through belt-ti 

ghtening -- to be coupled with $20 million in private funds. 

Skeptics of Daub's $40 million proposal, including former Mayor Mike Boyle, 

have said that Daub's idea shows how out of touch he is with city finances. 

Daub also has proposed issuing bonds to help build "environmentally approve 

d" industrial tracts in eastern Omaha. 

His idea is to build two sites in the "river corridor" that would attract m 

anufacturing companies and technical industries. 

Daub also has called for a reduction in state income tax rates and has said 

he would work to keep property taxes low. 

He wants the city to continue yard-waste collections at the lowest possible cost 

without charging a fee, and he has proposed getting tougher on criminals by put 

ting more police on the streets. 

Daub grew up in Omaha after moving here with his parents from North Carolin 

a in 1948. He graduated from Benson High School in 1959, Washington University i 

n St. Louis in 1963 and the University of Nebraska law school in 1966. He was st 

ationed in South Korea and married there in 1968. 

He practiced law in Omaha, then joined Standard Chemical Manufacturing Co. 

as vice president and general counsel. 

In 1978 he lost a close race to Rep. John Cavanaugh, D-Neb. In 1980 Cavanau 

gh decided not to run and Daub won the seat. He left Congress in 1988 to challen 

ge Sen. David Karnes for the Republican nomination for the Senate but lost. He l 

ost another Senate race in 1990 to Democratic Sen. J.J. Exon. 

Daub and Cindy Daub, his wife of 25 years, were divorced last year. They ha 

ve three children. 

Daub resigned several months ago as director of federal government affairs 

at the Deloitte & Touche accounting firm. He lives at 8614 Douglas St. He attend 

s Benson Presbyterian Church. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon fears for farm programs









," he said. 




Exon was one of 24 senators who opposed the GATT agreement. The Nebraska F 

armers Union also opposed GATT, which is designed to open world markets. 







nce most countries want unlimited access to our coveted markets," Exon said. "vi 






ts, such as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., incoming Senate Agriculture Committ 

ee chairman Exon said. 












" he said. 











As a Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Exon said he would be a voice


"I need you to be the foot soldiers in the upcoming battle. As I always hav 

e been in the past, I will help lead the charge for you our family farmers and r 




AUTH[Governor Ben Nelson 

SOUR[Ralston Recorder 

BK#[ 

HDLN[One Nebraska Journal 

TEXT[We've all enjoyed the vast, open expanse that is Nebraska. Travelling with 

family or friends is a wonderful experience as we trek across the state, passing 

through the many rural communities that dot our highways. We marvel at the beau 

ty of the landscape and the wide-open space between communities. 

But as we marvel, we often do not consider the economic impact that being s 

pread out across Nebraska has upon our communities and our state as a whole. And 

yet, the very beauty of our geography has profound implications when considerin 

g unfunded mandates from the federal government. 

Because Nebraska is comprised of large collections of rural communities oft 

en separated by great distance, it is difficult for us to combine services and s 

hare costs. We do our best, and the local leaders throughout the state deserve g 

reat credit for all they have achieved in this respect. But in the face of strin 

gent mandates, we often lose ground. The end effect is that more and more of our 

local dollars are eaten up by unfunded mandates handed down from Washington. 

Consider these statistics: In 1992, there were more federal mandates handed 

down than in the previous two decades combined; the share of local revenue dive 

rted to comply with these mandates grew to more than 12 percent; since 1990, 42 

federal mandates were placed on state and local governments--only 14 were handed 

down between 1930 and 1960. 

Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that by th 

e year 2000, environmental costs per household will equal $1,580 for communities 

of less than 500. This compares to estimates of $763 per household in communiti 

es between 500 and 2,500 population and between $400 and $600 per household for 

communities with over 2,500 population. 

At the state level, we have taken action to end the madness of unfunded man 

dates. I have placed a moratorium on unfunded state mandates and ordered agency 

directors to work with local officials and to consider the fiscal impact their a 

ctions will have on local communities. We continue to take our fight to Washingt 

on. When our forefathers framed the Constitution and spelled out the formula for 

distributing power in our nation, they did so with the firm belief that states 

must have the authority and ability to develop solutions to their own local prob 

lems. We have strayed from that philosophy and it's time we take back our right 

to control our futures. As President of the Council of State Governments, I, alo 

ng with Utah Governor Mike Leavitt, proposed a "Conference of the States" to dea 

l with this issue. The Council approved the resolution and we are moving forward 

with efforts to convene such a conference in the fall of 1995. 

Additionally, working through the National Governors' Association, I have b 

een a leader in the fight to end unfunded mandates and return power to the state

s. This does not mean that the states should ignore the federal government or vi 

olate federal laws. It simply means that we must return to the federal governmen 

t the belief and philosophy that states can better handle their unique problems 

than can the federal government and bureaucracy. We must define the appropriate 

roles of each level of government. 

I have sponsored a resolution through the NGA seeking mandate relief and I 

have taken our fight to Washington. This effort has the overwhelming support of 

our nation's governors and the effort is gaining momentum in Washington. Preside 

nt Clinton has issued an executive order regarding unfunded mandates and the las 

t Congress considered 30 mandate-relief bills. 

This is a fight that crosses party lines and has gained support from Republ 

icans and Democrats alike. It is crucial that this bipartisan effort continues, 

and I believe it will. We are fortunate to have Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey 

and our Congressional delegation fighting this battle for us as well. 

The citizens of Nebraska expect and deserve the best government possible at 

the lowest cost possible. We deserve to know that our elected leaders, at all l 

evels, are committed to working together to develop strategies that will brighte 

n our futures, strengthen our economy and improve the quality of life for all ci 

tizens in this One Nebraska. 




SOUR[Springfield Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Highway 14 holds annual meeting 

TEXT[An effort is underway to have a portion of Highway 14 designated as part of 

the proposed National Highway System. The segment would extend from the new Mis 

souri River bridge at Niobrara to the Junction with Interstate Highway 80 at Aur 

ora. 

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Highway Association passed a resolution 

Wednesday, Dec. 7, urging Nebraska Congressman Bill Barrett and Senators J.J. Ex 

on and Robert Kerrey to ask the Nebraska Department of Roads to recommend approv 

al of the proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Highway 14 Association President Merv Jacobsen told the meeting a road conn 

ecting the proposed Missouri River bridge at Vermillion and Nebraska Highway 12 

which does not now exist, has already been approved by the Nebraska Department o 

f Roads as part of the proposed National Highway System. He said he had learned 

this action was taken at the request of Congressman Doug Bereuter. 

He acknowledged invaluable help in securing approval in Congress of the bri 






s noting the Niobrara bridge is approaching the construction phase and a link up 

of Highway 14 and Highway 37 north of Springfield would create a federal highwa 

y connecting Nebraska Interstate 80, South Dakota Interstate 90 plus the cities 

of Mitchell and Huron. 

Tom McCarthy, district engineer for the Nebraska Department of Roads, Norfo


late next year and construction to begin In 1996. He said he expected the final 

$2-1/2 million if federal funding will be forthcoming to avoid construction del 

ays. The environmental statement has received final approval, he said. 

Commenting on the estimate that 350 vehicles per day would used the bridge, 



said. "After that time, the rules may change and be less favorable to Nebraska, 

" he said. 



Dean Henn, Elgin and Dee Robinette, Verdigre, were elected to the group's b 

oard of directors. The current officers: Jacobsen, Vice President Robert Olson 

of Niobrara and Secretary/Treasurer Rhonda McDonald of Neligh, were reelected f 

or 1995. 



AUTH[Paul Craig Roberts 

SOUR[Omaha Midland's Business Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Blockbusting with the Fair Housing Act 

TEXT[Someone at the Department of Housing and Urban Development has leaked me c 

opy of the department's draft report, "The State of Fair Hosing 1993." 

Perusing the report, I soon discovered why. It is written by uninformed id 

eologues who believe there is a conspiracy between real estate agents, appraiser 

s, lenders and insurers to prevent black people from being able t buy homes 

The absence of evidence only convinces HUD's report writers that the conspi 

racy's "silent, elusive" nature "makes HUD's mandate to aggressively enforce and 

promote far housing all the more urgent." 

Out of 354 Fair Housing Act complaints in 1993, HUD investigators could fin 

d sufficient evidence to warrant further action in only 211 cases--which, to the 

report writer' mind, just goes to rove how silent and elusive the conspiracy is 

. 

The report writer thinks the solution is to cut a swath through the law in 

order to chase down the elusive conspirators. Assistant Secretary Roberta Achte 

nberg has instructed HUD field investigators to dispense with the "preponderance 

of evidence"standard that rules in federal courts and turn instead to a "reason 

able cause" standard when weighing the claims of complainants. 

But with the assumption that discrimination is widespread, all complaints h 

ave reasonable cause In other words, evidence is not needed, because it is too 

hard to find. As the report put it, "those who choose to discriminate usually t 

ake care to conceal their prejudice, making proof particularly difficult." 

To help matters along in these new directions, Achtenberg has ordered her o 

ffice of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity "to draft a regulation stating that 

evidence that an action or practice has a discriminatory effect is sufficient to 

show a violation under the Fair Housing Act. 

Soon we will be hearing that high rents on luxury units have a discriminato 

ry effect because poor blacks can't meet the payment. 

In practice the new standard could mean that landlords would be guilty of d

iscrimination if the percentage of "protected minorities" among their tenants wa 

s less than minority representation in the local population. For individuals wi 

th only one or two rental units, they would have to be able to show that over ti 

me they had rented to "protected minorities" on enough occasions to meet the quo 

ta. 

Public housing authorities get hit with discrimination claims, too, and sin 

ce HUD money is involved, HUD is a defendant in the lawsuits. To help matters a 

long HUD has adopted a policy of settling all lawsuits--even those demonstrably 

without merit--that involve claims of racial discrimination. 

HUD's new policy, imposed by Secretary Henry Cisneros and Assistant Secreta 

ry Achtenberg, has caused consternation among both HUD's own lawyers and Justice 

Department lawyers, who are disinclined to make grants of taxpayer dollars to t 

he plaintiff's bar. 

HUD's policy also angers local housing authorities who accuse the departmen 

t of using low income people as pawns in social engineering schemes. 

The bottom line, however, is that Cisneros is using public housing as a wea 

pon against what he calls "spatial separation" by income and race. A prominent 

feature of the settlements is a commitment to build new public housing units in 

middle class neighborhoods outside "areas of concentration." In other words, H 

UD is using your tax money to bring you neighbors you may not want and who may n 

ot want to live where they don't fit in. 

A settlement that HUD tried to force on Omaha, Neb., a leader in dispersing 

public housing in single family units throughout the city, would have denied ch 

oice both to public housing tenants and to the city's innovative policy official 

s. 

Tenants would have been allocated by race regardless of their own choices, 

and Omaha's public housing program, which teaches people how to succeed and quic 

kly gets them out of public housing, would have been reduced to a mindless burea 

ucracy. 

Omaha's successful program was saved by the intervention of the governor an 

d the state's U.S. senators and representatives, but elsewhere Cisneros is makin 

g headway with his zealous mission to use public housing as a block-busting tool 

to bring diversity to middle class neighborhoods. 

Cisneros' policy violates HUD's fair share requirements by concentrating ne 

w units in litigated areas, while other parts of the country build up longer wai 

ting lists. This subversion of U.S. policy by the personal ideologies of Clinto 

n appointees is an urgent matter for the new Republican Congress. 




SOUR[Crofton Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Olson re-elected to highway post 

TEXT[At the Highway 14 meeting that was held at Albion, Wednesday, December 7, 1 

994, it was learned that an effort is underway to have a portion of Highway 14 d 

esignated as part of the proposed National Highway System. The segment would ext 

end from the new Missouri River bridge at Niobrara to the junction with Intersta 

te Highway 80 at Aurora. 

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Highway Association passed a resolution

Wednesday urging Nebraska Congressman Bill Barrett and Senators J.J. Exon and Ro 

bert Kerrey to ask the Nebraska Department of Roads to recommend approval of the 

proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Highway 14 Association president Merv Jacobsen told the meeting a road conn 

ecting the proposed Missouri River bridge 

at Vermillion, SD and Nebraska Highway 12 which does not now exist, has already 

been approved by the Nebraska Department of Roads as part of the proposed Nation 

al Highway System. He said he had learned this action was taken at the request o 

f Congressman Doug Bereuter. 

He acknowledged invaluable help in securing approval in congress of the bri 






s noting the Niobrara bridge is approaching the construction phase and a link up 

of Highway 14 and Highway 3 north of Springfield, SD would create a federal hig 

hway connecting Nebraska Interstate 80, South Dakota Interstate 90 plus the citi 

es of Mitchell and Huron, SD. 

Tom McCarthy, district engineer for the Nebraska Department of Roads, Norfo 


late next year and construction to begin in 1996. He said he expected the final 

2 1/2 million dollars of federal funding will be forthcoming to avoid construct 

ion delays. The environmental statement has received final approval, he said. 



The National Highway System bill is due for approval by next September. Aft 

er that time, the rules may change and be less favorable to Nebraska. 



Dean Henn, Elgin and Dee Robinette, Verdigre, were elected to the group's b 

oard of directors. The current officers: Jacobsen, Vice President, Robert Olson 

of Niobrara and Secretary-Treasurer, Rhonda McDonald, Neligh, were re-elected fo 

r 1995. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says farm programs threatened by Senate's passage of GATT bill 




The 1995 Farm Bill will be the toughest Congress has ever written-- the tou 





," he said.

















Proposed reform in the Farm Bill could be called "GATT illegal" by opponent 

s, such as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., incoming Senate Agriculture Committe 

e chairman, Exon said. 












" he said. 






pire in 1995,Exon said. 





As a Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Exon said he would be a voice 


"I need you to be the foot soldiers in the upcoming battle. As I always hav 

e been in the past, I will help lead the charge for you our family farmers and r 





SOUR[Thedford Thomas Co. Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Farmers Union Leader Calls Exon's "No" Vote Courageous 



the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). "Senator Exon distinguished h 

imself as a courageous statesman and leader when he did his homework, asked the 

tough questions, and let his "conscience" be his guide in voting against a badly 

flawed trade treaty." 

"The GATT Treaty approval process mirrored the NAFTA vote. Once again, just 

as in the NAFTA, the more the American people knew about this trade deal the le 

ss they liked it. Once again we won the issue out in the country, and once again 

big business and the Clinton Administration teamed up to circumvent the will of 

the American people. The overwhelming number of citizens who felt strongly enou 

gh about this critical issue to write or call their Congressmen and senators sai 

d "NO to the WTO." 

"Sen. Exon often pokes fun at his own large ears by saying that they help h 

im listen better to the concerns of Nebraskans. Given the fact that Sen. Exon wa 

s the only member of the Nebraska congressional delegation who truly listened an 

d responded to the concerns of Nebraska voters, it is too bad the rest of the Ne 

braska congressional delegation doesn't have larger ears," Hansen said. 

"When Senator Exon analyzed this GATT agreement to determine who would win 

and lose, he reached the same conclusions we did," said Hansen, "too few winners 

and too many losers." In his speech to the Senate, Exon cited the threat to U.S 

. sovereignty, the potential loss of U.S. jobs, the lack of safeguards for famil 

y farmers and the environment as among the controlling reasons for his decision 


John Hansen said Senator Exon has been around long enough to know that tric 

kle down economics does not work to the benefit of most Nebraskans, and this GAT 

T was trickle down trade and trickle down economics. Hansen said that Sen. Exon 

has earned the respect and admiration of the many thousands of Nebraskans repres 

ented by the wide range of member organizations of the Citizen Trade Campaign. " 

Sen. J. James Exon's courage and leadership on this controversial and complicate 

d issue does the legacy of Sen. George W. Norris proud,'' Hansen concluded. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans like look of Clinton plan 

TEXT[President Clinton's plan to cut taxes for the middle class was music to the 

ears of Nebraska's House members - all Republicans - who said the plan mirrors 

GOP wishes to trim government and send money back to taxpayers. 

In a prime-time address from the White House Thursday night, Clinton propos 

ed a $60 billion mix of new credits and deductions, mainly for families with chi 

ldren and college students. 

The plan would provide a $500-per-child tax credit for children age 12 and 

under in families with income of up to $60,000 a year. Credits would be reduced 

for families earning between $60,000 and $75,000 a year and eliminated for famil

ies earning over $75,000. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said the speech mimicked a GOP agenda outlined 

in its "Contract with America." He gave Clinton an E for effort. 

"It's a late conversion, halfway through his presidency, and now he's turni 

ng back to things he promised in his campaign, Bereuter said. "The middle-class 

tax cut, cutting government, refocusing on welfare - these are things that struc 

k the attention of a great many Americans looking for change in 1992. 

"But he (Clinton) moved left, perhaps under pressure from his party and tho 

se in Congress and his party suffered the consequences" in November elections th 

at gave Republicans a majority in Congress, he said. 

Nebraskans would benefit under the proposals outlined by Clinton, Bereuter 

said. "We agree with Clinton on the point that if we do have tax cuts they have 

to be paid for," he said. 

Rep.elect Jon Christensen, R-Neb.; said Clinton's proposals were very famil 

iar. 

"I know the proposals he outlined tonight are pretty much what I campaigned 

on this fall," Christensen said. "I think his speech tonight was Republican in 

nature. I saw tonight a lot of Bill Clinton that I saw during the (1992) campaig 

n." 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said Clinton was not parroting 

Republican proposals. 

"I don't think there's any question that the address had at least something 

to do with the outcome of the Nov. 8 elections," Exon said. "But I don't know 

that it's particularly helpful or constructive to say, 'The president is trying 

to steal our thunder.'" 

Kerrey earlier this week panned Clinton's proposals. 

"If all it is is a short term need to satisfy a political promise that may 

have been irresponsible from the beginning, I'm not enthusiastic about it," he s 

aid Tuesday. 

After the speech, Kerrey said he liked some of the specifics, but said ther 

e was no money available to pay for them. 

"The dilemma is that it's a great idea but we don't have the money to do it 

," Kerrey said. "It will become painfully evident as we weigh Republican and De 

mocratic plan in the coming months. Until we have the courage to reform entitle 

ment programs... our budget deficit will explode. We have to come up and say we 

don't have the money." 

Kerrey co-chaired the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform t 

hat recommended Clinton and Congress look at the impact of spend and tax decisio 

ns over 30 years rather than the five-year period used now. 

The panel was unable to reach a consensus and did not recommend any of the 

proposals before disbanding Wednesday. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Plan Gets Reserved Applause 

TEXT[President Clinton's proposals for tax cuts and incentives for education and 

savings won qualified praise Thursday night from members of the Nebraska and Io

wa congressional delegations. 

"I give the president high marks for the themes and the presentation" said 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. "I just don't know where the money will come from." 

Clinton's speech was considered by some in Congress to be the first step in 

an effort to raise his public opinion ratings before the opening of the 1996 pr 

esidential campaign. 

Rep.Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said Clinton appeared to be "trying to save his 

presidency by moving back into the American mainstream" with some of the same pr 

oposals he made in his 1992 campaign. 

"He also picked up some of the major elements of the Republican campaign th 

is year," Bereuter said. 

Kerrey, who has indicated that he might campaign for the Democratic preside 

ntial nomination if Clinton decides not to run said: 

"I think he will salvage his presidency if he does what he said right at th 

e end of his speech, which is to put the country before politics." 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said the president and the new Republican majority 

in Congress are in "a high stakes auction," with both sides offering tax cuts an 

d benefits. 

"I am for all that good stuff too, but I'll demand to know how we are going 

to pay for it all," Exon said. 

I plan to play a watchdog role in the upcoming vital budget deliberations," 

he said. "I'll be barking, growling and wagging my tail as, appropriate to enha 

nce fiscal sanity. 

Exon, who will be the ranking minority member on the Senate Budget, said he 

was briefed by White House officials on what Clinton planned to propose. 

Exon said estimates of the cost of the tax cuts proposed by the president r 

anged from $50 billion to $100 billion over five years, depending on how many wa 

ge earners would be eligible. 

Exon said he also learned during White House briefings that the annual fede 

ral budget deficit in 1995 will be about $20 billion higher than earlier estimat 

es of $180 billion. 

"That's before any of this starts, and who knows where the bidding war is g 

oing to end," Exon said. "The new estimates on the deficit will be announced in 

January." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said he too was concerned about how Clinton planne 

d to pay for his proposals. 

"It's always nice to go out on the town with a credit card," Harkin said. " 

The big question is how are we going to pay for it." 

Harkin said credit-card fiscal policies were used in Republican administrat 

ions which, he said, is why the national debt increased from $1 trillion to $4.7 

trillion in 12 years. 

"Clinton's right that 28 cents of every tax dollar goes to pay interest on 

the national debt," Harkin said. "It's the middle-income people who pay for it." 

Nevertheless, Harkin said, Clinton's speech included good proposals intende 

d to bring together Republicans and Democrats. 

"He was hitting on all cylinders in his speech," Harkin said. "Generally, I 

liked it." 

Rep.-elect Jon Christensen, R-Neb., who will be a member of the tax-writing 

House Ways and Means Committee, said Clinton advocated several proposals that C 

hristensen endorsed in his campaign this year in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional Di 

strict.

"I look forward to working with President Clinton in a bipartisan effort," 

Christensen said. "We don't care who gets the credit as long as the American peo 

ple receive the benefits." 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Clinton was making good on campaign pro 

mises he made in 1992. 

"He failed to follow through on his commitments, and now the mandate has be 

en given to Republicans," Grassley said. 

"While his support for middle-class tax relief is welcome, in reality the m 

omentum for tax fairness began years ago with Republicans, and success will come 

because of the new leadership in Congress," Grassley said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republicans: Clinton copies their agenda 

TEXT[Nebraska Republicans happily praised President Clinton's proposed tax cuts 

Thursday night, saying the plan mirrors GOP wishes to trim government and send m 

oney back to taxpayers. 

In a prime-time address from the White House, Clinton proposed a $60 billio 

n mix of new credits and deductions, mainly for families with children and colle 

ge students. 

The plan would provide $500-per-chid tax credit for children age 12 and un 

der in families with income of up to $60,000 a year. Credits would be reduced f 

or families earning between $0,000 and$75,000 a year and eliminated for families 

earning over $7,5000. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said the speech mimicked a GOP agenda outlined 

in its "Contract with America." He gave Clinton an "E for effort." 

"It's a late conversion, halfway through his presidency, and now he's turni 

ng back to things he promised in his campaign, Bereuter said. "The middle-class 

tax cut, cutting government, refocusing on welfare -- these are things that str 

uck the attention of a great many Americans looking for change in 1992. 

"But he (Clinton) moved left, perhaps under pressure from his party and tho 

se in Congress... and his party suffered the consequences" in November election 

that gave Republicans a majority in Congress, he said. 

Nebraskans would benefit under the proposals outlined by Clinton, Bereuter 

said. "We agree with Clinton on the point that if we do have tax cuts they have 

to paid for," he said. 

Rep.-elect Jon Christensen, R-Neb., said Clinton's proposals were very fami 

liar. 

"I know the proposals he outlined tonight are pretty much what I campaigned 

on this fall," Christensen said. "I think his speech tonight was Republican in 

nature. I saw tonight a lot of Bill Clinton that I saw during the (1992) campai 

gn." 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said Clinton was not parroting 

Republican proposals. 

"I don't think there's any question that the address had at least something 

to do with the outcome of the Nov. 8 election," Exon said. "But I don't know t 

hat it's particularly helpful or constructive to say, 'The president is trying t

o steal our thunder.'" 

Kerrey earlier this week panned Clinton's proposals. 

After the speech, Kerrey said he liked some of the specifics, but said ther 

e was no money available to pay for them. 

"The dilemma is that it's a great idea but we don't have the money to do it 

, Kerrey said. "It will become painfully evident as we weight Republican and De 

mocratic plans in the coming months. Until we have the courage to reform entitl 

ement programs... our budget deficit will explode. We have to come up and say w 

e don't have the money." 



AUTH[Zean Carney 


BK#[ 

HDLN[From My Window; Talk and talk 

TEXT[This week our representatives in congress, both Senate and the House of Rep 

resentatives, are to act on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). T 

he House approved GATT Tuesday and the Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday. 

A recent survey on GATT found that three out of four citizens on the street 

did not know what GATT is. One who was informed said GATT meant "General Agreem 

ent to talk and talk!" This world trade treaty has been nearly 25 years in the m 

aking and involves 124 countries. 

The Nebraska Farmers Union and representatives from 15 other organizations 

in Nebraska have voiced opposition to GATT. 

There seems to be a blitz on the electronic media against GATT. 

With all this, our own Senator Bob Kerrey came out Tuesday in support of GA 

TT. Senator J.J. Exon has not made a decision. 

Many news organizations are against GATT because of the secret judicial ses 

sions outlined in the agreement. These sessions are to be used to settle dispute 

s that arise from the agreement. 

Personally, I am against the agreement because of the cost to the taxpayers 

in the United States. No one knows just how much it will cost but I have heard 

estimates of $15 to $30 billion a year. This $15 billion is 40 percent of the co 

st with all of the other nations picking up the difference. 

This might be acceptable if the United States had 40 percent of the votes i 

n the organization. But, the United States has only one vote. Is this right? We 

are to pay 40 percent of the cost but have only one vote! 

Another problem is that this GATT will create another bureaucracy, a new di 

vision in government. We cannot afford what we have created now. How can we affo 

rd another one? 

A final problem is the size of the GATT legislation. I hear that it contain 

s 22,000 8.5 x 11 pages of material. I wonder how many of our representatives ha 

ve read this. Do you realize that the ill fated health insurance bill had only 1 

0,000 pages and only a few ever read the whole thing. 

This 22,000 page document contains so many details that no one person could 

comprehend everything. If this red herring passes, one bureaucrat in our countr 

y or some other country could interpret it to his own benefit. 

One basic in our society is to never sign a document until we read it. WOW, 

our lawmakers are about to consider a piece of legislation they probably have n

ever read but are willing to put our names on it, as law. 

Wait a minute, GATT is not me. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Good time to step down 

TEXT[We do not like the idea of Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., attempting to close in on 

Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., for a longevity award on Capitol Hill. True, Sen. 

Exon would have a long way to go, since Sen. Thurmond is 92. 

But Sen. Exon, saying now that he sees no reason why he shouldn't run for a 

fourth six-year term in 1996, appears to be setting the stage for a rerun. 

He adds, however, that a final decision and announcement will not be made u 

ntil 1995. 

It is relatively unusual for prominent political figures to quit while they 

are ahead. And Sen. Exon has been a dominating figure in Nebraska politics sinc 

e 1970 when he defeated Republican Gov. Norbert Tiemann. The temptation to remai 

n in power in Washington is especially strong. 

Republican Sens. Carl Curtis and Roman Hruska were two examples to the cont 

rary. They bowed out while they were ahead. Both have since contributed much to 

Nebraska in terms of civic involvement and political activity as elder statesmen 

. 

As Sen. Exon ponders his future and a try for that fourth term, he could do 

worse than consulting those two GOP veterans, to find out there is life after W 

ashington, and much enjoyment and many rewards. 

His best friends will be emphasizing the reasons why he shouldn't run and w 

hy the 70s are a good time to step down. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon dedicates weather system 

TEXT[A new radar that can "see" the wind was officially commissioned Friday morn 

ing at the National Weather Service's Hastings office. 

The system has been tested at the office since June 1993. 

With the commissioning, it becomes the official weather radar for the area, 

replacing a radar in Grand Island that dates to 1971. 

The Doppler radar, located south of Blue Hill, allows meteorologists to loo 

k inside thunderstorms, measure the movement of water droplets and determine whi 

ch way the winds are blowing, said Steve Schurr, meteorologist in charge of the 

Hastings office. 

The new system will give meteorologists a better tool for following early t 

ornado development. 

It will speed up detection of severe weather and make for earlier tornado w 

arnings.

"It will make us more efficient in identifying where there's a danger," he 

said. 

A crowd of dignitaries including Sen. J. James Exon. state Sens. Ardyce Boh 

lke and Dan Fisher and the Hastings and Grand Island mayors was on hand to view 

the new radar system and tour the office. 

Just like television weather broadcasts, the Doppler radar displays brightl 

y colored maps showing cloud formations sweeping over Central Nebraska. 

The system cost $2.5 million. 

The new radar is important to lives and agriculture in Nebraska and Kansas, 


"I have a feeling everyone will applaud the actions of the government here 

bringing 21st century technology in advance." 

Exon called the new radar a marvel that could do anything but produce rain. 

He told the farmers not to turn off the irrigation wells yet. 

Schurr called it an important step in the National Weather Service's modern 

ization. The Hastings radar will serve 24 counties in southeast Nebraska and six 

in north-central Kansas. 

It will be one of three Doppler radars in Nebraska, including one in Valley 

, west of Omaha, and one in Thedford, north of North Platte. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator responds to Clinton's speech and Republicans' plan 

TEXT[There's a lot of fantasy land in Washington, D.C., right now, said Sen. J. 

James Exon Friday morning in a Hastings press conference. 

The senator was responding to both President Bill Clinton's proposal for mi 

ddle-class tax cuts and the Republican's Contract With America, in which the par 

ty outlined its tax cut proposals. 

"They've all come up with great ideas, very salable politically. Who can be 

against a tax cut?" he said. 

But, "the question is how are we going to pay for it." 

Exon said he's going to reserve his opinion on the two plans until he sees 

who has better spending cut proposals. 

"Tax cuts have got to be measured against what it's doing to the American p 

eople in the long term," he said. 

Too many tax cuts could be disastrous for the economy, he said. 

"Usually you talk about tax cuts when you a need a stimulus for the economy 

," he said. The national economy is growing so fast now that the Federal Reserve 

Board has raised interest rates to slow inflation. 

Exon said he still supports a constitutional balanced budget amendment. 

He was appointed recently to head a Senate committee to bring forth such an 

amendment. 

"I have long been a supporter of a balanced budget because it has served Ne 

braska so well," he said. 

But the amendment would have to be drafted carefully so costs aren't shifte 

d to state governments. 

Congress and the American populous need to be aware of both the potential b

enefit and danger of such an amendment, he said. During the next year, Congress 

will face many challenges with a new leadership. Exon pledged to be the watchdog 

on the Senate Budget Committee, where he will be the new Democratic leader. 

"I'll be barking at times. I'll be growling at times. I'll be wagging my ta 

il at timesall while promoting fiscal responsibility," he said. 



AUTH[Peter Theoharis 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon questions funding for tax plan 

TEXT[Tax plans presented Thursday night by President Bill Clinton and the GOP we 

re "excellent" but may not hold much water. U.S. Sen. J. James Exon. D-Neb. said 

Thursday. 

The state's senior senator, speaking at the Hastings National Weather Servi 

ce Office Friday morning, said he will wait to back any new tax plan until "we s 

top the bidding war on who will cut 

taxes." 

Clinton's $60 billion plan, which he dubbed a "middle-class Bill of Rights, 

" calls for a $500-per-child tax credit to families with up to a $60,000 annual 

income. Families also could deduct up to $10.000 a year for college. Funds would 

come from cuts to federal agencies and extending a federal spending freeze. 

"I want a leaner, not a meaner government." Clinton said in an Associated P 

ress story. 

The Republican plan would give a 5500 tax credit for children in families e 

arning up to $200,000 a year. The GOP estimates the plan would cost the governme 

nt $170 million over five years. 

"All of these are wonderful things" Exon said. "The question is how they ar 

e going to pay for it." 

"Last night they showed good politics but I'm not sure if it was responsibl 

e." 

In his new role as the minority's budget committee leader, Exon said he wil 

l serve as a "watchdog" to promote fiscal responsibility. 

"The thing the Republicans talk about is the necessity of tax cuts." Exon s 

aid. "There is nothing more inflationary than tax cuts unless they are offset by 

spending reductions." 

He said such proposed cuts could have an adverse effect. 

Exon said politicians need to take into consideration that the general publ 

ic is not necessarily against taxes. 

"Sixty-four percent of the population would forgo a tax cut if it would red 

uce the budget deficit and, in the long term, the national debt," he said. 



AUTH[Peter Theoharis 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Doppler radar commissioned

TEXT[With a host of politicians led by Sen. J. James Exon -- on hand, the Hastin 

gs National Weather Service Office officially commissioned its new radar system 

Friday morning. 

The WSR-88D Doppler radar, is the first of three of its kind to be installe 

d in the state. The other two will be located west of Omaha at Valley and at The 

dford, north of North Platte. 

The 66-foot high tower used by the Hastings office is located just south of 

Blue Hill. The center of the radar dish's transmitter sits about 80 feet above 

the ground which provides the best scanning ability. 

"This is a wonderful new operation," Exon said. "We often criticize governm 

ent a great deal, and often rightly so, but I feel everyone should applaud gover 

nment in this instance. 

"Congratulations to the community of Hastings. It has long been a leader in 

the state on how to do things right." 

Eventually 115 Doppler radar units will be installed throughout the nation. 

Steven D. Schurr, meteorologist in charge of the Hastings' station, said the ne 

w system was definitely needed. 

"The unit it replaces is 35 years old." he said. "We will now have more ins 

ight to where tornados and other systems are at." 

Exon said the capabilities of the Doppler radar make it vital to community 

safety and agriculture alike. 

Mayor Phil Odom agreed on the importance of the system. 

"It's another big step for south-central Nebraska," he said. "Here in Hasti 

ngs we have the ability to help south-central Nebraska and northern Kansas. 

"It's not like the Imax (Theatre) in that it's not a big tourist attraction 

. But it's like the Imax in that it helps the people in this area." 

It's ability to be updated is another benefit of the radar, Dave Theophilus 

said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[HEDC hears good news for Hastings 

TEXT[Hastings continues its ride on an economic development roll as it prepares 

for 1995, officials said Friday.Leaders of business, industry and government gat 

hered at the Hastings Holiday Inn for the annual meeting of the Hastings Economi 

c Development Corp. They heard success stories and words of encouragement as th 

ey reviewed the community's fortunes in 1994 and looked ahead to the new year. 

Several company officials rose to describe expansions, new construction and 

upcoming changes for their Hastings operations. HEDC Executive Director Dee Ha 

ussler said their stories were only a few of many positive ones he has heard. 

Among Friday's speakers was Norris Smith, vice president for corn operation 

s at Ag Processing Inc., and the official in charge of AGP's construction of an 

ethanol plant east of town. Other speakers included Gayle McClure, senior vice 

president of the Dutton-Lainson Co.; Don Hulme, plant manager for Thermo King Co 

rp.; Ed Fain, plant manager for Dana Corp.; and Bob Steinbarger, manager of Bob' 

s Electric (JESCO). 

Smith presented a slide show on AGP and described its plans for a 60-worker

, 30 million-gallon corn and grain sorghum ethanol plant. The other speakers de 

scribed company changes they said would lead to increased business and employmen 

t. 

Hastings' economic growth reflects well on the community and its leaders, s 

aid Mary Simmons, director of the recruitment office for the Nebraska Department 

of Economic Development. 

"I guess it all says Hastings knows how to roll up its sleeves and make thi 

ngs happen," Simmons said. Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., stopped by the meeting b 

riefly and greeted the audience. He had just come from the dedication of the Na 

tional Weather Service's new Hastings facility. 

Greeting the audience, Exon said he, too, is impressed with Hastings' succe 

sses. 

"When the economic development people in Hastings touch things, they seem t 

o turn to gold," he said. 

Dutton-Lainson Co. has expanded the plating facility and the shipping and r 

eceiving warehouse at its Second Street factory. The construction will accommod 

ate a product line expansion that should create at least 20 new jobs, McClure sa 

id. 

Hulme described a generator set Thermo King will begin manufacturing in Has 

tings next month.The company has built the set at other plants for several years 

. But the Hastings factory will become the main set production site and experie 

nce a work force increase of 10 percent to 8 percent. The total work force at t 

he factory should grow to 325 by early next year, he said. 

Fain, who has been serving as president of HEDC, described a product line e 

xpansion that will boost employment at Dana Corp. The plant will begin producin 

g a 9-inch piston ring for locomotives and marine applications, taking on about 

50 additional workers and increasing its total work force to 288 in 1995, he sai 

d. 

Because of the change, the Hastings plant will give up its production of va 

lve stem seals to a plant in Indiana, Fain said. 

Steinbarger, who sold Bob's Electric to JESCO Inc. earlier this year, descr 

ibed the company's plan to relocate the electrical supply house from the downtow 

n to Industrial Park west. The company will open a showroom at its new location 

and increase its work force from four to eight, Steinbarger said. 

Simmons said Adams County and all of Nebraska have enjoyed relatively good 

times in 1994. Nevertheless, she said, the state must continue to push worker r 

ecruitment and training if it is to continue growing and diversifying economical 

ly. 

Adams County's 2 percent unemployment is even lower than the state rate of 

2.6 percent, she said. 

Simmons and Haussler agreed that cities like Hastings must alleviate their 

housing shortages if they are to continue attracting new businesses and business 

expansions. 

"We are growing as a community, but one of the more crippling factors is ho 

using," Haussler said. 





BK#[

HDLN[Ready to flex muscle 

TEXT[The Nebraska Congressional delegation, unanimously Democratic in the Senate 

, and just as unanimously Republican in the House, should have a bit more politi 

cal muscle next year than it does now. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who was in line to become chairman of the Senate Bud 

get Committee if the Democrats had maintained control of the Senate, will now ha 

ve to be satisfied as ranking minority member of that panel that provides the sp 

ending blueprint for Congress. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who was in line to become chairman of the Senate I 

ntelligence Committee, will now become a relatively senior minority member of th 

e intelligence, appropriations and agriculture committees. 

Exon is also a senior member of the armed services and commerce committees, 

but he will lose his chairmanships of subcommittees on both those committees. 

So, on the whole, Nebraska will lose clout in the Senate, but the pick-up o 

f two subcommittee chairs in the House should give the Nebraska delegation margi 

nally more power than it had before the Republican landslide. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, after only two terms on the House Agricu 

lture Committee, has been named to chair the most powerful subcommittee on the p 

anel, the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities. 

Barrett will be chairman Pat Roberts' point man on the 1995 farm bill which 

, given the necessity to cut all federal spending, is crucial to the future of A 

merican agriculture as we know it. 

Barrett will not only define the farm bill debate by scheduling initial hea 

rings, setting the agenda of those hearings and choosing the witnesses, he will 

also play a key role in the House-Senate conference committee that will meet onc 

e both chambers have passed their versions of the bill and hammer out a final co 

mpromise. 

Over the last two decades, virtually all the important decisions on farm bi 

ll legislation have been made in the closed conference committees while the news 

media and the agriculture lobbyists wait outside for details. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, the dean of the three-man Nebraska Hous 

e delegation and usually a conferee on international trade issues, has been name 

d chairman of the House International Relations subcommittee (formerly the forei 

gn affairs committee) on Asia and Pacific. 

He turned down an offer to chair a banking subcommittee because House rules 

prohibit members from chairing more than one subcommittee, and he felt the Inte 

rnational Relations subcommittee would be more beneficial for Nebraska. 

He pointed out at the end of last week that more than half of Nebraska's $1 

.7 billion exports last year went to the Pacific Rim. "Japan alone is Nebraska's 

number one export market," he said. 

Most of the exports are, of course. agriculture products. 

Rep-elect Jon Christensen, R-2nd District, is also a member-elect of the po 

werful House Ways and Means Committee, which will have initial jurisdiction over 

virtually all of the legislation that will be submitted to implement the GOP's 

Contract With America. 

Christensen not only followed through on his prediction during a visit to C 

ongress earlier this fall that he would take Rep. Peter Hoagland's seat, but he 

also won a seat on the Ways and Means Committee. 

Before the Republican Landslide, a freshman winning a seat on that committe 

e was virtually unheard of. This is especially galling to Democratic members of 

the committee, some of whom will have to give up their seats to make room for th

e GOP freshmen. 

Nebraska lawmakers, even Kerrey and Exon, seem to be positioned to have maj 

or roles in what Speaker-elect Newt Gingrich and his followers are calling the n 

ew revolution. 

As the senior Democrat on the budget committee, Exon will have to be reckon 

ed with. And Exon says the Republicans should not have any trouble with him, bec 

ause he is the author of the only major spending cut - the $13-billion Exon-Gras 

sley budget cut - that got through Congress last year. 

Kerrey, a major player in the 1990 farm bill, is expected to once again ins 

ist on a starring role in the 1995 farm bill production. Those who dealt with hi 

m on the 1990 farm bill know he can't be ignored. 




SOUR[The Kearney Hub 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Hesitant About Tax Plan 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., gave high marks for style to both President Clinton' 

s middle class tax cut speech Thursday night and the Republican response by Sena 

te newcomer Fred Thompson of Tennessee. 

But both speeches left Exon asking himself: "How are we going to pay for it 

?" he said in an interview Friday afternoon. 

Exon was in Kearney Friday to participate in activities surrounding commenc 

ement at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. 

Exon said a middle class tax is the wrong thing to implement if it means re 

cent reductions in the federal deficit will be reversed. 

"If we enact a middle class tax cut - and it's not paid for - it will be ve 

ry inflationary," Exon said. 

Citing the recent rounds of interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve 

as it tries to head off inflation, the senator said benefits from a middle class 

tax cut might be offset by higher interest rates. 

Exon said he supports reducing taxes in theory, but not if it means adding 

to the national debt. 

As the senior Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Exon said he sees hi 

s role in the upcoming Congress as a "watchdog for fiscal sanity." 

Exon said the White House and Republicans in Congress are each trying to ca 

pitalize on the tax-cut issue. He said he's concerned hasty tax cuts for politic 

al gain may undo recent success in reducing the deficit. 

On other topics: 

Exon will be the Democratic point man in debate over enacting a balanced bu 

dget amendment. He said he supports such an amendment and believes it can be eff 

ective. But he said he's not sure Americans know what's in store if the amendmen 

t is ratified. 

Passing a balanced budget amendment is the easy part. But if it's enacted, 

there will be some Draconian cuts (in government services) and probably tax incr 

eases. "I don't think people realize that," he said. 

A balanced budget amendment also will result in pressure to shift more of t 

he burden for providing services to the states, Exon said. 

Exon said he's worried about the United States getting involved in a ground

war in Bosnia. 

It would be a tragedy to get our ground troops involved," said Exon, who is 

the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. 



SOUR[Lincoln Sunday Journal-Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska delegation loses clout in Congress 

TEXT[The Nebraska Congressional delegation, unanimously Democratic in the Senate 

, and just as unanimously Republican in the House, should have a bit more politi 

cal muscle next year than it does now. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who was in line to become chairman of the Senate Bud 

get Committee had the Democrats maintained control of the Senate, now will have 

to be satisfied as ranking minority member of that panel, which provides the spe 

nding blueprint for Congress. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who was in line to become chairman of the Senate I 

ntelligence Committee, will now become a relatively senior minority member of th 

e Intelligence, Appropriations and Agriculture committees. Exon is also a senior 

member of the Armed Services and Commerce committees, but he will lose his chai 

rmanships of subcommittees on both those committees. 

So, on the whole, Nebraska will lose clout in the Senate. But the pickup of 

two subcommittee chairs in the House should give the Nebraska delegation margin 

ally more power than it had before the Republican landslide. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, after only two terms on the House Agricu 

lture Committee, has been named to chair the most powerful subcommittee on the p 

anel, the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities. 

Barrett will be Chairman Pat Roberts' point man on the 1995 farm bill. 

Barrett not only will define the farm bill debate by scheduling initial hea 

rings, setting the agenda of those hearings and choosing the witnesses, he also 

will play a key role in the House-Senate conference committee that will meet to 

hammer out a final compromise once both chambers have passed their versions of t 

he bill. 

Over the last two decades, virtually all the important decisions on farm bi 

ll legislation have been made in the closed conference committees while the news 

media and the agriculture lobbyists waited outside for details. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, dean of the three-man Nebraska House de 

legation, has been named chairman of the House International Relations Committee 

's subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He turned down an offer to chair a Bank 

ing subcommittee, because House rules prohibit members from chairing more than o 

ne subcommittee, and he felt the International Relations subcommittee would be m 

ore beneficial for Nebraska. He noted that more than half of Nebraska's $1.7 bil 

lion in exports last year went to the Pacific Rim. 

"Japan alone is Nebraska's number one export market," he said. Most of the 

exports are, of course, agriculture products. 

Rep-elect Jon Christensen, R-2nd District, is also a member-elect of the po 

werful House Ways and Means Committee, which will have initial jurisdiction over 

virtually all of the legislation that will be submitted to implement the GOP's 

"Contract With America."

Before the Republican November landslide, a freshman winning a seat on the 

Ways and Means Committee was virtually unheard of This especially galling to De 

mocratic members of the committee, some of whom will have to give up their seats 

to make room for the GOP freshmen. 

Nebraska lawmakers, even Kerrey and Exon seem to be positioned to have majo 

r roles in what Speaker-elect Newt Gingrich and his followers are calling the ne 

w revolution. As the senior Democrat on the budget committee, Exon will have to 

be reckoned with. And Exon says the Republicans should not have any trouble wi 

th him because he has the only major spending cut (the $13-billion Exon-Grassley 

budget cut) that got through Congress 1st year. 

Kerrey, a major player in the 1990 farm bill, is expected to once again ins 

ist on a starring role in the 1995 farm bill production. Those who dealt with h 

im on the 1990 bill know he can't be ignored. 

On the House side, Barrett should be one of the most visible players in the 

farm bill debate. 

Bereuter tends to blend into the legislative woodwork. Much of his legislat 

ive labors are in arcane areas that may produce dividends for his constituents b 

ut often are difficult to explain to anyone without an advanced degree in bankin 

g or foreign relations. 

Christensen is not expected to blend in anywhere. He last was seen leading 

a herd of reporters and photographers on a tour of two warehouses rented by the 

House of Representatives for more than $700,000 a year; they contain hundreds of 

cases of copies of old agriculture year-books. 

If his campaign was any example, Christensen will insist on doing things di 

fferently enough to make him stand out in a crowd, even in a crowd of politician 

s. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Starting Over Begins for Daub 

TEXT[Hal Daub takes his shoes off before he enters his house. It's a habit he sa 

ys he acquired while in the Army in Korea, and he's kept it up for more than 25 

years because his floors stay cleaner that way. 

But part of the reason may be sentimental. Daub met his wife of 25 years du 

ring his service days, and their divorce, which he calls the most difficult even 

t of his life, is still relatively recent. References to his ex-wife, Cindy, the 

former Shinja Shin, and her native country come up often in his conversations. 

Omaha's mayor-elect conveys a mix of the practical and the emotional when h 

e talks about the new life he is carving out for himself. Just as it's impossibl 

e to steer the former four-term congressman into a conversation that's free of p 

olitics, Daub seems unable to discuss today without referring often to yesterday 

. 

The 53-year-old attorney and former director of federal government affairs 

for the Deloitte & Touche accounting firm has lost political races over the year 

s, including two consecutive tries for the U.S. Senate, in 1986 and 1988. Now he 

's on the wiring end again, having triumphed over City Councilwoman Brenda Counc 

il in Tuesday's mayoral election.

Daub's new job is only one part of a starting-over process. The other part 

concerns his family. He divorced his wife last year, and the couple's three chil 

dren are in college. He has bought and moved into a new home in Omaha. 

Daub is decorating the recently purchased west Omaha ranch house with a com 

bination of modern and antique furniture. 

During an interview and tour of the house at 86th and Douglas Streets on th 

e snowy night after he was elected, Daub offered opinions on tables and chairs a 

nd prints that had yet to be hung, described his plan of action for completing t 

he decorating project in a month and displayed his collection of Looney Tunes ne 

ckties and stuffed animals. He acted as excited as a child showing off his Chris 

tmas presents. But much of the evening was spent reminiscing about Cindy and dis 

cussing the pain of their divorce and the lessons of loss. 

"I think some of the best lessons in life are learned when you lose," said 

Daub, sitting in a stuffed chair in his stocking feet. In his lap was Mitse, the 

black-and-white cat he said his ex-wife helped deliver in their Virginia home 1 

4 years ago. 

"... I think maybe I wouldn't have lost some of the things in my life I've 

tried to accomplish if I'd been much more focused on winning and not so focused 

on issues, organization or sort of what was more proper or right, as opposed to 

what might have been more expedient or more political. But l can tell you that i 

n losing that first race for Congress (to then Rep. John Cavanaugh, D-Neb., in 1 

978) I learned so much about what the ingredients and the chemistries were." 

Competitiveness has marked Daub's life. He said it comes naturally. 

Growing up in Benson, Daub said. he had a skill for organizing people that 

eventually led him into politics. 

Daub and his brother, Russell, were reared in the family's house at 58th an 

d Ruggles Streets. Their mother, Eleanor, is an Omaha native who still lives her 

e. Her parents were teachers in the Omaha School District. Daub's father, Harold 

Sr., who died three years ago, was a fourth-generation Nebraskan. The son of a 

blacksmith, he was born in Plymouth, Neb., and grew up mainly in Fairbury and Be 

atrice. Daub is proud of the act that his father was a skilled craftsman. 

"My dad worked very hard to be an engineer," Daub said. "Then the war inter 

rupted the planning. My mom and dad ran off to Kansas City and got married, and 

then my dad was slipped off to Fort Bragg in North Carolina where my brother and 

I were born. When we came back, Dad finished college. My mother had graduated d 

uring that period." 

The senior Daub never became an engineer. He worked instead as a traveling 

salesman, and his family saw him mainly on weekends. 

Daub calls his mother the greatest influence on his life because she encour 

aged him in every endeavor he undertook. His father was a strong man, he said, w 

ho read a lot, listened to news programs while on the road and had opinions that 

Daub says may have influenced his own interest in politics. 

"The table talk was always about government and politics," Daub said. And ' 

They're all no darn good,' and, 'Gosh. can you believe that they did that?' Actu 

ally, in a way he kind of had a negative view of politics. And l think I have to 

say that maybe stimulated me to sort of go find out.'" 

As a student at Mount View Elementary School, and later at Monroe Junior Hi 

gh. Daub was active in church youth groups at Benson Presbyterian Church. He dre 

amed of becoming a minister and now is an elder at the church. 

Later as a student at Benson High School, Daub said his interests shifted f 

irst to military school and finally to law. By then he was using his skills at " 

bringing people together" by volunteering in political campaigns. Most of the su

ccessful politicians he saw had law degrees. 

Daub worked more than one job through undergraduate work at Washington Univ 

ersity in St. Louis and the University of Nebraska College of Law. 

While an Army officer in Korea in 1966-68, Daub said, he experienced "the s 

ingle most significant thing that's ever happened" to him. He met his future wif 

e. who was his Korean language teacher. 

He remembers walking into a cold Quonset hut one night and watching "an abs 

olutely gorgeous woman" write her name on the blackboard. 

"I think it was about as close to love at first sight as you ever might wan 

t to have." he said. 

The Daubs were married in 1968. Of their divorce, Daub said, "I've learned 

a lot. I mean you always search in your own heart for what it is you could have 

done better, what could you have done different, and after a really blessed marr 

iage - everything was great about it that you could possibly want, absolutely dy 

namic and loving." 

He said the reasons behind the breakup-are personal. 

"That's where I have to draw the line." he said. "We just mutually agreed a 

s a result of circumstances that it was for the best if we struck out to achieve 

where we wanted to be or what we wanted to do separately. We've managed to have 

this continuing relationship particularly as a result of our great commitment t 

o our children." 

In 1978, the year Daub won the Republican primary for the 2nd District Hous 

e seat, rumors of spousal abuse in the Daub household spread after he went to Me 

thodist Hospital the night of the May election with a knife wound to the arm. Da 

ub said at the time that, while he and Cindy were relaxing at home, he went to t 

he kitchen, 

got a cheese knife and cheese and slipped on a throw rug, stabbing himself in th 

e arm with the knife. 

The personal life of the Daub family became an issue in 1990 when Daub ran 

unsuccessfully against Democratic Sen. J.J. Exon. Exon and Daub began sparring 

after former Republican Sen. John Tower of Texas came to Omaha campaign for Daub 

and said that Exon had a reputation as "one of the two or three biggest boozers 

in the Senate." Exon said in an interview a few days later that he was taking p 

ainkilling medication for a gallbladder condition, which made him groggy. 

The Daub campaign then called on Exon to release his medical records. Exon 

responded that he had nothing to hide in his medical records and countered, "I t 

hink that in his (Daub's) particular case it would be well for him to go back an 

d release some of his family records also." 

Cindy Daub responded to Exon in a letter in which she said there was no tru 

th to rumors that her husband "beat me up." 

Daub now says that political pressures took a toll on the couple. "The char 

acterizations, the hard knocks you take when you are in the public eye, those th 

ings wear on us both," he said. 

He said he is not dating anyone seriously. 

"I've dated a little bit," he said. 

I'm a very private person when it comes to that sort of thing." 

Christmas will be spent in Virginia with Cindy and their three children, Da 

ub said. 

Their son, John, 22, is an honors graduate from James Madison University in 

Harrisonburg, Va., and is working on a master's degree at Texas A&M University. 

He's a political conservative who plays in a heavy metal rock band, his father

said. 

"A couple of earrings in both earlobes, has hair that reaches to his belt b 

uckle," Daub said. 

The older daughter, Natalie, 24, is an honors graduate from Duke University 

in her first year of law school at the College of William and Mary in Williamsb 

urg Va. Tammy, the youngest child, is 18 and a sophomore at Duke. 

Dodie Kupka, the mother of Steve Kupka, Daub's campaign manager and now hea 

d of his transition team, has been helping the mayor-elect select furniture for 

his new home in Omaha. 

Daub said he chose the house because it's perfect for entertaining. There i 

s a big kitchen, where he can whip together stir fries and other favorite dishes 

, and a spacious two-tier deck in the back yard. Daub said he also likes the fac 

t that the house is easily accessible to all parts of Omaha. 

In his spare time, Daub enjoys dining out with friends and reading. On his 

glass-top coffee table were copies of Norman Maclean's "A River Runs Through It, 

" "Diplomacy" by Henry Kissinger and Michael Crichton's "Rising Sun." He said he 

also regularly reads Barron's magazine, The Wall Street Journal and the Economi 

st. 

"I enjoy hunting, and the real serious circumstance of my life is to have m 

issed duck hunting season this year," 

he said. "My brother calls me up on Tuesday morning and says, 'You've got one mo 

re day before duck hunting season ends. I have limited out in our duck club four 

days in a row; get out here on Wednesday morning. l don't care if you're up all 

night.' 

"And I had actually shot some clay pigeons and gotten myself organized here 

in the last 30 days with a little practice and was ready to go but..." 

He never made it. "Tuesday was a busy night. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bonus for No. 1 Finish A Puzzling Concept 

TEXT[Surely one of the most puzzling - was tempted to say dumb - things that the 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln has done, with approval of the Board of Regents, 

is the authorization of a $50,000 bonus to Coach Tom Osborne if the Cornhuskers 

finish the season ranked as national champions in either of the two major polls 

. 

Tom Osborne has done a superb job of coaching the Cornhuskers for 22 years. 

His teams have won 218 games in those 22 years. 

Whether or not the Cornhuskers defeat the Miami Hurricanes on New Year's ni 

ght - yes, Virginia, we are again playing Miami with the national championship a 

t stake and again on Miami's home field - the 1994 season will surely rank as on 

e of the finest played by an injury-plagued Cornhusker team and one of the best 

coaching jobs by Tom Osborne and his staff. 

A $50,000 bonus for Coach Osborne and bonuses for members of his coaching s 

taff would be quite appropriate on the basis of the 1994 season to date. 

Do Athletic Director Bill Byrne, Chancellor Graham Spanier and the Board of 

Regents really think that Tom Osborne will be inspired to coach more effectivel

y by the prospect of getting a pot of cash at the end of the national championsh 

ip rainbow? 

*** 

Get real, you residents of McPherson County, Neb. When Big Brother Governme 

nt in Washington says one-third of you are poverty stricken, you better believe 

it. Start feeling poor and sob for yourselves. 

More seriously, the disclosure that McPherson County has the highest percen 

tage of Nebraska residents living in poverty is an example of the silly conclusi 

ons that sometimes result when federal bureaucrats 1) try to define poverty in t 

erms of family income and then 2) apply that definition in a way that produces s 

upposedly statistically precise figures as to the number of people living in pov 

erty in every county across the country. 

This is not to minimize the seriousness of the problem of poverty. Certainl 

y a major policy goal of both the public and private sectors must be to help peo 

ple overcome poverty. 

But it seen's preposterous to me to set a national poverty level based on i 

ncome alone and attempt to apply that level to persons living in such diverse en 

vironments as New York City and McPherson County in Nebraska's Sand Hills. 

County Clerk Judy Dailey said of the people of McPherson County, mostly sel 

f-employed ranchers: 

"Our people are self-sufficient, and willing to do what they have to, to ma 

ke a living. We're a proud set of people. We don't ask for help." 

*** 

Brenda Council wasn't the only casualty in Omaha's mayoral campaign and ele 

ction. 

Also a victim - beaten up more badly than Ms. Council - was the political p 

rinciple that the office of Omaha mayor should be sought and served in on a nonp 

artisan basis. 

Perhaps the most egregious example of what I'm talking about was the ad end 

orsing Ms. Council in The Sunday World-Herald two days before the election. Ther 

e was an impressive array of names, and I assume there were a substantial number 

of Republicans included. 

But among the endorsers whose names were featured in the largest type was a 

gaggle of Democratic officeholders, including Gov. Ben Nelson and Sens. Jim Exo 

n and Bob Kerrey. 

Incidentally, I don't think Ms. Council made herself any political points w 

ith her strident "concession" speech in which she seemed to be saying that she a 

nd her political supporters, in defeat, had somehow set the political agenda for 

Omaha city government for the next two years. 

It's a matter of law - as well as a sound political principle, in my opinio 

n - that the mayor and City Council be elected on a nonpartisan ballot. The rati 

onale is that matters of municipal government need not be - indeed, should not b 

e - addressed as partisan political issues, Democrats on one side and Republican 

s on the other. 

(Quick now, what is the Democratic Party policy on yard waste removal? What 

position has the Republican party taken on snow removal or the lack thereof?) 

Nebraska legislative elections for years have seen a steady erosion in the 

nonpartisan character of the Legislature -- a nonpartisan character that is theo 

retically mandated by Nebraska's state constitution. 

Political parties and candidates for municipal offices and the Legislature 

ought either to abide by the spirit as well as the letter of the law or have the 

political integrity to join in a campaign asking the voters to change the law.

*** 

Lying on a bench in the front hall when I arrived home from a recent huntin 

g trip was what appeared to be a rather large box in Christmas-gift wrapping. 

"That's one of the presents you're giving me," Marian said. Understand, I 

had no idea what was in the box, except that it was probably expensive. 

Don't you want to know what it is? Marian asked. 

"No," I replied. "Let's play out this reverse twist on the usual Christmas 

gift pattern. Let me as the giver be the one who is surprised when we open our p 

resents." Then I added: 

"And I certainly hope that you'll like - and can afford - the present you'r 

e giving me. I'll tell you all about it Christmas morning." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon is wary of tax cut proposal 

TEXT[President Clinton can count on his party's ranking member on the Senate Bud 

get Committee to help him cut federal spending. 

But don't count on Jim Exon's vote in favor of tax cuts just yet. 

"I'm going to be a watchdog to make sure they're paid for by reductions in 

spending," Nebraska's senior senator says over a Reuben sandwich and a cup of ve 

getable soup after watching the president's televised news briefing on Monday. 

"If they're not paid for, I will oppose them," Exon says. 

ALTHOUGH he likes some of Clinton's proposed targeted tax reductions - "I'm 

excited about the education benefits and I support individual retirement accoun 

ts" - Exon acknowledges some concern about the wisdom of devoting the savings fr 

om budget reductions to tax cuts rather than deficit reduction. 

"It might be far better to put it into reduction of deficits and the nation 

al debt," he says. 

And Exon is wary about the timing of tax cuts now. 

"I've never heard of offering a tax cut when most economists and the Fed ar 

e trying to slow down the economy because of fear of inflation," he says. 

"It could be that tax cuts would hurt middle-income Americans more than the 

y would help them," he says. 

Exon says he is determined to assume the role of watchdog as the ranking De 

mocratic member of the Budget Committee next year when Clinton and the Republica 

n majority do battle in what already has developed into a tax cut bidding war in 

advance of the 1996 elections. 

"I'm going to be growling and barking and wagging my tail when it's appropr 

iate for fiscal sanity. 

"Watchdogs are lonesome creatures and not particularly well-loved," he says 

. 

"It's a lot easier to be a hound dog chasing some elusive pot of gold." 

Exon has been chosen to also play a leading role in the forthcoming balance 

d budget debate. 

The Nebraskan was named by the Senate's new minority leader, Tom Daschle, t 

o lead the Democratic effort in support of a proposed constitutional amendment t 

o require a balanced federal budget.

While he supports a balanced federal budget amendment as a U.S. senator, Ex 

on admits he wouldn't be as enthusiastic about it if he were still governor. 

"From what I can see coming right now, if I was governor I'd say 

I'm not going to jump on this bandwagon until you tell me more 

than you have now." 

The danger is that the Congress might try to balance the 

budget by 

transferring enormous costs and burdens to the states, he says. 

That's why the amendment needs to be reasonable and responsible, 

Exon says. 

"And why I will be trying to tell the American people exactly what it 

would do. I want everybody's eyes opened." 

REPUBLICAN insistence that the federal budget be balanced by 

2002 would lead to "draconian spending decreases and tax 

increases," he says. 

But the new Republican majority has proposed a plan to require a 60 

percent super majority in the House to increase taxes, Exon points out. 

"Governors, Democrats and the new majority of Republicans, had better read 

the handwriting on the wall as I would be doing if I was governor." 

It would be good to bring the governors to Washington to consider their con 

cerns, Exon says. 

Clinton's targeted tax cut proposals are more responsible than the larger a 

nd broader tax reductions offered by the Republicans, the senator says. 

"We need to be fiscally responsible so that we don't go off as we did in th 

e 1980s during the Reagan administration, preaching conservatism, reducing taxes 

and sending our deficits skyrocketing." 

YET, EVEN Clinton's plan raises alarm bells. 

The $24 billion in budget cuts the president unveiled on Monday represents 

less than half the $60 billion cost in proposed tax cuts, Exon says. 

And that doesn't even take into account the $25 billion increase in defense 

spending that Clinton has recommended, he says. 

"But the president has taken some bold steps to cut spending and I applaud 

them," Exon says. 

"Both the administration and the Republican majority now want to extend the 

Exon-Grisly spending cuts they opposed a few months ago. I guess we were about 

10 months ahead of time." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Feds should give Lincoln time to fix signals, congressmen say 

TEXT[The Federal Highway Administration needs to give Lincoln a break on replaci 

ng traffic signals the city considers safe but that no longer meet federal guide 

lines, say Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, and Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

"Unless there is a clear benefit to making the change, I believe the Federa 

l Highway Administration Should grant a long-term extension to the city of Linco 

ln which would allow it to come into compliance by replacing the signals as they

deteriorate or as conditions change," Bereuter wrote to the FHA. "This common s 

ense approach would save taxpayer dollars 

without increasing safety risks." 

Exon said he has notified the Federal Transportation Department he will tak 

e action to change the standards if needed. 

The dispute is over intersections with a traffic light on a main street, st 

op signs on the intersecting side street and a push-button cross signal for pede 

strians. Federal regulations do not consider this type of signal arrangement acc 

eptable, but Lincoln and Omaha officials do not believe they cause any safety pr 

oblems. 

The federal government has set a December 1996 compliance deadline. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Law agency get funding for additional officers 

TEXT[OMAHA - The Lincoln Police Department, Douglas and Sarpy county sheriff's d 

epartments and the Nebraska State Patrol have been given the OK to hire 19 law e 

nforcement officers with federal funding under the crime bill passed by Congress 

earlier this year. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both Nebraska Democrats, said in a news rele 

ase Monday that the approval was given under the U.S. Department of Justice's "C 

ops Ahead" program. Participating cities with populations of 50,000 or more may 

begin recruiting, hiring and training officers while their applications for fund 

s are pending, the senators said. 

Lincoln is authorized the hiring of seven officers, the state patrol 10 and 

the Douglas and Sarpy sheriff's offices one each. North Platte has also applied 

for funding under the 

"Cops Ahead" program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Extension given 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon has gained Omaha a two-week extension for meetin 

g government regulations on picking a site for a new U.S. courthouse. 

Exon said that he convinced the federal General Services Administration to 

grant the extension for property appraisals. 

Several sites have been considered as locations. 




SOUR[Lincoln Star

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Bereuter fight requirements to replace traffic signals in Lincoln 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon and Rep. Doug Bereuter have moved separately to spare the cit 

y of Lincoln Some $700,000 in replacement costs for traffic signals that fail to 

meet federal guidelines. 

Exon, D-Neb., said he has informed the federal Department of Transportation 

that he is prepared to consider taking action to change the standards. 

Bereuter, R-Neb., said he has asked the Federal Highway Administration to g 

rant a long-term extension so the city will not have to take immediate action to 

replace the 34 traffic signals that are in dispute. 

The issue involves intersections with a traffic light on a main street stop 

signs on the intersecting side street and a push-button cross signal for pedest 

rians. 

While the signals no longer meet federal guidelines, Bereuter said, various 

state and national studies have found that the current traffic arrangement is a 

s safe as the alternatives. 

Bereuter said he is asking the Federal Highway Administration to allow Linc 

oln to replace existing signals as they deteriorate or as conditions change. 

"This common sense approach would save taxpayer dollars without increasing 

safety risks," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska to hire 19 law officers 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Lincoln Police Department, Douglas and Sarpy county 

sheriff's departments and the Nebraska State Patrol have been given the OK to hi 

re 19 law enforcement officers with federal funding under the crime bill passed 

by Congress earlier this year. 

Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, both Nebraska Democrats, said in a news rele 

ase Monday that the approval was given under the U.S. Department of Justice's "C 

ops Ahead" program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Federal Safety Board Endorses Exon Safety Recommendations 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) today applauded the National Transportation Sa 

fety Board's endorsement of his calls to improve safety for trains and planes. 

"The NTSB shares my desire to establish a firm timetable to develop and dep 

loy new safety technology for our nation's railroads," said Exon, chairman of th 

e Surface Transportation Subcommittee. "This system, called Positive Train Contr 

ol, could have prevented the fatal collision of three trains this past June near 

Thedford, Nebraska."

Positive Train Control essentially takes control of a train away from engin 

eers who disobey signals or run too fast. Exon has been a leading advocate of th 

is technology, and his recently enacted rail safety legislation puts pressure on 

the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to develop and deploy it. 

Meanwhile, the NTSB has also recommended imposing tougher safety 

standards on commuter air-lines. 

Exon, a senior member of the Aviation Subcommittee, has repeatedly sou 

ght reassurance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that airlines are 

not trying to save money by cutting corners on safety. Also, Exon expressed his 

concern about commuter airline safety to the FAA in June, 1994 following a fata 

l commuter crash in Hibbing, Minn. 

"With the increase in commuter air travel and the increasing reliance 

on commuter service by rural America, I am most concerned about the safety of co 

mmuter travel," he said. 

The FAA will soon release a proposal that will require commuter pilots 

--those flying planes with 30 or fewer seats--to receive as much training as pil 

ots for major airlines. In addition, the NTSB has recommended that major airline 

s oversee the safety of their commuter airlines, and that safety standards for s 

maller planes be made as equivalent as possible to those of major airlines. 

"The safety of commuter airlines, while important to everyone, is especiall 

y important for many Nebraskans, who depend on them to make connections to major 

airlines," Exon said. 

The NTSB's recommendation was prompted by fatal commuter crashes 

near Hibbing, Minn. and Columbus, Ohio. Serious pilot errors were identified in 

both crashes. 




SOUR[The Colfax County Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Celebration to Mark 50th Anniversary Of War's End 

TEXT[According to the Friday, December 9, 1944 issue of the Omaha World-Herald, 

a parade, fireworks and military air shows are among events planned for a Septem 

ber 2, 1995, celebration in Omaha commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end 

of World War II. 

"Victory 95" is being organized by local county, state and federal official 

s and business and industry groups. 

Omaha is ahead of the country in organizing an event to commemorate the end 

of the war, U.S. Sen J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said during a press conference Thursday 

at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. 

"It's going to be world-recognized Exon said. 

The event will honor Midlands men and women who served during the war 

said Robert Daugherty, chairman of the Victory 95 celebration committee. The cel 

ebration also will honor the families of those who served and the people who ass 

isted the war effort with victory gardens, salvage drives and other home-front e 

fforts, Daugherty said. 

The September 2, events will include a morning parade in downtown Omah 

a. Organizers said they will try to attract entrants from all 50 states. There w 

ill be a dedication ceremony at Memorial Park in the afternoon.

Evening events will include a performance at Rosenblatt StAdium by the 

U.S. Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment from the Marine Corp Barracks in Wash 

ington, D.C. 

A fireworks display at the stadium will cap the day's events. 

Victory 95 will coincide with the Offutt Air Force Base air show 

and open house. The events at the base will include performances by the Thunder 

birds and display of World War II aircraft. 

Also, the Air Force's seventh B-2 bomber will be at the base and 

will be named the "Spirit of Nebraska" in a dedication ceremony. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Alliance Woman Injured 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF-The Nebraska State Patrol reported that Peggy S. Wilson, 35, of 

Alliance received arm and shoulder injuries in a one-vehicle accident Friday. S 

he was admitted to Regional West Medical Center for treatment, and was dismissed 

Sunday afternoon. 

Ms. Wilson was westbound on Highway 26, three miles east of Minatare, at 2: 

06 p.m. when she apparently fell asleep at the wheel. Her 1991 Ford pickup went 

into the south ditch and rolled. 

The pickup was totaled. Ms. Wilson was wearing her seat belt. 

Trooper Kevin Krzyzanowski was the investigating officer. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon gets extension on choices 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) Sen. Jim Exon has gained Omaha a two-week extension for meeting 

government regulations on picking a site for a new U.S. courthouse. 

Exon said in a news release Tuesday that he convinced the federal Gene 

ral Services Administration to grant the extension for property appraisals. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha, Des Moines To Get Grant Money 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton on Wednesday designated Omaha and Des Moines 

as two of 60 urban "Enterprise Communities" that will receive $3 million each i 

n federal grants for social-service and business-development projects.

Clinton also announced grants for 35 rural "Enterprise Communities," none o 

f which was in Nebraska or Iowa. 

The grants, part of a 10-year, $3.5-billion program, will be used for proje 

cts aimed at making improvements in areas defined as "economically distressed." 

Clinton also announced grants of $100 million each for six urban "Empowerme 

nt Zones" in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia. 

A grant of $125 million was awarded to Los Angeles and $90 million to Cleve 

land. 

Rural areas in Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas were designated rural "Empow 

erment Zones" with federal grants of $40 million each. 

"I've been in the hills and hollows of Kentucky," Clinton said in a press c 

onference. "I have walked up and down the poorest cities in America in the Missi 

ssippi Delta. I have been all over south Texas. I know those places." 

Clinton said the grant programs went to urban and rural areas with high rat 

es of poverty, fulfilling a promise he made in 1992 when he campaigned for the p 

residency. 

"That's what this administration is all about," Clinton said. "That's what 

public life is all about out there on the Main Streets of America." 

The president's press conference was preceded by a briefing where details o 

f the program were explained by Andrew Cuomo, an assistant secretary in the Depa 

rtment of Housing and Urban Development, and Bob Nash, an undersecretary at the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Cuomo is the son of New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, a Democrat who was defeated 

in the Nov. 8 election. 

Nash, in an interview, said no grant applications were received from rural 

communities in Nebraska. 

He said one application was received from a rural Iowa community he could n 

ot identify. The Iowa community did not win a grant, Nash said. 

"If you look at a map showing where the grants were awarded you will notice 

a big void in the Great Plains," Nash said. 

He said this was because few rural communities in this area have poverty ra 

tes high enough to meet the grant criteria. 

"The big problem in the Great Plains is out-migration with young people lea 

ving rural communities," Nash said. "If we don't reverse this trend, large areas 

could end up being deserted." 

He said research was under way at USDA on alternative uses for farm commodi 

ties. 

He said the research is aimed at developing new products for manufacturing 

that could provide employment in lightly populated areas. 

Meanwhile, the $3 million grant to Omaha will be used for a number of progr 

ams, an Omaha city official said in a telephone interview. 

James Thele, real property manager in the Planning Department, said some of 

the funds will go to public and private organizations that provide shelter for 

homeless people, drug rehabilitation programs and financial assistance to new bu 

sinesses. 

Thele said organizations in "Enterprise Communities" also receive preferenc 

e in applying for other federal grants. 

"It is a way for the federal government to target a wide range of grant pro 

grams to inner-city areas," Thele said. "That's probably the most important part 

of being given this designation." 

Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said in a joint statement that

the grant money will be used in low-income neighborhoods of north and South Oma 

ha. 

In addition to "social-development projects," the senators said, the money 

will be used to encourage economic development. 

They said businesses will be eligible for tax-exempt bonds to construct bui 

ldings and "technical assistance will be provided to emerging entrepreneurs." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Photo 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (center) recently received the 1994 Legislative Visio 

nary Award from the National Association for the Self-Employed in recognition of 

Exon's efforts in Congress on behalf of the nation's small businesses. Picture 

d with Exon are Julia Whitt, Director of Government Relations for the NASE and B 

enson Goldstein, Legislative and Tax Consultant for the Washington, D.C.-based o 

rganization. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[City Spells Out Plan for Economic Grant 

TEXT[A $3 million federal "enterprise community" grant to Omaha will help the ci 

ty bolster economic development and improve job opportunities, Interim Mayor Sub 

by Anzaldo said Thursday. 

Anzaldo said some of the money will go to programs working on aid to the ho 

meless, drug rehabilitation and new businesses. 

"The purpose of the grant is to revitalize stressed areas through community 

economic development," Anzaldo said. "Employment training will be very importan 

t, as will business training." 

President Clinton on Wednesday designated Omaha and Des Moines as two of 60 

urban enterprise communities that will receive $3 million each for social servi 

ces and business development. 

Clinton also announced grants for 35 rural enterprise communities, none of 

which was in Nebraska or Iowa. 

The grants are part of a 10-year, $3.5-billion program for areas defined as 

"economically distressed." 

Jim Rhodes, a business development planner in the city's Department of Mark 

eting and Business Development, said Thursday that agencies would contract with 

the city to receive grant money through the state. Also involved would be the ci 

ty's Enterprise Zone Association Board, the Mayor's Office and the City Council' 

s enterprise zone committee. 

Anzaldo and Rhodes cited examples of how the money will be put to use: 

Campus of Hope, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation agency will be able to open a 

facility near the Siena-Francis House, near 17th and Nicholas Streets, to aid th

e homeless. 

A family resource center, under construction, at 30th and Lake Streets, will be 

completed, providing one-stop assistance with any social service agency. 

A one-stop business resource center can be established to aid people and compani 

es with technical training and other advice. 

A project can be organized to help employees get to their jobs when and where MA 

T buses don't run. 

"In all cases, this money is just a piece of what these programs need to make th 

ings happen," Rhodes said. 

Anzaldo said that because of the enterprise community designation, the city 

and the organizations in areas of the city designated as enterprise zones recei 

ve preference in applying for other federal grants. 

Last February, then-Mayor P.J. Morgan and the City Council appointed seven membe 

rs to a new board called the Enterprise Zone Association Board. The members were 

charged with coordinating efforts to renew the inner city and with devising a w 

ay to breathe new life into a 16-square-mile section of the city, including part 

s of north and South Omaha. 

Those areas have high unemployment rates, population loss and a number of f 

amilies living in poverty. 

In June, Gov. Nelson designated the areas - 12.5 square miles in north Omah 

a and 3.5 square miles in the south - as the state's first enterprise zones. 

The city then applied for federal enterprise community status. 

In addition Wednesday, Clinton announced grants of $100 million each for ur 

ban empowerment zones in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Phi 

ladelphia. A grant of $125 million was awarded to Los Angeles, and one of $90 mi 

llion went to Cleveland. 

Rural areas in Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas were designated as rural emp 

owerment zones with grants of $40 million each. 

"I've been in the hills and hollows of Kentucky," Clinton said at a press c 

onference. "I have walked up and down the poorest cities in America in the Missi 

ssippi Delta. I have been all over south Texas. I know those places." 

Clinton said the grant programs went to urban and rural areas with high rat 

es of poverty, fulfilling a promise he made in 1992 when he campaigned for the p 

residency. 

Bob Nash, an undersecretary of agriculture, said no grant applications were 

received from rural communities in Nebraska. He said one was received from a ru 

ral Iowa community that he could not identify. It did not win a grant, Nash said 

. 

"If you look at a map showing where the grants were awarded, you will notic 

e a big void in the Great Plains," Nash said. 

He said that was because few rural communities in that area had poverty rat 

es high enough to meet the grant criteria. 

Sens. J.J.Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said businesses will be eligib 

le for tax-exempt construction bonds and that technical assistance will be provi 

ded to "emerging entrepreneurs." 




SOUR[Waverly News 

BK#[

HDLN[Wilkison focused on academy appointment 

TEXT[At a time of year when thoughts turn to the holidays, football bowl games a 

nd presents under the tree, Waverly High senior Bart Wilkison has stayed focused 

. . . focused on an appointment to one of the service academies. 

Earlier this fall, First District Congressman Doug Bereuter announced that 

the rural Greenwood resident was one of his two principal nominees to the U.S. 

Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. 

Wilkison also appears on Bereuter's annual list as an alternate to both the 

U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and U.S. A 

ir Force Academy at Colorado Springs. 

Since that list was announced, the 95.14 percent grade average student has, 

or will interview for additional nominations from Nebraska Senators J. James Ex 

on and Bob Kerrey. 

And Wilkison has no trouble verbalizing why he's pursued an academy appoint 

ment with the same sense of purpose as an infantry regiment tasked with taking t 

he high ground. 

"I just want something more from college. I'm interested in a future, not g 

oing to school to party and be one of the guys," he said in a recent interview. 

A sense of history and family have also accompanied him on the nomination i 

nterviews with specially appointed congressional and senate committees. 

My grandfather was in World War Il and my dad served in Vietnam with the (U 

.S. Army's) First Air Cavalry. 

"Talking to them gave me a sense of the history and the dedication to duty 

that service entails," he said with his jaw set like a soldier on parade. 

Wilkison has been interested in an appointment for the past few years and b 

egan the process of letting the academies know of his interest last spring. 

"I'd gladly take any appointment I get, but if I have a choice I'm leaning 

toward West Point," he said, indicating that he'd like to study one of the engin 

eering disciplines. . . and perhaps train to be a military aviator. 

"Flying interests me and I wouldn't mind giving that a try," he said. 

Wilkison currently ranks 14th academically in a graduating class of 122 and 

has hedged his military bets by applying for Army, Navy and Air Force Reserve O 

fficer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships at UNL. 

If he manages an academy appointment, he won't head east to a dorm room and 

new uniform not knowing what he's getting into, either. 

"My dad and I are planning a trip back to West Point and the Merchant Marin 

e academy in January to look things over," he said. 

As a nominee, Wilkison will be able to spend the night on campus with one o 

f the cadets. 

"I've always tried to life my life by military-like standards and I really 

want this (an appointment)," he stated. 

In addition to the schools already mentioned, he also has applied for appoin 

tment to the Coast Guard academy. 

"The football coach there is interested in me, but other than that I haven' 

t heard anything," he said. 

At Waverly High, Wilkison tutors math students, is a member of the student 

council and a VICA officer and has been active in football and golf. He's also b 

een a Boys State representative. 

He is the son of Mel and June Wilkison of rural Greenwood.




SOUR[The Wakefield Republican 

BK#[ 

HDLN[McQuistan Delegate To US Senate Youth Program 

TEXT[Senators James Exon and Bob Kerrey recently announced the 

appointment of Michael McQuistan of Wakefield High School and Shauyene Hsieh o 

f Omaha as the Nebraska delegates to the 33rd annual US Senate Youth Program in 

Washington, D.C. The state's high school student delegates were selected by Dr. 

Joe E. Lutjeharms, Commissioner of Education. 

Mike is a senior and the son of Bill and Janyce McQuistan of rural Pender. 

He is Student Council President, a member of the National Honor Society, active 

in Speech and Drama and was part of the One-Act Play Cast, was named a Merit Sc 

holarship finalist and represented the American Legion Post at Boys State this s 

ummer. 

Mike also participates in athletics as a member of the football team, runs 

track, has played basketball and American Legion baseball. 

Mike is planning to attend college and major in political science with a speci 

al interest in economics. 

Hsieh is a resident of Omaha, a junior class board treasurer at Millard Hig 

h School, in addition to other school and community activities. His future plans 

include becoming a doctor and possibly specializing in cardiology. 

Chosen as alternates to the 1995 program were Jami Anderson of Broken Bow a 

nd Kristina Jacobberger of Ralston. 

In addition, 102 other elected high school student body officers, two from eac 

h state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Dependents Scho 

ols Overseas, will make the trip to Washington, D.C., from February 25 through M 

arch 4, for a week of intensive study of the federal government and the United S 

tates Senate in particular. 

Each of the 104 delegates will also receive a $2,000 college scholarship, whic 

h, along with the program, is made possible by a grant from the William Randolph 

Hearst Foundation. All 

transportation, meals and accommodations the Mayflower Hotel are also provided. 

No government funds are used. 

The operations of the Senate will be particularly stressed during the week. 

As in past years, arrangements are underway for the delegates to meet with the 

President, leading cabinet members, a Supreme Court Justice and several key Con 

gressional policy makers. 

Arrangements for the program are being made by the Senate Advisory Committee u 

nder Co-chairs, Senator Carol Moseley-Braun (D/IL) and 

Senator Alan K. Simpson (R/WY). The other committee members are Senators Ben Nig 

hthorse Campbell (D/CO), Thomas Daschle (D/SD), Wendell H. Ford (D/KY), Patty M 

urray (D/WA), Robert F. Bennett (R/UT), Judd Gregg (R/NH), Jesse Helms (R/NC) an 

d Ted Stevens (R/AK). Foundation President Randolph A. Hearst is the Program Com 

mittee Chairman. 



AUTH[Andrew G. Tarsikes


BK#[ 

HDLN['Let Record Reflect Truth' 

TEXT[If a congressman said something he didn't like, or didn't say something he 

wanted to, he can have the Congressional Record changed to lie about what he sai 

d. 

The Republicans have proposed a fundamental change in this operation: The r 

ecord would have to tell the truth. Each of us should let our members of Congres 

s know we expect passage of such a bill. This would be a wonderful change, on wh 

ich we and historians could rely for the truth of past debates. 




SOUR[Business Farmer-Stockman 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon opposes GATT, fears for farm programs 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon doesn't like prospects for the 1995 Farm Bill after Sena 

te passage of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Republican take 

over of Congress. 

"Make no mistake about it. We are in for a fight --a big one," the Nebraska De 

mocrat told the Nebraska Farmers Union convention. 


," he said. 








If two countries disagree over trade, the laws of those countries are subject 

to the view of the World Trade Organization, which administers the agreement, Ex 

on said. 








ts, such as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.,incoming Senate Agriculture Committe 

e chairman, Exon said. 






Federal spending cuts must be made across the board and agricultural programs 

should be no exception, Exon said.





" he said. 







The program has a lot of political support, but Congress must reauthorize the 

program by finding new money in the budget, Exon said. 



The 1995 Farm Bill will be the toughest Congress has ever written -- the tough 

est to get a fair deal, Exon said. 

"I need you to be the foot soldiers in the upcoming battle. As I always have b 

een in the past, I will help lead the charge for you our family farmers and ranc 

hers who do the work and feed the families of the world," he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Students nominated to military academies 

TEXT[Members of the Nebraska congressional delegation have named their nominees 

to the U.S. military academies. 

Academy appointments will be announced early in 1995. Following are the Hub 

Territory students nominated: 

Rep. Bill Barrett: 

Air Force - Brandon Lindau and Rebecca Dimon, both of Axtell. 

Navy - Ryan Petersen of Minden and Timothy Slocum of Litchfield. 

Army - Alex McClymont of Holdrege. 

Sen. Jim Exon: 

Air Force - Petersen and Dimon. 

Army - Dimon and McClymont. 

Merchant Marine - Lindau and Toby Osborn of Elm Creek. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey: 

Air Force - Wade Holen of Loomis. 

Merchant Marine - Lindau, McClymont and Osborn. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Academy nominees named

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Five Panhandle students have been nominated by the Nebraska co 

ngressional delegation, Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon and Rep. Bill Barrett, to 

the U.S. academies. Some are nominated by more than one congressman. 

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and U.S. Military Academy - Stephen Reyes, Sco 

ttsbluff. 

U.S. Mr Force Academy - Perry Marshall, Chadron, and Justin Walworth, Mitch 

ell. 

U.S. Naval Academy - Dan Helberg, Gering, and Joseph Driewer, Sidney. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's citizens receive greetings of the season from the hired help 

TEXT[Merry Christmas. Without fancy packaging, here are timely messages from som 

e of your elected officials. 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb.: "While many of us look forward to a holiday wee 

k of family, love and sharing, we take pause to remember the less fortunate. We 

know that all will not be able to join with family and friends in the festivitie 

s and, as we do, let's give them our thoughts and prayers. 

"There are those who are serving us in the armed forces far away from home. 

There are those who have lost loved ones during the past year who will find thi 

s holiday particularly difficult. There are those who are ill and suffering. The 

re are those who are homeless and hungry. We offer them our hope, commitment and 

best wishes for a better new year." 

U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District: "Elsie and I send our wishes to Neb 

raskans for a continued safe, joyous season filled with friends and family. May 

1995 bring everyone peace, prosperity and hope. Happy 'Newt' year." 

U.S. Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District: "Christmas is the time of the year 

when, like most other people, I'm especially thankful for my family ,and friend 

s ... This is the first year that both of my sons have been away at college so w 

e are particularly pleased that our family will be reunited for the holidays." 

State Sen. LaVon Crosby, Lincoln:"I hope that we can keep a strong econ 

omy and, without government being all things to all people, find some solutions 

to the problems that people have." 

Gov. Ben Nelson: "Christmas is not just a time of giving and receiving. It 

is a time for all Nebraskans and their friends and families to share in the most 

joyous gift of all - the gift of love. . . Lending a helping hand is a year-rou 

nd responsibility. However, in this season of giving, we should make an extra ef 

fort to care for those in need." 

Attorney General Don Stenberg: "May God grant His peace and blessing to eve 

ry Nebraska family. My wife, Sue, and I wish all Nebraskans a joyous holiday sea 

son. 

State Auditor John Breslow: "I wish all Nebraskans a beautiful holiday seas 

on of peace and happiness." 

State Sen. Ernie Chambers, Omaha. "Bah. Humbug." 

Lt. Gov. Kim Robak: "We get so caught up in work and the things that we hav 

e to do. Remember to laugh a little; laugh a lot. Take pleasure in family and fr

iends and remember to tell people that you care about them." 

State Sen. Dave Landis, Lincoln: "Hold onto your hiney." 

State Sen. Don Wesely, Lincoln: "I wish that people were more concerned abo 

ut people that are different than they are. And more compassionate about those w 

ho are disadvantaged, remembering that Christ was born in a manger. The symbolis 

m of that is important." 

State Treasurer Dawn Rockey: "We all have a lot to be thankful for, but we 

don't stop and think about it that way. This is a good time to just stop and thi 

nk how lucky we are that we have families, friends and good health and all that 

other wonderful stuff." 

State Treasurer-elect Dave Heineman: "I hope that every Nebraskan has a mer 

ry Christmas, and that we win the national championship on January First." 

Secretary of State-elect Scott Moore: "On this Christmas day, whether your 

political opponent is Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich or Bob Kerrey, remember these 

are the people that all of us elected and we have to respect (them)." 

Secretary of State Allen Beermann: "Someone once observed that we make a li 

ving by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. I hope that everyone wi 

ll find the opportunity to be more giving than receiving because I think in givi 

ng is where you find joy." 

State Sen. Jerome Warner, Waverly: "Nowadays we emphasize what divides us r 

ather than what unites us. I hope that we can emphasize what we all share in com 

mon rather than things that separate us, and that it would carry through the yea 

r." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Earthquake?: Surely, federal agency jests 

TEXT[IN the great political scheme, the liberals have their favorite federal age 

ncies and the conserves have theirs. Liberals often take a fancy to the protecti 

ve instincts of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the In 

terior. Conservatives tend to take a shine to big doings in the Department of De 

fense and the Department of Commerce. 

Most of the time, politicians of all persuasions make it their practice to 

ignore the General Services Administration and its highly official, but low-prof 

ile performances in such areas as supplying federal forms and file cabinets. All 

this, of course, can change when the GSA starts warning of... EARTHQUAKES! ! 

Now is just such a time. The GSA has already attracted the attention of Neb 

raska Sen. Jim Exon by unveiling ambitious plans for making the Denny Federal Bu 

ilding in downtown Lincoln earthquake-proof. For the tidy sum of $456,000, its e 

arthquake planners propose to bolt down all file cabinets and bookcases over a s 

pecified height, install heavy straps on water pipes, light fixtures and ceiling 

panels, and otherwise protect the occupants against the possibility of major sh 

aking and great bodily harm. 

Although Exon probably has a lot of friends and supporters in any federal b 

uilding in Nebraska, his attention has not taken the form of endorsement, his ma 

nner is considerably less than enthusiastic - and he shows no sign of earthquake 

fear. Might that just be because Lincoln has not felt tremors that did much mor

e than jiggle the crockery since 1877? 

University of Nebraska research shows that Lincoln is indeed in the area of 

southeast Nebraska's Humboldt fault line and is thus judged to be at somewhat h 

igher risk of earthquake damage than the rest of the state. But the Journal agre 

es with Exon that 115-plus years of relatively solid underpinnings is enough evi 

dence to keep that risk in the negligible category. 

California is certainly an appropriate place for the GSA to focus its earth 

quake-proofing attentions and there may well be federal buildings there and in o 

ther states that are worthy of reinforcement. Even in Nebraska, it might be a go 

od idea to factor more earthquake consideration into new government construction 

. 

But the GSA has got to have better places to spend $456,000 than on earthqu 

ake-proofing an existing building in Lincoln. If it does not have better places, 

then it should give some of its money back. Taxpayers would be happy to have it 

. 


DATE[12-26-1994 



BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Applaud Enterprise Community Selection for Omaha 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) recently an 

nounced that Nebraska will receive $3 million in federal funds to carry out econ 

omic and social development in low-income areas of north and south Omaha. 

The neighborhoods have won designation as Enterprise Communities. To encou 

rage economic development in the areas, businesses will be eligible for tax-exem 

pt bonds to construct buildings, and technical assistance will be provided to em 

erging entrepreneurs. 

"This is an example of how government and the private sector can work toget 

her to build stronger communities." Exon and Kerrey said. "This is an initiative 

that helps give people the tools they need to improve their communities." 

The designation will also give government and non-profit agencies higher pr 

iority in competing for federal funding for programs such as Community Policing, 

which would make the neighborhoods safer and more conducive to business, and fo 

r programs to help residents find permanent housing, find transportation to jobs 

or receive counseling for substance abuse. 

The Enterprise Community program was part of the 1993 Deficit Reduction bil 

l, which Exon and Kerrey both supported. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Chaffee nominated for academies by Sens. Exon, Kerrey 

TEXT[Ryan Chaffee, son of Phil and Sandy Chaffee, Falls City, is one of 10 young 

Nebraskans nominated by Senator James Exon for appointment to the U.S. Naval Ac

ademy at Annapolis, Md. And he also is one of 1 of nominee of Senator Bob Kerrey 

for appointment to the Air Force Academy. Ryan attends Maplewood Academy, Hutc 

hinson, Minn. 

Senator Exon has one vacancy to fill at the Naval Academy. Senator Kerrey d 

id not indicate in his press release how many vacancies he has to fill at the Ai 

r Force Academy. 

Final offers of appointment will be decided solely by each of the four U.S. 

Service Academies. The academies will announce their appointments during the 

next several months. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Area students are among service academy nominees 

TEXT[Area high school students are among those nominated to the U.S. service aca 

demies last week by Sen. J.J. Exon and Cong. Bill Barrett. 

Final offers of appointment will be decided solely by each of the four serv 

ice academies. Their decisions win be announced during the next several months. 

Exon's nominations included: 

Rebecca Dimon, Axtell, Air Force Academy and U.S. Military Academy; Alex Mc 

Clymont, Holdrege, U.S. Military Academy; Brandon Lindau, Axtell Merchant Marine 

Academy; Toby Osborn, Elm Creek, Merchant Marine Academy. 

Barrett's nominations included: 

Rebecca Dimon, Axtell, Air Force Academy and Alex McClymont, Holdrege, U.S. 

Military Academy. 

Applicants are judged solely on merit, determined by the a ratings which ar 

e based on character, scholarship, leadership, physical aptitude, medical fitnes 

s and personal goals. 

Exon nominated a total of 49 students from Nebraska while Barrett nominated 

18 students from the Third District. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton wind vane take another turn 

TEXT[If you stand for everything, you really stand for nothing. 

That's a truism that seems to be haunting President Clinton, whose administ 

ration has undergone more facelifts than Zsa Zsa Gabor. 

CLINTON SPENT THE first two years of his White House tenure enacting one of 

the biggest tax grabs in history and advocating government seizure of nearly on 

e-fifth of the U.S. economy - health care. 

Now, suddenly, he's talking about middle class tax cuts, downsizing governm 

ent and finding private solutions to public problems. 

What gives? 

Simply this: Our president has the leadership skills of a weather vane.

Buffeted by a gale-force head-wind - the November election results - Clinto 

n has ordered his ship of state to reverse course and let out the sails. 

IT'S NOT A BAD command if you never had any particular destination in mind 

in the first place. 

That seems to be the substance of Clinton. He doesn't know where he's going 

, but he sure wants to look good, and be popular, getting there. 

Clinton's appearance on national television Dec. 15 to announce the new cou 

rse for his administration was a hit, stylistically. 

His message hit pleasing chords with a public that had finally let its exas 

peration over an arrogant and greedy federal government show at the voting booth 

. 

The words played to those emotions. More money in middle class pockets. Les 

s intrusive government. More respect for the individual. A de-emphasis of politi 

cs. 

THE PROBLEM IS, the message of Dec. 15 and the record of the past two years 

clash. We'd like to believe him, but can we really trust 

someone who has been equally ardent in favor of governmental approaches that run 

counter to his latest message? 

Some in the president's own party even have difficulty getting a bead on hi 

m. 

Nebraska's senior senator, Jim Exon, allowed recently that vacillation has 

long been a part of Clinton's nature, a fact that naturally casts doubt on the s 

incerity of the president's latest message. 

So what's in store? 

Probably more of the same from the White House. After all, the president s 

newest facelift looks good right now, but if voters perceive that it s only ski 

n deep and his record might suggest that it is - then his administration will co 

ntinue to struggle for credibility. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Campaign '94 held surprises for both parties 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. Both of Nebraska's major political parties ballyhooed their v 

ictories and played down their losses in 1994. 

Democrats were overjoyed in retaining a U.S. Senate seat and the governorsh 

ip. The Republicans were heartened by winning a congressional seat in Omaha and 

by victories in some other statehouse offices. 

In the myriad political games that were played out in campaigns across the 

state, few drew near the attention of U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey's bid for a second te 

rm. 

Early on, virtually everyone thought Kerrey could be unseated. When it was 

over, representatives of both parties lamented the negative nature of the campai 

gn. Each party and each candidate blamed the other side - one national trend in 

which Nebraska did participate. 

Kerrey's contest was center stage in part because Democratic Gov. Ben Nelso 

n enjoyed a virtual walkover in wrapping up a second four-year term. He turned b

ack a nominal challenge from disorganized Republican, Gene Spence. 

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, encouraged by opponents of the death pe 

nalty, ran a write-in campaign for governor that garnered a couple of thousand v 

otes and a handful of headlines. 

In the Omaha-dominated 2nd District, Democratic Rep. Peter Hoagland lost a 

close race - 51 percent to 49 percent - to Republican newcomer Jon Christensen. 

After one of the state's nastiest races, Christensen credited anti-Presiden 

t Clinton and anti-incumbency moods for his victory over the three-term congress 

man. 

Nelson rolled up the second biggest landslide of this century for a governo 

r's race. 

While the suspense was bearable in the gubernatorial balloting, the Senate 

race was different. 

Republican Jan Stoney, with a national GOP tide at her back, tried to label 

Kerrey as part of the problems of the present rather than the solutions of the 

future, and as a political soul mate to President Clinton. 

It didn't work, and Kerrey ultimately rolled to a second term. 

But even Kerrey's closest advisers saw the contest as close right up to ele 

ction day, and they feared the GOP edge of 90,000 registered voters might hurt K 

errey. 

A former governor who mounted a much-noticed but ineffectual bid for the De 

mocratic presidential nomination two years ago, Kerrey said that political succe 

ss in the future will depend on convincing voters that those who would hold offi 

ce are on their side. 

In defeat, Mrs. Stoney was gracious and seemingly focused on the future. Sh 

e could look just two years down the road to a challenge of U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, 

D-Neb., if the veteran Democrat seeks a fourth term. 

There were other noteworthy happenings this election, among them: 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, the 1st District Republican who won a ninth term by eas 

ily outdistancing Democrat Patrick Combs. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, safe in the GOP bastion called the 3rd District, clobber 

ed Democrat Gil Chapin of Grand Island. 

Attorney General Don Stenberg, who defeated Democrat Steve Scherr to win a 

second term, ran on the law-and-order platform upon which he has stood throughou 

t his career. 

Republican Scott Moore, who is leaving the Legislature, defeated Democrat A 

llen Eurek to become secretary of state. Moore succeeds the retiring Allen Beerm 

ann. 

Add to that mix the possibility of continued political ambitions on the par 

t of Hal Daub, the newly elected mayor of Omaha. He previously served four terms 

in the U.S. House and made two unsuccessful bids for the Senate. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Helps Omaha Get Extension on Courthouse 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Exon helped Omaha receive a gift from U 

ncle Sam this holiday season: a two-week extension to meet government regulation

s on picking a site for a new U.S. Courthouse. 

Exon intervened on the city's behalf, convincing the federal General Servic 

es Administration (GSA) to grant the two-week extension for property appraisals. 

"The city needs more time to meet the GSA's requirements," Exon said. "It d 

idn't seem like a lot to ask for, especially during the busy holiday season." 

Several sites have been considered as possible locations for the new courth 

ouse. City officials favor a two-block site bounded by Dodge and Douglas Streets 

and between 17th and 19th Streets, excluding St. 

Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. However, GSA officials say they need an apprais 

al of the site to compare how much it would cost to build a courthouse there, co 

mpared with the cost of building one elsewhere in the city. 

"Everyone wants to find the best site for the courthouse, and one that carr 

ies the most afford-able price tag," Exon said. "This extension may help us find 

out the answer." 



AUTH[Trisha Katson 

SOUR[Washington Spotlight 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Landmark Hearings on GATT 

TEXT[Eight landmark hearings have been held on the most important legislation Co 

ngress will consider in the past 25 years-the creation of the global-governing W 

orld Trade Organization (WTO) by the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Senat 

or Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.). 

Nonetheless, as one committee staff member put it to The SPOTLIGHT, the mai 

nstream media has "virtually blacked out" the issue. The sovereignty-robbing pac 

t, called a de facto world government in the October 24 issue of Barron's, thus 

remains little understood by the American people despite the dire impact the WTO 

will have on the national sovereignty of the United States. 

The WTO was created by the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariff 

s and Trade (GATT). In a special lame duck session, the House is scheduled to vo 

te on November 29 and the Senate on December 1 to approve the treaty with implem 

enting legislation. 

Aside from Hollings, of the 20 committee members, Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D 

.), James Exon (D-Neb.), Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) an Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) have 

most prominently attended the historically important proceedings held in October 

and November. Most remaining committee members have not been present. 

At the October 18 hearing, Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe argued that 

the WTO was a treaty that required ratification by two-thirds of the Senate, wh 

ile Yale law professor Bruce Ackerman contended that the pact was merely a congr 

essional-executive agreement. 

Among Tribe's key points: 

The WTO is a treaty under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution wh 

ich states that the president "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Cons 

ent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present 

concur" and that the two-thirds requirement is a special safeguard to protect A 

mericans whenever their sovereign fate or mode of self-government is linked to f 

oreign governments; 

þ The WTO will significantly affect the lawmaking sovereignty of the U.S. a

nd its states as it will subordinate the ability of the U.S. to make and enforce 

its laws to a newly supreme world order; 

þ Sovereignty is exercised by the people and the most fundamental aspect of 

sovereignty is the power to make laws; 

þ The Justice's Department defense on behalf of the Clinton administration 

that the WTO is not a treaty employs "clever historical revisionism" utilizing l 

egal counsel dating back to the 1940s that an executive agreement requiring bica 

meral majority vote approval can substitute for treaties, yet no Supreme Court c 

ase supports that view; 

þ For the first 165 years of America's existence NAFTA and the WTO could no 

t have escaped Senate ratification; 

þ Under the WTO, for the first time in history, the U.S. would not have a v 

eto over an international organization with sanction-imposing powers; 

þ The WTO voting structure is worse than one-nation, one-vote because even 

if the U.S. persuaded all but one of the 120 WTO members to oppose trade sanctio 

ns placed on it, the U.S. would lose-the opposite of due process under the Ameri 

can jury system where one person can prevent a guilty verdict; 

þ States will be set against each other in an uncanny reenactment of the Ar 

ticles of Confederation where trade disputes were largely responsible for the de 

cision in Philadelphia to propose a new Constitution in 1787; 

When the WTO declares a federal law GATT-illegal, Congress retains the 

final word as to the law's domestic status but the executive branch determines 

the fate of state laws. The U.S. trade representative may bring action against a 

state even if Congress chooses to allow a state's law to stand; 

A treaty involves the creation of a government entity outside of the U 

.S. with the legal powers capable of directly impacting the lives of all citizen 

s by affecting state and federal lawmaking efforts; 

A treaty provides for ongoing and not simply temporary cooperation and 

reciprocal commitments among the 120 nations; 

A treaty accepts as lawful the realistic possibility of the U.S. being 

subject to substantive international sanctions against which the U.S. is not al 

lowed to retaliate without placing itself in violation of the agreement; 

þ A treaty contemplates the wide-reaching effects on the legal, economic an 

d political life of every state; 

þ Not calling the WTO a treaty sets the ominous precedent that any other el 

ement of tide Constitution that comes to be seen by enough elites as an annoyanc 

e in the modern world can be obliterated by sufficient dramatic and persistent d 

efiance without troubling to amend the Constitution; 

þ The structural provisions of the Constitution must be viewed as something 

more than an inconvenience to be ignored when economic gains or the habits of a 

n era make those hurdles seem too quaint or costly to take seriously as the Cons 

titutional structure embodies protections dearly fought for and won at an enormo 

us price. 

Ackerman invoked the Article I, Section 8 "necessary and proper" clause and 

the authority given to Congress to regulate commerce as the justification for c 

alling the WTO an agreement which needs only majority approval from the House an 

d Senate. 

Among his points: 

Justice John Marshall's argument in the Supreme Court decision McCullo 

ugh os. Maryland, "Let the end be legitimate and all means which are appropriate 

which are not prohibited are Constitutional."

Articles I and II are independent grants of power each of which suffic 

es to justify creation of international obligations; 

The modern Senate has invoked Article I powers to justify everything f 

rom the post-World War II Bretton Woods financial agreement to SALT I to civil r 

ights to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Tribe then countered that: 

The Marshall quote and the McCullough decision cannot be used as justi 

fication that the WTO is an executive agreement because the structure of the Con 

stitution is such that one "cannot wave the magic wand of the Commerce clause" a 

s that would be akin to the House taking from the Senate its monopolistic author 

ity under the Constitution to appoint Supreme Court justices and cabinet officia 

ls; 

þ The precedent set by the Senate's previously foregoing handling the U.S.- 

Canadian and U.S.-Israel free trade pacts and the North American Free Trade Agre 

ement as treaties doesn't make it constitutionally correct; 

The Senate two-thirds treaty requirement, as well as the filibuster, i 

llustrate that the Constitution provides not pure automatic majority rule but ra 

ther structural governance in accordance with laws subject to certain protection 

s of the rights of individuals and minorities; 

Ackerman is saying that an executive agreement is whatever the preside 

nt says it is no matter how it rearranges the relationship between the states an 

d the executive branch, or subjects the states to cross retaliation. 

Hollings said he hoped the "Woodward and Bernstein press crowd," rather tha 

n "worrying about whether someone bought us a cup of coffee"-a reference to the 

media's focus on lobbying reform of Congress- would instead take the time to rea 

d the WTO implementing legislation and treaty. 

"The WTO will be the referees with no appeal," said Exon. "The one-nation, 

one-vote puts us at a disadvantage." Exon asked if the WTO would deny American c 

itizens due process rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Tribe answered tha 

t the absence of conflict of interest rules and the secret nature of the WTO pro 

ceedings would deprive Americans of their liberty. 

"We live in an era where anything can be called commerce under Article I," 

said Tribe. Ackerman said it was "very dangerous to lead an assault on the expan 

sive concept of interstate and foreign commerce that has been the foundation of 

much of the legislation" passed in recent decades. 

Exasperated by Ackerman's characterization of the WTO as "a congressional-e 

xecutive agreement," Stevens asked, "How can that be when Congress must take the 

bill sent here by the president without any discussion, any amendment, no point 

of order, no question at all as to what the executive branch sends us?" Ackerma 

n answered that Congress gets to vote on it. 

Under the fast track process, Congress has limited debate and cannot change 

or amend any part of the 23,000-page treaty or enabling bill. 

Pressler said he thought the White House decided not to call the WTO a trea 

ty when it thought it could not get the required 67 votes but could get 51 to su 

stain an executive agreement. 

Dorgan was irritated by Ackerman's contention that Congress failure to pass 

the WTO would result in global destabilization and cause shock waves and great 

anxiety in the international community." 

"Almost every witness favoring GATT uses this argument," Dorgan said. "Fast 

track leaves no opportunity 10 seriously question anything and is designed to f 

orce the false choices of either, 'Pass this or face chaos.' These are not our o 

nly choices."





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lawmakers in Nebraska and Iowa Praise Glickman Nomination 

TEXT[Washington Nebraska and Iowa members of Congress joined other Midlanders We 

dnesday in praising the selection of outgoing Rep. Dan Glickman. D-Kan., to head 

the Department of Agriculture. 

"I think it's a good appointment," said Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., who serv 

ed with Glickman on the House Agriculture Committee. "I think Glickman will do a 

very good job of protecting agriculture." 

Nebraska and Iowa lawmakers said Glickman Midwestern background and his exp 

erience in Congress would help during consideration of a new farm bill next year 

. The bill will set ag policy for the next five years. 

"As a fellow Midwesterner, Dan Glickman understands the needs of Nebraska f 

armers and ranchers," said Sen. J.J. Exon. D-Neb. "His expertise will be put to 

good use as we approach drafting the 1995 farm bill." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb., said Glickman would be an informed spokesman for a 

griculture" during difficult farm-bill battles. 

"There are many people today attacking our agricultural policies without an 

understanding of how important they are to both consumers and producers." said 

Kerrey. 

Another Senate Agriculture Committee member, Sen. Charles Grassley. R-Iowa, 

said Glickman's experience on Capitol Hill would allow him to "hit the ground r 

unning." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, also a member of the committee, said it was import 

ant that Glickman encourage the development of new agricultural products and see 

k new markets for farm goods. 

Barrett called Glickman "an extremely intelligent man" who has more experie 

nce in federal farm policy than most Congress members. 

Barrett also said Glickman should work well with fellow Kansans who will be 

assuming key positions in Congress: Rep. Pat Roberts, a Republican who will be 

chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Sen. Bob Dole, a Republican who 

will be Senate majority leader. 

"I plan to support Dan's nomination, which I expect will sail through the S 

enate," Dole said. 

Barrett and Exon noted that Glickman voted against a General Agreement on T 

ariffs and Trade deal that Congress approved earlier this month. 

Barrett, who voted for GATT, said Glickman's vote was "anti-export" but wou 

ld not hurt him. 

Exon, who voted against GATT, said he was encouraged that Glickman "underst 

ands the potential pitfalls of GATT and will work with those of us who have simi 

lar concerns to help protect our agricultural community." 

Other reactions to Glickman's appointment: 

þ The American Farm Bureau Federation's president. Dean Kleckner of Rudd, I 

owa, said Glickman would provide strong leadership and work well with Congress. 

His leadership and mediation abilities "will be crucial to agriculture as the fa 

rm debate nears," Kleckner said.

þ Glickman is acceptable but not the top choice, said the Nebraska Farmers 

Union president, John Hansen. Although an experienced veteran, Glickman may lack 

the capacity to aggressively protect agriculture in a political climate that ha 

s weakened the Clinton administration, Hansen said. 

Glickman, he said, must "champion the value of' farm programs. I hope he do 

es. We're in some very tough, dangerous waters with the next Congress." 

þ Gov. Nelson said Glickman's Kansas background should be an asset. "He'll 

have the requisite knowledge of what's necessary to get a farm bill passed," Nel 

son said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Seismic Spending Plan Cut Back 

TEXT[Washington - The federal government has backed away from its $456,000 plan 

for "earthquake-proofing" the Robert Denney Federal Building in Lincoln. But it 

still proposes to spend $70,000 on part of the building. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., told the government s General Services Administrati 

on in a letter last week that he still objects to the proposed work. 

"'This is a step in the right direction" Exon said of the cost reduction in 

the Dec. 22 letter. "But as l read the GSA response, it intends to continue on 

a gradual plan to earthquake-proof the entire building and eventually spend the 

$456,000. 

In November, Exon said he opposed the GSA's plan to make "seismic" modifica 

tions to the building because there is relatively little risk of an earthquake i 

n Lincoln. 

In response, the GSA agreed that a "full-scale earthquake in Lincoln is har 

dly a likely occurrence." But Kenneth R. Kimbrough, a GSA commissioner, said the 

federal agency follows the Uniform Building Code, which places Lincoln in a zon 

e where lesser seismic events are quite common." 

Kimbrough said the building code, which also is used by Lincoln city govern 

ment, calls for anchoring suspended ceilings and light fixtures to prevent them 

from falling on occupants. 

As a result of Exon's initial inquiry, Kimbrough said, the agency has decid 

ed to eliminate the project to a portion of the building that is being altered f 

or new tenants. 

Exon said he was not satisfied with the reduced plan. Saying that GSA offic 

ials are merely slowing their renovation plans without reconsidering the need fo 

r the work at all. 

He said the agency has misinterpreted a federal law that established seismi 

c standards for new and existing federal buildings. The law does not require the 

government to actually do the renovation work, he said. 

As officials try to reduce federal spending, Exon said, earthquake-proofing 

in low-risk areas should be viewed as a low priority or unnecessary. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon objects to seismic spending 

TEXT[Washington - The federal government has backed away from its $456,000 plan 

for "earthquake-proofing" the Robert Denney Federal Building in Lincoln. But it 

still proposes to spend $70,000 on part of the building. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., told the government's General Services Administrati 

on in a letter last week that he still objects to the proposed work. 

"This is a step in the right direction," Exon said of the cost reduction in 

the Dec. 22 letter. "But as I read the GSA response, it intends to continue on 

a gradual plan to earthquake-proof the entire building and eventually spend the 

$456,000." 

In November, Exon said he opposed the GSA's plan to make "seismic" modifica 

tions to the building because there is relatively little risk of an earthquake i 

n Lincoln. 

In response, the GSA agreed that a "full -scale earthquake in Lincoln is ha 

rdly a likely occurrence." But Kenneth R Linnibrough, a GSA commissioner, said t 

he federal agency follows the Uniform Building Code, which places Lincoln in a z 

one where "lesser seismic events are quite common." 

Kimbrough said the building code, which also is used by Lincoln city govern 

ment, calls for anchoring suspended ceilings and light fixtures to prevent them 

from falling on occupants. 

As a result of Exon's initial inquiry, Kimbrough said, the agency has decid 

ed to limit the project to a portion of the building that is being altered for n 

ew tenants. 

Exon said he was not satisfied with the reduced plan, saying that GSA offic 

ials are merely slowing their renovation plans without reconsidering the need fo 

r the work at all. 

He said the agency has misinterpreted a federal law that established seismi 

c standards for new and existing federal buildings. The law does not require the 

government to actually do the renovation work, he said. 

As officials try to reduce federal spending, Exon said, earthquake-proofing 

in low-risk areas should be viewed as a low priority or unnecessary. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says Lincoln Building Doesn't Need Quake Work 

TEXT[The General Services Administration wants to make the Denney Federal Buildi 

ng in Lincoln earth quake-proof. Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., wants the GSA to forge 

t it. 

In a November letter to GSA Administrator Roger Johnson, Exon objected to p 

lans to spend $456,000 to earthquake-proof the building in a low-risk area, Exon 

's office said in a press release. 

The GSA, upon Exon's urging, then cut the project from the entire building 

to just anchoring suspended ceilings, light fixtures and pipes in 45,000 square 

feet being remodeled for new tenants. That reduced the cost from $456,000 to $70

,000. 

GSA Commissioner Kenneth R. Kimbrough, in a reply to Exon, said the country 

is divided into seismic zones 0-4 by the Uniform Building Code. Lincoln is in r 

egion 2A. 

"A full-scale earthquake in Lincoln is hardly a likely occurrence, therefor 

e there is no need to 'earthquake-proof' the building," Kimbrough said. "Neverth 

eless, lesser seismic events are quite common through zone 2A. . . Thus, we beli 

eve that prudence dictates that we take reasonable action to minimize the potent 

ial danger to employees from building elements that may fall and impede egress i 

n such a seismic event." 

Good but not good enough, replied Exon. 

". . .While I agree it makes sense and there is justification to earthquake 

-proof federal buildings in high risk earthquake areas of the country. it does n 

ot make fiscal sense to do it in low risk areas like Lincoln, Neb., . . .I objec 

t to the GSA spending even $70,000 earthquake-proofing in the Denney Federal Bui 

lding." 

Exon also contended that the GSA intends to spend the $456,000 eventually t 

o do the original project. 

According to the press release, Exon said the law calls for the federal gov 

ernment to set seismic standards for federal buildings. He interprets the law th 

at only unacceptable risks be corrected and then only when a major modification 

or repair takes place. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Service academy nominees named 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon of Nebraska have nominated a number o 

f young Nebraskans, including several students from Central Nebraska, to be appo 

inted to one of the United States service academy. 

Kerrey has nominated Grand Island Senior High students Jeffrey Cain an 

d Justin White and Aurora High School student Sam Greenfield to the U.S. Air For 

ce Academy. 

Exon has nominated Cain and Greenfield to the U.S. Military Academy. H 

e also nominated Grand island Central Catholic student Eric Strand and Anselmo M 

erna High School student Jared Solomon of Merna to the U.S. Military Academy. 

Exon's nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy include Solomon and Trumbull H 

igh School student Phillip O'Donnell of Doniphan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon announces creation of national grain car council 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon has announced the creation of a National Grain Car Counc

il. 


or volunteers from around the country to form a council to alleviate grain car s 

hortages, Exon told the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association. 



ICC Chairman Gail McDonald, who accompanied Exon on Monday, said the N 

ational Grain Car Council could be operational in about a month. 









e said. 

Dealers try to get around that by buying 

Certificates of Transportation, which guarantee delivery of a certain number of 

rail cars. 




f Hastings. 





larger distances hauling into Mexico and Canada, he 

said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Leaders Praise Ag Choice 

TEXT[Dan Glickman, an ousted Democratic congressman from Kansas, got 

the nod today from President Clinton to serve as the next secretary 

of agriculture. 

Glickman carries 18 years in Congress and three farm bills' worth of experi 

ence with him into his new role. 

Clinton's choice was well-received in Nebraska. where even Glickman's criti 

cs acknowledged he has vast experience and knowledge about agricultural issues a 

nd the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

At a White House ceremony. Clinton said of his new appointee. "I am confide 

nt that Glickman will not only carry on the innovations of outgoing secretary li 

ke Espy but will break new ground" in areas including finding markets for farm 

products. 

Espy, under investigation for receiving gifts from businesses he regulated,

will leave the post Saturday. He had announced earlier that he would resign as 

head of the USDA. 

Three members of Nebraska's congressional delegation were pleased with Glic 

kman. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter. R-1st District, said the Kansan has the legislative ski 

ll and broad appeal necessary to work with Congress on the 1995 farm bill. 

Glickman not only has the respect of his former colleagues on the House Agr 

iculture Committee, Bereuter said, but also has influence with the loudest of th 

e farm program's urban critics in the House. 

Although they will not be silenced, Bereuter said. "They're going to give h 

im the benefit of the doubt. 

He added that Glickman has first hand knowledge of the wheat, feed grains a 

nd soybeans that are major parts of the economy in his former district. 

Bereuter said Glickman was probably the best choice Clinton could 

make for the administration. Presidents do not gain points with agriculture appo 

intments, they can only lose, Bereuter said. 

"It's better to have someone there who's not going to damage the president, 

" Bereuter said. 

Rep. Bill Barrett. R 3rd District, who served with Glickman on the Agricult 

ure Committee, said Glickman has a leg up in understanding the USDA. which is un 

dergoing a 

sweeping reorganization. 

Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb., said he recommended Glickman to White House Chie 

f of Staff Leon Panetta several weeks ago. 

"As a fellow Midwesterner, Dan Glickman especially understands the needs of 

Nebraska farmers and ranchers," Exon said in a release. 

Nebraska farm groups either forgave or forgot Dan Glickman's opposition to 

the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade. 

Rob Robertson, vice president of government affairs for the Nebraska Farm B 

ureau Federation, which supported GATT. praised Glickman. 

"He is definitely a very effective legislator," Robertson said. Glickman's 

lengthy experience on the House Agriculture Committee, he added, will be especia 

lly important as Congress begins to debate the fate of farm programs. 

"We can't get caught behind the eight ball." Robertson said. The USDA's blu 

eprint for the farm bill. and Glickman's active stewardship of it in Congress, h 

e said. will be crucial to defending farmers' interests. 

"What is probably the most pleasing thing about Dan Glickman is that 

from the Midwest," Robertson said. 

Dara Troutman. a spokeswoman for Gov. Ben Nelson in Nebraska, agreed that G 

lickman's experience and Midwestern background would be valuable assets. She add 

ed that Nelson looks forward to working with Glickman. 

But John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, which supported G 

ATT. questioned Glickman's commitment to agriculture. 

While Hansen agreed that Glickman has the necessary experience and backgrou 

nd to help write a farm bill, he questioned the attitude Glickman would take to 

the House and Senate floors. 

"I guess that agriculture has not been one of the hot coals in his pocket." 

Hansen said. "I guess I am concerned about how aggressive he would be. whether 

he would be tough enough to hang in there." 

Glickman is the outgoing chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. 

Hansen also said he was surprised Clinton would appoint someone from Kansas 

when Kansans Pat Roberts, who will chair the House Agriculture Committee, and B

ob Dole who will be Senate majority leader. will already dominate the farm bill 

scene. 



AUTH[Lori Safranek 


BK#[ 

HDLN[BPS hopes feds will aid expansion 

TEXT[For a family buying a new home, the quality of the neighborhood school is u 

sually a major factor. Military families moving into the Capehart area are no d 

ifferent. They expect a school on the corner, where the other neighborhood chil 

dren go each day, will soon be welcome their children. 

But that doesn't always happen. Their child might end up attending a 

school as far away as Bertha Barber, located on the opposite side of Bellevue. 

Due to lack of space at the three Capehart schools - LeMay, Peter Sarpy, an 

d Fort Crook - more than 150 students are transported each day from their neighb 

orhood school, according to Mary Busch director of elementary education for the 

Bellevue Public Schools. This has been occurring for at least the past 25 years 

during which she has worked for the district she said. 

The district is hoping to change this long standing problem by adding 

approximately 32,000 square feet to LeMay and Peter Sarpy elementary schools. Ti 

le proposed construction would add 16,000 square feet to LeMay and 16,438 square 

feet to Peter Sarpy, as well as providing 11,000 square feet of remodeling at P 

eter Sarpy. 

LeMay would gain five regular classrooms, one kindergarten classroom, 

one special education classroom, two preschool classrooms, a technology lab and 

space for counseling, foreign language, music and speech. 

Peter Sarpy would gain two kindergarten classrooms, one special educat 

ion preschool classroom, two preschool classrooms, a technology lab, space for m 

edia, library, physical education, counseling, foreign language, speech and musi 

c. The remodeling would redesign the existing multipurpose room as part of th 

e new construction. 

Because the schools are on federal property, the school district is asking 

for federal assistance to confront this situation, Busch said. 

Dr. John Deegan, assistant superintendent of business and government relati 

ons, said the district has been trying for some time to obtain federal assistanc 

e for this type of construction of construction, but the program under which it 

would be funded has been underfunded. HR6, passed in 1994, changed the emphasi 

s of the program, making funding more probable, he said. 

Deegan said it's time for the federal government to help out. Since 1965, 

Bellevue Public Schools has spent $40 million on school construction needs, with 

no assistance from the federal government. 

"We would think it logical that the federal government would want to recipr 

ocate," he said. 

Deegan said the district has asked Sen. J. James Exon, a member of the Arme 

d Services Committee, to support the district's request for the 1996 Department 

of Defense budget. Exon, who could not be reached for comment, responded with a 

letter saying he would "closely evaluate the Administration's budget request to

ensure that the needs at Sarpy and LeMay are given equitable consideration when 

compared to competing military needs." 

Busch said the additional space at LeMay and Peter Sarpy would allow the di 

strict to redraw school boundaries to reduce the number of students intended to 

attend Fort Crook, for which no new construction was planned. 

Deegan and Busch said that because of the district's quality of specia 

l services, many military families request humanitarian transfers to Bellevue. 

He said recent changes in the military will allow more transfers, meaning an eve 

n larger number of students needing special services in the district. 

"In essence, due to having good services and a good program, we kind of a 

ct as a magnet in these times of change," Deegan said. 

Admiral Henry G. Chiles Jr., Gen. Mike Loh and Brig. Gen. Thomas Keck have 

expressed their support to the proposed construction and federal funding of the 

work, Deegan said. 

Other school districts have received this type of funding for construc 

tion, Deegan said, including Clover Park School District in Clover Park, Washing 

ton near McCord AFB and the Rapids City, S.D schools, near Ellsworth AFB. 

Should the request be considered, it would go through the legislative proce 

ss between now and November 1995, Deegan said. If it passes, it would probably t 

ake until early 1996 to get plans approved and funds distributed. Construction 

could be completed by the end of 1996 or early 1997, Deegan said. 

Community support for the proposed construction has been strong, Deegan sai 

d, with parents organizing to send letters to the representatives asking them to 

support the request. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Welcome, 1995 

TEXT[It's surprising, when flipping through a year's worth of Bellevue Leaders, 

to discover all that happened in 1994. 

The year seemed relatively quiet. There were no economic upheavals cau 

sed by cutbacks at Offutt Air Force Base. No spring storms wreaked havoc across 

the city. No governmental scandals reared their ugly heads. 

And yet much happened, as a brief review will show. 

The outstanding event, of course, was the opening of the Kennedy Freew 

ay, an event that seemed to shake the year from its lethargy. More than 20 years 

in the planning, Bellevue's road to the future opened amid ceremonies attended 

by Gov. Ben Nelson, Sen. J. James Exon and local celebrities galore. 

While that great event dominates the year, Bellevue Leader readers had 

much else to read as the months slipped by. 

It started in February, when K-mart opened its brand new store at Harv 

ell and Herman drives. Whereas we never had any complaints about the old one, th 

e new store truly reflects a more modern era and a more modern Bellevue. 

The decade-long ZIP code dispute was resolved this year. Due to the re 

-designation of 68147 and 68123 as Bellevue codes we began to correct a longstan 

ding inaccuracy. 

Offutt Air Force Base rebounded well from the cutbacks it endured two

years ago. Figures showed the base's economic impact up 1.9 percent, reflecting 

$24.2 million more spent in the local economy. More good news for the base was t 

he Pentagon announcement that a Defense Finance and Accounting Center will be lo 

cated there, providing 700 new jobs. 

The city and the county finally hammered out an agreement on financing 

a much-needed 800 megahertz countywide communications system. Voters approved a 

$4.25 million bond issue to finance the system, and we are now well on our way t 

o creating a safer community. 

A monument to Sarpy County's war dead was finally built at the courtho 

use; the ban on yard waste in the landfill went into effect more smoothly than a 

nyone dreamed possible; the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings came and w 

ent, but not before we had a chance to pay homage to a sampling of Bellevue's D- 

Day heroes. 

Family Service, with enthusiastic aid from Bellevue residents, opened 

the city's first shelter for battered women. It is already full, demonstrating m 

ore clearly than we would like that we have work to do to make Bellevue a better 

place. 

The library geared up to welcome the 21st century by becoming complete 

ly computerized, again thanks to generous community support. 

Menards announced it will build a major store just south of the inters 

ection of Cornhusker Road and 25th Street while a major housing development comp 

lete with a golf course is planned for the south part of town. 

No year is all cherry pie, however. This fading year, too, brought its 

sad moments. 

This was the year we admitted we have a gang problem. Years of talking 

about "wannabees" gave way to serious warnings that a full-fledged gang problem 

is fast becoming Bellevue's own. 

Holub's Place, a riverfront community of hardy people who have long be 

en part of the landscape in Bellevue and LaPlatte, began to fade. The Papio-Miss 

ouri Natural Resources District, along with the federal government, began to buy 

them out in the hope of avoiding future disaster payments related to Missouri R 

iver flooding. 

And in 1994, the city lost three monuments. 

The first was the water tower that long dominated the landscape, letti 

ng people know exactly where they were. 

The other two were John Gebbie and Larry Davis, two legends of Bellevu 

e newspapering from an age when Bellevue was a smaller place and journalists wer 

e more colorful and reckless characters. 

We'll miss them both, but Bellevue lives on, as it always will. 

Hello, 1995. 



AUTH[Jeff Martin 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Winnebago hospital administrator resigns 

TEXT[The administrator of the Winnebago, Neb., Indian Hospital is resigning amid 

controversy over a patient's death and tribal politics, she said Tuesday. 

Hospital administrator Wehnona St. Cyr said the circumstances surrounding t

he death of Omaha Tribal Chairman Rudi Mitchell's mother, Mary Mitchell, "has be 

come very personal and somewhat threatening." 

Mary Mitchell, 93, died at the hospital in March after suffering from diabe 

tes and heart disease, officials said. After her death, Rudi Mitchell filed comp 

laints with the United States Indian Health Service (IHS), accusing the hospital 

's staff of negligence. 

But St. Cyr maintains the hospital did nothing wrong. Three internal IHS in 

vestigations have found no evidence of neglect in the Mitchell case, officials s 

aid. 

"It wasn't an easy decision to leave," said St. Cyr, who has been the hospi 

tal's administrator for the past seven years. "I'm caught in the middle. I am ov 

erall responsible for the hospital, but I'm certainly not responsible for her de 

ath." 

In May, the tribal chairman and other relatives of Mary Mitchell demanded t 

hat two doctors and some hospital staff be fired over what they said was substan 

dard care in the days leading up to her death, St. Cyr said. 

St. Cyr said she and others at the hospital did everything possible in 

caring for Mary Mitchell and tried to work with her family before she died. 

"I couldn't fire the doctors," said St. Cyr, adding that they weren't to bl 

ame for the death. "We get complaints from patients' families all the time, but 

that's the nature of our business." 

When St. Cyr refused to fire anyone over Mary Mitchell's death, she be 

came the target of harassment by the deceased patient's family, she said. "The M 

itchell family," St. Cyr said, "shifted accusation and blame to me." 

While giving a speech at the University of Nebraska at Omaha recently, 

Mitchell's relatives "heckled" her from the audience, St. Cyr said. Another tim 

e, she said she was tailgated by another member of the Mitchell family in South 

Sioux City. 

"'This has been going on since May, and I've taken enough harassment," 

said St. Cyr, who also is related to Mary Mitchell. 

Rudi Mitchell has said his mother's death and funding for a new hospit 

al in Winnebago are separate. U.S. Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb. said the dispute 

could threaten funding for the project, however. 

Congress is scheduled to appropriate $1.4 million next year to begin t 

he design phase for a new hospital to replace the 70-year-old facility, but Exon 

said the project may be scuttled because of the controversy. 

"l do believe it's jeopardizing the new hospital and I don't want to s 

ee that happen," St. Cyr said. 

St. Cyr said she has asked the INS to transfer her to Oklahoma 

St. Cyr, who said she believes a transfer will be granted, said the IN 

S has been sympathetic to her situation. If no transfer is approved, she said, s 

he will resign anyway. 

The staff at the Winnebago hospital, along with most tribal members, h 

ave been supportive of her efforts, St. Cyr said. 

"We've done some great things at the hospital," she said. "'This is re 

ally the only negative incident I've had that I haven't been able to overcome." 



AUTH[J.J. Exon 

SOUR[Newman Grove Reporter

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Diary 

TEXT[As political pundits speculate on how the newly elected majority in the Sen 

ate and House of Representatives will fare next year, I want to review what happ 

ened this year in Congress. 

I can understand why some voters might have thought Congress had not accomp 

lished much before Election Day. To a degree, they were right. As a Congress, we 

started well, but partisan gridlock bogged down the second year of the two-year 

cycle. 

Bills that sailed through the Senate early on--such as a measure to reform 

lobbying -- could not in the end muster the 60 votes required to break a filibus 

ter. 

When this degree of partisanship overtook the Senate and the House of Repre 

sentatives, the entire nation suffered. Bills we poured effort into and believed 

we could pass -- the Safe Drinking Water Act, for instance -- became casualties 

of political gridlock. 

That said, we must look at our hard-won successes. As your senior Senator, 

I cite these examples of legislation I worked on that will specifically benefit 

Nebraskans: 

Deficit reduction. The legislation I passed with Senator Charles 

Grassley of Iowa is the ONLY spending reduction accomplished in 1994--$13 billio 

n in REAL cuts. 

Grain rail car shortage. The Interstate Commerce Commission and t 

he Office of Management and Budget followed my recommendation to create a Nation 

al Grain Car Council to help improve the annual shortage of rail cars for haulin 

g grain during the fall harvest. 

Although the Council will not be a panacea, it can help keep track of rail 

cars and keep them moving the products of our harvest to market more efficiently 

. 

Ethanol. I was a leader in beating back an attack on the new fede 

ral gasoline formula, assuring expanded use of ethanol in fuel. As I predicted, 

'Big Oil' is challenging the rule in court. But we won the battle in Congress, a 

significant first step. Markets for ETBE are expected to grow now that it will 

be eligible to receive a tax exemption akin to ethanol's. 

þCrop insurance Reform. I was also a leader in funding for and passing t 

he crop insurance program and a move away from dependence on special disaster as 

sistance payments. 

Health care reform. While reform did not pass, Nebraskans' voices 

were heard. Congress slowed down and did not enact sweeping reform all in one y 

ear. 

Many of the reform bills proposed would have reduced reimbursements to phys 

icians and hospitals in our state that depend heavily on Medicare funding. 

For years, I worked to design a more fair Medicare reimbursement policy for 

rural hospitals. As a result, the federal government began reimbursing rural an 

d urban hospitals at the same rate this year. 

Crime. We made real movement toward fighting crime by passing the Crim 

e bill. The debate over this controversial bill overlooked that it contains subs 

tantial money for combating crime in rural areas. It won't increase the deficit 

and will be paid for entirely by cutting over 270,000 federal jobs. 

Rail safety. Congress passed a railroad and grade crossing bill t 

hat I authored. It's the first such significant legislation and was among my pri

orities as chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee. 

Essential Air Service. Seven Nebraska cities will continue to hav 

e commercial air service. I authored the current law that assures this necessary 

service to smaller communities around the U.S. 

Education. Our schools will continue to benefit from two federal 

programs reauthorized in the Elementary and Secondary' Education Act. 

Nebraska schools will get more Impact Aid under a new formula. Districts i 

n Bellevue, home of Offutt Air Force Base, and on Native American reservations r 

eceive this money to compensate for their loss of property tax revenue. 

The bill also funds the Chapter I program, which gives money to distri 

cts across Nebraska with high concentrations of low-income students. 

þ ICC streamlining. Congress approved my legislation to streamline truck 

ing regulations, save at least $50 million over five years and save the Intersta 

te Commerce Commission (ICC). 

The ICC can now eliminate costly trucking regulations and some agency funct 

ions. In addition, the ICC may be merged with other federal agencies. 

Streamlining government. I supported a bill that became law to si 

mplify government procurement practices. This new law tells the federal governme 

nt "shop off the shelf" when possible, like typical Americans do. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[NFU Calls Exon's "No" Vote Courageous 



the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). "Senator Exon distinguished h 

imself as a courageous statesman and leader when he did his homework, asked the 

tough questions, and let his 'conscience'be his guide in voting against a badly 

flawed trade treaty." 

"The GATT Treaty approval process mirrored the NAFTA vote. Once a 

gain, just as in the NAFTA, the more the American people knew about this trade d 

eal the less they liked it. Once again we won the issue out in the country, and 

once again big business and the Clinton Administration teamed up to circumvent t 

he will of the American people. The overwhelming number of citizens who felt st 

rongly enough about this critical issue to write or call their Congressmen and S 

enators said 'No to the WTO.'" 

Given the fact that Sen. Exon was the only member of the Nebraska 

congressional delegation who truly listened and responded to the concerns of Ne 

braska voters, it is too bad the rest of the Nebraska congressional delegation d 

oesn't have larger ears" Hansen said. 

"When Senator Exon analyzed this GATT agreement to determine who would 

win and lose, he reached the same conclusions we did," said Hansen, "too few wi 

nners and too many losers." In his speech to the Senate, Exon cited the threat t 

o U.S. sovereignty, the potential loss of U.S. jobs, the lack of safeguards for 

family farmers and the environment as among, the controlling reasons for his dec 

ision to oppose GATT.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Announces Academy Nominations 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon has announced the names of the 49 young Nebraskans he 

is nominating for appointments to the nation's four service academies. 

The nominees were selected by the Exon-Kerrey Joint Service Academy Selecti 

on Committee comprised of prominent Nebraskans. Senators Exon and Kerrey announ 

ce their nominees separately. 


Service Academies. The academies will announce their appointments during the ne 

xt several months. 

The nominees from this area are. Ryan Roberts, Nebraska City, Nebraska City 

H.S., U.S Military Academy; Ryan Chaffee, Falls City Maplewood Academy, Hutchin 

son, MN, Naval Academy, John Meacham, Auburil, Auburn H.S., Naval Academy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Plans to quake-proof Federal building dropped 

TEXT[The General Services Administration has reduced the scope of its plans to e 

arthquake-proof the Federal Building in Lincoln from a $456,000 project to $70,0 

00 in "seismic upgrading" of non-structural elements such as ceilings, lights an 

d pipes. 

The office took the action in response to a letter from Sen. Jim Exon, who 

objected to plans to earthquake-proof a building in Lincoln where the chances of 

an earthquake are relatively low-risk. 

"A fullscale earthquake in Lincoln is hardly a likely occurrence, GSA 

Commissioner," Kenneth Kimbrough agreed in a letter to Exon. 

"Therefore, there is no need to earthquake proof the building." 

However, Kimbrough said, "lesser seismic events are quite common" in the ge 

ographic zone that includes Lincoln. Therefore, he said, "we believe that pruden 

ce dictates that we take reasonable action to minimize the potential danger to e 

mployees from building elements that may fall and impede egress in such a seismi 

c event." 

Seismic work will be limited to the 45,000 square feet of space that is bei 

ng altered for new tenants, Kimbrough said. 

The federal government has agreed with U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., that cha 

nces of an earthquake in Lincoln are relatively low. 

Exon objected to plans by the General Services Administration - the fe 

deral landlord - to spend $456,000 to earthquake-proof the Federal Building in L 

incoln. 

According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln geologist Ray Burchett, Nebrask 

a has two major faults, the Humboldt and Union.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Most Nebraskans applaud selection of Glickman 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Most Nebraska officials offered words of praise Wednes 

day for President Clinton's selection of outgoing Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kan., as 

the nation's new secretary of agriculture. 

Nebraska Farmers Union Executive Director John Hansen said Glickman br 

ings strong attributes to the job but he questions why it took Clinton so long t 

o name a successor to outgoing secretary Mike Espy. 

"The delay in selecting Glickman leaves him at a disadvantage in havin 

g a say in the 1995 farm bill which is being prepared," Hansen said. 

"The job pool was well known a couple of days after the (Nov. 8) election," 

Hansen said. 

Gov. Ben Nelson said Glickman needs a quick start. 

"It's particularly important that he hit the ground running because there w 

ill be a short window of opportunity through which the 1995 farm bill can be pas 

sed," Nelson said. 

He said Glickman's congressional background and many years on the House Agr 

iculture Committee should be a bonus. 

"He'll have the requisite knowledge of what's necessary to get a farm 

bill passed," Nelson said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said he has known Glickman for as long as they 

served together in the House. Many of Bereuter's relatives live in Glickman's di 

strict in Kansas. 

"It's good news because we are about to begin serious preparation for 

the 1995 farm bill and it's important to have somebody who understands farm prog 

rams," Bereuter said. "With Dan's years on the agriculture committee and his con 

stituents in Kansas who farm, he knows what needs to be done." 

He's also well-liked on both sides of the aisle, Bereuter said, adding that 

Glickman served a mostly Republican constituency and was elected for nine terms 

even though he's a Democrat. 

Bereuter said part of the delay in picking a new secretary could have been 

because Clinton only has two years left in his term. "It's not that easy to attr 

act good people for what could be just a two-year job," he said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Glickman's an excellent choice because he "espe 

cially understands the needs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers." 

"As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, he has a strong gra 

sp of agricultural policy. His expertise will be put to good use as we approach 

drafting the 1995 farm bill," Exon said. 

Like Exon, Glickman recently voted against the General Agreement on Tariffs 

and Trade. 

"I think Dan Glickman understands the potential pitfalls of GATT and will w 

ork with those of us who have similar concerns to help protect our agricultural 

community," he said. 

Hansen, who also opposes GATT, said he was pleased that Glickman voted 

against the proposal. 

"But, the question is now, does he have the guts to stand in there and

take the heat and aggressively defend the value and the role of farmers to an i 

ncreasingly hostile congress," Hansen said. 

"Is he gonna be tough enough," Hansen asked. "He's bright, able and experie 

nced, but I want to know how tough he's gonna be." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Most Nebraskans Support Glickman 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - President Clinton's newly appointed secretary of agric 

ulture will have to he the farmer's voice as Congress shapes the 1995 farm bill. 

And more. 

"There are many people today attacking our agricultural policies without an 

understanding of how important they are to both consumers and producers," said 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

Nebraska Farmers Union Executive Director John Hansen said Glickman brings 

strong attributes to the job but questioned why it took Clinton so long to name 

a successor. 

"The delay in selecting Glickman leaves him at a disadvantage in having a s 

ay in the 1995 farm bill which is being prepared," Hansen said. 



ill be a short window of opportunity through which the 1995 farm bill can he pas 







"It's good news because we are about to begin serious preparation for the 1 

995 farm bill and it's important to have somebody who understands farm programs, 








Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Glickman's an excellent choice because he "espe 

cially understands the needs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers." 


and Trade. 





BK#[

HDLN[Legislators: Glickman Good Pick 

TEXT[Outgoing U.S. Rep. Dan Glickman of Kansas is particularly attuned to Midwes 

tern farmers and will be an effective spokesman for agriculture, members of Nebr 

aska's congressional delegation said Wednesday. 

President Clinton's appointment of Glickman as Secretary of Agriculture was 

well-received. Nebraska congressmen praised Glickman for his vast experience an 

d knowledge of agricultural issues and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

U.S. Rep. Doug Bereuter. R-1st District, said Glickman has the legislative 

skill and broad appeal necessary to work with Congress on the 1995 Farm Bill. 

Glickman has the respect of his former colleagues on the House Agriculture 

Committee, and has influence with the loudest of the farm programs urban critics 

in the House, Bereuter said. 

Although they will not be silenced, "they're going to give him the benefit 

of the doubt," he said. 

Bereuter added that Glickman has first-hand knowledge of wheat, feed grains 

and soybeans - major components of the economy in his former district. 

U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, who served with Glickman on the Agr 

iculture Committee, said Glickman "has a leg up" in understanding the Department 

of Agriculture, which is undergoing a sweeping reorganization. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee. said in a 

press release, "Dan Glickman. 

will be an informed spokesman for agriculture. (He) now has the critical job of 

helping to prevent the gutting of initiatives that have helped feed America and 

build a stronger economy for decades." 

Sen. Jim Exon recommended Glickman to White House Chief of Staff Leon Panet 

ta several weeks ago, according to an Exon release. 

"As a fellow Midwesterner, Dan Glickman especially understands the needs of 

Nebraska farmers and ranchers," con said. He said be expects the Senate to conf 

irm Glickman quickly. 

Bereuter said Glickman probably was the best choice Clinton could make for 

his own administration. Presidents do not gain points with agriculture appointme 

nts - they can only lose, he said. 

"It's better to have someone there who's not going to damage the president, 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln Building to Receive Seismic Upgrading 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) The federal government has agreed with U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-N 

eb., that chances of an earthquake in Lincoln are relatively low. 

Exon objected to plans by the General Services Administration - the federal 

landlord - to spend $456,000 to earthquake-proof the Federal Building in Lincol 

n. 

"A full-scale earthquake in Lincoln is hardly a likely occurrence," GSA Com 

missioner Kenneth Kimbrough agreed in a letter to Exon this week. 

Kimbrough said the agency won't earthquake-proof the building, but will spe 

nd about $70,000 for "seismic upgrading" of non-structural items such as ceiling

s, lights and pipes. 

He said such seismic work will be limited to the 45,000 square feet of spac 

e being altered for new tenants in the five-story downtown building. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Academy Nominees 

TEXT[ U.S. Sen. Jim Exon recently announced the 49 young Nebraskans he is no 

minating for appointments to the nation's four service academies. 

Final offers of appointment will be decided solely by each of the four acad 

emies - Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, Merchant Marine Academy and Na 

val Academy. The appointments will be announced during the several months. 

Local nominees include: Eric Pauls and Joe Pauls of Sutton and Ryan Peterse 

n of Minden for the Air Force Academy; Eric Pauls for the U.S. Military Academy; 

and Philip O'Donnell. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Officials Praise Ag Nominee 

TEXT[ LINCOLN (AP) - Most Nebraska officials offered praise Wednesday for Presid 

ent Clinton's selection of outgoing Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kan., as the nation's n 

ew secretary of agriculture. 

Nebraska Farmers Union Executive Director John Hansen said Glickman brings 

strong attributes to the job, but he questioned why it took Clinton so long to n 

ame a successor to outgoing Secretary Mike Espy. 

"The delay in selecting Glickman leaves him at a disadvantage in having a s 

ay in the 1995 farm bill which is being prepared," Hansen said. 

"The job pool was well known a couple, of days after the (Nov. 8) election, 

" Hansen said. 



ill be a short window of opportunity through which the 1995 farm bill can be pas 




"He'll have the requisite knowledge of what's necessary to get a farm bill 

passed," Nelson said. 





995 farm bill and it's important to have somebody who understands farm programs,

" Bereuter said. "With Dan's years on the agriculture committee and his constitu 

ents in Kansas who farm, he knows what needs to be done. 







Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Glickman is an excellent choice because he "esp 

ecially understands the needs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers." 

"As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, he has a strong gra 

sp of agricultural policy. His expertise will be put to good use as we approach 

drafting the 1995 farm bill," Exon said. 


and Trade. 

"I think Dan Glickman understands the potential pitfalls of GATT and will w 

ork with those of us who have similar concerns to help protect our agricultural 

community," he said. 

Hansen, who also opposes GATT, said he was pleased that Glickman voted agai 

nst the proposal. 

"But the question is now, does he have the guts to stand in there and take 

the heat and aggressively defend the value and the role of farmers to an increas 

ingly hostile Congress," Hansen said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also praised the choice of Glickman. 

"We have some very tough battles ahead of us as the Congress begins conside 

ration of the 1995 farm bill," he said. "I will be on the front lines of that fi 

ght, and I am looking forward to working with Dan to protect agriculture." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Glickman Gathers Praise for Farm Knowledge 

TEXT[The Appointment of Kansas Democrat Dan Glickman as U.S. secretary of agricu 

lture won unanimous praise from lawmakers in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. 

"Without a doubt, Dan Glickman's Kansas-based understanding of the value an 

d importance of the family farm for agriculture and the economic well-being of t 

he upper Midwest is positive for Iowa farmers," Sen. 

Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Wednesday. 

"And, as the time nears for Congress to act on the 1995 farm bill, he can h 

it the ground running with first-hand knowledge of the political process on Capi 

tol Hill." 

Glickman also won quick support from farm leaders in Iowa. 

Glickman "understands agriculture and farmers ... and the, need for a viabl 

e agriculture program," said Dean Kleckner, a Rudd farmer who is president of th 

e American Farm Bureau Federation. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-lowa, said Glickman needs to outline his priorities 

for the 1995 farm bill. 

"I strongly urge the development of policies that enable young people

to take up farming as a career and policies which build and strengthen our small 

and rural towns by focusing strongly on rural development needs," Harkin said. 

Most Nebraska officials offered words of praise Wednesday for Clinton' 

s selection. 

Nebraska Farmers Union Executive Director John Hansen said Glickman br 

ings strong attributes to the job but he questions why it took Clinton so long t 

o name a successor to outgoing secretary Mike Espy. 



Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said he has known Glickman for as long as 

they served together in the House. Many of Bereuter's relatives live in Glickman 

's district in Kansas. 


995 farm bill and it's important to have somebody who understands farm programs, 

" Bereuter said. "With Dan's years on the agriculture committee and his constitu 

ents in Kansas who farm, he knows what needs to be done." 

Bereuter said part of the delay in picking a new secretary could have 

been because Clinton only has two years left in his term. "It's not that easy to 

attract good people for what could be just a two-year job," he said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Glickman's an excellent choice because he 

"especially understands the needs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers." 

Like Exon, Glickman recently voted against the General Agreement on Ta 




"But, the question is now, does he have the guts to stand in there and 


ncreasingly hostile congress," Hansen said. 

"Is he gonna be tough enough," Hansen asked. "He's bright, able and ex 

perienced but I want to know how tough he's gonna be." 

South Dakota's U.S. senators congratulated Glickman. 

"His knowledge and familiarity with issues critical to the future of r 

ural America will be invaluable as we work together to draft the 1995 Farm Bill, 

" Sen. Tom Daschle, a fellow Democrat, said. 



AUTH[Kelly Ann Kennedy 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Auditor Presents Positive Outlook of Health Services 

TEXT[ When an independent auditor present the 1993-1994 report of Saunders C 

ounty Health Services, he expressed enthusiasm and gave a positive report on the 

operations of the organization. 

Roger Thompson of Seim, Johnson, Sestak and Quist Certified Public Acc 

ountants presented the results and information gathered through an audit on reco 

rds ending June 30 of this year. While it showed that health services had a los 

s of $213,984 during this time period, Thompson said there were two factors that 

ruined what otherwise was a good financial year for the organization. 

"You had a lot of positive trends in 1994. 

"Unfortunately, Dr.(Seward) Boyd's death and the situation distracted

from the positive," Thompson said. 

SCHS Director Mike Brown said the facilities would have been at a brea 

k-even last year if it hadn't been for the Dr. Boyd situation. 

About $180,000 of the loss was attributed to claims by Dr. Boyd which 

would not be paid by Medicare/Medicaid, he added. 

Dick Waller said it was important to focus on the positive aspects of 

the report in order to evaluate how well SCHS did. Waller is the director of hea 

lth services and contracted facilities at Saint Elizabeth's Hospital. He added t 

hat the overall standing of SCHS was positive because the facilities would have 

profited if it weren't for the two problem areas. 

"It gives me a lot of hope and we have great potential with a new phys 

ician coming," he said. 

Another major factor that caused the loss suffered by health services 

was the contract services supplied to the organization. 

"It's unfortunate we keep running into these bumps in the road," Thomp 

son said in reference to the expenses related to the Dr. Boyd situation. 

From the information presented by the auditor, Brown identified five a 

reas that SCHS could work on to improve in the next year. Among the areas were c 

ash flow, continuance of stable primary care basing, networking, cost control an 

d maintaining the community's support of the facilities. 

Dr. Naila Haroon 

The physician who will be taking the place of Dr. Seward Boyd on staff 

at SCHS has cleared one of her last hurdles in receiving the proper authorizati 

on to work in the United States, Brown said. Dr. Naila Haroon worked on a volunt 

ary basis at the clinic a couple of days last week and is expected to be cleared 

to be employed this week. 

Medicare/Medicaid withholdings 

Brown reported to the board members that no significant amount has bee 

n recently withheld in relation to the unpayable claims by Dr. Boyd. He also sai 

d he received a copy of a letter from U.S. Senator J.J. Exon to the Inspector Ge 

neral of the United States about this issue. Last month, the Wahoo Newspaper rep 

orted that a SCHS official said Exon indicated he would get involved to help sol 

ve the issue. 

Affiliation 

Another topic discussed at the board meeting was the proposed leasing 

of the SCHS facility. Brown reported that St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln wa 

s still interested about looking into the feasibility of a leasing agreement. 

According to Brown, legislation may appear in the unicameral this session t 

hat will clarify the conditions of a leasing arrangement like this. In a rough t 

imeline, he told the board that it could open for bids in about a month, present 

a detailed list of the conditions of the agreement to the preferred bidder and 

bring the issue before the voters of Saunders County by the summer of 1995. 

On of the main topics on this issue was ensuring that this agreement provid 

e better health services to the residents of the county. Brown told the board th 

at a list of needs of the SCHS needed to be formally compiled so bidders would k 

now what SCHS wanted. He added that the list was needed so that SCHS could ident 

ify terms under which it would lease the facilities. 

Brown presented a rough list of some of the goals and objectives of leasing 

the facility. The first section was to increase utilization. It included manage 

d care contracting, full range of out-patient services and specialty clinics, ex 

pansion of the primary care clinic services and growth of the Home Care and Hosp

ice departments. 

Another goal of affiliation listed by Brown was to reduce costs and increas 

e effectiveness - This area included physician recruiting, emergency room and ca 

ll coverage, therapy services, reduced accounting and consulting costs, joint pu 

rchasing advantages, insurance purchasing efficiencies, float staff, appropriate 

employee benefit costs and other consolidated costs. 

Other objectives in establishing formal affiliation was for capital infusio 

n for modernization of the plant, insulation of elected officials from necessary 

changes and accelerated ability to right size. 

Other business 


* SCHS's first lathroscopic surgery was performed on Dec. 15. Another is sche 

duled for Jan. 5. 

* An opthamology clinic will begin in January. Dr. Greg Sutton 

will staff the clinic. 

* The daily census in the care center in November decreased from October. 

* Home health continues to increase its volume this year. The increase from 1 

993 is now at 55 percent. A full-time nurse was hired. 

* The clinics have been experiencing a five percent increase. *The 

SCHS Foundation held a fund-raiser recently. It was the Tree of Lights campaign 

. 

* St. Elizabeth's Hospital recently contributed $6,000 worth of equipment, desk 

s, chairs and recliners to SCHS. 

* The room rates at the care center need to be changed. Brown said he would bri 

ng a rate proposal to the January board meeting. 

* discussed possible renovation of the facilities in the future. Among some of 

the design changes were moving the main entrance to the east side of the buildin 

gs, installing bathrooms in the hospital rooms, adding a staff lounge, creating 

a large waiting area, a larger nurses station and designating an area for "gowne 

d" waiting. Although it would not be financially possible for SCHS to begin the 

se improvements immediately, Brown said they were ideas to strive for. The board 

discussed the need to use space more efficiently. 

Board action 

In other business, the board: 

* approved the purchase of a blood-gas analyzer for $7,500 on a five-year contr 

act. 

* approved a motion to replace the tile floors in seven rooms at the care cente 

r. The cost was expected to be about $2,000. 

* approved a motion to give Brown signing authority for controlled substance re 

gistration. 

* approved a motion to purchase the Voice Writer. It is a transcription devic 

e for physician dictations. Brown said it would cost about $16,700 on a leasing 

agreement for five years. The system would consist of five lines and three typin 

g stations. 

* voted to decrease the skilled care rate in the hospital from $180 per day to 

$140 per day. Brown said the current rate was not competitive and has increased 

too much over the past four years. The proposal was the decrease the rate to see 

it ore business could be generated. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Solomon Nominated to Service Academies 

TEXT[WASHINGTON D.C.-- U.S. Sen. Jim Exon (D-Neb) has announced the names of 49 

young Nebraskans he is nominating for appointments to the nation's four service 

academies. 


on Committee comprised of prominent Nebraskans. The senators announce their nom 

inations separately. 

Senator Exon has two vacancies to fill for the U.S. Military Academy and on 

e each at the Air Force, Merchant Marine and Naval academies. 


Service Academies. The academies will announce their appointments during the n 

ext several months. 

Among Sen. Exon's nominees is Jared Solomon of Merna. Solomon, who attends 

Anselmo-Merna High School, was nominated to the military and naval academies. 




SOUR[O'Neil Holt Co. Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Scenic River Comments Reviewed 

TEXT[The National Park Service has summarized the public comments on the June ne 

wsletter that outlined management and boundary alternatives for the Niobrara Nat 

ional Scenic River. 

Readers of the newsletters were asked to reply to questions about the 

draft management and boundary alternatives for the Scenic River. 

"It seems," said Warren Hill, superintendent of the scenic river planning o 

ffice in O'Neill, "we need to emphasize the protection methods for the scenery o 

f the river valley." 

"People are focusing on the boundaries, which is understandable because lin 

es on a map are something you can put your finger on. More important than the li 

nes, however, is how the land is protected and by whom. Under study is a mix of 

private, local, or federal methods, Hill said. "We will try harder to communicat 

e those aspects," he added. 

The planning team will use the comments to refine the draft management 

and boundary alternatives. Public comments will again be sought before the pref 

erred alternative is finally chosen. 

A detailed review of the alternatives will be included in the complete 

text of the draft general management plan and environmental impact statement to 

be released in 1995. 

Comments favoring the no action alternative for the plan said present 

management and protection of scenery by the landowners has worked to date. 

Others were concerned that protecting the Niobrara River Valley from o 

ver use and undesirable development would be difficult without some form of cent

al coordinating agency. Still others suggested this alternative be expanded as 

it does not accurately describe the current conditions of the river. 

Some comments favored local council management because local control w 

ould be maintained and best fits the problems that exist along the Niobrara. 

Several suggested that local landowners should be part of the local co 

uncil. Others stated local control would not be enough to provide protection tha 

t should occur in the river valley. A number said that new roads and campsites a 

re not necessary. 

Some comments showed confusion by the description of "National Park Se 

rvice Administration through Local Cooperative Agreements." 

"We may need to redefine this alternative to say, 'Existing local mana 

gement is supported and increased by National Park Service direction and funding 

,"' said Hill. 

Some comments favored increased federal management as the best protect 

ion of natural scenery of the valley. Others were concerned that there would be 

no consistency of methods without central coordinating agency. 

Several individuals did not like the idea of any new roads or faciliti 

es, suggesting "just maintain what exists." Some believed this alternative could 

be too restrictive to the local established commercial ventures. 

Some comments supported the National Park Service management alternati 

ve due to a need for stronger land development regulations. 

Several comments did not favor this alternative. They feel that landow 

ners have been taking care of the river valley and expressed concerns for protec 

ting landowner rights under federal management. 

"This alternative, more than any other, clearly split the responses in 

to two camps," said Hill. General concerns about this alternative included: loss 

of property rights, excessive government cost, providing too much visitor acces 

s, the need to restrict the number of canoes on the river, protecting the river 

from livestock waste, and protection of scenic values. 

During the comment period the four involved counties submitted a grant 

application to assist zoning. Several respondents supported the general idea of 

local control through consistent coordinated zoning. 

One comment seemed to summarize for others by saying, "NPS should deve 

lop an alternative which utilizes the Niobrara Basin Joint Management Board and 

representatives from the four counties as the management team for the river." 

Comments on the first boundary alternative showed general understandin 

g that the one-quarter mile boundary is a temporary one as directed by the Wild 

and Scenic River Act, until a final boundary is chosen. 

Many individuals feel this boundary contains too much land for its pur 

pose. Others say that this alternative is adequate and would 

be the most even handed for the private landowners along the Niobrara River. 

Still others said this boundary alternative is arbitrary, not based on 

river resources, and is not an ecologically sound boundary. Several suggested i 

f this boundary is adopted it should include resources such as plant ecosystems, 

fossil sites, views, etc. 

Supporters of the second boundary alternative wanted the boundary to i 

nclude scenic resources in addition to river related resources. 

One individual said they would support this alternative only on agreem 

ent with landowners. Some feared interference with property use. 

Supporters of the third boundary alternative preferred this narrower b

oundary because of less impact on landowners, and felt it would adequately prote 

ct river resources. 

Other supporters suggested including scenic and biological resources a 

way from the river. Many said this boundary was too narrow and would be inadequa 

te in achievingthe goal set forth in the Wild 

and Scenic River Act. 

The fourth boundary alterative following the high water line brought m 

ixed comments. Sill porters said it is fair and adequate and would receive the 

most support and cooperation. Those against said that more protection is needed, 

this alternative would open the valley to commercialism, abuse, an would not pr 

eserve the river valley in the long run. 

Of the four protection methods, more favored this boundary only if com 

bined with landowner protection agreements. 

Public review and comments have been important for developing the draf 

t management plan for the Niobrara National Scenic River. 

Newsletters were distributed to approximately 1,500 interested parties 

including landowners, interested citizens, canoers and tubers who visit the riv 

er, and local state, and federal agencies. 



AUTH[Phil Carter 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Concerned Over GATT Affect 

TEXT[Future farm programs could be in jeopardy as a result of the 1993 Farm Bill 

Nebraska Senator J.J. Exon said on a recent visit to South Sioux City. 

Exon, who was in Sioux City last Tuesday for the Rural Concerns Rally, 

believes the new GATT world trade agreement is a detriment to farmers and farm 

programs. 

"It's good for some farmers, Exon said. "Cattlemen are going to favor 

it, but it splits up other agricultural groups. I'm just afraid that with it ( 

GATT), the government will believe they don't need farm programs." 

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) worries Exon because 

of the threat it poses on American farm programs and how big government is pres 

ently forcing families from their farms. 

"Farmers have a voice through many government programs," Exon added. " 

With something like GATT, though, their voice won't be as strong." 

When Congress reconvenes in January, Exon feels certain farm programs 

will be on the table for future elimination and he says that's due to rising cos 

ts elsewhere. 

"In order to pay for other programs, something within has to be cut or 

subsidized," Exon mentioned. "Medicare costs are rising and so are hospital pr 

ograms. Where do you look? The government says, 'Sometimes at agricultural progr 

ams.'" 

Has NAFTA Helped? 

Even though American farmers are the most proficient producers of food 

, Exon says they're not the cheapest. Presently American farmers, through the No 

rth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), are selling more corn to Mexico, but 

U.S. farmers have yet to benefit from that because grain sales to Mexico have di 

minished. Apparently railroad cars exporting corn to Mexico have been delayed an

d their arrival back to the U.S. has hindered grain sales 

Exon says NAFTA isn't the reason for the log-jam, but he believes the 

farmer suffers in the long run. 

"Free trade has opened the doors in some ways, but closed the doors wh 

ere you eventually don't see it," Exon added. "What a lot of people in governmen 

t don't realize is that in order to sponsor certain programs you have to pay for 

them and that's what the government isn't doing." 

Exon feels the new Republican majority in both the House and Senate ha 

ve created a bidding war with the Democrats when it comes to the future of gover 

nment spending. 

"They (the Republicans) favor a Middle Class tax cut as does the Presi 

dent," Exon said. "They also support a Capital Gains tax which they've said wil 

l help cut into the national debt. I support both of these alternatives, too if 

they're paid for. Right now we're getting no where unless we cut into the nation 

al debt and the deficit." 

Balanced Budget? 

Recently throughout both the House and Senate, discussion has favored 

a possible balanced budget amendment which most Republicans in Congress favor. E 

xon says a balanced budget could occur as early as 2,002 in the U.S., but what m 

ost people don't realize is the fact that the national debt and deficit will con 

tinue to increase before and after a balanced budget. 

"We could possibly balance the budget by that time (2002), but it won' 

t even dent the national debt or the deficit which is in the trillions (of dolla 

rs)," Exon said. "What most Americans are concerned with now are the problems th 

eir children and grandchildren are going to face. How are they going to pay for 

their future?" 

Exon concluded that the federal government needs to start encouraging the A 

merican people through results rather than discouraging them with their actions. 



AUTH[J.L. Schmidt 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraskans Applaud Glickman 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - President Clinton's newly appointed secretary of agriculture 

will have to be the farmer's voice as Congress shapes the 1995 farm bill. And m 

ore. 

Clinton tabbed outgoing Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kan., to replace Mike Esp 

y who is stepping down. 

"I think it's a good choice," said Gary Goldberg, president of the Ame 

rican Corn Growers Association. "I think certainly with a new Congress we need s 

omebody who knows about farm bills, knows how to write farm bills and knows how 

to work a farm bill." 

Nebraska politicians on Wednesday lauded Clinton's selection. 

"There are many people today attacking our agricultural policies witho 

ut an understanding of how important they are to both consumers and producers," 

said Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

Nebraska Farmers Union Executive Director John Hansen said Glickman br

ings strong attributes to the job but questioned why it took Clinton so long to 

name a successor. 




"It's particularly important that he hit the ground running because th 

ere will be a short window of opportunity through which the 1995 farm bill can b 

e passed," Nelson said. 

He said Glickman's congressional background and many years on the Hous 

e Agriculture Committee should be a bonus. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said he has known Glickman for as long as 

they served together in the House. Many of Bereuter's relatives live in Glickman 

's district in Kansas. 

"It's good news because we are about to begin serious preparation for 

the 1995 farm bill and it's important to have somebody who understands farm prog 

rams," Bereuter said. 

He's also well-liked on both sides of the aisle, Bereuter said, adding 

that Glickman served a mostly Republican constituency and was elected for nine 

terms even though he's a Democrat. 

Bereuter said part of the delay in picking a new secretary could have 

been because Clinton only has two years left in his term. "It's not that easy to 

attract good people for what could be just a two-year job," he said. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Glickman's an excellent choice because he 

"especially understands the needs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers." 

Like Exon, Glickman recently voted against the General Agreement on Ta 


"I think Dan Glickman understands the potential pitfalls of GATT and w 

ill work with those of us who have similar concerns to help protect our agricult 

ural community," Exon said. 



"But, the question is now, does he have the guts to stand in there and 


ncreasingly hostile congress," 

Hansen said. 

"Is he gonna be tough enough?" Hansen asked. "He's bright, able and ex 

perienced, but I want to know how tough he's gonna be." 

Andy Jensen, chairman of the board for the Nebraska Corn Growers Assoc 

iation, said Glickman's overall record shows he understands the farm program and 

Midwestern farm production. 




SOUR[Schuyler Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Area Farmers Attend Rally in Sioux City 

TEXT[Among the 1,000 farmers and businessmen attending the Town and Country Alli 

ance Price Improvement Rally at Sioux City on Dec. 20 were State Senator Stan Sc

hellpeper, Stanton; Mr. and Mrs. Frankie Charipar, Leigh; Allan Koliha, Schuyler 

; Joe Hanel and Richard Holoubek, Clarkson. 

Guest speaker was U. S. Senator Jim Exon. He stressed that farmers and 

businessmen should work toward a fair price and that Congress will work with th 

em. 




SOUR[Sutton Clay County News 

HDLN[ Sutton Brothers Receive AF Academy Nominations 

TEXT[WASHINGTON D.C.--U.S. Senator Jim Exon of Nebraska, announced on December 2 

2, 1994, the names of the 49 young Nebraskans he is nominating for appointments 

to the nations four service academies. 

Two Sutton brothers were among those nominated. Eric Pauls, a sophomore at 

the university of Nebraska-Lincoln and Sutton high school senior Joel Pauls rec 

eived nominations to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

The brothers are the sons of John and Eleanor Pauls of rural Sutton. 

The nominees were selected by the Exon-Kerrey Joint Service Academy Se 

lection Committee comprised of prominent Nebraskans. Senators Exon and Kerrey an 

nounce their nominees separately. 

Final offers of appointments will be decided solely by each of the fou 

r U.S. Service Academies. The academies will announce their appointments during 

the next several months. 



AUTH[Sara Hagel 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Subsides May Be Challenged in 1995 

TEXT[Congressional committees will tackle the 1995 Farm Bill in February of next 

year, but most action will be on hold until the administration formally present 

s its plan for agriculture early next year. 

The new chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Richard 

Lugar, R-Ind., indicated in a press conference, and later in a letter to the Sen 

ate Budget Committee, that it could be time to rewrite each page of a farm law t 

hat grew out of the Great Depression of the 1930s. 

In a letter to Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who will soon be chairman of the 

Budget Committee, Lugar said no options would be ruled out, including abolition 

of programs. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., was surprised that Lugar made such a statement. Beg 

inning next year, Exon will be the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. 

"Unfortunately, the agriculture budget is going to be a prime target next y 

ear," Exon added. 

Cutting the agriculture budget will not begin to cover the administration's

plans to spend an extra $25 billion on defense, which Exon says he supports, or 

to give a tax cut to middle class Americans. 

Although Exon is willing to review agricultural programs and examine them f 

or inefficiencies that could be remedied, he believes agriculture has already se 

en some cuts in the name of deficit reduction and other government programs shou 

ld be looked at instead. "There must be fairness," Exon said. 

Consumers would be forced to pay more for food if federal price supports fo 

r wheat and corn were removed, according to Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

If the public was to demand major cuts in agricultural programs, consumers 

would be making a big mistake, he said. "They would get a big lesson in a hurry 

about how these programs benefit them," 

Kerrey added. 

Jon Christensen, R-Neb., is a representative-elect who will be a member of 

the House Ways and Means Committee, the group in charge of writing most taxes, a 

nd agrees with Lugar's plan to review all farm programs. 

However, Christensen believes it is important to protect family farmin 

g operations when considering the existing farm programs. 

"My number one priority for the 1995 farm bill from a cost perspective is t 

o encourage a top-to-bottom, A-to-Z review of all farm programs to assess their 

continued validity," Christensen said. 

Christensen went on to say agriculture must move away from a government-con 

trolled system with roots in subsidies and bureaucratic intervention to one base 

d upon the laws of supply and demand as well as the efficiency and productivity 

of the American farmer. 

Lugar's statement was to be expected from a committee chairman wanting to b 

egin debate on major legislation, said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. 

In the end, Bereuter believes there will be a minimal number of fundamental 

changes to farm support and conservation programs. 

Bereuter is planning to reintroduce a bill that would extend and revis 

e the Conservation Reserve Program. 

The legislation caps the annual rental payments at no more than 80% of 

previous rental payments, according to Bereuter. Surveys indicate many farmers 

are willing to keep their erodible land enrolled in the program even if rental p 

ayments are lower, he added. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., sixth-ranking member of the House Agricultu 

re Committee, said Congress must determine if current ag policies are best servi 

ng those they were designed for, and if taxpayer dollars are being spent in the 

most beneficial way. 

The farm bill debate may focus on what size of farm operations should recei 

ve subsidies or if people with an off-farm income should receive them, he added. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Rural Youth is 1 of 2 in State to Heading to D.C. 

TEXT[Michael McQuistan of rural Pender is one of two high school students from N 

ebraska to be named the state's delegates to the 33rd annual U.S. Senate Youth P 

rogram in Washington, D.C.

Senators James Exon and Bob Kerrey recently announced the appointment 

of McQuistan and Shauyene Hsieh of Omaha, who were selected for the honor by Dr. 

Joe Lutjeharms, state education commissioner. 

The two will be join 102 other selected high school students from across th 

e nation in making the trip to Washington in late February for a week of intensi 

ve study of the federal government and the U.S. Senate. Each of the delegates wi 

ll receive a $2,000 scholarship, which, along with the program. is made possible 

by a grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. 

All transportation, meals and accommodations at the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. 

are also provided- and no government funds are used to support the program. 

McQuistan, a senior at Wakefield High School, is the son of Bill and Janyce 

McQuistan of rural Pender and the grandson of Margaret McQuistan of Pender. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Government Agrees: Chances on Quake in Lincoln Pretty Slim 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - The federal government has agreed with U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D 

-Neb., that chances of an earthquake in Lincoln are relatively low. 

Exon objected to plans by the General Services Administration - the fe 

deral landlord - to spend $456,000 to earthquake-proof the Federal Building in L 

incoln. 

"A full-scale earthquake in Lincoln is hardly a likely occurrence," GS 

A Commissioner Kenneth Kimbrough agreed in a letter to Exon this week. Kimbrough 

said the agency won't earthquake-proof the building, but will spend about $70,0 

00 for "seismic upgrading" on non-structural items such as ceilings, lights and 

pipes. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Earthquake Chances Low in Lincoln 

TEXT[LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The federal government has agreed with U.S. Sen. Jim E 

xon, D-Neb, that chances of an earthquake in Lincoln are relatively low. 

Exon objected to plans by the General Services Administration - the federal 

landlord - to spend $456,000 to earthquake-proof the Federal Building in Lincol 

n. 

"A full-scale earthquake in Lincoln is hardly a likely occurrence," GS 

A Commissioner Kenneth Kimbrough agreed in a letter to Exon this week. 

Kimbrough said the agency won't earthquake proof the building, but will spe 

nd about $70,000 for "seismic upgrading" of non-structural items such as ceiling 

s, lights and pipes. 

Kimbrough said the possibility of lesser seismic events are greater in Linc 

oln. For that reason, he wrote "we believe that prudence dictates that we take r 

easonable action to minimize the potential danger to employees from building ele

ments that may fall and impede egress in such a seismic event." 

He said such seismic work will be limited to the 45,000 square feet of spac 

e being altered for new tenants in the five-story downtown building. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lincoln, Hastings Win Grants for Homeless 

TEXT[Two Nebraska cities have been awarded federal grants to help the homeless, 

Sens. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey said. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the Lincoln Act 

ion Program a $1.3 million grant. A $310,520 grant also was awarded to Nebraska 

Catholic Social Services to help the homeless in Hastings. 

The money will be used to build and restore buildings used to serve the hom 

eless. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Juvenile Judge Counts Her Winners 

TEXT[When Judge Colleen Buckley banged her gavel for the last time Friday in Dou 

glas County Juvenile Court, she probably wasn't thinking about her retirement pl 

ans. 

Instead, she probably was wondering how one of the children was doing, one 

of the thousands of children she served during her 22 years as a judge. 

Judge Buckley covered her desk top with pictures of children. She decorated 

her bulletin board with pictures of children. She filled three boxes behind her 

desk with pictures of children. 

During in interview this week, she pointed to a picture of a South Omaha te 

en-age girl and bragged. The girl was placed at Boys Town and became the first m 

ember of her family to graduate from high school. 

The judge pointed to a picture of three young children and bragged. The chi 

ldren were neglected and the mother was given a chance to put the 

family back together and succeeded. 

Judge Buckley picked up a letter from an adoption agency and looked at the 

attached picture of another girl. An infant who was given up by an unwed mother 

is 14 and doing well. 

"I'm proud of these kids that succeeded," she said. 

In attaining those successes, Judge Buckley did not have an easy job. 

The caseload in Juvenile Court, which handles cases of abused and neglected 

children as well as cases of wrongdoing by youths, has quadrupled since she too 

k office in January 1973. The court, staffed by two full-time and two part-time 

judges, is handling 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year. 

The severity of the cases also has increased.

In 1973, a major concern before the Juvenile Court was perhaps the theft of 

a tape deck from a car, Judge Buckley said. Today, she said, it is everything f 

rom robbery to auto theft, to beating up other children and even murder. 

"Young people think nothing of violating another's person, let alone their 

property," she said. 

Judge Buckley attributes the growing problems to changes in society and to 

a decline in parental supervision. 

Children are being influenced by many things, including the violence depict 

ed by the media, Judge Buckley said. 

"Children repeat what they see adults do." she said. 

At the same time, parents are not paying enough attention to their chi 

ldren, Judge Buckley said. They should know where their children are and what th 

eir children are doing, she said. 

"Kids want discipline," she said. "They want direction. 

To help resolve the problems, Judge Buckley recommends that taxpayers and e 

lected officials provide more resources for juveniles. 

Omaha should have at least five to six juvenile judges and more placement center 

s to help children and families, Judge Buckley said. If people 

do not want to come up with the money now, they will have to come up 

with it down the road as the problems worsen, she said. 

"These are not the children of the '50s, '60s and '70s," she said."These ar 

e the children of the '80s and '90s who have been influenced by a lot of things. 

" 

Judge Buckley began her professional career as a teacher. She taught elemen 

tary, junior high and high school classes in Iowa for six years. She also was a 

social worker for a year. 

She started law school at age 29 and graduated from the Creighton Universit 

y School of Law in 1962. She then worked for the Omaha Legal Aid Society for fiv 

e years and for the Douglas County Attorney's Office for five years. 

In December 1972, she was selected by then-Gov. J.J. Exon to fill a vacancy 

on the Juvenile Court. She replaced Seward Hart, who had been voted out of offi 

ce. She was one of three women judges in the state. 

In administering justice over the years, Judge Buckley tried to get childre 

n to think about their actions. 

She recently asked a young man if he thought he was ready for father-hood. 

She asked another young man who had dropped out of school if he was going to be 

satisfied with a low-paying job three years from now. 

Putting the shoe on the other foot often is a good approach in dealing with 

children, Judge Buckley said. 

"Ask them, 'How would you feel if other kids did that to you?'" she said. 

Judge Buckley also demanded excellence. If she saw misspelled words in a le 

tter a child had written to a crime victim, she sent it back for corrections. 

She admits that she was tough with the youths who came before her. Mos 

t of them got a little homily before they left, she said. 

"I think someone has got to set the rules," she said. "If you don't, y 

ou're going to have chaos." 

Judge Buckley, 64, announced plans to retire after she was criticized 

last spring during legislative debate over a proposal to add a third juvenile ju 

dge in Douglas County. 

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said he opposed adding another judg 

e because Judge Buckley was not pulling her weight. In interviews, attorneys, co

urt employees and former bailiffs said Judge Buckley regularly was late for hear 

ings and frequently was absent because of vacations and illness. 

In response, Judge Buckley said she may have been suffering from burnout. 

She declined this week to comment further on the issue. 

The proposal for a third judge was approved, but the funding was cut. 

Sen. John Lindsay of Omaha, who is seeking reelection as Judiciary Committee cha 

irman, said he expects the proposal to be reintroduced in the 1995 legislative s 

ession. 

Judge Buckley's successor, Elizabeth Crnkovich, will be sworn in during a 4 

p.m. ceremony Jan. 3 at the Douglas County Courthouse. Ms. Crnkovich, 40, has w 

orked for the Douglas County Attorney's Office since April 1985 and has supervis 

ed juvenile matters. 

Judge Buckley recommended that Ms.Crnkovich go slowly, think things over an 

d listen to the children before her. 

"It's not always so much what they say but how they say it," she said. 

During her retirement, Judge Buckley plans to provide services to Boys 

Town. 

"I don't want to say it's counseling - just some talks with the kids," 

she said. 

Judge Buckley also plans to spend more time fishing. Her biggest catch 

so far is a 25-pound northern pike from a Canadian lake. 

She also will continue to create Buckley Bears. She makes teddy bears 

out of scraps of fur from old coats and other items. 

When asked what she would do if she had her life to live again she ans 

wered without hesitation. 

"I would still be a juvenile judge." she said. "I like kids. l like to 

see them succeed. l appreciate them letting me be a part of their success." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Judge Buckley's Dedication Draws Appreciative Salute 

TEXT[Douglas County Judge Jane Prochaska, who once filled in for three months in 

Juvenile Court, said she has no desire to follow in the footsteps of Juvenile C 

ourt Judge Colleen Buckley. 

The job of a juvenile judge is overwhelming, Judge Prochaska said. The case 

s seem so complex and so hopeless, and the work is emotionally draining, she sai 

d. 

"There is no way I could have spent 20 years up there and still have the po 

sitive, upbeat attitude she has," Judge Prochaska said of Judge Buckley. Judge P 

rochaska's stint in Juvenile Court came when Judge Buckley had hip surgery. 

Judge Prochaska, who practiced in Juvenile Court as an attorney, descr 

ibed Judge Buckley, who retired Friday after 22 years on the Juvenile Court, as 

compassionate and understanding but as tough as nails when necessary. 

"She could absolutely freeze water with a single glance," Judge Prochaska s 

aid. 

Other comments on Judge Buckley: 

Darwin Severson, administrator of Douglas County District Court since 1975:

She always strived to do what was in the best interest of justice and the best 

interest of the children before her. She will be missed. She has been in integra 

l part of the justice system for many years. 

Marg Badura, a deputy Douglas County attorney who has prosecuted juvenile c 

ases: A juvenile judge sometimes has to make really difficult decisions, and tho 

se decisions can make numerous people unhappy. She was somebody who truly cared 

about the children. 

Patti Brick, secretary to Judge Buckley for 20 years before retiring: She w 

as a wonderful boss. She knows all there is to know about the Juvenile Court. Sh 

e is on top of everything. She is willing to help you. 

Kathy Kelley, administrative specialist for Douglas County: She gave 22 yea 

rs of her life to help the families and children of Douglas County. In addition 

to serving as a judge, she went to schools and spoke to thou-sands of students a 

bout the justice system and their responsibilities. It never was a job to her. I 

t was her life. She didn't give 100 percent. She gave 200 percent. 

Rev. Val Peter, executive director of Boys Town: Judge Buckley has helped h 

undreds of boys and girls find hope and healing. Most people would consider them 

selves blessed if they could help one child. Judge Buckley is blessed a hundred 

times by all of us for everything she has done. 



AUTH[John Barrette 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Business Wish List: Legislature to be asked to aid recruiting 

TEXT[Business leaders in Nebraska are more ambitious than the U.S. Marines when 

it comes to recruiting. 

They want more than a few good people for the state's pool of workers. And 

they want more than a few good companies for the state's - and local communities 

' - economic development. 

So they want the means to get firms coming and growing - lures to attract o 

r retain companies that invest and create jobs - and to keep the companies staff 

ed with the trained personnel. 

As a consequence, business leaders are going to the Legislature, which begi 

ns its 1995 session Wednesday, with what they view as a few good ideas. 

Job training and recruitment of new workers for the state are a couple of i 

tems on the wish list in legislative agendas at the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce 

and Industry and the chambers in the state's two most populous communities. 

"We're getting creamed," said Natalie Peetz, lobbyist for the Greater Omaha 

Chamber of Commerce, as she discussed job training funds in Nebraska and other 

states. 

For example, she said, Iowa spends $15 million to $20 million annually on t 

raining for workers while Nebraska provides about $1 million. 

She said companies want not only a good work ethic, which Nebraska has, but 

also a work force trained for specific needs and a labor pool. 

"They want custom training," said Peetz, the vice president-government affa 

irs for the Omaha chamber. 

The Omaha chamber, still fashioning its wish list during the recent holiday 

season, also wants expanded business tax incentives building on the LB775 credi

ts in place since the 1980s. 

"We also cannot ignore that our current business incentive program is going 

on 8 years old." Peetz said. 

She said other states have matched or surpassed the Nebraska tax credit sys 

tem, which gives breaks to firms that invest and create jobs. 

The LB775 program lets firms that invest $3 million and create 30 new jobs 

get a 5 percent tax credit on new employees' pay and a 10 percent tax credit on 

the investment. There are also credits for 100 jobs/$10 million investment and f 

or $20 million investment. 

"As with (LB)775, we would definitely make it performance based," Peetz sai 

d. 

The proposal might call for lower and higher investment and job creation th 

resholds, such as 10 jobs and $1 million invested on the low end and up to 750 j 

obs and $75 million on the top end of the scale. The credits involved might diff 

er from those in LB775. 

Other aspects of the Omaha chamber's approach will include curbing projecte 

d growth in state income tax revenues over the next decade, reducing the equipme 

nt property tax through accelerated depreciation, 

and keeping real estate property taxes from spiraling. 

Peetz said the Omaha chamber doesn't have a specific bill on property taxat 

ion, but noted some incentive probably is needed to get local governments to inc 

rease efficiency. 

The state chamber, meanwhile, has a lengthy agenda that includes a push to 

repeal Initiative 300. Nebraska's constitutional provision banning corporate far 

ming in the state. 

"We're going to be working on that, trying to repeal it or change it," said 

Jack Swartz, president of the state chamber group that represents local chamber 

s and industries throughout Nebraska. 

"We'd like to see it repealed and then let the Legislature have the authori 

ty, if regulation is necessary, to regulate it through statute rather than the c 

onstitution," he said. "We know we're losing a lot of economic development oppor 

tunities because of that restriction." 

Swartz knows the change won't be easy. 

"It will be tough, although by the time the next legislative session rolls 

around it will be 13 years" the state has operated under Initiative 300 restrict 

ions, Swartz said. 

The state chamber joins the Omaha and Lincoln chambers in supporting job tr 

aining and worker recruitment initiatives, a need that has prompted a feeler to 

federal contacts by the president of the Lincoln chamber. 

Duane Vicary said he has contacted Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., about ways to let 

people mustering out of the military know of opportunities in Lincoln and perha 

ps elsewhere in Nebraska. He said Exon's office has helped him with proper conta 

cts at the Defense Department. 

With defense downsizing in recent years after the end of the Cold War. Nebr 

aska's need for trained workers could be helped with an influx of skilled people 

formerly in miliary services, Vicary said. 

He said he may seek relocation funds or similar aid from the Legislature if 

his idea begins to bear fruit. 

"I don't know that we have any thing there yet, but if I do get some thing 

I'll probably go to the Legislature," he said. 

Both Vicary and Eric Carstenson Lincoln chamber senior vice president of go

vernment affairs and finance, said their chamber membership supports improvement 

s in the job training arena. 

Carstenson said the chamber will oppose any bill to impose a sales tax on s 

ervices. The state chamber and businesses in general also oppose all expansion o 

f sales taxation. 

Carstenson also will monitor University of Nebraska issues. 

"We're very careful to be sure that we're up to speed on how appropriations 

are doing for the university," he said. "We favor an efficiently run university 

, but we will be an ally with the university system if they want us to be. The u 

niversity is in Lincoln an we want to support it where appropriate." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Spotlight Now Falls on GOP 

TEXT[Washington - The first Republican-run Congress in 40 years starts work this 

week, with Democrats adjusting to minority status and Republicans aware that th 

e pressure is on them to deliver. 

"We are going to surprise a great many, skeptical people around the country 

, said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. 

The new 104th Congress will bring big changes for the 10-member Nebraska an 

d western Iowa congressional delegation. 

In the House, three of the region's six representatives - Jon Christensen o 

f Nebraska and Greg Ganske and Tom Latham of Iowa all Republicans - will be new 

members. 

The three veterans - Bereuter and Bill Barrett of Nebraska and Jim Ross Lig 

htfoot of Iowa - will be in the majority for the first time in their congression 

al careers. 

In the Senate, all four senators from Nebraska and Iowa will return. Only S 

en. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., was up for re-election in 1994. But the three Democrats 

- Kerrey, J.J. Exon of Nebraska and Tom Harkin of Iowa - will move from the majo 

rity to the minority party, reducing their influence on legislation and the Sena 

te's agenda. 

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, will gain additional clout on his 

committees. 

"I think this could be one of the major political events of this century," 

Barrett said of the Republican takeover. "I think it's healthy. It's right that 

the balance of power changes every decade or so." 

House Republicans, who signed a 10-point Contract With America last fall, h 

ave a more specific agenda than their Senate counterparts. The contract promises 

recorded votes within 100 days - but not passage - for 10 measures that include 

items such as a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget and a pack 

age of tax cuts, including a $500-per-child tax credit. 

Many lawmakers note that they did not promise to vote for all 10 bills. For 

example, Bereuter said he disagreed with a provision to require compensation fo 

r any property owner who is affected by government regulations. 

Such a plan - as written - would be unworkable and too costly to the govern

ment, Bereuter said. Among other things, he said, it would thwart needed environ 

mental rules for leaking underground fuel tanks. 

Christensen, who defeated Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-Neb., has a more ambitious 

view of his commitment under the Republican contract. 

"The American people sent us here to vote for those measures and get them p 

assed," he said. 

If so, Congress may disappoint some people. Barrett said it was possible th 

at only six or seven of the 10 bills would be passed. The House may not pass a t 

erm-limits amendment to the Constitution, he said, and Senate opposition could s 

tall several other proposals. 

But Barrett said they don't expect Republicans to accomplish all their prop 

osed changes in the next two or three years. 

"There's a new responsibility on the Republicans, without question, and we 

have to deliver," he said. "But it's taken 40 years to get to this point. As lon 

g as there's progress, as long as there's energy and direction and an obvious ef 

fort to change, I think the voters will be very, very understanding." 

Newly elected senators and representatives will be sworn in Wednesday. The 

House also will vote formally to elect Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., as speaker and 

consider a package of revised rules that Republicans have promised to pass on t 

he first day. 

Republican control of Congress has advantages for the Nebraska and western 

Iowa House delegation. 

Barrett will become chairman of a key House Agriculture subcommittee for co 

mmodity programs. Bereuter will become chairman of a House International Relatio 

ns subcommittee for Asia and the Pacific region, as well as vice chairman of the 

full committee. 

Lightfoot will head a House Appropriations subcommittee for the Treasury De 

partment, Postal Service and general government operations. 

Meanwhile, the large number of new Republican committee openings meant 

good opportunities for freshman members. Christensen won a seat 

on the House of Ways and Means Committee, and Ganske will start on the House Com 

merce Committee. The two committees are among the most influential House panels. 

Latham will be on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Transportation 

and Infrastructure Committee. 

The Republican takeover of the Senate cost Kerrey and Exon their chances to 

become full committee chairmen as they moved up in seniority. Instead, Exon wil 

l be the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. Kerrey is the top 

Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Exon, Kerrey and Harkin say they have good relationships with their new Rep 

ublican committee chairmen. The Senate is used to changing hands - it happened i 

n 1981 and 1987 - and senators of different parties are more accustomed to worki 

ng together than their House counterparts. 

Kerrey also said Republicans know they must work with Democrats in order to 

enact legislation. It takes 60 votes to break a Senate filibuster and 67 votes 

to override a presidential veto; only 54 senators are Republicans. 

"The last thing Republicans want is to get nothing done," Kerrey said. 



AUTH[Ivan Schoone 

SOUR[Hastings Tribune

BK#[ 

HDLN[Poet motivates with words 

TEXT[HEARTWELL-Since she was 11, Kathy Dahlgren Cash has had the ability to moti 

vate and encourage people with words. 

Now years later, Cash is selling her poetry to people who appreciate beauti 

ful prose. 

"I have discovered I can make people happy, take them on a journey through 

life and recall lots of memories of days gone by through my poetry," Cash said. 

No stranger to life's trials and tribulations, Cash can write about all as 

pects of the human spirit. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and de 

veloped polio when she was 18 months old. Although they have slowed her, neithe 

r has kept her down. 

"I am forced to rest quite a bit or things sometime quit working as they sh 

ould," she said. "But God gave me this talent in spite of everything. I have to 

use it." 

When she first began writing poetry, Cash's words reflected her moods. Som 

e were depressing. 

"They were a release for my emotions," she said. "Feelings that were harbo 

red came out on paper." 

Now, inspirational poems come easy for Cash. When Matt Kimle of Kenesaw di 

ed from complications from AIDS in January 1993, Cash remembered him with a poem 

. 

"He was such a fine young man and touched so many lives, I want to do somet 

hing for him," she said. 

Her most recent work, entitled "My Christian Friend" has been well-received 

. It may be published on a bookmark, she said. Area newspapers have published 

many of her poems and the Phelps County Museum has one on display. 

Cash said she only began writing poetry for sale about 3 years ago. Demand 

for her work has increased thanks to word of mouth. People like the idea of a 

framed work that decorates the walls and provides words that uplift or make them 

stop and think, she said. 

Writing poetry on demand has become a staple of Cash's business. She can w 

rite for everything from weddings to funerals. Often she is asked to read them. 

"Some of my friends have told me I should write for Hallmark," she said wit 

h a smile. 

Some of her most popular poetry was written about the 1993 Oregon Trail ann 

iversary trail rides across Nebraska. She rode the wagon train for many miles t 

o get a feel for the experience and a poem describing the experience hangs on th 

e wall at the Kearney Chamber of Commerce. 

Gov. Ben Nelson and democratic Sen. J.J. Exon of Nebraska were among the pe 

ople that purchased the Oregon Trail work, she said. 

"I hope to be remembered for my work," she said. "Maybe someday one of my 

grandchildren will look back and say, 'That's the work of my great grandmother.' 

" 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Business groups hope 1995 Legislature can help with job training, worker re 

cruitment 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) Job training and worker recruitment are two issues business gr 

oups hope the 1995 Legislature can help with. 

"We're getting creamed," Natalie Peetz said of job training funds avai 

lable in Nebraska compared with other states. 

Iowa spends up to $20 million annually on job training and Nebraska pr 

ovides about $1 million, said Peetz, lobbyist for the Greater Omaha Chamber of C 

ommerce. 

Companies want a trained work force and a labor pool, Ms. Peetz said. 

Duane Vicary, president of the Lincoln business chamber, said he has contac 

ted U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., about ways to let people leaving the military kn 

ow about opportunities in Lincoln and perhaps elsewhere in Nebraska. 

Downsizing of the military could mean skilled workers looking for jobs, Vic 

ary said. Exon's office has helped him with contacts at the Defense Department, 

Vicary said. 

If the initiative looks like it might bear fruit, Vicary said he could seek 

relocation funds or similar aid from the Legislature. 

Vicary and Eric Carstenson, Lincoln chamber senior vice president of govern 

ment affairs and finances, said their chamber membership supports improvements i 

n the job training area. 

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry also supports job training an 

d work recruitment efforts. 

The statewide chamber also will push for repeal of Initiative 300, a Nebras 

ka constitutional provision that bans corporate farming in the state. 

"We're going to be working on that, trying to repeal it or change it," said 

Jack Swartz, president of the state chamber group that represents local chamber 

s and industries throughout Nebraska. 

"We'd like to see it repealed and then let the Legislature have the authori 

ty, if regulation is necessary, to regulate it through statute rather than the c 

onstitution," Swartz said. "We know we're losing a lot of economic development 

opportunities because of that restriction." 

The Omaha chamber group also wants the Legislature to expand business 

tax incentives now offered under LB 775, which has been in place since the 1980' 

s; prevent real estate property taxes from spiraling and curb projected growth i 

n state income tax revenues over the next decade. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon nominates three for service academies 

TEXT[SCOTTSBLUFF - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon nominated three area youth for appointment 

to the nation's service academies. 

Stephan Reyes of Scottsbluff was nominated for the Naval 

Academy, Justin Walworth of Mitchell received nomination to the Air Force Academ 

y and Joseph Driewer of Sidney was nominated to the Merchant Marine Academy.




SOUR[Blair Pilot-Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Madden is nominated 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has announced that Wesley Madden of Fort Calho 

un is one of the 49 young Nebraskans he is nominating for appointments to the na 

tion's four service academies. 


on Committee comprised of prominent Nebraskans. Senators Exon and Kerrey announc 

e their nominees separately. 

Senator Exon has two vacancies to fill for the U.S. Military Academy and on 

e each at the other academies: the Air Force Academy, the Merchant Marine Academ 

y and the Naval Academy. Madden was nominated for the Air Force Academy and the 

Merchant Marine Academy. 


Service Academies. The academies will announce their appointment during the nex 

t several months. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Axtell Pride 

TEXT[Hats off to these two: Rebecca (Becky) Dimon and Brandon Lindau, seniors at 

Axtell Community School, have received nominations from Congressman Bill Barret 

t to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Becky and Brandon then participated in interviews with the Exon-Kerrey Serv 

ice Academy Selection Committee. Becky received nominations from Sen. Exon to bo 

th the Air Force Academy in Colorado and to the U.S. Military Academy in West Po 

int, New York. Brandon received nominations from Sen. Exon and Sen. Kerrey to th 

e U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Points, New York. Congratulations, Becky 

and Brandon! 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Applauds Budget Cuts 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Sen. Jim Exon issued the following statement Decembe 

r 19 following President Clinton's announcement of federal spending cuts. 

The President has taken some bold steps to cut spending and I app 

laud them. It is vital that we continue to reduce deficit spending, especially i 

n light of the desire to cut taxes and the impending consideration of a balanced

udget constitutional amendment. 

I am pleased the president has followed the lead of the Exon 

-Grassley spending cuts enacted earlier this year by extending the tough discret 

ionary spending freeze. l am glad the president has embraced the tougher cuts af 

ter opposing then last spring. This shows we were ahead of the rest of Washingto 

n on cutting spending. 

As the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, I will remain aggr 

essive to ensure that we do the hard work of spending cuts before the easy work 

of tax cuts. l will be there in my watchdog role to make sure America takes its 

medicine and that we carry out the peoples' desire to cut this government down t 

o size and save taxpayer funds. 




SOUR[Colfax Co. Press 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Area People Attend Rally 

TEXT[Nebraska State Senator Schelllpeper, Mr. and Mrs. Frankie Charipar, Allen K 

oliha, Joe Hanel, R.W. Holoubek, were among the group that attended The Town and 

Country Alliance Price Improvement Rally at the Sioux City Auditorium December 

20th. 

Over 1000 farmers and business men were in attendance. Among the sever 

al speakers U. S. Senator J.J. Exon gave an excellent speech, he stressed that " 

all farmers and business men should work together to get fair prices and that he 

will do all in his power with Congress to do so. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bellevue Seeks Federal Funds For Classrooms 

TEXT[The Bellevue School District is seeking $5.2 million in federal money to bu 

ild additions on two overcrowded elementary schools in the Capehart military hou 

sing area. 

Construction would start in spring 1996 if the district receives the money. 

It is time for the federal government to help pay for classrooms for childr 

en of Offutt Air Force Base personnel, said John Deegan, an assistant superinten 

dent for government relations and business services. 

The last time the district received federal money for construction of class 

rooms was a grant in 1967, Deegan said. The grant paid for construction of LeMay 

Elementary School, one of three elementary schools that serve the Capehart area 

. 

The district receives federal impact aid for educating the children of mili 

tary personnel. The district could use that money for classroom construction, bu 

t then there would be a gap in funding for teacher salaries, textbooks and other 

expenses funded by impact aid, Deegan said.

The district received about $9 million in impact aid last school year. 

Peter Sarpy and Fort Crook Elementary Schools, the other two schools servin 

g the Capehart area, teach only military dependents. All but about 10 percent of 

pupils at LeMay Elementary are military dependents. 

Capehart, a 786-acre area that extends northwest from about 25th Street and 

Capehart Road, is federal land. The district owns the schools in Capehart, leas 

ing the land from the federal government. 

Because of overcrowding, about 150 pupils are bused from the Capehart schoo 

ls to five other Bellevue schools, said Mary Busch, director of elementary educa 

tion. 

About 200 housing units in Capehart are closed for renovation. When the uni 

ts reopen, the number of pupils requiring busing will increase, Mrs. Busch said. 

The district has been working with Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., to get the money 

appropriated in the military construction section of the 1996 Defense Departmen 

t budget. 

Funds are tight for military-related projects such as the Capehart school a 

dditions, said Greg Pallas, Exon's chief of staff. 

"I don't want to say impossible, but I'd just put it in the very difficult 

category," Pallas said from Washington, D.C. 

Deegan said the district was optimistic about the funding but also was real 

istic. 

"The chances are probably 50-50 because of all the pressure on Congress rig 

ht now to try to watch spending," Deegan said. 

The district's plan calls for an addition of 16,438 square feet at Peter Sa 

rpy. The cost is $3 million. LeMay would get an addition of 16,125 square feet a 

t a cost of $2.2 million. 

Deegan said it would be the school board's decision whether to build the ad 

ditions if the government doesn't pay for the work. 



AUTH[Exon diary 

SOUR[Gretna Guide & News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[The Accomplishments of Congress 

TEXT[As political pundits speculate on how the newly elected majority in the Sen 

ate and House of Representatives will fare next year, I want to review what happ 

ened this year in Congress. 

I can understand why some voters must have thought Congress had not accompl 

ished much before Election Day. To a degree, they were right. As a Congress, we 

started well, but partisan gridlock bogged down the second year of the two-year 

cycle. 

Bills that sailed through the Senate early on -- such as a measure to 

reform lobbying -- could not in the end muster the 60 votes required to break a 

filibuster. 

When this degree of partisanship overtook the Senate and the House of 

Representatives, the entire nation suffered. Bills we poured effort into and bel 

ieved we could pass -- the Safe Drinking Water Act, for instance -- became casua 

lties of political gridlock.

That said, we must look at our hard-won successes. As your senior Sena 

tor, l cite these examples of legislation I worked on that will specifically ben 

efit Nebraskans. 

*Deficit reduction. The legislation passed with Senator Charles Grass 

ley of Iowa is the ONLY spending reduction accomplished in 1994 -$13 billion in 

REAL cuts. 

*Grain rail car shortage. The Interstate Commerce Commission and the O 

ffice of Management and Budget followed my recommendation to create a National G 

rain Car Council to help improve the annual shortage of rail cars for hauling gr 

ain during the fall harvest. 

Although the Council will not be a panacea, it can help keep track of rail 

cars and keep them moving the products of our harvest to market more efficiently 

. 

*Ethanol. I was a leader in beating back an attack on the new federal 

gasoline formula, assuring expanded use of ethanol in fuel. As I predicted, 'Big 

Oil' is challenging the rule in court. But we won the battle in Congress, a sig 

nificant first step. Markets for ETBE are expected to grow now that it will be e 

ligible to receive a tax exemption 'akin to ethanol's. 

*Crop insurance Reform. I was also a leader in adequate funding for an 

d passing the crop insurance program and a move away from dependence on special 

disaster assistance payments. 

*Health care reform. While reform did not pass, Nebraskans' voice 

s were heard. Congress slowed down and did not enact sweeping reform all in one 

year. 

Many of the reform bills proposed would nave reduced reimbursements to 

physicians and hospitals in our state that depend heavily on Medicare funding. 

For years, I worked to design a more fair Medicare reimbursement polic 

y for rural hospitals. As a result, the federal government began reimbursing rur 

al and urban hospitals at the same rate this year. 

*Crime. We made real movement toward fighting crime by pass 

ing the Crime bill. The debate over this controversial bill overlooked that it c 

ontains substantial money for combating crime in rural areas. It won't increase 

federal jobs. 

*Rail safety. Congress passed a railroad and grade crossing bill that 

I authored. It's the first such significant legislation and was among my priorit 

ies as chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee. 

*Essential Air Service. Seven Nebraska cities will continue to have co 

mmercial air service. I authored the current law that assures this necessary ser 

vice to smaller communities around the U.S. 

*Education. Our schools will continue to benefit from two federal prog 

rams reauthorized in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 

Nebraska schools will get more Impact Aid under a new formula. Distric 

ts in Bellevue, home of Offutt Air Force Base, and on Native American reservatio 

ns receive this money to compensate for their loss of property tax revenue. 

The bill also funds the Chapter I program, which gives money to distri 

cts across Nebraska with high concentrations of low-income students. 

*ICC streamlining. Congress approved my legislation to streamline truc 

king regulations, save at least $50 million over five years and save the Interst 

ate Commerce Commission (ICC). 

The ICC can now eliminate costly trucking regulations and some agency 

functions. In addition, the ICC may be merged with other federal agencies. 

*Streamlining government. I supported a bill that became law to simpli

fy government procurement practices. This new law tells the federal government, 

"shop 'off the shelf when possible, like typical Americans do. 




SOUR[Missouri Valley Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha attorney helps Immanuel's Cancer Unit; CMH benefits 

TEXT[A prominent Omaha attorney has made an initial $1 million gift to the Imman 

uel Charitable Foundation to benefit cancer patients in Western Iowa and Nebrask 

a. The gift by Cecil August Johnson will enable the creation of the Johnson Canc 

er Trust, according to Jim Heller, director of the Immanuel Charitable Foundatio 

n. 

"This wonderfully generous gift will allow the Immanuel Cancer Center, 

located at Immanuel Medical Center, to offer expanded cancer care services in O 

maha, eastern Nebraska and western Iowa regional locations, and at Immanuel's af 

filiated hospitals in Missouri Valley and at Schuyler, NE, Heller said. 

In making the gift, Johnson said. "We are very proud of what Immanuel' 

s Cancer Center has done up to this point and we are pleased that our gift will 

make it possible for Immanuel to expand its present services, provide additional 

needed services, and better serve the citizens of Nebraska and Iowa." 

The gift consists of Campbell Soup stock. Johnson said the gift of the 

stock is significant because he is using the strength of an Omaha company to ma 

ke his gift to Immanuel 

The areas of designated support during 1995 will help provide for the 

following: 

*a four-room oncology intensive care unit for patients at Immanuel Med 

ical Center; 

*the acquisition of a patient care planning simulator for the 

ImmanuelRadiationTherapy Center at St. Anthony's Hospital in Carroll. 

*provide two patient care rooms at the Immanuel Radiation Therapy Cent 

er at St. Anthony's Hospital in 

*provide two patient care rooms at the Immanuel Fontenelle Home for radia 

tion therapy patients who cannot safely travel during their course of treatment 

at Immanuel Medical Center. 

*and support the Teen Connection Cancer Support Group, a newly formed 

support group for teens who have friends or family members with cancer. The grou 

p is designed to help teens deal with the struggles they face when someone they 

know has cancer. 

Johnson is a former chairman of the Immanuel Board of Directors, havin 

g served on the Board from 1963-1976. Charles J. Marr, chief executive officer o 

f Immanuel Medical Center, said Johnson "played a key role in Immanuel's success 

and was responsible for the acquisition of the property and development of the 

current Immanuel Medical Center facilities at the north 72nd St. campus." 

Johnson was born in 1905 near Stratford. All four grandparents were b 

orn in Sweden and immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. 

Johnson was educated in the Iowa public schools, attended Iowa State C 

ollege in Ames and earned a bachelor of law degree in 1936, a master of public l 

aw degree in 1937 and another bachelor of commercial science degree in 1938, all

from Southwestern University in Washington D.C. 

He also received a master of law degree in 1938 from Columbus Universi 

ty, now the Columbus College of Law of Catholic University of America. 

While still a boy, Johnson assisted in the farming operation of his un 

cle and aunt, John and Julia (Erikson) Ritchie, a nationally recognized agricult 

ure and livestock operation, and parlayed that experience in to working in vario 

us positions with the United States 

Department of Agriculture from 1933-1944. From 1944-1951 he was a partner in a C 

hicago law firm and served as general counsel to Lutheran Brotherhood, State Far 

m Insurance Companies and other companies. 

During the same time period. Johnson served as legal adviser to variou 

s Omaha-based organizations, including Farm Crops Processing Corp., C.A. Swanson 

and Sons, Mutual and United of Omaha, Livestock National Bank and Woodmen of th 

e World. 

In 1951, he moved his family residence to Omaha where he continued to 

serve as general counsel to C.A. Swanson & Sons until 1955, when he handled lega 

l negotiations for the merger of the company with Campbell Soup Co. He has also 

served as general counsel to Butternut Foods Co., Beebe & Runyan Co. and Samard 

ick & Co. 

He has held numerous public and civic assignments. In 1960 he served a 

s conceptor for the building and funding of the Eppley Cancer Research Center at 

the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He was appointed by Gov. J.J. Exon t 

o serve out the unexpired term of A.V. Sorensen on Omaha Public Power District B 

oard. He has also been a member of the board of directors of Nebraskans for Publ 

ic Television. 

Johnson was a member of the National Advisory Council on Neurolog 

ical Diseases and Blindness for the National Institute of Health; headed up the 

Federal Crop Insurance Program; and was responsible for the reorganization of th 

e office of Civil Defense while on assignment from the U.S.D.A. in 1942. 

An active member of the Lutheran Church, Johnson was a trustee of the Luthe 

ran Church in America Foundation from 1964-1972 and also served as chairman. Fro 

m 1965-1973, he was a trustee of Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, NE, and se 

rved as chairman from 1971-73. From 1972-1977, he was a member of the committee 

on Finance & Administration for the Lutheran Church in America. He served as hea 

d of the building committee for the present St. Timothy Lutheran Church building 

. 

Cecil and his first wife, Esther, who died of multiple sclerosis in 1959, h 

ad three children. They are Nadyne Millar of Omaha, Franklin Johnson, M.D., of N 

apa, CA, and Richard Johnson, Ph.D. of South Hadley, MA. A son, Newell, is decea 

sed. 

Cecil and his second wife, Harriet, whom he married in 1960, are residents 

of Omaha but spend the winter months at their home in Sarasota, FL. They will re 

turn to Omaha in the spring. A dedication ceremony at Immanuel will be held in c 

onjunction with Mr. Johnson's 90th birthday celebration and the National Cancer 

Survivor's Day commemoration in June. 



AUTH[David Beeder and Paul Goodsell 


BK#[

HDLN[Exon Says Some Change is Overdue 

TEXT[Washington - "I'd rather be in the majority." Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said 

as congressional power shifted Wednesday from Democrats to Republicans in both t 

he Senate and House of Representatives. 

"But I think that under the circumstances the fact that we are in the 

minority gives us even more responsibility," Exon said. 

Exon and other members of the congressional delegation from Nebraska a 

nd western Iowa said they expected to pass significant legislation during the fi 

rst session of the 104th Congress. 

"This will be a very important session," Exon said. "A lot of changes Bill 

be made that should have been made." 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb.. said he was confident the newly in-stalled Repub 

lican majority in the House of Representatives will reach all of the goals outli 

ned in the party's Contract With America. 

The contract is a list of proposals, including a balanced budget amendment 

to the Constitution, a $500-per-child tax credit, restrictions on government wel 

fare payments and term limits for members of Congress. 

Barrett said he believed legislation implementing the Contract With America 

would pass the House within 100 days. 

Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, said his No. 1 priority during the first 100 days 

would be enactment of the $500-per-child tax credit. 

He said he also would he working on the 1995 farm bill as a member of 

the House Agriculture Committee and the General Farm Commodities subcommittee he 

aded by Barrett. 

"We need to maintain a level of support for the family farmer," Latham 

said. 

Barrett said his subcommittee would "focus on what's best for producer 

s, agriculture related industries and the overall economic well-being of rural A 

merica." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he would continue to propose legislation 

aimed at controlling the growth of government entitlement programs, including S 

ocial Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and farm subsidies. 

Kerrey said he would introduce legislation with Sen. Alan Simpson, R-W 

yo., that would recommend ways to prevent the entitlement programs from consumin 

g all tax revenues early in the next century. 

"Unless we control entitlements we are not going to be successful at a 

chieving a balanced budget or an increased standard of living for Americans." Ke 

rrey said. 

He said he also would give top priority to education-technology and jo 

b-training legislation. 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot. R-Iowa, said that having new leadership 

in the House and Senate provided "an excellent opportunity to re-examine the fed 

eral government from bottom to top and make real changes." 

He said one of his main objectives would be to eliminate unfunded federal mandat 

es, which are laws that require states and local governments to pay for programs 

enacted by Congress. 

"The federal government keeps forgetting there is a price to he paid f 

or passing new laws, and if we in the federal government don't pay for it, then 

somebody else will," Lightfoot said. 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb.. said that passage of the Contract With Americ 

a would help ease the insecurities that many Americans felt about the economy an

d social problems. 

"You just look at the $500-per-child tax credit." Christensen said on 

ABC's Good Morning America." "That provision's going to put $1,000 back into the 

family with two kids. 

"A thousand dollars can make a real difference when it comes to paying 

bills for Christmas gifts, for other items. I mean, a thousand dollars back in 

to the pockets of hard-working middle Americans, middle-class Americans, is a bi 

g point." 

Christensen acknowledged that Republicans may not support every item 

in the contract, which promises only the House will vote on the proposals. But h 

e said he backed the entire agenda and predicted that others would do the same, 

prodded by activist Republicans elected in l992 and 1994. 

"There's a lot of things the freshman and sophomore classes want to be able 

to get through the Congress, even though some senior members may not agree with 

every provision," Chris said. "I think that everybody is excited that we're her 

e and that we're a new Republican majority. And they're to go along with a lot o 

f things they believe in." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senior Nominated to Service Academies 

TEXT[Aurora High School senior Sam Greenfield is among the nominees to U.S servi 

ce academies announced by Sens. James Exon and Bob Kerrey and Representative Bil 

l Barrett. 

Greenfield is among 20 Nebraska students nominated by Sen. Exon to the U.S 

Military Academy at West Point and one of 10 students nominated by Sen. Kerrey t 

o the U.S Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. 

Greenfield also is among six students nominated to the Air Force Academy by 

Rep. Barrett. 

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stan Greenfield of Aurora. 

Final offers of appointment will be decided solely by each of the four serv 

ices academies and will be announced during the next several months. 


DATE[ 

AUTH[Andrew Taylor 

SOUR[Congressional Quarterly 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Some in GOP Skeptical of Potent Line-Item Veto 

TEXT[WASHINGTON--If there is one thing President Clinton and the new Republican 

Congress agree upon, it is the need for presidential line-item veto on federal s 

pending. Now it is up to Republicans to agree among themselves. Although the li 

ne-item veto is high on the list of legislative priorities in the House Republic 

an "Contract With America," it is being approached with caution some Republican 

senators, who are not in a hurry to confer so much new power on the president. 

The devil, as they say, is in the details, specifically in the fine print o

f how to define what kind of veto powers to give the president. As it turns out, 

the main proponents of the idea are not talking about full-blown line-item veto 

at least not as it has traditionally been defined. 

This is because to give the president the true line-item veto, which he 

could use unilaterally to delete provisions of appropriations bills without veto 

ing the entire measure, would require an amendment to the Constitution. That is 

an uphill climb; any constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority vot 

e in both House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states. 

Therefore, proponents are rallying around proposals to strengthen the pres 

ident's existing authority to rescind spending, subject to a vote by Congress. T 

wo leading plans have emerged: the "enhanced rescissions" proposal outlined in t 

he Contract With America, and a less potent "expedited rescissions" bill being f 

ashioned by incoming Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and 

Jim Exon who will be the top Democrat on the committee 

The House is expected to easily pass its version. 

But in the Senate, the battle will be joined by several factions: hard- lin 

e opponents of any bill to increase presidential power, conservatives seeking to 

enact the Contract With America version and middle-of-the-road members like Dom 

enici and Exon, who want to proceed with caution and not shift too much power fr 

om Congress to the presidency. 

"The line-item veto, fundamentally, is not popular in the U.S. Senate," sai 

d Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is the House Republicans' chief ally in the Sen 

ate. 

Under current law, the president can propose to rescind any portion of an a 

ppropriations bill. But Congress is not forced to vote on the president's propos 

als. Typically, lawmakers replace many of the president's proposed cuts with dif 

ferent rescissions of their own. 

Under the Domenici/Exon proposal, the president would propose a set of resc 

issions and Congress would have to act on them; the rescissions would take effec 

t if both houses of Congress approved them by majority votes. 

Under the more powerful enhanced rescissions bill being promoted by McCain 

and House Republicans, the president could, in effect, delete or reduce any part 

of a spending bill unless overridden by a two-thirds vote by both the House and 

the Senate. 



AUTH[Elizabeth Schwinn 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Feinstein Sworn in Despite Huffington 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein took her oath of o 

ffice on the first day of the 104th Congress, undeterred by defeated Republican 

candidate Michael Huffington's latest challenge to November's election results. 

Huffington, the heir to an oil fortune who gave up his House seat represent 

ing Santa Barbara to take on Feinstein, filed a petition in the Senate on Wednes 

day asking that the incumbent be seated only provisionally. 

Huffington, who spent $27 million in his losing effort, alleges massive vot 

e fraud in the campaign - specifically, that a huge number of illegal immigrants 

cast votes against him.

The challenger's petition was presented to Vice President Al Gore, the pres 

iding officer of the Senate, about an hour before the swearing-in ceremony. 

But Gore, with the agreement of new Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. 

, and Minority Leader Thomas Daschle, D-S.D., went ahead with seating Feinstein 

"without prejudice." 

Huffington's petition marks the first stage of a request that the Senate de 

termine whether Feinstein was fairly elected. The Senate Rules Committee will de 

cide in a process that could take a year or more. 

On Wednesday, Feinstein called the petition "14 pages of sour grapes" and a 

dded, "Mr. Huffington has not presented evidence that would or could, in any way 

, shape or form, invalidate my election." 

Earlier, Feinstein spokesman Bill Chandler called Huffington's claim "an ou 

tlandish episode of 'The Twilight Zone."' 

Feinstein won by about 160,000 votes. The Voter Fraud Task Force, led by Hu 

ffington backer Harold Ezell, estimated Tuesday that 170,000 votes were fraudule 

nt. 

The group examined 84 California precincts and used the alleged irregularit 

ies discovered in the sampling to arrive at the statewide figure, Ezell said. Th 

e group said it found at least 67 cases in which votes were cast in the names of 

dead people. 

The California secretary of state's office certified Feinstein as winner De 

c. 14, after a lengthy vote count. An office representative said no evidence of 

vote fraud was presented. 

Examiner news services contributed to this report. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[People Places & Things 

TEXT[THE SPIRIT LINGERS ON: Christmas Day has come and gone but the warmth of th 

e Season is kindled when we browse through a mountain of Christmas cards from ol 

d friends whose Sidney roots still seem very firmly planted. Among those who hel 

ped make our Christmas a very merry one are: 

Dr. Jason and Joan Roche who now share their time between a summer home on 

Cape Cod and a winter home in Naples, Florida. Dr. Roche practiced medicine in S 

idney before moving to the Boston area. 

Mike and Jo Selzer and Dr. Max and Lois Cory are two of a number of pe 

ople from this region who have favored Sun Lakes, Arizona as a retirement spot. 

Barbara (Radcliffe) James, who has lived in Phoenix for many years, has a j 

ob that takes her to California, where she often runs into old school mates such 

as Doug Hornbeck and Jack Dedrick. They were here in September for their Sidney 

High Class reunion. 

John and Carmen Gottschalk sent greeting from Omaha where he is busy this y 

ear as the King of the Court of Ak-Sar-Ben, among many other activities. Carmen 

provides grace and dignity as the king's consort. 

The Waldo Dearings sent their greetings from their California home and also 

gave us a calendar sponsored by the Sioux Depot Reunion group that carries a pi 

cture of the old Sioux fire department headquarters which now is a natural herit

age historical site. 

Ardith Goins, who lived in Sidney for many years, never forgets us fro 

m her home in Denver. Her Christmas cards always carry a warm personal greeting, 

which preserves an old and valued friendship. 

Elsie Janda, now living in Sterling, is one of the old neighbors who renews 

good memories at Christmas time. Also Phil and Marge Curtiss who are comfortabl 

e in their new home in Greeley, Colorado. 

Dr. Richard and Beverly (Dorwart) Mulholland of Golden, Colorado gave away 

their second daughter in marriage last summer, but that wasn't the only momentou 

s event of their summer. Dick and three friends made up a foursome on the golf c 

ourse when one of the men suffered a heart attack. Dick applied CPR -procedure u 

ntil emergency crews arrived and was credited with saving the man's life. 

Bob Howard, our nephew who spent part of his boyhood in Sidney and Scottsbl 

uff, lives in Alexandria, West Virginia with his wife Judy and two children and 

is one of the top lobbyists for The Ford Motor Co. He expects to be very busy in 

the next session of Congress, breaking in 56 new senators and house members. 

Catherine (Jones) Hock still lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky on a street w 

ith one of my all-time favorite names: Meadowlark Lane. 

Haven and Virginia Smith keep in touch to remind us that they now live in 

Arizona for reasons of health but their hearts are still in Nebraska where old f 

riends abound. 

Elmer and Shirley Haines live in Mission Hills, California but 

this time of year you're more apt to find them on golf courses at Palm Springs. 

Percy and Fred a Dimick built a nice mountain home in the Poudre Canyon abo 

ve Fort Collins many years ago and wouldn't think of living anywhere else. Both 

his and her families had long farming backgrounds in Cheyenne County. 

Christmas always brings a handsome card from Washington D.C. from Senator a 

nd Mrs. Jim Exon. Solid folks who have served Nebraska with great pride and sinc 

erity. 

Bill and Margie Oberfelder of Rancho Del Rio, California still maintain an 

interest in Sidney and the area. He is a grandson of the late Judge Joseph Oberf 

elder, one of the true pioneers in this part of the country. 

Rex and Doris Monahan of Sterling have their welcome cards in our pile 

of Christmas 1994. She is the former Doris Lafler of Sidney. 

The Bob Driewers also wanted us to know that they haven't forgotten us, eve 

n though they opted to take up a new career in Texas. 

The David Weitzels are now living in High Rolls, New Mexico where David is 

in county administration. Their Christmas message says David has become an arden 

t soccer fan, coaches a boys' soccer team and has been turning out some champion 

s. David Weitzel is a former Sidney city manager. His wife Susan is remembered h 

ere with great affection as a church and community worker. 

Sylvia Underdown, now living at The Registry in Scottsbluff, said they 

held a dedication there recently for a flag pole that is a memorial to her late 

husband, John. "He would have liked it", she writes. 

Many others, too, bringing the same sentiment and keeping the good mem 

ories fresh. Including the traditional message from Jack and Sue Bryant of Tekam 

ah, Nebraska, with this touching Christmas poem that has come down through the g 

enerations in the Bryant family: 

And when Christmas Day is almost done, 

And they all have grown sleepy, one by one, 

We shall sit alone by the fire and see 

Shadows of you come near me,

For the dead and the absent always stay 

With the ones they love on Christmas Day. 

THEY'LL TAKE IT EASIER: Sen. Gerald Matzke and spouse Lee Ellen are in Linc 

oln, prepared for the 'long session' of the Nebraska Legislature that probably w 

on't adjourn until June 1st. Last year the Matzkes drove home almost every weeke 

nd but they think they may try to take it a little easier in 1995 and come home 

just every other week, unless business or other demands take precedence. Sen. Ma 

tzke didn't have much time to get things organized at his busy legal office last 

year after he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Sen. Dennis Baack. No 

w, however, he thinks he can work out the bi-weekly schedule for home trips, alt 

hough it will be something of trial and error until he sees how it works. They h 

ave an apartment in Lincoln and Lee Ellen plans to spend most of-the session the 

re. Sen. Matzke won an overwhelming election victory on November 8, proof positi 

ve that Gov. Ben Nelson made a popular appointment when he selected Matzke. 

THE OLD 'OLD STUFF' FILE: I have voluminous files at my home, but one is sp 

ecial. I call it my "Old Stuff File". In that tattered envelope are old memories 

dating back at least 70 years. Including one stamped first class envelope dated 

in the very early 1920's which bore a three cent stamp. I thought about this as 

I contemplated my first trip to the post office in 1995 to buy some 32 cent sta 

mps. The old letter and envelope are still well preserved and the three cent sta 

mp stands out as a memento of earlier days when life was simpler, cheaper and sl 

ower but not nearly as exciting now that we have fax machines and internets and 

information highways and computers and word processors that scream at you when y 

ou make a mistake. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon applauds budget cuts 

TEXT[U.S. Sen. Jim Exon issued the following statement, following President Clin 

ton's announcement of federal spending cuts. 

"The President has taken some bold steps to cut spending and I applaud them 

. It is vital that we continue to reduce deficit spending, especially in light o 

f the desire to cut taxes and the impending consideration of a balanced budget c 

onstitutional amendment. 

"I am pleased the President has followed the lead of the Exon-Grassley spen 

ding cuts enacted earlier this year by extending the tough discretionary spendin 

g freeze. I am glad the President has embraced the tougher cuts after opposing t 

hem last spring. This shows we were ahead of the rest of Washington on cutting s 

pending." 

As the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, I will remain aggressiv 

e to ensure that we do the hard work of spending cuts before the easy work of ta 

x cuts. I will be there in my watchdog role to make sure America takes its medic 

ine and that we carry out the peoples' desire to cut this government down to siz 

e and save taxpayer funds.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton wants to meet Huskers 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - President Clinton will invite the national champion University 

of Nebraska football team to meet him at the White House, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb. 

, said he was advised by the White House. 

No date has been set. 

"I'm pleased that the president will be taking time out of his schedule to 

visit the Cornhuskers, who have earned this honor," 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Chuck Hagel: Decision Near On Senate Run 

TEXT[Chuck Hagel, an Omaha investment banker, has begun a series of meetings tha 

t could lead quickly to a decision to seek the Republican nomination for the U.S 

. Senate in 1996. 

Hagel, 48, said he had not made a final decision, despite a statement by Th 

omas Skutt in a reception invitation that Hagel will run. 

Skutt, chairman of Mutual of Omaha, said in the invitation to the Jan. 26 r 

eception that Hagel "is going to run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in 1996 

." 

"It's not an announcement," Hagel said Thursday. "l have not made a decisio 

n. But I will make a decision early this year." 

Hagel said he had told people that he would reach a decision by March - 14 

months before the 1996 primary and 20 months before the election. He said he did 

not see the invitation from Skutt before it was sent out. 

Sen. J.J Exon D-Neb., is expected to seek a fourth term in 1996. 

In 1993, Hagel considered mounting a campaign for the Senate. He decided ag 

ainst running before Jan Stoney decided to get into the race. Mrs. Stoney lost t 

o Sen. Bob Kerrey in November. 

Since the November election, Hagel has met with a number of potential suppo 

rters, business leaders and others concerning his interest in becoming a Senate 

candidate. After he met with Skutt, Skutt offered to invite some of his friends 

and associates to a reception, Hagel said. 

Hagel said he had begun scheduling meetings with other Republicans who cave 

indicated a possible interest in running in 1996, including Mrs. Stoney, Rep. D 

oug Bereuter, Attorney General Don Stenberg and GOP State Chairman Jerry Schenke 

n. 

Before returning to Omaha in 1992 as president of McCarthy & Co., Hagel was 

in private business and involved in government in the Washington, D.C., area. H 

e served in the administrations of residents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. 

Hagel was born in North Platte, served in the Army in Vietnam, graduated fr 

om the University of Nebraska at Omaha and served as administrative assistant to

former Rep. John Y. McCollister, R-Neb. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon:Huskers to Get White House Invite 

TEXT[Washington- The national championship Nebraska Cornhusker football team wil 

l be invited to the White House so President Clinton can congratulate the team a 

nd Coach Tom Osborne, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Wednesday. No date was announ 

ced. 

"This is a great day for the Cornhuskers and a great day for Nebraska." Exo 

n said. "I'm pleased that the president will be taking time out of his schedule 

to visit with the busy Nebraska Cornhuskers, who have earned this honor." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[President will invite No. 1 NU 

TEXT[WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Jim Exon of Nebraska said Wednesday he has been adv 

ised by White House officials that President Clinton will be extending an invita 

tion to the national champion Nebraska football team to meet the president at th 

e White House. 

No date for the meeting has been set. 

"I'm pleased that the president will be taking time out of his schedule to 

visit the Cornhuskers, who have earned this honor," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Politicians' Views Differ on GOP-led Congress 

TEXT[One of Nebraska's congressman called it a red letter day, while another lam 

ented the end of his majority status as the Republicans assumed control of Congr 

ess. 

"It's been a crisp, cool day in the nation's capital, but the sun has been 

shining very brightly," said an exuberant Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., on Wednesda 

y. 

The Republicans gained a majority in both the Senate and the House of Repre 

sentatives after scoring key victories in the Nov. 8 election. On Wednesday, Rep 

. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., became speaker of the House, and the nation's newly elec 

ted lawmakers were sworn into office. 

"The Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives for the 

first time in 40 years, Newt Gingrich is the new speaker ... Now this is a red

letter day for any congressman from rural Nebraska," Barrett said. 

From the other side of the political aisle, Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., admitte 

d he preferred being part of a majority, but he expected the 104th Congress to b 

e an important session for both major political parties. 

"I think that under the circumstances the fact that we are in the minority 

gives us even more responsibility," Exon said. 

Exon was appointed as the Democratic leader of the Senate Budget Committee. 

He also was appointed to a new leadership group called the Technology and Commu 

nications Committee. 

"I am pleased to be in a position to continue fighting for fiscal responsib 

ility," Exon said of his appointment on the Budget Committee. 

Exon's Democratic colleague, Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said he hasn't notice 

d any changes due to the power shift. He is hopeful progress will be made in thi 

s session of Congress. 

"I'm optimistic, based both upon proposals that I've heard Republicans in t 

he Senate make as well as proposals that the Democratic leadership is making, th 

at we're going to be able to forge bipartisan coalitions," he said Wednesday. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon Assumes Two Leadership Posts 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska assumed two new leadership 

posts as the new session of Congress began. 

Exon was formally appointed as the Democratic leader on the Senate Bud 

get Committee. Minority Leader Thomas Daschle also appointed Exon to a new leade 

rship group called the Technology and Communications Committee. 

The new committee will look for ways to use new forms of technology li 

ke video teleconferencing to better communicate with, and listen to, the public, 




AUTH[DAVID E. LYNCH 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Delegation Split Over Mandate 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The Nebraska congressional delegation today entered Day Two of 

the new Republican controlled Congress generally encouraged that the mandate of 

the 1994 election will be carried out. 

Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon have a slightly different view of 

that mandate than do House Republicans Doug Bereuter, 1st District, Jon Christen 

sen, 2nd District, and Bill Barrett, 3rd District. But there seems to be general 

agreement that voters want more bang for their federal tax dollar. 

While Kerrey volunteered during a news conference with Nebraska reporters o 

n Wednesday that he is optimistic about the chances of forging bipartisan soluti 

ons to national problems to read their election victories as mandates for their

specific agenda, the items in the "Contract With America." 

Exon took to the Senate floor to warn Republicans they will have to outline 

specific spending cuts, not the usual unproven savings from clamping down on wa 

ste, fraud and abuse, before they expect passage of their constitutional amendme 

nt requiring a balanced federal budget by 2002. 

Kerrey said some of his optimism comes from recent comments by new Republic 

an Senate committee chairmen like New Mexico's Pete Domenici of the budget commi 

ttee, who said any tax cut will have to be balanced by a corresponding spending 

cut. And Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, 

who Kerrey said has made it clear he "will not be stampeded." 

On Wednesday, an exuberant Barrett told the Associated Press, "It's been a 

crisp, cool day in the nation's capital, but the sun has been shining very brigh 

tly. The Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives for the 

first time in 40 years, Newt Gingrich is the new speaker. ... Now this is a red 

letter day for any congressman from rural Nebraska." 

While admitting he preferred being part of the majority, Exon said, "I thin 

k that under the circumstances the fact that we are in the minority gives us eve 

n more responsibility." 

Exon was appointed Democratic leader of the Senate Budget Commit-tee and was nam 

ed to a new leadership group called the Technology and Communications Committee. 

Kerrey also said he is encouraged by the agenda outlined by new minority le 

ader Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D. that includes a slimmed down health care proposal 

that Kerrey thinks can attract strong bipartisan support and a legislative propo 

sal to balance the budget by 2003. 

The Republicans want to change the Constitution to require a balanced budge 

t; the new Senate Democratic leadership wants to pass a law requiring a balanced 

budget and specifying the necessary spending cuts. 

Kerrey said he is confident the Senate will be able to agree on a farm bill 

, and he plans to work with Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., on a legislative package 

that would address the major retirement, health care and other entitlement progr 

ams that threaten to bankrupt the Social Security Trust Fund and the federal gov 

ernment over the next 30 years. 

Kerrey was the chairman of the National Commission on Entitlement and Tax R 

eform that last month concluded its eight-month mission by submitting a number o 

f recommendations to the president after failing to reach a consensus. 

He said he is confident he and Simpson, a conservative, can work together. 

He also said he met with Omaha Mayor-elect Hal Daub Wednesday morning and reache 

d agreement on a number of issues. Kerrey said he is confident he can have a str 

ong and constructive working relationship Daub. a Republican and former House me 

mber from Omaha. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon Supports Bill on Mandate 

TEXT[ Washington- A bill that would prohibit Congress from imposing unfunded 

programs on states and cities was endorsed Thursday by Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.. 

and Charles Grassley R-Iowa.

"Washington passes regulations and then drops them like a foundling on the 

doorstep of the states," Exon said after a Senate hearing on the bill. 

He said the Congressional Budget Office estimates conservatively that the c 

ost of complying with programs required by the federal government has increased 

from $225 million in 1986 to $2.8 billion in 1991. 

Exon and Grassley, members of the Senate Budget Committee, are two of 56 co 

-sponsors of legislation that would require a Congressional Budget Office estima 

te of the cost imposed on state and local governments by new federal laws. 

A separate vote would be required on any legislation that imposed an unfund 

ed mandate greater than $50 million on state and local governments. 

Grassley said governors and mayors have made the bill a high priority. 

"We must ensure that this legislation does the job, that it is not just a p 

olitical exercise," Grassley said. "This bill says Washington cannot pass the bu 

ck without also passing the bucks to do the job." 

Nebraska Gov. Nelson, who was inaugurated for a second term Thursday, submi 

tted testimony urging support of the bill. 

Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho, author of the bill, said Nelson, a Democrat, 

had taken a leadership role in promoting passage of the bill. 

Kempthorne said the bill wouldn't affect laws previously passed. These incl 

ude the Americans With Disabilities Act, which established standards to make pub 

lic buildings accessible to disabled people. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Daschle names Exon to technology panel 

TEXT[Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has appointed Sen. Jim Exon to a new com 

mittee which will look for ways to use new forms of technology, such as video te 

leconferencing, to better communicate with and listen to the public. 

"This will give Nebraskans more direct input into the legislative process s 

o their voices can be heard," Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Takes Swing at Ending Strike 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., has urged President Clinton to summon t 

he representatives in the baseball strike to the White House where, possibly und 

er the threat of anti-trust prosecution, they can be convinced to announce plans 

to play ball in the spring. 

Exon said in his letter to the president that he is a "dedicated baseball f 

an and misses the action." But, he said, his motives are not those of a "basebal 

l starved nut, but rather the clearly adverse financial impact on thousands, if 

not millions, of Americans whose jobs and incomes have been devastated by the lo 

ng strike."

Exon said he wants the owners and the players to agree to play the 1995 sea 

son under existing contracts while continuing negotiations. 

Exon, who has been rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals since he was a child 

, suggested in his letter that Clinton might be more successful in getting the w 

arring owners and players to settle their dispute by pointing out that if they d 

o not agree to play ball he could ask Congress to repeal the anti-trust exemptio 

n that allows baseball to operate as a monopoly. 

The baseball season came to an abrupt end last July when owners and players 

failed to reach agreement on a new contract. The owners are insisting on a sala 

ry cap for top players, which the players' union says is unacceptable. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Supports Lid on Unfunded Mandates 

TEXT[Lincoln,Neb. (AP)-Sen.Jim Exon, D-Neb., gave his support Thursday to federa 

l legislation requiring Congress to pay for any services it forces states and lo 

cal governments to perform. 

Congressional budget officials have estimated that the cost of complying wi 

th federal mandates was $2.8 billion in 1991, up from $225 million in 1986, said 

Exon, the Democratic leader on the Senate Budget Committee 

Written testimony from Gov. Ben Nelson was presented at a joint hearin 

g of the Budget and Governmental Affairs committees in Washington, D.C. 

"State and local governments are operating with very few avenues left 

to absorb additional federal mandates," Nelson said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha Businessman Hagel Plans GOP Challenge to Exon in 1996 

TEXT[ Republican Chuck Hagel of Omaha likely will be a candidate next year f 

or the U.S. Senate seat now held by Exon. 

Hagel, president of McCarthy and Co. investment banking firm, said only an 

unforeseen event such as a family illness, would keep him from seeking the Repu 

blican nomination. 

"I think my Nebraska background and my experiences in business, the militar 

y, government and nonprofit work combined make me an effective candidate for the 

U.S. Senate," Hagel said Thursday. "What I would want to do is use those experi 

ences on behalf of Nebraskans in the U.S. Senate." 

Hagel, who has not run for elective office before, said he will announce hi 

s intentions in March. A campaign kickoff probably will be next January. 

Hagel, who is meeting with potential supporters throughout the state, said 

the cost of a Senate campaign makes it necessary for him to begin lining up sup 

port early.

Exon, 73, has been elected to three times to the Senate and has said he pla 

ns to seek another six-year term next year. 

Immediately after being re-elected in November, Rep. Doug Bereuter R-1st Di 

strict, expressed interest in running for Exon's seat. Hagel said a decision by 

Bereuter or any other Republican to seek the office probably would not diminish 

his interest. "I expect competition," he said. 

A North Platte native and decorated Vietnam veteran, Hagel, 48, served as a 

congressional aide in Washington, D.C., in the early 1970s to Rep. John McColli 

ster, R-2nd-District. 

He then worked as manager of government affairs for Firestone Tire & Rubber 

. In 1991, former President Reagan chose him to be deputy administrator of the V 

eterans Administration, a post that required Senate confirmation. While with the 

VA, Hagel worked on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial project. 

In 1982, he was a co-founder of a cellular telecommunications consulting fi 

rm near Washington, which since has become Vanguard Cellular Systems Inc. 

Hagel has served as president of the United Services Organizations for thre 

e years. In 1990, he served as president of the Private Sector Council in Washin 

gton, D.C., a group of companies that suggested business solutions for federal g 

overnment problems. He also served in the Bush administration as an official for 

the 1990 Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations. 

In 1992, Hagel returned to Nebraska and became president of McCarthy & Co. 

He is married and has two young children. 

The Republican dominated election shows Americans are no longer satisfied w 

ith politics as usual, Hagel said. "I believe we're living through a revolution 

in this country and this world, and I want to be part of helping to shape Americ 

a's future," he said. 




SOUR[The Lincoln Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[New Legislative Bills Have Familiar Look About Them 

TEXT[ The first day of bill introduction in the Nebraska Legislature produce 

d a number of efforts to resurrect measures that failed previous sessions. 

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers is trying once again to repeal the death penalty, 

but he faces an uphill battle in Legislature tinged with pressure to be tougher 

than ever on crime. 

Chambers also reintroduced another controversial bill that would protect em 

ployees from discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

Another senator, Dan Lynch, brought back bills to license midwives and crea 

te a new system of taxing motor vehicles - both ideas that failed to advance las 

t year. 

Sen. Stan Schellpeper of Stanton reintroduced a bill to abolish personal pr 

operty tax and replace it with a sales tax on certain services. That's another i 

dea that was considered but rejected in years past. 

SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS among the 104 bills introduced Thursday were: 

þ LB28, by Waverly Sen. Jerome Warner, requiring lottery vendors to disc 

lose campaign contributions. 

þ LB38. by Hebron Sen. George Coordsen, doubling the traffic fines for movi

ng violations in construction zones. 

þ LB56, by Sen. Doug Kristensen of Minden, requiring judges to retire at ag 

e 72. 

þ LB57, by Malcolm Sen. Carol Hudkins, lowering the age at which a person m 

ay be convicted of public indecency from 18 to 14. 

þ LB74, by Lincoln Sen. DiAnna Schimek, allowing children who are below age 

five to enroll in school after taking a test. 

Chamber's LB18 would replace the death penalty with life in prison without 

possibility of parole. He said, however, that while the bill would prohibit the 

state Parole Board from taking any action, it would not remove the constitutiona 

l authority of the state Board of Pardons to commute such a sentence to a specif 

ic number of years. 

The bill also would provide for prisoners convicted of murder and sent 

enced to life to work to pay restitution to victims' families. The amount of suc 

h restitution would be set by the court, he said. 

Asked about the chances of a death-penalty repeal passing this year, Chambe 

rs said, "Who knows?" A similar bill passed in 1979 but was vetoed by then Gov. 

Jim Exon, he noted. "At that time, the polls said there was no chance to get it 

out of committee." 

ALTHOUGH RECENT POLLS show more than 80 percent of Nebraskans favor retaini 

ng the death penalty, Chambers said, "I'm never deterred by polls. I know it's n 

ot going to be easy - but it never has been." 

LB21, also introduced by Chambers, would prohibit job discrimination agains 

t homosexuals, except by religious institutions. Chambers said his bill would me 

rely include "sexual orientation" along with race and other protected categories 

, but would not decriminalize any existing sex crimes or other offenses. 

Another Chambers bill, LB22, would eliminate the offense of adultery. Chamb 

ers said the current law is unenforceable because it requires a person to have f 

orsaken one's spouse and also to be living with and having sex with another pers 

on. 

"You can desert your spouse and have sex with another person on a regular b 

asis, but if you're not cohabiting with the other person, it's not considered ad 

ultery," he said. He described the law as an out of date statute that should be 

removed from the books. 

Lynch's LB30 would create a new fee schedule based on the age of motor vehi 

cles, but not on the specific make or model of car. 

For example, all passenger cars valued under $17,000 new would have a fee of $25 

0 the first year, with descending fees to a minimum of $10 for a car 15 years ol 

d or older. There would be somewhat higher fees for cars of higher value, and ad 

ditional schedules for trucks, motorcycles and other types of vehicles. 

HE SAID THE PURPOSE of the change would be to have a clear maximum and mini 

mum tax for each type of vehicle, rather than the current system, which is based 

on assessed value. The change would actually bring in more tax revenue over the 

life of a vehicle, but it would be distributed more evenly from year to year. 

Lynch's LB32 provides for the licensure of midwives and establishment of a 

Board of Examiners of Midwife Practice. The bill would meet demands of parents w 

ho seek home deliveries of babies without the presence of a doctor. 

Schellpeper's LB45 would eliminate the current personal property tax on all 

items except motor vehicles. It would replace it by expanding the sales tax to 

certain services, including cleaning services, interior decorators, barbers, tra 

vel agents and tax preparers, among others. 

The bill is not in its final form, but is intended as "a vehicle for discus

sion" on various options for repealing the personal property tax, said Lyn Heate 

n, an aide to Schellpeper. A similar bill last year failed to advance. 



AUTH[Jill Lawrence 

SOUR[Vacaville CA Reporter 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Governors back GOP proposal on budget 

TEXT[Republican congressional leaders won support Friday from governors once coo 

l to ward a balanced budget amendment. They rejected Democratic effort to force 

an explanation of how they'd actually do away with the deficit. 

At the first of what they said would be quarterly meeting the state and con 

gressional Republicans also discussed a welfare overhaul that would collapse 336 

federal assistance program into eight block grants to states. 

The GOP marshaled House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Bob D 

ole, House Budget Chairman John Kasich and 15 governors for a show of partisan h 

armony that capped a heady week of reasserting control over Capitol Hill. 

Addressing a packed news conference, the Republicans proclaimed the birth o 

f a new and more equal Partnership between the states and the federal government 

Gingrich, Ga., said power would no longer be handed to bureaucrats who say "her 

e's how you should behave in your own country." 

The governors were unabashedly enthusiastic about the possibility of a Stre 

amlined welfare system that would give them huge amounts of money with few strin 

gs attached. Michigan Gov. John Engler a consolidated block-grant system would b 

e a win for budget cutters in Washington and "win for the people out in the stat 

es who are the recipients of these programs." 

Areas that might be combined into block grants include foster care and chil 

d welfare; child care; food and nutrition; cash assistance; housing; job trainin 

g and health. 

A welfare-reform summit called by President Clinton has been delayed, Engle 

r said while the administration sorts out how much change it is willing to suppo 

rt. 

Governors expressed concern that a balanced budget requirement at the feder 

al level might shift costs down to states. But they said they were reassured tha 

t Congress would pass - and Clinton would sign - a bill protecting them from n 

ew responsibilities unaccompanied by the money to carry them out. 

Several governors said they would have preferred to have such protection wr 

itten into the constitutional amendment. "But we see the realities," said Utah G 

ov. Mike Leavitt, chairman of the Republican Governors Association. 

Even without the protection for state budgets, "I would like Wisconsin to b 

e No. 1" to ratify the amendment, said Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. "I am conf 

ident every Republican governor is going to push as hard as we can" for ratifica 

tion. 

Meanwhile, House and Senate Democrats began simultaneous assaults Friday on 

the balanced budget amendment, trying to force Republicans to say exactly how t 

hey'd end the federal deficit by 2002. 

Senate floor action was dominated by debate over a "States' Right to Know" 

amendment that would have required a 60-vote majority for any budget resolution 

that didn't give such details.

"Give us some kind of a guide, some kind of an understanding by the people 

at large on where we're going to go, how we're going to get there," said the spo 

nsor, Sen. James Exon D-Neb the senior Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. 

Sen. Pete Domenici, the new committee chairman, said Exon's concerns were p 

remature. The amendment was defeated 53-30 on a technicality. 

On the House side, Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., outlined an Exo 

n-like proposal he said would produce honesty in budgeting. "People shouldn't be 

asked to vote in the state legislatures on a pig in a poke, something that no o 

ne understands," he said. 

"I have felt it is important we underscore our sincerity," said Rep. Charle 

s Stenholm, D-Texas. "We should not pass the balanced budget amendment and wait 

to make the tough decisions." 

When Stenholm offered an amendment resembling the Gephardt and Exon proposa 

ls, the House Budget Committee defeated it 21-17 along party lines. 

The position of the GOP, even the wary governors, was that Democrats were t 

rying to kill off the whole idea of a balanced-budget amendment a top priority o 

f the new Republican leadership- with roadblocks. 

"Mr. Gephardt does not want a balanced budget amendment, and he knows that 

putting together a detailed list beforehand would make passing the balanced budg 

et amendment virtually impossible," said House Majority Leader Richard Armey, R- 

Texas. 

Republicans had hoped to complete their first week in power by sending to C 

linton a bill putting Congress under the same laws it passes for the rest of the 

nation. The House approved the measure in 20 minutes on opening day. But the Se 

nate began debate on Thursday and was still pushing through amendments - includi 

ng Exon's - on Friday. Dole said a vote on passage might not come until Tuesday. 



AUTH[John Harris and Eric Pianin 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Pressure GOP to Outline Cuts 

TEXT[President Clinton and Democratic congressional leaders vowed yesterday they 

will hold Republicans accountable for delineating the spending cuts that will b 

e necessary if the politically popular balanced-budget amendment is enacted by C 

ongress. 

Promoted by House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) and endorsed 

by Clinton at an Oval Office meeting yesterday, the Democratic strategy is to tr 

y to make enactment of the amendment contingent on passage of a budget plan that 

would describe in broad outline how the budget would be pared over seven years. 

"What programs are going to be cut?" White House Chief of Staff Leon E. Pan 

etta asked in a meeting with reporters. "Are they going to cut Medicare? Are the 

y going to cut Social Security? Are they going to cut benefits for veterans? Are 

they going to cut agriculture? The states need to know that, the American peopl 

e need to know that." 

But the so-called right-to-know proposal-dismissed by Republicans as a gimm 

ick designed to thwart a balanced budget-failed two early tests yesterday on Cap 

itol Hill. 

The Senate, splitting along party lines, voted 53 to 30 to reject an amendm

ent by Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.) requiring all future budget resolutions to re 

flect plans for eliminating the deficit by 2002. The House Budget Committee, mea 

nwhile, voted 21 to 17 to defeat a similar proposal by Rep. Charles W. Stenholm 

(D-Tex.). 

For Democrats, the proposal allows them to keep at least a foot in both sid 

es of the debate over the amendment, which is scheduled for a vote in the House 

on Jan. 19. 

Clinton has long opposed the amendment, but told Republican leaders this we 

ek he does not plan to vigorously lobby against it. Opposition would come at a c 

lear political cost; a Washington Post-ABC News poll taken earlier this week sho 

wed that 80 percent of the people support such an amendment. 

Even so, Clinton doesn't want to give Republicans a free ride. By highlight 

ing the practical burdens a mandatory balanced budget would impose, Clinton and 

other Democrats can be more than bystanders in the coming debate. 

Gephardt rejected a suggestion that the Democrats' real hope is that state 

legislatures-once they see the gritty details of the GOP's spending priorities-w 

ill not ratify the amendment. 

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Gephardt insisted. "Everybody's for a balance 

d budget. We ought to have one in most years, but like a family, obviously, you 

can't balance it in each and every year." 

The last time the federal government's budget was balanced for a fiscal yea 

r was in 1969. 

Gephardt insisted that the Democratic goal is not diversion but disclosure: 

"We want people to know precisely what [a balanced budget] means. What is wrong 

with that? It's honesty, it's being truthful with people." 

But Republican leaders said unveiling the specific cuts necessary for a bal 

anced budget would antagonize powerful interest groups and make the plan politic 

ally untenable. Such gridlock is what makes an amendment necessary in the first 

place, according to amendment supporters, a group that includes many Democrats. 

"This is a political statement from the minority leader, and I think it sho 

uld be taken as such," said House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) "I a 

m profoundly convinced that putting out the details would make [passage of an am 

endment] virtually impossible. The details will not come out before passage. It' 

s not possible. Mr. Gephardt knows that fully well." 

Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) likewise dismissed the, Demo 

crats' complaints as "mostly politics but that does happen around here." Dole sa 

id, "I don't have any quarrel" with the Democrats' tactics, but "I don't think t 

hey're going to prevail." 

The Democrats spent the first week of Republican rule on Capitol Hill probi 

ng for weaknesses in the GOP's "Contract With America" and demanding that Republ 

ican explain precisely how they intend to slash taxes and boost defense spending 

while still balancing the budget within eight years. 

House Republicans at one time promised a seven-year plan for putting the go 

vernment on a "glidepath" to a balanced budget, but have backed away. Senate Re 

publicans have said they would make a major "downpayment" toward eliminating the 

deficit, but have no intentions of preparing a seven-year plan. 

Stenholm, a longtime advocate of a balanced-budget amendment, said it was e 

ssential that members of Congress and the public fully understand its budgetary 

implications. A. new Congressional Budget Office study indicates that Congress w 

ould have to cut spending by $1.2 trillion before 2002 to balance the budget. "I 

think it's very important that we all sing from the same hymn book," Stenholm s 

aid.

Shortly after the Nov. 8 election, Rep. John R. Kasich (R-Ohio), the new ch 

airman of the House Budget Committee, promised to prepare a seven-year budget re 

solution detailing how the Republicans would eliminate the deficit. The promise 

was unusual because the House and Senate Budget committees traditionally-base th 

eir spending and deficit projections on a five-year window. 

Since then, however, Kasich and his top aides concluded that it wasn't feas 

ible to prepare credible economic and spending projections six and seven years a 

head. 

By reneging on the pledge, the Republicans have effectively bought themselv 

es two years before they have to reveal the full extent of their plans for carvi 

ng up the budget, eliminating hundreds of programs, and "transforming" or revamp 

ing entitlement programs including Medicare and Medicaid. 

"What I'm saying is we're not going to be able to show you how we're going 

to do it all in one fatal budget act," said Richard May, an aide to Kasich. "Sin 

ce we've had a chance to sit down and think this thing through, no one has promi 

sed a seven-year plan" 



AUTH[Julia McCord 


BK#[ 

HDLN[The Faiths in Congress 

TEXT[The emerging power of the religious right in the Republican election sweep 

was one of the top religion stories of 1994. 

But the upheaval was not reflected in congressional pews. 

Like the 103rd Congress, which was controlled by Democrats, the Republicancontrolled 

104th Congress is dominated by Catholics and mainline Protestants. 

Baptist is the only evangelical denomination among the congressional top fi 

ve. It supplanted Methodist as the second highest denomination. 

The others remained the same: Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Episcopalian 

. 

The religious profiles of the 103rd and 104th Congresses were compiled by C 

ongressional Quarterly. 

According to the quarterly, there was little change among the most represen 

ted denominations in Congress this year. 

Roman Catholics added four members of Congress. Baptists added five and Pre 

sbyterians one. Methodists lost five and Episcopalians fell by two. 

Jews, however, lost almost one-third of their numbers, dropping from 42 to 

33. 

"Unspecified Protestant" gained 11. This is a catch-all category that inclu 

des nondenominational Christian groups as well as established evangelical denomi 

nations such as the Assemblies of God and the Christian and Missionary Alliance, 

the denomination of freshman Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb. 

The quarterly's statistics show that religious affiliation is not a reliabl 

e indicator of political preference or voting patterns. 

President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, both Democrats, and Rep. Newt 

Gingrich, the conservative Georgian who became House speaker after the Republic 

an election victory, are Baptists. 

And while Baptists have claimed five of the nine leadership posts in the Ho

use and Senate, they have done so on both sides of the aisle. 

Here's how the 104th Congressional leadership stacks up religiously: 

In the Senate: Majority leader, Bob Dole, R-Kan., Methodist; majority whip, 

Trent Lott, R-Miss., Baptist; minority leader, Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Roman Catho 

lic; minority whip, Wendell Ford, D-Ky., Baptist. 

In the House: Speaker, Gingrich, Baptist; majority leader, Dick Armey, R-Te 

x., Presbyterian; majority whip, Tom DeLay, R-Tex., Baptist; minority leader, Ri 

chard Gephardt, D-Mo., Baptist; minority whip, David Bonior, D-Mich., Roman Cath 

olic. 

Nebraska's five congressmen are Protestants. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey is a Congregationalist, and Sen. J.J. Exon is an Episcopali 

an. Rep. Doug Bereuter is a Lutheran and Rep. Bill Barrett is a Presbyterian. 

Iowa's seven-man congressional delegation includes three Catholics, two 

Lutherans, a Baptist and an Episcopalian. 

Sen. Charles Grassley is a Baptist and Sen. Tom Harkin is a Catholic. Rep. 

Jim Leach is an Episcopalian; Rep. Jim Nussle and Rep. Tom Latham are Lutherans 

; and Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot and Rep. Greg Ganske are Catholics. 

Presbyterians and Episcopalians are represented in Congress at much higher 

percentages than in the U.S. population. 

Presbyterians, at 2.8 million nationwide, make up 1.05 percent of the U.S. 

population but 10.3 percent of Congress. 

Episcopalians, at 2.5 million, are almost 1 percent of the U.S. population 

but 9 percent of Congress. 

The nation's 60 million Catholics are represented in Congress at a slightly 

higher ratio than the U.S. population: 22.9 percent of the U.S. population, com 

pared with 27 percent of Congress. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Rejects Exon's Budget Proposal 

TEXT[Washington - The Senate on Friday rejected, 53-30, a proposal by Sen. J.J. 

Exon D-Neb., to require a specific plan to balance the federal budget if Congres 

s adopts a balanced budget constitutional amendment. 

"Under my amendment, it would be out of order to consider any budget resolu 

tion that failed to show a balance in fiscal year 2002," Exon said. "That is wha 

t the balanced-budget amendment requires. No more, no less." 

Exon, the senior Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said he would sup 

port a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget unless it included 

too many exceptions. 

"If am presented with a constitutional amendment that says you can't touch 

this and you can't touch that, I might oppose it," he said. 

"Passing a constitutional amendment - which I believe will be passed - is t 

he easy part." Exon said. "If we are going to balance the federal budget by the 

year 2002, as outlined in most of the measures, we are going to have to cut $1 t 

rillion." 

Meanwhile, House Democrats began a simultaneous assault on the GOP balanced 

-budget amendment. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt. D-Mo.. outlined a pro

posal similar to Exon's that he said would produce honesty in budgeting. 

Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Texas, said: "I have felt it is important we under 

score our sincerity. We should not pass the balanced-budget amendment and wait t 

o make the tough decisions." 

When Stenholm offered an amendment resembling the Gephardt and Exon proposa 

ls, the House Budget Committee defeated it 21 - 17 along party lines. 

The position of the GOP was that Democrats were trying to kill off the whol 

e idea of a balanced-budget amendment -- a top priority of the new Republican le 

adership with - roadblocks. 

"Mr. Gephardt does not want a balanced budget amendment, and he knows that 

putting together a detailed list beforehand would make passing thee balanced-bud 

get amendment virtually impossible," said House Majority Leader Richard Armey, R 

-Texas. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he voted against Exon's proposal becaus 

e it would have amended Grassley sponsored legislation requiring Congress to con 

form to all the worker-protection laws it passes. 

"The Exon bill is good legislation, but it ought to come up in March after 

the constitutional amendment is passed," Grassley said. 

He said Exon's bill should be adopted in conjunction with the budget resolu 

tion for fiscal 1996. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, supported Exon's proposal. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. 

, who returned to Nebraska on Friday for Gov. Nelson's inaugural ball. did not v 

ote. 

Exon's bill was supported by Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D. - the Senate minority 

leader who said there could be no delay in adopting a plan to reduce annual bud 

get deficits. 

Daschle said Democrats were committed to continuing deficit reduction which 

was started in 1993 when the Democratically controlled Congress passed a five-y 

ear, $500 billion deficit-reduction plan. 

He said the 4.7 trillion national debt would be $303 billion higher if 

Congress, now controlled by Republicans, delayed continued deficit reduction fo 

r two years. 

A two-year delay, until after the next national election also would mean th 

at interest on the debt, now nearly $300 billion a year, will be $91 billion hig 

her, Daschle said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon joins in fight against mandates 

TEXT[ Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., gave his support Thursday to federal legislation re 

quiring Congress to pay for any services it forces states and local governments 

to perform. 

Congressional budget officials have estimated that the cost of complying wi 

th federal mandates was $2.8 billion in 1991, up from $225 million in 1986, said 

Exon, the Democratic leader on the Senate Budget Committee. 

Written testimony from Gov. Ben Nelson was presented at a joint hearing of 

the Budget and Governmental Affairs committees in Washington, D.C. 

"State and local governments are operating with very few avenues left to ab

sorb additional federal mandates," Nelson said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon's proposal defeated 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Senate Republicans on Friday defeated an amendment propo 

sed by U.S. Sen. Jim Exon that would have forced GOP lawmakers to map out precis 

ely how they would balance the budget by 2002. 

The amendment would have required a 60-vote margin for any budget reso 

lution that did not show how the budget would be balanced in seven years. 

"I want to put my colleagues on notice, if anyone is truly for th 

e balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, he or she should be for my amen 

dment too," the Nebraska Democrat said. 

The Republicans balanced-budget amendment seeks to end the federal def 

icit by 2002. 

Republicans argued that Exon s amendment violated the budget act and f 

orced a vote to defeat the amendment, 53-30. 

"I intend to bring this amendment back again and again and again 

until we are ready to show the American people we are serious about the budget," 


Exon is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. 



AUTH[Michael Wines 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Assail G.O.P. on Budget 

TEXT[Democrats abandoned their opening-week niceties today and took up the stoop 

labor of a true Congressional minority, charging that a Republican balanced-bu 

dget amendment to the Constitution might just be a ploy to gut Medicare and othe 

r popular benefit programs. 

Republicans scoffed at that. But they also allowed, as Speaker Newt Gingri 

ch of Georgia did on Thursday, that Medicare and other big programs may have to 

undergo "systemic" changes, if the $4.7 trillion Federal debt is ever to stop gr 

owing, much less shrink. 

The exchange, on a day when not much else happened, was the first real skir 

mish on a major issue in the new Congress. It came one day after Republican lea 

ders and President Clinton sipped coffee in the White House, traded compliments 

and generally indicated they would get more done this year than the ideological 

crevasse separating them might suggest. 

In fact, many lawmakers believe that the balanced-budget amendment is likel 

y to pass no matter what the White House does. Today's Democratic assault - in 

Capitol Hill hearing rooms, on the Senate floor and on the White House driveway 

- seemed to make the Republicans pay a political price for their success.

Mr. Gingrich provided them ammunition on Thursday by saying, in the House W 

ays and Means Committee, that the Medicare insurance program for 32 million elde 

rly and 4 million disabled people ought to be less Government-directed system pe 

rhaps linked to private health maintenance organizations or H.M.O.'s. The progr 

am cost $160 billion last year, and annual outlays are expected to reach $286 b 

illion in the year 2000. 

"I believe we can design a Medicare program which gives every senior citize 

n greater choice of health care at lower cost, and, as a consequence, saves us a 

heck of a lot of money," he said. 

Democrats, long schooled in the political dangers of tinkering with Federal 

subsidies to the vast population of the elderly, used the remarks to suggest th 

at Republicans want to balance the budget on the backs of old people. And they d 

ared the new Republican majority to show precisely how it would wipe out the def 

icit before it votes on an amendment that would make balanced Federal budgets a 

matter of law. 

"There's millions of elderly Americans who live on Social Security, who dep 

end on Medicare," the House minority leader, Representative Richard A. Gephardt 

of Missouri, said after a meeting with the President and other Democratic leader 

s. 

"If the contract, along with the balanced-budget amendment, means we're going to 

get rid of Medicare, they ought to know that. They deserve to know that." 

The attack continued over in the House Budget Committee. There Republicans 

were forced to confront and defeat, on a 21 to 17 party line vote a Democratic a 

mendment that would have required them to offer a plan to erase the annual Feder 

al deficit in seven years, or by 2002. That is the span envisioned by most advoc 

ates of a balanced-budget amendment. 

The chairman of the Budget Committee, Representative John R. Kasich of Ohio 

, said his party would present a five-year "glide path" toward a balanced budget 

. But, he said they would not yet offer a seven year plan to reach that goal, b 

ecause Republicans plan to transform so many large Federal programs that it is f 

olly to predict the eventual impact now. 

"Why talk about what a car's going to look like in seven years when we're g 

oing to put a whole new engine in it?" Mr. Kasich said. 

Back in the Senate, Senator J. James Exon, Democrat of Nebraska, tried to a 

ttach a similar amendment to an unrelated Republican measure. Mr. Exon's amendme 

nt, which would have required any balanced budget amendment to include an explan 

ation of how the deficit would be erased, was batted down, almost wholly on part 

y lines, by 53 to 30. 

Whatever Thursday's pledges to seek a middle ground, today's political fenc 

ing between the two sides followed a dog eared script. Republicans won Congress 

with a promise to shrink government, and they have long argued that Americans wi 

ll accept painful cuts if they make sense. But they have never explained how muc 

h pain they are contemplating, and did not today. 

Democrats accused Republicans last fall of plotting to shrink Government by 

stripping benefits from the old and the poor, and said they could balance the b 

udget sensibly if given the chance. But Democrats have never shown a road map to 

ward a zero deficit either, and their supporters - the poor, organized labor, ed 

ucation - are all aligned against the very cuts in Federal benefits that experts 

say are vital if the budget is to reach balance. 

In his testimony on Thursday, Mr. Gingrich called Medicare a "clunky" and w 

asteful insurance program that discourages the use of less costly medical servic 

es - like health maintenance organizations - and effectively charges a low- or m

iddle-income beneficiary the same premium as a millionaire. 

To suggest that Republicans want to punish the 34 million retirees and disa 

bled persons covered by Medicare simply because they favor changing the program, 

he said is "silly." 

Mr. Kasich repeated that today, saying he wants to lower the deficit not by 

trimming more from wasteful programs, but by throwing the programs out and desi 

gning better cheaper ones. "We don't want to take Medicare and crank it down," h 

e said. "We want to be more systemic." 

The interest group most closely associated with Medicare, the American Asso 

ciation of Retired Persons, had a muted response to that today. "If by reform, p 

eople simply mean more budget cuts, then we will fight to protect Medicare benef 

iciaries," said Martin McCorry, the groups chief lobbyist. "If, however, what th 

ey're suggesting is a dialogue about the future of Medicare and health care, we' 

re more than willing to have a dialogue about 'are there better ways to do this? 

'" 

He added: "My fear is that we may only be looking at budget cuts by another 

name." 

Mr. Gephardt and Mr. Clinton's chief of staff, Leon E. Panetta, expanded on 

that theme in an appearance outside the White House today. 

Mr. Gephardt called the Republican balanced-budget amendment "a 

pig in a poke" because states would be asked to ratify it without knowing the co 

nsequences. The way to solve that, Mr. Panetta said, is to include a clause in t 

he amendment that would require that voters be told what Federal benefits would 

be eviscerated during a seven-year decline in the deficit. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Tribes will cooperate 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha and Winnebago Indian tribes will work together to 

construct a $28 million hospital on reservation lands in Northeast Nebraska, tri 

bal officials say. 

The new facility would replace the 70-year-old hospital on the Winnebago Re 

servation, which borders the Omaha Reservation in Thurston County. 

In a joint resolution issued earlier this week, the tribes agree to "reaffi 

rm their commitment to work cooperatively for the purposes of a comprehensive he 

alth-care delivery system located on the Omaha and Winnebago Reservations." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said Thursday that the resolution seems to indicate 

the 7-year-old proposal is on track. 

"I hope that we were successful in getting the message home very loud and c 

lear to them that cooperation between the two tribes is the only way that this n 

ew facility is going to be a success," Exon said. 

EXON, SEN. BOB KERREY, D-Neb.; and Rep Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; have been ur 

ging the tribes to work together on the project and had recently expressed conce 

rn about an apparent deterioration in relations between the tribes. 

The congressmen warned a condition in federal appropriations documents requ 

ires the tribes to agree on the project or risk losing the money to another proj 

ect.

Congress appropriated $300,000 for project planning in fiscal year 1994 and 

$1.4 million for planning and design in fiscal year 1995. 

"From what I can see, it would appear that we re back to where we started a 

nd where we thought we were before this bickering started, which is good news in 

deed for all concerned," Exon said. 

Rudi Mitchell, the Omaha Tribe's chairman, said there was no need for the c 

oncern the congressmen expressed to the tribes in December. He said there were n 

o differences between the tribes on the project, "and both tribes have come to a 

n understanding to work together to make this project a success." 

Last fall, Mitchell said he had concerns about the process used to select t 

he Winnebago Reservation as the site for the hospital. He also has raised questi 

ons about the quality of care provided at the hospital, where his 92-year-old mo 

ther died last month. 

INDIAN HEALTH Service officials said the Winnebago Reservation was chosen a 

s the best site using strict selection criteria. Carl Hardy, an Omaha Tribe spo 

kesman, said Thursday that the primary site for the hospital is "a dead issue." 

John Blackhawk, chairman of the Winnebago Tribe, said in a statement that t 

he tribes are not adversaries over the new hospital. Wehnona St. Cyr, administr 

ator of the Winnebago Public Health Service Hospital, said she was happy to hear 

the tribes had reached an agreement. But that will not change her decision to s 

eek a reassignment to another facility within the Indian Health Service system. 

Mrs. St. Cyr said the Omaha Tribe had pulled out of a diabetes program at t 

he Winnebago hospital and removed the tribe from a school screening program. Add 

itionally, doctors at the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center on the Omaha Re 

servation will no longer share after-hours emergency room duties with the Winneb 

ago staff, she said. 

Mitchell said the Omaha Tribe wanted to separate its share of money for the 

diabetes program so it could provide the services on the Omaha Reservation, whi 

ch it can do under federal law. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon asks Clinton to talk about baseball 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon sent a letter to the White House asking President Clinton to 

step in and take action to help major league baseball return to the field in 199 

5. 

Although Exon said Clinton may have no legal authority to intervene, t 

he senator suggested that the president summon representatives of both the playe 

rs and the owners to the White House to ask them to play the 1995 season while c 

ontinuing their negotiations. 

Exon said neither side would be hurt by playing the season under current co 

nditions, but pointed out that thousands of Americans have lost their jobs or in 

comes as a result of the strike. 

The senator said legislative solutions would be too time-consuming to salva 

ge the 1995 season. But he said that if the sides are unable to reach an agreeme 

nt by the end of this season, Congress can and should repeal the anti-trust prov 

isions currently in place.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Republican Senators Foil Reform Tactics 

TEXT[Senate Republicans yesterday easily beat back Democratic efforts to put the 

m on the spot on political reform and budget issues as the Senate ended its firs 

t week under GOP control on an inconclusive note. 

Still pending as the Senate quit for the weekend was legislation to force C 

ongress to abide by the employment laws it imposes on others, which the House ap 

proved in a couple of hours at the end of its marathon opening day that stretche 

d into the early hours of Thursday. 

Senate Republican leaders, who hoped to pass the bill by the end of the wee 

k, are now aiming for passage by early next week. The bill has strong bipartisan 

support but has been tied up by a series of Democratic attempts to force votes 

on issues ranging from restrictions on lobbyists to spending cuts Congress would 

have to make to comply with the balanced-budget constitutional amendment that R 

epublicans want to pass. 

Republicans, who wanted to end the week on a note of success, brushed off t 

he delays as counterproductive mischief. "They're not scoring points, they're ju 

st wasting time," complained Senate Majority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.). One of 

the proposals-which would have put major new curbs on political contributions by 

lobbyists-also rankled some Democrats, who joined Republicans in voting against 

it. 

The proposal by Sen. Paul D. Wellstone (D-Minn.), which was defeated by a b 

ipartisan vote of 17 to 74, would have barred lobbyists from making or arranging 

contributions to candidates for one year from the date of their contact with th 

e official-or from lobbying an official within a year of making a contribution. 

Wellstone described it as a "modest" amendment that was as essential to con 

gressional accountability as the compliance requirements. But Sen. Mitch McConne 

ll (R-Ky.) described the proposal as "blatantly unconstitutional" in singling ou 

t one group for denial of political rights. "It makes for a terrific campaign co 

mmercial . . . but it absolutely trashes the Constitution," McConnell said. Twen 

ty-two Democrats, more than half of those voting on the proposal, voted against 

it, as did all Republicans who voted. 

Democrats proved more unified on a proposal by Sen James Exon (D-Neb.) to f 

orce Republicans to spell out precisely how they would achieve a balanced budget 

and to require 60 votes to pass any budget that would not lead to elimination o 

f deficits by 2002. Exon's proposal was rejected, 30 to 53, with only three Demo 

crats breaking party lines to support it and all Republicans voting against it. 

Meanwhile, Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) resigned from the eth 

ics committee because of his new leadership duties, relinquishing his seat to Se 

n. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.). The switch comes in the midst of the two- year prob 

e into allegations of sexual and official misconduct against Sen. Bob Packwood ( 

R-Ore.). 





BK#[ 

HDLN[FRA Keeps U.S. Railroads in Focus 

TEXT[KELLEY: Around Nebraska and Iowa, people tend to focus more closely on the 

freight railroads because Union Pacific and Burlington Northern both have a big 

presence here. What specific safety issues is the FRA working on regarding fre 

ight hauling companies. 

MS. MOLITORIS: We have range of initiatives-going on right now. 

Let me just talk briefly about this year in safety. 

We were very pleased to present to Congress a report on railroad communicat 

ions and tram control. That is really an advanced train control system which can 

help prevent collisions and accidents. 

KELLY: Is that what they call "positive train separation?" 

MOLITORIS: Yes, or positive train control. It's away to ensure that trains stay 

safe and don't run into each other. 

It's been a subject that's been talked about for 10 or 15 years with a vari 

ety of initiatives. We went to the Association of American Railroads late in 199 

3 and said, "Look we're going to Congress with a report in 

1994. It s going to be substantive, we re going to have a timeline and we know t 

hat the report will be most useful to the industry if they are involved and they 

decide to participate with us to make this the most up-to-date and comprehensiv 

e report on the subject ever prepared and presented to Congress." 

And, in fact, that's what it was. We were extremely encouraged by the level 

of involvement and cooperation that we had from labor, from all of the railroad 

operators and from all of our staff. 

KELLY:How do Union Pacific and Burlington Northern fit in to this? 

MS. MOLITORIS: U.P. and BN really stepped out in a proactive way and said, "We'r 

e going to lay down hundreds of miles of test bed on positive train control, and 

we're going to show what we can do with this system." 

KELLEY: How are those experiments going? 

MS. MOLITORIS: They are going very well. (BN and U.P.) are working very closely 

with us here at the FRA. They're drawing in a number of high tech companies to 

work with them, and they are very excited about the results. 

They were in about two weeks ago to give our staff an update about how it is goi 

ng. They are very focused right now on a satellite application This is really hi 

gh-tech stuff. 

Sometime people may not think of the rail industry as a real hotbed of hig 

h-tech development, but in fact, it really is. This opportunity for advanced tr 

ain control systems not only means that they'll be safer, but it means that the 

railroads. . .will be able to run more traffic on their infrastructure safely. 

KELLY:One of the fastest-growing areas of the rail industry is in 

intermodal freight. Are there changes that the FRA would like to make in 

order to facilitate growth? 

(Intermodal freight haulers use containers that can be easily transferred b 

etween trains and trucks. Trains haul large numbers of the containers over long 

distances and trucks make more local deliveries). 

MS. MOLITORIS: (Intermodal freight) is a growth industry that ought to be up in 

neon lights. It is a success story almost historic in its proportions. 

I find it extremely interesting because I believe very much in partnerships

and teamwork, and I think that's how we all win. What we see in intermodalism 

is partnership and teamwork between railroads and trucking companies. 

KELLY: What needs to be done to keep that growth going? 

MOLITORIS:We think that the private companies are promoting the things that need 

to be done. Our job is to work with them to sure that the burgeoning traffic do 

es not decrease the safety applications. 

KELLEY:One of the biggest complaints among labor leaders regarding the safety of 

their memberships revolves around the number of hours engineers and trainmen ca 

n be asked to work within the course of a week. Is the FRA addressing that prob 

lem? 

MS. MOLITORIS: You're talking about hours of service. 

It's a very' important issue. It's a safety issue because fatigue is s 

ometimes a cause of accidents. We are working closely with labor and the AAR. 

We have comprehensive research on fatigue going on in Chicago. Where w 

e have engineers actually simulating the kinds of crew calls that they face and 

the kind of service requirements that they face. 

They are on video, they keep diaries, and we have engineers around the coun 

try keeping very intense records describing what's going on and describing how t 

hey feel. 

In addition, there is a labor-AAR committee that is working on some so 

lutions to this problem. We think fatigue is a very important issue, and we are 

encouraged that we will get from the joint committees and from research this yea 

r some pretty hard data about what types of pilot programs we can do in 1995. 

KELLEY: Is it realistic for labor leaders to call for a reduction in working hou 

rs, or conversely, for railroads to expect hours to stay the same? 

MS. MOLITORIS: I want to wait until I get the results of their work - the testi 

ng in Chicago, the journals of these volunteers, plus the work of the AAR-rail e 

ngineer committee that's working. 

We really want to focus on rule-making and initiatives that are based as mu 

ch as possible on a strong database. We will understand what is the most realist 

ic and pragmatic way to move forward as soon as we get the results of this resea 

rch. 

KELLY: The FRA took some heat from the other side of the track recently, from ra 

il executives throughout the industry who are upset about the proposal to increa 

se, the frequency of air-brake inspections. Are you solid on that proposal or wi 

ll there be room for compromise? 

MS. MOLITORIS. Part of the rule making process is to take input from the railroa 

d and labor or any one who wants to talk to you. 

There has been a strong response (against the air brake proposal), you 

're absolutely right. I spoke to Dick Davidson (chairman of U.P. Railroad in Oma 

ha) and the panel he was on, all of the other people there, and told them that I 

wanted to provide a forum to do more discussions. 

One of the things that they testified about and talked informally abou 

t was that the hearing process that they were in is not an environment that is c 

onducive to a lot of creative ideas. 

We are going to work on some sort of a more informal environment to try and 

work out an answer that labor and rail operators will find useful and helpful. 

KELLEY: These types of issues seem to really illustrate the position that the FR 

A officials must find themselves in very often - between rail company management 

and rail labor unions. How much tougher does your job become when the tension b 

etween labor and management becomes greater, as it has in Nebraska in recent yea

s? 

MS. MOLITORIS: When I started this job, it was clear that everywhere you turned 

there was this hostility between labor and operators. 

We began a series of what we called Administrator's Roundtables where I inv 

ited representatives, leaders and experts from around the country to Washington 

to discuss one subject. What we encouraged them to do is speak about what is rea 

l out there. 

I want to tell you, it has been enormously encouraging because all parties, 

once they shook off the habits of the past, were extremely supportive and coope 

rative and involved. 

l know that in years past, as jobs were lost in the railroad industry, ther 

e were a lot of hard feelings. But what's exciting about what is going on right 

now is that there's so much business that they're hiring, not firing. Part of wh 

at the FRA can do as a facilitator is to work to help ensure safety and vitality 

of the rail industry, because that means more jobs. 

KELLEY: One areas of rail safety where there isn't much disagreement is in the a 

rea of highway-level rail crossings. 

Most people agree that the fewer times rail tracks meet with roads and high 

ways, the fewer accidents there will be. What type of funding will be available 

for communities that want to get rid of rail crossings? 

MS. MOLITORIS: As a matter of fact, Sen. Jim Exon (D-Neb.) has been an enormous 

fighter for rail-safety and grade crossing alternatives. Sen. Exon and Rep. Al S 

wift (D-Wash.) were with us when we presented the Railroad Communications and Tr 

am Control Report to the public. They've also been with us on our rail crossing 

initiative plan which was presented by (Transportation) Secretary (Federico) Pen 

a in June. 

Part of the initiative was a series of legislative efforts which would 

motivate towns and communities and give them benefits and financial incentives 

to close crossings. We did not get that particular part of the legislation, pas 

sed last year, but we'll take it again to Congress. 

It's a very tough issue because it's not only grade crossings with drivers 

in cars, but it's also trespassers who walk on rail right of ways and walk on tr 

acks and people who think it's fun. It's extraordinarily dangerous. Every 90 m 

inutes somebody is killed by a train. 

KELLEY: You once likened the relationship between rail companies to the relation 

ship within a family, lately though, the western rail industry has been caught u 

p in a merger fight, and if this group is a family, it seems to be a some what d 

ysfunctional family. Do you see the merger talks as a problem for the industry? 

Ms. MOLITORIS: Competition is very real in our world, whether it's on the footba 

ll field or in business. What's going on is an issue about competition. I think 

we are very fortunate to have a body like the Interstate Commerce Commission whi 

ch is a place designed to deal in a rational and logical way with the merger iss 

ue. 

It is a very important thing to us at the FRA because it will impact the ra 

ilroad picture in this country dramatically. We are watching it very carefully. 

We are responsible to evaluate all of the submissions to the ICC and to advise t 

he secretary what the transportation implications are. 

I am hopeful that the outcome is going to be for the benefit of customers, 

because that's what it's all about. 

KELLEY: The railroads are saying they can separate their merger dealings from th 

eir company operations. Do you agree? 

MS. MOLITORIS: l think it's essential. The railroad business can't stop just bec

ause there are merger negotiations. It's too important to their bottom line to a 

llow it to affect them. 

One of the things I like about being federal railroad administrator is 

that I'm dealing with a community, the rail industry, who are really people of 

character, in my opinion. I find them to be very upstanding people and fierce co 

mpetitors. 

KELLEY: You've been a strong supporter for the establishment of a nationwide, hi 

gh-speed rail system for quite a while. You were once quoted as saying the U.S. 

transportation in the 21st century "cries out for a high-speed rail system." Ho 

w far away is the United States from having such a system? 

MS. MOLITORIS. We are extremely pleased that the 103rd Congress saw fit to pass 

the high speed rail bill, the Swift Rail Development Act of 1994. That authoriza 

tion really lays the foundation for the administration and Congress to work toge 

ther with Amtrak and constituencies all over the country, who are interested in 

developing high speed rail. 

KELLEY:How will the current budget-cutting mood in Congress affect that developm 

ent? 

MS. MOLITORIS: Budget constraints affect every single thing we do. I think as we 

look at strategic investment in infrastructure that there are going to be real 

opportunities for states and private interests to join forces with the federal g 

overnment to show what high-speed rail can do in this country. 

You can look at high-speed development on the northeast corridor and you ca 

n see what happens when you develop a system that provides a very competitive op 

tion for travelers. In fact, from Washington to New York over 50 percent of the 

common carriage travelers choose rail. It's convenient. It's reliable. It's on t 

ime. And, it goes fast. 

KELLY:What about states like Nebraska and Iowa? 

MS. MOLITORIS: Most high-speed rail corridor experience in the world shows conne 

ctions between city pairs with (adequate population) density to provide enough p 

assengers to make economic sense. 

There may be cities and states along the corridor that will make a choice t 

o invest in high-speed rail. I don't know of a melding of states in the Omaha ar 

ea at this time. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[6 Are Solid for House Changes 

TEXT[Washington - All six Nebraska and western Iowa congressmen voted last week 

for Republican-backed rules changes for the House of Representatives and against 

allowing Democrats to propose additional changes. 

"I think we have taken the first steps toward cleaning the House," said Rep 

. Jon Christensen, R-Neb. 

The Republican package of changes included elimination of three committees 

and 25 subcommittees, banning the use of proxies for committee votes, requiring 

a three-fifths majority to raise income tax rates, and a one-third reduction in 

committee staff. Most proposals passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. 

But the new Republican majority - who, when they were in the minority, comp

lained about Democratic limits on debate and amendments - refused to permit vote 

s on any Democratic amendments. As a result, the House did not vote on a proposa 

l to ban lawmakers from accepting gifts from lobbyists. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said Republicans had to restrict debate on the 

rules package in order to complete an ambitious first-day agenda promised in the 

party's "Contract with America." 

"We wanted to demonstrate that we could put through the promised reforms on 

Day 1," Bereuter said. 

Even without Democratic amendments, the first-day session lasted past 2 a.m 

. No floor votes were held for the remaining two days of the week; none are sch 

eduled this week either. 

Bereuter said he supports the ban on gifts from lobbyists, which had passed 

the House last year before it was stalled by Senate Republicans. The measure co 

uld be considered later, he said, although he acknowledged that some members of 

both parties are not enthusiastic about it. 

Democrats were quick to criticize Republicans, especially new freshmen who 

had campaigned as reformers, for missing a chance to curb the power of special i 

nterest groups to finance vacations, golf outings and meals for members of Congr 

ess. 

"When it comes to cleaning up Congress, Reps. (Greg) Ganske (R-Iowa) and Ch 

ristensen used a brush, when they should have used a broom," said Rep. Martin Fr 

ost, D-Texas, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 

SENATE VOTES 

Filibusters 

Defeated, 76-19, an amendment offered by Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, that would hav 

e reduced the use of filibusters, or endless debate, to block consideration of l 

egislation. 

To kill the amendment: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Charles Grassley, R-Iowa 

Against: Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Harkin. 

Gifts Ban 

Defeated, 52-39, an amendment offered by Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Paul Well 

stone, D-Minn., that would have banned gifts from lobbyists. 

To kill the amendment: Grassley. 

Against: Exon, Harkin. 

Not voting: Kerrey. He left Washington for a meeting in New York on entitle 

ment spending and to attend Gov. Nelson's inaugural ball in Nebraska. 

Budget Rules 

Defeated, 53-30, a proposal to waive budget rules to allow an Exon amendmen 

t that would have required future budget resolutions to outline plans for balanc 

ing the federal budget by 2002. If a proposed constitutional amendment to requir 

e a balanced budget is ratified, Congress would have to eliminate the deficit by 

2002. 

To waive budget rules: Exon, Harkin. 


Not voting: Kerrey. 




SOUR[Lincoln Journal Star

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey, Bereuter name service academy nominees 

TEXT[Two Nebraska senators and a congressman have announced their service academ 

y nominees for the 1995-96 academic year. 

Final offers of appointment will be decided solely by each of the four U.S 

service academies. The academies will announce their appointments during the nex 

t several months. 

Air Force Academy: 

Principal nominees of Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District: Richard Wagg 

oner, Falls City High School; Patrick Widhelm, Lincoln Pius X High School. Alter 

nates: Zachary Arnt, Lincoln Southeast High School; Jared Ficklin (from Plattsmo 

uth), Omaha Gross High School; Ryan Roberts, Nebraska City High School; Carl Sch 

luckebier (from Seward), Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County, Va.; Ry 

an Shanesy, Lincoln High School; Bart Wilkison (from Greenwood), Waverly High Sc 

hool. 

Principal nominees of Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb.: Eric Pauls (from Lincoln) 

, Sutton High School; Shanesy; Widhelm. 

U.S. Naval Academy: 

Bereuter's principal nominees: Schluckebier and Ficklin. Alternates: C 

harles Braymen, Lincoln Southeast High School; Shanesy, Waggoner, Widhelm and Wi 

lkison. 

Principal nominees of Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb.: John Meacham, Auburn High 

School; Schluckebier. 

Principal nominees of Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.: Braymen, Widhelm and Sc 

hluckebier. 

U.S. Military Academy: 

Bereuter's alternates: Ficklin, Roberts, Schluckebier, Waggoner, Widhe 

lm and Wilkison. 

Exon's principal nominees: Roberts, Wilkison and Pauls. 

Kerrey's principal nominees: Roberts, Schluckebier and Wilkison. 

U.S. Merchant Marine: 

Bereuter's principal nominees: 

Braymen, Wilkison. Alternates: Ficklin, Waggoner. 

Exon's principal nominee: Braymen. 

Kerrey's principal nominee: Wilkison. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mandate-busters may carry the day 

TEXT[With suprising alacrity, Congress is moving to fashion legislation that wou 

ld provide protection against the unfunded federal mandates that Nebraska Gov. B 

en Nelson and his colleagues have called the bane of their existence. 

The Senate Thursday held a hearing on the legislation, which has 56 co-spon 

sors, including Nebraska Democratic Sen. Jim Exon. Judging from the Budget Commi 

ttee response to the proposal, as well as the wide range of support for the legi 

slation, chances for enactment seem excellent at this point. 

Republican leaders of the House and Senate have agreed to give the proposal

a high priority, with the Senate scheduled to act on it first. The House would 

delay action on its reform package, which includes a balanced budget amendment t 

o the Constitution, until it deals with unfunded mandates. 

The Clinton administration has voiced its support for the legislation, with 

Sally Katzen, administrator of information and regulatory affairs at the Office 

of Management and Budget, saying President Clinton supports swift action on th 

e legislation. 

Nelson sent testimony to Thursday's hearing. (He couldn't appear in person 

because he was taking the oath of office and giving his inaugural address.) 

"I not only 'talk-the-talk,' but I also 'walk-the-walk'" on unfunded mandat 

es, he wrote. He not only opposes unfunded mandates from the federal government, 

he said, but he has taken steps to make sure he does not drop unfunded mandates 

on Nebraska's local governments. 

S.1, the legislation being considered in the Senate, would force Congress t 

o take special steps before approving new programs that would force state and lo 

cal governments to spend significant funds to participate in the programs. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb., said in a telephone news conference with Nebraska 

reporters that he was well aware of unfunded mandates when he was governor of Ne 

braska. But he was also aware, he said, that actions he took as governor "pushed 

costs back down to the cities and the counties. So there's tension between the 

federal government and the state government as well as tension between the state 

government, school districts, counties and cities. This kind of tension, I don' 

t think, is going to end as a consequence of taking action on unfunded mandates. 

" 

Kerrey said he supports efforts to reduce unfunded mandates, but added that 

the problem is much more complicated that generally recognized. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Growth Is Forecast for Early This Year 

TEXT[Some influential economists and members of Congress predict that the U.S. e 

conomy will reach higher levels of growth in 1995 before the Federal Reserve Boa 

rd slows it down late in the year. 

"The economy is coming on strong," said Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb. "I think we 

are going to have low inflation and relatively high growth." 

Rep. Bill Barrett R-Neb., said tax cuts endorsed by President Clinton and t 

he Republican controlled Congress should provide a further stimulus. 

"Though we may differ on the details, I am hopeful that with cooperation an 

d bipartisanship we really can turn our economy around," Barrett said. 

He said new international and hemispheric trade agreements also should be a 

positive influence on the U.S. economy in 1995. 

Push in 1994 

Lyle Gramley, a former member of the Federal Reserve Board, said the U.S. e 

conomy in 1995 will benefit from the strong push it received in 1994. 

"If I had known the Fed in 1994 was going to raise short-term interest rate 

s 2.5 percentage points and that long-term rates would go up almost as much, I w

ould have said this economy was going to struggle," Gramley said. "Instead, the 

economy just bombed through all of those things." 

Gramley said the Federal Reserve Board would have to increase interest rate 

s periodically in 1995 to keep inflation in check. 

"There is no question that growth has to slow in 1995," Gramley said. "The 

question is what will slow it. If it slows through monetary restraint, before in 

flation gets out of hand, then we'll be in good shape." 

Rudy Penner, former head of the Congressional Budget Office, said there is 

a danger that the Federal Reserve will impose too much monetary restraint. 

"I don't want to be misunderstood," Penner said. "I think that so far the F 

ed has done the right thing. But it's much more difficult to judge how much rest 

raint is needed when the economy is expanding faster than anticipated." 

More Fed Action 

Penner said the unexpected acceleration in the economy late in 1994 created 

instability that would require further action by the Federal Reserve Board, pro 

bably early in 1995. 

"Up to two months ago, I would have said there was no danger of a recession 

in 1995 and that expansion would continue well into 1996 and perhaps even into 

1997," Penner said. 

"With the Fed clearly chasing the system, I see some chance - a very low ch 

ance - of a recession late in 1995," Penner said. 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot. R-Iowa, said he is skeptical of Federal Reserve po 

licies under Alan Greenspan, the board chairman. 

"I think we need to be concerned about whether Mr. Greenspan is going to co 

ntinue to increase short-term interest rates," Lightfoot said. "It's beginning t 

o have an adverse effect on consumer buying and the real estate market." 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., who will be ranking minority member of the Senate B 

udget Committee next year, said action by the Federal Reserve Board will be the 

most significant influence on the economy in 1995. 

Balanced Budget 

"I think the economy will continue on its present course. although not as r 

obust for the full year as it was in 1994," Exon said. 

He said the biggest boost the economy could receive could be a balanced fed 

eral budget. 

"Twenty-eight cents of every dollar collected in taxes goes to pay interest 

on the $4.7 trillion federal debt," Exon said. "One third of that goes to forei 

gners who hold that much of the debt and who don't pay U.S.income taxes." 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, sa 

id reducing government regulations on small business would be one way to prolong 

economic growth. 

He said that is one of the goals of the new Republican majority in the Sena 

te and House. 

"Some economists argue that we are midway through the seven-year average ti 

me for a business cycle," Grassley said. "They say a recession in 1995 is a poss 

ibility because this half of the cycle has been weaker than some." 

Charles Schultze, who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in t 

he Carter administration, said exports would be a major contributor to the U.S. 

economy in 1995. 

"A big factor was the economic recovery in Europe," Schultze said."The Euro 

pean economy recovered more rapidly than we expected and with more strength, whi 

ch helped U.S. exports." 

Lewis Alexander, chief economist for the U.S. Commerce Department, said mos

t economists were surprised at how well the U.S. economy performed in 1994. 

"I think this is a period like the mid-1980s," Alexander said. "In 1983 and 

1984, we had a pretty good take off after a deep recession. From 1985 to 1987, 

the economy grew at a moderate pace. I would expect a similar situation this tim 

e around." 

Robert Dunn, a professor of economics at George Washington University, said 

the darkest cloud in the U.S. economy is a low savings rate compared to other i 

ndustrialized countries. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State gets funding for immunization 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Nebras 

ka's Department of Health $1.04 million for a childhood immunization program. 

The announcement was made jointly Thursday by Nebraska's Democratic U.S. Se 

ns. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon. 



AUTH[Robert Dodge 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Balanced-budget act more likely than ever 

TEXT[A constitutional amendment to balance the budget is given a better chance t 

han ever of being approved by Congress this year, but lawmakers say eliminating 

red ink will not be easy. 

Noting large public support, political and budget analysts said they expect 

the House to approve a proposed amendment to balance the budget when it votes J 

an. 19. A tougher vote in the Senate would quickly follow. 

"I think it will pass but I do not think it is a sure thing," said Stanley 

Collender, director of federal budget policy for Price Waterhouse in Washington, 

a private national accounting firm. 

The first Senate hearing on the issue, a major component of the Republican 

"Contract With America," was held last week. Supporters and critics say the prop 

osal is driving a national debate about the role and size of the federal governm 

ent that could lead to cuts in many popular programs. 

On Sunday, the discussion shifted into high gear. Under pressure to identif 

y the drastic spending cuts needed to balance the budget, House Majority Leader 

Dick Armey, R-Texas, admitted such a disclosure would cause the proposed amendme 

nt to fail. 

"Once members of Congress know exactly, chapter and verse, the pain the gov 

ernment must live with in order to get to a balanced budget their knees will buc 

kle," Armey said on NBC's "Meet the Press." 

Democrats also were unprepared to offer a comprehensive list of spending cu 

ts needed to balance the budget. But they criticized Republicans for not disclos

ing how difficult it will be to trim spending. 

"They do not want to spell it out, because they know there are hard choices 

out there," Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said on the same 

program. 

Almost all lawmakers say they support balancing the budget, but many have d 

ifferent ideas on how it should be done. So far the supporters of the constituti 

onal amendment tend to be Republicans and conservative Democrats. Opponents and 

critics are mostly liberals and Democrats. 

Republicans last week defeated efforts in the House and Senate that would r 

equire them to identify spending cuts in connection with the balanced budget ame 

ndment. 

In a vote split along party lines, the Senate voted 53-30 to reject an amen 

dment by Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., that would require all future budget resolution 

s to reflect plans for eliminating the deficit by 2002. And the House Budget Com 

mittee voted 21-17 to defeat a similar proposal by Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Texa 

s. 

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based liberal thin 

k tank, estimates that without any cuts in taxes, lawmakers would have to trim $ 

1 trillion to balance the budget in seven years. If all the Republicans' propose 

d tax cuts become law, another $200 billion to $700 billion in spending cuts mus 

t be found, depending on who is doing the counting. 

The center, in a report released Monday, predicts that a balanced budget wo 

uld require an across-the-board 20 to 25 percent cut in all programs except Soci 

al Security, defense and interest payments on the national debt. Critics predict 

cuts in vital and popular programs, such as law enforcement, student loans and 

Medicare. 

Even if the proposal is approved by a two-thirds majority in the House and 

Senate, an amendment to the Constitution must be ratified by three-quarters of t 

he states. 

The president is not much of a player, because he can neither sign nor veto 

a proposed amendment. And President Clinton told congressional leaders last wee 

k that, unlike last year, he would not mount an aggressive campaign to defeat th 

e amendment. 

Proponents contend that the amendment is the only remedy to stop the govern 

ment's wasteful spending habits and eliminate the annual deficits that are expec 

ted to resume an upward climb in just a couple of years. 

"You've got to have the discipline which comes from the balanced budget ame 

ndment before anything else is done," House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, sa 

id Sunday on ABC's "This Week with David Brinkley." 

But opponents said the proposal is a gimmick to make Congress appear it is 

taking tough action while postponing the difficult choices. They said the amendm 

ent would eventually force lawmakers to use phony accounting techniques to compl 

y with the amendment. 

"I am not sure it guarantees anything," Collender said. "It could result in 

more budget gimmicks that would lead to additional distrust by the public of th 

e federal government." 




SOUR[Minden Courier

BK#[ 

HDLN[Peterson Nominated 

TEXT[Ryan Petersen has received a nomination to the United States Air Force Acad 

emy in Colorado Springs, Colo. from Senator James Exon. Ryan also received a nom 

ination to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. from Congressman Bi 

ll Barrett. As a senior at Minden High School, Ryan is involved in wrestling, fo 

otball, track, Student Council, FCA and the Civil Patrol out of Hastings. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mandate Bill Wins Passage in Committee 

TEXT[Washington Legislation calling on Congress to pay for costly federal progra 

ms imposed on state and local governments passed the Senate Budget Committee Mon 

day by unanimous vote. 

"There is an enormous groundswell of support for this bill," said Sen. J. J 

. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the committee. "I look forward to its speedy 

passage on the Senate floor." 

The bill also won approval Monday in the Senate Governmental Affairs Commit 

tee. Next it will go to the Senate floor, probably Wednesday. 

In the House, Majority Leader Richard Armey, R-Texas, wrote the chairman of 

the Republican Governors Association on Monday to say he was juggling the House 

schedule to bring up the issue next week, ahead of debate on a balanced-budget 

amendment. 

The nation's governors have urged Congress to take up the issues in that or 

der. Their concern has been that without the first bill, the federal government 

might transfer more spending demands to the states as it struggles to reduce the 

budget deficit. 

Exon voted with other Democratic members of the Budget Committee who sought 

to delay floor action on the bill for three days, the time allowed under Senate 

rules for a formal report. The Democrats wanted the delay so they could submit 

a report containing dissenting views. 

Committee Republicans also defeated - on three successive 12-8 votes - a de 

mand by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calf., for an amendment that would set a time limi 

t on the bill. 

Sen. Boxer first sought to include a clause terminating the bill on Jan. l, 

1998. She also failed to win approval for the same date in 2000 and in 2002, th 

e year a proposed balanced-budget constitutional amendment would become effectiv 

e. 

"On a bill like this, I think we should have taken the normal three days to 

file a report," Exon said in an interview. "I 

don't think anything would have been hurt if we had waited three days." 

Exon, one of 57 co-sponsors of the bill, said he also agreed with Sen. Boxe 

r's arguments that the bill should have a definite date set for reviewing how it 

has worked,

However, Exon said, the bill will require at least four days of debate in t 

he Senate, which will provide enough time to discuss it. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, second-ranking Republican on the committee, 

said he will try to amend the bill to require a three-fifths majority to waive i 

ts provisions. The current bill requires a simple majority. 

Grassley said he also will seek to establish "specific and detailed definit 

ions of all exceptions to this legislation." 

A key provision of the bill would allow state and local governments to igno 

re any federal requirement for which funding was not provided. 

"It is going to be extremely difficult in the future to pass on any additio 

nal costly burdens to other levels of government," Exon said. "The goal is to st 

op the imposition of future unfunded mandates, not to stop compliance with those 

already in place." 

Other provisions of the bill would require: 

þ Congressional Budget Office estimates on any federal requirement for spen 

ding more than $50 million nationwide by state and local governments. 

þ Congressional Budget Office estimates on any federal requirement on priva 

te industry for spending more than $200 million nationwide. 

þ Legislation with unfunded federal mandates that exceeded the limits be ru 

led out of order, with 51 votes required to allow further consideration. 

þ State and local officials, in consultation with the Congressional Budget 

Office and other federal agencies, to determine the cost of federal mandates. 

None of the provisions would apply to laws or federal rules enforcing civil 

and constitutional rights, national security or treaty obligations, emergencies 

and voluntary programs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mayor Daub Pledges to Be Active, Visible 

TEXT[Hal Daub peeled off his black suit coat and rolled up the sleeves of his wh 

ite shirt during his first mayoral address Monday night in a display of his pled 

ge to "do the job that you elected me to do." 

"I am not going to spend all of my time sitting in a guarded office." Daub 

said during hid inaugural speech. "I intend to be accessible to people. You wi 

ll see me at neighborhood meetings. You will see me walking the streets of downt 

own Omaha. You will see me at the ballpark. And yes, you may even hear my voice 

when you call the mayor's hotline. 

"I promise to you that, starting tomorrow morning, I will be working day an 

d night to serve you and to accomplish the goals that I have set out during the 

campaign." 

In a speech flavored with much of the same language that Daub used during h 

is campaign, the mayor said he would continue to pursue his goals of merging cit 

y and Douglas County governments, enhancing the city's economy and fighting crim 

e. 

"I am absolutely determined to make Omaha the safest city in the Midwest," 

Daub said. "Criminals will not be welcome here. We are going to improve our poli

ce administration. We are going to get more police officers on the streets. We a 

re going to improve police morale. And as mayor, I will back the police chief an 

d the officers who risk their lives to support us." 

Daub reiterated his concern about the delivery of basic city services, such 

as garbage collection. 

He also said he plans to meet with Gov. Nelson today to talk about the crea 

tion of a College of Engineering or a related education program at the Universit 

y of Nebraska at Omaha. 

Daub, 53, was sworn in as Omaha mayor by U.S. District Court Judge Lyle Str 

om in a ceremony marking the end of a nine-month process to find a replacement f 

or former Mayor P.J. Morgan, who announced his resignation last April. 

Indeed, Daub's schedule for his first day as Omaha mayor reveals the type o 

f "whirlwind" activity that City Councilman Lee Terry forecast Monday for the Da 

ub administration 

At 8 a.m.. Daub will meet with members of his management team. At 10:30 

a.m. he is to meet with the City Council to discuss his proposals for the city's 

legislative package. 

By noon, Daub is to be in Lincoln at a luncheon with Gov. Nelson and repres 

entatives of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce to discuss economic developme 

nt issues. Those will include Daub's desire to create either a College of Engine 

ering or a College of Information, Science and High Technology at UNO. 

Beginning at 2 p.m., Daub and John Packett, former LaVista police chief who 

becomes Daub's mayoral assistant for public safety, will hold a series of labor 

discussions with city employees' union leaders and officials of the police, fir 

e, 911, personnel and law departments. 

After that, he will hold an economic development planning session. 

Police Chief James Skinner said after the inauguration that Daub's desire t 

o talk about public safety issues shows that he is serious about addressing the 

city's crime problems. 

Daub succeeds Subby Anzaldo, who served as interim mayor after Morgan left 

office in September to become president of an aviation firm in Lincoln. Daub is 

a former four-term congressman who tried twice unsuccessfully to reach the Unite 

runoff election. 

With his new title and office, Daub faces several pressing matters, includi 

ng the 1995 session of the Nebraska Legislature, the renovation of City Auditori 

um, garbage collection, the future of the Peony Park property and police and fir 

efighter wage cases pending before the Commission of Industrial Relations. He al 

so must develop the city's response to the proliferation of gambling in the regi 

on, particularly the addition of slot machines at Bluffs Run Greyhound Park in C 

ouncil Bluffs. 

Daub served in Congress from 1980 to 1988, when he gave up his seat to run 

for the Senate against fellow Republican David Karnes. He lost to Karnes in the 

GOP primary, then lost a 1990 bid for the Senate to Democratic Sen. J.J. Exon. 

Nearly 300 people attended the ceremony in the Legislative Chambers of the 

City-County Building, including many city employees, the entire City Council, al 

l city department directors, Douglas County elected officials, Nebraska Attorney 

General Don Stenberg and several former mayors and council members. 

The Omaha Symphony Brass Quintet and the Benson High School Jazz Band provi 

ded music. Daub graduated from Benson High in 1959. 



AUTH[Patricia Hill 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Balanced-budget measure delayed 

TEXT[Action on the balanced-budget amendment was delayed yesterday as Democrats 

pushed for changes and Republicans conceded they may not have the votes needed t 

o pass a constitutional amendment that limits tax increases. 

The Senate Judiciary Committee put off a scheduled vote on the amendment fo 

r a week to allow committee Democrats time to draft changes, including language 

prohibiting the use of Social Security funds to balance the budget. 

Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and other Democrats sponsoring the amendment said 

it is needed to prevent the public pension fund from becoming "prime pickings f 

or desperate legislators" trying to eliminate the $200 billion annual budget def 

icit. 

The proposal was the latest in a series of changes sponsored by Democrats, 

which Republicans have dismissed as diversionary tactics. Since a two-thirds vot 

e is needed to approve the amendment, Democratic support will be critical in flo 

or votes Republican leaders have scheduled this month. 

"I think it's a very close call in the Senate," said Senate Budget Committe 

e Chairman Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico Republican. He added that, for the measu 

re to pass in the Senate, its authors must avoid exempting any programs from the 

budget-balance requirement or imposing tax limitations. 

"I don't find a lot of support in the Senate for a three-fifths vote" requi 

rement to raise taxes like the one contained in the House Republicans "Contract 

With America" version of the amendment he said. 

Supporters of the tax limitation say a constitutional amendment without one 

would be an open invitation to raise taxes, but some Republicans and Democrats 

in both houses of Congress have expressed reservations about limiting Congress' 

options for carrying out the constitutional mandate. 

"It's a Herculean task to balance the budget," said Sen. Jim Exon, Nebraska 

Democrat. 

Republican and Democratic estimates put the amount of spending cuts needed 

to eliminate the deficit by 2002, as required under the amendment, at over $1 tr 

illion. 

"We should not have any fences around anything - including tax increases or 

Social Security" to accomplish the task, said Mr. Exon. 

Senate leaders have carefully cultivated Democratic support by introducing 

a version of the amendment that would require only a majority vote to pass tax i 

ncreases. That is the version pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

In the House, the "Contract" version of the amendment is pending, but Mr. D 

omenici said that House leaders also concede a tax limitation is unlikely. "The 

trend seems to be that the House will not have it in theirs, either," he said. 

House Republican leaders are pushing for the tax limitation but will allow 

votes on other versions when the amendment is debated the week of Jan. 23. Rep. 

Charles W. Stenholm, Texas Democrat, and 130 other House members are sponsoring 

a version like the Senate's. 

"The Stenholm amendment is fully consistent with the 'Contract,'" said Hous 

e Majority Leader Dick Armey, Texas Republican, who emphasized that Republicans 

would consider it a victory if it passed. 

"It's always difficult to get 290 votes, but it's double to get [the tax-li

mitation] version with the strong support of the people in the country who want 

it to happen," said Tony Blankley, press assistant to House Speaker Newt Gingric 

h. 

Other progress on the "Contract" yesterday included the first of three days 

of overview hearings by the House Ways and Means Committee - one of the most ac 

tive in herding the GOP agenda through the legislative process 

on the welfare reform, middle-class tax relief and capital-gains planks. 

The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee expected to finish its 

markup of unfunded-mandates legislation last night, and at a news conference tod 

ay House GOP leaders will announce formation of a "Team 290" coalition to win th 

e necessary 290 House votes for a constitutional amendment to limit congressiona 

l terms. 

One critical issue as Congress debates tax and spending cuts this year is w 

hether budget experts are accurately estimating the effect of those proposals on 

the economy. 

Mr. Armey and some other conservatives argue that tax-rate 

reductions, like the capital gains tax cut contained in the "Contract" would spu 

r economic growth and revenues because they increase investment and savings -- k 

ey ingredients for the economy's health. 

But the Treasury Department and the Congressional Budget Office currently p 

roject a multibillion-dollar revenue loss from the capital-gains proposal and ot 

her tax-cut proposals advocated by Republicans. 

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan testified yesterday that, whi 

le he personally believes the capital gains proposal would be good for the econo 

my and would spur revenues Congress should avoid any major changes in the way it 

estimates the tax cuts. 

"Should financial markets lose confidence in the integrity of our budget-sc 

oring procedures, the rise in inflation and interest rates could more than offse 

t the stimulative effect of the tax cuts," he told a joint hearing of the House 

and Senate budget committees. 



AUTH[Dennis L. Cannon 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Mothers can be lose cannons, too! 

TEXT[President Bill Clinton hasn't lost his sense of humor even though his spous 

e and some of the White House aides might have over last week's "big flap" by th 

e national TV media. 

Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich was called on the carpet last week f 

or remarks his mother made to CBS-TV reporter Connie Chung. During an interview, 

Kathleen Gingrich was asked what he son thought of Mrs. Clinton. When she said 

she didn't want to reply, Ms. Chung in a display of trash journalism said, "Why 

don't you just whisper it to me, just between you and me." Mother Gingrich respo 

nded by saying that her son thought Mrs. Clinton was "a bitch." 

On Thursday, Gingrich and the President met with other Congressional leader 

s. Sitting just right of the President, Gingrich must have felt uneasy with all 

the circus media swirling around him as a result of the comment. But Clinton han 

dled it in a cool, professional manner. When a reporter questioned Clinton on th

e comment, Clinton responded, "God knows what she (Chung) could've gotten my mot 

her to say." 

In a time when this nation is turning a new page on government, with the Re 

publicans having majorities in both the House and Senate for the first time in 4 

0 years, the focus of Chung and her co-horts should be on the legislative agenda 

being set forth by Conservatives and how it will affect the nation, good or bad 

. 

***** 

Senator Jim Exon is among 56 senators who are cosponsoring legislation that 

would help ease the burden placed on states an municipalities concerning unfund 

ed mandates handed down by the federal government. 

Another sponsor of the bill, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, summed up the p 

revalent mood on Capitol Hill. "This bill says Washington cannot pass the buck w 

ithout also passing the bucks to do the job." 



AUTH[K. Johnson 

SOUR[Hebron Journal-Register 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kaptioned Korner 

TEXT[Nebraska Senator Jim Exon has announced that the Nebraska Cornhusker footba 

ll team will be invited to visit President Clinton at the White House, a nice to 

uch to culminate the national championship. No doubt, Sen. Exon was instrumental 

in obtaining the invitation for Tom Osborne's team. 

The senior Nebraska Senator apparently is a bona fide sports enthusiast. La 

st week he wrote to the President suggesting that he get the baseball owners and 

players together to announce they will play the 1995 season on existing contrac 

ts. Meanwhile, bargaining would still be ongoing in this lengthy labor dispute, 

which indeed threatens the '95 baseball season. 

I believe most Americans are fed up with the wealthy owners and wealthy pla 

yers, who have almost priced the middle class fan out of the ball park. More and 

more seats at stadiums are purchased by corporations as perks for clients and i 

t costs an arm and a leg for the average fan to attend a major league game. 

Many of us do indeed enjoy baseball at the professional level, but really, 

this stalemate of greedy owners and players quibbling over a salary cap is just 

short of ridiculous. 

I'm not sure the U.S. Congress needs to get involved in the impasse between 

the childish antics of both players and owners and players. What the heck, most 

of us Nebraskans are still reveling in the Cornhusker's national title and it w 

ill make spring ball, football, that is, more exciting. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Asks Fed Chief for Advice On Controlling Budget Deficit

TEXT[Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Tuesday that he would respond 

later to an invitation from Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., to recommend new ways of con 

trolling federal budget deficits. 

"I'll try to respond to you in writing, and to the committees, in a more th 

oughtful manner rather than giving you something off the top of my head," Greens 

pan told a joint session of the Senate and House Budget Committees. 

Exon, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, also asked Greenspan 

to comment on legislation that Exon will introduce requiring annual roll-call v 

otes on the federal debt limit when Congress votes on the annual budget. 

The debt limit, which imposes a ceiling on total Treasury borrowings, now i 

s $4.9 trillion compared with a rising national debt that was $4.7 trillion as o 

f Monday. 

The Treasury Department said Tuesday that the debt limit, last raised in Au 

gust 1993, will have to be increased by Congress before June 30 to allow the Tre 

asury to continue issuing bonds. 

Greenspan cautioned Exon that some past congressional debates over raising 

the debt limit have unsettled financial markets. 

"I would recommend, Senator, that you are on the right track as far as l am 

concerned to find additional avenues to basically constrain deficits on the pre 

sumption that the current cap is not implemented to your satisfaction," Greenspa 

n said. 

"I think, however, I would look for other vehicles rather than endeavoring 

to impose essentially a very heavy club on the system." Greenspan said. 

Exon, after his exchange with Greenspan, announced that he would introduce 

a package of budget reform bills, including a constitutional amendment requiring 

a balanced budget. 

"We have a national debt of $4.7 trillion and everyone knows that it's goin 

g to soar far above $5 trillion in the months ahead," Exon said at a press confe 

rence. "Unless we take action, this shocking figure will continue to grow, leavi 

ng the bill for our children and grandchildren." 

Meanwhile, Greenspan advised the budget committees to consider adjusting th 

e Consumer Price Index, which automatically increases payments made under federa 

l programs and also affects tax revenues. 

Exon said he agreed with Greenspan that the CPI should be reviewed by Congr 

ess to more accurately reflect price increases. 

"I am not satisfied with the way it's working now," Exon said. "It has to b 

e looked at soon. It's all part of this revolution that's going on." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Woo Kerrey For Key Post 

TEXT[Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., confirmed Tuesday that he has been asked to serve 

as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. 

But Kerrey said he is reluctant to take the fund-raising post, even th 

ough the appointed leadership job might raise his standing around the country an 

d in the Senate. 

"I've been negative right from the start," Kerrey said. "I have to be persu

aded that it's good for Nebraska." 

Kerrey said Senate Minority leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., asked him last mont 

h if he would take the post. He said he declined, but Daschle renewed his reques 

t last week. 

Kerrey said he expects to make a decision this week. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he spoke to Kerrey about the chairmanship 

during a Tuesday luncheon meeting of Senate Democrats. 

"I suggested he do it," Exon said. "I think it's a chance for Bob to fit in 

to a role that he's very good at. He's a very good fund-raiser." 

Kerrey has raised more than $11 million since 1987 for his two Senate races 

and his 1992 presidential bid. He won re-election in November. 

Exon also said Kerrey could boost his national political prospects by 

raising money across the country for Democratic candidates running for the Senat 

e in 1996 - a group that could include Exon, if he seeks re-election. 

Kerrey said he is considering the job because it offers a chance to be 

in the party leadership. He also said he would want assurances that he could do 

part of the work from Nebraska. 

Outside the Senate chamber, Sen. John Breaux, D-La., stopped Kerrey to ask 

whether he was going to take the post. 

"I want you to do it," Kerrey replied. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson: Circus Maximus 

TEXT[YOU take your chances. You pay your money. That's one way Gov. Ben Nelson t 

o offer something for everyone -an income tax cut, business incentives, bigger c 

hild care credits - and still not bust the budget. 

Administration officials are confident the state will get at least $50 mill 

ion more federal dollars over two years, but it is a risky proposition. What if 

their projections are off? What are the strings? And what if the money disappear 

s later? 

Journal Statehouse reporter Fred Knapp broke the story Tuesday: The Nelson 

administration contracted five months ago with a Virginia company to find more f 

ederal funds for Nebraska. For its trouble, Maximus Inc., will get a breathtakin 

gly generous fee: 12.5 percent of whatever it brings in. 

If the state gets the $50 million, the firm will get about $6 million in fe 

es. Maximus indeed. 

Admiration surely must be heaped on any governor sharp enough to see that t 

he state is entitled to more federal money than it's getting. And yet... 

The latest press release from Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., says he is intent on p 

utting Congress on "the road to fiscal responsibility." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., continues to warn that the nation must get a handl 

e on federal entitlements. 

And our own governor, recognized as a leader in the states' fight against t 

he big old federal government and its unfunded mandates, carefully cultivates hi 

s image as a fiscal conservative while he pays good money to get more good money 

out of that big old federal government.

If Nebraska is due more federal money, then a governor might be crazy to re 

fuse it. But to promise a state income tax cut and other goodies while paying co 

nsultants to draw in more money from Washington seems a bit schizophrenic. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon pushes budget reform bills 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon. D-Neb., is beginning to assert himself in the Senate as only 

a newly minted minority member can. 

Last week, as the Senate attempted to approve legislation that would make i 

t live by its own laws, Exon offered an amendment that would make the Senate liv 

e by the balanced budget amendment it wants to add to the Constitution. 

The new GOP Senate majority turned Exon's proposal aside on a 53-30 vote, b 

ut Exon came away with a moral victory - putting the Republicans in the politica 

lly uncomfortable position of supporting a balanced budget while refusing to spe 

cify which spending cuts they would make to balance the budget by 2002. 

Exon, who is ranking minority member of the Senate Budget Committee, on Tue 

sday introduced a package of budget reform bills that included a balanced budget 

constitutional amendment, a proposal to control federal borrowing and a preside 

ntial line-item veto. 

The current process of increasing the national debt would be stopped under 

an Exon bill requiring the annual budget resolution to state exactly how much Co 

ngress intends to raise the debt ceiling each year. 

Congress would be required to vote any time the debt would exceed the speci 

fied ceiling. 

"This bill would bring some sanity and control to federal budgeting," said 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. "Instead of just throwing up our hands and increasing t 

he debt every time our deficit projections prove too low. Congress would have to 

stop and either cut spending or take another vote before the national debt can 

rise again." 

Exon also is sponsoring legislation with Budget Committee Chairman Pete Dom 

enici. R-N.M., to give the president the authority to cut or eliminate specific 

spending items in appropriations bills. Under current law, the president has to 

accept to reject the entire bill and has no authority over individual spending i 

tems. 

The Republican leadership in the House is pushing a constitutional amendmen 

t that would provide the chief executive with line-item veto. 

Exon says his and Dominici's proposal is easier and more efficient in 

curbing spending. 

"Members of Congress will be less likely to pile on the 'pork' in appropria 

tions and tax bills if they know they might have to defend each item on its own 

merits," Exon said. 

Exon and fellow budget committee member, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, won 

congressional approval of the only major budget cut last year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[School Board Names Officers 

TEXT[CAMBRIDGE - Keith Klocke was named president of the Cambridge Board of Educ 

ation when the group reorganized Monday. 

Other school board officers include Dr. Warren Jones, vice president; Krist 

i Shifflet, secretary; and Jim Chitwood, treasurer. 



AUTH[Star-Herald Staff 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Center gets $408,000 

TEXT[TERRYTOWN - A $408,000 federal grant has been awarded to the Scottsbluff Co 

unty Housing Authority for development of the Terry and Hazeldeane Carpenter Int 

ergenerational Center, federal officials announced Wednesday. 

The grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will pa 

y for the construction of an elderly day-care room, children's day-care area, co 

mputer lab and Head Start room in the planned center. 

It will also be used to run high school equivalency, job training and compu 

ter classes, along with a tutoring program for teens and adults. 

Housing Authority Director Pat Berzina couldn't be reached for comment Wedn 

esday evening, but Bill James, the new recreational center director who will wor 

k with the program, said officials are happy the grant came through because it's 

a step forward to completing construction of the building this year. 

"I just can't wait. I'm on edge here," said James, who was appointed to his 

new job at the end of the year. 

James said Berzina learned of the grant in a phone call Wednesday afternoon 

. 

The announcement didn't include details of how the money will be allocated, 

James said, but in its application the housing authority had requested $234,500 

for construction and an unspecified amount for administration of programs, supp 

lies and equipment 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, who announced the grant in a news relea 

se Wednesday afternoon, said the money "will make a difference in the lives of f 

amilies and children who live in subsidized housing in Scottsbluff County. 

"The programs funded through this grant will help give residents educationa 

l opportunities and job training so they can become more productive citizens," t 

he senators said. 

The HUD grant is geared toward helping families living in subsidized housin 

g to have better access to educational and employment opportunities, the news re 

lease said. 

The $1 million to $3 million center, to be built on the site of the former 

Carena Drive-In theater, is being funded by local donations as well as grants. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Says Huskers Will Be Invited To The White House 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) said he has been advised by White House offici 

als that President Clinton will be extending an invitation to the victorious Neb 

raska Cornhuskers to visit the President at the White House so that he can congr 

atulate them on "a truly outstanding season," including winning College Football 

's National Championship. 

"This is a great day for the Cornhuskers and a great day for Nebraska," Exo 

n said. "I'm pleased that the president will be taking time out of his schedule 

to visit with the busy Nebraska Cornhuskers who have earned this honor." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Odds and Ends 

TEXT[U.S. Senator J.J. Exon and Congressman Doug Bereuter released their nominat 

ions for appointments to the nation's four service academies. There were none fr 

om The Star area. 

*With the first class stamp going from 29 to 32 cents the South Sioux Post 

Office was out of one, two and three cent stamps Thursday. Apparently, postal of 

ficials underestimated how many 29 cent stamps were out there. 

*What would we do without those Rotary Club Community Calendars? The calend 

ar is a necessity in our home and office. Thanks to the Rotary Club and their ad 

vertisers who make it possible. 

*Former South Sioux Cityan, Linda Leamer of St. Paul, Minn., has put togeth 

er "The Heart of England Tour" for June 12-23. If you're interested she can be r 

eached at (612) 227-7415. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon gets new leadership posts 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has assumed two new leadership posts as the ne 

w session of Congress begins. 

Senator Exon was formally appointed as the Democratic leader on the Senate 

Budget Committee. Last year, he fought successfully to win passage of the only s 

pending reduction measure of 1994. 

Bipartisan legislation he co-authored with Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa 

) reduced federal spending by $3 billion. 

Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle also appointed Exon to a new leadersh 

ip group called the Technology and Communications Committee. 

Also, Exon was advised by White House officials that President Clinton will

invite the Nebraska Cornhuskers to the White House so he can congratulate them 

on a "truly outstanding season," including winning College Football's National C 

hampionship. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Sen. Exon Takes Two Leadership Roles 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) has assumed two new leadership posts as the ne 

w session of Congress begins. 

Senator Exon was formally appointed as the Democratic leader on the Senate 

Budget Committee. Last year, he fought successfully to win passage of the only s 

pending reduction measure of 1994. The bi-partisan legislation he co-authored wi 

th Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) reduced federal spending by $13 billion. 


ility," Exon said. "I want to make sure we continue to cut government spending s 

ensibly and reduce the federal budget deficit." 

Exon was also appointed to a new leadership group called the Technology and 

Communications Committee. 

"This new committee will look for ways to use new forms of technology like 

video teleconferencing to better communicate with and listen to, the public, "Ex 

on said. "This will give Nebraskans more direct input into the legislative proce 

ss so their voices can be heard." 



AUTH[Barb Thomsen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Voice of the People (Editorial) 

TEXT[Editor:I have gotten some of the answers about our cable TV situation. 

The first thing we all have to do is write to our Senators. This is a MUST! 

Only they have the power to change things. Please send letters to U.S. Senator 

Exon, 287 Federal Bldg. Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. 

Section 325 of the Communications Act, Amended reads: 

(b) (1) Following the date that is one year after the date of enactment of 

the Cable Television Consumers Protection and Competition Act of 1992, no cable 

system or other multichannel video programming distributor shall retransmit the 

signal of a Broadcasting station, or any part thereof, except- 

(A) with the express authority of the originating station..." 

According to this ruling, the right to grant permission for the re-transmis 

sion of the signal Is exclusively held by KSTF and KDUH in our area. 

Since they apparently are not sensitive to the wishes of the people in this 

area, maybe Nick Blacho's ides of making an impression in the only way they und 

erstand bears looking into. Television stations are dependent upon advertising f 

or their revenue.

The idea of hitting TCI in the pocketbook won't work. If you were to discon 

nect your cable service, you would be watching KSTF and KDUH only. 

Please write to your senator, This is our only hope. Also the letters to th 

e editor do make a difference. 

Barb Thomsen Alliance 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate OKs Bill For Congress To Obey Rules 

TEXT[Washington - Senate passage of a bill that would require Congress to live u 

nder the workplace rules it passes for the rest of the country ends nearly "60 y 

ears of double standards," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Wednesday. 

"l think it's going to help restore some credibility of Congress," said Cra 

ssley, one of the bill's authors. "Congress as a whole has to be more concerned 

about being servants of the people, instead of being know-it-all masters." 

The Senate voted 98-1 for the bill, which would subject Congress to the 11 

major federal employment and safety laws that have been adopted since the 1930s, 

including civil rights, workplace safety, job retraining, anti-discrimination a 

nd labor relations measures. 

The bill, introduced by Grassley and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., also w 

ould create an independent Office of Compliance for the legislative branch and a 

llow congressional employees to file lawsuits in federal court. 

The House of Representative voted to pass a similar measure in about 75 min 

utes on its opening-day session last week. The two bills must be reconciled. 

Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., Bob Kerrey D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, joined 

Grassley in voting for the bill. 

It was the first bill the Senate passed this year. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson links firm's pay to success 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson said Wednesday, that the state "won't pay one penny to a mo 

ney-search firm unless the company actually comes up with additional federal fun 

ds for the state. 

He also said the size of his proposed income tax cut is directly dependent 

on how much money the firm, Maximus Inc., is able to find. 

The Virginia firm, which has done similar work for a number of other states 

, was hired to try to find $50 million in additional federal money that could be 

used to replace state funds for existing programs. 

Nelson stressed that none of the money would be used to start new programs, 

but only to reduce the state's costs for programs that already exist. 

Nelson has proposed a 4.5 percent income tax cut, but said the percent-age 

will have to be lower than that if the new federal money doesn't materialize.

He said many states are using Maximus and other consulting firms be-cause o 

f their expertise in finding available federal money and handling the paperwork 

necessary to obtain it. "You couldn't have experts at that level in your own sta 

te, so all states are looking at this," he said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter (R.-Neb.) Wednesday called the 12.5 percent finders fee 

to the consultants "outrageously high" Hiring the firm also drew criticism from 

Sens. Jim Exon (D-Neb.) and Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.). 

Kerrey said the search for more federal money seemed inconsistent with Nels 

on's efforts at the national level to fight so-called "unfunded mandates" from t 

he federal government. Kerrey said the state should focus on budget cuts, just a 

s the federal government is doing. 

Asked whether any new federal money wasn't temporary at best, in light of t 

he budget-cutting fervor in Washington, Nelson said he felt sure that new funds 

would come from federal programs that are the least likely to be cut. 

Even if the money doesn't last for more than a year or so, it's still worth 

seeking, he said. 



AUTH[Fred Knapp 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson suggests critics of aid search find funds instead 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson said Wednesday he hopes members of Nebraska's congressional 

delegation who have criticized his hiring a consultant to find federal funds wi 

ll help make it possible to get such funds for free. 

"I would hope they would take a look at the process as it presently exists 

and work with us in trying to streamline it so you don't have to go to this extr 

eme if you're looking to get federal dollars," Nelson said. 

The governor specifically said he would call Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st Dist 

rict, who said hiring the consultant was "very questionable," and see if Bereute 

r could get the state the money it is seeking. Nelson said he thinks the state d 

eserves the money. 

Nelson commented after a Governor's Mansion briefing on his budget proposal 

s. His administration is anticipating nearly $53 million in increased federal ai 

d over the next two years as a result of hiring Maximus Inc., a Virginia consult 

ing firm. 

Maximus will he paid 12.5 percent of the additional funds it finds, or near 

ly $6.6 million if budget projections come true. 

The additional federal aid will help pay for Nelson's proposed cut in state 

income tax rates, a reduction he said Jan. 3 would be 4.5 percent. 

Nelson said Wednesday that percentage could go lower or higher, de-pending 

on the federal funds that were found, although taxes would be reduced even if no 

funds are found. "We're anticipating that it will be between 4 and 5 percent fo 

r the tax cut. That's what we hope it will be," he said. 

Nelson declined to respond directly to a comment by Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., 

who said Wednesday he was "somewhat mystified" by the state's contract with Maxi 

mus. Nelson, like Exon, is a Democrat, and served as state insurance director wh 

en Exon was governor. 

Nelson was a little more direct in response to comments by Bereuter, a Repu

lican, who called the 12.5 percent fee for Maximus "outrageously high." 

"I understand his opinion, and if Congressman Bereuter feels this way, mayb 

e what he ought to do is call us. As a matter of fact, I'm going to call him and 

if he can get 30-some million dollars for us directly so we don't have to use t 

his firm, that would be outstanding," Nelson said. 

"There are no villains in this process at the Congressional level here that 

I can see, and there are no villains at the state level. If we'd work together, 

rather than getting into a blame game here, I think we're all going to be a lot 

better off," the governor said. 



AUTH[Paula Lavigne 

SOUR[Lincoln Daily Nebraskan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator seeks to regulate 'Net 

TEXT[Legislation proposed by U.S. Sen. James Exon to regulate obscene materials 

on computer communications would be difficult to enforce, a UNL computer directo 

r said Wednesday. 

Last summer, Exon proposed an amendment to the Senate telecommunications bi 

ll that would extend regulation to cable, video and computer communications, inc 

luding the Internet and bulletin board systems. 

The bill passed in the House of Representatives last year and awaits Senate 

approval. 

Doug Gale, Computing Resource Center director, said trying to prevent peopl 

e from putting obscene materials on the Internet was almost impossible. 

"Can you regulate it to prevent it from happening? No," he said. "Can you p 

ass regulations to make such behavior illegal? Yes." 

Gale said trying to police the Internet would be similar to policing regula 

r mail. 

"The only way to stop that would be to read all the mail," he said. 

Finding an Internet offender might be even more difficult, he said. 

"If someone is using the Internet for pornographic purposes in one of the p 

ublic labs, and if you have someone with 20/20 vision and you look over and see 

it," he said, "you have something." 

Electronic mail messages also can be coded, he said. 

Although Internet users can elude regulations, Gale said, flagrant violatio 

ns can be detected, and users can be punished. 

Greg Pallas, Exon's chief of staff said regulating the Internet was a solva 

ble problem. 

Pallas said Exon did not know how the regulations would be enforced. That j 

ob, however, would be left to the Federal Communications Commission, he said. 

Exon has never been on the Internet at his office, Pallas said, but has con 

sulted with computer specialists. 

Pallas said Exon was worried about children being able to access obscene materia 

ls on any medium. 

"As a father of three and a grandfather of eight, he's really concerne 

d about the kinds of things that are happening," Pallas said. 

Any legislation would need finetuning, he said, and would not rob the

Internet from the private sector. 

"Nobody's trying to shutdown the Internet," he said. "Who are all thes 

e people who are trying to defend the ability to carry porn on the Internet? 

Sometimes the forest gets lost in the trees." 

Internet regulation, in whatever form, should address more than obscenity, 

Gale said. He said a more pressing issue at UNL involved Internet stalking and e 

lectronic mail death threats. 

The FCC laws were written in 1934, he said, and need to be updated. 

Someone who receives a death threat through regular mail can seek lega 

l recourse under the current law, he said, but someone who receives a death thre 

at over the Internet cannot. 

"For some people, it's ruined their lives," he said. "I suspect this w 

hole issue is broader than pornography." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey reluctantly accepts Democratic post 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Political insiders are asking why Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., one 

of the most unpredictable and non-partisan Democrats in the Senate, would be of 

fered or would accept the chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Com 

mittee. 

On Wednesday, Kerrey agreed to chair the committee, the party's principal v 

ehicle for raising money and recruiting candidates for the 33 Senate contests on 

the ballot in 1996. 

Kerrey said he was accepting the position reluctantly, at the bidding of Se 

nate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle. 

Kerrey said earlier this week that he would not take the job unless he was 

convinced it would help Nebraska. 

However, in his acceptance speech, he spoke of how the Democratic Party "wi 

ll benefit from the orientation and values of the Great Plains," He made it clea 

r he was not interested in "running a fund-raising operation whose purpose is to 

acquire the power of the Senate majority." 

He said the campaign committee and other organizations of its ilk "are part 

of the problem," and said "it would not bother me to have them banished to the 

status of memories." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who is running for re-election in 1996 and recommend 

ed that Kerrey accept the post, said his colleague's fund-raising skills made hi 

m an attractive candidate. 

Kerrey developed an impressive list of contributors from coast to coast whe 

n he ran for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1991-92. 

Asked Wednesday whether acceptance of the post would rule him out as a pres 

idential candidate in 1996, Kerrey said he has already ruled himself out of that 

race. 

Kerrey said he eventually agreed to serve as chairman of the committee, whi 

ch has the daunting task of reshaping the party's message and restructuring the 

party so it can take back control of the Senate, because of his admiration and r 

espect for new Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle D-S.D. Daschle, he said, "recogn 

izes that the Democratic Party needs to be rebuilt, and that it should be rebuil

t upon a foundation of beliefs and ideas, rather than a blind devotion to acquir 

e power at any cost and for any reason. We must have purpose or no American woul 

d be wise to follow our leadership." 

Acceptance of the campaign position at a time when so few were willing to a 

ccept it and when the Democrats' political prospects appear so bleak, should enh 

ance Kerrey's standing among Senate Democrats. It should give him higher profile 

, which, given the senator's ability to generate publicity and controversy, shou 

ld make his a household name in the Democratic political households around the c 

ountry. 

However, his official acceptance of the chairmanship caused hardly a stir i 

n this capital city on Wednesday. But, then, it was a major news day: the Senate 

approved its first bill; Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass,, warned Democrats not 

to shed their tradition in the face of strong Republican victories at the polls; 

and there was a variety of stories about House Speaker Newt Gingrich. 

The Washington Post carried the Kerrey story in its gossip columns; the New 

York Times carried no reference to the appointment in its early editions; and t 

he Washington Times wrote that Kerrey accepted the post with reservations. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[G.I. woman delegate to White House conference 

TEXT[Lois Stienike of Grand Island has been appointed as a delegate from Nebrask 

a to the 1995 White House Conference on Aging, Sen. Jim Exon announced Thursday. 

"Lois Stienike has more than 25 years of experience in working with se 

nior citizens," Exon said. "Her strong Nebraska roots and her expertise on senio 

r issues will be invaluable as a delegate to this important national conference. 

" 

The White House Conference on Aging will be May 2 through 5 in Washing 

ton, D.C. 

Approximately 2,000 delegates from all 50 states and territories will parti 

cipate in forming recommendations which will affect national aging policies in t 

he 21st century. 

In addition to making policy recommendations, the conference will educ 

ate the public about issues facing seniors and highlight the contributions of ol 

der Americans. 

Stienike, the mother of 11, worked as a teacher with the Head Start pr 

ogram before she started working with senior citizens. 

After leaving Head Start, she worked as an outreach aide for the Community 

Action Center. Later, she took charge of the senior citizens' centers in Wood Ri 

ver and Grand Island and eventually took over the Hall County senior citizens' a 

ctivities. 




SOUR[Norfolk Daily News

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon appoints Nebraskan to '95 Aging Conference 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., announced Thursday that he has ap 

pointed Lois Stienike of Grand Island as a Nebraska delegate to the 1995 White H 

ouse Conference on Aging to be held May 2-5 in Washington, D.C. 

Stienike has been executive director of Senior Citizens Industries Inc. sin 

ce 1980. The agency provides senior services in Hall County. 

Cy Miller of Lincoln has been named alternate delegate. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[4-H special goes to Capitol Hill 

TEXT[The Dawes County '94 4-H Special Edition went to each of Nebraska represent 

ative in the nations capitol at the Nebraska breakfast. 

Senator Bob Kerry said, "I appreciate the 4-H program; my kids were in 4-H. 

" Senator Jim Exon and Congressman, Bill 

Barrett expressed appreciation for the 4-H program and said they would gladly re 

ad it. 

On a side trip to my cousins house we went past the National 4-H Club Cente 

r where he took my picture "for the Dawes County 4-Hers." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska woman on conference 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., announced Thursday that he has appointe 

d Lois Stienike of Grand Island as a Nebraska delegate to the 1995 White House C 

onference on Aging to be held May 2-5 in Washington, D.C. 

Stienike has been executive director of Senior Citizens Industries Inc. sin 

ce 1980. The agency provides senior services in Hall County. 

"Lois Stienike has more than 25 years of experience in working with senior 

citizens," Exon said. "Her strong Nebraska roots and her expertise on senior iss 

ues will be invaluable as a delegate to this important national conference." 

Approximately 2,000 delegates from across the nation will participate in fo 

rming recommendations that will affect national aging policies in the 21st centu 

ry. In addition to making policy recommendations, the conference will educate t 

he public about issues facing seniors and highlight the contributions of older A 

mericans. 


Cy Miller of Lincoln has been named the alternate delegate.




BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Health Agency Gets Immunization Grant 

TEXT[Washington - A federal grant of $1,044,991 has been awarded to the Nebraska 

Health Department for a childhood immunization program, Democratic Sens. J.J. E 

xon and Bob Kerrey announced Friday. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Governor's goal: Shrink government 

TEXT[The closer you look at Ben Nelson's 1995-97 budget proposal, the more you s 

ee. 

Its high-visibility items - an income tax cut, economic development and cri 

minal justice initiatives, a reliance on increased federal funding, child care t 

ax credits - have been well-publicized. 

But there is much more below the surface spotlight that squeezes and contra 

cts government at the state level and applies pressure to do the same at the loc 

al level, notably within the public schools. 

It is a cloth of many colors, a budget of many parts. 

Like a jigsaw puzzle, it will be intact only if all the pieces fall into pl 

ace, it seems to me. 

Especially the big piece called increased federal funding. 

Nelson is counting on an additional $53 million for programs in the Departm 

ent of Social Services and the Department of Public Institutions, federal money 

which the state is paying a private consultant to seek, find and deliver. 

TIM BECKER, the governor's chief of staff, says the Nelson ad-ministration 

actually has been "cautious in our estimates and reliance" on additional federal 

funding. 

"We are convinced that the opportunity to get those funds will be-come a re 

ality," he says. 

In any event, Becker shakes off the jigsaw puzzle analogy. 

The central goal of this budget is to streamline government, he says, and 

that is so woven into the fabric of the governor's plan that it remains whether 

all of the budget's piecesfit into place or not. 

"The important message that the governor is sending is that we don't intend 

to streamline government just so we can spend money on new and additional progr 

ams. We plan to put money back in the pockets of taxpayers." 

HENCE, THE $70 million income tax cut. 

"We are going to return to Nebraska taxpayers as many of their tax dollars 

as is possible," Becker says. 

Government streamlining in the budget takes many forms. 

Reorganization, mergers, consolidation, an eye toward privatization of some 

programs. 

But the real squeeze comes within the budgeting process Nelson has outlined

. 

Not only will agency budgets be cut to reflect the effect that the governor 

's hiring freeze has had in creating unfilled employee vacancies, but agency fun 

ding will be squeezed substantially by Nelson's insistence that a portion of the 

salary increases agreed to by the state be funded with additional agency saving 

s. 

IF YOU LOOK at the governor's budget documents, you will find that those tw 

o policies translate into $27 million in projected savings over two years. 

Bottom line: A shrinking state government. 

"We focused on what we could get accomplished now," Becker says. 

"This is not the end of it. This is the beginning." 

Nelson would apply the same kind of squeeze at the local level with reduced 

property tax spending lids and by capping the amount of state general fund assi 

stance available for special education in the schools. 

The latter idea is huge in terms of its potential impact on school budgets. 

It could force a review of special education policies and criteria. 

Doesn't Nelson's plan to secure more federal dollars to fund his budget and 

finance a state income tax cut run contrary to the efforts os fellow Democrats 

Jim Exon an Bob Kerrey to downsize the federal government and move toward elimin 

ation of federal deficits? 

"No," Becker says. 

Nelson agrees with Exon and Kerrey. 

BUT, BECKER says, it hasn't happened yet. 

"And until that happens, we had to play by the rules. 

"We're in a situation where we compete for available federal funds. To do n 

othing to acquire all that we are entitled to would be a missed opportunity and 

would be failing Nebraska's taxpayers. 

"That money is going to go somewhere else if we don't go after it." 

What about the argument that the $70 million for income tax cuts ought to g 

o for property tax relief instead? 

"History tells us that the only way you get property tax relief is through 

less spending," Becker said. 

In 1989, the Legislature allocated $111 million specifically for one-time l 

ocal property tax relief, he calls. 

Eighty percent of the funds we used for new programs, Beck says. 

The result: "A permanent increase in property taxes." 



AUTH[George Anthan 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Cuts expected amid low farm income 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - The farm program spending cuts that Congress appears sur 

e to enact are seen taking effect as the nation's agriculture economy heads into 

a financially uncertain period, with farmers net cash income falling to the low 

est levels since the deep recession of the mid-1980s. 

Economists at the Agriculture Department said net cash income from farming 

- the money used by farmers to support their families and business operations - 

dipped by $7.5 billion to $51 billion in 1994.

And, said the USDA analysts, 1995 could be even worse, with this key measur 

e of the farm economy's health falling as low as $49 billion. They said the farm 

sector has been battered by floods in 1993, by price-depressing crop surpluses 

in 1994 and by dismal returns from livestock. 

At the same time, the USDA said, any congressional effort to cut gover 

nment payments to farmers would increase the susceptibility to failure of some a 

lready on financial edge. 

Significant Subsidies 

The significance of federal subsidies becomes apparent in statistics at the 

USDA. 

Without cuts in 1995 farm aid - which appears increasingly unlikely - 

the $10 billion to $12 billion payments forecast for 1995 would represent 11 per 

cent to 13 percent of cash receipts from marketing all commodities, and up to on 

e-third the crop income of the key wheat, feed grain, cotton and rice recipients 

. 

Loss of these payments, according to USDA economists Janet Perry and Mitch 

Morehart, means "many more farmers would be in a vulnerable financial position." 

Also, farm debt is increasing, up by 4 percent last year and forecast to ri 

se another 2 to 3 percent in 1995, reaching an estimated $150 billion by the end 

of the year. Last year's debt increase was the stiffest since 1981, and the cos 

t of credit is rising. 

An increase of 1 percent in interest rates paid by farmers reduces farm inc 

ome by $1.5 billion, the USDA said. 

Farms Will Be Lost 

The combination of higher debt and lower incomes, the economists acknowledg 

e, will result in some farmers having "difficulty in meeting their debt service 

requirements," leading to more farmers going out of business. 

USDA analysts expect the U.S. will lose about 38,000 farms a year through 2 

002, when the total will be at 1.54 million, down 77 percent from the peak of 6. 

8 million farms in 1935. 

However, the USDA states that "while 1995 promises to be a difficult year f 

or some farmers, a recurrence of widespread farm financial distress does not app 

ear to be looming on the horizon." 

The department's outlook report continues, "Overall, the farm sector's fina 

ncial strength is much stronger now than it was in the early 1980s," when farm d 

ebt had soared to almost $200 billion. 

Congress will write a new farm bill this year, establishing policy guidelin 

es for the 1996-2000 period. 

The shape of this legislation is expected to be heavily influenced by agric 

ulture's share of the overall budget, to be determined by the House and Senate b 

udget committees in action beginning late this month and lasting through mid-Apr 

il. 

But Republican officials, especially in the House, also are expected to see 

k some reductions in farm program spending for the current fiscal year, which co 

vers 1995 crops. 

Farm programs are seen by many congressional officials as especially vulner 

able to such cuts, officially called "rescissions," because of a 1994 amendment 

to the congressional budget resolution by two farm-state senators, Republican Ch 

arles Grassley of Iowa and Democrat James Exon of Nebraska. 

The Grassley-Exon amendment locked in general spending cuts of $12.3 billio 

n for fiscal 1996 through fiscal 1999.

Loss of subsidies would have a greater relative effect on small farms than 

on large operations because federal payments represent a higher share of small f 

armers' incomes, USDA economists Perry and Morehart said. 

The biggest impact of a loss of federal subsidies would be in the Corn Belt 

(including Iowa) and the Northern Plains regions, which together get half of fe 

deral outlays. 

ln straight dollar terms, the largest operations would be most affected by 

program reductions because the 17 percent of farms with gross sales over $100,00 

0 get two-thirds of the federal cash subsidies. 




SOUR[Waverly News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerry, Exon nominate Wilkinson 

TEXT[Both of Nebraska senators have nominated Bart Wilkinson of Greenwood for ap 

pointment to one of the nation's four service academies. 

Senator Jim Exon has nominated Wilkinson to U.S. Military Academy. 

Wilkinson was also appointed to the U.S. Military Academy by Senator J. Rob 

ert Kerrey. 

Kerrey also appointed Wilkinson to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. 

The nominees were selected by the Exon-Kerrey Joint Service Academy Selection Co 

mmittee comprised of prominent Nebraskans. 

Wilkinson is a senior at Waverly High School. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grassley Enjoys Workplace-Law Support 

TEXT[Washington - All four senators from Nebraska and Iowa voted last week for a 

bill introduced by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, that would make Congress subj 

ect to the same workplace laws that apply to the rest of the country. 

The Senate voted 98-1 to pass the bill, which has been a legislative p 

riority for Grassley for six years. 

"I can just simply say the feeling of this body has dramatically changed to 

ward this legislation," Grassley said after the roll-call vote, "because I remem 

ber the first time l introduced an amendment on this and got it through on a voi 

ce vote. 

"One member was so mad at me after I got it passed that the individual 

said to me, 'Grassley, l hope you are the first one sued.'" 

Besides Grassley, Sens. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; and Tom 

Harkin, D-Iowa, voted for the bill 


Lobbyist Contributions 

-74-17 to kill an amendment offered by Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., that w 

ould have restricted political contributions by lobbyists.

To kill the amendment: Exon, Grassley, 



Tire Plant Strike 

- 56-23 to kill a nonbinding amendment offered by Harkin and Paul Simon, 

D-Ill., that would have encouraged Bridgestone/Firestone, a Japanese owned tire 

maker, to reconsider its decision to hire permanent replacements for striking wo 

rkers. The company owns a 

plant in Des Moines.To kill the amendment: Grassley. 

Against: Exon, Harkin. 


Campaign Funds 

- 64-35 to kill an amendment offered by John Kerry, D-Mass., that would 

have restricted the use of campaign funds for personal purposes. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 


Frequent Filers 

- 56-44 to modify an amendment offered by Wendell Ford, D-Ky.,that would 

ban senators or Senate staff from using frequent flier miles earned from offici 

al travel for personal use. The vote occurred on an amendment by Mitch McConnell 

, R-Ky., to remove language that imposed the ban on House members as well. Senat 

e rules already prohibit personal use of frequent-flier awards, but the Ford ame 

ndment would write the ban into law. The Senate later passed the Ford amendment 

on a voice vote. 

To modify the amendment: Grassley. 


Salary-Spending Link 

- 61-38 to kill an amendment offered by Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., that w 

ould have cut lawmakers' salaries in a budget "sequester," which occurs when Con 

gress exceeds budget limits and automatic spending cuts are imposed. 



Treasury Secretary 

- 99-0 to confirm Robert Rubin as Treasury secretary. 

For:Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

House Votes: 

There were no House votes last week. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's use of fund-finder not unusual 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - At first blush, Nebraska's hiring of a consultant to raise $50 

million in federal funds to balance the state budget is unusual, if not "outrag 

eous," as Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, described it last week. 

But after delving into Washington's consultant industry, the paying of 

finders' fees by cash-strapped states trying to maximize their federal entitlem 

ents is neither exotic nor unusual.

Maximus Inc., the firm that Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson hired to find the fede 

ral funds he needs to pay for a proposed tax cut, has been helping state and loc 

al governments across the country become eligible for federal programs, manage t 

he programs and reduce payment errors in the Aid for Dependent Children, Medicar 

e and food stamp programs for almost 20 years. 

And it is by no means the only firm in the Washington area that specializes 

in leading state and local governments through the maze that has grown from the 

expansion of the federal bureaucracy - layered with new laws, programs, regulat 

ions and rulings - over the last half-century. 

Nelson, a national leader in the fight for the elimination of unfunded fede 

ral mandates, appears to be caught in a conflict between his desire to get the f 

ederal government off his back while trying to squeeze more dollars and perhaps 

more mandates out of that same government. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who is caught in a conflict between reaping t 

he rewards of service on the Senate Appropriations Committee for his state and h 

is holy war on entitlements and the deficit, glibly said upon learning of Nelson 

's agreement to pay finders' fees to private consultants: 

"I guess I can get off the Appropriations Committee now, l guess this would 

be a federally funded nonmandate." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., like Kerrey a former governor said he was "some 

what mystified" by the fund-raising arrangement. And Bereuter, in addition to ca 

lling the 12.5 percent "finders' fee" being charged by Maximus "outrageously hig 

h," asked if Maximus would be able to charge the state 12.5 cents on the dollar 

for money the state's congressional delegation independently obtained. 

Nelson responded to those criticisms by saying he hopes the delegation can 

work with the state to streamline the process "so (the state) won't have to go t 

o this extreme if you're looking to get federal dollars." 

While he made no comments about the state's two Democratic senators, the go 

vernor singled out Bereuter. He said he was going to call him and ask why, if he 

's so concerned about the cost of acquiring federal funds to which the state is 

entitled, Bereuter isn't helping the state "get 30-some million dollars for us d 

irectly so we don't have to use this firm?" 

In a swing around the western part of the state Thursday, Nelson said Nebra 

ska is paying a lower finder's fee than other states, pointing out that Massachu 

setts paid Maximus 25 percent to acquire $52 million in federal funds, New Hamps 

hire, Florida, Rhode Island and Connecticut also paid 25 percent for federal mon 

ey recovered by the firm, according to documents supplied to the Lincoln Journal 

-Star by Steve Ferris, state budget director. 

While finder's fees are a fact of life among the highly technical consultan 

ts that have flourished as the laws and regulations on federal social service pr 

ograms have become more complex and arcane through the years, the typical Washin 

gton lobbyist is green with envy over the idea of getting a percentage of the fu 

nds they find for their clients. 

"I'd be a millionaire, retired on some Caribbean island, if I got a percent 

age," said the former head of a state office here. Told that Maximus can earn up 

to $6 million for finding $50 million for Nebraska, this former state lobbyist, 

who asked not to be identified, said she ran an entire office, with eight profe 

ssional staffers, for about $400,000 a year, "and we found a hell of a lot more 

'moon money' than $50 million." 

"Moon money" is lobbyist slang for unanticipated federal funds. 

Approximately 37 states maintain offices here, many of them in the app

opriately named building three blocks from the Capitol known as the Hall of Sta 

tes. 

Nebraska has a contract with Tom Litjen, a former aide to Bereuter, who rep 

resents the governor and coordinates with the congressional delegation. Litjen i 

s an independent contractor and is not on the state payroll. 

According to Washington Representatives, an annual publication that lists l 

obbyists, consultants, foreign agents, legal advisors, public affairs and govern 

ment relations representatives, the Nebraska Department of Social Services is re 

presented by Covington & Burling, one of the most prestigious and expensive law 

firms in Washington; the Nebraska Public Power District is represented by Groom 

and Nordbert, with former Exon aide and Norfolk native William G. Schiffbauer ha 

ndling the power district's interests; Nebraska State Ethanol Authority represen 

ted by Durante Associates; and the city represented by Carolyn Chaney. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon to GOP: 'I've Got My Eye on You' 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., says his role in the 104th Congress is 

to be a budget "watchdog." 

"I'm watching the Republican majority," Exon said in an interview last week 

. "The vast majority of the people of America obviously believe that they are th 

e frugal party. Well, that hasn't been their record." 

If Democrats had retained control of the Senate, Exon would have become cha 

irman of the Senate Budget Committee. Instead, Republicans won a majority, but E 

xon still figures to be at the center of the budget debate in a dual role as def 

icit hawk and partisan leader. 

Already, Exon has taken the Senate floor repeatedly to speak on legislation 

or offer amendments, including an unsuccessful attempt to force Republicans to 

spell out the politically unpopular cuts 

needed to balance the federal budget. 

Role Pleases Kerrey 

Last week, Exon was one of four top congressional Democrats who held a pres 

s conference to discuss budget issues. Exon also met informally with about 20 re 

porters in the Senate press gallery to outline his plans. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Exon's new role is good for Democrats and for 

the country. 

"I'm thrilled about it," Kerrey said. "It puts on the stage and puts i 

n power the right kind of Democrat. He's very careful with people's money. He's 

a genuine fiscal conservative." 

Sen. Pete Domenici, the New Mexico Republican who chairs the Senate Budget 

Committee, said he is happy that Exon is the ranking Democrat on the panel. 

"I think he is a conservative, without question," Domenici said. 

The Concord Coalition, a bipartisan group that favors efforts to cut the bu 

dget deficit, said last year that Exon's voting record to cut the deficit was th 

e best in the Senate. 

In 1994, Exon joined forces with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa,to forge a b 

ipartisan deal in the Budget Committee to cut spending by $26 billion over five 

years. Exon bucked his own party's leadership and the Clinton administration and

successfully defended the plan on the Senate floor. 

Only choice 

Although the Exon-Grassley plan eventually was cut to $13 billion in a 

compromise with the House of Representatives, Exon said there would have been n 

o spending curbs at all without his plan. 

"It's the only thing there was," Exon said. 

Exon predicted that his help will be essential for Republicans as they 

try to write their own budget for fiscal 1996. Republicans have only a one-vote 

margin on the Senate Budget Committee, and ideological divisions could split th 

eir ranks. 

"Sometimes l think Pete Domenici might need me more than l need him," 


Domenici said in an interview that Exon will make "a good contribution 

" to the budget debate but downplayed suggestions that he would have trouble cra 

fting a Republican consensus. 

"l have plenty of support on the Republican side," Domenici said. "I d 

on't know what he's implying." 

Responded Exon: "What else can he say?" 

At Odds With Fellow Democrats 

Actually, Exon finds himself at odds with many of his Democratic colleagues 

in his support for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget by 20 

02, as well as legislation that would grant the president the ability to elimina 

te specific spending items passed by Congress. 

Exon also may be more likely to embrace Republican budget-cutting proposals 

than former Sen. Jim Sasser, D-Tenn., who used to head the Budget Committee. 

"There are some Democrats who wish I weren't that way," Exon said. "I say t 

o them, 'Well, I am that way.'" 

But Exon's strategy - honed in consultations with Senate Minority Leader To 

m Daschle, D-S.D. - also calls for relentless pressure on Republicans to make co 

ntroversial decisions that could give Democrats a partisan advantage. 

Daschle and Exon introduced a 'Right to Know Act" last week that would requ 

ire Congress, if it passes a balanced budget amendment, to specify how it would 

achieve that goal by 2002. The bill also would force Congress to start the defic 

it-reduction effort immediately. 

Exon said that measure - similar to his defeated amendment - would move the 

balanced budget debate from abstract platitudes and talk about government waste 

to hard choices on spending priorities. 

Cutting Budget a Huge Task 

"The people have got to understand that cutting $1,400 toilet seats and $50 

0 hammers and reducing in half the salaries of members of Congress is not going 

to balance the budget," Exon said. "It's probably the most difficult task that's 

been assigned to the Congress in modern times." 

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that it will take $1.2 trilli 

on in spending cuts to reach a balanced budget by 2002. Exon said Republican pro 

posals for tax cuts and other items could cost another $300 billion, boosting th 

e total cuts needed to $1.5 trillion. 

So far, Exon said, Republicans are talking about some $400 billion in spend 

ing cuts over five years. 

"If you can only cut $400 billion in five years, how in the world are you g 

oing to cut $1.1 trillion in (the remaining) two or three years?" Exon asked. "I 

don't believe the Republican Contract with America is leveling with the America

n people. And I'm going to level with them." 

Exon noted that some Republicans - including House Majority Leader Richard 

Arrney, R-Texas - have acknowledged that the specific cuts needed to reach a bal 

anced budget might frighten members of Congress to the point that "their knees w 

ill buckle." 

Charges of Undermining 

Domenici said it would be politically impossible to outline all future 

budget cuts. He said Exon is pursuing a partisan tactic that would undermine bo 

th Republicans and the overall effort to require a balanced budget. 

"When we're all saying we can't balance the budget without a constitutional 

amendment, why would anybody say 'that's what we need' - and then set about to 

do it without it?" Domenici asked. 

Exon said he is convinced that the Republican numbers don't add up. In the 

early 1980s, when Republicans last controlled the Senate, then-President Ronald 

Reagan promised a balanced budget in four years. 

Instead, budget deficits soared to record levels. Although Republicans blam 

e Congress, especially the Democratic House, for the red ink, Exon said Republic 

ans need to prove that they will do better this time. 

"I'm going to do everything I can to stop history from repeating itself," E 

xon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[TAKING THEIR PLACES: ASSIGNMENTS ON SENATE'S 16 STANDING COMMITTEES 

TEXT[Agriculture. Nutrition and Forestry (17) 

Republicans (9) Lugar, Richard G. (Ind.) Dole, Robert J. (Kan.) Helms, Jesse (N. 

C.) Cochran, Thad (Miss.) McConnell Mitch (Ky.) Craig, Larry E. (Idaho) Coverdel 

l, Paul (Ga.) Santorum, Rick (Pa.) Warner, John W. (Va.) 

Democrats (8) Leahy, Patrick J. (Vt) Pryor, David (Ark.) Heflin, Howell T. (Ala. 

) Harkin, Tom (Iowa) Conrad, Kent (N.D.) Daschle, Thomas A. (S.D.) Baucus, Max ( 

Mont.) Kerrey, Bob (Neb.) 

Appropriations (28) 

Republicans (15) Hatfield, Mark O. (Ore.) Stevens, Ted (Alaska) Cochran, Thad (M 

iss.) Specter, Arlen (Pa.) Domenici, Pete V. (N.M.) Gramm, Phil (Tex.) Bond, Chr 

istopher S. (Mo.) Gorton, Slade (Wash.) McConnell, Mitch (Ky.) Mack, Connie (Fla 

.) Burns, Conrad (Mont.) Shelby, Richard C. (Ala.) Jeffords, James M. (Vt.) 

Gregg, Judd (N.H.) Bennett, Robert F. (Utah) 

Democrats (13) Byrd, Robert C. (W.Va.) Inouye, Daniel K. (Hawaii) 

Hollings, Ernest F. (S.C.) Johnston, J. Bennett (La.) Leahy, Patrick J. (Vt.) B 

umpers, Dale (Ark.) Lautenberg, Frank R. (N.J.) 

Harkin, Tom (Iowa) Mikulski, Barbara A. (Md.) Reid, Harry M. (Nev.) Kerrey, Bob 

(Neb.) Kohl, Herb (Wis.) Murray, Patty (Wash.) 

Armed Services (21) 

Republicans (11) Thurmond, Strom (S.C.) Warner, John W. (Va.) Cohen, William S. 

(Maine) McCain, John (Ariz.) Lott, Trent (Miss.) Coats, Dan (Ind.) Smith, Robert 

C. (N.H.) Kempthorne, Dirk (Idaho) Hutchison, Kay Bailey (Tex.) Inhofe, James M 

. (Okla.) Santorum, Rick (Pa.)

Democrats (10) Nunn, Sam (Ga.) Exon, J. James (Neb.) Levin, Carl M. (Mich.) Kenn 

edy, Edward M. (Mass.) Bingaman, Jeff (N.M.) Glenn, John (Ohio) Byrd, Robert C. 

(W.Va.) Robb, Charles S. (Va.) 

Lieberman, Joseph l. (Conn.) Bryan, Richard H. (Nev.) 

Budget (22) 

Republicans (12) Domenici, Pete V. (N.M.) Grassley Charles E. (Iowa) Nickles, Do 

n (Okla.) Gramm, Phil (Tex.) Bond, Christopher S. (Mo.) Lott, Trent (Miss.) Brow 

n, Hank (Colo.) Gorton, Slade (Wash.) Gregg, Judd (N.H.) Snowe, Olympia J. (Main 

e) Abraham, Spencer (Mich.) Frist, BiII( Tenn.) 

Democrats (10) Exon, J. James (Neb.) Hollings, Ernest F. (S.C.) 

Johnston, J. Bennett (La.) Lautenberg, Frank R. (N.J.) Simon, Paul (Ill.) Conrad 

, Kent (N.D.) Dodd, Christopher J. (Conn.) 

Sarbanes, Paul S. (Md.) Boxer, Barbara (Cal.) Murray, Patty (Wash.) 

Commerce. Science and Transportation (19) 

Republicans (10) Pressler, Larry (S.D.) Packwood, Bob (Ore.) Stevens, Ted (Alask 

a) McCain, John (Ariz.) Bums, Conrad (Mont.) Gorton, Slade (Wash.) Lott, Trent ( 

Miss.) Hutchison, Kay Bailey (Tex.) Snowe, Olympia J. (Maine) Ashcroft, John (Mo 

.) 

Democrats (9) Hollings, Ernest F. (S.C.) Inouye, Daniel K. (Hawaii) Ford, Wendel 

l H. (Ky.) Exon, J. James (Neb.) Rockefeller, John D. "Jay" IV (W.Va.) Kerry, Jo 

hn F. (Mass.) Breaux, John (La.) Bryan, Richard H. (Nev.) Dorgan, Byron L. (N.D. 

) 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Frontier Airlines Touches Down For Business at Eppley Airfield 

TEXT[Frontier Airlines began service to Omaha on Monday, providing Eppley Airfie 

ld with additional non-stop connections to Denver's Stapleton International Airp 

ort. 

A Frontier jet carrying executives from the company's Denver headquarters l 

anded in Omaha at just after 11:30 a.m. Monday. The carrier will fly two round-t 

rip flights per day between Omaha and Denver, Frontier officials said. 

Airport officials said Frontier's arrival in Omaha helps fill a void left i 

n 1993, when Continental Airlines discontinued its services to Eppley. Frontier 

officials said they plan to compete in the Omaha market by offering lower fares 

than other carriers. 

One-way tickets between Omaha and Denver will cost between $69 and $159 eac 

h way. Company officials said that's more than 60 percent cheaper than fares ava 

ilable before Frontier's arrival. The airline was offering an introductory $59 o 

ne-way ticket Monday. 

"What we've attempted to do is to create an airline that operates on very c 

ompetitive cost levels so that we're able to sustain a profitable operation at r 

elatively low prices," said company President Sam Addoms. "It's our intention to 

remain that way for the foreseeable future." 

About 40 people attended a welcoming ceremony at Gate 3 at Eppley Airfield, 

where Frontier's first flight arrived. 

Willy Theisen, an Omaha businessman and member of the Omaha Airport Authori

ty, said he welcomed Frontier's low-cost flights. "Now we can afford to go skiin 

g," Theisen said. 

Also attending were Gov. Nelson, Mayor Daub and Sen. James Exon, D-Neb,. al 

ong with members of the Omaha City Council. 

Frontier's morning flight will leave Denver at 9:25 a.m. and arrive in Omah 

a at 11:40 am., then leave Omaha at 12:41 pm. and arrive in Denver at 1:06 pm. 

The afternoon flight will leave Denver at 2:45 p.m. and arrive in Omaha at 

5 p.m. then leave Omaha at 5:35 p.m. and arrive in Denver at 6 p.m. 

From its hub in Denver, Frontier runs flights to Albuquerque, N.M.; El Paso 

, Texas; Bismarck and Fargo, N.D.; Tuscon, Ariz.; and Billings, Bozeman, Great F 

alls and Missoula, Mont. The company also has plans to add flights from Denver t 

o Las Vegas starting Thursday. 

Omaha is the 10th city served by Frontier. 

Frontier Airlines originally was founded just after World War II and contin 

ued its growth as an independent regional western carrier until the 1980s. 

In 1985, as United Airlines continued an expansion of its share of the Denv 

er marketplace, Frontier was sold to New Jersey-based People Express Airlines. 

Frontier declared bankruptcy in 1986 and its assets were eventually sold to 

Continental Airlines. 

Frontier reorganized and resumed operations in July of 1994. Frontier offic 

ials said the company plans to fill niches left in regional cities abandoned by 

the bigger airlines. 

"The old Frontier was always well-known for offering a safe, clean, comfort 

able, high level of service... and that was in the days of regulated carriers," 

Addoms said. "Today, you're going to find a safe, clean, comfortable, high-servi 

ce airline operating at lower cost levels than were achieved by the previous air 

line." 



AUTH[Vic 

SOUR[Fullerton Nance County Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Focusing on Sports 

TEXT[I'm still in the Holiday mode having just removed my outside lights. Here a 

re some tidbits that I've gleaned during the last weeks sports news. 

"Sports Illustrated" has a story in the works that will produce more angry 

Husker fans. The gist of the story is that Nebraska should clean-up its football 

act. Husker fans will probably wonder if the writer, Doug Looney, who lives in 

Boulder, CO, may not just have an ax to grind. 

I suppose that especially now, since the Cornhuskers are at the top of the 

heap, every Tom, Dick and Looney will he wanting to take pot shots. I have a pro 

blem with a magazine that derives its revenue from sports and the sports fan and 

is constantly trying to tear down programs like Nebraska's that have proven to 

be clean and educationally sound. 

********** 

CSU football coach Sonny Lubick is in the running for the Miami job and it 

has not been good for signing recruits for the Colorado State program. 

According to the Rocky Mountain News, Durango, CO quarterback Jeff Perino i 

s hoping to be factor at Nebraska.

A dislocated kneecap (no surgery) kept him out of all but four games as a s 

enior and cooled interest in Colorado. However Washington, Arizona St., Wyoming 

and Nebraska kept calling. Perino's selling points were his junior stats 80 of 1 

50 passing, 1469 yards 15 TD's; 58 carries, 487 yards 7 TD's and a 48.8 yard pun 

ting average. 

Perino (6'2", 200 lbs.) visited Lincoln with 14 other prospects. All, excep 

t he, committed on the spot. Perino, a 4.0 student considering an engineering ma 

jor, waited until a December home visit from Husker coach Tom Osborne. 

Perino is excited about signing with the National Champs but, he says, "A b 

ig part of my decision was that I could be playing hard in the next couple of ye 

ars if I work hard." 

The Huskers have a commitment from only one other high school QB (Louisiana 

's Frankie London). That might have been because a deal with Scott Frost was tak 

ing shape. Frosty will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 1996 

. 

*************** 

Ten players from baseballs past who should be negotiating the baseball stri 

ke: Snake Deal, Don Money, Mike Schemer, Bert Conn, Rich Folkers, Jigger Statz, 

Charlie Pickett, George Staller, Len White House, Orator Shaffer. 

A couple sports notes from Senator Exon. Exon says he was advised by the Wh 

ite House that President Clinton will be extending an invitation to the victorio 

us Nebraska Cornhuskers to visit the President at the White House so that he can 

congratulate them on "a truly outstanding season" including winning College Foo 

tball's National Championship. Hope the Prez doesn't wear his Arkansas Razorback 

cap. 

Exon also sent a letter to the president regarding the current baseball str 

ike suggesting that the President summon representatives of owners and players t 

o the White House and urge them to jointly announce immediately that they will p 

lay the 1995 season on existing contracts, but simultaneously return to the barg 

aining table in the interests of fully resolving. 

Exon continued in his letter; you might want to employ some type of a "carr 

ot and stick" approach by saying you reserve the right to recommend to Congress 

the repeal of the owners' anti-trust exemption of conditions are not to your lik 

ing at any time. 

Both sides are getting more hardheaded and my guess is we'll have minor-lea 

gues and strike breakers playing the 1995 season. 

The "New" top 10 college football recruits nationally selected by analyst J 

ohn Riegel, includes, Ahaman Green of Omaha North. Riegel's comments are that he 

's a big strong runner (6'1", 205) reminiscent of Rashaan Salaam. Green committe 

d to Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon proposes budget amendment, line-item veto, debt ceiling reform 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon introduced a balanced budget amendment last week 

as part of a reform package to reduce the federal deficit. 

The balanced budget amendment would require the president to submit, and Co

ngress to enact, a balanced federal budget. 

"I would like to have a constitutional amendment to balance the budget by t 

he year 2000, period," said Exon, ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. 

Along with the balanced budget amendment, Exon is introducing a line-item v 

eto that would give the president the authority to delete funds from spending bi 

lls for specific programs if majorities in the House and Senate approve. 

"Members of Congress will be less likely to pile on the 'pork' in appropria 

tions and tax bills if they know they might have to defend each item on its own 

merits," Exon said. 

The third piece of legislation, the Debt Ceiling Reform Act, would require 

the budget resolution to state how much Congress intends to raise the debt ceili 

ng each year and to force separate votes on any bill that would increase the cei 

ling. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[$1 Million HHS Grant To Immunize Nebraska Children 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced that the Departme 

nt of Health and Human Services has awarded the Nebraska Department of Health a 

$1,044,991 grant for the Childhood Immunization Program. 

"Immunization is both essential for the health of our children and a pruden 

t way to contain long-term health care costs," Kerrey and Exon said. "As we begi 

n debate in the new congress over government spending, there can be no doubt abo 

ut the importance and value of the Childhood Immunization Program." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon says Nelson's signature did not belong on Dole letter 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., today told Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson, "P 

lease don't get in our way." 

Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, was angered that 

Nelson "wasn't even good enough to inform me" before signing a letter to Senate 

Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., urging Congress to pass legislation that woul 

d end unfunded federal mandates. 

Dole cited the letter, which was signed by 19 other governors, in a speech 

urging approval of a parliamentary motion that would have cut off debate on the 

legislation and forced a final vote. 

Exon, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said that as chief Democrat on the c 

ommittee, he had pledged to protect Democrats' right to offer amendments to the 

legislation and he could not vote to cut off the debate until the Republican lea 

dership allowed the Democrats to offer their amendments. 

Dole is charging that the Democrats have brought the Senate into gridlock b

ecause they refuse to let the legislation come to a final vote. The Democrats de 

ny they are engaged in a filibuster and insist they are only intent in protectin 

g their rights as the Senate minority. 

In the letter, the governors urged the Senate to vote to cut off the debate 

. Dole cited the letter just before the Senate, on a party line vote, failed to 

cut off the debate. 

Exon took exception to Nelson's participation in the governors' appeal, say 

ing the governor was unfamiliar with the process. He suggested Nelson "would be 

well-advised to check in with" Exon and Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., before signing 

on to a letter that aids the Republicans. 

Kerrey said the Republicans are "trying to muscle (the Democrats) into subm 

ission." 

Exon said the governor should know "there are those of us here who know the 

process and who were governors before he was ... So please don't get in our way 

." The senior Nebraska senator said that he has not interfered with Nelson's wor 

k in Nebraska, and he does not want Nelson to interfere with his work in Washing 

ton. 

Exon said the governor should know that the legislation will be passed and 

that both Exon and Kerrey support it. It won't be passed with the alacrity that 

Dole wants, but it will be passed once procedural questions are solved, Exon sai 

d. 

"There's nothing more important than protecting the rights of the minority, 


Kerrey said in an interview after the vote that he does not expect Nelson t 

o he familiar with the Senate process. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Landow to Lead Democrats 

TEXT[Paul Landow, who headed the Omaha office of former U.S. Rep. Peter Hoagland 

, confirmed Wednesday that he will take over March 1 as executive director of th 

e Nebraska Democratic Party. 

Landow, a 46-year-old Omaha native, succeeds Deane Finnegan of Lincoln, who 

resigned late last year after three years in the job. 

Landow has headed Hoagland's district office in Omaha for the past six year 

s. Hoagland, D-Neb., was denied a fourth term when he lost to Republican challen 

ger Jon Christensen in the November election. 

Landow said he looks forward to leading the Democratic Party's efforts to g 

et its candidates elected in 1996. Chief among the party's 1996 goals is electio 

n of Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., to a fourth term. 

Though no Democratic candidates have yet come forward to challenge Christen 

sen, Landow said Democrats "will run a strong candidate against Congressman Chri 

stensen and look forward to defeating him." 

While Democrats lost Hoagland's seat in 1994, Landow said, the party remain 

s in a strong position statewide. Both U.S. senators, Nebraska's governor and th 

e speaker of the State Legislature are 

Democrats.

Landow, who holds a master's degree in public administration from the Unive 

rsity of Nebraska at Omaha is a former member of the Nebraska Highway Commission 

. He would not say how much he will be paid in his new position. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Article Lists Butler As Possible CIA Chief 

TEXT[Retired Air Force Gen. Lee Butler may be a candidate to lead the CIA. 

Butler, who served as commander in chief of the U.S. Strategic Command at O 

ffutt Air Force Base, was listed in a Washington Times article Wednesday as one 

of those being considered for the post. 

Butler, who now works on strategic planning and business development issues 

for Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc., said Wednesday that he had not been contacted by C 

linton administration officials about the position. He declined to comment furth 

er. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee 

, said he had not heard Butler's name mentioned in discussions about a replaceme 

nt for the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 

Kerrey said, however, that he could support such an appointment. "He would 

be first-rate," Kerrey said. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he had not heard that Butler was on the White 

House short list of candidates who may replace R. James Woolsey, who left the di 

rector's position last week. 

Exon said Butler's performance as head of StratCom and the former Strategic 

Air Command would make him a strong candidate. 

"He has lots of experience and credentials for the job," Exon said. "He wou 

ld make an excellent (director) if he wants it." 

Woolsey came under fire for his handling of the Aldrich Ames spy case. CIA 

officials also are experiencing the turbulence of change as they try to trim the 

size of the agency and organize their efforts to meet the nation's intelligence 

needs in the post-Cold War world. 

Butler, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, retired from the Air Forc 

e last year. 

In 1993, Butler was said to be a candidate to become the next chairman of t 

he Joint Chiefs of Staff. By tradition, it was the Air Force's turn to fill the 

post when Army Gen. Colin Powell retired. 

President Clinton passed over Butler and the Air Force when he selected Arm 

y Gen. John Shalikashvili. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Line-Item Veto Plans Set Senators Sparring 

TEXT[Washington - Senators sparred Wednesday over competing legislation that wou

ld allow presidents to veto specific items in spending bills passed by Congress. 

"As of now, nobody knows if there's a majority vote for anything," Sen. J.J 

. Exon, D-Neb., said in an interview. 

Exon is the senior Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, which held a he 

aring Wednesday on several bills to create a line-item veto authority for the pr 

esident. The hearing made clear that there are sharp differences between the two 

proposals, as well as staunch opposition to both approaches. 

Exon said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., may have 

to postpone a committee meeting scheduled for today to advance a line-item veto 

bill to the Senate floor. 

"I hope that we are not going to take such a narrow view that we come up wi 

th nothing and say, 'At least we tried,'" said Exon, who supports a line-item ve 

to. "I'm tired of trying. I'd like to get something done." 

Under current law, a president does not have the power to eliminate specifi 

c parts of a larger bill. Instead, the president must either reject the entire b 

ill or accept it. 

Critics of the current system say it prevents the president from blocking w 

asteful spending. Although presidents have the power to propose "rescissions" to 

delete specific items, Congress can ignore the president's proposals. 

Some lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., want to give the presi 

dent unilateral authority to delete any spending item. The proposal would effect 

ively require a two-thirds vote in Congress to overrule a president's decision o 

n spending. 

Exon and Domenici have introduced a milder version of line-item veto, in wh 

ich majority votes would be enough to overrule. 

Unlike the McCain plan, the Exon-Domenici bill also would allow the preside 

nt to veto new tax provisions designed to cut taxes for certain groups of taxpay 

ers and provisions that create or expand entitlement programs. 

Exon said his bill is intended to win support from lawmakers concerned abou 

t shifting too much power from the legislative branch of government to the execu 

tive branch. The Exon-Domenici bill would expire automatically after four years. 

"Domenici and I are trying to fashion something that has a chance of passin 

g," he said. 

Alice Rivlin, President Clinton's budget chief, said the president would ac 

cept either proposal. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Landow proposed as state director of Demo Party 

TEXT[Paul Landow, district manager for former Rep. Peter Hoagland, has agreed to 

become executive director of the state Democratic Party, party officials said. 

Landow of Elkhorn would replace Deane Finnegan of Lincoln if he receives st 

ate central committee approval as expected Feb. 18, said Democratic Party Chairm 

an Joe Battalion. 

Finnegan stepped down to pursue other career opportunities. 

Landow is one of several people who applied for the job. He was among a gro 

up of finalists recommended to Battalion by a search committee.

Landow worked as finance chairman and deputy campaign manager for Hoagland 

in four elections. The Omaha congressman was defeated by Jon Christensen in Nove 

mber. 

Landow also worked on the campaigns of Helen Boosalis of Lincoln for govern 

or in 1986 and other Democrats, such as Gov. Ben Nelson, Sens. Bob Kerrey and Ji 

m Exon and state Sen. Ron Withem of Papillion. 


DATE[1-21-95 



BK#[ 

HDLN[Stenberg Mulls Senate Race Against Exon 

TEXT[Lincoln - Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg said Friday that he is thi 

nking seriously about running for the U.S. Senate seat 

now held by J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

Stenberg, who won re-election in November, said in an interview that he has 

been meeting with supporters across the state about a possible senate candidacy 

in 1996. 

"What I have heard from a lot of people is that they feel Jim Exon has been 

there long enough.... that he's not in touch like he once was and it's time for 

a change." 

Stenberg said he has been encouraged to run but that it was "far, far too e 

arly" to become a candidate. 

Andy Abboud, the executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, said 

Stenberg recently told him he's very interested. 

"It was pretty clear to me that he was pursuing it aggressively," Abboud sa 

id. "He made it pretty clear to me that he's about made his decision to run for 

Senate." 

Stenberg joins a field of potential GOP candidates that Abboud said include 

s Omaha businessman Chuck Hagel; Jan Stoney, the party's unsuccessful U.S. Senat 

e nominee in 1994; U.S. Reps. Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett; and State GOP Chai 

rman Jerry Schenken. 

Exon, 73, has said he will seek a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. 

He previously served eight years as governor of Nebraska. 

A state Democratic Party official in Lincoln expressed surprise that Stenbe 

rg was considering a run for federal office but predicted that the attorney gene 

ral would become the GOP front-runner. 

"If he runs, he's the nominee," said David Hunter, 1st Congressional Distri 

ct chairman for the Democratic Party. 

"Stenberg's won two statewide elections, and he's got a record of performan 

ce," Hunter said. "Whether you agree or disagree with it, he's got something to 

talk about." 

Former Gov. Charles Thone, a long-time friend and former boss of Stenberg's 

, said he has discussed the Senate race with the attorney general. 

Thone said he didn't encourage or discourage Stenberg but said his work eth 

ic and landslide re-election in November made him a strong challenger. 

In November, Stenberg garnered 68 percent of the vote statewide - the best 

showing of any Nebraska GOP candidate - in defeating Democrat Steve Scherr. Sten

erg won all 93 counties and collected 60 percent of the vote in Lincoln. 

Stenberg has frequently been mentioned as a potential candidate for governo 

r in 1998, though he repeatedly denied that he was interested in that office. 

He said that he thinks the federal government needs to reduce federal spend 

ing, taxes and regulations. 

Abboud said Stenberg has a strong identity with Nebraska voters as a crime 

fighter and proponent of the death penalty. 

He said he thought Exon was more vulnerable than U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, who 

was tested in the 1994 race by Mrs. Stoney in her first race for elected office. 

"I don't think Exon is the proven fund-raiser that Kerrey was," Abboud said 

. 

Hunter, however, disputed that. He also said that Kerrey, the newly chosen 

head of the national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, would be in a pos 

ition to raise as much money as necessary for Exon."It's yet to be seen if he (S 

tenberg) could run a formidable race against Jim Exon," Hunter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson admits mistake on letter 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson says that his office mistakenly failed to notify 

U.S. Sen. Jim Exon about the governor's signature on a letter urging Congress to 

pass a law to end unfunded federal mandates. 

On Thursday, Exon criticized Nelson for signing the letter with 19 other go 

vernors to Republican Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas without informing him. 

In the letter, the governors urge the Senate to cut off debate on the bill, 

but Exon, a co-sponsor of the legislation, had promised fellow Democrats that h 

e would allow them to offer amendments. 

Exon, who said he supports the legislation, noted that Nelson was unfamilia 

r with the Senate process and said the governor should not get in the congressio 

nal delegation's way. 

In a brief written statement, Nelson said, "The process is moving very quic 

kly. A number of governors and others were urging this action, and proper proced 

ures and protocol were not followed. Senator Exon and I are squarely on the same 

side on this issue." 

Nelson spokeswoman Dara Troutman said the mistake occurred when the letter 

was sent to all non-sponsors of the legislation, but not the co-sponsors, which 

include Exon. 

She declined to say whether it was the fault of Tom Litjen, the Nelson admi 

nistration's lobbyist in Washington, D.C., Chief of Staff Tim Becker or the gove 

rnor himself. 

"The governor is not playing the blame game or finger pointing. The problem 

has been corrected," she said. 




SOUR[Lincoln Journal-Star

BK#[ 

HDLN[Stenberg testing waters to seek Exon's Senate seat 

TEXT[Attorney General Don Stenberg says he is "seriously considering" declaring 

himself a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Jim Exon. 

"I have had discussions with a number of supporters and have received a lot 

of encouragement," Stenberg, a Republican, said Friday. "At the same time, it's 

way too early to become a candidate. An election is almost a year away, so we a 

re at a fairly preliminary stage right now." 

Exon's third, six-year term will end next year. Exon, who turns 74 this yea 

r, has indicated he will seek reelection but has not made a formal announcement. 

Stenberg, who would have to seek the Republican nomination in a primary ele 

ction next spring, said his supporters believe that Exon has been in the Senate 

too long. 

"He is not nearly in touch with Nebraskans as he once was, and it's time fo 

r a change if we want to move forward with the Republican agenda of a balanced b 

udget amendment, line-item veto and cutting taxes and reducing regulations on ou 

r people," Stenberg said. 

STENBERG IS the third prominent Republican to express interest in the seat. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st Dist., and Omaha businessman Chuck Hagel have said th 

ey, too, are giving the race serious thought. 

Bereuter said Friday that he remains interested and will make up his mind i 

n the next three to four months. 

The 16-year congressman said that belonging to the majority party is a new 

and enjoyable experience and that he will have to decide whether he wants to giv 

e it up in order to run for the Senate. 

"I might go on to say that as far I'm concerned, it is irrelevant to me if 

it's an open seat or whether I have run against Jim Exon or not," Bereuter said. 

"It's also irrelevant how many people would be in a Republican primary. 

"If it's going to be a contested primary, I would rather have as many peopl 

e as possible. The fact that I have won 13 straight contested elections indicate 

s that I would be a strong candidate." 

STENBERG, WHO in November won re-election to a second term as attorney gene 

ral, said his thinking will not be influenced by anyone else's plans. 

"One of the reasons why people that I've talked to have been very encouragi 

ng is that I was the largest Republican vote-getter in the 

election," Stenberg said. "We won 93 counties and took Lancaster County, normall 

y a Democratic stronghold, with 60 percent of the vote. And statewide we took 6 

8 percent of the vote." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton plan would increase electric rates 

TEXT[GERING - If President Clinton sells off federal power agencies, Gering resi 

dents will see higher electric rates and cuts in city services, warns the city's 

utilities director. 

"It would substantially increase our rates," Jim Payne said Wednesday after

writing a letter to Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon opposing the proposal. 

As part of the White House's proposed budget for 1996, Clinton has suggeste 

d selling federal hydroelectric power agencies to help finance a middle-income t 

ax cut and reduce the federal deficit. 

Gering receives much of its power from the Western Area Power Administratio 

n, a federal hydroelectric power agency based in Loveland, Colo. WAPA's rates av 

erage about 1.1 cents per kilowatt hour, the lowest rate available Payne said. 

"If they do sell WAPA off to a private company, our rates will definitely i 

ncrease," Payne said. "They are the cheapest power you can buy by far, and if w 

e are going to have to buy power at more expensive rates, it will definitely cut 

out of the city's other departments." 

Revenue generated from the sales of WAPA power pays for city services inclu 

ding police and fire protection, ambulance services, the library, swimming pool, 

cemetery, streets and parks. 

"We transfer about $1 million a year right now out of electricity to the ge 

neral fund," said Mayor Doug Leafgreen. "I'd hate to see it happen, because it w 

ould affect our revenue definitely, and all they would be doing is shifting cost 

s from the federal levels to local levels." 

Bob Chopko, public affairs officer for WAPA, said no one will know how seri 

ous Clinton is until he presents his budget Feb. 6. 

"We haven't heard anything on it yet, and we have a lot of unanswered issue 

s about it. But it would probably translate into a rate increase for customers," 

he said. 

Selling federal power agencies to pay for tax cuts is fruitless, said David 

Lock, spokesman for NMPP Energy of Lincoln. 

"Energy costs make up a large portion of the average person's budget, and m 

ost would be further ahead without a tax cut if it means a power rate increase," 

he said. "They may get $50 more in their pocket because of a tax break, but the 

ir electrical rates increase by $75. It 

isn't a good idea." 

If the proposal is approved, Nebraskans could pay an additional $51 million 

annually for electricity, Lock said. 

Based on current consumption levels, Nebraskans pay an average of 1.4 cents 

per kilowatt hour, he said. If agencies like WAPA were sold, rates could increa 

se to 4 cents per kilowatt hour based on NMPP calculations, he said. 

"It would definitely have an impact on Gering and the entire state," he sai 

d. "I think it's safe to assume that utilities can't absorb those increases with 

out passing those on to their customers." 

Clinton's proposal will need congressional approval. Before Congress can r 

eview the sale, Lock said, it will need to repeal legislation written by former 

Rep. Virginia Smith of Chappell that prohibits spending funds for the study of p 

ower agency sales. 

Aavo Taaler, general manager of Wheat Belt Public Power District of Sidney, 

also has written the Nebraska senators, asking them to oppose the sale. 

"There may be parts of the federal government that don't work, but the fede 

ral power program is not one of them," he said in the letter. 

Taaler said federal power agencies have paid for themselves through interes 

t and are not losing money. 

Kerrey and Exon could not be reached for comment Friday. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Governor's Council might chip in for repairs 

TEXT[Some Nebraskans believe that the Governor's Mansion needs an interior facel 

ift. 

After all, much of the inside and fixtures are right out of the 1950s, the 

decade in which the mansion was built. 

But how to pay for renovation from an always-tight state budget has be 

en a problem. 

Some would like to see Gov. Ben Nelson use some of the money stashed a 

way in the Governor's Council to help pay for the work. 

You remember the council: an independent committee that raises money f 

or gubernatorial expenses not covered by state government. It also makes campaig 

n contributions, though it is not a campaign committee. 

During the November election, in which Nelson ran, make that jogged, to eas 

y re-election, the council received contributions just in case he needed extra f 

inancial help. 

It now has a balance of about $450,000 and council stewards are trying to f 

igure out what to do with the cash. 

Council President Steve Burns of Lincoln says the mansion renovation is bei 

ng given some thought. 

"We're giving thought to all kinds of options and we haven't made any decis 

ion, but certainly that type of project is under consideration," he said, carefu 

lly. 

State laws govern how the money can be spent. And Burns, an attorney, said 

the wishes of those who contributed to the council also must be considered. 

Politically minded types, including rival Republicans, wonder if Nelson can 

use the money to run for U S. Senate or some other federal seat someday. 

But Burns says state and federal election laws appear to allow only very mi 

nor contributions from the council for such a purpose. 

"You are talking infinitesimal amounts, like $1,500 for a federal office," 

Burns said. 

House or Senate? 

Attorney General Don Stenberg has added his name to the list of possible Re 

publican candidates for U.S. Senate next year. 

In November, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, was the first Republican t 

o express interest in the seat, now held by Democrat Jim Exon. 

This raised Exon's ire, who said the Republicans were marking their territo 

ry like a bunch of wild animals. 

Recently, Omaha businessman Chuck Hagel said he is a probable candidate and 

others may come forward. 

When Bereuter first announced interest in Exon's seat, it was the day after 

the election and the effect of the Republican dominated election on Congress wa 

s not completely clear. 

Bereuter says he still is interested, regardless of what Stenberg or any ot 

her Republican does. But, he said, being in the majority for the first time in h 

is House career is a new experience that has brought added responsibilities and 

privileges. 

Among them are posts as vice chairman of a House committee and chairman of

a couple of subcommittees. 

Bereuter also said he is enjoying the House's ability to move legislation m 

uch more quickly than in the Democratic-controlled past. 

Former governor and congressman Charlie Thone wonders whether Bereuter will 

find the Republican-dominated House too enjoyable to leave. 

"When you are in the majority back there, it's a new ball game," said Thone 

. "You can get things done. You can influence national policy as a majority memb 

er. 

"In the House, with my personal experience of eight years, when you ar 

e in the minority, you are nothing but a glorified errand boy." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey may shy away from 'best Demo' record 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Kerrey is the "best Democrat" in the Nebraska congres 

sional delegation, according to an end-of-the year vote study by Congressional Q 

uarterly Magazine. 

But based on his past performance, Kerrey is not expected to brag 

about this latest distinction to his conservative constituents. 

It's nothing to brag about not only because there is little, if a 

ny, political mileage to gain from it in Nebraska, but also because the main com 

petition is Sen. Jim Exon, who until the latest vote study was the most conserva 

tive Northern Democrat in the Senate year after year. 

And he bragged about it. 

According to the latest vote study, Kerrey voted in agreement wit 

h the president's position on 90 percent of the votes in which the president too 

k a position. Exon voted with the president's position on 84 percent of the vote 

s. 

On average, Senate Democrats in the West voted with the president 

's position 88 percent of the time, and those in the Midwest followed Clinton 85 

percent of the time. 

Kerrey defeated Republican Jan Stoney for re-election last fall, 

despite her relentless campaign to paint him as a liberal Democratic supporter o 

f President Clinton, whose negatives far outweigh his positives in opinion polls 

in the state. 

Despite his voting record, Kerrey is viewed with some suspicion and di 

strust in the White House because he is unpredictable and prone to go off on tan 

gents, many of which fail to correspond with the road maps the Clinton administr 

ation attempts to provide. 

On the other hand, Exon, whose voting record is more conservative and 

less supportive than Kerrey's, is viewed with concern in the White House, but he 

is rarely criticized because he is far easier to predict. 

In the House last year, Rep. Bill Barrett, R-3rd District, voted with 

the president's position 47 percent of the time; Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st Distr 

ict, 55 percent of the time, and Rep. Peter Hoagland, D-2nd District, who was de 

feated for re-election, 86 percent clip. 

Both Nebraska Democratic senators were below average in their party un

ity, with Kerrey voting with his party on 83 percent of the time and Exon, 78 pe 

rcent. 

Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., dethroned Exon as the most conservative Nor 

thern Democrat in the Senate, with a 73 percent party support voting average. Th 

e average for all Northern Democratic senators was 87 percent in the Senate and 

86 percent in the House. 

In the House, Barrett was the most loyal to his political party, votin 

g with the GOP on 95 percent of the votes. Hoagland was second, at 87 percent, a 

nd Bereuter was last, at 78 percent. 

In another test of their political leanings, Exon voted with the so- c 

alled conservative coalition on 63 percent of the votes in which the coalition o 

f conservatives came together. Kerrey voted with the coalition at a 47 percent c 

lip. 

In the House, Barrett was almost unanimous in his support of the conse 

rvative coalition, voting with it 97 percent of the time. Bereuter voted with th 

e coalition at an 83 percent clip, and Hoagland, 64 percent. 

In a voting participation study, all members of the Nebraska delegatio 

n, except Hoagland, showed up for 99 percent of the votes. Hoagland showed up fo 

r 98 percent. 

In what Congressional Quarterly said were the 16 most important votes 

in the Senate last year, Kerrey and Exon voted together on 11 of the votes. 

Exon voted for a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, which 

failed to get the two-thirds majority; Kerrey voted against the proposed constit 

utional amendment. 

They also disagreed on legislation that established federal criminal a 

nd civil penalties for people who use force, the threat of force or physical obs 

truction to block access to abortion clinics. Kerrey voted for the bill, and Exo 

n voted against it. 

Kerrey voted against cutting off a filibuster on product liability ref 

orm legislation and campaign finance reform legislation, and both measures faile 

d. Exon voted with he Democratic majority to break he filibusters. Exon also vot 

ed against implementing legislation for the latest round of the General Agreemen 

t on Tariffs and Trade, the last vote of the 103rd Congress. 



AUTH[Richard G. Johnson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Endorsement of Exon? 

TEXT[It seems a little early for The World-Herald to kick off its 1996 Senate ca 

mpaign for Sen. J.J. Exon. However, after reading Paul Goodsell's Jan. 15 articl 

e, "Exon to GOP: 'I've Got My Eye on You,'" it appears the campaign has started. 

At least the article left no doubt whom you plan to support. 




SOUR[Omaha World Herald

BK#[ 

HDLN[Possible Flaw Triggers Call To Review Inflation Index 

TEXT[Washington - Congress appears ready to follow the advice of Federal Reserve 

Chairman Alan Greenspan in assessing whether the Consumer Price Index inaccurat 

ely measures inflation, thereby adding billions of dollars to the federal defici 

t. 

In testimony before House and Senate Budget committees, the Fed chairman sa 

id "the official CPI may currently be overstating the increase in the true cost 

of living by perhaps one-half percent to one and one-half percent per year." 

Greenspan said if annual CPI adjustments to federal spending and tax progra 

ms were reduced one percentage point "the cumulative five-year savings would app 

roximate $150 billion." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said a deficit reduction of that magnitude could t 

ake the pressure off the Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates. 

He said Greenspan, in a private conversation with Kerrey, indicated that th 

ere could be a comparable savings if Congress were to follow recommendations mad 

e by Kerrey and former Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., on the Bipartisan Commission o 

n Entitlement and Tax Reform. 

"I agree with Greenspan absolutely and completely," said Kerrey, who was ch 

airman of the commission. "Greenspan's objective is to keep inflation under cont 

rol. It's inflationary expectations that are troubling him." 

Kerrey said Greenspan told him that enactment of the Kerrey-Danforth propos 

als, including a gradual increase in the retirement age for Social Security, "wo 

uld have brought interest rates down substantially." 

The Consumer Price Index is a measure of change in consumer prices as deter 

mined by a monthly survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among the CPI 

components are the cost of housing, food, transportation and medical 

care. 

Other members of the congressional delegation from Nebraska and Iowa said t 

hey would endorse a scientific study of the CPI, which affects the income of 70 

million Americans on Social Security, Food Stamps and government retirement prog 

rams. 

"If we can arrive at a more accurate Consumer Price Index by scientific mea 

ns, it should be considered," said Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa. "Chairman Greenspan 

should share his ideas with the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Congress. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said a CPI study would have to be conducted wit 

h utmost care because of the impact any change would have on the federal budget. 

"If a change is to be made, we must be sure that it more accurately reflect 

s the real CPI," Bereuter said. "Otherwise, Americans who rely on cost-of-living 

adjustments would be disadvantaged." 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said even before Greenspan's testimony made nati 

onal headlines that a study of the CPI was recommended by the Kerrey-Danforth co 

mmission. 

"I want to emphasize that a change in the calculation of the CPI should onl 

y be made if the change is clearly called for," Barrett said. "It shouldn't be u 

sed as an accounting gimmick for political gain or in an effort to mitigate the 

difficult spending decisions that lie ahead." 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb., said he agrees that the CPI should be studied 

after Congress passes the Republican "Contract With America." 

"My sense is that we in the House have plenty on our plates to keep us eati 

ng for the first hundred days," Christensen said. "My focus will remain on the '

Contract With America,' including reducing the burden of taxes on working men an 

d women, welfare reform and 

enacting a tax-limitation, balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution." 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he has not studied the arguments made b 

y Greenspan and others on the need to re-evaluate the CPI. 

"Whatever formulas and statistics are used for the CPI should be based on t 

he most intellectually honest figures available," Grassley said. 

"It would be wrong to reduce the CPI as a subterfuge to cut spending," he s 

aid. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, co-sponsored a Senate resolution last week that wo 

uld require any change in the CPI be based on a consensus of scientific opinion. 

Harkin said the resolution was intended to prevent the Republican majority 

in the House and Senate from arbitrarily lowering the CPI in "a back-door effort 

to cut Social Security benefits and increase individual federal income taxes pa 

id by working Americans." 

In an interview later, Harkin said he would not oppose a congressional stud 

y of the CPI by the proper committees. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, sa 

id he may support Harkin's resolution calling for a scientific survey of the CPI 

. 




SOUR[Washington Aerospace Daily 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Finished 

TEXT[Congress has already filled the eight commission appointments it was allott 

ed. They are: Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who drew up legislation last year that m 

andated the panel; Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.); Reps. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) and Port 

er Goss (R-Fla.); former Sens. Wyche Fowler and Tony Coehlo; Texas businessman D 

avid Dewhurst, and Robert Pursley of Connecticut. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Attorney general considers '96 senate bid 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Attorney General Don Stenberg on Saturday said he was consid 

ering a 1996 bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Nebraska Democrat Jim Exon. 

Stenberg, a Republican who won re-election in November to a second term, sa 

id it is too early to declare himself a candidate. 

"I have had discussions with a number of supporters and have received a lot 

of encouragement," Stenberg said Friday. 

Stenberg, 46, said he has not started an official campaign or fundraising e 

fforts. He commented after an anti-abortion rally at the Capitol.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Pardons: Three heads better than one 

TEXT[The "problem" of Attorney General Don Stenberg sitting on the state Pardons 

Board is a transitory one. Either term limits or his own vaulting political amb 

ition (now he's thinking about running for U.S. Senate) will eventually remove h 

im from a board that hears pleas for clemency from people condemned to death. 

In the meantime, it's best not to give that power solely to the governor, j 

ust to deal with a particular attorney general whose prosecutorial zeal sometime 

s gets in the way of his judgment. 

The Journal endorses the decision of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee 

to kill a proposal, requested by Gov. Ben Nelson, that would give the governor t 

he sole power to grant clemency in death-penalty cases. That power now is shared 

among the governor, the secretary of state and the attorney general. 

Although the committee killed LR9CA on a 5-2 vote, Nelson could well seek t 

o have it reconsidered within the committee or in the full Legislature. He shoul 

d choose, instead, to focus on some of the 50-odd other initiatives he is pushin 

g. 

The fact that Nelson did not show up for the committee hearing on LR9CA con 

tributed to senatorial skepticism about the strength of the governor's commitmen 

t. Senators also questioned why the governor should be given sole pardon authori 

ty on capital cases but not on lesser cases. The proposal would have left pardon 

decisions on other cases in the hands of the three-member board. 

Nebraska has had a three-member pardons board since 1920. In life-and-death 

decisions such as these, when the state is preparing to mete out the ultimate p 

unishment, it's better to have more than one person weigh arguments for clemency 

. 



AUTH[Michael Conway 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Letter Nelson signed criticized by senator 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon criticized a fellow Democrat, Nebraska Gov. Ben 

Nelson, last week for siding with Senate Republican leaders to demand a speedy v 

ote on a bill that Senate Democrats want to amend. 

At issue is the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act, which would require Congress t 

o get estimates of the costs imposed on state and local governments by any new f 

ederal legislation, and budget the funds to pay for them, rather than shifting t 

he burden to state and local taxpayers. 

Nelson signed a letter supporting a shut-off of debate on the unfunded mand 

ate bill, a letter cited by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-KS, on the Senate 

floor Thursday. Exon opposed the procedural step, which would have ended debate

and thus eliminated the opportunity for senators to offer amendments to the pro 

posal. 

Exon is a co-sponsor of the bill, but he said he believed lawmakers should 

have the right to amend the measure on the Senate floor. 

"Those of us who want to pass the mandate bill recognize and realize that t 

here are 100 members of the United States Senate and under the rules they have t 

he right to offer some amendments," Exon said. 

Exon said the governor should let the people in Washington who know the pro 

cess handle it and not get in their way as they try to make changes. 

"I simply do not feel that the governor should be signing letters when I am 

not sure that he fully understands what the situation here is on this measure," 

Exon said. "I don't interfere with his duties as being governor of Nebraska. I 

would hope the governor would respond in kind." 

Exon said Nelson had not discussed the matter with him or with Sen. Bob Ker 

rey, who also voted to continue debate on the bill. 

"The governor of Nebraska was not even good enough to tell me about this, w 

hich I think under the circumstances, as one of the co-sponsors of the bill, he 

had that responsibility," Exon said. 

Nelson should consult with his home state senators before siding with Dole, 


"I think Gov. Nelson in this instance would be well served to he checking w 

ith Sen. Exon and Sen. Kerrey on these matters, and not signing onto wishful thi 

nking that the Republican Majority Leader is trying to push down the throats of 

the minority of the United States Senate," Exon said. 

Nelson conceded that "proper procedures and protocol were not followed." 

Dara Troutman, an aide to Nelson, said Exon should have been notified in ad 

vance that the governor had signed the letter. 

Meanwhile, Exon said he believed a balanced-budget amendment and a line ite 

m veto will pass the Congress this year, despite recent attempts to slow down th 

ese measures. 

"There are going to he some delaying tactics by some of my colleagues, both 

Democrats and Republicans," Exon said. "I don't happen to feel that, thus far, 

the Democrats have tried to be obstructionists. There have not been any inordina 

te delays." 




SOUR[Yankton, SD Press & Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Both parties have new leaders from central third of American geography 

TEXT[The old saying that "politics makes strange bedfellows" may never be more t 

rue than in Washington after this past election. 

It also likely is among the better things that has happened to the middle t 

hird of the country. 

The Republican Senate Majority leader - and probable presidential candidate 

Bob Dole is from Kansas. 

The Democrat Senate Minority Leader is Tom Daschle from South Dakota. 

And golly, who does Daschle name as senate Democrat campaign leader? Once a

nd probable future presidential candidate Bob Kerrey from Nebraska. 

And other experienced top leaders in the Senate include South Dakota's Larr 

y Pressler and Nebraska's (native South Dakotan) J.J. Exon. 

In short, for the first time in ages the Senate leadership is made up of pe 

ople who are aware of great plains culture and needs. 

That's more significant than some of the more party-oriented "experts" may 

want to admit. 

As Republicans and Democrats, these people may argue like cats and dogs ove 

r this program or that. They may or may not like each other on a personal basis. 

They may violently disagree on priorities. 

But they all know what a farm is. They all have a basic idea of the economi 

cs of small towns and medium-sized cities. All are inherently "clean up your pla 

te at dinner" type of people. 

That's a world of difference from their political compatriots from major ur 

ban areas. It's hard to discuss farm problems with people who wouldn't know a co 

w from a steer. 

To be sure, there's still plenty of political disagreement. And there's ple 

nty of room for it. 

Bob Dole and Tom Daschle may never be bosom buddies. 

"Pork" projects for various regions and areas are not in vogue today. That 

means the Midwest may not end up with a sudden influx of new roads, federal buil 

dings or other projects. 

Still, it would be unwise to suggest that these people don't share some com 

mon perspectives. 

All were brought up where there are few buildings more than four stories ta 

ll. All know that farmers pay high taxes for low returns. All frequently hear fr 

om their "small town" supporters. 

Given today's population centers, it may be a fluke that they hold center s 

tage. Or more likely - maybe it's a testimonial to the quality of Midwesterners 

that these people are currently among the nation's most powerful. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Two academy nominations for SHS senior 

TEXT[Joseph Driewer, a Sidney High School senior, has been nominated for an appo 

intment to both the United States Merchant Marine Academy and to the United Stat 

es Naval Academy. 

The nominations were based upon the Kerrey-Exon Service Academy Interview C 

ommittee. Sen. Bob Kerrey nominated Driewer to the Naval Academy and Sen. Jim Ex 

on nominated Driewer to the Merchant Marine Academy. 

Driewer is the son of Robert and Carolyn Driewer, formerly of Sidney and no 

w living in Marshall, Texas. When the family moved to Texas, their son remained 

in Sidney to complete high school here. 

In a letter to Joseph Driewer, Sen. Kerrey wrote, "For each of my openings 

at the United States Naval Academy I am forwarding ten nominees to the Academy. 

The Academy will further evaluate the qualifications of all nominees and make of

fers of appointment. At least one, and probably more, will be made by the Academ 

y to those I have nominated." 

Exon wrote Driewer, "The Committee considered numerous applications from th 

roughout Nebraska and you were judged to be among the best qualified applicants 

for the Merchant Marines. I have sent nine nominations for the one I can fill at 

this Academy in 1995. You can be extremely proud of this accomplishment. I comm 

end you for your willingness to serve our country." 




SOUR[Washington Roll Call 

BK#[ 

HDLN[And Senate Committees of 104th, From Agriculture to Veterans Affairs 

TEXT[Armed Services - Democrats - Jim Exon (Neb) 

Budget - Democrats - Jim Exon (Neb) - ranking member 

Commerce, Science, & Transportation - Democrats- Jim Exon (Neb) 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Impact Aid Again Put On Table 

TEXT[Washington - Federal "impact aid" to local schools, a $728 million program 

that has survived almost annual attacks by budget-cutters, apparently is on the 

chopping block again. 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb., said the House's top budget leader, Rep. John 

Kasich, R-Ohio, told him that he intended to scrap the program. 

Impact aid, designed to offset the effects of nearby military bases and oth 

er federal facilities, provides over $9 million a year to the Bellevue School Di 

strict and lesser amounts to other Nebraska districts. 

Christensen said he asked Kasich, chairman of the House Budget Committee ab 

out the program. 

"He said, 'It's gone,'" Christensen recalled Tuesday. He offered a similar 

description of their discussion at a Bellevue School District meeting earlier th 

is month. 

"I said, 'Gone?'" Christensen said. "He said, 'Gone.'" 

Kasich could not be reached for comment Tuesday. 

Impact aid goes to school districts that have extra students because of fed 

erally owned facilities, such as military bases. In Bellevue and in nearby Papil 

lion-LaVista, the aid helps compensate for the cost of educating students whose 

parents work or live at Offutt Air Force Base. 

Christensen said he told Kasich that the federal government had an obligati 

on to defray those educational costs but said he did not believe he had convince 

d Kasich yet.

"I'm going to fight with every tooth and nail to keep the funding for impac 

t aid where it is," Christensen said. 

Protecting the program has been an annual battle for members of Nebraska's 

congressional delegation and others who support the aid. 

John Forkenbrock, executive director of the National Association of Federal 

ly Impacted Schools, said school districts are gearing up this year for another 

tough fight. 

Although Congress voted last year to reauthorize the program and repeatedly 

has turned back efforts by Republican and Democratic presidents to drop it, For 

kenbrock said conditions this year would be different. 

The new Republican majorities in the House and Senate are under pressure to 

cut spending in order to finance tax reductions and move toward a balanced budg 

et, he said. President Clinton is making similar proposals. 

In such a climate, impact aid could be cut, and Kasich's elevation to the B 

udget Committee chairmanship further imperils the funds, Forkenbrock said. 

"That's where the problem lies," he said. "We don't have a lot of supporter 

s on the House Budget Committee." 

Last year, when Democrats ran the House, Kasich recommended elimination of 

impact aid over a five-year period as part of GOP budget plan that was rejected. 

A spokesman for the Budget Committee said Kasich was planning to unveil a b 

udget-cutting proposal Feb. 9. 

Impact aid has numerous allies, and Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., suggested that 

Kasich's proposal would find little support in the Senate. 

"Certainly we're not going to eliminate it entirely," Exon said. 

But Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, indicated th 

at impact aid might not escape cuts. 

"My role will be to see they (impact aid recipients) don't get hurt more th 

an their share." he said. 

Losing federal impact aid would mean higher taxes for property owners in th 

e Bellevue and Papillion-LaVista school districts, school officials said. 

The Bellevue School District received about $9.5 million in impact aid in 1 

994. The district would have to raise its tax rate by $1.08 per $100 in assessed 

value to make up for the funds if they were eliminated, said Del Prindle, an as 

sistant superintendent. He said, however, that increases in state financing and 

other revenue could reduce the need for a tax increase. The district's property 

tax rate now is $1.42 per $100 in assessed value. 

The Papillion-LaVista School District received about $590,000 in impact aid 

in 1994. Loss of it would require about a 7 cent increase in the district's pro 

perty tax rate, which is $1.52 per $100 in assessed valuation, said Superintende 

nt Harlan Metschke. 

The fight to preserve the aid could peak in 1995, said John Deegan, an assi 

stant Bellevue superintendent who lobbies Congress. 

"There is such a tidal wave of cutting (federal) spending," he said in a re 

cent interview. "I hope (Congress) remembers this is not only a social program b 

ut a program with a clear federal responsibility." 

Although Congress last year reauthorized impact for another five years, tha 

t does not mean the program is safe, Deegan said. 

Christensen has contacted other school districts around the country that re 

ceive impact aid and plans to form a coalition to support the program, said Mark 

Fahleson, Christensen's legislative director. 

Deegan said Christensen could be at a disadvantage because he might lack th

e background on impact aid that his predecessor, Peter Hoagland, had. Deegan sai 

d the district has been supplying Christensen with background, and "we have full 

faith he's going to do the job." 

Fahleson said Christensen has an advantage in the Republican-controlled Hou 

se that Hoagland, a Democrat, would not have had. 



AUTH[Terri Larkowski 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Unfunded headaches 

TEXT[Kearney taxpayers have seen taxes and fees rise substantially as the city c 

omplies with the burden imposed by unfunded federal mandates. 

The Senate is currently debating legislation to end these unfunded mandates 

to state and local governments. This legislation, supported by a majority of Am 

ericans, is being stalled by the delay tactics of Democratic senators. 

Our Democratic Senators, James Exon and Bob Kerrey, if they truly represent 

Nebraska first, should exert pressure upon their Democratic colleagues to end t 

his decay and vote on the legislation. 




SOUR[Shenandoah Valley News Today 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Subko named to Reserves Intelligence Program post in Washington, D.C. 

TEXT[SHENANDOAH -- Jeff Subko, son-in-law of Dr. Kenneth and Jean Gee, has recen 

tly been made associate director of the Post Graduate Intelligence Program for R 

eserves at the Joint Military Intelligence College in Washington, D.C. 

Jeff, a commander in the Naval Reserves, will continue as a teaching member 

of the faculty a position he has held since the program was established in 1993 

. CDR Subko teaches courses on national security policy making and the history o 

f intelligence activities. 

The program allows members of the Selected Reserve to earn a master of scie 

nce degree in strategic intelligence. Operation Desert Shield/Desert storm demon 

strated that reserve intelligence professionals from the services -- Navy, Marin 

es, Air Force, Coast Guard and Army Reserves, plus Army National Guard -- must b 

e on equal footing with their active duty counterparts. 

In his regular job, Jeff works as legislative coordinator, a civilian posit 

ion, in the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA). DNA serves as the Department of Defens 

e's center for nuclear expertise. 

The agency's mission includes nuclear stockpile management, Cooperative Thr 

eat Reduction program support, nuclear weapon effects research, arms control and 

counterproliferation support. DNA research helps ensure U.S. forces are prepare 

d to operate on future battlefields in which opponents may possess conventional, 

nuclear, biological or chemical capabilities.

In a ceremony on Jan. 12, 1995, Jeff received an award recognizing 15 years 

of service with the federal government. He previously worked in the office of U 

.S. Senator J. James Exon of Nebraska and in the Legislative Affairs Office of t 

he Secretary of Defense. 

He is married to Margot Gee, daughter of Ken and Jean Gee, and they live in 

Alexandria, Va. 



AUTH[Martin J. Caffrey 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson a Frequent Flier 

TEXT[Relative to Governor Nelson wanting to control the State of Nebraska by tel 

ling Senators Exon and Kerrey and others how to do their elected duties: 

He flies around the world more than President Clinton. 




SOUR[Franklin Co. Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator Exon Wants To Balance the Fed. Govt.'s Budget 

TEXT[WASHINGTON--Senator Jim Exon in introducing a complete budget reform packag 

e that includes a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment, a proposal to better 

control federal borrowing, and a legislative line-item veto for the President. 

The nation's national debt is $4.7 trillion and will soon be $5 trillion. 

Editor's Note: It's hard to comprehend, but, it's a fact: to spend (or repa 

y) a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000), a person would have to spend $6 mill 

ion dollars an hour, 24 hours a day, for 19 years. For a debt of $5 trillion, th 

is means the national debt could be paid off (at $6 million dollars an hour, 24 

hours a day) in only 95 years. Fat chance, huh? 



AUTH[Myrna Liebig 


BK#[ 

HDLN[All aboard for the Cattle Baron's Ball 

TEXT[A first-time feature of this year's Cattle Baron's Ball will be Union Pacif 

ic Railroad's sponsorship of a passenger train from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Nor 

th Platte, chairman Ron Books announced Monday. 

"The Union Pacific Railroad, North Platte and the beef industry go back in 

history," said Books. "This is an incredible donation by the railroad." 

The Cattle Baron's Ball is a fund-raising event for the Nebraska division o

f the American Cancer Society with the Nebraska Beef Industry as cosponsor. This 

is the fifth year for the ball in Nebraska and the first time in North Platte. 

This year's site, the 32,000-acre Hansen 77 Ranch, is 

northwest of North Platte. 

"We hope this will be a means of bringing some people from the eastern part 

of the state out here for the festivities," Books said of the train trip. He ad 

ded, however, that there also has been local interest in riding the train. 

Joining Books in making the announcement Monday were Alex Tice, Trish Jorge 

nson and Tom Jacobi, representing Union Pacific, and Dave Holmquist of Lincoln a 

nd Don McClure of Omaha, representing the Nebraska division of the American Canc 

er Society. 

The train, powered by Streamliner diesel locomotives, will leave Council Bl 

uffs at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, May 26, and arrive in North Platte at 5 p.m., with 

stops in Columbus and Grand Island. 

For the return trip Sunday following the ball, the train will be powered by 

the world's largest operating steam locomotive, the Challenger. It will depart 

North Platte at 9 a.m. and arrive in Omaha about 5 p.m., again with stops in Gra 

nd Island and Columbus. 

Tice, UP's director of community relations, said the train will consist of 

11 passenger cars, all with vintage equipment. 

"The oldest car is 1914 with the others in the 1940s-50s and 1960s eras," s 

aid Tice. Some cars will be used for food and beverages and one is the museum ca 

r, which also will house a preview showing of the Nebraskaland Days Governor's W 

estern & Wildlife Art Show. 

Those wishing to make the train journey, said Books, must first become "cat 

tle barons" by purchasing a baron ticket for $500. The baron status entitles the 

holder to two tickets for all the day's activities at the ball, including a ste 

ak dinner, dance, art show and casino. 

"Barons" will receive preferred seating for a concert by county music star 

Neal McCoy and a champagne brunch with him. 

There is also a fee of $500 per couple for the train ride, which includes f 

ood, drink and entertainment on the train, lodging in North Platte and transport 

ation while in North Platte. 

There is a limit to the number of persons who can make the train trip, said 

Books. One hundred tickets will be sold for a 200-passenger capacity. 

For more information about tickets, contact Todd Peterson at the First Nati 

onal Bank in North Platte. 

One of this year's Cattle Baron's Ball hosts, Linda Hansen, not only has ti 

es to the ranch, but comes from a railroad family. 

Union Pacific Railroad's sponsorship of a passenger train to the ball was o 

f great interest to her. 

"My grandfather, Ray Lincoln Sr., was employed by UP for almost 50 years. M 

y father, Delbert Lincoln Sr., hired out to the railroad Oct. 8, 1936, and was p 

romoted in 1945 to engineer. He retired May 1, 1980," she said. 

The two men worked for the railroad for a period of years before her grandf 

ather's retirement, Hansen said. 

She said she remembers her father going to work in "blinding snowstorms" an 

d her mother's explanation of why he would so willingly go to work - "the UP has 

provided a good life for your dad and his family." 

Hansen said her most vivid memories are of the train rides to Torrington, W 

yo., to visit her father when he would work the "beat run."

She said her father would be gone from home for up to two months and the fa 

mily would get to use a pass for the train ride to visit him once during that pe 

riod. 

Hansen has another interest in the ball and the work it provides for the Am 

erican Cancer Society. 

"My dad died of cancer in May 1982," she said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Criminal Checks Considered 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP)--Joe Larson's voice cracked as he fought to control his emotio 

ns while reading a braille letter from his blind daughter. 

The letter recounted for members of a legislative committee how she was sex 

ually molested by a school van driver six years ago. 

"When I was 8, I was molested by my van driver," Larson read, then paused f 

or a long minute to regain his composure. 

"It was hard to believe that someone I trusted so much could do this," Ange 

la Larson, now 15, wrote in the letter read Tuesday to the Legislature's Educati 

on Committee. 

Joe Larson was speaking in support of a bill (LB148) offered by Omaha Sen. 

Dan Lynch to require criminal history checks of applicants for such school-bus-d 

riving jobs. 

"The man was hired without the benefit of such criminal checks," Larson sai 

d. He had been arrested for a similar assault in Omaha, but was not convicted. N 

otice of the arrest would have been a red flag for his next potential employer, 

he said. 

Larson said the incident happened while his daughter was a student in the P 

apillion-LaVista district. The family was forced to move to another school distr 

ict. 

Larson's wife, Gail, said their daughter has recovered from the incident bu 

t "will never ride the van again." She said the couple has vowed to take time of 

f work, if necessary, to get the girl to special classes in different school bui 

ldings. 

In May, a federal judge overturned a jury award of $475,000 to the family. 

That decision is being appealed. 

"We'll take it to the U.S. Supreme Court if we have to," Joe Larson said in 

pleading with the committee to pass the criminal check bill to prevent other fa 

milies from undergoing the same ordeal. 

The committee also heard a bill (LB70) offered by Sen. Kate Witek of Omaha 

to eliminate the Nebraska Schools Accountability Commission. 

The commission, created in 1992, was to develop standards for what students 

should know before they can move up to the next grade in school or graduate. It 

was to have the work completed by Sept. 1, 1994. 

"There are no curriculum frameworks, there are no statewide standards," Wit 

ek said. The commission failed to complete the assignment. 

She said such guidelines are better left to local control, building on idea 

s from classroom teachers and parents.

Witek said the commission's work is now being duplicated by the Nebraska 20 

00 goals panel, which has received federal funds to set similar goals. 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said the state had receive 

d a $556,027 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help develop a state 

wide school improvement plan under the Goals 2000 program. Nebraska communities 

on a voluntary basis will be able to develop and implement academic and performa 

nce standards, provide more training for teachers and create vocational educatio 

n programs, Exon said. 

Education Commissioner Doug Christensen said the state board of education s 

upports Witek's measure because it wants to be the group to develop education po 

licy. 

Members of three school groups opposed the bill. Mike Dulaney of the Nebras 

ka Council of School Administrators said "our agenda is straightforward. We just 

want to see a report from the commission." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Congressional Reaction 

TEXT[Comments on President Clinton's speech by members of the Nebraska and Iowa 

congressional delegation: 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.: "It was a conciliatory speech. He reached out to th 

e Republicans as he was expected to do. He did not hit a discordant note. I like 

d it, but it was too long. He said very clearly that he would veto any attempt t 

o repeal the ban on assault weapons. That was a high point for me. 

Sen, Bob Kerrey, D-Neb,: "I thought it was a very good speech. It lays down 

three solid principles upon which we ought to be able, with reasonable disagree 

ments, build a good solid foundation. 

"He's saying, first, that we need to a new economy, that the training requi 

red today are different. Second, there's a need for a new government, and not ju 

st smaller. Third, and perhaps most important, a new covenant of the relationshi 

p between the American people and government." 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa: "It was well-balanced, well delivered, and well to 

o long. He didn't mention agriculture directly, but he talked about issues impo 

rtant to agriculture like deductibility of health-care insurance. When he mentio 

ned not cutting Medicare and not cutting Social Security, that was the high poin 

t for me. The things I disagreed with were the Mexican bailout and $25 billion f 

or the military. Nobody applauded that." 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa: "The American people in November shifted the 

mantle of leadership from the White House to the new Congress. We've already st 

arted to deliver their agenda And from tonight's speech, it seems the president 

is willing to follow our leadership." 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb.: "I'm glad to see the president embrace the Co 

ntract With America's call for a smaller government. He always gives a good spee 

ch. I think we're going to have to see where things go on some of the things he 

said. I campaigned on welfare reform, tax relief, the balanced budget amendment. 

I'm keeping my promises. Will he?" 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.: "I thought it was good rhetoric. The question c 

omes down to this: Is he credible and can he deliver even his own party in Congr

ess? He is clearly trying reshape his presidency and regain his strength. 

"I liked his emphasis on getting tough on illegal immigration. I was enthus 

ed, in fact, about his suggestion that the entertainment industry needs to re-ex 

amine itself for promoting violence and lawlessness. I like the fact that he is 

suggesting we need to mobilize the people of the country about the high rate of 

teenage pregnancies. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb.: "I thought it was pretty good. Some nice words, 

well delivered as usual, and as somebody's already suggested, it was kind of ou 

t of our (Republican) songbook. I'm glad to know he'll join the new majority in 

Congress and work on them. He was talking about working together. He was talking 

about these things being too important for politics as usual. I like that." 

Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa: "His one hour marathon of quotes and cliches has t 

o remind us of the Bill Clinton that has, time and time again, failed to deliver 

the many promises he made to the American people. If this is indeed a changed p 

resident, who for once will follow through on his rhetoric, then I invite him to 

join the November American mandate for real change in government." 

Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa: "It was a well-crafted speech. I think he took mo 

re than a few pages out of the Contract With America. His speech was strongest w 

hen he talked about health care reform." 

Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa: "I am pleased to see the president has emb 

raced the themes of the Contract With America - namely the themes of less govern 

ment but more efficient government. However, what really matters is what actions 

follow the words." 

From World-Herald and staff and reporters. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Urges Scheduled Cuts in Spending 

TEXT[Washington - Federal spending for hundreds of programs nationwide will be s 

everely limited or eliminated by a constitutional balanced budget amendment, Sen 

. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday. 

Exon, who supports the amendment, said he will continue to press the Republ 

ican majority in the Senate for a list of specific programs that would be affect 

ed. 

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that to bring the budget in balan 

ce by the year 2002, Congress will have to make $1.2 trillion in cuts over the n 

ext seven years, Exon said. 

"If we pass the Republican tax cuts, the number grows to $1.5 trillion," he 

said. 

"At a minimum," Exon said, "I would suggest that we ought to start immediat 

ely with reductions totaling $75 billion the first year, $150 billion the next y 

ear, then $250 billion, then $400 billion and so on." 

Exon, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said a delay in adop 

ting a specific plan of reductions could mean up to $1 trillion would have to be 

cut in a two year period before the amendment went into effect. 

"If we pass a constitutional amendment, and fail to follow it, the crisis i

n confidence in government could lead to a near-open fiscal revolution in the ye 

ar 2002," he said. 

How to enforce the balanced budget amendment is up in the air, he said, alt 

hough he would oppose allowing it to be enforced by federal courts. 

Exon said he would favor a provision allowing Congress to waive the amendme 

nt on a three-fifths vote of both houses. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the committee should examine each feder 

al program to decide which should be continued and which should be curtailed or 

eliminated. 

"After 50 years of experimentation with federal programs, fat bureaucracies 

and bloated budgets, we should had enough data to know what the government can 

and can't do effectively," Grassley said. 

Earlier, the committee heard from William Bennett, co-founder of Empower Am 

erica. He was education secretary in the Reagan administration and was head of t 

he White House office on drug control policy in the Bush administration. 

Bennett said he could not recommend a specific seven-year plan for spending 

reductions. 

"I think it is important to lay out the general direction," Bennett said. " 

Large (spending cut) targets ought to be forthcoming." 

He said reductions could be made in a number of programs affecting all inco 

me groups. 

"I am speaking here about things like agricultural subsidies, Amtrak, stude 

nt loans, rural electrification grants, the Small Business Administration and ar 

t and cultural subsidies, just to name a few," Bennett said. 

He said federal spending on social programs also has been unsuccessful for 

three decades. 

He said many federal programs should be handed over to state governments, i 

ncluding education, housing, social service, job training and economic developme 

nt. 

Bennett, author of several books on values and public policy- including "Th 

e Book of Virtues," said he has met a number of Americans who are concerned abou 

t the future of the United States. 

"It's not just anger," he said. "It is a deep worry about whether the count 

ry is coming apart." 

"People don't say, 'We need to balance the budget,' although they mentioned 

that," he said. "They are asking questions like, 'Are we losing this great repu 

blic?"' 

Empower America said its mission is "to promote progressive conservative pu 

blic policies at both the state and national level." 

Co-founders with Bennett were two former Republican members of the House of 

Representatives, Jack Kemp of New York, who was secretary of housing and urban 

development in the Bush administration, and Vin Weber of Minnesota, a Washington 

political consultant. 




SOUR[Lincoln Sun 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Finds Some Support Among State GOP

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Republicans in Nebraska's congressional delegation said Presid 

ent Clinton's State of the Union address sounded GOP themes that they looked for 

ward to pursuing. 

"I thought it was good rhetoric," said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. "But the 

question is, is he credible and can he deliver even his own party in Congress?" 

Bereuter said he liked the fact that Clinton wanted to get tough on illegal 

immigration and emphasized mobilizing the country against the high rate of teen 

pregnancy. 

Much of what Clinton suggested sounded like the Republican's "Contract with 

America," Bereuter said. "I thought it was heavy on 'me-tooism,'" he said. 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb., said he disagreed with Clinton's calling for 

a minimum wage increase. "That would be a job killer," Christensen said. 

"I look forward to working with him to cut the budget and give more tax dol 

lars back to the working people," Christensen said. "Is he going to follow throu 

gh? That's the question." 

Clinton called for an increase in the minimum wage from the current $4.25 a 

nd for tax breaks to families with children, deductions for college tuition and 

incentives for retirement savings. 

Bereuter and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., both said Clinton appeared ready to 

cooperate with the first Republican-controlled Congress in 40 years. 

"I think he is trying to work with Congress to a substantial degree." Bereu 

ter said. "He has a Republican Congress. He has to work with the new Congress as 

part of trying to reshape his presidency." 

But Democrats appeared split, with some failing to applaud when welfare ref 

orm and changes in the crime bill were suggested, Bereuter said. 

Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey said before the speech that he was concerned abo 

ut Congress and the president failing to tackle funding problems in Medicare and 

Social Security funds. 

Kerrey said Clinton's address didn't relieve that concern. 

"I do think we are ignoring this problem at our peril," said Kerrey, who he 

aded a bipartisan commission on entitlement. "I don't find myself enthusiastic a 

bout a tax cut at this moment." 

Sen. Jim Exon D-Neb.. said there clearly was a lukewarm reaction among Demo 

crats when Clinton said he supported a middle class tax cut. Exon said some high 

lights of the address were Clinton's willingness to eliminate unfunded federal m 

andates 

on the states and sign a bill that would establish a line-item veto. 

Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, said he was encouraged by talk of a t 

ax cut, a line-item veto, streamlining government and eliminating unfunded manda 

tes. 

Those were the same themes Nelson used in his State of the State address th 

is month in Nebraska, Nelson said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Likes Clinton's Conciliatory Tone

TEXT[WASHINGTON - "It was too long, and it didn't mention farmers," but other th 

an that, Sen. Jim Exon. D-Neb., liked President Clinton's State of the Union add 

ress. 

The speech had a conciliatory tone that was necessary in the new political 

climate in Congress, which is under full Republican rule for the first time in 4 

0 years, Exon said. 

"America has a lot on its mind and I think the president was saying, as I t 

hink he should have said - especially with the fact that the Republicans have ta 

ken over the House and Senate - let's try and get along," Exon said. 

Exon said some highlights of the address were Clinton's willingness to elim 

inate unfunded federal mandates on the states and sign a bill that would establi 

sh a line-item veto. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb.. who watched the speech from his sick bed, said the 

speech spoke of principles that he shared with the president, especially the on 

e about personal responsibility. 

"Individuals have the ultimate responsibility for their own behavior and li 

ves, but there is also a role for government to play in ensuring that Americans 

have the tools to fulfill their own dreams," Kerrey said after the speech. 

The senator said the recent change in control of Congress from the Republic 

ans to the Democrats "liberates us to ask fundamental questions about the role o 

f government in our lives. It is an exciting time, and I look forward to partici 

pating actively in the debate." 

Kerrey said he disagreed with the president on the middle class tax cut pro 

posal, and he said that if the government "really cares about children," it woul 

d try to grapple with the funding crises predicted for the Social Security and M 

edicare trust funds. 

Asked if Clinton helped himself with the speech, Kerrey, who left the Senat 

e Tuesday afternoon with flu-like symptoms, said: "He helped the country, and th 

erefore he probably helped himself." 

Republicans in Nebraska's delegation said the speech sounded GOP themes tha 

t they looked forward to pursuing. 





pregnancy. 


America" Bereuter said. "I thought it was heavy on 'me-tooism,' " he said. 


a minimum wage increase. That would be a "job killer." Christensen said. 




Contacted in Lincoln, Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, said he was enc 

ouraged by talk of a tax cut, a line-item veto, streamlining government and elim 

inating unfunded mandates. 


is month in Nebraska, Nelson said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter: Rhetoric Sounded Familiar 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP)--President Clinton seems willing to work with the first Republic 

an-controlled Congress in 40 years, several members of Nebraska's congressional 

delegation said. 

"America has a lot on its mind and I think the president was 

saying, as I think he should have said - especially with the fact that the Repub 

licans have taken over the House and Senate - let's try and get along," Sen. Jim 

Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday after Clinton's State of the Union address. 




question is, is he credible and can he deliver to even his own party in Congress 

?" 



pregnancy. 


America," Bereuter said. "I thought it was heavy on 'me-tooism,"' he said. 


a minimum wage increase. That would be a "job killer," Christensen said. 


lars back to the working peopIe," Christensen said. "Is he going to follow throu 






cooperate with Congress. 

"I think he is trying to work with Congress to a substantial degree," Bereu 

ter said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Area Men Serving on Board of Directors 

TEXT[OMAHA- Bruce Mungerford with the Farmers and Ranchers Co-op in Ainsworth wa 

s elected to a three-year term on the Nebraska Fertilizer & Ag-Chemical Institut 

e. The election was held in conjunction with the Institute's 38th annual Nebrask 

a Agri-Business Exposition and Convention here Wednesday and Thursday. Among tho 

se re-elected to three-year board terms was Curt Novak with Van Diest Supply Co. 

in Pender. Don Meysenburg with Coash Inc. in Albion is chairman of the 780-memb 

er association. 

Highlighting the Institute's political action breakfast Thursday morning wa

s a presentation by Bryce Neidig, a Madison farmer who is president of the Nebra 

ska Farm Bureau Federation. Among the Institute's annual industry award winners 

who were recognized on Wednesday were: media person of the year - Ann Toner, far 

m writer, Omaha World-Herald; industry person of the year - Gil Kuntz, owner of 

Agricultural Services, Grand Island; government official of the year - Sen. J. J 

ames Exon; and water guardian award - Jeff Frack, Harris Laboratories, Lincoln. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Budget Director Says Tough Choices Loom 

TEXT[Washington- A balanced budget amendment to the Constitution "is no substitu 

te for political will," the outgoing director of the Congressional Budget Office 

said Wednesday before the Senate Budget Committee. 

Robert Reischauer, in response to a question from Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., i 

ndicated he did not support a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. 

"I hope Congress has the will to achieve that goal without resorting to a d 

rastic change in procedure," said Reischauer, who has been fired by the Republic 

an majority in Congress. 

Reischauer said a balanced budget amendment could be circumvented by Congre 

ss, just as the 1985 GrammRudman deficit-reduction law was made ineffective soon 

after it was passed. 

"You are going to have to take some tough positions," Reischauer told Exon 

and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., committee chairman. 

"The tough position is not the balanced budget amendment by itself," Reisch 

auer said. "It's the steps that have to be taken to cut spending or raise taxes 

... or both." 

Reischauer said balancing the budget by 2002, as proposed by the amendment, 

would require up to $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, taxes or a combination of b 

oth - more than $200 billion a year. 

Meanwhile, Exon, who supports such an amendment, drafted a letter for Senat 

e Democrats asking Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, -Kan., to put forward a deta 

iled, seven-year budget plan that would be in balance in 2003. 

"We think we have an affirmative duty to fill in the blank lines of the pro 

mise of a balanced budget, so Americans can understand what it will mean for the 

ir lives," the letter said. 

In an interview Wednesday on CBS-TV. Dole said a plan to balance the budget 

over seven years was the responsibility of the Senate Budget Committee. 

President Clinton, in his State of the Union address Tuesday, said: "If you 

are going to pass this amendment, you have to be straight with the American peo 

ple. 

"They have a right to know what you are going to cut and how it would affec 

t them. And you should tell them before you change the Constitution." 


DATE[1-26-95



BK#[ 

HDLN[Foster care excludes gays 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Gov. Ben Nelson has approved a new state policy to prohibit 

foster children from being placed with self-acknowledged homosexuals and to deny 

gays foster home licenses. 

Mary Dean Harvey, director of the state Department of Social Services, outl 

ined the policy in a memo issued this week to department staff. She said the res 

trictions are not new - they're just not spelled out in department policy. 

"It is clear, however, in statute and policy that this state's direction an 

d intent is for the placement of children in the most family-like setting when o 

ut-of-home care is necessary," Harvey wrote in the memo sent Tuesday. 

Harvey said current policy doesn't address the sexual orientation of potent 

ial foster care parents. 

"I do the things the public expects me to do," Harvey said Wednesday. "This 

is one of those things." 

The move is an apparent change of policy. 

Harvey in a May 25 letter wrote that since state law and foster care policy 

did not address sexual orientation, it would be improper to consider the issue. 

Harvey said in a telephone interview from her home that she didn't recall s 

uch a letter and the state won't ask potential foster home licensees about their 

sexual preference. People who choose to tell the state they are homosexual won' 

t receive a license, she said. 

The memo also instructs foster care workers not to place children in homes 

where unrelated, unmarried adults are living together. Foster home licenses also 

would be denied in such cases. 

"It's practice. These are the things our people are doing," Harvey said. "M 

y thought was that in clarifying it, I've left no doubt in their minds." 

Bill Schultz, the vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Student Associ 

ation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, criticized the changes. 

"I don't see how she (Harvey) can define a family," said Schultz, who is ga 

y. "Some day I plan on having kids. I don't think it's very fair that they would 

limit me and not allow me to choose or do what I want." 

When Nelson ran for a second term last year his opponent, Gene Spence, crit 

icized the administration for not having a policy to prohibit placing children i 

n homes with gays. 

Democrat Nelson rejected Republican Spence's criticism during the campaign. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Republicans looking to see how president follows speech 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Republicans in Nebraska's congressional delegation said 

President Clinton's State of the Union address sounded GOP themes that they look 

ed forward to pursuing. 

"I thought it was good rhetoric," said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. "But the




pregnancy. 


America," Bereuter said. "I thought it was heavy on 'me-tooism,'" he said. 




lars back to the working people." Christensen said. "Is he going to follow thro 

ugh? That's the question." 





cooperate with the first Republican-controlled Congress in 40 years. "I think h 

e is trying to work with Congress to a substantial degree," Bereuter said. "He h 

as a Republican Congress. He has to work with the new Congress as part of trying 

to reshape his presidency." 



Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey said before the speech that he was concerned abo 

ut Congress and the president failing to tackle funding problems in Medicare and 

Social Security funds. 


Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said there clearly was a lukewarm reaction among Dem 

ocrats when Clinton said he supported a middle class tax cut. 




Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, said he was encouraged by talk of a t 

ax cut, a line-item veto, streamlining government and eliminating unfunded manda 

tes. 


is month in Nebraska. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Witek says education panel isn't needed, didn't finish job 

TEXT[Should the Legislature do away with the Nebraska Schools Accountability Com 

mission? 

Sen. Kate Witek of Omaha thinks so and took her argument in the form of LB7 

0 to the Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday. 



was to have the work completed by Sept. 1. 1994.

"There are no curriculum frame-works, there are no statewide standards." Wi 

tek said. The commission failed to complete the assignment. 

She said such guidelines are better left to local control. building on idea 

s from classroom teachers arid parents. 

The commissions work is now being duplicated by the Nebraska 2000 goals pan 

el. Witek said. which has received federal funds to set similar goals. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said the state had received a $ 

556,027 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help develop a statewide 

school improvement plan under the Goals 2000 program. Nebraska communities on a 

voluntary basis will be able to develop and implement academic and performance s 

tandards, provide more training for teachers and create vocational education pr 

ograms, Exon said. 

State Education Commissioner Doug Christensen said the State Board of Educa 

tion supports Witek's measure because it wants to be the group to develop educat 

ion policy. 


ka Council of School Administrators said, "our agenda is straightforward. We jus 

t want to see a report from the commission." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Republicans Look Forward to Working With Clinton 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - President Clinton seems willing to work with the first R 

epublican-controlled Congress in 40 years, several members of Nebraska's congres 

sional delegation said. 

"America has a lot on its mind and I think the president was saying, as I t 

hink he should have said - especially with the fact that the Republicans have ta 

ken over the House and Senate - let's try and get along," Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., 

said Tuesday after Clinton's State of the Union address. 







pregnancy. 

Much of what Clinton suggested sounded like the Republican "Contract with A 

merica," Bereuter said. "I thought it was heavy on 'me-tooism,'" he said. 









Bereuter and Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., both said Clinton appeared ready to

cooperate with Congress. 

"I think he is trying to work with Congress to a substantial degree," Bereu 

ter said. "He has a Republican Congress. He has to work with the new Congress as 

part of trying to reshape his presidency." 



Nebraska Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey said before the speech that he was conc 

erned about Congress and the president failing to tackle funding problems in Med 

icare and Social Security. 


"I do think we are ignoring this problem at our peril," said Kerrey, who he 

aded a bipartisan commission on entitlements. "I don't find myself enthusiastic 

about a tax cut at this moment." 

Exon said there clearly was a lukewarm reaction among Democrats when Clinto 

n said he supported a middle class tax cut. 







SOUR[AP 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Father testifies in favor of background checks by schools 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) - Joe Larson's voice cracked as he fought to control his emoti 

ons while reading a braille letter from his blind daughter. 

The letter recounted for members of a legislative committee how she was sex 

ually molested by a school van driver six years ago. 

"When I was eight, I was molested by my van driver, Larson read, then pause 

d for a long minute to regain his composure. 

"It was hard to believe that someone I trusted so much could do this," Ange 

la Larson, now 15, wrote in the letter read Tuesday to the Legislature's Educati 

on Committee. 

Joe Larson was speaking in support of a bill (LB 148) offered by Omaha Sen. 

Dan Lynch to require criminal history checks of applicants for such school-busdriving 

jobs. 

"The man was hired without the benefit of such criminal checks," Larson sai 

d. He had been arrested for a similar assault in Omaha, but was not convicted. N 

otice of the arrest would have been a red flag for his next potential employer, 

he said. 

Larson said the incident happened while his daughter was a student in the P 

apillion-LaVista district. The family was forced to move to another school distr 

ict. 

Larson's wife, Gail, said their daughter has recovered from the incident bu 

t "will never ride the van again." She said the couple has vowed to take time of 

f work, if necessary, to get the girl to special classes in different school bui 

ldings. 

In May, a federal judge overturned a jury award of $475,000 to the family.

That decision is being appealed. 

"We'll take it to the U.S. Supreme Court if we have to," Joe Larson said in 

pleading with the committee to pass the criminal check bill to prevent other fa 

milies from undergoing the same ordeal. 

The committee also heard a bill (LB70) offered by Sen. Kate Witek of Omaha 

to eliminate the Nebraska Schools Accountability Commission. 



was to have the work completed by Sept. 1, 1994. 

"There are no curriculum frameworks, there are no statewide standards," Mrs 

. Witek said. The commission failed to complete the assignment. 


s from classroom teachers and parents. 

Mrs. Witek said the commission's work is now being duplicated by the Nebras 

ka 2000 goals panel, which has received federal funds to set similar goals. 

U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., said the state had receive 

d a $556,027 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help develop a state 

wide school improvement plan under the Goals 2000 program. Nebraska communities 

on a voluntary basis will be able to develop and implement academic and performa 

nce standards, provide more training for teachers and create vocational educatio 

n programs, Exon said. 

Education Commissioner Doug Christensen said the state board of education s 

upports Mrs. Witek's measure because it wants to be the group to develop educati 

on policy. 


ka Council of School Administrators said "our agenda is straightforward. We just 

want to see a report from the commission." 

In other action: 

The Banking Committee heard and advanced a bill (LB 144) that would create 

the Partnerships for Economic Development Act. The measure is part of Gov. Ben N 

elson's 12-point economic development package. Sen. Floyd Vrtiska of Table Rock 

and 28 of his colleagues have signed on to the measure to make $250,000 availabl 

e for grants to multi-area development projects. 

"We're hoping to attract small, start-up type businesses that could use the 

money. We expect there will be some competition for the funds," Vrtiska said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Learning standards committee discussed 

TEXT[LINCOLN (AP) The Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday discussed the 

fate of a commission set up to establish statewide learning standards. 

Sen. Kate Witek of Omaha said the Nebraska Schools Accountability Commissio 

n should be terminated because it hasn't finished its homework. 

She offered a bill (LB70) to eliminate the commission, which was asked to d 

evelop standards for what students should know before they can move up to the ne 

xt grade in school or graduate.

The commission was created in 1992 and was to have its work completed by Se 

pt. 1, 1994. 

"There are no curriculum frameworks, there are no statewide standards," Wit 

ek told the education committee. "They (the commission) couldn't do what they wa 

nted to do as volunteers." 


s from classroom teachers and parents. 

Accountability Commission Vice Chairwoman Sue Spangler said the group would 

like a chance to finish its job. 

"There's a real need for us to complete our work and have a recommendation 

to present to someone in March, April or May," she said. 

Witek said the commission's work also is being duplicated by the Nebraska 2 

000 goals panel, which has received federal funds to set similar goals. 

On Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., announced that 

the state had received a $556,027 grant from the U.S. Department of Education t 

o help develop a statewide school improvement plan. 

With the grant awarded under the Goals 2000 program, Nebraska communities o 

n a voluntary basis will be able to develop and implement academic and performan 

ce standards in core subjects such as math and English, provide more training fo 

r teachers and create vocational education programs, Exon said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Immunization clinic funding 

TEXT[Sens. J. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, both D-Neb., announced the government h 

as awarded the Nebraska Department of Health $1.04 million for continuation of t 

he child immunization program. 

The next area immunization clinic is scheduled for Feb. 13 at the Zion Luth 

eran Church in Albion from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

A health check clinic for people age 2 months to 20 years will coincide. C 

lients for both clinics are to use the east door. 

Donations of $6 per child are requested for immunizations. Fees based on i 

ncome are charged for the health check clinic. 

Women, Infant and Children services also will be provided at the church Feb 

. 13 with clients to use the south door. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Takes Two Leadership Roles In New Session 

TEXT[Washington, D.C.--U.S. Sen. Jim Exon (D-NE) has assumed two new leadership 

posts as the new session of Congress begins.

Exon was formally appointed as the Democratic leader on the Senate Budget C 

ommittee. Last year, he fought successfully to win passage of the only spending 

reduction measure of 1994. The bi-partisan legislation he co-authored with Sen 

. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) reduced federal spending by $13 billion. 


ility," Exon said. "I want to make sure we continue to cut government spending 

sensibly and reduce the federal budget deficit." 

Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle also appointed Exon to a new leadersh 

ip group called the Technology and Communications Committee. 

"This new committee will look for ways to use new forms of technology like 

video teleconferencing to better communicate with, and listen to, the public," E 

xon said. "This will give Nebraskans more direct input into the legislative pro 

cess so their voices can be heard." 



AUTH[Dave Skidmore 

SOUR[Albany, OR, Democrat-Herald 

BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP response: Follow or get out of the way 

TEXT[Republicans responding to the State of the Union address offered President 

Clinton a choice: Follow or get out of the way. 

"If he has changed his big-government agenda, we say 'great - join us as we 

change America,'" said New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman, who delivered the GOP' 

s televised response Tuesday night. 

"Republicans welcome your ideas for making government not bigger but smalle 

r," she said, speaking from the legislative chamber in Trenton. 

While Clinton "sounded pretty Republican," GOP ideas are actually being put 

into practice at the state level, Whitman said, citing Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Tho 

mpson's welfare overhaul, Virginia Gov. George Allen's criminal justice reforms 

nd her own tax cuts. 

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., said that while Clinton's message 

was important, "the more important and most powerful message remains the one the 

American people delivered in November." 

"We welcome any support the president offers as the Republicans carry out o 

ur mandate to rein in government with less spending, less taxes and more freedom 

," he said. 

Rep. Van Hilleary of Tennessee, one of 73 GOP freshman in the House said, " 

There's no question he can talk the talk; we'll have to see if he can walk the w 

alk." 

And Rep. Bill Archer, R-Texas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committ 

ee, said, "He has looked the American people in the eyes and embraced our fundam 

ental goals of a smaller, less costly government, and for more and higher-paying 

jobs. The only question that remains is this: How, together, can we achieve t 

hese goals?" 

Democrats, predictably, were more laudatory. Senate Minority Leader Tom Da 

schle, D-S.D., said Clinton "came tonight with an expectation not to confront bu 

t to cooperate and to lay down an agenda for bipartisanship." 

"The real question is, how dug-in are we?... Senate Democrats are not dug-i

n," he said. 

However, Sen. James Exon, D-Neb, said Democrats were wary of Clinton's dete 

rmination to match Republicans with his own tax cuts. "I don't think there's mu 

ch enthusiasm for that at all," he said. 

Despite Clinton's conciliatory tone, many Republicans questioned the presid 

ent's sincerity 

"In rhetoric, he's reaching out. ... You get to the specifics and that's wh 

ere you fall off the wagon," said Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. 

Rep. Susan Molinari, R-N.Y. said, "The president read the 'Contract With Am 

erica' and did a good book report." 

"If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, on behalf of all Republica 

ns, I thank the president for his compliment," said Rep John Boehner, R-Ohio. 

Democrats angrily rejected that contention. 

"It was not a me-too speech," said Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. 

House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., praised the president for pushi 

ng for a minimum-wage increase, which is adamantly opposed by Republican leaders 

. 

And many disgruntled Republicans referred to the length of the address. 

"It wasn't his finest hour. It wasn't even his finest hour and a half," sa 

id Rep. Michael Oxley, R-Ohio. 

With other Republicans filling the role of critic, House Speaker Newt Gingr 

ich, R-Ga., kept a low profile afterward. Before the speech he sought to create 

an atmosphere of bipartisanship, at least for one evening. 

"The fact is, we can reach out to the president. ... We can find common pur 

pose," he told reporters. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Scolding by Senator Undeserved 

TEXT[ Debate on the unfunded mandates bill has been delayed in the House. De 

mocrats threw up so many obstacles that the Republican leadership decided to put 

the legislation aside. 

In the Senate, even some Democrats who support the bill helped slow its pro 

gress, refusing to end a filibuster by fellow Democrats who wanted to gut or kil 

l the legislation. For Nebraskans, the proceedings produced a political rarity - 

the spectacle of a Democratic U.S. senator from Nebraska publicly taking a Demo 

cratic governor from Nebraska to task. 

Ironically, Sen. J. James Exon and Governor Nelson both endorsed the legisl 

ation. Exon is a co-sponsor. Nelson, working through the National Governors Asso 

ciation, has played a leading role in urging Congress and the White House to con 

sider such legislation. The bill would require Congress to provide federal money 

for programs it imposes on state and local governments. 

Recently Exon saw a letter that Nelson, along with a bipartisan group of go 

vernors, mayors and local officials, had signed. The letter urged Congress to ac 

t promptly. The Senate, with Exon's assistance, had just defeated a motion that 

would have ended the prolonged debate and allowed an up or down vote. Exon bit t

he roof. 

Exon said he should have been told that the letter was in the works. He sai 

d the letter would make it harder to pass the bill. He said he wasn't opposing t 

he bill when he voted to prolong debate. He was merely helping other senators wh 

o had amendments. 

Exon said: "I think he (Nelson) would be well-advised to check with myself 

as a leader of the mandate proposition and not complicate things further." 

Nelson speaks for state and local officials and for ordinary citizens, who 

are tired of insider maneuvers on Capitol Hill, tired of gridlock and tired of b 

eing told by Congress that state and local taxes must rise to pay for programs t 

hat were created in Washington. Nelson didn't deserve Exon's public scolding. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Report:White to Get State's Top Judge Seat 

TEXT[LINCOLN - Judge C. Thomas White of Columbus has been chosen to become the c 

hief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, The Associated Press learned today. 

Gov. Ben Nelson planned to announce the decision soon, said two high-rankin 

g administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

Platte County District Judge John C. Whitehead said Nelson made the right c 

hoice. 

"In my opinion, he was by far the best man for the job," said Whitehead, wh 

o has known White since 1965. 

White served as Platte County attorney from 1955 until 1965 and as district 

judge from 1965 until 1977, when he was appointed to the Supreme Court by then- 

Gov. Jim Exon. 

White served district and appeals courts "with brilliance," said Whitehead, 

who succeeded White on the district court bench. 

White will succeed William Hastings, who is retiring Tuesday. 

White, 66, was one of four candidates for the job whose names had been forw 

arded to Gov. Ben Nelson by the Judicial Nominating Commission. 

White has been a judge for 30 years. A 1952 graduate of Creighton Universit 

y School of Law, he graduated at the top of his law class. 

He was one of seven people who applied for the chief justice job after Hast 

ings announced in August that he would retire at the end of January, on his 74th 

birthday 

The nominating commission also had forwarded the names of Appeals Court Jud 

ge Richard D. Sievers of Lincoln, District Judge John P. Murphy of North Platte 

and Lincoln attorney Karen B. Flowers. The other three applicants for chief just 

ice were District Judge Ronald Reagan of Omaha, Omaha lawyer Richard Fellman and 

Lincoln resident Michael McMurray. 




SOUR[Midland's Business Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Frontier's Addoms:'We'll make a difference for Omaha' 

TEXT[ President Sam Addoms said Frontier's bargain fares are intended to sti 

mulate traffic and lure the "marginal" traveler who otherwise might drive or sta 

y home. 

Nebraska political and business figures joined the Frontier delegation led 

by Addoms for noon ceremonies Monday in Eppley 's south terminal satellite. 

Addoms told the gathering that he was in a meeting last week with an Omahan 

who had come from Denver on a $750 roundtrip far. 

"This week, he could do it for $118. So I think we'll make a difference in 

the market," Addoms said. 

"When we look at the traditional level of traffic that has been in this ma 

rketplace, you are grossly under-served based on the number of seats in the mark 

et versus the number of people who are attempting to achieve their destination," 

Addoms said. 

Businessman William Theisen, chairman of the Omaha Airport Authority board 

of directors, liked what he had heard of Frontier's low prices to Colorado. "Now 

we can go skiing again," he said. 

Theisen introduced the VIP's on hand to greet Frontier, saying: "This is th 

e first team" - Gov. E. Benjamin Nelson, 

U. S. Sen. J. James Exon, Mayor Hal Daub, City Council President Subby Anzaldo a 

nd President C.R. "Bob" Bell of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. 

Nelson described air travel as a key ingredient to economic development and 

quality of life in the region. 

The return of Frontier and the new service by Midwest Express and Southwest 

Airlines simply means that Omaha and the Omaha area as well as Nebraska and wes 

tern Iowa regionally are on the move, Nelson said. 

Exon called Frontier's return to the region "another shining chapter" in th 

e success story for the Omaha Airport Authority and the city of Omaha. 

Daub said the impact of Frontier will be felt beyond Nebraska and Iowa, ext 

ending out to Minnesota, South Dakota, and Kansas. 

"The Denver-based airline will give the region an opportunity to reach from 

Omaha through Denver to a variety of places that have been very difficult for a 

ll of us to travel. So we're really pleased that you and your management team sa 

w the opportunity here," Daub said. 

In an interview following the ceremony, Director Kim J. Stevens of the Nebr 

aska Department of Aeronautics said his department and its programs benefit from 

money collected from the airline fuel tax. 

"From our point of view, the more airlines that are coming into Omaha or Li 

ncoln the more potential there is for the sale of aviation fuel," Stevens said. 

"This is especially true for an airline like Midwest Express which flies non-sto 

p to both coasts. They require more fuel purchased here in Omaha." 

Taking questions from reporters after the ceremony, Addoms said Frontier's 

Omaha-Denver one way fare will "stabilize" at the March level of $79. 

The low-cost Frontier option to Denver should mean a lot to passengers conn 

ecting to other destinations, he said. 

Also, Addoms forecast that Denver International Airport will be in service 

in March. "That's not an official announcement. That's simply our expectation," 

Addoms said. The new airport has been troubled by its system for moving baggage 

and by other problems.

Asked about likely price competition from Southwest and others, Addoms said 

Frontier is attempting to create an airline that operates at very competitive c 

ost levels so that it is able to operate profitably at relatively low prices. 

"If competitors offer a quality service at a fair price. I think it's great 

," he said. 

Addoms introduced some other key members of the team who traveled to Omaha. 

They included Chuck Demoney, senior vice president for sales and marketing, who 

Addoms credited with the decision to add Omaha to the 11-city lineup. 

"It was Chuck's firm conviction that this would be an appropriate and pract 

ical business decision for our airline. I would say based on advanced bookings h 

e did not underestimate in any way the potential of this marketplace," Addoms sa 

id. 

Kim Sandbothe, Omaha station manager, said she and her team have worked bus 

ily to get signs up at their ticket counter and satellite booth. Four full-time 

and about six part-time employees will make up the Omaha operation, said Sandbot 

he, who transferred from Grand Forks, N.D. 

Ralph Holtman, the Omaha Airport Authority's director of planning and engin 

eering services, said the need by Southwest Airlines for two ticket counters mea 

ns remodeling in their area of the north terminal. Plans and specifications have 

already gone out to contractors and bids are being taken this week to remove a 

wall and modify the area, Holtman said. Deadline for the project is Feb 21. 

John Wood director of operations, said more vehicle crowding is expected. S 

igns in front of the terminals are being changed to make them easier for drivers 

to read and understand, Wood said. Longterm, it might be necessary to make capi 

tal outlays and do some paving, he added. 

Herb Walker, chief of police at Eppley, said some of his 19-member force wi 

ll be redeployed to help with traffic along the front drive. Better signs about 

traffic regulations will help, he said. Omaha ordinances govern traffic violatio 

ns at the airport. 

An inaugural, VIP flight from Eppley brought a surprise as the plane prepar 

ed to take off from Denver's Stapleton Airfield to return to Omaha passengers we 

re treated to a closeup look at Air Force One, the presidential jet. Council Mem 

ber Richard Takechi said air traffic was temporarily halted because of the presi 

dent's visit to Denver. 

As the Frontier jet taxied, it approached within 40 to 50 

yards of the parked Air Force One, close enough, Takechi said, to read the words 

on the jet. There were some jokes made touching on a longer delay at Los Angele 

s International when air traffic waited while President Clinton got a $200 hair 

styling. Takechi said he was impressed seeing Air Force One so close, even if he 

didn't see the presidential party. 



AUTH[Juan J. Walte and Judi Hasson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Support for Mexico Aid Erodes 

TEXT[President Clinton and Mexico got good news from international bankers Thurs 

day, but few encouraging signals from a Congress increasingly suspicious of a $4

0 billion U.S. guarantee to rescue the peso. 

"Sounds are being heard from the president and others in the administration 

, sounding remarkably like Chicken Little's frantic declaration about 'the sky's 

falling' if Congress doesn't immediately approve this deal," said Senate Foreig 

n Relations chairman Jesse Helms, R-N.C. 

Helms was addressing Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who minutes later ann 

ounced the International Monetary Fund, in its largest package ever for a single 

country, tentatively agreed to extend $7.8 billion in loans to Mexico. 

"This is a historic event," said Rubin of the IMF deal. 

Clinton needs all the help he can get because the outlook for his package i 

s not good. The vote could be delayed into early or even mid-February. 

One reason Clinton's plan is in trouble is that neither Democrats nor Repub 

licans are rallying around it. Democrats are among its strongest foes. 

"What support there was (for the U.S. rescue plan) is collapsing in a drama 

tic fashion," Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., told Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Gre 

enspan Thursday. 

Democrats are worried that the administration is bailing out wealthy invest 

ors. Republicans are concerned that Mexico agree to put up its oil reserves as c 

ollateral, in case of default. 

Amid the wrangling, Sen. Ernest Hollings D-S.C., warned that conditions ext 

racted in return for the U.S. loan guarantees risks offending Mexico's sense of 

national sovereignty. 

"A year from now, we'll be as popular as AIDS down there if this thing goes 

through," he told the Helms committee. 

Some lawmakers criticize Clinton for not convincing the public of the need 

for the loan guarantees. In an interview with USA TODAY, he was asked why the Un 

ited States should bail out Mexico. 

"We shouldn't bail them out, we shouldn't give them a gift or foreign aid o 

r even a loan," he said. "We're co-signing a note with good collateral ... and i 

t's in our interests to do so, especially since the long-term trends in Mexico a 

re good." 

Rep. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., a Democratic votecounter who led the fight fo 

r NAFTA in 1993, likens this debate to "another NAFTA. This is NAFTA redux." 

Democrats hope the Mexico plan can reach the floor next week if there are e 

nough votes to pass it. But as of this weekend, Richardson acknowledged, "we don 

't have the votes. We're far from it." 

One reason is House politics. Since some Republicans oppose the bill, the G 

OP can't pass the bill without the Democrats. And Democrats are deserting. 

As Rep. Barney Frank, D- Mass., the top House Democratic negotiator on the 

Mexico plan, explained it to the Congress Daily: Republicans have "enough votes 

to kill our stuff, but not enough to pass the bill." 

The "stuff" Frank is referring to are conditions Democrats want to attach t 

o the bill. They range from environment to Mexican labor laws, from immigration 

restrictions to the Chiapas rebellion in Mexico 

Secretary of State Warren Christopher warned lawmakers to "resist the tempt 

ation to load up the guarantee package with conditions unrelated to the urgent m 

atter at hand." 

But Helms warned Christopher and other administration officials that "the A 

merican people have plenty of common sense that's causing them to look with susp 

icion at this deal." 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., summed up the administration's problem. "I

know of no constituent in my state who is for it," she said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska's GOP Delegates Unite on Balanced Budget Amendment 

TEXT[Nebraska's three Republicans in the U.S. House joined the majority Thursday 

in approving a constitutional amendment to balance the nations budget. 

The measure passed the House by a 300-132 vote. A two-thirds majority of th 

ose voting - or 288 votes was needed to approve the constitutional amendment. 

In the Senate, West Virginia Democrat Robert C. Byrd seemed ready to lead a 

last-ditch effort to derail the measure. GOP aides said the debate may consume 

three weeks or more, but expressed confidence that they could produce the two-th 

irds majority needed to send the measure to the states. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. told his colleagues Thursday that the amendment w 

as needed to force the nation to return to sound fiscal policy and to help battl 

e the country's burgeoning debt. 

"We've heard throughout the debate of the last two days how Congress has fa 

iled at fiscal policy, straying so far from the ideals of our founding fathers, 

who considered deficit spending a violation of moral principles," Barrett said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter of Nebraska's 1st District and Rep. Jon Christensen of t 

he 2nd District also voted for the amendment.Earlier in the day, Bereuter voted 

against a balanced-budget amendment that would have required a three-fifths majo 

rity to raise taxes. That amendment was defeated when supporters failed to garne 

r the two-thirds majority needed for approval. 

Bereuter told his colleagues the three-fifths provision in the proposed ame 

ndment violated his belief in majority rule. 

"This member believes that there is a heavy burden of proof to deviate from 

a very basic principle of our American democracy - the principle of majority ru 

le," Bereuter said. 

The measure will now be sent to the Senate where Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.V 

a., was expected to lead a last-ditch effort to derail it. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he supported a balanced budget amendment, but w 

anted to make sure voters understood what the effects of such an amendment would 

have on federal programs. 

"You don't balance a budget with smoke and mirrors. I intend to make sure t 

hat every step of the way Congress is leveling with the American people about wh 

at it is going to take to get that done," Exon said Thursday in his weekly telep 

hone news conference. 



AUTH[Dave Skidmore 

SOUR[San Francisco Chronicle 

BK#[

HDLN[IMF to Lend Mexico $7.8 Billion 

TEXT[ The International Monetary Fund announced an emergency loan to Mexico 

yesterday as a Clinton administration proposal for a $40 billion rescue package 

ran into more trouble from skeptical senators. 

"What support there was is collapsing in a dramatic fashion," said Senator 

J. James Exon D-Neb. 

President Clinton continued to press for approval. "Mexico has never failed 

on any of its financial obligations to us in the past and this will be somethin 

g where we will co-sign a note with good collateral," Clinton said in an intervi 

ew with NBC anchor Tom Brokaw. 

To help Mexico out of its currency crisis, IMF officials agreed - subject t 

o approval next week by the agency's executive board - to lend the country up to 

$7.8 billion over 18 months. 

IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus said the decision was made after Mex 

ican authorities put together a "strong, coherent and credible" program of econo 

mic reforms to shore up government finances, tighten the country's money supply 

and sharply reduce the flight of capital. 

Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin said the loan - the largest in the IMF's 51 

-year history - "demonstrates the support of the international community for Mex 

ico." 

The IMF package is viewed in international financial circles as the hard-no 

sed agency's seal of approval on Mexico's program to revive its economy and shou 

ld help encourage renewed private lending.But Rubin cautioned that the administr 

ation's proposal for the United States to guarantee $40 billion in Mexican borro 

wing "remains an urgent priority if Mexico's economic problems are to be contain 

ed." 

In a satellite address to international business and government leaders mee 

ting in Switzerland, Clinton predicted congressional approval of the plan, sayin 

g it would "safeguard hundreds of thousands of Americans whose livelihoods are n 

ow tied to Mexico's well-being." 

The administration first proposed the guarantee plan two weeks ago, hoping 

to calm financial markets and halt a disastrous slide in the Mexican peso, which 

has lost almost 40 percent of its value. 

It has argued that stabilizing the Mexican economy is needed to prevent int 

ernational investors from withdrawing their funds from other developing countrie 

s, to keep illegal immigration from skyrocketing and because Mexico is America's 

third largest export market. 

At first, the plan seemed headed for quick congressional passage, with supp 

ort from both Senate majority leader Robert Dole, R-Kan., and House Speaker Newt 

Gingrich, R-Ga., but it soon ran into trouble. 

Opponents charge it amounts to a bailout of Wall Street and international i 

nvestors who poured money into Mexico's burgeoning economy in hopes of earning b 

ig profits. 



AUTH[David E.Lynch 


BK#[ 

HDLN[State's Congressional Delegation Appears to Favor a Balanced Budget Amendme

nt 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska's congressional delegation is approaching the balance 

d budget debate from a number of directions and with a variety of preconceptions 

. But with the possible exception of Sen. Bob Kerrey, all are expected to vote f 

or the final compromise amendment. 

However, freshman Rep. Jon Christensen. R-2nd District, is among a group of 

Republicans threatening to vote only for a constitutional amendment that contai 

ns the controversial provision that would require a three-fifths, or supermajori 

ty, to raise taxes. 

Kerrey, a Democrat, reiterated his position earlier this week that a consti 

tutional amendment to balance the budget is both unnecessary and unwise, and the 

supermajority provision would made a bad situation worse. 

Kerrey said he would support an amendment proposed by Sen. Jim Exon, also a 

Democrat, that would require Congress to approve a seven-year budget that would 

outline where the $1.5 trillion in budget cuts would be made to balance the bud 

get. 

Exon, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, has joined with the 

Senate Democratic leadership in sending a letter to Majority Leader Robert Dole. 

R-Kan., calling for the seven-year budget resolution and reconciliation. 

The letter was signed by 40 Democratic members of the Senate, but there doe 

s not appear to be any GOP support for that approach, and it is expected to be r 

ejected. 

The big battle in the House is over the supermajority, which Christensen ha 

s argued for virtually every time he has taken the floor over the past two weeks 

Meanwhile, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, has been testifying and pape 

ring Capitol Hill with strong statements in support of the constitutional amendm 

ent but ardently arguing against the three-fifths majority, which, he says, woul 

d doom the balanced budget amendment. 

"Even if the Senate and a conference committee would approve the three-fift 

hs provision, a step that is extraordinarily unlikely, it is clear already that 

it would keep three-fourths of the states from ratifying it," Bereuter said in a 

recent speech. 

He repeatedly has said he favors making it more difficult to move to-ward a 

balanced budget simply by increasing taxes. 

Another issue coming to play in the debate is protection of Social Security 

from the budget cutting that will be necessary to balance the budget. 

Nebraska's three House members voted for a non-binding resolution passed by 

the House on Wednesday that would exempt Social Security. Kerrey has spoken to 

this point on a number of occasions, most recently saying that the desire to giv 

e the youth a better life by protecting Social Security and Medicare from cuts w 

ill do just what it is supposed to prevent - bankrupt the trust funds that provi 

de Social Security and Medicare benefits. 

Rep Bill Barrett. R-3rd District, criticized Democrats for using what he ca 

lled scare tactics in an attempt to defeat the measure 

"Again and again, I have heard, not policy discussion, but members position 

ing themselves for the sound bite, using alarmist rhetoric about Social Security 

and other programs that has no basis in fact," Barrett said. 

As the chairman of the Presidential Commission on Entitlement and Tax Refor 

m, Kerrey has been trying to convince politicians that a longer view on budget m 

atters is necessary to deal with the problem of uncontrolled entitlement growth. 

Exon is taking the same view on the balanced budget amendment, saying the c

urrent fashion of five-year budget resolutions is too short-sighted. 

Opponents say too much can change over those seven years. 




SOUR[Fargo Forum 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Minot Hospital, Clinic form Corporation 

TEXT[UniMed Medical Center and Medical Arts Clinic have formed a new corporation 

to develop a regional medical information system. 

It's a computer company that Medical Arts Administrator David Danielson sai 

d will eventually become the region's first paperless medical record system. 

Officials say the clinic and the UniMed are not merging but they are formin 

g closer ties. They've joined their radiology departments and switchboard servic 

es. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Federal Cuts Could Hurt GP Express 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The perennial proposal to end federal subsidies for rural air 

service isn't an empty threat this year and could force Grand Island-based GP Ex 

press to cut service to some Nebraska points, the airline's president said Frida 

y, 

"This is probably the most serious it's ever been," GP Express President Di 

ck Fontaine said. 

The Clinton administration said Thursday that it will propose ending the Es 

sential Air Service program, which pays carriers to serve rural communities. 

"We go through this drill every year," Fontaine said. But usually the propo 

sal comes from the House, and the Senate votes to restore part or all of the fun 

ding, he said. 

The threat is more real this year, he said, because the idea is being backe 

d by the president in a Congress intent on cutting the budget. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said the proposal would consolidate all transportati 

on grants that each states receives into a block grant. The states could then us 

e the money in their block grants how they wished, whether it be for highways or 

to subsidize rural air service. 

"The EAS is one of the many rural programs we re going to have to fight too 

th and nail for this year," Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., said. "It's going to be a 

struggle to convince our urban colleagues that EAS really is essential." 

A possible cut would have been more daunting four years ago, when GP Expres 

s received about 60 percent of its revenue through EAS funding. 

The airline now receives about $1.7 million in EAS funds, roughly 5 percent 

of its total revenue, Fontaine said. Most of its revenue comes through its cont

act with Continental Airlines. 

"We've gradually been reducing our dependency on EAS," he said. 

The cut wouldn't pose a threat to the airline's existence, but could mean c 

uts in service in Nebraska. 

While Fontaine declined to say which routes could be eliminated, he said th 

at the route that requires the highest subsidy is the one from Kearney and McCoo 

k to Denver. 

GP Express serves eight other Nebraska cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island 

, Hastings, North Platte, Scottsbluff, Alliance and Chadron. 

Leaders of some Nebraska communities served by GP Express said they were wo 

rried about what the loss of EAS funding could mean. 

"We're disappointed. We think that without the Essential Air Service fundin 

g we'll lose service to Lincoln and Omaha, which is critical to us," Scottsbluff 

Mayor Mark Harris said. 

Chadron City Manager Boyd Kraemer said he was worried that if GP Express cu 

t service to the Panhandle city, the airport could close. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey Announce Grant 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced this week that Nebraska wil 

l receive a $556,027 federal grant to develop a comprehensive statewide school i 

mprovement plan. 

The U.S. Department of Education grant is awarded under the new Goals 2000: 

Educate America Act. 

OF the total grant amount, $481,027 will go toward state and local educatio 

n reform, and $75,000 will help educators make better use of high technology to 

improve both teaching and learning. 



AUTH[Mark Crist 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Timing of NP's Grant Receipt Unknown 

TEXT[North Platte Public Schools superintendent Chris Richardson said Friday tha 

t he doesn't know how much or how soon the community will receive a share of a $ 

556,027 federal grant. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced earlier this week that the state w 

ill receive federal money to develop a comprehensive, statewide school improveme 

nt plan. The money is to be used under the Nebraska Goals 2000 program. 

"It's important to understand that these monies are set up to provide a bro 

ad direction," Richardson said. "State and local planning and implementation mu 

st be a part of the focus of any school improvement efforts."

Richardson said the money is designed to help communities work on their ind 

ividual school improvement plans. The amount of money awarded to communities is 

determined by the Nebraska Goals 2000 steering committee, the Nebraska Board of 

Education and the Department of Education. 

Through the grant, Nebraska communities - on a voluntary basis - will be ab 

le to develop and implement plans to set up academic and performance standards i 

n core subjects such as math and English, provide additional training and profes 

sional development for teachers and create school-to-work and vocational educati 

on programs. 

Of the total grant amount, $481,027 will go toward state and local educatio 

n reform, and $75,000 will help educators make better use of high technology to 

improve teaching and learning. 

Richardson said North Platte is one of about 20 Nebraska communities that a 

re members of the Nebraska Goals 2000 initiative. Only those schools are eligibl 

e to receive the funds. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Plans to Press for Specifics of Where GOP Would Cut Spending 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon said Friday that he and his fellow Democrats int 

end to be "square with the American people" on a balanced budget constitutional 

amendment by demanding that Congress detail how it would cut spending. 

Exon appeared at a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. 

D-S.D., to promote the Right to Know Act, a Democratic proposal to force Senate 

Republicans to show where they would cut spending or raise revenues to balance 

the budget. 

The measure would block the Senate from sending the balanced budget amendme 

nt to the House until a detailed budget plan was adopted. 

Forty-one Democratic senators signed a letter sent to Senate Majority Leade 

r Bob Dole, R-Kan, on Friday endorsing the idea. The letter said the senators fe 

el the consideration of a balanced budget amendment "should be a spur to action, 

not another excuse for inaction that will only fuel public cynicism." 

Daschle said the Right to Know Act is critical in order that the Congress s 

pell out in detail how the balanced budget will be achieved. The call for specif 

icity will demonstrate to the American people an attempt to move beyond talk and 

into deeds, Daschle said. 

Exon said that if Congress fails to enact a constitutional amendment to bal 

ance the budget, "all of us are going to be out with the American public." 

As the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee, Exon said he has had exper 

ience as a budget cutter and will have a menu of proposals on how to cut the def 

icit. Exon said he has pledged to work with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pet 

e Domenici, R-N.M. 

"We're not ducking," Exon said. "I'm willing to belly up to the bar to make 

those cuts."





BK#[ 

HDLN[River Flows Both Ways 

TEXT[The nation's governors are in town this weekend trying to take advantage of 

what many see as a mandate from the voters for a shift in power and money from 

Washington to the states. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., a former governor, and a supporter of the balanced b 

udget amendment and unfunded mandate legislation, reminded the governors the new 

river between Washington and the states flows both ways. 

The governors can't say end the mandates, balance the budget and give us mo 

re money, Exon said. "It doesn't work that way." 

Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson is expected to take advantage of the media spotlig 

ht at the National Governors Conference mid-winter meeting to further his campai 

gn for fewer federal mandates and an end to all unfunded mandates from the feder 

al government. 

The governors are also expected to lobby for greater independence from fede 

ral regulations, for welfare reform and for fewer and fewer restrictions on fede 

ral funds. 

The Republican governors favor a replacement of federal welfare pro. grams 

with a series of block grants that the states can use to carry out their own wel 

fare reform programs. 

The governors are also pushing for Senate approval of the balanced budget c 

onstitutional amendment. 

Exon says that is all well and good.. but it should be remembered that "man 

y of the states, including my state of Nebraska, get more money back from the fe 

deral government than the state of Nebraska pays in. The last figures I saw are 

that Nebraska gets back about $1.17 for every - $1 that Nebraska citizens" pay 

in federal taxes. 

Those who support the balanced budget amendment, including Exon, could argu 

e that those taxes could be reduced if the federal government reduced its spendi 

ng. 

But many of the governors are supporting a "hold harmless" clause that woul 

d protect the states from losing any of the federal funds they now receive if th 

e balanced budget amendment is passed. 

Exon said in a Senate floor speech last week that if the states insist on t 

he "hold harmless clause" and attempts to protect Social Security from any cuts 

under the balanced budget are successful, the federal budget will not be balance 

d in 2002, as the legislation directs, or ever. 

Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, reminds his coll 

eagues and any one who will listen that balancing the budget will mean $1.5 tril 

lion in spending cuts or tax increases over the next seven years. 

"There is going to be a lot of pain and suffering, a lot of disappointments 

. And I am not interested in starting down this road of exempting this and exemp 

ting that, because I think this is going to be a painful enough process," Exon s 

aid. 

Exon spoke against an amendment sponsored by their neighbor, Sen. Tom Harki 

n, D-Iowa, last week that would exempt Social Security from the spending cuts th 

at will have to be made to balance the budget.

"I do not think we should touch Social Security," Exon said during the deba 

te. "But to put it in the constitutional amendment, in my view, would be unwise. 

..I think it is not politically honest." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also a former governor, joined Exon in opposing th 

e Harkin amendment, saying that Social Security is too large an item to take off 

the table. 

As chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, Kerrey 

has insisted that Social Security and Medicare, which are funded by trust funds 

that are actuarialy unsound and expected to be bankrupt within the next 20 year 

s, cannot be taken off the table. 

The Washington Post ran a provocative piece last week pointing out that whi 

le the governors want fewer orders from Washington while providing the same amou 

nt of money, they also want the federal government to bail them out in instances 

when state taxpayers refuse to pay the bills. 

California Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, has scored points with fellow go 

vernors and taxpayers for criticizing the federal government for making his stat 

e pay expenses related to illegal immigration, the Post piece pointed out. Howev 

er, Wilson, who is promising to cut state taxes, cannot afford to pay his state' 

s share of the more than $3 billion the state has received in federal disaster a 

id over the last two years. 

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Kerrey said he gets a l 

ot of "what I would categorize as 'funded unmandates.'" Governors and lawmakers 

say they cannot ask state taxpayers to pay for projects and disaster aid, but Wi 

lson can ask "Bob Kerrey as a senator from Nebraska to ding the taxpayers of Neb 

raska and other states to pick up the tab for something that I don't think the p 

eople of California are willing to pay." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter Helps Derail Favored Budget Plan 

TEXT[Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., was the only Nebraska or western Iowa congressm 

an who helped scuttle the Republican Party's preferred version of a constitution 

al amendment requiring a balanced budget. 

The House of Representatives voted 253 to 173 - short of the two-thirds mar 

gin needed - in favor of the balanced budget amendment offered by Rep. Joe Barto 

n, R-Texas. The Barton amendment contained a provision that would have required 

a three-fifths majority vote to raise taxes. 

Bereuter later voted for a different version of the balanced budget amendme 

nt without the restrictions on tax increases. That version, sponsored by Reps. C 

harles Stenholm, D-Texas, and Dan Schaefer, R-Colo., was successful. 

"This one can actually pass the Senate, and it can be ratified by three-fou 

rths of the states," said Bereuter, one of only eight House Republicans to vote 

against the Barton amendment. 

Bereuter said there was no chance that the Senate would pass a constitution 

al amendment containing the three-fifths requirement for tax increases. 

Aside from that tactical consideration, Bereuter said, he opposed the Barto

n version because the three-fifths provision runs counter to the principle of ma 

jority rule. 

Bereuter's opposition put him at odds with most other Republicans. 

"After fighting so hard for the tax-limitation provision, I was certainly d 

isappointed that it fell short," said Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb. 

Besides Christensen, lawmakers voting for the Barton amendment included: Bi 

ll Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa; Greg Ganske, R-Iowa; Tom Latharn 

, R-Iowa. 

Senate Votes 

Balanced Budget 

Killed, 55-41, an amendment offered by Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., that would 

have required the Senate to outline proposed spending cuts before taking action 

on a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. 

To kill the amendment Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

Against J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

Federal Reserve 

Killed, 63-34, an amendment offered by Harkin and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., tha 

t would have required the Federal Reserve Bank to issue a report every time it r 

aises the prime lending rate. The report would have discussed the effect of the 

interest rate hike on public and private sectors. 

To kill the amendment Kerrey and Grassley. 

Against Exon, Harkin. 

Budget Deficit 

Killed, 54-45, a non-binding amendment offered by Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., 

urging Congress to cut the federal budget deficit. 

To kill the amendment Grassley. 


Social Services Cuts 

Killed, 55-44, a non-binding amendment offered by Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., 

urging that the unfunded mandates bill not curb services to young children, preg 

nant women and the elderly. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 


Illegal Immigration 

Killed, 58-40, a Boxer amendment that would have required the federal gover 

nment to reimburse states for services they are required to provide to illegal i 

mmigrants. 

To kill the amendment Kerrey, Grassley. 

Against Exon, Harkin. 

Carcinogen Regulations 

Killed, 63-36, an amendment offered by Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., that would 

have exempted any unfunded mandates aimed at protecting people from known carci 

nogens. 

To kill the amendment Exon, Grassley. 

Against Kerrey, Harkin. 

Social Security 

Killed, 62-38, a Harkin amendment that would have removed Social Security f 

rom balanced budget calculations. 

To kill the amendment Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 



Rejected an attempt to kill a non-binding Republican substitute to the Hark

in amendment. 

To kill the amendment Exon, Kerrey, Harkin. 



Approved, 63-16, a non-binding amendment offered by Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idah 

o, to express the sense of the Senate that Social Security benefits should not b 

e reduced to balance the federal budget. The Kempthorne amendment replaced the H 

arkin amendment. 


Against: Exon, Kerrey. 

Unfunded Mandates 

Passed, 86-10 a bill that would make it harder for Congress to pass new req 

uirements for state and local governments without providing funding. 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon to Work on Balanced Budget 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he plans to work with Sen. Pete D 

omenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, to prepare an outline 

of how the federal budget can be balanced by 2002 as would be required by a prop 

osed constitutional amendment. 

"I've had some experience as a budget cutter, and I am willing to belly up 

to the bar to help make these cuts," said Exon, who was a two-term governor of N 

ebraska in the 1970s and is ranking Democrat on the committee. 

"The Republicans now control things," he said Friday. "It will be up to the 

m to take the lead. I'll be there to help.'' 

House members voted 300-132 Thursday to pass a balanced budget amendment af 

ter rejecting 253-173 a proposal that would have established a constitutional re 

quirement for a three-fifths majority to increase income taxes. 

Under the proposal passed by the House and now before the Senate, a three-f 

ifths majority, or 60 votes, will be required to waive the balanced budget amend 

ment. 

Exon said that if the amendment is inserted in the Constitution it may be t 

ested frequently. 

Senate Democrats, led by Exon, have threatened to use a 42-vote roadblock o 

n the amendment unless the Republican majority agrees to outline how the budget 

will be balanced. Sens. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, were among 

the 42 Democratic senators. 

Under Senate rules, 60 of the chamber's 100 votes are required to stop an u 

nlimited debate, or filibuster, on any bill under consideration. 

"All we want is a blueprint, or a road map," Exon said. "The situation is l 

ike it was when we were building the Interstate highway system in the 1950s and 

1960s." 

Exon said every community in the country was eager to know how far it would

e from the Interstate. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Governors warned about 'no mandates but more money' 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The nation's governors, in town this weekend for the midwinter 

meeting of the National Governors' Association, are trying to take advantage of 

what many see as a mandate from the voters for a shift in power and money from 

Washington to the states. 

But Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., a former governor and supporter of the balanced 

budget amendment and unfunded mandate legislation, reminded the governors that t 

he new river between Washington and the states flows both ways: The governors ca 

n't say "end the mandates, balance the budget, and give us more money," Exon sai 

d. "It doesn't work that way." 

Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson is expected to take advantage of the governors' co 

nference, and the media covering it, to further his campaign for fewer federal m 

andates and an end to all unfunded mandates from the federal government. 

The governors also are expected to lobby for greater independence from fede 

ral regulations, for welfare reform and for fewer restrictions on federal funds. 

The Republican governors favor a replacement of federal welfare programs wi 

th a series of block grants that the states could use to carry out their own we 

lfare reform programs. The governors also are pushing for Senate approval of the 

balanced budget constitutional amendment. 

That is all well and good, Exon said, but it should be remembered that many 

states, including Nebraska, get more money back from the federal government tha 

n the states pay in. 

Nebraska gets back about $1.17 for every $1 its citizens pay in federal tax 

es, Exon said. 

Those who support the balanced budget amendment, including Exon, could argu 

e that those taxes could be reduced if the federal government reduced its spendi 

ng. But many of the governors also support a "hold harmless" clause, which would 

protect the states from losing any of the federal funds they now receive after 

the balanced budget is passed. 

In a Senate floor speech last week, Exon said that if the states insist on 

the "hold harmless" clause. and if the balanced budget proposal is amended to pr 

ohibit any Social Security cuts, the federal budget will not be balanced in 2002 

, as the legislation directs, or ever. 

Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said balancing t 

he budget would mean $1.5 trillion in spending cuts or tax increases over the ne 

xt seven years. 

"There is going to be a lot of pain and suffering, a lot of disappointments 

. And I am not interested in starting down this road of exempting this and exemp 

ting that because I think this is going to be a painful enough process," Exon sa 

id. 

Both Exon and Sen. Bob Kerrey. D-Neb., spoke against an amendment sponsored 

by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, that would exempt Social Security from balanced bud

get spending cuts. 

"I do not think we should touch Social Security," Exon said during the deba 

te. "But to put it in the constitutional amendment...would be unwise." He also o 

pposed a nonbinding Senate resolution that would say the same thing. "I think it 

is not politically honest," Exon said. 

Kerrey, also a former governor, joined Exon in opposing the Harkin amendmen 

t, saying that Social Security is too large an item to take off the table. 

As chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, Ker 

rey has insisted that Social Security and Medicare, which are funded by trust fu 

nds that are actuarially unsound and expected to be bankrupt within the next 20 

years cannot be taken off the table. 

The Washington Post ran a provocative piece last week pointing out that whi 

le the governors want fewer orders from Washington while providing the same amou 

nt of money, they also want the federal government to bail them out in instances 

when the state taxpayers refuse to pay the bills. 

California Gov. Pete Wilson. a Republican, has scored points with fellow go 

vernors and taxpayers for criticizing the federal government for making his stat 

e pay expenses related to illegal immigration, the Post piece pointed out. Howev 

er, Wilson, who is promising to cut state taxes, cannot afford to pay his state' 

s share of the more than $3 billion the state has received in federal disaster a 

id over the last two years. 

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Kerrey said he gets a l 

ot of "what I would categorize as 'funded unmandates.'" Governors and lawmakers 

say they cannot ask state taxpayers to pay for projects and disaster aid, but pe 

ople like Wilson can ask Kerrey "to ding the taxpayers of Nebraska and other sta 

tes to pick up the tab for something that I don't think the people of California 

are willing to pay." 

Exon, without citing former New Hampshire governor and now U.S. Sen. Judd G 

regg, R-N.H., by name, noted that Gregg helped balance his budget by using a loo 

phole in Medicaid that provided the state with millions of dollars it did not ha 

ve to use on providing medical care to the poor. 

Gregg is an ardent supporter of the balanced budget amendment. 

At week's end, Exon joined the Democratic Senate leadership in calling for 

a seven-year budget resolution that would outline where the spending cuts would 

be made to balance the budget by 2002. And Kerrey was on the Senate floor outlin 

ing his recommendations to the president on the entitlement and tax reform, with 

the chief recommendation that something has to be done about Social Security. T 

he options don't include hiding it under the rug, as President Clinton, the Repu 

blican sponsors of the balanced budget amendment and Iowa's Harkin recommend, Ke 

rrey said. 



AUTH[William M. Welch 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Liberal group: Balanced budget will cost states 

TEXT[States may be forced to raise taxes or drastically cut services under a bal 

anced budget amendment to the Constitution now being debated on the Senate floor 

, says a new survey.

As debate opened on the Senate floor Monday, Democrats stepped up demands t 

hat Republicans reveal just how they would balance the budget by the year 2002, 

a goal that would call for cutting $1 trillion in spending. 

No specific targets have been identified. But a study, released Monday, say 

s many state budgets will be thrown way out of balance because of huge cuts in f 

ederal aid that will be required to balance the budget within seven years. 

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal research group, says 

many states will be forced to choose between higher income taxes and local prope 

rty taxes or large cuts in programs such as education and highways. 

"Reductions in federal aid over the next seven years will likely shift much 

of the burden ... to state and local governments," the group's report concludes 

. 

But supporters of the amendment say it is needed to control uncontrolled sp 

ending by Washington lawmakers and bureaucrats: 

* "We need to get the nation's fiscal house in order so that we can leave a 

legacy of a strong national economy" for coming generations, says Sen. Orrin Ha 

tch, R-Utah. The federal government can "afford to be anorexic for awhile." 

* Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, who backs the amendment, dis 

putes the idea that states will be hard hit. "It's just an excuse for people to 

lobby and try to defeat the balanced-budget amendment," he says. 

But Thompson acknowledges states will be under pressure from reduced federa 

l aid "with or without the balanced-budget amendment." 

The study projects that to bring the budget into balance by 2002, as well a 

s pay for the tax cuts that are part of the GOP's Contract With America, the eff 

ect on the states would include: 

* Annual loss in federal aid to state and local governments by nearly $100 

billion, compared with spending projected under current law. 

That loss in aid would amount to $342 per person nationally, and run as hig 

h as $591 per person in Alaska; $577 per person in Mississippi; and $566 per per 

son in New York. 

* In the 10 hardest-hit states, state taxes would have to be increased $2,1 

20 for the average family of four in order to maintain services now covered by t 

he jeopardized federal aid. 

In the Senate, Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who supported the amend 

ment in the past, has renewed a Democratic demand that Republicans identify the 

spending they would cut to bring the budget into balance. 

The amendment passed the House last week by more than the two-thirds vote n 

ecessary. 

The center's findings are based on widely accepted congressional budget pro 

jections, and assume that grants to state and local governments are subjected to 

a proportional share of all federal spending cuts. It takes into account Republ 

ican congressional leaders' promise to exclude Social Security and maintain defe 

nse spending. 

The group says, that by the year 2000, two years short of a balanced budget 

, the loss of federal aid would exceed all state spending in all 50 states on pr 

ograms for the poor. 

Cutting programs for the poor will not be enough, however. The group says l 

arge cuts in education, transportation, police, prisons and other programs would 

be needed.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Republicans behind budget amendment 

TEXT[Nebraska's three Republicans in the U.S. House joined the majority Thursday 

in approving a constitutional amendment to balance the nation's budget. 

The measure passed the House by a 300-132 vote. A two-thirds majority of th 

ose voting - or 288 votes - was needed to approve the constitutional amendment. 

In the Senate, West Virginia Democrat Robert C. Byrd seemed ready to lead a 

last-ditch effort to derail the measure. GOP aides said the debate may consume 

three weeks or more, but expressed confidence that they could produce the two-th 

irds majority needed to send the measure to the states. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. told his colleagues Thursday that the amendment w 

as needed to force the nation to return to sound fiscal policy and to help battl 

e the country's burgeoning debt. 

"We've heard throughout the debate of the last two days how Congress has fa 

iled at fiscal policy, straying so far from the ideals of our founding fathers, 

who considered deficit spending a violation of moral principles," Barrett said. 

Barrett criticized Democrats for using scare tactics in an attempt to defea 

t the measure. Specifically, Barrett targeted those who warned that such an amen 

dment would threaten federal programs such as Social Security. 

"Again and again, I have heard, not policy discussion, but members position 

ing themselves for the sound bite, using alarmist rhetoric about Social Security 

and other programs that has no basis in fact," Barrett said. 

Rep. Doug Bereuter of Nebraska's 1st District and Rep. Jon Christensen of t 

he 2nd District also voted for the amendment. 

Earlier in the day, Bereuter voted against a balanced-budget amendment that 

would have required a three-fifths majority to raise taxes. That amendment was 

defeated when supporters failed to garner the two-thirds majority needed for app 

roval. 

Bereuter told his colleagues the three-fifths provision in the pro-posed am 

endment violated his belief in majority rule. 

"This member believes that there is a heavy burden of proof to deviate from 

a very basic principle of our American democracy - the principle of majority ru 

le," Bereuter said. 

The measure calls for a balanced budget beginning in 2002, or two years aft 

er ratification by three-quarters of the states. 

It also requires a three-fifths vote in both houses to run a deficit therea 

fter. A similar three-fifths vote would be required to increase the federal debt 

, which now approaches $4.7 trillion. 

The measure will now be sent to the Senate, where Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. 

Va., was expected to lead a last-ditch effort to derail it. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., said he supported a balanced budget amendment, but w 

anted to make sure voters understood what the effects of such an amendment would 

have on federal programs. 

"You don't balance a budget with smoke and mirrors. I intend to make sure t 

hat every step of the way, Congress is leveling with the American people about w 

hat it is going to take to get that done," Exon said Thursday in his weekly tele 

phone news conference.



AUTH[Paula M. Barnhart 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Dump Senator Exon 

TEXT[Senator J. James Exon thinks the highlight of President Clinton's State of 

the Union speech was his vow not to repeal the ban on "assault" weapons. 

I think voters should repeal Senator Exon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Essential air funding to become part of block grants 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Jim Exon (D-Neb) said reports that the Clinton Admi 

nistration plans to eliminate funding for Essential Air Service in Nebraska and 

other states is not entirely accurate. 

Exon said in checking with the Office of Management and Budget he learned t 

hat the Administration is planning to incorporate all transportation grants to t 

he states in the form of a block grant. 

"What this means is that Nebraska, for example, could fully fund the Essent 

ial Air Service program if that was their determination on the state level. If t 

hey do so, however, it might require, for example, that some highway related pro 

gram would have to be delayed," Exon said. 

"Furthermore, I think it is safe to assume that the total of each state's n 

ew block grant proposal might not meet the previous grants for the individual tr 

ansportation needs that were handled in various separate entities and various se 

parate authorizing and appropriations committees." 

Under the Essential Air Service Program, the government pays carriers $33.4 

million a year to serve 108 communities, including 29 in Alaska. 

Thirty states, including Nebraska, have the subsidized service. McCook is o 

n the Southern Route which also includes Kearney and Grand Island and is served 

by GP Express. The airline receives a subsidy of about $658,000 for serving the 

Southern Route. GP Express receives a total of $1.75 million. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon prepares to play watchdog as Senate debates spending cuts

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee 

, said he knows the role he wants to play in the battle to 

control the federal deficit. 

"I am going to be a watchdog," Exon said. "I'll be calling them on their s 

hots. When what they want won't come along, I'll be there to help them be more 

realistic." 

Exon, a longtime member of the budget panel became the senior Democrat afte 

r Sen. Jim Sasser, D-Tenn, the former chairman, lost his re-election bid. The ne 

w chairman is Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. 

"It is the Republicans' responsibility to lead," Exon said. "I will be the 

re helping them when I can and not helping them when I don't think they're being 

as forthcoming as they should be." 

Exon presented his own legislative proposals, including a balanced budget a 

mendment to the Constitution, at a press conference last week. 

Exon long has been in harmony with committee Republicans in the need to balance 

the budget, but he disagrees with some GOP proposals on how to cut spending. 

"I will go along with them on some tough choices if they want to face the musi 

c," Exon said. "If they're going to take Social Security off the table, combined 

with their defense policies of almost a Star Wars spending, I don't know how we 

can afford all of that." 

Exon also said that the president's budget can and should come under scrutiny. 

"I suspect the Budget Committee will do with it what we have done with other p 

resident's budgets before it, and that is dispose of it," Exon said. "We can tak 

e a look at the president's budget and 

incorporate it with our deliberations." 

He said he believed the White House was "not as concerned about further def 

icit reduction as this senator is." 

When asked how successful he might be working with the Republicans, Exon sa 

id he sees positive signs. 

"I feel we're getting started off on the right foot," Exon said. "I'm will 

ing to listen." 



AUTH[Kim I. Mills 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Gays fear short shrift from GOP 

TEXT[ 

WASHINGTON - Gay rights activists are bracing for setbacks in the Republican-con 

trolled Congress, their fears fueled by legislation introduced by Sen. Jesse Hel 

ms and promises of a hearing on schools and homosexuality. 

"The early signs are not good, and the Republican leadership has a fundamen 

tal decision to make, and that is whether they are going to lead with hate and d 

iscrimination or with common sense," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of 

the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation's largest gay lobby. 

On the first day of the 104th Congress, Helms, R-N.C., introduced a bill to 

stop government agencies from using taxpayer funds "to encourage its employees 

or officials to accept homosexuality as a legitimate or normal lifestyle." 

He also introduced a bill to protect federal employees from being fired for

speaking out on their own time against the federal government's policies toward 

homosexuals. 

Helms says the two bills are necessary because the Clinton administration h 

as extended homosexuals "special rights in the federal workplace, rights not acc 

orded to most other groups and individuals." 

Earlier this month, House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he had promised the Re 

v. Lou Sheldon, head of the Anaheim-based Traditional Values Coalition, a hearin 

g on whether the federal government should provide money to school districts tha 

t allegedly promote homosexuality. 

Then Friday, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Tex., the second-ranking R 

epublican in the House, called Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., "Barney Fag" during a 

n interview with reporters. Armey quickly apologized and said the comment was a 

slip of the tongue. 

Even before the incident, Frank said the congressional landscape was lookin 

g desolate for gay and lesbian Americans. 

"If you project the way the Republicans have always voted, it looks pretty 

bleak," Frank said. 

In December, President Clinton abandoned plans to propose San Francisco phi 

lanthropist James Hormel, who is gay, as ambassador to Fiji, avoiding a showdown 

with Helms, then incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 



AUTH[Donald Lambro 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Democrats set for balanced-budget battle 

TEXT[Having passed the House, the balanced-budget amendment is heading into heav 

y seas in the Senate, where supporters predict passage and Democrats are sharpen 

ing every legislative weapon to kill it. 

The 300-132 bipartisan vote Thursday night to approve an amendment that was 

a weakened version of the measure promised in the House Republicans' "Contract 

With America" was counted as a major victory for the GOP. 

But Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole predicted a "long struggle" to get the 

needed two-thirds vote of approval. "I hope we can do it," the Kansas Republican 

said. "It's going to be difficult." 

The measure is at the core of the Republicans' plans to cut federal spendin 

g and eliminate the deficit. Jubilant Republican strategists said the strong vot 

e, which attracted more than a third of the House's Democrats, will give the ame 

ndment the political momentum it needs to carry it through the Senate. 

"I think it looks good," said Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, a chief Republican 

sponsor of the amendment. "What the House did was a very positive thing for us. 

It will be very close for us." 

Earlier counts in the Senate showed 67 likely votes for the amendment as pa 

ssed by the House - without a requirement for a three-fifths majority to raise t 

axes. 

"I believe we are going to do the same thing in the Senate," said Sen. Paul 

Simon, Illinois Democrat, who tried but failed to get a similar measure passed 

last year when the Democrats controlled the Senate and blocked its approval. But

he said, "It's by no means certain." 

This time Mr. Simon and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch of 

Utah face the fierce opposition of Sen. Robert Byrd, West Virginia Democrat, who 

has vowed to use his mastery of Senate rules to prevent the measure from coming 

up for a vote. 

"It could come up as early as [this] week and Hatch is ready for it," said 

his press secretary Paul Smith. "Byrd will throw everything at him to try to sto 

p it." 

Mr. Byrd, the former Appropriations Committee chairman, has indicated he wi 

ll conduct a filibuster to kill the amendment, a parliamentary tactic that can o 

nly be overcome by 60 votes for cloture, to limit debate. 

The Democrats sent a sign last week that they may have the votes to prevent 

cloture. In a letter to Mr. Dole signed by 42 Democrats, Senate Minority Leader 

Tom Daschle called for a seven-year budget resolution that would spell out wher 

e all of the cuts would be made to achieve a balanced budget by 2002. 

Calling their proposal the Right to Know Act, Mr. Daschle and the White Hou 

se escalated their attacks on the amendment, saying it would be unfair to enact 

future budget cuts without specifying where they would fall. 

"We think we have an affirmative duty to fill in the blank lines of the pro 

mise of a balanced budget, so Americans can understand what it will mean for the 

ir lives," they wrote. 

President Clinton echoed the same message, saying: "The people need more in 

formation on this before the legislators vote on it. If it's going to be sent ou 

t there, there ought to be a cover sheet showing how it will be done." 

Several Democrats who signed the letter, including Mr. Daschle 

and Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, have either voted for the balanced-budget amend 

ment in the past or indicated their intention to vote for it this time. 

Some Democrats spoke on both sides. Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said 

he "supports a constitutional amendment to balance the budget," but he "also wan 

ts a specific plan for balancing the budget." 

With the Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, bolstered by a 

large new freshman class of conservatives - such as Fred Thompson of Tennessee, 

Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Rod Grams of Minnesota, Jon Kyl of Arizona, Mike 

DeWine of Ohio and Bill Frist of Tennessee - elected on the balanced-budget iss 

ue, the political momentum appears to be in their direction. 

The constitutional amendment won 63 votes in the Senate last year, four sho 

rt of the 67 it needs. "We think we've got the votes this time," said a Senate R 

epublican strategist. 

The White House and Senate Democrats warn that it would force deep budget c 

uts in sensitive programs like Social Security, Medicare and veterans' programs. 

The arguments did not work in the House Thursday, when 72 Democrats broke ranks 

and joined the Republicans in voting for the amendment. Mr. Craig said the amen 

dment that will come up in the Senate next week will be identical to the one tha 

t passed the House and that the debate could last for up to three weeks. 

"The facts are on our side and the American people on our side," he said. " 

Our opponents are dedicated to the mind-set content with the Great Society welfa 

re state." 



AUTH[Eric Brian 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Coordsen: Mandate study should accompany cuts 

TEXT[Any cap on special education funding needs to be accompanied by a re-examin 

ation of mandates on school districts, State Sen. George Coordsen of Hebron said 

. 

Gov. Ben Nelson has announced a plan to cap the state's portion of special 

education costs. Nelson's plan would fund special education at about $122 millio 

n per year starting next year. Future increases in costs would be borne by the s 

chool districts. 

"That's fine if there's a re-examination of the mandates to the school dist 

ricts - who may be and who should not be (considered special education students) 

," Coordsen told the Daily Sun from his Lincoln office Monday morning. 

Coordsen represents the 32nd District, which includes parts of Jefferson, S 

aline, Fillmore, Thayer and Nuckolls counties. 

Coordsen said federal mandates have continued an expansion of the designati 

on of students for special education programs. 

"With the new classifications they (school districts) can't turn them (stud 

ents) away," Coordsen said. "This will be an issue of extensive debate." 

Coordsen said he expected the Legislature's Education Committee to discuss 

the issue, and that it will be brought to the floor of the full senate for debat 

e. 

"Because simply to cap any place the administration of any school district 

will have to go and rob from other programs of the district's budget or go to th 

e voters for more taxes. It's more difficult to carry out than it sounds," he sa 

id. 

COORDSEN is vice chairman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee. He said t 

he committee has projected the growth of Medicaid and special education programs 

against the ability of the state's economy to pay for those programs. 

"By the rate they are growing by the years 2010-2015 they will use all of t 

he state's sales and income taxes at the current rate applied to the economy. Th 

ere is a collision point out there," he said. 

And he said something must be done soon to avoid that collision point. 

"Now is the time to re-examine the ability of the Nebraska economy (to pay 

for Medicaid and special education costs)," Coordsen said "That's what the gover 

nor is talking about." 

ON MONDAY morning, Coordsen and other officials were wrestling with the fun 

ding of the state's Ethanol Incentive Credit Fund. He said a deficit in funding 

that program must be shared throughout the state's economy, not only in the rura 

l sector. 

"Some of our urban colleagues want the agricultural community to pay all of 

the incentives. Those of us who represent significant agricultural enterprises, 

including Sen. (David) Maurstad (of Beatrice) and mine and a number of other di 

stricts believe otherwise, since the benefits (of ethanol production in the stat 

e) accrue more broadly," Coordsen said. 

Coordsen said legislators must consider the benefits which will result in a 

reas other than agriculture, including construction of plants and transportation 

of the products. 

"A portion of the credit incentives need to be paid for through the resourc 

es of all the state of Nebraska," he said. "There is a direct benefit for everyb

ody in sales and income taxes." 

Major farm organizations have agreed to pay a one-half cent per bushel exci 

se tax to pay for the ethanol credits. But that excise tax is expected to pay fo 

r only 40 percent of the amount to balance the credit over their lifetime - abou 

t five more years, Coordsen said. 

Incentives for ethanol need to be spread out, he said, because they will pr 

ovide significant new investment and employment. 

COORDSEN is in his third term in the 32nd District. This term he dropped hi 

s position on the Banking Committee in exchange for a seat on the Transportation 

Committee. In addition to his vice chairmanship on the Revenue Committee he als 

o holds a seat on the select committee for state Building and Maintenance. The c 

ommittee is in charge of looking into the condition of existing state-owned buil 

dings, including the University of Nebraska, and trying to provide funds for the 

upkeep of those buildings. 

Coordsen held his monthly meeting Saturday with constituents of the Fairbur 

y area at Jefferson Community Health Center. Health care, welfare reform and pro 

perty taxes were the major topics of discussion at Saturday's meeting, Coordsen 

said. The meetings, held on the fourth Saturday of each month, provide constitue 

nts with the opportunity to ask him questions of importance to them, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Says Balanced Budget Would Require Some Extreme Cuts 

TEXT[Washington - A balanced budget amendment to the Constitution could require 

across-the-board cuts in federal spending of up to 50 per cent if some programs 

are exempted, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday. 

Exon said, in a speech on the Senate floor, that the Congressional Budget O 

ffice estimates total spending by the federal government at $2.3 trillion in 200 

2, the year the amendment would require a balanced budget. 

"The problem is that the size of the $2.3 trillion spending pool is very mi 

sleading," Exon said. "Much of it has already been spoken for." 

He said interest on the nation's accumulated debt of more than $5 trillion 

will total $344 billion in 2002. 

"We certainly can't touch that money," Exon said. "It would cause financial 

chaos throughout the world." 

Other programs that will claim a share of expenditures include Social Secur 

ity, $481 billion; defense, $275 billion; and proposed tax cuts, $97.7 billion. 

Exemptions for these programs would mean that other federal spending would 

have to be cut 30 percent to balance the budget in 2002, Exon said. 

"If veterans programs were taken off the table, the across-the-board cut ri 

ses to 31 percent," Exon said. 

"Remove military retirement, it's 32 percent," he said. "Take off civilian 

retirement, it's 34 percent. Subtract Medicare, it's 50 percent." 

Exon said the remaining programs from which cuts would have to be made incl 

ude a program that feeds needy women and infants, cancer research, Head Start, n 

ational parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone and the FBI.



AUTH[Andy Abbound, ltr. ed 

SOUR[Creighton News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[ 


The infighting among Nebraska Democrats shows a Party in complete disarray. 

Sen. Jim Exon has been highly critical of Gov. Ben Nelson on a number of Issues 

, including lack of courtesy from the governor's office. Sen. Bob Kerrey has bee 

n sarcastic about how Nelson is conducting a search for federal dollars that ign 

ores our state's senators. Nelson, meanwhile, said that he has been urged by som 

e unnamed people to run for president of the United States against his close per 

sonal friend Bill Clinton and possibly Kerrey. 

Nebraska Democrats are obliviously confused and dazed by the Republican moo 

d sweeping the country. Rather than focus on dealing with the issues that Nebras 

kans want to have addressed. Nebraska Democrats are engaged in petty squabbling. 

While this behavior is amusing to watch, it's not what Nebraska taxpayers' are 

paying their salaries for. 

Sincerely, 

Andy Abbound 

Executive Director 

Nebraska Republican Party 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Switch on Mexico Questioned 

TEXT[Washington - The Clinton administration's quick action to bolster Mexico's 

economy raises serious questions about its earlier insistence that Congress appr 

ove a loan-guarantee plan for Mexico, Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., said Wednesday 

. 

Bereuter, a senior member of the House Banking and International Relations 

Committees, said Clinton administration officials told him last week that they c 

ould not obtain more help for Mexico from the International Monetary Fund. 

Tuesday, however, Clinton announced that the IMF, an international financia 

l institution, would guarantee $17.8 billion in Mexican loans, $10 billion more 

than originally planned. 

"Are they incompetent or were they simply trying to have this become a Repu 

blican initiative in Congress?" Bereuter asked. 

Clinton initially sought congressional approval for $40 billion in U.S. loa 

n guarantees to help stabilize the Mexican peso and avert a financial in Mexico 

and possibly elsewhere. 

Although congressional leaders from both parties supported the plan, rank-a 

nd-file lawmakers rebelled. Clinton was told Monday that passage was unlikely. 

Tuesday, Clinton used his executive power to commit up to $20 billion unila

terally in U.S. funds for loan guarantees and other stabilization efforts. The I 

MF and other international lenders agreed to provide additional money. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said he was not convinced that the U.S. government 

needed to rescue the peso, despite concerns that a weak Mexican economy would co 

st U.S. exports and related jobs and would encourage more illegal immigration. 

But Exon said Clinton was right to act swiftly on his own since his plan wa 

s in trouble in Congress. 

Bereuter said he wants to be sure that Clinton is not exceeding his power w 

ith the new plan or reducing the U.S. Treasury's ability to take action supporti 

ng the U.S. dollar. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon probes TV complaints 

TEXT[TWIN CITIES - Local viewers are applauding Sen. Jim Exon's decision to laun 

ch an investigation into complaints about television service in Scottsbluff, Ger 

ing and Alliance. 

The investigation by Exon's staff is triggered by numerous complaints conce 

rning poor picture quality, scheduling and a lack of viewer input in programming 

choices. 

"We have been getting a lot of complaints, and they basically follow the le 

tters found in the Star-Herald," said Russ Rader, Exon's press secretary in Wash 

ington D.C. 

The Star-Herald received 19 letters to the editor over the past five months 

from customers disappointed with local television service. 

"It's about time somebody starts looking into the situation," said Theresa 

Johnson of Scottsbluff, an upset viewer. "I think they need to check into what k 

ind of operation we have here. 

"When we pay so much for cable and then have no choice in the matter, somet 

hing's wrong. And none of the stations seem to stay on without technical difficu 

lties or bad pictures. 

"It's irritating neither the cable company nor the television stations take 

responsibility for what's going on." 

"I understand the frustrations of viewers in the panhandle area," Exon said 

. "There are no easy answers to the causes and no simple solutions to persistent 

viewer complaints." 

Federal Communications Commission regulations, federal statutes, contract r 

ights and agreements, and private business decisions all make up the panhandle's 

television landscape and all must be examined, Exon said. 

"My investigation will attempt to peel away the many layers of complexity a 

nd seek primate sector solutions which expand viewer choice and quality," Exon s 

aid. 

"Their investigation is going to have a field day around here," said Jim Tr 

ook of Gering, another upset viewer. "I'm kind of disgusted in the way they do b 

usiness in that they don't cut your bills when they give you problems." 

The investigation will include discussions with cable, broadcast and networ 

k television representatives as well as federal and local regulators. No deadlin

e has been set for the investigation's completion, Rader said. 

"They're going to see if a middle ground can be found, a mutual solution... 

to see if anything can be done to satisfy everybody including the viewing public 

," said Operations Manager Monte Loos of KOTA in Rapid City. KOTA is the parent 

station of Scottsbluff's ABC affiliate KDUH. 

Loos said he talked with members of Exon's staff about the viewers' complai 

nts and possible solutions Tuesday, but nothing concrete was decided. 

"They understand the FCC rules, and basically where we left it was they wer 

e going to talk with KSTF and TCI (Cablevision of Nebraska) and get back," he sa 

id. 

KSTF Station Manager Bill Yost was unavailable for comment Wednesday, and T 

CI Area Manager John Steinmark declined to comment on the investigation. 

Barb Thomsen of Alliance recently sent a letter to Sen. Exon and now she is 

being asked to monitor the local television reception. 

"They asked me to write a daily diary of when the TV's out and what the rec 

eption is like, but I figured I should do it on video too," she said. 

Thomsen records daily samples of programming on her videocassette recorder. 

When similar events are on simultaneously on different channels such as the pre 

sident's State of the Union address or coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial, she r 

ecords samples from each channel to compare reception. 

"I'm really excited about what they're doing," Thomsen said. "They do notic 

e it, and they do pay attention to our letters. I don't know if they'll get anyt 

hing done, but I do hope so." 

Anyone interested in providing information for the investigation can contac 

t Exon's Scottsbluff office, 2106 First Ave., at (308) 632-3595. 



AUTH[Steve Langdon 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Social Security issue in debate on balanced budget 

TEXT[As the Senate slogs into what is likely to be a prolonged debate over the b 

alanced-budget amendment, pressure is mounting on a dozen or so potential vote-s 

witchers. 

Oddsmakers give supporters of the amendment a slight edge, noting that the 

11 freshman Republicans are expected to vote for the amendment. Only seven of th 

e senators they replaced did so last year, when the amendment fell four votes sh 

ort of the two-thirds margin required, 63-37. 

Amendment advocates also have picked up the support of Sen. Nancy Kassebaum 

of Kansas, one of the three Republicans who voted against the amendment last ye 

ar. 

If all other senators voted the way they did last year, the amendment would 

prevail with 68 votes. 

But some senators who voted "yes" last year are hedging now. 

"I'd be hard-pressed to vote for it if we don't know how the budget would b 

e balanced," says Democratic Whip Wendell Ford of Kentucky, who backed the measu 

re in 1986 and 1994. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, another "yes" vote in 1994, ann 

ounced Tuesday that she'd oppose the amendment this year unless a clause to prot

ect Social Security trust funds is adopted. "If Social Security is left in, I ca 

nnot vote for it," she said. "That is my bottom line." 

Mr. Ford echoed the same point. "I'm not about to vote for an amendment tha 

t would denigrate Social Security," he said. 

Because Republicans thus far have refused to accept a Social Security exemp 

tion, the Democratic switches suggest that the fragile two-thirds support for th 

e amendment in the Senate could be crumbling. 

Mrs. Feinstein's announcement in particular, is a coup for the chief amendm 

ent opponent, senior Senate Democrat Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. He needs 3 

4 votes to block the measure, which passed the House last week. 

Mrs. Feinstein and Mr. Ford spoke at a news conference called by senators w 

ho want an amendment that would remove the Social Security trust funds from annu 

al deficit calculations, effectively taking them "off budget." It also would pre 

vent Congress from using the current surpluses in the funds to obscure the actua 

l size of the federal deficit. 

Other Democratic senators who attended and say they're undecided are Sens. 

Byron L. Dorgan and Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and Harry Reid of Nevada. Sen. 

Howell Heflin, Alabama Democrat, who says he supports the Underlying amendment, 

also was there. 

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Democrat, re-elected on Nov. 8. is another p 

otential switcher. He voted for the amendment twice before but says he's concern 

ed about the rules change in the House that requires a super-majority vote to pa 

ss tax increases. 

Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, 

isn't showing his cards, either, although he voted "yes" in 1986 and 1994. Alon 

g with Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, a "yes" vote last y 

ear who appears ready to switch this time. Mr Exon is trying to get Republicans 

to spell out how they'd balance the budget before he agrees to vote for the amen 

dment again. 

Amendment supporters, meanwhile, are targeting several Democrats who voted 

against the measure last year but face tough re-election campaigns in 1996 in co 

nservative-leaning states. 

Chief among them is Sen. Max Baucus, Montana Democrat, an amendment opponen 

t in 1986 and 1994 who expects a tough 1996 reelection contest. "I'm fluid" he s 

ays. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa Democrat, says he remains opposed to the amendment un 

less Social Security is protected. Sen. Jim Jeffords, Vermont Republican, on the 

other hand, says he still favors the measure -- provided he can determine for h 

imself that a balanced-budget is achievable within the amendment's time frame. 

Other senators who bear watching, and the votes they cast in 1994: Joe Bide 

n, Delaware Democrat (no); John Breaux, Louisiana Democrat (yes); Kent Conrad, N 

orth Dakota Democrat (no); Jon Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat (no); Barbara Mikul 

ski, Maryland Democrat (no); Sam Nunn, Georgia Democrat (yes); Harry Reid, Nevad 

a Democrat (no). 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton set to unveil budget

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Clinton next Monday will release a $1.6 trilli 

on budget that proposes to abolish or consolidate hundreds of government program 

s, producing deficit savings of $144 billion over the next five years, administr 

ation officials said today. 

The officials, who spoke on condition that their names not be used, said th 

at $63 billion of that savings would be earmarked to fund Clinton's middle class 

tax cuts and the other $81 billion would go to reduce the deficit further. 

However, Republicans and even some Democrats immediately attacked the numbe 

rs as totally inadequate to reach their goal of balancing the budget by the year 

2002 as mandated by the constitutional amendment being considered in Congress. 

"That's totally unsatisfactory," Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., a member of the H 

ouse Budget Committee, said. "It doesn't even come close." 

"Assuming that number is accurate, that's far below what I think is necessa 

ry," said Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., a supporter of the balanced budget amendment 

to the Constitution. 

Clinton's budget will project a $196.7 billion deficit for the 1996 fiscal 

year that starts next Oct. 1 up slightly from the $192.5 billion that he project 

s for the current budget 

year, the administration sources said. These officials confirmed figures first r 

eported in today's New York Times. 

The newspaper, quoting from galley proofs of the budget, said that Clinton' 

s budget message will boast of his deficit reduction efforts while conceding tha 

t the deficit will probably stay in the range of $190 billion through 2005, thus 

missing substantially the goal of balance by 2002. 

Republicans in Congress have vowed to produce a budget with significantly h 

igher individual tax breaks and at the same time start moving to balance by the 

year 2002. 

Republicans in Congress have vowed to produce a budget with a significantly 

higher individual tax breaks and at the same time start moving to balance by th 

e year 2002. 




SOUR[Washington, Aerospace Daily 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Pentagon Inspector General nominee breezes through Senate hearing 

TEXT[The Senate Armed Services Committee could vote as early as today on the con 

firmation of a senior Senate staffer to be the Pentagon's new inspector general. 

Eleanor Hill, chief counsel to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee's 

investigations subcommittee, was nominated by President Clinton to fill the post 

. The job has been filled on an acting basis for the past three years by Derek V 

anderschaaf who has agreed to stay on as Hill's deputy. 

At a confirmation hearing yesterday, Hill was praised by Sens. Sam Nunn (D- 

Ga.), John Glenn (D-Ohio), John Warner (R-Va.) and James Exon (D-Neb.). Sen. Wil 

liam Roth (R-Del.), the new chairman of the Government Affairs Committee, came t 

o the hearing to support Hill's nomination. No senators challenged her nominatio 

n. 

Glenn reminded Hill that the Pentagon inspector general is equally responsi 

ble to both the secretary of defense and Congress, particularly the Senate Armed

Services Committee. "Just remember the independence that we're expecting you to 

have," he said. 

Hill said one of her top priorities will be to address issues in an advisor 

y board report on DOD investigations. She said she hasn't decided yet on one rec 

ommendation by the board to consolidate defense procurement fraud investigations 

within the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, which is overseen by the ins 

pector general. 

Sen. Strom Thrumond (R-S.C.), chairman of the Armed Services panel, said he 

hoped Hill's nomination could be brought before the panel for a vote when it me 

ets tomorrow. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Plan to Sell Power Lines Draws Fire 

TEXT[Washington -- Angry Senate Democrats were to go to the White House Friday 

to protest a Clinton administration plan to sell power-transmission facilities f 

rom government-owned dams, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. said Thursday. 

"We are going to try to get a meeting with the president to tell him he wil 

l have open rebellion if he proceeds with this," Exon said. 

"We thought it was a rumor," he said. "It turns out not to be a rumor; it's 

going to be in the president's budget." 

Exon said the delegation would be led by Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., the mino 

rity leader. 

Members of the Nebraska congressional delegation in the House and Senate we 

re notified of the plan last month by Denny Valentine, manager of external affai 

rs for the Nebraska Public Power District in Columbus. 

A letter that Valentine wrote to the lawmakers said the Clinton administrat 

ion planned to sell federal power-marketing administrations, including the Weste 

rn Area Power Administration, to reduce the federal deficit. 

"The Nebraska Public Power District relies on WAPA for an important amount 

of energy," Valentine said. 

"For the sale to result in a profit to the government, the buyer would eith 

er be intending to raise prices, which means electric customers would be funding 

deficit reduction, or the buyer could run it more efficiently," Valentine said. 

He said no gains in efficiency could be achieved by the sale of transmissio 

n facilities from seven dams on the upper Missouri River, one on the Bighorn Riv 

er in Montana and 19 dams in the Loveland Area Projects in the Frying Pan-Arkans 

as River basin. 

"I don't know how the administration can do this," Valentine said. "The dam 

s are operated either by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Bureau of Recla 

mation." 

Valentine said the dams are multipurpose providing flood protection and wat 

er for recreation, irrigation and energy production. 

"There are water rights associated with all of that," he said in a telephon 

e interview from Columbus. "I don't know how they plan to sell the water rights. 

" 

Valentine said the sale would affect no dams in Nebraska.

"About 40 years ago, a number of states, including Nebraska, joined in part 

nership with the federal government to build transmission facilities," Valentine 

said. "If that system gets sold piecemeal, it will break our whole system." 

Many of the dams were built as part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Progra 

m under the U.S. Flood Control Act of 1944. 

The Western Area Power Administration sells power over nearly 8,000 miles o 

f transmission lines in Nebraska, parts of Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, South Da 

kota and Minnesota. 

Another division sells power in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and western Nebra 

ska over 3,300 miles of transmission lines. 



AUTH[Walter Pincus 


BK#[ 

HDLN[President Launches 13-Month Review of Post-Cold War Intelligence Needs 

TEXT[President Clinton yesterday announced the 17 members of his commission that 

will study the post-Cold War roles and missions of the intelligence community a 

nd report back to him and the Congress in March next year. 

The panel will be chaired by former defense secretary Les Aspin. Among Cli 

nton's choices for the congressionally mandated panel are Paul D. Wolfowitz, a t 

op defense official in the Bush administration; Stephen Friedman, former chairma 

n of Goldman Sachs & Co., the New York investment house; and Zoe E. Baird, once 

Clinton's nominee for attorney general. 

The commission will make a "thorough assessment of the kind of intelligence 

community we will need to address the security challenges of the future," Clint 

on said in a statement. 

With the entire intelligence community undergoing budget cuts and the CIA s 

till in turmoil over the case of confessed spy Aldrich H. Ames and the December 

resignation of its director, R. James Woolsey, the long-awaited appointment of t 

he commission is seen as a first step in Clinton's effort to reestablish preside 

ntial authority over an area that until now has not been considered among his to 

p concerns. 

Clinton said in his statement that the commission's effort had his "highest 

personal priority." 

The next step, which official sources said yesterday may come early next we 

ek, is the appointment of a new director of central intelligence. In recent day 

s, several officials around Clinton have talked about a military man as potentia 

l director. 

In an interview, Rep. Larry Combest (R-Tex.), the new chairman of the House 

intelligence committee, said he was asked recently by a White House official fo 

r his views of the job. Combest replied that he would "like to see a uniformed 

man as director of CIA." He suggested someone with intelligence experience, suc 

h as Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, or Vice 

Adm. John M. McConnell, director of the National Security Agency (NSA). 

"I think anyone who has a shade of this being a political appointment is go 

ing to have a very difficult time," Combest added. 

Among other military men mentioned in the wide-ranging search are Adm. Will 

iam A. Owens, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the former head of

the Strategic Command, retired Air Force Gen. Hugh Butler. 

Aspin, who has been working on organizing the commission for several months 

, said yesterday that he expects to concentrate on the "fundamental questions" a 

bout future roles for the community as a whole and leave the current problems of 

CIA to the new director. 

As expected, Clinton named former senator Warren B. Rudman (R-N.H.) as vice 

chairman. That and the president's emphasis on bipartisan support for intellige 

nce over the past 40 years appeared aimed at recognition that the Republican con 

gressional majority will play an important part in any changes. 

The one surprise among the president's nine nominees was Wolfowitz, underse 

cretary of defense for policy in the Bush administration and currently dean of t 

he Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins U 

niversity. 

Other presidential appointees, along with Aspin and Rudman, are Friedman, a 

nd five members of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board: Baird, s 

enior vice president and general counsel of Aetna Life & Casualty Co.; Gen. Lew 

Allen Jr., a former director of the NSA; Ann Caracristi, former deputy director 

of NSA, Anthony S. Harrington, partner in the Washington law firm of Hogan & Har 

tson and former general counsel to the Clinton-Gore campaign; and Robert J. Herm 

ann, senior vice president of United Technologies Corp. 

Other members of the commission were named last year by congressional leade 

rs. They include Rep. Norman D. Dicks (D-Wash.), the ranking minority member of 

the intelligence committee; former representative Tony Coelho (D-Calif.); Rep. P 

orter J. Goss (R-Fla), a member of the intelligence committee; retired Lt. Gen. 

Robert E. Pursley, president of Logistics Management Institute. 

Also named were Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), author of the legislation that 

created the commission; David H. Dewhurst, a Houston businessman and a former C 

IA officer; Sen. J. james Exon (D-Neb.); and former senator Wyche Fowler Jr. (D- 

Ga.). 



AUTH[Lynn Monson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Call it Television-gate: Exon come to the rescue 

TEXT[Oops. 

The local television stations and cable company waited too long without act 

ing on some of the local television viewers' main complaints. 

Now one of Nebraska's U.S. senators is looking into the problem. 

Uh-oh. 

Should have corrected the fuzzy reception. 

Should have gotten those Colorado Rockies baseball games in here. 

Should have improved the talking-in-a-cave audio quality. 

Should have backed away from forcing the Denver television stations off the 

air here. 

Should have... done a lot of things. 

Now Sen. Jim Exon is preparing to saddle up his white horse and ride into t 

own with solutions to the local version of Basic Citizen Outrage. In addition to

keeping constituents happy, Exon is sure to garner some votes for '96 - althoug 

h I'm sure that thought never crossed his mind. 

The good news for Panhandle residents is that when a senator starts poking 

around, honest answers tend to start showing up faster than if an average citize 

n is asking the questions. 

Let's hope Exon's staff can wade through the excuses and finger-pointing th 

at have awaited local residents who have complained in recent years about: 

The lousy picture and poor audio quality of the two local television stati 

ons. 

The local stations' decision to exercise their exclusivity 

option to lock out the Denver television stations of the same network. 

The lack of control over what channels are carried on the local cable syst 

em. 

The basic unfairness of a system that allows a town seven miles away to hav 

e certain cable channels that are denied in the Twin Cities. 

The sham of having a local cable franchise committee that is powerless to c 

ause change based on citizen input. 

The inability to have the television network that carries the games of the 

major-league baseball franchise closest to our community. 

The nonsensical decisions on which network football, basketball and basebal 

l games are televised when there are two or three options. (Hint for KOTA Territ 

ory brass in South Dakota: Western Nebraskans are more interested in the Denver 

Broncos than the Minnesota Vikings.) 

The separate contract that KOTA signed to bring in FOX programming, which p 

re-empted programming that was already available on cable. KOTA chose to show so 

me of the hit FOX weeknight shows late at night rather than during the prime eve 

ning hours they would have been shown on cable. 

The list could go on, but these are the major points Exon's staff will disc 

over by visiting a coffee shop or two. 

Happy hunting, Senator, and one last piece of advice: Wear your wading boot 

s, because the television folks pile up the excuses pretty deep. 



AUTH[Eric Pianin 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Budget-Balancing Considerations Weaken Hill Push for Tax Cuts 

TEXT[House Republican leaders have begun considering ways to scale back their $2 

00 billion "Contract With America" tax package under pressure from Senate Republ 

icans and conservative Democrats who argue a massive tax cut could complicate ef 

forts to balance the budget. 

On the first day of congressional hearings on the Clinton administration's 

fiscal 1996 budget yesterday, Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.), Rep. Charles W. Stenh 

olm (D-Tex.) and other conservative Democrats warned tax cut proposals by Republ 

icans and President Clinton could undermine efforts to reduce the deficit. 

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) said in an inter 

view that while he might support modest tax relief for the middle class, "Defici 

t reduction comes first." 

"There is no commitment to any size tax reduction plan in the Senate and th 

ere is no consensus, from what I can tell," Domenici said. "We're clearly intere

sted in what the House says and does, but everybody knows that senators are very 

concerned about the deficit." 

The House GOP tax plan, including $500-per-child tax credits and other reli 

ef for middle- and upper-income Americans and a 50-percent reduction in the capi 

tal gains tax, was a key provision of the Republicans' campaign platform last fa 

ll. 

However, now that they are in control, Republican budget and tax leaders ha 

ve discovered it is far more difficult than they assumed to fulfill all their ta 

x cut promises without upsetting their larger goal of balancing the budget by th 

e year 2002. 

House GOP tax writers have signaled their intention of reducing or eliminat 

ing a proposal to liberalize tax write-offs for capital-intensive businesses tha 

t could drain the Treasury of an estimated $88.8 billion over 10 years. 

Yesterday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer (R-Tex.) sai 

d the size and shape of the tax package was in flux and that it was not clear wh 

ether Republicans would seek the full $200 billion of tax reductions over five y 

ears. 

"We made a commitment and we intend to live up to it," Archer said, but the 

commitment was not written in stone and the Ways and Means Committee could work 

its will--adjusting some of the specifics--in development of a package. 

House Budget Committee Chairman John R. Kasich (R-Ohio) said Republicans we 

re committed to preserving the major "thrust" of the "Contract With America" tax 

proposals, but added, "In this place, there's always the possibility of change. 

" 

The GOP tax plan also includes a new Individual Retirement Account for weal 

thier Americans, called the "American Dream Savings Account," elimination of the 

marriage tax penalty and repeal of the 1993 tax increase on the Social Security 

benefits of wealthier retirees. 

Kasich said that while he supports the overall package, his primary concern 

was preserving the tax credits and the proposed reduction in the capital gains 

tax, indexed for inflation. "Those, to me, are the center-piece," he said. 

While the Republican tax plan would cost slightly more than $200 billion ov 

er five years, according to estimates by the Treasury and the nonpartisan Joint 

Tax Committee, those costs would begin to explode in subsequent years, threateni 

ng GOP plans to eliminate the deficit. After 10 years, the Republican plan would 

cost an estimated $704.4 billion, according to a Joint Tax study released this 

week. 

Exon dismissed the GOP tax plan, more than three times the size of Clinton' 

s middle-class tax relief package, as a "reckless" and "fool-hardy" economic sch 

eme that could derail deficit reduction efforts and ruin the economic recovery. 

"How can we entertain the notion of a tax cut--any tax cut--when we need $1.2 tr 

illion in savings to balance the budget?" he said. "The answer is: we shouldn't. 

" 

The Republicans' tax cut proposals generated substantial voter enthusiasm d 

uring the campaign, as reflected in GOP surveys and focus groups. 

However, voters now say they favor deficit reduction over tax cuts by a mar 

gin of 3 to 2, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC Poll. Kasich said he ha 

s received similar responses from large audiences at regional House Budget Commi 

ttee Hearings in Ohio, Arizona and South Carolina. 

"They're in a sacrificing mode," he said.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon's strong point: consistency 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon believes the secret of his political success is 

very simple. He knows the people of Nebraska and they know him. 

"They don't always agree with me on every issue," Exon said. "I think the m 

ajority of people know me very well, and see me as a pretty consistent type of p 

erson." 

Nebraskans have been electing Exon, a Democrat, consistently since 1971, wh 

en he became governor. In all, Exon has won five consecutive statewide elections 

- two for governor and three for the United States Senate. 

Exon's record is unmatched, said University of Nebraska political science p 

rofessor Robert Sittig. Sittig said Exon was the first Democrat to cut into the 

base of Republicans in the central and western part of the state. 

"He just became the first person to do it consistently," said Sittig "He wa 

s a trailblazer who made inroads into the Republican base." 

Population trends in the state may also help to explain Exon's political lo 

ngevity. 

When Exon became governor Nebraska had a population of approximately 1.485 

million people, according to the 1970 census. 

The population rose to 1.57 million in the 1980 census and remained approxi 

mately the same for the 1990 census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Unlike 

some other states, Nebraska has not had significant population shifts in the la 

st several decades. 

The fact that the population, and the number of voters, remained stable wou 

ld favor a candidate with strong name recognition. Perhaps someone who has run s 

tatewide five consecutive times? 

But Exon knows that familiarity has its political dangers. "They get to kno 

w you well enough and they decide they don't want you," he said. 

Sittig observed of Exon, "He uncannily reflects what a large number of vote 

rs in Nebraska can quickly identify with, and he is able to generate support," S 

ittig said. 

That support usually comes not only with votes, but also with money. 

According to the Federal Election Commission, Exon had $227,646 in his camp 

aign fund at the end of 1994. With his next election nearly two years away, Exon 

has just 10 percent of what he spent in the 1990 election -- about $2.35 millio 

n. 

But his current campaign fund actually compares favorably with what Exon ha 

d at the same position in the election cycle six years ago, said Exon's press se 

cretary, Russ Rader. At the end of 1988, Exon had only about $20,000, Rader said 

, but still managed to raise a substantial amount of money before the election. 

Although those numbers may seem low, fund raising is often done during the 

final two years of an election, said Josh Goldstein of the Center for Responsive 

Politics, a think tank that studies campaign finance. Exon's totals are pretty 

normal for a Senate campaign, Goldstein said. In fact, a large percentage of the 

money will not come in until the final month before the election, Goldstein sai 

d.

However, Republicans say the numbers show that Exon is not a fundraising gi 

ant, said Andy Abboud, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party. It i 

s one of the reasons, Abboud said, that Republicans feel Exon is beatable in 199 

6. 

While many of the important numbers can favor an incumbent with name recogn 

ition, Exon knows that there are intangibles to politics. 

"The more you stay in your mold and/or the mold people see you in, the less 

likely they are to become disenchanted," Exon said in an interview. 

This philosophy explains why Exon said most Nebraskans think of him as the 

same guy who served the state as governor. He said Nebraskans know he can give t 

hem an objective review of all of the issues that come up in Washington. 

Sittig said that Exon has endured challenges from opponents who span the ra 

nge of the political spectrum. He has been matched with some pretty conservative 

candidates, but Sittig said the fact that the political parties can be weak in 

Nebraska may have helped Exon. 

Yet, as the party that has historically dominated Nebraska presidential vot 

ing. Republicans do not concede a sixth straight election to Exon, and potential 

GOP opponents are beginning to line up. Sittig said there are as many as three 

or four solid challengers, including state Attorney general Don Stenberg. 

The interest in the race on the Republican side suggests that some challeng 

ers may think that Exon may retire, Sittig said. Potential challengers want to a 

void "being left out on a technicality" if Exon should decide to retire. 

Abboud said that Nebraska Republicans feel it is time for a change in the S 

enate. 

"What is it that Jim Exon can do as a member of the minority party for the 

next six years that he hasn't been able to do in the last 26 years," said Abboud 

. "He is a product of a by-gone era." 

Exon said he doesn't worry about individual challengers, but said he knows 

he will face a contested race with a well-financed Republican candidate. As for 

his own plans for 1996 Exon said he has told his staff to pre pare for a campaig 

n and said he plans to attend a meeting with fellow Democrats in Nebraska this w 

eekend to plan campaign strategy. 

Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute said Exon is mainstrea 

m moderate who does no seem to have many of the usual political characteristics. 

Although he has been a politician too long to portray himself as an outside 

r, Ornstein said Exon presents voters with a pretty straightforward picture. 

"He's unpretentious and doesn't put on airs," Ornstein said. "He has show a 

desire to grapple with things and try to make it work." 

Exon puts it more simply. 

"I love Nebraskans and if they don't love me, they at least like me well en 

ough to return me to office," Exon said. "They have confidence in me," he declar 

ed, and "I think people feel Jim Exon has his head screwed on straight." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[To worry or not to worry 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Federal farm program bashing has reached new highs in this, th

e first year of the "Gingrich Revolution." 

While there has been a great deal of gnashing of teeth in some sectors of t 

he agriculture community, some old hands like Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, see nothi 

ng new in all this anti-farm rhetoric and see nothing to worry about. 

Asked why he's not worried at a time when Republicans are in charge of Cong 

ress for the first time in 40 years, Harkin nonchalantly points to the farm belt 

troika of Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole, R-Kan.; Rep. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., 

the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee; and former Kansas Rep. Dan Gli 

ckman, who has been nominated for secretary of agriculture. 

Harkin, a 20-year veteran of Congress who has served on the agriculture com 

mittees in both houses during the last two decades, goes on to list the commodit 

y groups and punctuates his glib and confident presentation with General Mills a 

nd the Grocery Manufacturers Association of America. 

"Do you think they are going to let this program be eliminated?" Harkin ask 

ed during a press conference last week. The federal farm program, which is impl 

emented through the authority of a farm bill that is reauthorized by Congress ev 

ery five years, gives the food industry the basis on which to make longterm plan 

s. 

If the agriculture industry were made fully market oriented, prices and pro 

duction would fluctuate wildly, Harkin said, and the food industry would have to 

adjust production and prices from day to day. 

"This would wreak havoc on the industry," he said. 

On the other hand, Sen. Jim Exon. D-Neb., one of the old bulls in the Senat 

e whose stature seems to have increased since the Democrats lost control of the 

Senate last November, thinks the farm bill is more in jeopardy today than ever d 

uring his three terms in the Senate. He's even willing to discuss means testing, 

something farm state lawmakers have adamantly opposed, because of the criticism 

that the bulk of federal farm subsidies go to farms with annual sales of more t 

han $100,000. 

The new GOP-controlled House has opened its doors to farm program critics, 

who have always been in great abundance, and there has been a great rush to the 

committee microphones. 

After more than 38 years under the rule of Rep. Jamie Whitten, D-Miss., who 

was known as the "permanent secretary of agriculture" because he outlasted and 

overruled more than a dozen secretaries of agriculture, the House agriculture ap 

propriations subcommittee last week invited critics of the federal farm programs 

to vent their displeasure with farm subsidies. 

While that made it an historic hearing, the result was not much different t 

han in Whitten's days - the subcommittee members staunchly defended their turf, 

with new Republican chairman Rep. Joe Skeen, R-N.M., dispatching one critic by t 

elling him to go out and "find out what farming's all about." 

The recipient of that advice was Joe Winkelmann, the head of Citizens Again 

st Government Waste, who called for the phasing out of virtually all federal far 

m programs and selling off the FHA loan portfolio to debt collectors. 

At a Senate Budget Committee hearing last week, Bruce Gardner, the former u 

ndersecretary of agriculture responsible for price support programs under the Re 

agan and Bush administrations and now an economics professor at the University o 

f Maryland, argued for the gradual phase-out of farm commodity programs. 

Harkin dismisses Gardner as someone who "doesn't know anything about farmin 

g" and suggested he "must be related to Dick Armey," the House Majority Leader w 

ho led an intense but unsuccessful fight against the 1990 farm bill. 

"We've got too many pointed-headed professors in power," Harkin said, adapt

ing a line from former Vice President Spiro Agnew - and referring to Armey who w 

as a college economics professor before entering politics, and House Speaker New 

t Gingrich, R-Ga., who was a professor before he entered politics and still teac 

hes a college course on politics. 

"We need real people" working on the farm bill, Harkin said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., agreed, saying he met with Marion Barre, White Hou 

se agriculture adviser, and he told him to "get presidential authority to sit do 

wn with a group of farmers and write a farmer's bill," something that is 40 or 5 

0 pages long, as compared to the 1990 act, which was 719 pages long. 

Many farm state Republicans have voiced displeasure with the Clinton admini 

stration for not taking a more forceful role in setting the stage. 

However, those people do not take into account Clinton's knowledge of the f 

ederal farm program and the political dynamics of sustaining it. Clinton has rep 

ortedly sent back one version of the agriculture budget that came from USDA and 

the Office of Management and Budget, ordering USDA to lighten up on the cuts. 

The farm-state critics also forget the promise Clinton made to the agricult 

ure coalition that brought more than 120 agriculture-related organizations and b 

usinesses together to lobby intensely for passage of GATT, the worldwide trade b 

ill that finally brings agriculture trade under an international umbrella. 

In letters to the Democratic chairmen of the House and Senate agriculture c 

ommittees, Clinton promised to refocus the Export Enhancement Program and the Da 

iry Export Incentive Program so they will be legal under GATT as export promotio 

n tools. 

"On the domestic front, I want to assure you that I am strongly supportive 

of USDA's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and am committed to ensuring that i 

t will continue," Clinton wrote. "Finally, as described in the Espy-Rivlin lette 

r (co-signed by then Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and Budget Director Alice R 

ivlin), my next two budget requests will safeguard spending for agricultural pro 

grams." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Assurances Needed From Clinton Nominee 

TEXT[Henry Foster Jr., the doctor whom President Clinton nominated to succeed Dr 

. Joycelyn Elders as U.S. surgeon general, has been described as a mild-mannered 

consensus-builder. He also has a background in education and public health. Tho 

se qualifications should serve him if he is confirmed for his new position. 

Dr. Foster said one of his goals would be to promote sexual abstinence and 

sexual responsibility among teen-agers. He is the originator of the "I Have a Fu 

ture" program, founded in 1987 in Nashville's subsidized public housing projects 

. The program is designed to help teen-agers make wise choices, avoiding pregnan 

cy and continuing their education. It teaches them to believe in themselves and 

to behave responsibly. It also helps them acquire job skills. It provides tutori 

ng, family life classes and medical services, including the distribution of cont 

raceptives in some circumstances. 

Dr. Foster has been a chairman, a dean and an acting president at Meharry M

edical College in Nashville. He said that in addition to attacking the epidemic 

of adolescent pregnancies, his priorities would include assuring "healthier star 

ts for our children," AIDS prevention and discouraging tobacco use, particularly 

in young people. 

Dr. Foster's appointment is being opposed by some conservative groups that 

don't like his work with Planned Parenthood of America and his support of indivi 

dual choice on abortion, as well as the contraceptive element of the "I Have a F 

uture" program. Complaints have come from some Republicans in Congress that the 

White House mishandled the nomination by not immediately disclosing details abou 

t abortions that Dr. Foster had performed. Dr. Foster said Friday that in additi 

on to delivering 10,000 babies over three decades, he performed fewer than a doz 

en abortions, mostly to save the woman's life or to end a pregnancy caused by ra 

pe or incest. 

Mainstream medical groups, including the American Medical Association, have 

praised his selection. 

The surgeon general should be a person with a strong commitment to public h 

ealth and a broad knowledge of the nation's health problems. Dr. Foster shouldn' 

t be condemned for his efforts to reduce teen-age pregnancies nor disqualified f 

or performing a few abortions over a long career. If he can convince the Senate 

that he understands the major public health issues and is capable of working har 

d to deal with the health problems of the whole population, his nomination shoul 

d be looked at favorably. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Ex-Ag Official Urges an End to Subsidies 

TEXT[Washington - Debate over the 1995 farm bill began before the Senate Budget 

Committee last week when Bruce Gardner, a former assistant secretary of agricult 

ure, testified that farm programs do more harm than good. 

"I believe the facts indicate we ought to put an end to farm commodity prog 

rams," said Gardner, now a professor at the University of Maryland. 

"A phase-down in farm program spending should be part of general government 

al downsizing," he said. 

Gardner's testimony was criticized by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democ 

rat on the Senate Budget Committee, and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the secon 

d-ranking Republican. 

Exon said Gardner failed to recognize that agriculture spending has been st 

eadily declining for more than 10 years with further declines projected through 

the end of the century. 

"Agriculture is the only entitlement program we have that is being reduced, 

not increased," Exon said. 

Grassley said eliminating farm programs might be possible when the General 

Agreement on Tariff and Trade requires other countries to completely remove barr 

iers to U.S. farm exports. 

"That won't be until the end of the decade, so we are going to have to have 

a safety net for agriculture in the meantime," Grassley said. 

Gardner, who testified Wednesday, said elimination of farm subsidies should

e done gradually by cutting each commodity program in equal proportions. 

He said government spending per farm in the 1930s, when the farm programs w 

ere started, amounted to less than $500 per farm in 1987 dollars. 

"By the 1950s this figure had risen to about $2,000, and in the 1990s it ha 

s about doubled again to $5,000 annually per farm, all in 1987 dollars," Gardner 

said. 

He said $46.1 billion has been spent on farm programs in the last four year 

s, nearly $14 billion more than had been projected by the Congressional Budget O 

ffice in 1990. 

"The 15 percent of our farms - about 300,000 farms - with sales of over $10 

0,000 produce three-fourths of U.S. farm output and receive 60 to 70 percent of 

U.S. farm program payments," Gardner said. 

"The farms with $100,000 or more in sales have an average net income from f 

arming of about $150,000, and an average net worth of over $ 1 million," he said 

. 

Gardner said the government spends about $700 million a year administering 

farm programs. 

He said farmers lose about $1 billion annually because of regulatory constr 

aints that come with farm programs such as withholding land from production, mee 

ting environmental and conservation requirements and completing paperwork. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, told of Gardner's testimony, said: "I've been hear 

ing these arguments for 25 years. Obviously he doesn't know a lot about agricult 

ure." 

Harkin, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Gardner fails to 

understand how federal farm programs stabilize supplies and food prices. 

"One of the problems we have around here is too many pointy-headed professo 

rs," Harkin said. 

"Newt Gingrich is a professor and Dick Armey is a professor," he said. "We 

need real people from the real world to tell us what we ought to be doing." 

Gingrich, R-Ga., the House speaker, was on the faculty of West Georgia Coll 

ege. Armey, R-Texas, the majority leader, has taught at the University of Montan 

a, West Texas State University, Austin College and North Texas State University. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Retired Chief Justice Shifting to Lower Gear 

TEXT[Lincoln - Newly retired Nebraska Chief Justice William Hastings is settling 

into a new lifestyle. 

Hastings left office Tuesday, his 74th birthday. Even during his last week 

of work, Hastings carried paperwork home. 

The judge confessed to being a little uncertain of how he would handle reti 

rement. Because his work has been so time-consuming, he said, he has developed 

few hobbies. 

Former Gov. Charles Thone, a long-time friend of the judge, said Hastings' 

wife, Julie, had encouraged him to retire. 

"She got a little concerned that he was just working, working, working all 

the time," Thone said. "Bill just wouldn't let anything go unattended." 

Although some friends have offered "sympathy" over the retirement, Mrs. Has

tings said, she is looking forward to more time with her husband of 48 years. 

Mrs. Hastings, also 74, said her husband had contributed his share to the h 

igh court. Now it is time to enjoy life more. 

Hastings's successor, Judge C. Thomas White, will be sworn in Wednesday. 

Hastings said he didn't particularly want to be chief justice when he was n 

amed to the post in 1987 by Gov. Kay Orr. He said the other Supreme Court judges 

talked him into it. 

"In their mind, I think, I was like an old shoe," Hastings said. "They knew 

me, knew what to expect - no radical change." 

Hastings, however, was responsible for one of the most dramatic changes in 

the structure of the state court system in years. 

Judge Richard Sievers is among those who credit Hastings for establishing t 

he Nebraska Court of Appeals, a six-judge court created to relieve the backlog o 

f appeals that had been swamping the Supreme Court. 

Sievers is chief judge of the appeals court. 

Said Hastings: "If I was a single-issue chief justice, it was to address th 

at backlog of cases. We'd tried everything else. The only thing remaining was an 

intermediate court of appeals." 

Hastings, known as a conservative jurist, sometimes took surprising stances 

. 

One project was to study gender bias in the court system. Hastings preferre 

d to call it "gender fairness." 

He said he was not particularly sensitive to gender issues at first. 

But his daughter, attorney Pamela Hastings Carrier of Lincoln, was among th 

ose who convinced him that it was a subject that warranted study. 

Hastings said he believes that the court system now is more aware of gender 

issues and that women lawyers are making progress toward positions of leadershi 

p in the bar and bench. 

"I met with almost angry opposition at first," Hastings said. "Some told me 

, 'It's a waste of time and money, it's foolish, there's no problem here.' I thi 

nk that if anybody says it's no problem, there probably is a problem." 

Hastings said he considered a project on racial fairness to be conducted jo 

intly with the gender study, but he decided the two issues were distinct. 

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, a member of the Legislature's Judiciary 

Committee who closely monitors and frequently criticizes Nebraska's criminal ju 

stice system for racial bias, said he respects Hastings. 

"We have disagreed very pointedly on various issues," Chambers said, "but o 

ur working relationship has been cordial and one of mutual respect." 

Chambers' input has been valuable, Hastings said. 

"I do respect him - he's never tried to tell me how to decide a case," Hast 

ings said. 

"During the many times I've appeared before the Judiciary Committee, he had 

a lot of questions to ask. I don't know that he's ever changed my mind, but he' 

s made me examine my position in greater depth, and I (then) feel better about m 

y decision because I have thought about it." 

The early judicial careers of Hastings and White progressed on parallel tra 

cks. 

Both became trial judges in 1965, appointees of Gov. Frank Morrison. Both w 

ere promoted to chief justice at age 66. 

There the similarities end. 

White, a Democrat, was named to the high court by Democratic Gov. J.J. Exon

. Hastings was appointed by Thone, a fellow Republican. 

Along with former State Supreme Court Judge Thomas Shanahan, White frequent 

ly favored a more activist approach on a variety of legal issues. 

Hastings and retired Judge Leslie Boslaugh frequently formed the core of a 

group of judges holding a more conservative judicial philosophy. 

For example, in a 1993 decision in the child molestation case of former Oma 

ha pediatrician Daniel Schrein, Hastings and Boslaugh were part of the four-judg 

e majority that upheld Schrein's conviction, despite a questionable magazine art 

icle submitted as evidence. 

White and Shanahan were part of the minority that maintained the article vi 

olated Schrein's constitutional right to cross-examine unfavorable witnesses. 

Admirers say graciousness and conscientiousness have been the hallmarks of 

Hastings' career. 

Sievers met Hastings when he began practicing law in Lincoln in 1972. 

"He was the trial judge in the first jury case I ever tried, in the summer 

of 1974," Sievers said. 

"I don't want to sound sappy or anything, but for a young lawyer starting o 

ut, he was just super. When you're a young lawyer, you don't know much about jud 

ges, and here's this authority figure who's courteous and studious, everything y 

ou think a judge ought to be." 



AUTH[Richard Wolf and Judy Keen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Plan a 'Beginning' 

TEXT[President Clinton today sends a $1.6 trillion budget that cuts spending, ta 

xes and the deficit to a Republican-run Congress bent on cutting more. 

Clinton's blueprint, the first punch in a year-long fiscal fight, will be u 

sed as a building block toward the GOP's goal of a balanced budget. 

But before it got out of the starting gate, it was criticized Sunday for wh 

at it fails to do over the next five years: 

Clinton's $144 billion in spending cuts spares the programs most responsibl 

e for red ink: Medicare and Medicaid. 

His $63 billion in tax cuts pales next to nearly $200 billion on Republican 

s' plate. 

His $81 billion in deficit reduction is a far cry from the $432 billion he 

cut in 1993 and the $1.2 trillion needed to balance the budget by 2002. 

Republican reaction: 

"His budget doesn't go far enough," said Senate Budget Committee chairman P 

ete Domenici, R-N.M., on ABC's This Week With David Brinkley. 

"He took a walk on the deficit." 

"This budget clearly lacks courage," said House Budget Committee chairman J 

ohn Kasich, R-Ohio, also on ABC. 

Even some Democrats were unimpressed. Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., top Democrat 

on the Senate budget panel, called it "only a beginning point, and a hesitating 

one at best." 

Clinton, in his budget message today, lauds his success in trimming the def 

icit from $290 billion in 1992 to $193 billion.

"Now that we have brought the deficit down, we have no intention of turning 

back," he says. "My budget keeps us on the course of fiscal discipline." 

Clinton's budget scraps 131 programs, from helicopters and missiles to tree 

planting and cattle tick eradication to elimination of the Interstate Commerce 

Commission. 

Next up: Republicans will go after Medicare and Medicaid, farm aid and stud 

ent loans. Democrats will target defense and the space program. 

"I think you will see people scream like stuffed pigs," says Rep. David Obe 

y, D-Wis. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon push for effort to cut deficit 

TEXT[WASHINGTON Nebraska Democratic Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon today said Pre 

sident Bill Clinton and the Republicans should drop plans for a middle-class tax 

cut and devote their efforts to reducing the deficit. 

Exon said that instead of using $60 billion of the projected $145 billion b 

udget Savings in the Clinton budget to pay for a tax cut, the president should d 

evote total savings to reducing the deficit. 

Both senators Supported the thrust of the president's budget. Kerrey said i 

t is a budget for a new government for a new economy. But while it is forward lo 

oking, Kerrey, the chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax 

Reform, said it does not look far enough into the future. 

He pointed out that entitlements, such as Medicare, take up about two-third 

s of the budget, and by the end of the five-year span of the budget it will take 

up more than three-quarters. 

Kerrey said the voters did not give the Republicans the mandate they think 

they have for increases in defense spending, nor did they give the Democrats the 

mandate for increases in domestic spending. 

Exon said the president's budget is a starting point for what should be muc 

h more ambitious spending cuts. He also pointed out that it makes specific recom 

mendations for budget cuts, while the Republicans in Congress, the president's m 

ajor critics, call for a balanced budget "but refuse to specify where the cuts w 

ill be made to balance the budget." 

"Everybody knows that passing the balanced budget amendment to the Constitu 

tion is the easy part," Exon said. "Making the cuts to balanced budget is the to 

ugh part." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[UNL receives $2 million transportation grant 

TEXT[The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is one of 10 colleges across the country 

that has been awarded a federal grant from the Department of Transportation, Ne

aska Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon announced Friday. 

The goal of the University Transportation Center grants are to advance U.S. 

expertise in transportation through investment in education, research and techn 

ology. 

The $2 million grant will be awarded to UNL over a two-year period. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Impact Aid Cut Could Gouge Sarpy Schools 

TEXT[Washington - The Bellevue and Papillion-LaVista school districts could lose 

millions of dollars under President Clinton's proposed cuts in impact aid to lo 

cal school districts. 

Clinton's budget proposal for fiscal 1996 calls for a 15 percent cut in imp 

act aid, reducing payments from $728 million to $619 million. 

For Bellevue and Papillion-LaVista the proposal could mean deep cuts in the 

money they receive to educate children of military personnel at Offutt Air Ford 

Base. 

Bellevue could lose $5.4 million of the $9 million it receives each year, s 

aid John Deegan, a Bellevue school administrator who lobbies Congress on impact 

aid. 

Deegan said Papillion-LaVista stands to lose nearly all its $500,000 in imp 

act aid payments. 

"It's very bad news," Deegan said "How can the commander in chief take away 

the education of the military dependents when he's talking about how important 

education is?" 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb., used the same theme in criticizing the presid 

ent for his proposal. 

"I think it's a perfect example of how Commander in Chief Clinton has a tot 

al disrespect for the military," he said. "It's a slap in the face." 

Christensen declined to say whether he would apply the same comments to Rep 

ublican presidents who also proposed cuts in impact aid. 

The Republican-led House Budget Committee also may propose deep reductions 

or elimination of impact aid. 

Nebraska members of Congress said they would work to ensure that Congress a 

cts Clinton's impact aid proposal, just as it has done with prior impact aid cut 

s. But they said this year's budget climate may make it difficult to spare impac 

t aid entirely. 

"This is about the umpteenth time that has been proposed by presidents, bot 

h Republican and Democratic," said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. "There's no question i 

t's going to be harder to save it. I think we will - but with some cuts, I empha 

size." 

The administration proposal would affect Sarpy County school districts in s 

everal ways: 

þReductions in the overall amount of money for impact aid payments, which g 

o to school districts based on the number of students with parents who live or w 

ork on federal property. 

þPhaseout of payments for military dependents who do not live on base. Alth

ough their parents pay local property taxes on their house, those students have 

been included because their parents do not have to pay taxes on their vehicles a 

nd can shop on base, where they do not pay sales taxes. 

þA 50 percent cut in a special impact aid program for a few heavily affecte 

d districts, including Bellevue. It is unclear how the spending cuts would be im 

plemented, but Deegan said he feared that Bellevue would be dropped from the pro 

gram entirely - at a cost of $5 million annually. That is because Bellevue no lo 

nger would qualify for the program if the administration no longer counts the di 

strict's military dependents who live off the base. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Clinton Plan Offers 'Stumbling Start' On Deficit 

TEXT[President Clinton's budget was described Monday by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

as a "stumbling start toward deficit reduction." 

Exon is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. 

"He's given us a starting point, but I don't think it is very realistic," E 

xon said. "The Republican Party, which controls Congress, hasn't given us any s 

tart at all. 

Exon criticized Republican proposals for a balanced budget amendment to the 

Constitution with a provision barring any change in Social Security, a program 

that accounts for 22 percent of all federal spending. 

"If I had my way, there wouldn't be any protections for entitlements," Exon 

said. "There'd be no guarantees to the states, no guarantees to Social Security 

, no guarantees to anyone." 

Exon said: "I am not sure we are going to cut Social Security, but to write 

into the Constitution that we are not going to touch Social Security is ridicul 

ous on the face of it." 

He said it would be impossible to balance the budget if no change could be 

made in Social Security, which trustees have said will be insolvent in 2029 with 

out change. 

Exon, whose third term ends in 1996, compared the budget process to seven c 

ard-stud poker in which players bet card by card, with three cards dealt face do 

wn and four cards face up. 

"These are the president's opening cards," Exon said. "He's waiting to see 

the Republican cards. So far, the Republicans haven't exposed anything. I'm not 

sure they have any cards." 

Exon said Clinton has established "a record as a deficit cutter, unlike oth 

ers who have held that office." 

"At least he's given us some specifics," Exon said. "The Republicans haven' 

t come up with anything specific." 

Exon reaffirmed that he is willing to work with Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., 

chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, on a plan that would balance the budge 

t by 2002, a target set by Republicans in their Contract With America. 

Exon said, however, that he opposed both the president and Domenici in prop 

osing that at least half of all reductions in federal spending be used to pay fo 

r tax cuts.

"That's like going into never-never land as far as doing anything about the 

deficit," Exon said. 

"This place is fraught with politics," he said. "Everybody is looking out f 

or themselves in 1996. They ought to be doing something for our children and gra 

ndchildren." 

Exon said he has had no indication when Domenici will present a plan with s 

pecific Republican budget proposals as was promised Sunday by Sen. Bob Dole, R-K 

an., Senate majority leader. 

Exon said Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Budget Committee, 

has delayed indefinitely presenting a proposal he had said he would have ready 

in January. 

Exon said he has the minority staff of the Senate Budget Committee working 

on an alternative. 

"The meat of this is, we've got to get together and quit fighting among our 

selves," he said. "This matter is so serious we ought to be realistic." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Honors and Elections 

TEXT[The Nebraska Fertilizer and Ag-Chemical Institute has named Sen. J.J. Exon, 

D-Neb., government official of the year. The institute also honored the follow 

ing people: Don Williams, Western Cooperative Co. in Alliance, research and edu 

cation award; Gil Kuntz, owner of Agricultural Services of Grand Island, industr 

y person of the year; Jeff Frack, Harris Laboratories in Lincoln, water guardian 

of the year; Ann Toner, farm writer for the Omaha World-Herald, news media pers 

on of the year. 




SOUR[Great Falls Tribune (Montana) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats Join Chorus of Criticism 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Along with predictable attacks from Republicans, President Cli 

nton found his budget proposal being savaged by leaders of his own party Monday. 

Some Democrats in Congress lambasted him for failing to tackle entitlements 

or to use his budget to make a strong political statement of any kind. 

Sen. James Exon D-Neb., one of the Senate Budget Committee's leading Democr 

ats, called Clinton's budget "full of half measures that don't get at the root o 

f the problem." 

Meanwhile, Republicans had a field day. 

House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich, R-Ohio, called the budget outl 

ined by Clinton Monday "a great disappointment" that would leave future generati 

ons saddled with debt. "The president came eyeball-to- eyeball with change, and 

he blinked," Kasich added. 

But Republicans also found themselves responding to mounting criticism for

delaying their own plans for spending cuts. 

Kasich, who had promised to present a Republican budget by the end of Janua 

ry, has delayed his plans for at least two more months. 



AUTH[Todd S. Purdum 


BK#[ 

HDLN[$1.6 Trillion Clinton Budget Received With Tepid Praise 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 - President Clinton sent his $1.6 trillion budget to a s 

keptical Congress today, vowing to control, if not reduce, the Federal deficit a 

nd challenging the new Republican majority to show how it would pay for its own 

deeper cuts in taxes and spending and keep its pledge to balance the budget by 2 

002. 

"Republicans are saying we took a walk on the deficit, but none of them vot 

ed for the President's plan that got us where we are," said the President's budg 

et director, Alice M. Rivlin, defending the Administration's decision to hold th 

e budget deficit steady at about $200 billion a year into the next century, afte 

r reducing it for three years running. "And we will see as time unfolds what the 

y intend to do to bring the deficit down. We haven't seen anything yet." 

Mr. Clinton proposes to save $144 billion over the next five years - about 

$63 billion to finance his proposed tax breaks for families with children and fo 

r college education and the rest to reduce the deficit. He would eliminate 130 m 

ostly small programs, for savings of about $2 billion, and consolidate 270 other 

s in the first of what are likely to be far deeper cuts adopted by Congress. 

On Capitol Hill, Republicans generally offered tepid praise for Mr. Clinton 

's direction but dismissed his plan as too timid. 

"While the President has taken some positive steps as far as discretionary 

spending is concerned, he has shown no interest in doing the heavy lifting neede 

d to eliminate our budget deficits," said Representative John R. Kasich of Ohio, 

chairman of the House Budget Committee. "This budget lacks courage. It takes no 

action to control the growth of entitlement spending, which must be done if we 

are to reach a balanced budget by the year 2002." 

Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, chairman of the Senate Budget Commi 

ttee, said Mr. Clinton's plan "raises the white flag of surrender at the red ink 

of Government spending." 

The majority leader, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, said the President's budge 

t would lend momentum to Republican efforts in the Senate to pass a constitution 

al amendment requiring a balanced budget, as the House of Representatives alread 

y has. 

Some Democrats were not much more supportive. Senator Jim Exon of Nebraska, 

the ranking member of the Budget Committee, said the President's budget would s 

atisfy neither side of the aisle and "falls short, way short, of the deficit red 

uction we need." "He has dropped the ball." 

And Senator Bob Kerrey, the Nebraska Democrat who recently headed a biparti 

san commission on how to overhaul spending for entitlement programs like Medicar 

e and Social Security, said both parties were avoiding hard choices because the 

budgeting procedure only calls for making estimates five years into the future. 

Indeed, curtailing the growth in entitlement spending, which rises automati

cally every year, has been one of the most difficult issues facing the Governmen 

t. Mr. Kerrey's commission could not agree on how to do it and Mr. Clinton has p 

unted as well. 

Last year, the President proposed deep shifts in Medicare spending to help 

finance his health care proposals, and his aides said he remains committed to th 

at goal. But the President opposes cutting Medicare to finance tax cuts, and tod 

ay he sought to put the onus for any such decisions squarely on the Republicans. 

"My budget cuts spending, cuts taxes, cuts the deficit, and does not cut ed 

ucation or Social Security or Medicare," Mr. Clinton said in unveiling it this m 

orning. "That is a good budget. It continues to reduce the deficit without under 

mining the things that I believe the Federal Government should be doing. And I w 

ish to work with the new Congress to achieve these objectives. I hope that they 

will submit budgets which do the same." 

In fact, Mr. Clinton would eliminate some education programs in order to he 

lp finance his larger goal of new tax deductions for post high-school education. 

And while he would cut the deficit as a percentage of the domestic economy - an 

d in relation to how it was anticipated to grow before he took office - in absol 

ute terms it would remain about the same. 

Over and over today, Administration officials sought both to defend that re 

ality and to put it in context. 

"When we got here, the deficit was out of control," Ms. Rivlin said. "It wa 

s nearly $300 billion and headed up, confidently predicted to go over $400 billi 

on by the end of the decade. We had to get the deficit under control, and we did 

. It is now under $200 billion, $100 billion lower than in 1992, and this budget 

keeps that control and keeps the budget headed down as a percent of Gross Domes 

tic Product. It was 4.9 percent in 1992; it is 2.7 percent of G.D.P. now. It wil 

l be 2.1, or less than half what it was in 1992 by the end of the decade." 

Ms. Rivlin has long been one of the Administration's biggest deficit hawks. 

In a confidential memo to the President that caused an uproar when it became pu 

blic last fall, she pointed out that the price of dramatic deficit reduction or 

increased spending on the President's domestic agenda would be cuts in other pro 

grams, like entitlements. Almost alone among the President's senior advisers, sh 

e argued in favor of deeper deficit reduction as the budget was being drafted in 

December, but she lost out to political advisers who urged the President to pre 

ss ahead with his 1992 campaign pledge - initially deferred in favor of deficit 

reduction - of tax breaks for the middle class. 

Today, Ms. Rivlin stoutly defended Mr. Clinton's efforts to encourage inves 

tment in education as worthy social and budgetary goals. Treasury Secretary Robe 

rt E. Rubin reflected mordantly on how little public or political credit the Adm 

inistration has received for its success in reducing the deficit to date, but in 

sisted that if the question came under serious scrutiny by the public, Mr. Clint 

on would still have the upper-hand. 

"If the elections in '96 were decided on whether the President fulfilled hi 

s promise to get the deficit under control," Mr. Rubin said, "I don't think the 

Republicans would get a single electoral vote." 

Mr. Clinton proposed generally modest increases in spending for crime contr 

ol, for stepped-up border patrols to deter illegal immigration, for high-priorit 

y environmental programs and for his national service program. He would save mon 

ey by restructuring five departments, consolidating some functions and eliminati 

ng others, and by extending into the turn of the century caps on discretionary d 

omestic spending that had been scheduled to expire in 1998. 

The Administration is expected to outline the specifics of additional spend

ing cuts this spring when Vice President Al Gore completes his second round of s 

tudies aimed at "reinventing" government. 

For their part, the Republicans said they would spell out specific prescrip 

tions for cutting spending, in Mr. Kasich's words, "When we get it ready." Mr. D 

omenici said that meant late April or early May. 



AUTH[Lawrence M.O'Rourke 

SOUR[Sacramento, CA Bee 

BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Blasts Plan, Pledges More Cuts 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Republicans who control Congress dismissed President Clinton's 

budget Monday as a political gimmick that doesn't cut federal spending nearly e 

nough and forces them to take the heat for slashing popular programs. 

Taking up the challenge, Republicans promised to cut much deeper - by trimm 

ing Medicare and Medicaid - when they produce an alternative budget within three 

months. However, they exempted Social Security from the budget knife this year. 

Republicans ripped into the president for refusing to take the political kn 

ocks for cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. "Without the president's leadership, I d 

on't know where we are going," said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the 

Senate Budget Committee. 

Republicans said they will aim for trims this year mostly in discretionary 

social programs, avoiding as long as they can big cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. 

But those cuts must come, Domenici said. 

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., sidestepped suggestions that Clinton's 

budget was dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. 

"We are going to genuinely take two weeks, and actually look at every aspec 

t of his budget and adopt everything we can," Gingrich said. 

While conceding that Clinton's budget included $144 billion in federal spen 

ding cuts over five years, Republican leaders said the president's plan would ca 

use deficits to skyrocket early in the next century. 

"This is a do-nothing budget that accepts deficits of $200 billion permanen 

tly into the future," said Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, who is preparing to announc 

e his candidacy for president. 

"I believe the presidency is a terrible thing to waste," Gramm said, "and i 

f President Clinton is not going to lead on the deficit issue, it's important th 

at Congress lead. I assure you that we can and will do better." 

Republicans, who control Congress for the first time in 40 years, said they 

- not the president - will set the nation's spending priorities. 

The party's timetable for presenting its own budget and for acting on appro 

priations bills opens the door to a summer and fall of Republican spending bills 

, presidential vetoes and high-risk standoffs in the weeks around the start of t 

he new fiscal year Oct. 1. 

Under the Constitution, spending bills must originate in the House, where G 

ingrich and his fellow Republicans are in firm control. There is little that Cap 

itol Hill Democrats can do except watch the impending battle. 

Republicans said they will use the prospect of future deficits as an argume 

nt for their proposed constitutional amendment to require balanced federal budge

ts. "The president has given up even trying to get us to a balanced budget," sai 

d Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole, R-Kan. 

The GOP dismissed Clinton's budget as an effort to maintain ties to his lib 

eral backers while shifting the burden of politically difficult spending cuts on 

to Republican shoulders. 

Republicans are willing to take the political hits for trimming Medicare, M 

edicaid and other politically sensitive programs, Domenici said. He faulted Clin 

ton for putting forth a budget that allows federal health care spending to incre 

ase. 

Republicans were joined in their criticisms by Nebraska's two Democratic se 

nators, Bob Kerrey and James Exon. 

Kerrey said Clinton's middle-income tax cut plan would create even higher d 

eficits. 

Exon, the Senate Budget Committee's top Democrat, also criticized Clinton's 

proposal for lower taxes on the middle class. 

The only real way to attack the deficit, said Exon, is to expose Medicare a 

nd Medicaid to cuts. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Say Clinton Budget Proposal Falls Short 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Nebraska's Democratic senators joined forces with one of the s 

tate's Republican congressmen to criticize President Clinton's proposed budget a 

s inadequate. 

Both Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said the president failed to address the 

growth of entitlements, while Rep. Jon Christensen said Clinton's proposal did 

not go far enough in tackling the nation's deficit. 

"The president has chosen not to significantly reduce entitlement spending, 

the real cause of growth in the deficit," Exon said in a statement. 

Kerrey called Clinton's budget shortsighted. 

"Entitlement spending and interest on the national debt are consuming large 

r and larger amounts of total spending," he said in a statement. 

Kerrey called for the budget to be approached in a much more long-term fash 

ion than is currently the case. He called for a 30-year time frame favored by th 

e President's Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, instead of th 

e current five-year term. 

Kerrey served as chairman of the bipartisan commission, which issued a repo 

rt earlier this year that backed stiff measures to rein in the growth of Social 

Security and Medicare. 

Nebraska's Republican Congressmen Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett indicated 

they were still examining the budget and would have a response at a later date. 

Christensen said the president did not go far enough in slicing into the na 

tion's deficit, citing the Republicans pledge to balance the budget by 2002. 

"This budget just doesn't go far enough, but I'm willing to work to expand 

the president's proposals into a courageous package that outs our fiscal house i 

n order," Christensen said. 

Overall, entitlement spending on programs such as Social Security, Medicare

and Veteran's Benefits constitute more than half of the federal budget. Yet all 

of these programs are untouched in Clinton's 1996 budget. 

The 1996 Clinton budget shows Medicare climbing by almost $21 billion, to $ 

178 billion, which the federal share of Medicaid would jump by $7.5 billion, to 

$96 billion. Overall, the Clinton budget calls for $81 billion in deficit reduct 

ion over five years. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Opposes Tax Cuts With Rising Deficit 

TEXT[Washington - President Clinton and Republican congressional leaders were ch 

allenged Monday by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. "to back off their calls for tax cuts 

at a time when it makes no fiscal or logical sense." 

Exon, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said he was disappoi 

nted with Clinton's budget, especially the president's plan to cut taxes by $63 

billion when the deficit will be at least $ 197 billion and rising. 

Even more disappointing, Exon said at a press conference, were Republican p 

roposals in the Contract With America for tax cuts totaling $ 196 billion over f 

ive years. 

"That is $196 billion that could have gone to deficit reduction," he said. 

"That is $196 billion that could have gone to balancing the budget." 

Exon, whose third term ends in 1996, said he will oppose any tax cut propos 

al during a time of rising deficits. 

He said the president's budget proposal barely makes a dent in the deficit 

or the $4.8 trillion national debt which requires nearly $300 billion a year in 

interest payments. 

Exon said Clinton's budget proposed $23 billion in reductions for entitleme 

nt programs that will cost $4.8 trillion over five years, including the cost of 

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. 

Exon, who supports a balanced budget constitutional amendment, said Congres 

s should be required to vote on raising the national debt limit each time it vot 

es on a budget. 

He said Congress usually raises the national debt limit, now $4.7 trillion, 

"with a voice vote in the dark of the night." 

Exon said annual deficits should be included in federal budgets with a prov 

ision that the estimated amount of the deficit cannot be increased without a thr 

ee-fifths vote of Congress. 

The White House rejected his proposal last week, Exon said, after the Treas 

ury Department argued that it would unsettle financiers on Wall Street and elsew 

here who hold government bonds. 

"They (the White House and Treasury) don't want anything in there that woul 

d make it tough for us to borrow above what we say we are going to borrow," Exon 

said. "They said that would worry Wall Street and upset our ability to borrow m 

oney at a fair return on the dollar." 

In an interview, Exon described Clinton's budget as a "stumbling start towa 

rd deficit reduction." 

On the other hand, Exon said, Clinton has established "a record as a defici

t cutter, unlike others who have held that office." 

He said Clinton's 1996 budget reflected $638 billion in deficit reduction o 

ver three years compared with "the record levels set by the past two Republican 

administrations" when the deficit reached a peak of $290 billion in 1992. 

"At least he's given us some specifics (in the 1996 budget)," Exon said of 

Clinton. "The Republicans haven't come up with anything specific." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Vows More Cuts in Budget 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) Republicans are vowing to demonstrate the leadership they s 

ay President Clinton abdicated when he submitted to Congress what they believe i 

s a spineless budget that sidesteps the tough choices needed to balance the budg 

et. 

The administration had hoped Clinton's $1.61 trillion spending plan for 199 

6 with its middle-class tax relief and avoidance of unpopular cuts in government 

benefit programs would be a political crowd pleaser. 

BUT INSTEAD of widespread praise, Clinton's budget was drawing heavy critic 

ism, not only from Republicans but from many Democrats as well. 

"The president's budget falls short, way short, of the deficit reduction we 

need," said Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget 

Committee. 

Critics complained that the president should have gone after fast-growing b 

enefit programs that account for almost half of federal spending. His failure to 

do that, they said, was the main reason that the deficits in his budget hover n 

ear $200 billion a year for the rest of the decade. 

Clinton's budget proposed cutting government programs by $144 billion over 

the next five years, mainly through restructuring several big departments and el 

iminating or reducing the size of 400 smaller programs. Of the savings, $63 bill 

ion would be used for middle-class tax relief and $81 billion for deficit reduct 

ions. 

Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, White House budget director Alice Rivlin a 

nd presidential economist Laura Tyson were heading to Capitol Hill today to defe 

nd the president's budget before a skeptical Congress. 

"WE'RE GOING to try to work with him but essentially this budget, whil 

e it's not dead on arrival, is on life support," said Senate Budget Committee Ch 

airman Pete Domenici, R-N.M. 

But White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta said on Fox TV this morning, "I 

t's easy to throw stones from the sidelines. They have responsibility now to try 

to come up with specifics ... We've proposed our budget. Let's see what they do 

." 

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Democratic National Committ 

ee, said on CBS that if Republicans "want credibility on this, they've got to en 

gage in more than platitudes and rhetoric." 

House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich, R-Ohio, charged that Clinton's 

budget represented "an abdication of leadership. Its a political document meant 

to try to trap people who are serious about reducing the deficit."

BUT THE administration, which pushed a $505 billion deficit-cutting program 

through Congress two years ago without any Republican support, seemed more than 

content to sit back and watch the GOP, which now controls Congress, take the le 

ad in deficit reduction this year. 




SOUR[Omaha World-Herald (Iowa Ed.) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Nelson: Plan No 'Power Grab' 

TEXT[Lincoln - Gov. Nelson told state senators Tuesday that his proposal to make 

the University of Nebraska Board of Regents an appointed board would increase t 

he board's accountability. 

Two regents said the University of Nebraska's governing board is more accou 

ntable to the public in its current form, as an elected board. A third regent su 

pported the governor's proposal. 

Nelson said that allowing the regents to be appointed by the governor would 

decrease the role of politics in governing the university system. He said appoi 

nted regents could make decisions on the basis of the best policy for the state 

- rather than worrying about running for re-election. 

"Let me say up front: This is not a power grab," Nelson said in testimony i 

n support of Legislative Resolution 29. The proposed constitutional amendment wo 

uld change the Board of Regents from an eight-member elected board to a nine-mem 

ber appointed board. To be enacted, the proposal would need approval from the Le 

gislature and state voters. 

"This proposal is about accountability- accountability in appropriations, a 

ccountability in policy, accountability in administration," Nelson said. "Accoun 

tability is provided because the buck has to stop somewhere, and it will stop wi 

th the governor." 

Two regents - Chairman Nancy O'Brien of Omaha and Dr. Charles Wilson of Lin 

coln - disputed Nelson's argument. 

"More accountable to whom - the voters or the governor?" Dr. Wilson asked. 

He said he must respond to the concerns of his constituents or risk losing his j 

ob when voters go to the polls. 

"I think I'm accountable now," said Mrs. O'Brien. "Nebraskans like to contr 

ol who they see sitting in positions of authority. ... In all fairness, I do bel 

ieve the people of Nebraska will vote against it (Nelson's proposal)." 

Mrs. O'Brien said that, to win election, she had to go out and talk with co 

nstituents face to face to learn what they expected of the University system. 

A third regent, Robert Allen of Hastings, testified in support. 

"The governance (under the current system) is controlled by (the university 

's) central administration, Allen told the committee. "The agenda is set for us. 

" 

He said that appointed regents would tend to focus more on the needs of stu 

dents. 

The proposal, introduced by Sen. Ardyce Bohlke of Hastings at Nelson's requ 

est, would be placed on the November 1996 ballot if passed by the Legislature. I 

f approved by Nebraska voters, the change would take effect in 1998. 

Sen. Bohlke said the amendment would provide for an appointed regent from e

ach of the existing eight geographical regents' districts and for a ninth at-lar 

ge appointee. 

With an annual budget of $305 million, the university system represents 17 

percent of the state budget, Nelson said. Making the Board of Regents answerable 

to the governor would give the governor more control over how the N.U. budget i 

s spent, he said. 

Nelson said the amendment would, in effect, overturn a 1977 Nebraska Suprem 

e Court ruling, in Board of Regents vs. Exon, limiting the power of the Legislat 

ure and the governor over the N.U. system. 

Sen. Bohlke told the committee that running for office has become expensive 

. Regent candidates in recent years have spent as much as $84,000. The cost disc 

ourages many otherwise qualilied people from running, she said. 

Gov. Nelson said he would not be opposed to a board that was partially elec 

ted and partially appointed - even though he believes a completely appointed boa 

rd "makes the most sense." 

Sen. David Bernard-Stevens of North Platte and Sen. Chris Beutler of Lincol 

n questioned Nelson about provisions that would allow the governor to remove his 

appointees at will. 

The two senators asked whether that would make appointees too vulnerable to 

the political whims of their boss. 

Nelson dubbed that "the deranged governor" theory. 

He said the political costs of such arbitrary action would be too high for 

any governor. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Lawmakers unite in budget criticism 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Three Nebraska lawmakers closed party ranks Monday in cr 

iticizing President Clinton's proposed budget by calling it inadequate. 

Both Democratic Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said the president failed to 

address the growth of entitlements, while Republican Rep. Jon Christensen said C 

linton's proposal did not go far enough in tackling the nation's deficit. 

"The president has chosen not to significantly reduce entitlement spending, 

the real cause of growth in the deficit," Exon said in a statement. 

Kerrey called Clinton's budget shortsighted. 

"Entitlement spending and interest on the national debt are consuming large 

r and larger amounts of total spending," he said in a statement. 

Kerrey called for the budget to be approached in a much more long-term fash 

ion than is currently the case. He called for a 30-year time frame favored by th 

e President's Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, instead of th 

e current five-year term. 

Kerrey served as chairman of the bipartisan commission, which issued a repo 

rt late last year that backed stiff measures to rein in the growth of Social Sec 

urity and Medicare. 

Nebraska's Republican Congressmen Doug Bereuter and Bill Barrett indicated 

they were still examining the budget and would have a response at a later date. 

Christensen said the president did not go far enough in slicing into the na

tion's deficit, citing the Republican's pledge to balance the budget by 2002. 

"This budget just doesn't go far enough, but I'm willing to work to expand 

the president's proposals into a courageous package that puts our fiscal house i 

n order," Christensen said. 

Overall, entitlement spending on programs such as Social Security, Medicare 

and Veteran's Benefits constitute more than half of the federal budget. Yet all 

of these programs are untouched in Clinton's 1996 budget. 

The 1996 Clinton budget shows Medicare climbing by almost $21 billion, to $ 

178 billion, which the federal share of Medicaid would jump by $7.5 billion, to 

$96 billion. 




SOUR[The Grand Island Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN['Fiscally Irresponsible': Even Democrats lukewarm on Clinton's proposed bud 

get 

TEXT[President Clinton's top lieutenants heard an unusual amount of Democratic g 

rumbling amid predictable Republican snarls Tuesday as they began defending his 

$1.61 trillion budget on Capitol Hill. 

In House and Senate hearing rooms, Democrats gave the administration's 1996 

fiscal outline a tepid review, stark contrast to the plaudits that presidents' 

budgets usually receive from members of their own party. 

The Democrats' main complaints about the blueprint Clinton introduced a day 

earlier were twofold. They said its $81 billion in deficit reduction over five 

years was too little, dwarfed by the annual $200 billion shortfalls the administ 

ration projects. And they said that at a time of relentless budget gaps, the pre 

sident's proposed $63 billion tax cut was unaffordable. 

"I think it's fiscally irresponsible," Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, ranking 

Democrat on the Budget Committee, said of Clinton's proposed tax reduction. He 

spoke to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Laura Tyson, head of the president' 

s Council of Economic Advisers. 

At the House Budget Committee, Rep. Glen Browder, D-Ala.,lectured administr 

ation budget chief Alice Rivlin, telling her there was a new mood in Congress. 

"We favor cutting spending first rather than borrow-and-spend, tax-and-spen 

d, even tax cut-and-spend," he said. 

Ranking Democrat Martin Sabo, D-Minn., also showed little enthusiasm for Cl 

inton's plan, talking briefly of cooperating with the president to seek further 

deficit cuts. Sabo then accused Republicans of favoring cuts in Medicare and Med 

icaid, which help the elderly and poor pay medical bills, to lower taxes for "th 

e wealthy and the powerful." 

Though Democrats interspersed their criticism with praise - Sabo said Clint 

on "deserves credit for his efforts to reduce the deficit, streamline the federa 

l government and improve our economy"- Republicans were uniformly adamant that C 

linton's budget ignored a need to rein in deficits and cut spending. 

"I think the president has lost the moral authority to lead," said Sen. Cha 

rles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

The administration officials replied to the GOP criticisms with politically 

pointed invitations to produce better plans. They know the Republican job will

e much harder: to make good on campaign promises to cut taxes and balance the b 

udget by the year 2002 will cost $1.4 trillion according to the nonpartisan Cong 

ressional Budget Office. 

"We have shown our cards. We're waiting for yours," said Rivlin. 

"We presented our first package 27 days after we took office," said Tyson. 

"The Republican majority has been in control for more than 27 days. I don't unde 

rstand why there isn't a package right now." 

Clinton would pay for his tax cuts and deficit reduction with $144 billion 

in savings, mostly from defense and from shrinking the Energy Department and fou 

r other agencies. 

Benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the biggest and fastest gro 

wing part of the budget, would be nicked with relatively small reductions. Both 

parties have agreed to bypass Social Security, the largest program but one deeme 

d politically sacrosanct because of the voting power of seniors. 

The gentle treatment benefits received from Clinton prompted repeated chall 

enges from Republicans demanding why the administration had ignored the rapidly 

growing programs. 

Meanwhile, Nebraska's Republican congressmen criticized President Clinton, 

saying he lacked courage in his 1996 budget proposal. 

"I think that the president has shown a distinct lack of courage in not sub 

mitting any new ways of dealing with the budget deficit," Rep. Doug Bereuter sai 

d. 

Rep. Jon Christensen said the president lacked the "gumption" to cut the bu 

dget significantly by the year 2004. Christensen said the president's budget pro 

posal made clear the need for a balanced-budget amendment and the line-item veto 

. 

Those sentiments were echoed by Rep. Bill Barrett. 

"Clearly the president has presented a budget filled with politically safe 

spending cuts, and these politically safe cuts won't produce significant results 

," Barrett said. 

Overall, House Republicans continued to push for their "Contract With Ameri 

ca," which promises $200 billion in tax cuts, compared with Clinton's $63 billio 

n plan, plus a balanced budget by the year 2002, a goal estimated to require $1. 

2 trillion in additional budget cuts. 

Clinton proposes additional cuts of $144 billion over the next five years. 

The president's budget unveiled on Monday said the additional cuts would be secu 

red mainly through restructuring several big departments and eliminating or redu 

cing the size of 400 smaller programs. Of the savings, $63 billion would be used 

for middle class tax cuts and $81 billion for deficit reductions. 

Meawhile, Barrett is trumpeting the House's passage of the line-item veto a 

s a long-overdue boost to controlling the budget. 

"It's a good idea whose time should have come years ago," Barrett said. "If 

President Reagan had gotten this wish as recently as 15 years ago, I have no do 

ubts we would be in better fiscal shape." 

Bereuter also praised passage of the line-item veto as the beginning of the 

end for pork-barrel spending. 

The Nebraska legislators said Clinton's budget left in jeopardy the goal of 

eliminating the deficit by 2002. 

"We can't do it with a feeble budget like we were given yesterday," Barrett 

said Tuesday. 

Nebraska legislators didn't condemn all of the Clinton budget, however. 

"Generally speaking, agriculture comes out fairly well under Clinton's plan

," Barrett said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Midlands Representatives Fault Budget 

TEXT[Washington - Members of Congress from Nebraska and western Iowa were asked 

what they thought of President Clinton's 1996 budget. Their responses: 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa: "When the public has delivered such a powerf 

ul message to Washington to get its fiscal house in order, it is unconscionable 

for the president to submit a budget that fails to put the deficit on a real dow 

nward path. 

"In fact, the best-case scenario with his plan would leave in place $200 bi 

llion deficits and rising debt as far as the eye can see. That's not the kind of 

fiscal responsibility Americans are demanding." 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.: "Unlike our Republican colleagues, the president gi 

ves us at least a glimmer of what it will take to reach a balanced budget by the 

year 2002. 

"Unfortunately, the bad news about the president's budget outweighs the goo 

d in the most crucial area. The president's budget falls short - way short - of 

the deficit reduction we need to keep us on the path that we first forged when w 

e passed the historic deficit reduction plan in 1993." 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.: "If present trends are not interrupted by congress 

ional and presidential leadership and action, entitlement spending will consume 

all federal revenues by no later than the year 2012. The president's budget and 

Republican alternatives do not adequately address this." 

Rep. Jon Christensen, R-Neb.: "This budget just doesn't go far enough. Runn 

ing up another trillion dollars in debt in the next five years is not my idea of 

responsibility." 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb.: "Clearly the president has presented a budget fi 

lled with politically safe spending cuts, and these politically safe cuts won't 

produce significant results. His is a budget that, despite his claims of spendin 

g reductions, still allows federal spending to increase more than $70 billion an 

d the deficit to hover around $200 billion." 

Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.: "I think that the president has shown a distinc 

t lack of courage in not submitting any new ways of dealing with the budget defi 

cit. Perhaps he has concluded that, because he got little credit when he did sug 

gest measures to address the deficit, he will shift the total responsibility and 

criticism to the Republicans." 

Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa: "Republicans are ready to work with President Clin 

ton to heed the direction of fiscal responsibility that American voters mandated 

on November 8th." 

Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa: "The much anticipated budget puts us farther, not 

closer, to balancing the federal budget by the year 2002. President Clinton's b 

udget would actually leave us with a larger deficit in 2000 than we have in 1995 

."





BK#[ 

HDLN[40 Communities Get Grants for Police 

TEXT[Forty Nebraska communities will receive federal grants to put more police o 

fficers on the street, Sens. J.J Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Tuesday. 

The "Cops Fast" grants from the $200 million U.S. Department of Justice pro 

gram will allow each of the communities to hire one new officer. 

The following is a list of city and county law enforcement agencies in Nebr 

aska that are receiving the grants: 

Albion, Alliance, Ashland, Blair, Buffalo County, Cozad, Crete, Dakota Coun 

ty, Exon County, Fremont, Gordon, Gothenburg, Hamilton County, Hooper, Knox Coun 

ty, Lancaster County, Lexington, Madison, Minden, North Platte, O'Neill, the Oma 

ha Tribe, Plainview, Platte County, Red Willow County, Saline County, the Santee 

Sioux Tribe, Saunders County, Schuyler, Seward, South Sioux City, Stanton Count 

y, Superior, Valentine, Valley County, Wauneta, Wayne, Webster County, the Winne 

bago Tribe and Yutan. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Power Policy Under Review 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday that the Clinton administ 

ration has agreed to delay a decision on selling government-owned power-marketin 

g agencies. 

"President Clinton agreed to work with interested senators before pursuing 

this matter further," Exon said. 

He said he and other senators met with White House officials after the sale 

was proposed by the White House budget office. 

Exon said that if power-marketing agencies were purchased by private power 

interests, the cost to ratepayers could increase significantly. 

He said the administration agreed to consider having current users form a c 

onsortium that might negotiate for the purchase of the agencies. Purchase by a c 

onsortium could keep private power interests from buying the agencies and raisin 

g rates to municipalities in Nebraska, Exon said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., also opposed the sale of the agencies. 

"I favor privatizing those government services that can be better handled a 

nd more cheaply run by the private sector, but the Western Area Power Administra 

tion is not one of them," Kerrey said. 



AUTH[(editorial) 


BK#[

HDLN[Jim Exon takes stand for fiscal discipline 

TEXT[It is a classic struggle between desire and discipline - a struggle as old 

as the human race. 

We all desire tax cuts. We lust after tax cuts. We are eager to retire poli 

ticians who talk about tax increases and eager to elect those who talk about tax 

reductions. 

But to reduce the federal deficit will take discipline. We are not eager fo 

r discipline. At least, not for ourselves. Maybe for the other person. 

Talking the hard talk of discipline is Nebraska Senator J. J. Exon, the ran 

king Democrat of the Senate Budget Committee. If we are going to move toward a b 

alanced budget amendment, Exon says, we had better start now by disciplining our 

selves not to expect tax reductions. Exon as committed a Democrat as anyone, who 

ever wore that label, criticized his president's proposed budget for including 

tax reductions at the expense of deficit reductions. 

Republicans want even bigger tax reductions. Exon will oppose those, too. 

This is the politics of courage, of discipline, of common sense. There does 

not seem to be a lot of that around these days, and it needs to be applauded. 

Exon favors a balanced budget amendment. So do a lot of politicians who wan 

t to get credit for passing it, but want to put off paying for it as Iong as pos 

sible. 

The senator from Nebraska correctly points out that unless Congress and the 

president start doing more to close the budget gap now, the nation cannot possi 

bly get there by the time the amendment would take effect in 2002. 

Tax cuts are so alluring, discipline is so hard. Jim Exon is right. As much 

as we would all like to think otherwise, tax cuts now make no fiscal or logical 

sense. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grants to help area law enforcement 

TEXT[Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey recently announced that 40 Nebraska communiti 

es - including two cities and one county in Tribland - will receive federal gran 

ts to put more law enforcement officers on the street. 

The COPS FAST grants from the $200 million U.S. Department of Justice progr 

am will allow each of the communities to hire one new officer. 

The Minden and Superior police deparnments and the Webster County Sheriff'a 

Department were among those listed to receive funds through the program. 

Officials in Tribland this morning said they had not received official word 

one the grants but the help would be appieciated. 

Minden Police Chief Jim Huff said the COPS FAST program, Community Oriented 

Policing Service and Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns, would pay for 75 pe 

rcent of salary and benefits for an additional police officer or up to $75,000 o 

ver three years. 

After he receives official word Huff said he can approach the Minden City C 

ouncil to see if it would agree to hire the additional officer, adding to his cu 

rrent staff of four officers.

"I have wanted to be able to have five officers on staff for years," Huff s 

aid. "Now maybe we can have that a reality." 

Webster County Sheriff Jim Disney said he currently has four deputies staff 

ing the department. 

He said when he hears official word on the grant, he must approach the Webs 

ter County Board to see if it is willing to appropriate the additional money nee 

ded to hire another deputy. 

Superior officials applied for the grant in December. 

Superior Police Chief Robert Allgood said he would welcome help with hiring 

and training an additional officer. Superior now has six officers and could use 

more than one more, Allgood said. 

Entry level salary for the Superior force is $14,976, plus fringe benefits 

of more than $6,400. 

The following is a list of other law enforcement agencies in Nebraska that 

are receiving the grants: 

Albion Police Department, Alliance Police Department, Ashland Police Depart 

ment, city of Blair, Buffalo County Sheriff's Office, Cozad Police Department, C 

rete Police Department, Dakota County Sheriff's Department, Dixon County Sheriff 

, city of Fremont, city of Gordon, Gothenburg Police Department, Hamilton County 

Sheriff's Department, city of Hooper, Knox County Sheriff's Department, Lancast 

er County Sheriff's Office, city of Lexington, Madison Police Department, North 

Platte Police Department, O'Neill Police Department. 

Omaha Tribe Police Department, Plainview Police Department, Platte County S 

heriff's Office, Red Willow County Sheriff's Department, Saline County Sheriff's 

Office, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Saunders County Sheriff's Department, S 

chuyler Police Department, city of Seward, South Sioux City Police Department, S 

tanton County Sheriff, city of Valentine, Valley County Sheriff's Office, Waunet 

a Police Department, Wayne Police Department, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Police 

, village of Yutan. 

The grant is authorized by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Ac 

t of 1994, to encourage development of police-citizen cooperation to control cri 

me, maintain order and improve the quality of life in a community. 



AUTH[Christopher Georges and Lucinda Harper 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton Budget Draw Bipartisan Fire For Failing to Cut Spending Enough 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill took aim at Pre 

sident Clinton's newly released budget for not being aggressive enough in reduci 

ng federal spending. 

"We are coming up way short on deficit reduction in this budget," said 

Democratic Sen. James Exon of Nebraska. "How can we entertain the notion of a t 

ax cut when we need $1.2 trillion in savings to balance the budget?...It's fisca 

lly irresponsible." 

Not so, said Mr. Clinton's top economic advisers, who are defending hi 

s budget this week in a series of hearings before Congress. Arguing that the def 

icit is now "under control," Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin said the administra 

tion has already shrunk the deficit by $100 billion over the past two years. 

The deficit is expected to narrow to $192.5 billion for the fiscal yea

ending Sept. 30 from a record $290 billion in fiscal 1992. However, in Preside 

nt Clinton's proposed fiscal 1996 budget, it would begin to expand; his budget p 

uts the deficit at $196.7 billion. Administration officials respond that the def 

icit as a percentage of the nation's total output will shrink over the next few 

years. 

While Mr. Clinton's first budget, for fiscal 1994, took a serious whac 

k at the deficit, his last two have largely side-stepped the issue. This year, M 

r. Clinton seemed content to let Congressional Republicans take the lead --- alo 

ng with the responsibility --in offering large-scale cuts to meet their goal of 

balancing the budget over seven years. 

White House officials also found themselves defending the administrati 

on's decision to omit health-care or welfare reform from the budget. While the a 

dministration is committed to reforming benefit programs, said White House Budge 

t Director Alice Rivlin, it is aiming to develop its proposals in conjunction wi 

th Congress. 

"I don't think it would have served a useful purpose to restate our we 

lfare-reform proposal in the budget since we're in the middle of active dialogue 

not only with the Congress but states and localities," she said. 

Despite the criticism, Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona offered a measu 

re of encouragement: "I've heard what was then some of the majority 

party say that president Reagan's or President Bush's budgets were dead on arriv 

al; we don't believe that's the case here." 



AUTH[Daniel Pearl 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Government Tackles a Surge of Smut on the Internet 

TEXT[On-line computer services are bracing for a government crackdown against sm 

ut on the internet-even though nobody's quite sure if the Net can be regulated. 

The Internet, a loose, world-wide collection of computer networks, has 

traditionally had no limits on expression, except by vigilantes who cancel mess 

ages or "flame" their senders. Commercial services linked to the Internet have b 

een loath to police their customers. 

But that's changing, amid an explosion of sex talk and graphics on ele 

ctronic bulletin boards, as well as recent publicity about electronic mail being 

used to stalk women and arrange sex with minors. 

Last week, Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.) introduced legislation calling for 

two-year prison terms for anyone who sends obscene or harassing electronic tran 

smissions. The Senate Commerce Committee last year approved similar language as 

part of a bill that eventually died. Several states, including New York and Okla 

ma, are considering legislation to restrict sexually oriented computer transmiss 

ions. 

Concern about phone-sex lines led Congress to enact restrictions in 19 

92. Partly as a result, the 900-number industry "hit its peak in 1992," said Rob 

ert L. Smith Jr., executive director of the Interactive Services Association, wh 

ich represents both telephone and computer services. Some states have also crack 

ed down.

State laws are especially troubling to some Internet activists, who ci 

te a case last year in which a Tennessee court convicted a California couple of 

violating obscenity laws with their sexually oriented bulletin board based in Mi 

lpitas, Calif. The jury applied the community standards of Memphis, because the 

photographs were downloaded there. 

"It means nothing can be put on the Internet that is more racy than wo 

uld be tolerated in the most conservative community in the U.S.," says Robert Pe 

ck, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington. 

Mr. Peck sees "greater demands for content control" in Congress, and on-l 

ine services fear that they, as well as their customers, will be targeted. In ad 

dition to hiring Washington lobbyists and lawyers, 

representatives of America Online, CompuServe and other commercial services have 

been meeting in recent weeks to discuss ways of policing themselves so the gove 

rnment won't step in. 

Last year, on-line services banded together to help distribute 100,000 free br 

ochures featuring on-line safety tips for children. CompuServe and others provid 

e features that allow subscribers to lock children out of certain service areas. 

Prodigy Services Co., a partnership of International Business Machines Corp. an 

d Sears, Roebuck & Co., even automatically screens out messages that contain dir 

ty words. And last month, America Online Inc. promised a crackdown on "chat room 

s"-conversation spaces set up by users-that have sexually explicit names. 

But there are limits on how far the services can go. Federal laws prohibit 

snooping into users' e-mail, so on-line services must wait for angry subscribers 

to turn in others. Last month, America Online expelled several subscribers afte 

r receiving copies of digitized child pornography from users who had received th 

em as e-mail. 

Also, on-line services run the risk of being treated in court like active p 

rogrammers who help determine the content of on-line discussions, rather than me 

rely providing the electronic conduit. "They're really caught in a tough bind," 

says David Post, a visiting professor at Georgetown University's law school, who 

has advised the services. "There's a notion that if you exercise editorial cont 

rol at all, then you are responsible for what slips through." 

Instead, the services would prefer to be treated like telephone compan 

ies, which claim no responsibility for telephone conversations. With millions of 

messages passing through each day, the services say they couldn't possibly moni 

tor everything even if they tried. 

Sen. Exon is unconvinced, "If I were against this, if I didn't want to 

be bothered with it, if I felt it might complicate my ability to make money on 

the superhighway, that's the argument I would make," he says, adding that a fail 

ure by the government to act would be "an open invitation to some of the hardcor 

e pornography getting into our homes." 

His bill, among other things, would also require cable systems to scra 

mble adult programming and allow them to block public-access programming that co 

ntained "obscenity, indecency or nudity." The ACLU's Mr. Peck says the measure r 

uns afoul of the First Amendment, because its definition of prohibited speech is 

too broad. He says "indecent" material is protected unless unsupervised childre 

n can inadvertently be exposed to it. 

Moreover, the U.S. government has no jurisdiction over much of the glo 

bal Internet. Commercial providers, which are opening wider gateways to the Inte 

rnet each day, have little authority over it, either. 

Kent Stuckey, corporate counsel for H&R Block Co.'s CompuServe Inc., calls 

the Net "the great unknown," and says his company can do little more than warn u

sers they may stumble upon tawdry material. "We don't attempt in any way to prot 

ect them," he says. "It's impossible." 

Others see a technological solution. Some services, including America 

Online, have a crude sort of filter that makes it harder to stumble upon Interne 

t bulletin boards such as alt.sex.bestiality and alt.binaries.pictures.erotica. 

Some universities screen out any board whose name includes "alt"(alternative, or 

chatty, nonacademic subjects) or "sex." 

The Center for Democracy and Technology, a new nonprofit civil-liberti 

es group based in Washington, is trying to drum up interest among on-line servic 

es for creating more sophisticated filters that users could customize. The filte 

rs would read coded information at the beginning of each electronic feature and 

decide if it fits standards set by each customer. 

"You could have the Pat Robertson rating system, the Motion Picture ra 

ting system, the Playboy rating system," says the group's founder, Jerry Berman, 

former director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. 

That civil liberties group, meanwhile, is pushing the idea of "cyberco 

urts." These would be outside arbitrators who would resolve disputes over sexual 

materials, defamation and copyright violations. David R. Johnson, the foundatio 

n's chairman, said putting standardized labels on electronic messages runs count 

er to the Internet's decentralized nature. 

But Mr. Berman said it may be the only way to head off government cont 

rols. "This threat is real, and there has to be an overarching response," he sai 

d. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Area towns get grants for officers 

TEXT[Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Tuesday that North Platte, Cozad, G 

othenburg, Lexington, Alliance, Wauneta, Gordon and Valentine are among 40 Nebra 

ska communities receiving federal grants to put more police officers on the stre 

et. 

The "Cops Fast" grants from the $200 million U.S. Department of Justice pro 

gram will allow each of the communities to hire one new officer. 

At the Dec. 6, North Platte City Council meeting the council authorized pol 

ice chief Martin Gutschenritter to apply for the federal funds with the reservat 

ion that the application did not necessarily mean the program would go into effe 

ct. 

At that meeting it was specified that if North Platte was selected for the 

grant the program would end up back on the council's agenda for further consider 

ation. The council was then to decide whether or not to spend the local share of 

funds required to receive the federal money. 

North Platte Mayor Keith Richardson and Gutschenritter both declined commen 

t Tuesday since the city has not yet received official notification. Richardson 

said if he receives notification soon, the matter could be added to the council' 

s Feb. 21 agenda. 

In December the understanding was that federal dollars would take care of u

p to 75 percent of salary costs for three years with the city's share at 25 perc 

ent. After the first three years the city would assume all costs. 

Gutschenritter had estimated the cost of three additional 

police officers' salaries, a promotion of a current officer to sergeant and a de 

partment secretary for one year would cost about $105,950. 

Federal money would cover about $63,513, leaving the city to pay about $42, 

438. Over three years, the city's cost was projected to be about $127,314. 

There also would be a cost for vehicle expenses, uniforms and program expen 

ses, which Gutschenritter estimated to total about $63,468. 

Programs Gutchenritter had said would benefit from expansion of the police 

department include Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Santa Cop and bicycle safety 

rodeos. The program also might allow expansion of the DARE program to target ju 

nior high students and offer police patrol on foot and on bicycles, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[People Places & Things 

TEXT[MORE FUN THIS TIME: As Nebraska's National Republican Committeewoman, Pat D 

orwart has made a number of official trips to the nation's capital. But the 1995 

trip last month was the one she will remember. This is the year the Grand Old P 

arty is in full control of things in Washington D.C. and the state officials who 

met with Newt Gingrich and the other Republican leaders last month had a Grand 

Old Time. 

The excitement was electric and the atmosphere was one of triumph for 

the first time in a forty year span while the Democrats were controlling both th 

e House and Senate. 

Mrs. Dorwart said it was a new and welcome experience to be a part of 

the majority. And to be in the presence of Newt Gingrich was an experience that 

excited even the seasoned veterans of a party that had been in minority since th 

e Eisenhower days. 

It wasn't an atmosphere of boastfulness or arrogance, she stressed. Ra 

ther, it was a new air of confidence that the party has found its true message i 

n the GOP Contract With America. 

Because of the sharp political turnaround in the November election, the Neb 

raska Committeewoman says each state is now looking to 1996 for an opportunity t 

o recapture lost ground and solidify the GOP victories of 1994. 

She sees new optimism in Nebraska, where the Republicans 

are anxious to recapture one of the United States Senate seats next year. Sen. J 

.J. Exon is expected to be the unopposed Democrat in the race. Mrs. Dorwart thin 

ks the Republicans interested in the race will begin surfacing very soon. 

One who isn't expected to try the Senate race again is Jan Stoney, the 

personable Omaha woman who gave Sen. Robert Kerrey such a lively race last year 

. Mrs. Stoney isn't showing any interest at this time in again entering the roug 

h and tumble arena of national politics, according to Mrs. Dorwart. 

Because the GOP is in the ascendancy and the political pot will begin 

to boil again very soon, Mrs. Dorwart is anticipating a busy and pleasurable yea 

r of action for Nebraska GOP leaders. In a state that is traditionally Republica 

n, she sees a good chance of some major wins in the 1996 campaign. And there's n

othing she enjoys more than a lively political campaign. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Bill to Stop Porn on the "Info-Superhighway" 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) today introduced a bill to update federal comm 

unications law protecting decency. The Communications Decency Act would extend a 

nd strengthen protections against obscene and indecent material to cover compute 

rs, cable television and other emerging technologies. 

"I want to keep the information superhighway from resembling a red light di 

strict," said Exon. "This legislation will help stop those who electronically cr 

uise the digital universe to engage children in inappropriate communications and 

introductions or electronically stalk users of computer networks." 

Exon's bill would: 

*Toughen penalties for obscene, indecent, or harassing use of telecommunica 

tion devices by boosting the maximum fine from $50,000 to $100,000, and increasi 

ng the maximum jail sentence from six months to two years. 

*Require cable systems to fully scramble audio and video portions of adult 

pay-per-view programming so that non-subscribing households are not invaded by u 

nwanted, explicit material. 

*Prohibit the use of toll-free "800" numbers as a ruse to charge for adult 

"phone sex" lines. 

*Give cable operators the authority to block public access or leased access 

programs that include obscenity, indecency or nudity. 

"New telecommunications technologies will provide tremendous opportunities 

for education, culture and entertainment," Exon said. "That should be encouraged 

. But sadly, there is a dark side to the bright flicker of the computer screen. 

The explosion of technology also threatens an explosion of misuse. The Communica 

tions Decency Act will help protect our children against this misuse." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators differ on Foster nomination: Exon, Kerrey agree Congress should st 

ay out of baseball strike 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Nebraska's two Democratic senators agree Congress should stay 

out of the baseball strike, but they differ on the fate of Dr. Henry Foster Jr., 

the embattled surgeon general nominee. 

Sen. Jim Exon, who opposes the use of federal funds for abortions except in 

the case of rape or when the mother's life is in danger, said the administratio 

n should not continue to push Foster's nomination. 

"I'm betting it will be withdrawn," he said, noting it appeared to be anoth 

er case in which Clinton was ill-served by his staff, which gave him faulty info

mation on Foster's abortion history. As a result, the information was passed on 

to the Senate, where some members are complaining bitterly that they were misin 

formed about the nominee. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey said this morning that he sees "no reason not to support (F 

oster)," who he says was chosen because of his success in turning around teen-ag 

e pregnancy rates, one of the major social problems facing this country. 

On the baseball front, Exon, a rabid fan, said that while he is proud that 

he urged President Clinton to become involved, he does not believe that Congress 

should approve legislation that would require the baseball union and the owners 

to submit to binding arbitration. 

If Congress does anything, it should concentrate on the antitrust exemption 

baseball enjoys, Exon said. 

Exon said he and other members of the Senate Democratic Caucus met with bas 

eball union officials last week, and were able to extract from them a promise to 

submit to binding arbitration for the 1995 season, and the caucus plans to meet 

baseball owners tomorrow. 

Exon said it is "critically important" that the 1995 season be played, beca 

use if there is no agreement, the owners are sure to field teams with minor leag 

uers or replacement players from the general public. 

Kerrey said there is no "economic peril" on which to base congressional int 

ervention that would lead to binding arbitration. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State's truth tellers 

TEXT[An independent spirit is a Nebraska trademark. Perhaps that is why the stat 

e's two senators - Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon - refuse to kowtow to the easy politi 

cal rhetoric. 

Kerrey has already established himself as the truth-teller about the countr 

y's Social Security system and the need to rein it in. 

Now Exon has become a spokesman for budget reason and against a middle-clas 

s tax cut. 

Exon says he favors tax cuts "when we can afford them." 

"But right now our priority should be clear: Deficit reduction must come fi 

rst. How can we mention tax cuts and a balanced budget amendment in the same bre 

ath? It strikes me as the height of irresponsibility," he said last week in a sp 

eech supporting the balanced budget amendment. 

This week the senior Nebraska senator reiterated his opposition to middle-c 

lass tax cuts during comments on the federal budget proposals. 

He urged Democrats and Republicans to "back off their calls for tax cuts at 

a time when it makes no fiscal or logical sense." 

Exon says he will oppose any tax cut proposal during a time of rising defic 

its. 

Neither man will win popularity contests with their assessments. But they a 

re giving us the truth.




SOUR[Annapolis Capital 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator's urge caution in Republican rush to tax relief 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) Tax-cut fever is giving way to some sober second thoughts o 

n Capitol Hill, where more than a dozen senators are urging their colleagues to 

resist the stampede. 

Amid signs that the substantial tax relief promised in the House Republican 

"Contract With America" may be scaled back, some key Senate Democrats and Repub 

licans are making clear they disapprove of the rush to cut taxes. 

Eight Democrats exhorted colleagues in a letter to "resist the temptation" 

to be fiscally irresponsible. Now that group, doubled in size and still growing, 

is pushing a Senate resolution that says all spending cuts should be used to re 

duce the federal deficit rather than to cut taxes. 

"This tax cut has a soft underbelly," said Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a le 

ader of the troops bucking the tide. "This thing isn't a done deal." 

The GOP landslide in November was widely interpreted as a clearcut call for 

tax cuts. President Clinton immediately proposed his own package, as did House 

Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri. 

Tax relief may still be inevitable, given that virtually every leader of bo 

th parties has embraced it. But there are signs this week of retrenchment and of 

more vigorous opposition than the election results first suggested. 

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., said yesterday that the ultimate House 

tax plan may not look exactly like the five-year, $200 billion proposal in the c 

ontract, the campaign document that hundreds of House candidates signed and ran 

on. He went out of his way to express support for two types of cuts - capital ga 

ins and the $500-per-child tax credit - but did not mention the many others in t 

he contract. 

Interest on the national debt was the government's third-largest spending c 

ategory in 1994, ranking behind only defense and Social Security. Mr. Clinton's 

budget for 1996 projects that in 1997 interest on the national debt will have be 

come the biggest single spending category. 

The president's budget, which proposes a smaller tax cut than Republicans f 

avor, projects deficits of around $200 billion a year for the next five years, a 

dding that much each year to the national debt. 

Some half-dozen senators raised their hands at a private GOP session yester 

day when a colleague asked who opposed tax cuts. "I was surprised at the number, 

" said one of them, the moderate Jim Jeffords of Vermont. "I was surprised that 

I didn't seem to be alone on this one." 

Among Mr. Jeffords' GOP allies are Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bob Pa 

ckwood of Oregon, Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pen 

nsylvania. Other Republican senators say they are worried - about the politics o 

f retreating on a tax cut and the economics of passing one. 

Senate Democrats against the cuts include Mr. Feingold and Robert Byrd of W 

est Virginia, a master of Senate stalling tactics; the top Democrats on the Fina 

nce, Budget and Commerce Committees, Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, James 

Exon of Nebraska and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina; Paul Simon of Illinois; 

Charles Robb of Virginia; Dale Bumpers of Arkansas; Harry Reid of Nevada; and Pa

tty Murray of Washington. 

Some 15 Democrats already are signed on to Mr. Feingold's deficit-reduction 

resolution, with more sponsors of both parties expected to enlist. It will be o 

ffered during Senate consideration of the balanced-budget amendment to the Const 

itution, and later in conjunction with the budget resolution and major fiscal bi 

lls. 



AUTH[Tim Curran 


BK#[ 

HDLN[The Money Chase Is Already on for 1996 

TEXT[Republicans may covet the Southern seats held by Sens. Sam Nunn (D-Ga) and 

Howell Heflin (D-Ala), but according to year end campaign fundraising filings, b 

oth begin the 1996 campaign with war chests in excess of $1 million. 

By the end of 1994, the 30 Senators still seeking re-election next year had 

amassed almost $12.7 million in their campaign accounts. Although it has been t 

argeted for reform in recent Congresses, there is no prohibition or limit on the 

rollover of excess campaign funds to the next election. 

Nine Senators facing re-election next year had at least a half a million do 

llars in reserve. 

Topping the list of well-funded Senate campaigns was Texas Republican Phil 

Gramm, whose presidential aspirations helped fill his campaign coffers. He start 

ed 1995 with more than $3 million in reserve for the Senate race he hopes to run 

simultaneously with his bid for the White House next year. 

The only other Senator facing rejection in 1996 with more than $1 million i 

n the bank was Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R),who locks strong in his effort 

to win a third term. 

Democrats would need a net gain of four seats in the next round of election 

s to win back a majority in the Senate - although if they retained the presidenc 

y they would need only three more seats to have partisan control. Altogether, 18 

Republican and 15 Democratic seats are up. 

Nervous about their prospects, particularly in the Southern states that ove 

rwhelmingly rejected their candidates last year, Democrats have been urging both 

Nunn and Heflin to run again, but both are seen as potential retirees. Heflin r 

aised less than $32,000 last year, while Nunn actually returned almost $6,000 mo 

re in contributions than he took in during 1994. 

If they do seek re-election, they'll have a staggering financial head start 

over any challenger not willing to dump huge sums of personal money into the co 

ntest. 

Among Republican Senators who will he targeted by Democrats next year, the 

fundraising showing of Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) was particularly noteworthy. 

Since his last re-election in 1990, a race in which he spent more than $17 

million, Helms has split with the National Conservative Club, the fundraising an 

d strategy apparatus he helped bring to prominence in the state. At the end of t 

he year Helms had just $7,300 in cash on hand while he still carried more than $ 

87,000 in debt. 

Helms continues to rely heavily on direct mail contributions, which have hi 

gh overhead and low return, and the vast majority of his contributions are small

, individual ones in the double-figure range. 

During 1994 Helms raised almost $726,000 and spent $694,000. 

Several Democrats will probably vie for a shot at Helms in 1996, including 

former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt(D),the man he beat in 1990. 

Others carrying significant debts into 1995 included both of the freshman S 

enators elected to fill out unexpired terms last year. Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Ten 

n) carried a $ 116,000 debt from his 1994 campaign committee and $3,000 in his 1 

996 committee. Freshman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla) had a $103,000 debt. 

But despite the bad cash positions, both Inhofe and Thompson are expected t 

o be heavy favorites for reelection next year as they seek to win full six-year 

Senate terms. 

The most active fundraisers among the class of '96 included Democratic Sens 

. John Kerry (Mass), who raised $806,000 during 1994, Joe Biden (Del), $354,000 

during the year, Bill Bradley (NJ), $423,000, and Tom Harkin (Iowa), $550,000. 

Bradley, Biden, and Kerry are among a handful of Senate incumbents who do n 

ot accept PAC money. Kerry's campaign spent $559,000 during the year, the most o 

f any Democrat up in 1996. 

McConnell, favored to win a third term next year, had the best dollar retur 

n on his fundraising investment last year, raising $518,000 while paying out jus 

t $30,000. 

Several Senators raised no campaign money during 1994, including a trio of 

potential retirees: Sens. David Pryor (D-Ark), Carl Levin (D-Mich), and Claiborn 

e Pell (D-RI). 

Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore), seen by many as a potential retiree next year a 

nd bound to face a tough race if he seeks another term, raised $58,000 last year 

and had just $35,000 in cash on hand. 

Speculation has cooled that Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan) will not seek anot 

her term in 1996, but she raised no money last year and had just $118,000 in cas 

h on hand. 

Three Senators have already announced they will not seek re-election next y 

ear. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La) had almost $940,000 in his campaign account 

at the end of 1994, almost all of which he would be able to convert to a gubern 

atorial campaign this fail if he decides to take the plunge, which seems unlikel 

y. 

Retiring Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill) had almost $582,000 in his campaign accoun 

t and raised $223,000 during 1994. The other announced retiree, Sen. Hank Brown 

(R-Colo), had not filed he year-end report Wednesday. 



AUTH[Patrice Hill 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Forced disclosure of spending cuts fails 

TEXT[Senate Republicans closed ranks yesterday and defeated a Democratic proposa 

l to force disclosure of the spending cuts needed to balance the budget under a 

constitutional amendment. 

On a mostly party-line vote of 56 to 44, three Democratic, supporters of th 

e amendment joined 53 Republicans in tabling a proposal by Senate Democratic lea 

der Tom Daschle of South Dakota that would have required Congress to draft a bal

anced budget before sending the amendment to the states for ratification. 

The three Democrats voting against the proposal were the amendment's author 

, Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, Sen. Howell Heflin of Alabama, and Sen. Ben Night 

horse Campbell of Colorado. 

Shelved along with the Democrats "Right to Know" amendment was a Need to Le 

ad" counterproposal by Senate GOP leader Bob Dole of Kansas to require the presi 

dent to draft a balanced-budget plan. 

Sen. Daschle charged that Republicans were "abdicating responsibility" to t 

ell Americans the truth about their plans to cut Medicare and other popular prog 

rams to achieve balance in 2002 under the amendment. 

But most Democrats put up little protest over the defeat in the Senate's fi 

rst vote in 11 days of debate on the amendment. 

"They knew the amendment was phony," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, Utah Republican 

and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, noting that senators from both parties 

lead a hard time taking seriously the arcane budget rules and language the Demo 

cratic proposal would have added to the Constitution. 

"They just wanted to support their leader," Mr. Hatch said. 

Republicans and Democrats alike see as more of a threat a proposal pending 

before the Senate today that would forbid Congress to rely on $619 billion of So 

cial Security surpluses to balance the budget. 

One of the proposal's sponsors, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, 

says she will not vote for the constitutional amendment unless Social Security 

is exempted. Republicans have been negotiating with her and three other Democrat 

s who have similarly linked their votes to the Social Security issue. 

Sen. Phil Gramm, Texas Republican, said he believes the Democrats who have 

raised the Social Security issue are just looking for an excuse not to vote for 

the constitutional amendment, despite their support in previous years. 

"I'm worried that not everybody; who voted for it before will vote for it n 

ow that we're fighting with real bullets," he said. 

The amendment stands its best chance ever of being engraved into the Consti 

tution if the Senate approves it with the required two-thirds majority or 67 vot 

es. Senate leaders say they are still a couple of votes short of that goal. 

To blunt the criticism that the amendment endangers Social Security, Republ 

ican leaders today will offer a proposal requiring Congress to protect the pensi 

on program from budget cuts in legislation carrying out the constitutional amend 

ment. 

Mr. Hatch said he hopes the proposal will suffice to persuade Mrs. Feinstei 

n and other wavering Democrats to reaffirm their support for the amendment. 

Noting that balancing the budget was an issue in the re-election campaign o 

f Mrs. Feinstein and other Democrats last fall, he said he expects "that when th 

e chips are down, they'll vote for it." 

While Democrats promised to continue debating the Social Security issue and 

other proposals for days to come, Senate Majority Whip, Trent Lott, Mississippi 

Republican, warned them against using dilatory tactics to hold up enactment of 

the amendment. 

He said Senate leaders would bring it up for a vote again in, six months if 

it doesn't pass this time around. "We have two years," he said. 

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said t 

he Senate's 47 Democrats have no grand scheme to deep-six the amendment. He said 

about half of them flat-out oppose it, but another quarter of them strongly sup 

port it. The rest would like to make it workable with some refinements, he said.

"A lot of you people are angry with the Republicans" for treating the amend 

ment like a political document instead of a constitutional document that should 

be written carefully and debated at length rather than pushed through in a matte 

r of days, he said. 



AUTH[Alan McConagha 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Inside Politics - Exon's R rating, Budget Realism, The budget 

TEXT["It kind of reminds me of a mating dance of the whooping crane - a lot of m 

ovement, but nobody touches anybody," said Sen. Jim Exon, Nebraska Democrat, as 

reported by the National Journal's Congress Daily after Treasury Secretary Rober 

t E. Rubin and Senate Budget Chairman Pete V. Domenici clashed a the beginning o 

f "the budget so called debate." 

Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute scholar and 

expert on Congress, writes in USA Today that now the "heavy lifting" begins on t 

he cutting of federal spending: 

"There are lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who have shown a willingnes 

s to talk the talk and walk the walk - House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasi 

ch, Ohio Republican, and Sen. Bob Kerrey, Nebraska Democrat, among them. 

"Let's see how many of their colleagues will go along this year - and how m 

any will be happy to vote for symbolism and leave the real choices to their succ 

essors." 

The Chicago Tribune's William Neikirk: "The federal deficit has turned into 

the economic Vietnam of our time, a nasty war dividing up political parties, ge 

nerations and social classes while posing a major test of the national will." 



AUTH[Jill Lawrence 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators Urge Slowdown In Rush To Tax Relief 

TEXT[Tax-cut fever is giving way to some sober second thoughts on Capitol Hill, 

where more than a dozen senators are urging their colleagues to resist the stamp 

ede. 

Amid signs that the substantial tax relief promised in the House Republican 

"Contract With America" may be scaled back, some key Senate Democrats and Repub 

licans are making clear they disapprove of the rush to cut taxes. 

Eight Democrats exhorted colleagues in a letter to "resist the temptation" 

to be fiscally irresponsible. Now that group, doubled in size and still growing, 

is pushing a Senate resolution that says all spending cuts should be used to re 

duce the federal deficit rather than to cut taxes. 

"This tax cut has a soft under-belly," said Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a l 

eader of the troops bucking the tide. "This thing isn't a done deal." 

The GOP landslide in November was widely interpreted as a clear-cut call fo

tax cuts. President Clinton immediately proposed his own package, as did House 

Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri. 

Tax relief may still be inevitable, given that virtually every leader of bo 

th parties has embraced it. But there are signs this week of retrenchment and of 

more vigorous opposition than the election results first suggested. 

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., said Wednesday that the ultimate House 

tax plan may not look exactly like the five-year, $200 billion proposal in the c 

ontract, the campaign document that hundreds of House candidates signed and ran 

on. He went out of his way to express support for two types of cuts - capital ga 

ins and the $500-per-child tax credit but did not mention the many others in the 

contract. 

Interest on the national debt was the government's third-largest spending c 

ategory in 1994, ranking behind only defense and Social Security. Clinton's budg 

et for 1996 projects that in 1997 interest on the national debt will have become 

the biggest single spending category. 

The president's budget, which proposes a smaller tax cut than Republicans f 

avor, projects deficits of around $200 billion a year for the next five years, a 

dding that much each year to the national debt. 

Some half-dozen senators raised their hands at a private GOP session Wednes 

day when a colleague asked who opposed tax cuts. "l was surprised at the number" 

said one of them, the moderate Jim Jeffords of Vermont. "I was surprised that I 

didn't seem to be alone on this one." 

Among Jeffords' GOP allies are Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bob Packwo 

od of Oregon, Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsyl 

vania. Other Republican senators say they are worried about the politics of retr 

eating on a tax cut and the economics of passing one. 

Senate Democrats against the cuts include Feingold and Robert Byrd of West 

Virginia, a master of Senate stalling tactics; the top Democrats on the Finance, 

Budget and Commerce Committees, Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, James Exon 

of Nebraska and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina; Paul Simon of Illinois; Char 

les Robb of Virginia; Dale Bumpers of Arkansas; Harry Reid of Nevada; and Patty 

Murray of Washington. 

Some 15 Democrats already are signed on to Feingold's deficit-reduction res 

olution, with more sponsors of both parties expected to enlist. It will be offer 

ed during Senate consideration of the balanced-budget amendment to the Constitut 

ion, and later in conjunction with the budget resolution and major fiscal bills. 




SOUR[Los Angeles Times 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Democrats: Clinton Plan Comes Up Short On Cuts 

TEXT[Democrats were also critical. Sen. James Exon, the ranking minority member 

of Domenici's budget committee, said that he had - "expected more from the presi 

dent's budget than I got." Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey said he is "disappoin 

ted." And Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said the budget for fiscal 1996 does a good j 

ob in restraining discretionary spending but does not attack burgeoning entitlem 

ent spending.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Real savings or just government "smoke'? 

TEXT[Critics in both political parties say much of the savings President Clinton 

claims in his 1996 budget don't really exist. They may be right. 

But, paradoxically, each time Republicans raise the complaint, the party th 

at promised huge tax cuts and a balanced federal budget by the year 2002 in its 

- "Contract With America" complicates its own task. 

Presidents and Congresses have traded charges of smoke-and-mirror budget nu 

mbers for years. This time, the fight may directly affect whether House Republic 

ans can legitimately deliver on their promised cuts, and that could have lingeri 

ng effects on next year's elections. When Clinton released his 1.61 trillion 19 

96 budget, he claimed spending cuts worth $144 billion over the next five years. 

He wants to use the savings to cut taxes and reduce the deficit a bit. 

But Republicans, joined by some Democrats and nonpartisan analysts, say Cli 

nton's cuts are largely illusory. 

That's because he assures that the spending limits the 1990 budget law clap 

s on a broad range of programs will grow at the rate of inflation foil the next 

five years, instead of remaining roughly level. He then measures his proposed re 

ductions from those ever-growing ceilings, which make the savings look larger $6 

7 billion larger than they should, many analysts say. 

"This is how the administration proposes to pay for their middle class tax 

cut: First they increase the caps, then they 'save money' from the new, higher c 

aps," the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan anti-deficit 

group, scoffed in its latest newsletter. 

"That's a legitimate concern of mine," said Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, ra 

nking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. 

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, compar 

ed it Wednesday to a business-man artificially inflating the price of an item, t 

hen chopping it and claiming it was on sale. 

White House budget chief Alice Rivlin told Domenici's committee that in dec 

iding to measure its savings against ceilings that rose with inflation, the admi 

nistration was simply obeying the law. 

Domenici notes that the Congressional Budget Office, Congress' nonpartisan 

budget scorekeeper, lived under the same law and decided that the spending caps 

should be lowered slightly, not increased, to account for lower-than-expected in 

flation. 

It's an age-old battle over terrain so obscure that it's ignored by all but 

die-hard budget groupies. But it has real consequences on billions of dollars w 

orth of spending decisions. 

Some say that to measure savings, a program's budget should be compared wit 

h its spending total the previous year, the way families usually reassure their 

own finances. But for years, the government has measured each program against th 

e amount of money it would need to stay even, with inflation. That's because inf 

lation erodes the government's ability to buy as much in services for the dollar 

as it did the year before, and the ultimate measure of a program is the service 

s it delivers.

This is an constant source of public bafflement. It creates situations in w 

hich, a program's budget can increase slightly over the previous year, though le 

ss than the rate of inflation, and still be considered a cut by budget scorekeep 

ers. 

It's a practice Republicans say is so deceptive that as part of their "Cont 

ract With America," they voted on the first day of Congress last month to forbid 

the House from taking inflation into account when measuring budget savings. 

But it is also a practice that would have made it easier for the GOP to fin 

d the spending cuts it will need to pay for tax cuts and balancing the budget. A 

fter all, cuts look larger when compared with a steadily growing yardstick than 

when measured against one that stays the same size. 

The GOP tax cuts and a balanced budget by 2002, should carry a price tag of 

$1.4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

Those are huge reductions, and it won't be easy for the GOP to find them. B 

ut it's a task they are making even more difficult by insisting that cuts be mea 

sured strictly against the previous year's spending. 




SOUR[Eustis News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Making the elderly pay--again 

TEXT[There is a move in Washington, D.C., to cut back on some government program 

s. Several of the cutbacks would hurt the senior citizens of this country, who a 

lready have paid for the benefits they are getting. 

The Medicare program could be cut back. This would hurt the elderly who are 

subject to more health problems than any other age group. And medical costs (in 

cluding hospitalization, prescriptions and doctor services) are high enough so t 

he senior citizens need all the help they can get in covering the costs. 

Social Security payments could be cut. This would hurt too. Prices are high 

er now than when the senior citizens were working and paying in on Social Securi 

ty. They need the Social Security payments they have earned over the years--over 

the many years. 

Who is it that claims the senior citizens are "over-indulged" with Medicare 

, Social Security and other programs? Wait'll they get old and they will find ou 

t life can be unfair in many ways to the elderly, especially those who are stuck 

with fixed incomes and are not earning any extra money. 

Senior citizens already are faced with making decisions in spending money o 

n food, home, heat, prescription drugs and other needs. They sure cannot afford 

to pay more for the Medicare benefits or hold up with cuts in their Social Secur 

ity payments. They could be doubly hurt with cuts in Medicare and cuts in Social 

Security. 

Who can do anything about influencing our senators and representatives in W 

ashington? The senior citizens themselves. They can write to their state and dis 

trict representatives and let them know how much it would hurt to have one or mo 

re programs cut back when prices are higher than they were for many years. 

It's up to the elderly to let the lawmakers in Washington know that they ar 

e watching to see that the lawmakers keep their promises not to cut Social Secur 

ity and to prevent unfair and unreasonable changes in Medicare.

It's something the senior citizens should not delay doing. Otherwise the la 

wmakers may take action without much pressure being put on them by the elderly. 

You know who to write: Sen. J.J. Exon; Sen. Bob Kerrey; Congressman Bill Barrett 

. Tell them your plight and let them know about the plights of others. Do it no 

w. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. 

You've paid for the Medicare and Social Security benefits in the past. You 

should not be expected to "pay" with cuts in the programs now. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon to investigate areas to cable complaints 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) announced on that he is launching an investiga 

tion into complaints about cable television service in the Scottsbluff, Gering, 

gram quality, schedule, and viewer choices. 

"I understand the frustrations of viewers in the Panhandle area," Exon said 

. "There are no easy answers to the causes and no simple solutions to persistent 

viewer complaints." 

Exon said Federal Communications Commission regulations, federal statutes, 

contract rights between program providers and local television affiliates, contr 

act agreements between networks and local affiliates, and private business decis 

ions all are part of the Panhandle TV landscape and must be examined. 

"My investigation will attempt to peel away the many layers of complexity a 

nd seek private sector solutions which expand viewer choice and quality," said E 

xon. 

Exon's discussions will involve cable, broadcast and network television rep 

resentatives as well as federal and local regulators. 

Anyone interested in providing input and recommendations should contact Exo 

n's Scottsbluff office at 2106 First Avenue (308) 632-3595. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[White House Budget Abdication Passes the Buck to Capitol Hill 

TEXT[Americans should expect leadership from the White House. But President Clin 

ton's budget recommendation offers only guile, political partisanship and evasio 

ns of responsibility. 

The recommendation borders on being incompetent. It tolerates huge deficits 

indefinitely. It calls for expanded programs at the very time the voters are de 

manding that government be pared down. And it fails to address the nation's most 

pressing money problem - the explosive growth that is projected in the federal 

government's entitlement programs. 

It's little wonder that a number of Democrats have agreed with their Republ 

ican colleagues that Congress must take the responsibility that Clinton failed t

o exercise. Paul Tsongas, whom Clinton defeated for the Democratic presidential 

nomination in 1992, called Clinton's lack of leadership devastating. Tsongas sai 

d he would have a hard time supporting Clinton for re-election. 

"This administration has no plan whatsoever to balance the budget," Tsongas 

said. 

Clinton didn't just slip over the need to control spending on Social Securi 

ty, Medicare, Medicaid and the generous array of welfare programs. He bragged ab 

out his omission. He implied that it would be cruel to try to bring spending und 

er control. He said that education and welfare, among other government programs, 

are more important than reducing the deficit. As to the deficit, he said, "we c 

an't solve it all overnight." 

But at least we could make a better start. Clinton's recommendation reflect 

s no significant progress toward a balanced budget. It calls for $1.6 trillion i 

n spending, with 50 percent of the total going for Social Security, Medicare, Me 

dicaid and welfare programs. Of every dollar spent, 16 cents would go for intere 

st on the national debt. Medicaid spending would increase 9 percent - down from 

the 11 percent increases of recent years but still three times the rate of infla 

tion. 

The president says it's hard to find places to cut. So he threw up his hand 

s. 

Here are a few suggestions, Mr. President: 

Cut off the AmeriCorps make-work program. It costs too much. Under the 1996 

proposal, the government would spend $290 million more, creating slots for even 

more people. Government should be shrinking. This is no time to expand a new en 

titlement. 

Tell the public that tax relief, including credits to families with childre 

n, is a non-starter. Sen. J. James Exon, D-Neb., is right. It's irresponsible to 

be talking about tax relief when the budget is so badly out of balance. 

Go through the budget again. Eliminate the dumb and unaffordable idea that 

the government should spend $225 million in a separate effort to combat gender-b 

ased crime. Take a hard look at the 86 percent spending increase for Goals 2000. 

Yes, look again at agricultural spending, including the food stamp program. 

Cut the welfare frills such as the tax entitlement for able-bodied welfare 

recipients. Look again at funding for the arts. Yes, the savings would be relati 

vely small. But cutting subsidies for the arts, as much good as those subsidies 

do, would be a symbol of the nation's determination to endure pain across the bo 

ard. 

The Rev. Michael Morrison, president of Creighton University, noted that GO 

P budget cutters have proposed less aid for financially needy college students. 

But how could the government reduce doctor's visits for senior citizens and not 

do something about the benefits that other groups receive - including aid to stu 

dents at private colleges and entertainment for patrons of the symphony and the 

opera? 

Moreover, how could the government not look critically at subsidies for the 

humanities when some of the money went to underwrite standards for teaching his 

tory that had even some liberal historians holding their noses at the America-ba 

shing, anti-Western views? 

But most of all, stop issuing a free pass to the major entitlements. No sel 

f-respecting leader of the country could pretend that Medicare, Medicaid and wel 

fare are off the table. Someone must prepare Americans for the sacrifices that w 

ill be necessary to preserve Social Security and Medicare and to develop a sensi

le welfare system. Someone must lead. If the president won't do its who will? 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Disappointed by Entitlement Snub 

TEXT[President Clinton's failure to mention entitlement reform in his 1996 budge 

t was a disappointment to Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., the senator said Wednesday. 

Kerrey, who was chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Ta 

x Reform, said programs requiring government payments to everyone who qualifies 

will consume all federal spending in 17 years. 

"I think it is dangerous for the American people to continue on a course wh 

ere the president, and many in Congress, are saying this is a problem we can ign 

ore," Kerrey said. 

He said he traveled to St. Louis Tuesday night for a dinner honoring former 

Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., who was commission vice chairman. 

"Both of us are very angry (about the budget)," Kerrey said in a press conf 

erence. "We feel like we've been stiffed." 

Another complaint came Wednesday from Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., a commission 

member, who wrote to the Washington Post, saying: 

"There was not even a whispered thanks to the commission for the important 

step it took toward addressing what is perhaps one of the most critical problems 

our country faces." 

Kerrey said he will continue to press for congressional action aimed at con 

trolling the growth of entitlement programs. 

"Absent presidential leadership we'll have to lead on our own," he said. 

Social Security eats up 22 percent of the $1.6 trillion budget, Medicare ta 

kes 10 percent and Medicaid 6 percent. 

Interest on the national debt requires 15 percent of the 1996 budget and na 

tional defense is allocated 18 percent, leaving 29 percent for all other federal 

spending. 

Kerrey said he was pleased to learn a that 10-year estimate of federal defi 

cits is being requested by Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Senate B 

udget Committee, and J.J. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the committee. The p 

resident's budget covered five years of deficits. 

"I would prefer 30 (years), but even with 10 years you begin to see the nat 

ure of what I am describing," Kerrey said. 

Clinton appointed the 32-member commission in 1993 after Kerrey cast the de 

cisive vote on Clinton's 1994 budget, a plan to reduce spending by $250 billion 

and raise taxes by $250 billion. 

The commission report, delivered to Clinton on Jan 27, said bent policies t 

hreatened the long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. 

The report was sent to Clinton without recommendation by the commission, wh 

ich included 10 other members of Congress. 

Commission members declined to approve proposals made by Kerrey and Danfort 

h that included a gradual in-crease to age 70 for Social Security and Medicare e 

ligibility. Eligibility for Social Security now is being increased gradually to 

67.

The senators also proposed raising the premium for Medicare coverage of phy 

sician services, creating a premium for the hospital portion of Medicare and req 

uiring co-payments and deductibles for the most affluent recipients. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Affirms Re-election Plan 

TEXT[Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., reaffirmed Thursday that he plans to seek re-electi 

on in 1996. 

Questions about his plans "seem to come up all the time," said Exon, who wi 

ll be 74 on Aug. 9. 

Although he is planning to run, Exon said, "The final deadline for making a 

n announcement is some ways off." 

He predicted that President Clinton would be the Democratic presidential no 

minee for 1996 unless retired Gen. Colin Powell entered Democratic primaries. 

"I have the highest regard for him," Exon said of Powell, the former chairm 

an of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "I don't know whether he is a Democrat or Repub 

lican. I kind of sense he might be a Democrat." 

Exon said he based that belief on "many contacts, many conversations with h 

im. We never discussed politics, but I just sensed he was a Democrat. I could be 

wrong." 

Powell has rebuffed questions about his plans and his party affiliation whi 

le refusing to rule out a presidential bid. 

Exon said that if Powell decided to enter either party's presidential prima 

ries or run as an independent, "he would be just as formidable a candidate as Dw 

ight Eisenhower." 

Eisenhower, who commanded Allied forces in World War II, was a two-term pre 

sident in the 1950s. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey Disappointed by Entitlement Snub 

TEXT[President Clinton's failure to mention entitlement reform in his 1996 budge 

t was a disappointment to Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., the senator said Wednesday. 

Kerrey, who was chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Ta 

x Reform, said programs requiring government payments to everyone who qualifies 

will consume all federal spending in 17 years. 

"I think it is dangerous for the American people to continue on a course wh 

ere the president, and many in Congress, are saying this is a problem we can ign 

ore," Kerrey said. 

He said he traveled to St. Louis Tuesday night for a dinner honoring former 

Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., who was commission vice chairman. 

"Both of us are very angry (about the budget)," Kerrey said in a press conf

erence. "We feel like we've been stiffed." 

Another complaint came Wednesday from Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. a commission 

member, who wrote to the Washington Post, saying: 

"There was not even a whispered thanks to the commission for the important step 

it took toward addressing what is perhaps one of the most critical problems our 

country faces." 

Kerrey said he will continue to press for congressional action aimed at con 

trolling the growth of entitlement programs. 

"Absent presidential leadership, we'll have to lead on our own," he said. 

Social Security eats up 22 percent of the $1.6 trillion budget, Medicare ta 

kes 10 percent and Medicaid 6 percent. 

Interest on the national debt requires 15 percent of the 1996 budget and na 

tional defense is allocated 18 percent, leaving 29 percent for all other federal 

spending. 

Kerrey said he was pleased to learn a that 10-year estimate of federal defi 

cits is being requested by Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Senate B 

udget Committee, and J.J. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the committee. The p 

resident's budget covered five years of deficits. 

Clinton appointed the 32-member commission in 1993 after Kerrey cast the de 

cisive vote on Clinton's 1994 budget, a plan to reduce spending by $250 billion 

and raise taxes by $250 billion. 

The commission report, delivered to Clinton on Jan. 27, said current polici 

es threatened the long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. 

Commission members declined to approve proposals made by Kerrey and Danfort 

h that included a gradual increase to age 70 for Social Security and Medicare el 

igibility. Eligibility for Social Security now is being increased gradually to 6 

7. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha receives HUD affordable housing grant 

TEXT[Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said Wednesday that Omaha has received a $9.5 

million grant to provide affordable housing for families with low or moderate i 

ncomes. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds include $7.3 mil 

lion in a community development block grant, $1.9 million for the home investmen 

t partnership program and $254.000 for an emergency shelter grant program. 

The funds will be used to develop new housing, finance the rehabilitation o 

f existing homes and continue Omaha's scattered site housing program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[State already holds power over university

TEXT[Control is at the heart of a proposed constitutional amendment affecting th 

e University of Nebraska. The proposed amendment would turn full control of the 

University of Nebraska budget and governance matters over to the Legislature. 

However, all of this concern about the state's lack of control is misplaced 

. 

The Legislature currently has plenty of control - both real and psychologic 

al - over the university and its operations. 

The Legislature is not an enfeebled giant, unable to work its will over the 

mighty Board of Regents. The famous court case - Exon vs. the Board of Regents 

- gives the Legislature plenty of power today. 

FIRST, THE Legislature can direct the spending of state tax funds. The cour 

t said so. What the Legislature cannot do is tell the university regents what to 

do with its cash funds (tuition, fees, gifts) and its federal funds. 

So the Legislature has some control over the spending of about 30 percent o 

f the NU budget. 

Traditionally the appropriations bill has listed all university funds in lu 

mp sums - with no apparent direction from senators. Therefore, it appears on the 

surface as if the Legislature has no power. 

That is misleading. The Appropriations Committee studies in detail how the 

university spends all of its money. And the committee makes comments and provide 

s some direction on specific items during its discussion and in intent language 

in the appropriations bill. 

The Legislature may tell the regents to hire new faculty at Kearney, or to 

continue a specific program at Omaha, or to put a specific amount of state funds 

into a research initiative. 

You can be sure that if the university fails to follow senatorial wishes on 

any major item, university officials will pay the piper the next year. 

IT'S TRUE: The Legislature cannot put the university under the control of a 

ny state agency - say, personnel or purchasing. However, senators can provide sp 

ecific direction on personnel or purchasing through state law. 

The Legislature tells the university what to do on a regular basis. Senator 

s told the regents to keep the Curtis agricultural school open. They told NU reg 

ents to spend a certain percentage of construction funds on art for new building 

s. They told NU to require performance bonds on construction projects. 

But currently, neither senators nor the governor can get into the tiny deta 

ils of managing the university. 

The governor's attempt to wrest complete control from the Board of Regents 

through this constitutional amendment is misplaced. 

Nebraska currently has a system that allows regents to run the university a 

nd gives the state Legislature enough power to keep this giant in its place. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Targets Electronic Porn 

TEXT[Legislation that would impose mandatory two-year jail terms for obscene, in

decent or harassing use of telecommunIcation devices has been introduced by Sen. 

J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

"This legislation will help stop those who electronically cruise the 

digital universe to engage children in inappropriate communications and introduc 

tions or electronically stalk users of computer networks," Exon said. 

Exon, who introduced similar legislation last year, said his bill would: 

þ Boost maximum fines from $50,000 to $100,000 and increase the maximum jai 

l sentence from six months to two years. 

þ Require cable systems to fully scramble audio and video portions of adult 

pay-per-view programming so non-subscribing households are not invaded by unwan 

ted material. 

þ Prohibit the use of toll-free 800 numbers as a ruse to charge for pornogr 

aphic communications. 

þ Give cable operators the authority to block public-access or leased-acces 

s programs that include obscenity, indecency or nudity. 

Exon said new telecommunications technology for education, culture and ente 

rtainment should be encouraged. 

"But sadly, there is a dark side to the bright flicker of the computer scre 

en," Exon said when he introduced the bill Feb. 1. 

"The information superhighway should not become a 'red-light' district," he 

said. "This legislation, the Communications Decency Act, will keep that from ha 

ppening and extend the standards of decency which have protected telephone users 

." 

The similar bill introduced by Exon last year was an amendment to the omnib 

us Communications Act of 1994. It did not receive Senate consideration before th 

e end of the 103rd Congress. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon named to work on funds for mandates 

TEXT[Sen. Jim Exon has been appointed as one of five Senate conferees charged wi 

th reconciling Senate and House versions of the recently passed bill to require 

funds for federal mandates to the states. 

Exon is a co-sponsor of the legislation. 



AUTH[Lawrence O'Rourke 

SOUR[Sacramento Bee 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Forget Balanced Budget Bill, Key GOP Senators Advise Dole 

TEXT[Republicans who control Congress are at the edge of their first major loss 

of the year - the proposed balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. 

Unable so far to round up the 67 votes needed to approve the amendment, Maj 

ority Leader Bob Dole has talked with fellow Republican senators about dropping 

it for the rest of this year.

"The Democrats have the votes to kill it," Sen. Robert Packwood, R-Ore., Fi 

nance Committee chairman, told Dole, R-Kan. 

"End the debate and move on," said Sen. Mark Hatfield, according to Senate 

GOP sources. 

The Oregon Republican is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

The outlook for the amendment is "getting tougher," said Sen. Pete Domenici 

, R-N.M., Budget Committee chairman. 

Dole so far has refused to pull the plug on the amendment, which has been d 

ebated for 10 days. It faces at least two more weeks of debate before Dole has e 

ven a chance of rounding up the 60 votes required to end a Democratic filibuster 

. But he continues to declare: "The amendment will pass by a very close vote." 

The Senate has 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats. Given Hatfield's opposition 

to the amendment, Dole needs at least eight Democrats for the 60 votes to end a 

Democratic filibuster, and at least 15 to approve the amendment by the required 

two-thirds majority. 

Two Democrats, Dianne Feinstein of California and Harry Reid of Nevada, sai 

d Wednesday they couldn't vote for the amendment unless it contained a guarantee 

that the Social Security trust fund wouldn't be tapped to balance the budget. 

Feinstein warned that Social Security "surpluses could wind up being used t 

o pay for general government programs instead of being saved for tomorrow's reti 

rees, as intended." 

Three Democratic senators who previously had supported the balanced budget 

amendment - Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad of North Dakota and James Exon of Nebra 

ska - indicated they couldn't vote for it this year without the inclusion of Fei 

nstein's Social Security protection. 

Domenici said it was "unrealistic" to exempt Social Security from considera 

tion for spending cuts. 

The House of Representatives on Jan. 26 passed the amendment 300-132. If th 

e Senate added the Social Security provision, the House would have to take up th 

e amendment a second time. 

Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, a rival to Dole for the 1996 Republican president 

ial nomination, called on Dole to keep fighting for the amendment. 

Pressure on Dole to fight on also came from House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R- 

Ga., and the Republicans who control the House for the first time in 40 years. M 

any of them see the balanced budget amendment as the most important plank in the 

ir 1994 campaign manifesto, the "Contract With America." 

Gingrich said Feinstein is one of 18 Democrats who supported a balanced bud 

get amendment in the past but who now threaten to block it. 

"Suddenly there is a little wiggle room," Gingrich told business leaders, f 

or "politicians finding excuses as a way of not doing the right thing." 

Senate Republicans, joined by three Democrats, voted down a proposal by Sen 

. Max Baucus, D-Mont.,that Republicans be required to produce a detailed list of 

cuts they would make in federal spending over the next seven years to achieve a 

balanced budget by 2002. 

The Democrats were Paul Simon of Illinois, Howell Heflin of Alabama and Ben 

Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado. 



AUTH[Edwin Chen

SOUR[Portland Oregonian 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Opposition to tax cut rises, led by Democratic senators 

TEXT[Prospects for a middle-class tax cut, which once seemed headed for easy app 

roval, have dimmed noticeably as members of Congress confront the potential impa 

ct on the budget deficit. 

While a majority of lawmakers still favor a tax cut, advanced in competing 

proposals by President Clinton and by House Republicans, some in Congress are be 

ginning to express deep misgivings. 

The opposition has a long way to go before it derails a tax cut, but it cou 

ld delay enactment until 1996 and may result in a far more modest reduction than 

was previously assumed, members and congressional analysts said. 

Wariness about a tax cut is especially strong in the Senate, where a small 

but increasingly vocal group of Democrats is firmly opposed, arguing that Congre 

ss instead must focus exclusively on cutting spending to reduce the deficit. Suc 

h opposition is particularly significant because Senate rules enable even a few 

to effectively thwart the will of the majority. 

Under the quiet prodding of first term Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., seven De 

mocrats in recent weeks have signed a "Dear Colleague" letter urging other senat 

ors to join in opposing a tax cut. A number of other senators who have not signe 

d - including Republicans - indicated that they might be sympathetic to Feingold 

's arguments. 

"I'm not for the tax cut," said Sen. John H. Chafee, R-R.I., a member of th 

e Finance Committee. "I want spending cuts and not the tax cuts." 

Budget Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M., also expressed less tha 

n all-out enthusiasm for a tax cut. "Deficit reduction comes first," he said Wed 

nesday. "We need to see just how much we can do in budget cuts first." 

A broad tax cut was in the GOP "Contract With America," which called for a 

reduction in the capital gains tax and a $500-per-child tax credit for all depen 

dent children in families with incomes up to $200,000. 

But this week, House Republican leaders acknowledged that they may have to 

scale back the scope of a tax cut to make further progress toward balancing the 

budget. 

The growing wariness about a tax cut is a sharp departure from the can-do a 

tmosphere that prevailed in Washington a few weeks ago. 

In December, barely a month after the elections in which Republicans seized 

control of Congress, Clinton proposed a $500-per-child tax credit, although it 

was limited to children under the age of 13 in families with annual incomes belo 

w $75,000. His plan also called for tax deductions for as much as $10,000 a year 

in post-high-school education costs. 

That touched off a bipartisan stampede toward a tax cut. Initially, Feingol 

d was virtually alone in arguing against a tax cut, decrying such a "bidding war 

." 

Since then he has persuaded seven Senate colleagues to join his effort. Sig 

ners of the "Dear Colleague" letter, all Democrats, are James Exon of Nebraska, 

the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee; Harry Reid of Nevada, co-chai 

rman of the Democratic Policy Committee; Paul Simon of Illinois; Charles S. Robb 

of Virginia; Dale Bumpers of Arkansas; Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina; an 

d Patty Murray of Washington. 

In addition, other senators have expressed their strong opposition, includi 

ng Sens. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; and Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va

. 




SOUR[Beaver City Times-Tribune 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Schrock visits with constituents in Beaver City 

TEXT[Friends of Senator Schrock met with him at the Brandin'Iron on Friday for a 

brief public meeting. He also made stops in other towns in the area. 

The Senator spoke of receiving letters and phone calls from Senior Citizens 

in the area in regard to their concern over the proposal to put Senior Centers 

under the guidelines of the Welfare program. He has forwarded these concerns to 

Senators Exon and Kerrey as the Older American Act is a federal program and is f 

ederally funded. 

Senator Schrock is serving on the appropriation committee (which decides ho 

w the state will spend its money and appropriates funds as needed.) and remarked 

that when the opportunity to serve on this opened he was glad to serve. He meet 

s on this committee two nights a week. 

Senator Schrock handed out survey to his constituents to get their input in 

regard to these concerns: 

(1) Would you support a sales tax on food, if the money generated is dedicated 

to education, for the purpose of property tax relief? Yes or no? 

(2) Which proposal would you most favor regarding Initiative 300 (the Constitut 

ional provision regarding the prohibition of certain corporate ownership of real 

estate used for farming or ranching)? a. Repeal Initiative 300 and allow the Le 

gislature, if it chooses to regulate the ownership and operation of farming and 

ranching real estate. b. Modify Initiative 300 to allow corporate livestock prod 

uction, with limited crop production. c. Keep Initiative 300 intact. 

(3) Would you support legalizing casino-type gambling in Nebraska, in light of 

the situation in Iowa? Yes or no? a. Would you support limiting that type of gam 

bling to cities or counties of certain population size? Yes or no? 

(4) Would you support electing county officials, with the exception of county su 

pervisors or county commissioners on a non-partisan ballot? Yes or no. 

Reverend Dale Coates remarked that in regard to the gambling issue, he was 

not in favor of it in the first place, and he didn't see it a very good way to r 

aise money. Those who can least afford it are the ones who gamble. He commented 

that he had read an article in the World Herald which told about Fort Randall se 

eing a drop in income as all the discretionary income people have goes towards g 

ambling. Senator Schrock said he totally agreed with him as it is a tax on the p 

oor and causes social problems. He said he was almost to the point where he thou 

ght it would be better not to have casino but to allow gambling in large cities 

(whose neighboring states - Iowa and South Dakota for instance - have gambling) 

Several of those present discussed the pros and cons of non-partisan electi 

ons and the question was asked whether if we had non-partisan election if we wou 

ld continue to have primaries. Senator Schrock remarked that we would still have 

primaries but the top two would advance. Most of those present thought they pre 

ferred the system the way it is set up at this time.

P\C[pro 


AUTH[Freler Wyre 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Two Party System 

TEXT[The two party system is good for this country. What's wrong is that the lib 

erals have captured the Democratic party. There are conservatives in both partie 

s, as well as liberals. The battle has just begun. The liberals will lie, cheat, 

kill and have the morals of an alley cat. They do not fear the judgment of Almi 

ghty God. They think like the New-Ager that at some point in time they will beco 

me gods themselves. 

The Bible says in Psalm 14:1, "That fool hath said in his heart, there is n 

o God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doe 

th good." Mr. Clinton says the Bible says abortion is legal in the eyes of God. 

Evidently, he has not read Exodus 21:22,23. 

It is time for all God loving and fearing people to stand up and say that i 

t's a sin to kill unborn babies. Morality should be taught at home and church. C 

hristians should stand up and be a living example of morality. Fathers are respo 

nsible for teaching their children (Proverbs 22:6). We should pray and work hard 

for a change in this country's direction. 

President Clinton said he made mistakes. Then he should correct them by tak 

ing the sodomites out of the miliary, stopping the unborn baby killing, stopping 

the building of nighttime basketball courts and telling us the truth for once. 

Mr. Clinton is good at telling you what he thinks you want to hear. 

We have a God in Heaven. His name is Christ, Jesus, who has taught us from 

Genesis to Revelation how to live on this earth. That covenant was signed with b 

lood. 

Sen. Jim Exon is a conservative Democrat who is fighting to bring integrity 

and power back in the hands of the family. He needs your support. 

Breaker, breaker, this is Clarkson's crazy fisherman, talking at you with l 

ove. Come on back, good buddy. 



AUTH[Miles Pomper 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Deficit Reduction Watchdog Grades Exon, Kerrey Low 

TEXT[Nebraska's senators are getting a taste of their own medicine. 

On Monday, Sens. Jim Exon, and Bob Kerrey complained that President Clinton 

's proposed fiscal year 19% budget did not go far enough in cutting the budget d 

eficit. 

Now, a nonpartisan group dedicated to deficit reduction has given both sena 

tors low marks on their willingness to make the tough choices needed to reduce g 

overnment debt. 

ACCORDING TO the "Tough Choices Congressional Scorecard" released by the Co

ncord Coalition, Exon last year voted only 35 percent of the time in favor of le 

gislation the group considered to be "favorable to deficit reduction," while Ker 

rey favored such legislation only 29 percent of the time. Rep. Doug Bereuter, me 

anwhile, received positive grades 56 percent of the time. 

The results were surprising, since both senators have portrayed themselves 

as strong advocates of deficit reduction. 

Kerrey headed a commission last year which recommended reforms in entitleme 

nt programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, as a means of reducing the de 

ficit. 

Exon is the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Budget Committee and ha 

s long been considered a fiscal conservative. In fact, he was ranked first in th 

e Concord Coalition's scorecard last year. 

Concord Coalition officials acknowledged that Nebraska's senators have been 

vocal supporters of deficit reduction. 

BUT THEY SAID that on what they judged to be 15 crucial floor votes in 1994 

affecting government spending, the senators failed to make the tough choice far 

more than half of the time. 

Legislation included votes on such items as the balanced budget constitutio 

nal amendment, the creation of a spending reduction commission similar to the ba 

seclosing commission and reduced funds for highway demonstration projects. 

"For two people who clearly have shown an interest in deficit reduction, we 

are mildly disappointed that their floor votes do not reflect their convictions 

more strongly," said Martha Phillips, executive director of the coalition, whic 

h was created in 1992 by former Sens. Paul Tsongas, D-Mass, and Warren Rudman, R 

-N.H., to educate the public about the budget deficit. 

In a written statement, Exon said the coalition scorecard did not take into 

account his successful effort to persuade the Senate Budget Committee to adopt 

a $26 billion cut in federal spending over five years. A House and Senate confer 

ence committee eventually limited the reduction to $13 billion. 

"THAT TURNED OUT to be the only deficit cutting action by Congress last yea 

r." Exon said, "Had there been a separate floor vote on that spending reduction, 

I likely would have ranked higher in the Concord Coalition rankings." 

Greg Weiner, Kerrey's press secretary, said that "Sen. Kerrey has a nearly 

unrivaled record on fiscal responsibility from his work on entitlements on down. 

" 

He said that the coalition acknowledged Kerrey's dedication to deficit redu 

ction, by using an amendment that he introduced as one of its tests for the scor 

ecard. That amendment would, among other items, have cut $94 billion over five y 

ears from 54 

government programs. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Police grants for cities, counties 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska have announced that 40 Nebra 

ska communities will receive federal grants to put more police officers on the s

treet. The "Cops Fast" grants from the U.S. Department of Justice will allow eac 

h of the communities to hire one new officer. 

"While violent crime in this nation's larger cities may capture the headlin 

es," the two senators said, "crime in rural America is growing at a faster rate 

than in any other part of the United States. Small communities have to be able t 

o take advantage of any funding or assistance available and certainly more polic 

e officers on the street is one of the best deterrents to crime." 

The "Cops Fast" program was enacted as part of the 1994 crime bill to simpl 

ify the grant application process for smaller communities and speed the hiring o 

f officers in those areas. The Justice Department is making more than $200 milli 

on available to state and local law enforcement agencies over the next three yea 

rs. 

(Editor's note: None of the grants for towns or counties in extreme southeast N 

ebraska.) 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators: No baseball role for Congress 

TEXT[Nebraska's senators do not want Congress to come out of the bullpen to save 

the 1995 major league baseball season. 

Both Sen. Jim Exon and Sen. Bob Kerrey expressed reservations this week abo 

ut Congress playing a role in settling the dispute between the players and the o 

wners. 

President Clinton has sent special legislation to Capitol Hill seeking to s 

et up a three-member panel of independent arbitrators to try to reach a compromi 

se. 

Kerrey said he does not think Congress should interfere because there is no 

great economic risk for the country. If Congress does intervene, Kerrey said, a 

n unreasonable standard would be set. 

"If that becomes the basis for intervention, we'll intervene in every labor 

management dispute that occurs in the country, because there's always jobs lost 


Exon said Congress could have a hard time enacting legislation in a timely 

fashion and the players and owners could act on their own to resolve the dispute 

. 

Exon said he suggested to some players last week that they go into binding 

arbitration for the 1995 season and play the entire schedule. If a settlement ca 

nnot be reached during that time, the players retain the right to strike after t 

he season, Exon said. 

The players seemed responsive to the idea, Exon said, but the owners have s 

aid they will not accept any binding arbitration. 

Exon praised Clinton for putting pressure on both sides to settle the strik 

e. 

Exon had written Clinton back in January, asking the president to call the 

parties to the White House for talks.




SOUR[Longview (Wa.) Daily News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Tax cut is beginning to shrink 

TEXT[MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICANS had best not spend their promised tax-cut dividend u 

ntil they have it in hand. A growing number of lawmakers from both parties are 

having second thoughts about following through on this pledge. 

House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that the final House tax plan ma 

y not look exactly like the five year, $200 billion proposal written into the GO 

P's "Contract With America." It may turn out to be a good deal smaller, he ackno 

wledged. Others have suggested there may be no middle-class tax cut at all. 

Actually, there is little chance that the new, Republican-controlled C 

ongress will simply walk away from this promise. The GOP landslide in November w 

as widely interpreted as a call for tax cuts. That was the message President Cli 

nton received; he quickly issued his own promise of a middle-class tax cut. 

But it now seems likely that any tax relief Congress grants this year will 

be less than what the original GOP package offered. It may be less than the sma 

ller tax cut proposed by Clinton. 

This is an encouraging prospect. It suggests that the 104th Congress may be 

serious about reducing the country's massive debt. 

The champions of tax relief are confronted with numbers they cannot ignore. 

While the Republican tax plan would have to be offset by slightly more than $20 

0 billion in spending cuts over the first five years, its costs would explode in 

subsequent years. A Joint Tax study released earlier this week estimates that t 

he GOP tax package would cost more than $704 billion after 10 years. What might 

that do to the federal budget deficit? 

Nebraska Sen. J. James Exon dismisses both the GOP and Clinton tax plans as 

"reckless" and "foolhardy." He maintains that they threaten to derail deficit r 

eduction efforts and ruin the economic recovery. "How can we entertain the notio 

n of a tax cut - any tax cut - when we need $1.2 trillion in savings to balance 

the budget?" 

The answer, of course, is we cannot. 



AUTH[Alan Fram 

SOUR[Union Co., OR Observer 

BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP must obey own budget rules 

TEXT[Critics in both political parties say much of the savings President Clinton 

claims in his 1996 budget don't really exist. They may be right. 

But, paradoxically, each time Republicans raise the complaint, the party th 

at promised huge tax cuts and a balanced federal budget by the year 2002 in its 

"Contract With America" complicates its own task. 

Presidents and Congresses have traded charges of smoke-and-mirror budget nu

mbers for years. This time, the fight may directly affect whether House Republic 

ans can legitimately deliver on their promised cuts, and that could have lingeri 

ng effects on next year's elections. 

When Clinton released his $1.61 trillion 1996 budget on Monday, he cla 

imed spending cuts worth $144 billion over the next five years. He wants to use 

the savings to cut taxes and reduce the deficit a bit. 

But Republicans, joined by some Democrats and nonpartisan analysts, say Cli 

nton's cuts are largely illusory. 

That's because he assumes that the spending limits the 1990 budget law clap 

s on a broad range of programs will grow at the rate of inflation for the next f 

ive years, instead of remaining roughly level. He then measures his proposed red 

uctions from those ever-growing ceilings, which makes the savings look larger - 

$67 billion larger than they should, many analysts say. 

"This is how the administration proposes to 'pay' for their middle class ta 

x cut: First they increase the caps, then they save money from 

the new, highercaps,"the Committee for a Responsible Federal 

Budget, a bipartisan anti-deficit group, scoffed in its latest newsletter. 

"That's a legitimate concern of mine," said Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, ra 

nking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. 

Sen. Pete Domenici R-N.M., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, compare 

d it Wednesday to a businessman artificially inflating the price of an item, the 

n chopping it and claiming it was on sale. 

White House budget chief Alice Rivlin told Domenici's committee that in dec 

iding to measure its savings against ceilings that rose with inflation, the admi 

nistration was simply obeying the law. 

Domenici noted that the Congressional Budget Office, Congress' nonpartisan 

budget scorekeeper, lived under the same law and decided that the spending caps 

should be lowered slightly, not increased, to account for lower-than-expected in 

flation. 

It's an age-old battle over terrain so obscure that it's ignored by all but 

die-hard budget groupies. But it has real consequences on billions of dollars w 

orth of spending decisions. 

Some say that to measure savings, a program's budget should be compared wit 

h its spending total the previous year, the way families usually measure their o 

wn finances. 

But for years, the government has measured each program against the amount 

of money it would need to stay even with inflation. That's because inflation ero 

des the government's ability to buy as much in services for the dollar as it did 

the year before, and the ultimate measure of a program is the services it deliv 

ers. 

This is an constant source of public bafflement. It creates situations in w 

hich a program's budget can increase slightly over the previous year, though les 

s than the rate of inflation, and still be considered a cut by budget scorekeepe 

rs. 

It's a practice Republicans say is so deceptive that as part of their "Cont 

ract With America," they voted on the first day of Congress last month to forbid 

the House from taking inflation into account when measuring budget savings. 

But it is also a practice that would have made it easier for the GOP to fin 

d the spending cuts it will need to pay for tax cuts and balancing the budget. A 

fter all, cuts look larger when compared with a steadily growing yardstick than 

when measured against one that stays the same size.

The GOP tax cuts and a balanced budget by 2002 should carry a price tag of 

$1.4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

Those are huge reductions, and it won't be easy for the GOP to find them. B 

ut it's a task they are making even more difficult by insisting that cuts be mea 

sured strictly against the previous year's spending. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant provides Wayne with a new 'cop fast' 

TEXT[Wayne Police Chief Vern Fairchild has been notified that the city of Wayne 

is one of 40 communities and counties in Nebraska to receive grant money from th 

e U.S. Department of Justice to hire additional police officers. 

Part of a program known as "Fast Cops" in which more than $200 million was 

made available to state and local governments, the Wayne grant is valued at $69, 

444 over the next three years. 

Nebraska senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey made the announcement of the gran 

t money early this week. "While violent crime in this nation's larger cities ma 

y capture the headlines, crime in rural American is growing faster than in any o 

ther part of the United States," the senators said. "Certainly more police offic 

ers on the street is one of the best deterrents to crime." 

"We sent in the grant application in December and received word this week t 

hat our grant has been approved. We are very pleased. We don't know any of the d 

etails such as when we will fill out the actual paperwork to get the money or wh 

arded the grant," said Fairchild. 

"At the present time, there are 13 hours during each day when we have only 

one officer on duty so there definitely is a need for additional officers," said 

Fairchild. 

The new officer will be hired for a period of three years and after that th 

e decision will be made whether to keep the person on the police force. 

Other communities in the area to receive grant money were the Dakota County 

Sheriffs Department, Dixon County Sheriff, Omaha Tribe Police Department, Sante 

e Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Stanton County Sheriff and the Winnebago Tribe of Neb 

raska Police. 



AUTH[George Moyer, Jr. 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Wrong Argument 

TEXT[MADISON - Nothing could have been more inconsistent than the Daily News edi 

torial page on Jan. 17. 

In the center of the page was an editorial cartoon showing a citizen trying 

to trim a sailboat representing American small businessmen against the twin cou

nterweights of federal bureaucracy and government regulation. 

The lead editorial on the left side of the page urged Congress to pass fede 

ral legislation imposing federal regulations on product liability and medical ne 

gligence lawsuits. 

The legislation supported by the Daily News would violate one of the paper' 

s sacred editorial positions. It is contrary to one of the traditional planks of 

the Republican party. It is the precise antithesis of the political philosophie 

s of Ben Nelson, Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon, all legendary defenders of state's rig 

hts. 

Indeed, the legislation is the unfunded mandate to end all unfunded mandate 

s. 

One of the unshakeable timbers that supports this republic is the right of 

the states to resolve disputes between citizens according to law declared by loc 

al judges or adopted by state legislatures. The king's penchant for transporting 

purely local disagreements to England for settlement by his judges or sending h 

is judges and sheriffs to this country to impose his will in purely private matt 

ers draws prominent rebuke in the Declaration of Independence. 

The Federalist Papers promise Americans that the adoption of our Constituti 

on does not mean federal intrusion upon the right to resolve disputes between ci 

tizens of the same state according to state law. The Daily News now takes just t 

he opposite stand, inviting federal intrusion into every courtroom in the state, 

encouraging Congress to dictate how purely local disagreements must be settled 

to satisfy the whims of whichever political party controls Congress and whatever 

campaign debts they owe. 

The editorial accurately notes that Nebraska's Legislature passed laws regu 

lating product liability and medical negligence actions in Nebraska and that pun 

itive damages have always been barred in this state by its constitution. However 

, the Daily News insists that's what good for Nebraska is also good for other st 

ates, a view that is likely to be considered a bit arrogant. 

Unbelievably, the Daily News says the United States ought to adopt English 

law requiring the loser to pay the winner's attorney fees in civil litigation. 

Every state and the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected this English rule for t 

he sound reason that it denies the ordinary citizen equal access to justice and 

limits redress for often horrible wrongs to those with the wealth to risk a suit 

. 

The Daily News fails to mention the purpose of civil litigation in America. 

It is to place the loss caused the injured, crippled, maimed, or killed ont he 

individual who has the ability to prevent it. It is to enforce personal respons 

ibility. 

If the irresponsible do not pay, then the taxpayer does. When a family lose 

s a wage earner or the wage earner loses the Power to earn, the loss strikes at 

the heart of family values and self-reliance. If the loss is not made whole thro 

ugh the judicial process, Medicaid, Social Security and welfare programs will fi 

ll the gap. 

Worse still, the Daily News argues that we cannot trust juries. Juries fix 

blame and award damages. Nebraska's juries are us. The Daily News is arguing th 

at we cannot trust one another; the only solution is the intrusion of big govern 

ment to save us from ourselves. 

We have heard that argument before and it was wrong. Although political win 

ds now blow it from a Republican quarter, it smells just as foul.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Social Security supported 

TEXT[WASHINGTON (AP) - Derided by Democrats as a political fig leaf, a non-bindi 

ng measure pledging support for Social Security cleared the Senate on Friday as 

part of the debate over the balanced-budget amendment. 

The 87-10 vote set the stage for a showdown next week over a Democratic dem 

and to exempt Social Security formally from cuts that would be needed to wipe ou 

t federal deficits. 

"Passage means nothing," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said of the proposal auth 

ored by Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. "It's a fig leaf, a cover, a sham, a 

farce, a mockery to cloak, to conceal, to hide and mask the fact that Social Se 

curity will never be the same" if the balanced-budget amendment passes. 

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, accused Democrats of resorting to "sca 

re tactics" in the debate over the proposed amendment. 

Dole's proposal calls on the Senate Budget Committee to report to the Senat 

e how to achieve a balanced budget without increasing Social Security taxes or c 

utting benefits. It resembles a measure that majority Republicans pushed through 

in the House last month when Democrats there accused them of readying an assaul 

t on Social Security. It does not have the force of law. 

Republicans say their plans for balancing the budget don't include Social S 

ecurity cuts, but Democrats have sought to raise the specter of cutbacks in bene 

fits. 

One Democrat, Sen. James Exon of Nebraska, declared his support for the ame 

ndment Friday, even without a specific Social Security exemption. A supporter of 

last year's proposal, Exon previously had declined to say how he would vote thi 

s year pending the outcome of the Social Security debate. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Harkin Wants Social Security Kept Out of Budget-Balancing 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Friday that Social Security must 

be exempted from the proposed constitutional amendment requiring a balanced fed 

eral budget. 

"I have long supported a balanced budget amendment and expect to do so agai 

n this year," Harkin said. "But Social Security funds should not be plundered to 

balance the federal books." 

The Senate approved a motion Friday to request a nonbinding plan for balanc 

ing the federal budget without using Social Security funds. 

The 87-10 vote set the stage for a showdown next week over a Democratic dem 

and to exempt Social Security formally from cuts that would be needed to wipe ou 

t federal deficits. Voting yes were Harkin and Sens. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and Cha 

rles Grassley, R-Iowa. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., voted no.

Majority Leader Bob Dole's proposal calls on the Senate Budget Committee to 

report to the Senate how to achieve a balanced budget without increasing Social 

Security taxes or cutting benefits. 

Harkin said Dole's effort will not do enough to ease senior citizens' conce 

rns that a balanced budget amendment will affect Social Security. 

"They aren't going to be fooled by a fig leaf vote for the Dole amendment," 

Harkin said. 

"Passage means nothing," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. "It's a fig leaf, a c 

over, a sham, a farce, a mockery to cloak, to conceal, to hide and mask the fact 

that Social Security will never be the same" if the balanced budget amendment p 

asses. 

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, accused Democrats of resorting to "scare tactics" 

in the debate. 

Harkin suggested that Republicans have their own strategy of opposing the S 

ocial Security exemption to put Democrats in a political box. Without the exempt 

ion, he said, some potential Democratic supporters will have to vote against the 

overall amendment, and Republicans will be able to blame them 

for its defeat. 



AUTH[Lynn Monson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[We should ban the law that allows TV to ban competition 

TEXT[OK, OK, so I'm writing about television two weeks in a row. 

Last week's discussion here of Sen. Jim Exon's upcoming investigation of lo 

cal television short-comings brought a lot of response. 

The thing about television is that Democrats and Republicans watch it. The 

rich and the poor and the middle class watch it. The educated and the uneducated 

watch it. Men, women and children watch it. 

Oh, there are a few purists who prefer to cozy up with a good book or their 

spouse or their kids. They're the ones who frequently use the description "boob 

tube" to refer to the IQ of those who watch TV. 

But even the purists find television useful from time to time. Perhaps it's 

just for the news coverage, but they watch. 

So given this universal interest, let's talk today about the most irrationa 

l issue involving local television - the so-called exclusivity rule. 

That federal regulation allows a local television station to decide whether 

to allow its distant competitors to be shown on the local cable system. In Scot 

tsbluff-Gering, both local television stations have denied local viewers the pri 

vilege of watching Denver television stations. 

The intent of the rule is to help local stations stay in business by elimin 

ating competition. If we can't watch the Denver stations, the theory goes, we'll 

have to watch the local stations. That way, the local stations still will have 

decent ratings, they'll still be able to sell advertising, and they'll be able t 

o stay in business. 

Without the rule, its proponents say, the local stations would go out of bu 

siness,and the community would have no local television coverage. That would hur 

t the community, the rule's supporters say.

It's a classic case of one good intention winning out over a dozen stronger 

arguments against the idea. When the television owners thought up exclusivity, 

the national politicians should have listened politely and then brought up the c 

oncept of American free enterprise. 

The politicians should have asked this question: "Mr. Television Station Ow 

ner, if we give you the right to shut out your competition, what is to prevent t 

he local Mom and Pop Cafe from asking us to ban McDonald's, Burger King and Wend 

y's from their town? It would improve business at the Mom and Pop Cafe, but it w 

ould be an unfair trade practice, and we just can't do that. It's un-American." 

Better yet, let's use this example: Suppose the Star-Herald lobbied for and 

was awarded a federal law that allows us to ban the Omaha World-Herald, The Den 

ver Post, The Rocky Mountain News and USA Today from being distributed in Scotts 

Bluff County? Or throughout the Panhandle, for that matter, since we're a regio 

nal paper. 

The howls of outrage would be deafening. The exclusivity rule should be rep 

ealed, and the local television market should be turned over to the same basic A 

merican business concept that the drug stores, restaurants, lumber yards and gas 

stations must operate under: survival of the fittest. 

It's likely that one of the two local television stations would not survive 

the competition. But the winner would emerge stronger, have more advertising re 

venue, be able to pay higher salaries, draw better personnel and put out a highe 

r quality product. That, in turn, would draw more viewers, allow higher advertis 

ing rates, raise profits, generate better salaries, attract talented journalists 

and increase the quality of the product. 

Who knows? Before long, local residents might never watch the Denver statio 

ns because the new and improved local station was so good. 

How about it, Sen. Exon? Let's give it a try. 

Remember, nearly everybody in the Panhandle watches television, and most of 

us are registered to vote. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey: Choice on 'Razor Edge' 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Friday that he would vote for Dr 

. Henry Foster Jr. to be surgeon general but that the nomination may never reach 

the Senate floor. 

"It's right on the razor edge whether the White House would be smart to wit 

hdraw the nomination," Kerrey said. 

Dr. Foster, an obstetrician-gynecologist, said Wednesday that he had perfor 

med 39 abortions during his medical career. That is more than he or the White Ho 

use previously said he performed. 

"The candidate misinformed the White House and the staff misinformed the pr 

esident," Kerrey said. "You've got a situation where the president is saying no 

more than a dozen. Now it's about 40." 

Kerrey said anti-abortion senators will be able to say they are voting agai 

nst Dr. Foster "because he didn't tell the truth," not because he performed abor

tions. 

Kerrey said if President Clinton and Democratic Senate leaders decide that 

Dr. Foster cannot be confirmed, they should quickly pull his nomination. 

"I'm not calling for it at the moment, but it's getting close, awfully 

close to needing to do that," Kerrey said. 

Other senators' views on the Foster nomination: 

* Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb.: "(It) is clearly in trouble. Once again, the staf 

f of the White House has not served the president well in ferreting out all the 

details." 

* Sen. Charles Grassley R-Iowa: "(It) is in trouble mainly because of misin 

formation and sloppy presentation by the White House." 

* Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said, "If nothing else, I believe he is entitled 

to a full, fair, open hearing. We can make our judgment based on that." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska Right to Life Opposes Nomination 

TEXT[Nebraska Right to Life said Friday it is asking its 60 chapters to tell Sen 

s. J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey that the groups oppose the confirmation of surgeon g 

eneral nominee Dr. Henry Foster Jr. 

The anti-abortion organization was sending packets to local chapters that h 

ighlighted "several contradictory statements on the number of abortions he (Fost 

er) had performed." 

"The back and forth volley of numbers should raise serious questions about 

Dr. Foster's credibility," said Julie Lostroh, a lobbyist for Nebraska Right to 

Life. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Mouthwashing Needed in Cyberspace 

TEXT[Parts of the information superhighway are beginning to look like a high-tec 

h version of a dirty book store. 

Sickos have been using the Internet to distribute sexually explicit photogr 

aphs and carry on electronic conversations about their sexual fantasies. 

The Internet is a loose network of university, government and business comp 

uters. There is no central authority to oversee activity on the network. That ma 

kes the Internet an attractive hunting ground for those psychologically challeng 

ed individuals who find pleasure in writing notes to each other about sexual pra 

ctices and perversions. 

It is impossible to track everything that happens on the Internet. But a re 

searcher at Carnegie Mellon University observed parts of the network for six mon 

ths. Users downloaded six million sexually explicit pictures during that time. O 

ther surveys indicated that pornography and sex-related user groups have been am

ong the more popular on the World Wide Web, a part of the Internet on which grap 

hics and sound can be transmitted. 

Even as the human race reaches unprecedented technological heights, element 

s of the cyberspace generation are wallowing in the depths of crudity. 

The Internet, and computer networking in general, offers vast opportunities 

to communicate, conduct research and send and receive information. Yet the cond 

uct of some users has sunk to the point where some women users feel they must ad 

opt gender-neutral nicknames to discourage perverts from trying to communicate w 

ith them. 

Fortunately, steps are being taken to reduce the pollution. National comput 

er services such as Prodigy and America Online are trying to restrict sexually e 

xplicit or suggestive material. Schools in France and the Netherlands recently s 

hut down parts of a service that provides digital pictures - they were forced to 

act because Internet users from around the world overloaded the computer system 

s looking for pornography in the archives. 

Some lawmakers, including Sen. J. James Exon of Nebraska, have proposed tha 

t government crack down on computer porn. It would be better if individuals and 

institutions that control access to the Internet and other computer networks did 

n't wait for governments to step in. But maybe government regulation is an answe 

r. 



AUTH[Rosie Morthole (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Letter writing provides a victory for the disabled 

TEXT[Finally, help for disabled under age 65 on Medicare. On Feb. 22, 1994, you 

printed an article that I wrote titled, "Medicare doesn't help disabled under ag 

e 65." 

Included in that article was a request for everyone to write Sen. James Exo 

n, Sen. Robert Kerrey or Rep. Bill Barrett. For those who wrote in requesting th 

at Nebraska require "open enrollment" for people who are under age 65 and on Par 

t A and Part B Medicare, your request has been passed into law. 

Old law: Individuals enrolled in Medicare Part B prior to age 65 for reason 

s of disability were not eligible for an open enrollment period. 

New law: Effective Jan. 1, 1995, all individuals, regardless of when they e 

nrolled in Medicare Part B, will now be eligible for the six-month open enrollme 

nt period beginning the first of the month of their 65th birthday. In addition, 

those individuals denied an open enrollment period from Nov. 5, 1994, through Ja 

n. 1, 1995, because they had enrolled in Medicare Part B prior to their 65th bir 

thday, will now be given a one-time federal open enrollment period from Jan. 1 t 

hrough July 1. 

Yeah! A victory for our disabled! 





BK#[

HDLN[Exon Measure Focuses On Safe Driving 

TEXT[Washington - Legislation introduced by Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., would encour 

age states to pay more attention to three groups of motorists: the young, the ol 

d, and those with a record of driving while intoxicated. 

The bill introduced by Exon Thursday would ask states to: 

* Conduct youth-oriented education programs on traffic safety. 

* Adopt a graduated system requiring young drivers to have a clear record f 

or at least one year before being eligible for an unrestricted license. 

* Lower the blood-alcohol threshold used to determine intoxication, suspend 

licenses for six months for first offenders and confiscate vehicles of repeat o 

ffenders. 

* Review technology to help older drivers maintain their independence. 



AUTH[Don Christensen 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Beet growers split on I-300 

TEXT[GERING - A constitutional amendment to overturn Initiative 300 has received 

mixed reviews from the Nebraska Sugar Beet Association. 

Sen. Joyce Hillman's proposal to repeal Nebraska's 12-year-old ban on corpo 

rate farming came up when members met in Gering. 

"I think the question we have to answer is: Has it saved the family farm?" 

Robert Busch, a board member who heads the association's legislative committee, 

asked growers. 

Although 150 growers were present, only 35 voted in favor of removing I-300 

and 32 growers voted for retention. 

Busch predicted that Hillman's proposal faces a tough fight during the Legi 

slature's Agriculture Committee hearings. If the amendment repealing I-300 clear 

s the Legislature, voters would decide in 1996 whether to continue blocking nonfamily 

farm corporations from farming or owning farmland in Nebraska. 

The impact of I-300 in the North Platte Valley appears limited. George Hall 

, who stepped down as association president, said if anything it might have kept 

some livestock feeding operations from moving into the Valley, which would have 

improved grain markets. 

Addressing other legislative matters, Busch said farm operators should keep 

an eye on property tax issues. 

"Sen. (George) Coordsen of Hebron is going to get bloodied on his proposal 

to pay for education from other than property tax," Busch said. "Property taxes 

are high, and every school administrator in Nebraska will be in the room when th 

is comes up for hearing." 

He added that Sen. Bob Wickersham can expect some heat on his proposal to m 

ove community colleges under the state system. "Maybe it hasn't received good re 

views in this area, but he has some good support." 

Wickersham's proposal to remove the local option on sale tax may be in trou 

ble, Busch said. 

He predicted that LB 108, a proposal to regulate conjunctive water use in N 

ebraska, will cause heated debate. 

"This is going to create a battle between groundwater and surface-water use

s, and we'll need to be alert and stay on top of it," he said. 

Reporting on the American Beet Growers Association meeting in Washington tw 

o weeks ago, Randy Hoff of Mitchell warned growers that agriculture faces a "tot 

ally new ball game" with the 1995 farm bill. 

"We have the best (sugar) program going in that it helps raise $137 million 

for the U.S. Treasury in marketing assessments from the sugar industry," Hoff s 

aid. "There's so much misconception in Washington because nobody has reported th 

e facts. Everyone is after you. They want to cut all subsidies, and even though 

the sugar industry receives no subsidies, it is the No. 1 target." 

Keith Flint of Lyman sounded a similar message. 

"During the next nine months, you're going to get sick and tired of hearing 

two words: farm bill," the association vice president warned. 

"Sugar groups all have a different agenda, and they want to be in on sugar 

policy. Sugar beet producers must be united, or there's no chance of getting in 

the farm bill." 

He said although the group has support from Rep. Bill Barrett and Sens. Jim 

Exon and Bob Kerrey, growers should continue to mail them letters emphasizing t 

he importance of the issue. 

New association President Doug Kizzire said rhizomania research continues a 

t the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center to prevent 

a spread of sugar beet root disease. It is supported by a 2-cent-per-ton checkof 

f between growers and Western Sugar, 

The disease was discovered in Nebraska in 1992. Kizzire said rhizomania was 

confirmed in six fields in 1994 and involved 118 acres. 

Four rhizomania-resistant varieties have been approved for Nebraska, but gr 

owers must continue to use good sanitation practices, Kizzire warned. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[With GOP Controlling Hill, Bereuter Rethinks Plans 

TEXT[On Election Day last fall, U.S. Rep. Doug Bereuter had decided that he woul 

d not seek re-election in 1996. His plan was to either run for the U.S. Senate o 

r leave elective politics. 

Now, the 1st District Republican is wavering. 

"I have a third option," Bereuter said - seeking re-election to a 10th term 

. 

Bereuter, 55, said he was not toying with Nebraskans when he said after he 

was re-elected in November that he probably would run for the Senate seat held b 

y Democrat J.J. Exon. 

As two other Republicans, Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg and Omaha 

investment banker Chuck Hagel, make the rounds this winter to line up backing fo 

r their Senate ambitions, Bereuter has decided to put off a decision until April 

. 

The nation's voters complicated Bereuter's decision by making Republicans t 

he majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. 

"It took almost everyone by surprise," Bereuter said. "I didn't think it wa

s possible." 

Neither he nor many of his House colleagues had given much thought to what 

a change in party control would mean, Bereuter said. 

"Suddenly I had the opportunity to do things I had long supported, like the 

line-item veto, the Contract With America," Bereuter said. 

After years as a largely unnoticed member of the House minority laboring to 

make a mark on trade, international finance and intelligence issues, Bereuter h 

as emerged as a senior member of the majority party with clout on the Internatio 

nal Affairs and Banking Committees. 

In short, Bereuter said, the House is a much more enjoyable place for Repub 

licans today. 

Bereuter said he continues to receive calls from Republicans throughout the 

state urging him to enter the Senate race. "They say I'm the only one who can b 

eat Jim Exon," Bereuter said. 

Exon, 73, has said repeatedly that he plans to run for a fourth term next y 

ear. 

Neither Exon's informal declaration of intent nor Bereuter's uncertain inte 

ntion has stopped Hagel and Stenberg from moving ahead on their own candidacies. 

Top Republicans in the state said the two have left little doubt in private mee 

tings that they will run for the Senate. 

In addition, several other prominent Republicans are said to be considering 

running. Among them are U.S. Rep. Bill Barrett of Lexington; Jan Stoney of Omah 

a, the 1994 Senate candidate; Jerry Schenken of Omaha, who is stepping down as s 

tate GOP chairman: and Matt Butler of Omaha, who has served as state GOP finance 

chairman. 

Mrs. Stoney, who was out of town and unavailable for comment, is said to be 

weighing the 1996 Senate race and the 1998 governor's contest. Mrs. Stoney also 

is being sought to play a role in the campaigns of Republican presidential cand 

idates, particularly Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas and Sen. Phil Gra 

mm of Texas. 

Hagel, Bereuter, former Gov. Charles Thone and others said a contested prim 

ary for the Republican Senate nomination is almost a certainty. Both Hagel and B 

ereuter said a primary fight would be to their advantage. 

"In my case, I prefer a primary," said Hagel, who served in the presidencie 

s of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. 

Hagel said he understands that he is the least known of the leading potenti 

al candidates. He said he has told Bereuter, Stenberg and others that he has to 

get in the race early. 

The 1994 election stirred early interest in the 1996 race, Hagel said. 

"Everything is wide open in Nebraska politics right now," he said. "There i 

s a feeling that voters are in the mood to examine new people." 

Stenberg has decided to run, and there is little likelihood that he will ch 

ange his mind, said Thone, a Stenberg ally and supporter. 

Thone, who preceded Bereuter in the 1st District House seat, said he unders 

tands the dual tugs on Bereuter to stay put in the House and to try for the Sena 

te. 

"The difference between being in the minority and majority in the House is 

the difference between night and day," Thone said. With 435 members in the House 

, strict rules are needed to accomplish anything. That means the majority rules 

with little involvement from minority party members, Thone said. 

"Things have changed dramatically for Doug," Thone said. "He's now a senior 

member of the majority.

Bereuter said the Senate may have lost some of its attractiveness and prest 

ige, with much of the power and new policies now flowing from the House. 

He has no time to make a decision on his political future, Bereuter said. A 

ll of his tune is consumed by the hectic attempt of Speaker Newt Gingrich to bri 

ng the 10-point GOP contract to a vote within the first 100 days of the session. 

If that gives Hagel and Stenberg a head start, Bereuter said, so be it. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Midlanders OK Increase in Prison Grants 


for a bill that would increase grants to states for prison construction - but on 

ly if the states complied with tougher federal eligibility rules for the grants. 

The House voted 265-156 for a measure that would modify last year's anti-cr 

ime bill by authorizing $10.5 billion over the next five years in prison-constru 

ction grants. The 1994 bill provided $7.9 billion for those grants. 

Half of the proposed grants would go to states that prove they increased th 

e number of convicts sent to prison and the time they stayed behind bars. The ot 

her half would go to states with laws requiring violent criminals to serve at le 

ast 85 percent of their sentences. 

Voting for the bill were: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Jon Christensen, R-Neb.; B 

ill Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa; Greg Ganske, R-Iowa; Tom Latham 

, R-Iowa. 

Gov. Nelson said he didn't know whether Nebraska would have trouble qualify 

ing for the prison grants under the new rules. But he said he opposed federal ef 

forts to tell states what to do. 

"Let us decide how to deal with it instead of putting restrictions on it of 

this sort," Nelson said. "This is top-down management at the federal level, wh 

en in fact I don't think they should be putting any conditions on prison grants. 

" 

Attorney General Janet Reno also criticized the stricter rules for prison g 

rants. She said some states with over-crowded prisons might reduce their maximum 

sentences so they could more easily meet the 85 percent requirement; others mig 

ht let some prisoners out early. 

Senate Votes 

Right to Know Amendment 

Killed, 56-44, an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D 

., that would have forced Congress to provide a detailed plan for balancing the 

federal budget before passing a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced bu 

dget. 

To kill the amendment: Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

Against killing: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa 


Approved, 87-10, procedural motion by Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole that c 

alled for creating a non-binding plan for balancing the federal budget without u 

sing Social Security funds.

For: Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

Against: Exon. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Marching in lock-step 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The Nebraska House delegation is marching in near lock-step be 

hind Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., the new speaker of the House. 

Reps. Doug Bereuter, R-1st District, Jon Christensen, R-2nd District, and B 

ill Barrett, R-3rd District, voted together on every vote and motion that came b 

efore the House in the opening week of the new Congress. 

Bereuter broke the string at 41 votes when he expressed his strong oppositi 

on to the controversial amendment to the balanced budget amendment to the Consti 

tution that would have required a three-fifths majority before taxes could be ra 

ised. 

Gingrich personally favored the proposal, but it was clear that there were 

enough Democrats and Republicans who shared Bereuter's belief that the super maj 

ority would be unconstitutional, and he ordered his whips to work against the am 

endment. 

Christensen and Barrett were among the "true believers" in the GOP who were 

convinced the super majority was the only way they could prevent tax increases 

to balance the budget. 

However, they came back into the fold for final passage, marking the first 

time in recent history that the House had approved a constitutional amendment. 

The fate of the amendment is in jeopardy in the Senate where people like Se 

n. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., believe there is no need to change the Constitution to br 

ing fiscal responsibility to the Congress. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., is expected to vote for the amendment, but he is a l 

eading advocate of the "Right to Know" movement that is pressing the Republican 

supporters of the balanced budget amendment to spell out where they will get the 

$1.6 trillion it will take to balance the budget. 

There is also another sector in the Senate made up of Democrats like Sen. T 

om Harkin, D-Iowa, who have voted for the amendment in the past and may vote for 

it this time, but they want to make sure Social Security will be protected from 

the "looting" they predict will be necessary to balance the budget. 

This sector admits under duress that the Social Security Trust Fund is alre 

ady figured into federal deficit calculations. 

Kerrey and Exon have expressed concern over making any exemptions to the ba 

lanced budget amendment, saying it would open the door to virtually hundreds of 

similar exemptions. 

Based on the first 100 votes in the "Gingrich Revolution," the Nebraska Hou 

se delegation, which is totally Republican for the first time in recent memory, 

can be expected to loyally follow Gingrich into battle against the vanquished De 

mocrats who insist they will rise to power again. 

On the Senate side, Kerrey and Exon continue to vote together more often th 

an not, disagreeing on only seven of the first 61 votes. But unlike the House de 

legation, the Senate delegation cannot be counted on as a sure two votes for eit

her side. 

Look at how they scored on the recent deficit reduction scorecard issued by 

the Concord Coalition. Kerrey received a weighted score of 33, meaning he was f 

iscally responsible more than only 33 percent of his colleagues. In effect, he v 

oted to cut the deficit only one in three times the issue arose in the Senate la 

st year. 

The senator has no doubt the scorecard is an inaccurate measurement of his 

efforts to reduce the deficit, as does Exon, who points out that he was the auth 

or of the only amendment that actually reduced federal spending last year, and t 

hat amendment was not used in the scorecard. The Exon-Grassley amendment called 

for a $13 billion cut in spending. That reduction was cut in half by the House- 

Senate conference committee that ironed out differences between the two budget b 

ills last year. 

Exon received a weighted score of 36 from the Concord Coalition, which is a 

non-profit organization aimed at making the public more aware of the deficit cr 

isis and the need to reduce federal spending. 

Barrett led the Nebraska House delegation on the scorecard, with a weighted 

score of 62 for 1994. Bereuter received a weighted score of 56 and Rep. Peter H 

oagland, D-2nd District, who was defeated for re-election by Christensen last fa 

ll, received a weighted score of 53. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[University: Let regents do the governing 

TEXT[Gov. Ben Nelson has gone too far in his bid to have the governor take more 

control over the University of Nebraska. 

The Lincoln Journal supports his proposal for appointed rather than elected 

regents, but Nelson doesn't want to stop at that. He also wants to repeal a lan 

dmark court decision so the Legislature and governor would have vast new powers 

over the management and operation of the university. 

Accountability is one thing. Takeover is quite another. This would indeed h 

e a power grab that ought to be repulsed. It is best that the Legislature and go 

vernor not meddle too closely in the internal affairs of the university. Let app 

ointed regents handle such matters. 

This is not a question of the governor and Legislature controlling the stat 

e tax dollars that are sent the university's way. They should have that power an 

d they do. But if Nelson's proposed constitutional change were accepted, it woul 

d give them control over the rest of the university budget - tuition money, hosp 

ital revenues, athletic funds, federal funds and so on. It would also allow them 

to determine university salary policies, approve gifts to the university and ta 

ke over other university administrative powers. 

Nelson would accomplish this with language in LR29CA that would have the ef 

fect of repealing a 1977 Nebraska Supreme Court decision called Board of Regents 

vs. Exon. In it, the high court explained what powers to govern the university 

are vested in the NU Board of Regents. 

Tax dollars were not at issue in that decision and the court made it clear 

that "...the Legislature has complete control of the money which is appropriated

to the University from the general revenue of the state..." 

But other university funds were at issue. So were administrative functions 

such as construction and purchasing and data processing. The court said those we 

re in the regents' bailiwick. And there they should stay. 

Asking voters to approve a constitutional change that would allow the gover 

nor to appoint university regents is a fine idea. It would give the governor som 

e oversight of the university and increase the regents' accountability. But over 

turning the Exon decision at the same time would he a drastic power shift. It's 

uncalled for. 



AUTH[Andy Abboud (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Judge on actions 

TEXT[The Lincoln Star editorial, "State's truth tellers," Feb. 8 should have bee 

n titled "Talk is cheap" if it were to accurately portray the political careers 

of Sens. Exon and Kerrey. 

The fact is anyone can talk about issues like Social Security like Kerrey d 

id with his election year entitlement commission. Unfortunately, The Star's edit 

orial neglected to mention that the "tough" decisions and actions of the commiss 

ion were conveniently unveiled and then abandoned shortly after Kerrey's re-elec 

tion. 

Sen. Exon, facing what could be his toughest re-election bid ever, now talk 

s about and fancies himself as a deficit hawk but neglects to mention that he ha 

s voted for some of the largest tax and spend measures America has ever known. H 

e has even voted against the balanced-budget amendment four times. 

I urge The Lincoln Star and the people of Nebraska to judge Sens. Exon and 

Kerrey by their actions and not their words. 




SOUR[Aerospace Daily 

BK#[ 

HDLN[SASC announces subcommittee membership 

TEXT[The Senate Armed Services Committee announced the membership of its subcomm 

ittees as follows: 

* William S. Cohen (R-Maine), chairman of the seapower subcommittee, which 

covers special operations forces and airlift. Other members are Republicans John 

Warner (Va.), John McCain (Ariz.), Trent Lott (Miss.) and Bob Smith (N.H.), and 

Democrats Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), J. James Exon (Neb.), Charles S. Robb (V 

a.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.). 

* Warner is chairman of the airland forces subcommittee, which covers Army 

and Air Force, less strategic and airlift forces. Other members are Republicans 

Cohen, Dan Coats (Ind.), Dirk Kempthorne (Idaho), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Tex.), J 

ames M. Inhofe (Okla.) and Rick Santorum (Pa.), and Democrats Carl Levin (Mich.) 

, Exon, John Glenn (Ohio), Robert C. Byrd (W. Va.), Lieberman and Richard H. Bry

an (Nev.). 

* Lott is chairman of the strategic forces subcommittee, which also covers 

intelligence, theater missile defense and space policy. Other members are Warner 

, Cohen, Smith, Kempthorne and Hutchison, and Democrats Exon,Levin, Jeff Bingama 

n (N.M.) Glenn and Bryan. 

* Smith is chairman of acquisition and technology which also covers industr 

ial base, technology export policy and counterproliferation. Other Republican me 

mbers are Kempthorne, Hutchison and Inhofe. Democrats are Bingaman, Levin and Ke 

nnedy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Farm Bill Facing Major Test 

TEXT[Washington - Political barricades protecting federal farm programs have bee 

n carefully constructed over the years by urban and rural interests, commodity o 

rganizations and bipartisan support in Congress. 

These defenses will be tested when Congress debates the 1995 farm bill. 

"In some eyes, the farm bill is a real litmus test of our commitment to cut 

spending," said Rep. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the House Agriculture Com 

mittee. "We are not only going to be debating a farm bill, we are going to be de 

bating the rationale for having one." 

Although the debate may be heated and cuts are inevitable, farm programs wi 

ll survive, Roberts said. 

Farm programs have declined an average of 9 percent each year since 1985, h 

e said, and the squeeze is expected to continue. 

The first bill, in 1933, was designed to protect Depression-era farmers by 

setting up a system of subsidizing wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice and milk. 

Farm bills have been expanded well beyond the original goal of stabilizing 

prices in an industry that dominates much of the Midwest. They now cover trade, 

credit programs, food stamps and other nutrition programs, conservation measures 

, environmental programs, forestry, commodity promotion and agricultural researc 

h. 

Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb., chairman of the House Agriculture subcommittee o 

n farm commodities, said farm spending will be reduced. 

"The budget will be the engine that drives the whole farm bill," he said. " 

What I am hoping is that if we cut dollars, we can provide some flexibility for 

farmers." 

Barrett said reducing the number of regulations, restoring tax deductions f 

or health insurance and lifting restrictions on planting decisions could off-set 

some of the budget cuts. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said 

the magnitude of the spending cuts will become apparent after the House and Sen 

ate Budget Committees set a limit for agriculture this spring. 

Kerrey said the Contract With America is bound to influence the decision of 

the budget committees. The GOP contract's No. 1 priority is passing a constitut 

ional amendment to balance the federal budget by 2002.

"Farmers should brace for major changes," Kerrey said. 

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he is not worried about the balanced-bu 

dget amendment affecting farm programs, which traditionally have had strong bipa 

rtisan support. 

"I think almost everyone is convinced that we have to preserve a safety net 

for agriculture," he said. "When it is all said and done, the opponents of the 

safety net won't win." 

"We will probably maintain what we now have in place. That is what is most 

likely to happen, but that doesn't mean we won't be considering alternatives," s 

aid Grassley, who operates a farm at New Hartford, Iowa. 

If Kerrey has his way, the five-year farm bill would be cut to no more than 

40 pages compared with the 719 pages used to write the 1990 legislation. The 19 

70 farm bill was 27 pages. 

"Farm bills have been getting longer and longer," he said. "The greater the 

length the more complexity, and the more complexity the more difficult it is to 

administer." 

Go to the Source 

In addition, Kerrey said, White House advisers should travel outside Washin 

gton to write the farm bill, going to rural coffee shops and other meeting place 

s to seek suggestions from farmers and others with a stake in the bill's outcome 

. 

"The 1995 farm bill should be simple and something that is written by farme 

rs themselves," said Kerrey. 

Grassley and former Agriculture Secretary John Block said they doubt the Cl 

inton administration will write its own version of the 1995 farm bill. 

"As time goes by," Grassley said, "it seems the U.S. Department of Agricult 

ure and the White House won't be a player in the farm bill." 

So far, Block said, the administration has given no indication that it has 

an agricultural policy. 

"I don't know what objective they are trying to achieve. I haven't heard it 

articulated," said Block, who served President Ronald Reagan when the 1985 farm 

bill was passed. He now is head of the National-American Wholesale Grocers Asso 

ciation. 

Clinton's Agriculture Department will remain leaderless until the Senate co 

nsiders Clinton's nomination of Dan Glickman to be agriculture secretary. No dat 

e has been set for his confirmation hearings. 

Glickman, of Wichita, Kan., served 18 years in the House of Representatives 

on the Agriculture Committee before his defeat Nov. 8. 

Other key players in the farm bill debate will include Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Ne 

b., ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, and Sen. Tom Harkin, R-Iowa 

, a member of the Agriculture Committee. 

Exon said spending on farm programs already has been reduced significantly 

with further cuts scheduled through the end of the decade. 

"Agriculture already has taken a considerable hit over the years," Exon sai 

d. 

"At the same time," he said, "agricultural producers have made a significan 

t contribution in helping our balance of trade and, more importantly, in giving 

U.S. consumers quality food at the lowest price of any nation in the industriali 

zed world." 

Ideological Attacks 

Harkin said support for farm programs runs deep in Congress, crossing party 

lines in the Senate. There, Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., is the majority leader, and

Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is the minority leader. 

Both farm-state senators sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee, where the 

y have been leading supporters of existing farm programs. 

Harkin said budget problems in the farm bill will be easier to handle than 

attacks by ideological opponents, who have been led by Rep. Dick Armey, R-Texas, 

now House majority leader. 

"There are people like Dick Armey who are going to come into the debate wan 

ting to get rid of all farm programs," Harkin said. "And, quite frankly, I have 

been surprised at some of the things that have been said by Sen. (Richard) Lugar 

. We may have to rein him in." 

Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has issued a l 

ist of questions he will ask witnesses testifying on the 1995 farm bill. 

The questions go to the heart of the programs. He asks, for example, whethe 

r taxpayers should continue subsidizing farmers but not small businesses and why 

some crops are subsidized but not 

others. 



AUTH[Kenneth Eskey 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Do proposed cuts in taxes make sense? 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Republicans and Democrats are learning that promising to cut t 

axes when the government is running $200-billion-a-year budget deficits may not 

be such a smart idea. 

The conventional wisdom in this town is that deficit-reduction is a dr 

ag. Nobody gets credit for it. Voters wail like banshees when their favorite pro 

grams are cut. So why not just let the deficit ride for awhile and cut taxes ins 

tead? 

That seems to have been the philosophy behind the $1.6 trillion budget 

for 1996 sent to Congress the other day by President Clinton, who figures middl 

e-class tax-cutting is the way to go. 

Not only did Clinton abandon his pledge to further reduce the deficit, 

he did nothing to slow down entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid that are gr 

owing at three times the rate of inflation. 

In a sense, you can understand why Clinton was reluctant to recommend 

deep cuts in federal spending. He knew the Republicans, who now control Congress 

, would have taken the money and given it back to taxpayers, rich and middle cla 

ss alike. 

That's what they promised in their Contract With America. By one estim 

ate, the Republican cuts would cost $205 billion over five years, while the more 

modest Clinton cuts would cost $63 billion. 

The truth is that these proposed tax cuts make little sense from a pur 

ely economic point of view - and lawmakers defying all the rules of politics are 

beginning to say so on Capitol Hill. 

"I don't believe we can afford to cut taxes at this time," said Rep. C 

harles Stenholm, D-Texas, when confronted with Clinton's let's-do-something-forthe-voters 

budget. 

Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., was more direct. "I think it's fiscally irresponsi

le," he said. 

And these are members of the president's own party. 

On the Republican side, Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, who heads th 

e Senate Budget Committee, has made it clear that the Senate, unlike the House, 

is not committed yet to any specific tax cuts. 

There will be tax cuts this year. You can bet on that. Some relief wil 

l be given to families with children. There is strong support for stimulating in 

vestment by reducing the capital gains tax. 

But many of the proposed cuts will be dropped. Clinton's tuition tax d 

eduction (up to $10,000 a year) will have rough sledding. So will the Republican 

promise to roll back taxes on Social Security benefits paid by retirees with su 

bstantial incomes. 

The question Congress should be asking is this: 

Why are we cutting taxes at a time when the economy is thriving and we're a 

dding $200 billion a year to the $4.6 trillion national debt? 

The tendency among Democrats is to make modest cuts around the edges o 

f government programs, keeping all the old departments intact and leaving action 

on entitlements such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, farm subsidies and 

veterans subsidies for another day. 

No one seems to care about the legacy of debt we're leaving our childr 

en and grandchildren. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Pushes Amendment Via TV Ads 

TEXT[Washington -- The Republican National Committee began a television advertis 

ing campaign Monday in seven states, including Nebraska and Iowa, to support pas 

sage of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

"A handful of Democrat senators will determine if the balanced budget amend 

ment passes," Committee Chairman Haley Barbour said Monday. 

The Senate is considering the amendment, but opponents have slowed the proc 

ess, and some senators are demanding changes in the measure. The House of Repres 

entatives already has approved it. 

If passed and ratified by 38 states, the amendment would require a balanced 

budget by the year 2002 unless a three-fifths majority in Congress voted to all 

ow a deficit. 

The television ads depict children playing as an announcer says that they w 

ill "spend their lives paying for today's federal deficits." 

In Nebraska, the ads link Sens. Bob Kerrey and J.J. Exon, both D-Neb., with 

"Bill Clinton and some Senate Democrats" who oppose the amendment. In Iowa, the 

target is Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

Exon has supported the balanced budget amendment in the past. Kerrey and Ha 

rkin voted against it last year, although Harkin backed it in 1986. Harkin has s 

aid he wants the amendment to specify that Social Security will not be cut to ba 

lance the budget. 

Harkin and Exon face re-election in 1996. 

Barbour said the Republican advertising campaign will cost at least $200,00

0 to $250,000, depending on how long it runs and whether other states are added. 

Besides Nebraska and Iowa, the ads will appear in Kentucky, North Dakota, S 

outh Dakota, New Mexico and Nevada. 



AUTH[David Espo 

SOUR[Antioch, CA Daily Ledger-Post Dispatch 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Social Security not exempt from budget amendment 

TEXT[The Republican-control]ed Senate refused today to exempt Social Security fr 

om the balanced-budget amendment, rejecting a Democratic effort designed to safe 

guard the program from cuts needed to wipe out the federal deficit. 

The vote was 57-41. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas noted lawma 

kers voted last week for a non-binding measure pledging support for Social Secur 

ity, and said, "for the moment, everybody is willing to protect program that sen 

ds monthly checks to millions of elderly. 

Dole said he hoped for a final vote on the amendment by the end of the week 

, setting up a test vote for later in the week that would curtail debate. He sa 

id, "it will be three weeks Thursday," since the bill reached the floor. 

Democratic Leader Tom Daschle said he was disappointed. "This isn't just an 

other bill," he said. "This is a proposal to amend the Constitution of the Unite 

d States." 

At the White House, Chief of Staff Leon Panetta said, "We're obviously disa 

ppointed by that vote because, despite the assurances about protecting Social Se 

curity, it's clear that they're not going to provide that guarantee as part of t 

he balanced budget amendment." 

Other Democratic lawmakers were readying a proposal designed to showcase su 

pport for Medicare, veterans benefits and other popular program in hopes it woul 

d build public opposition to the amendment. 

Thirty-nine Democrats and two Republicans favored exempting Social Security 

from balanced-budget amendment, but 50 Republicans and seven Democrats combined 

to outvote them. 

The maneuvering came as the Republican National Committee launched an adver 

tising campaign targeted at wavering Democrats, many of them previous supporters 

, whose votes will be crucial to determining the fate of the proposed amendment. 

"The votes are there to pass it unless politics and partisanship interfere 

with principle and good public policy," GOP Chairman Haley Barbour said Monday a 

s he announced the effort. 

If it passes the Senate and is ratified by three-fourths of the states, the 

balanced budget amendment would require a gradual elimination of deficits over 

seven years. It would take a three-fifths vote of Congress to run a deficit aft 

er that, and a vote of the majority of both houses of congress to raise taxes. 

With 52 of 53 Republican expected to support the measure - Oregon's Mark Ha 

tfield is the lone holdout - backers need 15 Democratic votes to assured of the 

two-thirds majority. 

The Republican commercials are aimed principally at Democrats who have supp 

orted similar measures in the past and are now wavering. 

The ads are aimed at Daschle of South Dakota; Wendell Ford of Kentucky, the 

party's whip; Tom Harkin of Iowa; Jeff Bingman of New Mexico and Byron Dorgan o

f North Dakota. Also targeted are Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Harry Reid of 

Nevada, although those two have opposed balanced budget amendments in the past. 

The RNC is airing commercials in Nebraska, where Sen. James Exon announced 

his support last Friday and fellow Democrat Bob Kerrey is listed as an opponent. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter - on tax cuts, Senate bid 

TEXT[Call it remarkable. 

Perhaps even astonishing. 

Doug Bereuter says he and his Republican House colleagues are on the receiv 

ing end of a surprising message from their constituents. 

"The overwhelmingly expressed sentiment in my district is that we think it' 

s far more important to reduce the deficit" than to pocket the tax cuts proposed 

by both Democrats and the GOP, Bereuter says. 

"Other Republican members I talk to say they're hearing 10 to 1 in favor of 

focusing on the deficit. That's true in my district too." 

What Americans are telling House members is that the proposed tax cuts woul 

dn't have much impact on their family budgets and the money ought to be used ins 

tead to cut deeper into federal budget deficits, Bereuter says. 

Some opponents of the tax cut proposal also suggest that since they are tar 

geted only to people with families, they are unfair. 

Bereuter admits he is "a little bit surprised" by the degree of citizen opp 

osition to tax cuts. 

"I think it is a very healthy sign that a significant number of people reco 

gnize the gravity of the deficit problem and are willing to share in the restrai 

nt." 

I wonder: Have his constituents ever told him they opposed tax cuts before? 

No, Bereuter says with a smile. 

LINCOLN'S VETERAN congressman is in a reflective mood, acknowledging that t 

he House is suddenly, and immeasurably, more fulfilling for him now that he is a 

member of the majority for the first time. 

And that is a brand new factor that will influence his decision on whether 

to seek the Republican nomination for Jim Exon's Senate seat next year. 

Bereuter says he had reached a decision not to seek re-election after compl 

etion of this term. He was either going to enter the Senate race - "roll the dic 

e and taken shot at it"- or return to private life after 18 years in the House. 

But that was before the revolution. 

Before the 1994 election swept a Republican majority into the House for the 

first time since Bereuter was in high school. 

Now, remaining in the House which Bereuter describes as the "dynamic center 

of the federal government today"-is an attractive option. 

Lincoln's congressman is a subcommittee chairman for the first time, has ac 

quired leadership responsibilities, and now has "the capacity to make things hap 

pen in banking, housing, trade." 

IN SHORT, he has the best of congressional worlds: seniority in the majorit 

y.

"I'm there at the right time." 

And that means the House is "a third option" now. 

"I need a few more months to see what it's like and to determine if I can a 

ccomplish more where I am. And if there is more personal satisfaction for me to 

remain." 

So far, so great. 

"I can see progress on things I have long supported," Bereuter says. 

"I've supported a balanced budget amendment since 1981 and a line item veto 

since 1985. Both have passed now. 

"The contrast with having lived in the minority is remarkable. The change i 

s energizing," Bereuter says. 

Still, on balance, "it's clear one can accomplish a lot more as a senator," 

he says. "The people should have higher expectations of a senator than Nebraska 

ns have. It is the most significant asset a small state has." 

Decision time will come after the Easter congressional recess. 

FINALLY, LET'S explore Bereuter's thoughts about the approaching battle ove 

r affirmative action. 

It's not in the House Republican "Contract with America," but it's suddenly 

on the table. spreading from California to the Congress like wildfire. 

"I've always felt that discrimination in the name of anti-discrimination is 

wrong," Bereuter says. 

"When you say you do not have an opportunity because of your sex or race, y 

ou deny something that can make an irrevocable change in a person's life. 

"If you deny a job or entrance into a school for those reasons, you can cha 

nge that person's future. In our society, that's unjustifiable. 

"I'm for affirmative action...but I think you can take affirmative action w 

ithout discriminating." 

How to do that effectively has always been the rub. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP plans state TV ads on budget amendment 

TEXT[The Republican Party is bringing the fight over the balanced budget amendme 

nt into Nebraska's living rooms. 

The Republican National Committee announced Monday that it will run televis 

ion ads in seven states, including Nebraska, which are home to Democratic senato 

rs. The ads target senators who "may be buckling under pressure from the Clinton 

White House and the Democratic Party to vote against the balanced budget amendm 

ent," said Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican National Committee. 

Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey "may end up on the wrong side," according to 

the ad. 

Kerrey opposes the amendment. However, Exon has long supported the basic ba 

lanced budget amendment, said his press secretary, Russ Rader. 

ON THE SENATE floor last week, Exon said he would be willing to sit down wi 

th any group to reach a work-able compromise to gain the 67 votes necessary to p 

ass the amendment. 

Exon said he even would work with a group of Democratic senators who wish t

o exclude the Social Security trust fund from the balanced budget amendment. 

If the balanced budget amendment were to pass without such a guarantee, Exo 

n said he would not support raiding the Social Security fund to offset the defic 

it. 

Despite these positions, the Republicans' ad depicts Exon as being undecide 

d on the balanced budget amendment. 

Rader said the ad just shows that Republicans do not know Exon. 

KERREY HAS SAID that the balanced budget amendment is bad economics and bad 

politics. It is an unusual amendment to the Constitution, Kerrey has said, that 

only affects the behavior of 535 people. 

The Republican's Barbour said he thinks Kerrey may feel differently after s 

eeing Clinton's budget last week. Barbour said that as someone who has worked to 

control entitlement spending and other budget problems, Kerrey knows something 

has to be done. 

"Our point is that Congress and the administration will not willingly bite 

the bullet," Barbour said. "Clinton won't even bite the BB. I have to think that 

Bob Kerrey noticed that." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate Denies Shield For Social Security 

TEXT[The Senate on Tuesday refused to exempt Social Security from a proposed ame 

ndment to the U.S. Constitution that would require balanced budgets. 

The Democratic effort to shield Social Security from cuts was killed 57-41. 

The Senate GOP leader, Bob Dole of Kansas, noted that senators last week ad 

opted a nonbinding measure pledging support for Social Security. "For the moment 

," he said, "everybody is willing to protect" the program, which sends monthly c 

hecks to millions of retired and disabled people. 

Dole said he hoped for a final vote on the balanced budget amendment by the 

end of the week. 

The amendment, which would require ratification by three-fourths of the sta 

te legislatures before taking effect, is one of the banner items in the GOP's Co 

ntract With America. It aims to eliminate the gap between the government's incom 

e and its spending - now nearly $200 billion - by 2002. After that, deficit spen 

ding would be allowed only if three fifths of both houses of Congress voted appr 

oval. 

The Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota said he was disap 

pointed at Tuesday's developments. 

"This isn't just another bill," he said. "This is a proposal to amend the 

Constitution of the United States." 

Last week Daschle said he voted for a balanced budget amendment last year, 

when Democrats controlled Congress and offered a "very clear blueprint" of how t 

o balance the budget. The Republicans who now lead Congress, he said, are "for w 

hatever reason unwilling to do that." 

Other Democrats were preparing a proposal designed to show support for Medi 

care, veterans benefits and other popular programs, in hopes of building public 

opposition to the balanced budget amendment. 

With 52 of 53 Republicans expected to support the measure - Oregon's Mark H

atfield is the holdout backers need 15 Democratic votes to obtain two-thirds sup 

port, the level necessary for a constitutional amendment to pass Congress. 

The Republican National Committee has launched an advertising campaign that 

targets some Democrats, many of whom supported past versions of a balanced budg 

et amendment. 

The targets include Nebraska's senators, both Democrats: Sen. J.J. Exon has 

announced support for the amendment. Sen. Bob Kerrey is considered an opponent, 

having criticized the proposal for not focusing on government entitlement progr 

ams. 

Exon and Kerrey both voted Tuesday to kill the provision designed 

to exempt Social Security. 

Many Democrats favoring the Social Security provision argued that without i 

t, Republicans would turn to Social Security to help balance the budget. 

Republicans have said that the best way to safeguard Social Security is to 

lease it out of the constitutional amendment, lest Congress be tempted to use th 

e money in the Social Security trust fund to finance other social programs. 

Thirty-nine Democrats and two Republicans voted for the Social Security pr 

ovision. Fifty Republicans and seven Democrats voted to kill it. 

Here is how Nebraska and Iowa senators voted on a proposal intended to exempt So 

cial Security from budget-balancing efforts. 

For the proposal: Harkin, D-Iowa. 

To kill the proposal: Exon. D-Neb.; Kerrey, D-Neb.; Grassley, 

R-Iowa. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon predicts balanced budget bill OK soon 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who has been leading the effort to forc 

e Republican sponsors to say how they will balance the budget while rounding up 

Democratic votes for the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, today pr 

edicted the amendment will be approved by the Senate within the next 10 days. 

Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee and a longtime su 

pporter of a balanced federal budget, made his prediction hours before the Senat 

e killed an amendment that would have prevented Congress from reducing Social Se 

curity benefits to help balance the budget. 

Both Exon and Sen Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., voted to table, or kill, the Social S 

ecurity amendment, saying that while they do not want Social Security benefits c 

ut, no federal programs can be exempted from the balanced budget amendment. 

Exon said this morning that he has been working on three or four Democrats, 

"and I think we've turned things around." Backers of the constitutional amendme 

nt say they are one vote short of the two-thirds needed to pass the amendment an 

d send it to the states. 

The House passed the amendment two weeks ago, with all three Nebraska Repub 

lican House members voting for it. 

Despite ads the Republican National Committee is running on Nebraska televi 

sion stations urging viewers to call Exon and Kerrey's offices and demand they v

ote for the balanced budget amendment, Exon said this morning that his vote for 

the amendment has never been in doubt. 

"I said I would vote for it in a floor speech last week," he said. "I bet n 

ow that they will take credit for my vote." 

Kerrey, who has declared his philosophical opposition to the amendment, whi 

ch he describes as the wrong solution to the right problem, said Social Security 

should not be used for deficit reduction. But he also said that if Social Secur 

ity and other entitlement programs are off limits to budget cutters, national de 

fense will become highly vulnerable. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bereuter mulling options 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - For Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., the Republican majority 

in Congress following last fall's elections came as a pleasant surprise - though 

it may have made a decision on whether to run for the Senate more difficult. 

"Suddenly I had the opportunity to do things I had long supported, like the 

line-item veto, the (GOP's) Contract With America," said Bereuter, now a senior 

member of the majority party with clout on the banking and international affair 

s committees. 

But will he challenge Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., next year? 

The official announcement will come in April, Bereuter said. But the 1st Di 

strict congressman last week hinted at another option: running for a 10th House 

term. 

Exon, 73, has indicated he will run for a fourth term next year. 

Bereuter, 55, said he receives calls from Republicans around Nebraska urgin 

g him to challenge Exon. 

"They say I'm the only one who can beat Jim Exon," he said recently. 

But he said the Senate may have lost some of its attractiveness with the ne 

w power and action in the House. 

Former Gov. Charles Thone, who preceded Bereuter in the 1st District House 

seat, said he understands the dilemma of staying in the House or trying for the 

Senate. 

"The difference between being in the minority and majority in the 

House is the difference between night and day," Thone said. "Things have changed 

dramatically for Doug. He's now a senior member of the majority." 

Other GOP Senate hopefuls could include state Attorney General Don Stenberg 

and Omaha investment banker Chuck Hagel. 

"Everything is wide open in Nebraska politics right now," Hagel said. "Ther 

e is a feeling that voters are in the mood to examine new people." 



AUTH[Ralph Z. Hallow 

SOUR[Washington Times

BK#[ 

HDLN[2 GOP ads target key Democrats 

TEXT[Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour wanted to show off his 

party's latest advertising campaign yesterday, but reporters had Newt Gingrich 

and Dr. Henry W. Foster on their minds. 

"We Republicans are honoring our commitment and the verdict of the voters," 

Mr. Barbour said at a press conference where he displayed two 30-second commerc 

ials. "We are trying to give them what they voted for last November." 

The ads target Senate Democrats who voted for the balanced-budget amendment 

in past years, when Democrats controlled Congress and the amendment had no real 

istic chance of passing. 

Mr. Barbour said a 30-second spot began running last night on ABC, CBS, NBC 

and Fox affiliates in the seven states of the nine targeted senators and will r 

un until the Senate takes a final floor vote on the amendment. 

A second spot, which risks a humorous approach, is to be tested beginning t 

oday in New Mexico only, Mr. Barbour said. 

Reporters at the press briefing wanted to know more about House Speaker New 

t Gingrich's assertion earlier yesterday that he will definitely not seek the 19 

96 GOP presidential nomination. Was Mr. Barbour one of the Republicans who urged 

the speaker to take a stand, one way or the other? 

"No, but I'm glad he [Mr. Gingrich] cleared the air," he said. "There has b 

een a lot of speculation in the past that he might run." 

Some Republicans had wondered if the leading contenders for the nomination, 

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas and Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, might f 

inally pass the word to Mr. Gingrich through friends that it was time, as Mr. Ba 

rbour put it, to "clear the air." 

Among House Republicans who have the speaker's ear and who were concerned t 

hat the press and public fascination with a possible Gingrich presidential bid w 

ere distracting attention from the GOP's legislative agenda were House Majority 

Leader Dick Armey of Texas and Rep. Bob Walker of Pennsylvania. 

Commenting for the first time on Dr. Henry W. Foster's nomination to be sur 

geon general, Mr. Barbour said he thinks the Foster nomination is in "serious tr 

ouble" because Dr. Foster and the White House haven't been forthcoming about his 

record. 

The RNC TV ad campaign, its first since the new Congress convened, targets 

nine Senate Democrats: Tom Harkin of Iowa, Wendell H. Ford of Kentucky, Jeff Bin 

gaman of New Mexico, Richard Bryan and Harry Reid of Nevada, Byron Dorgan and Ke 

nt Conrad of North Dakota, and James 

Exon and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska. 

Democratic National Committee spokesman Jim Whitney had his own explanation 

for the GOP ads. "The GOP contract is beginning to unravel. [House Ways and Mea 

ns Committee Chairman] Bill Archer [of Texas] is backing off on tax cuts, and te 

rm limits look as if it will be kicked back to the states to deal with. 

"And the balanced-budget amendment has been watered down in the House and i 

s in trouble in the Senate," Mr. Whitney added. "No wonder the Republicans are s 

pending thousands of dollars on ads." 

The RNC spot now running in the home states of the targeted Democrats and e 

ntitled "Their Future" begins with a voice that says, "Our future taxpayers. Som 

e people in Washington always expected them to spend their lives paying for toda 

y's federal deficits." 

The voice then notes that the House already has passed a balanced budget am

endment "to protect our children's future. But Bill Clinton and some Democrats a 

re fighting this change." 

The ad then names one of the targeted Democrats and says he may end up on t 

he wrong side. Then the voice says "Call. Tell Senator [the name of one of the s 

even] you support the balanced budget amendment. Tell him, 'Don't put the Democr 

atic party first. Put our children first.'" 

The ad gives the U.S. Senate switchboard number. 

The second spot, by the Murphy, Pitnak & Gautier media agency is titled "Th 

e Professor" and features a balding, studiously inept fellow in half-moon specta 

cles and a chartreuse cardigan sweater. 

With the help of a chalkboard, he attempts to explain why President Clinton 

and some Democrats oppose the amendment. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Kerrey, Exon Say Time A Factor on Deduction Bill 

TEXT[Washington - Nebraska's two senators have urged their colleagues to take qu 

ick action to renew health-insurance tax deductions for self-employed people bec 

ause many farmers must file returns soon. 

Democrats J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey, in a letter to Senate leaders, said mos 

t farmers must file 1994 tax returns by March 1. 

Unless Congress acts before that date, Kerrey and Exon said, farmers will h 

ave the additional expense of filing amended returns when the deduction eventual 

ly is renewed as expected. Congress allowed the 25 percent tax deduction to expi 

re at the end of 1993. 

Tax law permits corporations to deduct 100 percent of premiums paid for emp 

loyee health insurance. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Action Urged On Health Tax 

TEXT[Washington - Quick action to renew health-insurance tax deductions for self 

-employed persons was urged Monday by Nebraska Democratic Sens. J.J. Exon and Bo 

b Kerrey in a letter to Senate leaders. 

The Nebraskans said that Congress had allowed a 25 percent tax deduction to 

expire at the end of 1993 and that most farmers were required to file 1994 tax 

returns by March 1. 

Unless Congress acts before that date, Kerrey and Exon said, farmers will h 

ave the additional expense of filing amended returns when the deduction is renew 

ed as expected. 

"This legislation is about fairness and common sense," the senators said. "

The ability to deduct health-insurance cost is critically important to the milli 

ons of farmers and other self-employed people in this country." 

Tax law permits corporations to deduct 100 percent of premiums paid for emp 

loyee health insurance. 



AUTH[Bruce Crosby 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Fatalities in perspective 

TEXT[OK, it's time for a quiz. Here are the answers: 

A. 33,000. 

B. 42,000. 

C. 53,000. 

D. 47,000. 

Like the quiz show Jeopardy, we'll give you the question later. 

But first, a hint: Those numbers all represent fatalities. 

Funny how we can get jaded about death. Even the terminology - fatalities - 

somehow separates us from the reality of a life snuffed out prematurely. 

A couple of decades ago, a miserable part of a newspaper reporter's job was 

reporting on the death of local soldiers in Vietnam. Tragic for them, their fam 

ilies, their communities. Tragic for a torn nation that will never be the same. 

They at least died serving their country, whether or not its leaders were m 

isguided. 

Even more senseless are many of the deaths we continue to report daily. And 

, men, women and children share in the carnage, usually within a few miles of th 

eir home, not half a world away. 

You've probably guessed, the senseless deaths we're referring to are traffi 

c fatalities, and strides have been made. 

New, tougher drunken driving laws, seatbelt laws, air bags, antilock brakes 

and safer cars have helped bring the death toll down. 

But alcohol continues to play a part in a large fraction of fatal crashes, 

and some of our leaders are hoping for better. A bill to lower the drunk driving 

blood alcohol level from .10 percent to .08 percent is before the Unicameral ag 

ain this year. Its effectiveness is under debate, but it's a step in the right d 

irection. 

A U.S. Senate bill introduced by Sen. Jim Exon also seems to be aimed the r 

ight way, at problem drivers - young drivers, older drivers and repeat drunk dri 

ving offenders. 

One of its points is already in effect in Nebraska: a zero alcohol toleranc 

e policy, .02 percent, for drivers under 21. It would also require a six month l 

icense suspension for young drivers caught drinking and driving, and confiscatio 

n of the vehicles of hardcore, repeat drunk drivers. 

s. 

Other points of Exon's bill: 

* youth-oriented traffic safety enforcement, education and training program 

* a graduated license system requiring a young driver to show a clean drivi 

ng record for at least one year before receiving a full, unrestricted license.

* research license plans and new technology to help older drivers maintain 

their independence. 

Despite the current mood against "unfunded federal mandates," Exon claims " 

a small investment in this area can yield significant returns. 

"Of course, no economist can measure the cost of the sorrow, pain and suffe 

ring incurred by parents, friends and families of those killed and injured in tr 

affic accidents," Exon said. 

That brings us back to our quiz. Those fatalities are those Americans kille 

d in battle in Korea (A. 33,000), Vietnam (D. 47,000) World War I (C. 53,000), a 

nd on U.S. highways in 1993 alone (B. 42,000). 



AUTH[Gerald F. Seib 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Gingrich Decides He Isn't Going to Seek 1996 GOP Presidential Nomination 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - House Speaker Newt Gingrich took himself out of the running fo 

r the 1996 presidential nomination, despite the wishes of some GOP faithful who 

had hoped be would make an unorthodox run. 

Rep. Gingrich told a business audience in his home state of Georgia that he 

has decided it is preferable to "stay and focus on what I am doing and get thin 

gs done." According to an Associated Press account of his remarks, the speaker a 

dded: "I hardly need to run for president to get my message out." 

There have been periodic bursts of speculation about a Gingrich candidacy e 

ver since he helped fashion the GOP takeover of Congress in last November's elec 

tions. The must recent came late last week, after former Vice President Dan Quay 

le withdrew from 1996 consideration and thereby freed up supporters in the party 

's conservative wing who might be attracted to Rep. Gingrich. 

Most Republican leaders, though, privately hoped that Rep. Gingrich would f 

orgo presidential ambitions and focus his energies over the course of this year 

on enacting the GOP legislative agenda laid out in the "Contract With America," 

which he was instrumental in producing. 

"This is the right thing to do," said William Bennett, the former education 

secretary and a friend who had advised Rep. Gingrich against running. "If you'r 

e speaker of the house, this is an enormous job, with enormous responsibilities. 

" Mr. Bennett, who considered a presidential run himself, added that Rep. Gingri 

ch is "singularly identified" with the Republican takeover of Congress. 

Still, Rep. Gingrich's announcement may not put to rest entirely the notion 

that he could enter the presidential sweepstakes at some later point. Because o 

f his public profile and proven fund-raising ability, Rep. Gingrich might be abl 

e to launch a run later if other candidates appear to be stumbling. And Mr. Benn 

ett noted that a rush of successful legislative action in the next few months ma 

y rekindle the temptation to run. "The more he gets under his belt as speaker, t 

he more accomplishments he has, the less compelling the argument that you have t 

o do your job may be," Mr. Bennett said. 

Separately, the Republican party stepped up its pressure on the Democrats o 

n another front, the fight over a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced 

budget. Republican National Chairman Haley Barbour announced that the party is l 

aunching television ads targeting Democratic senators from seven states who have

voiced support for a balanced-budget amendment before but may not back the amen 

dment now being offered by Republicans. 

The ads proclaim that the senators being targeted "may end up on the wrong 

side" and urge viewers to call the lawmakers' offices to press for support of th 

e amendment. Many of the Democrats have declined to support the amendment in par 

t because they are demanding that Republicans first insert language exempting So 

cial Security spending or offer a plan detailing how they intend to meet the ame 

ndment's call for a balanced budget by the year 2002. 

The senators being targeted by the Republican ads are: Minority Leader Tom 

Daschle of South Dakota, Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Bob Kerre 

y and, James Exon of Nebraska, Richard Bryan and Harry Reid of Nevada, Wendell F 

ord of Kentucky, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Tom Harkin of Iowa. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Bid to Immunize Social Security Against Cuts Is Defeated, 57-41 

TEXT[The Senate yesterday rejected a Democratic effort to exempt Social Security 

from the proposed balanced budget constitutional amendment while restless GOP l 

eaders pressed for an agreement to bring the amendment to a final vote. 

The 57 to 41 showdown vote over Social Security capped nearly three weeks o 

f Democratic complaints that Republican proponents of the amendment were unwilli 

ng to detail their long-term deficit reduction plan and that Social Security ine 

vitably will become a target to achieve the goal of eliminating the deficit by t 

he year 2002. 

But a nonbinding resolution pushed through by Senate Majority Leader Robert 

J. Dole (R-Kan.) last week prohibiting Congress from balancing the budget at th 

e expense of Social Security apparently provided Republicans and some Democrats 

with sufficient political cover to block yesterday's effort to write the protect 

ion into the Constitution. 

Despite warnings from Sen. Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and other Democrats that th 

e Republican assurances were little more than a "fig leaf," Dole said that, "For 

the moment, everybody is willing to protect Social Security." 

Reid said that under the pending balanced budget amendment proposal, "Congr 

ess will simply use Social Security funds to offset expenditures. No real spendi 

ng cuts will be made. Working and retired Americans should not be fooled." 

Six Democrats, including Sens. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Colo.), Christopher 

J. Dodd (Conn.), J. James Exon (Neb.), Bob Kerrey (Neb.), Carol Moseley-Braun ( 

Ill.) and Charles Robb (Va.), voted, with 51 Republicans to defeat Reid's amendm 

ent to exempt Social Security. Two Republicans, Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), and A 

rlen Specter (Pa.), voted with the Democrats in favor of the measure. 

Dole, who is anxious to bring the debate to a close by the end of the week, 

said he would seek a test vote on Thursday to limit debate. Sen. Robert C. Byrd 

(D-W.Va.) has vowed to extend the debate as long as possible, arguing that the 

more the public learns about the implications ofthe amendment the better the cha 

nces opponents would have to defeat it. Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle 

(D-S.D.) said he was disappointed by Dole's efforts because some senators had p 

roposed changes that deserved a full airing. 

While Republican and Democratic proponents of the House-passed balanced bud

get amendment have insisted for more than a week that they were within a vote or 

two of the two-thirds majority needed for passage of a constitutional amendment 

, GOP strategists declined yesterday to predict victory. 

"I'm not going to make that prediction, but we're very close," said Sen. La 

rry E. Craig (R-Idaho). But Exon, a Democrat who supports the amendment, said, " 

We now seem to be technically over the hump with the way people are leaning" and 

predicted passage by 69 votes. 

Following a caucus with other Democrats, Daschle issued a statement critica 

l of the Republican National Committee for running a series of television commer 

cials designed to pressure hi and other wavering Democrats into supporting the b 

alanced budget amendment.He dismissed the ads as a "TV smear." One of the Democr 

ats under fire, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (N.M.), said the a campaign will certainly no 

t help persuade me to vote for it. 

While the outcome of the debate remains in doubt, it is clear that the Repu 

blican leadership controls enough votes to fend off any effort to further alter 

the proposed addition to the Constitution. 

The Senate defeated, 70 to 28, a move by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to e 

xempt from the balanced budget amendment funding to respond to declared emergenc 

ies or major natural disasters, such earthquakes and fires in California. 

The Senate also rejected a measure offered by Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-W 

is.) to block middle-class tax cuts that would undermine efforts to balance the 

budget. 



AUTH[Patrice Hill 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Senate axes Social Security exemption 

TEXT[The Senate yesterday spurned a Democratic proposal to exempt Social Securit 

y from the balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution as Republican leaders m 

oved to end debate on the measure. 

Seven Democratic supporters of the amendment joined all but two Republicans 

in a 57-41 vote to table the Social Security proposal, the most politically cha 

rged issue raised by Democrats. Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Arle 

n Specter of Pennsylvania voted for the exemption. 

Several Democrats who are wavering in their support for the amendment linke 

d their votes' to the adoption of the exemption, which would have prevented usin 

g more than $600 billion of Social Security surpluses to balance the budget betw 

een now and 2002. 

None of the undecided Democrats, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein of Califor 

nia and Senate Minority Whip Wendell H. Ford of Kentucky, retracted their positi 

ons after yesterday's vote. 

The targets of an intense lobbying campaign by Republicans for the amendmen 

t, Senate leaders have made no secret that they will have to win over one or two 

of the swing Democrats to clinch the 67 votes needed to pass under the Constitu 

tion. 

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, one of the targeted Dem 

ocrats, charged yesterday that the "negative" ads being sponsored by the Republi

can National Committee amount to "smear tactics" and will backfire. 

"They are politicizing the debate. It is certainly not going to work in the 

ir favor," he said, noting that even Democrats who support the amendment are ang 

ry about the ads. "This isn't just another bill.... This is a proposal to amend 

the Constitution of the United States." 

Citing another dozen changes that Democrats want to make in the amendment, 

Mr. Daschle said the Senate's 47 Democrats will stand together and defeat tomorr 

ow a motion by Senate Majority leader Bob Dole to cut off debate. 

The Kansas Republican offered the motion, which requires 60 votes to pass, 

shortly after the vote on the Social Security exemption, noting that by tomorrow 

, the Senate will have spent three weeks debating the measure. 

Senate Majority Whip Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican, said Democrats are 

accomplishing little by prolonging the debate and would still have time to deba 

te their amendments under Mr. Dole's proposal. 

"This is all a lot of hot air. Nobody's scoring any points out there. For t 

he most part, it's over," he said. "Let the American people see who's holding up 

the amendment." 

Also yesterday, the Senate Budget Committee sent two line-item veto bills t 

o the full Senate for debate after it completes work on the constitutional amend 

ment. 

One of the bills is identical to a House-passed measure, enabling the presi 

dent to veto pork-barrel items in the spending and tax bills approved by Congres 

s unless it musters a two-thirds vote to override. 

In a significant departure from the House, however, the committee voted to 

sunset the line-item veto authority in 2002 under both bills. 

The second bill, which garnered more support among the committee's Democrat 

s and moderate Republicans and was authored by Senate Budget Committee Chairman 

Pete V. Domenici, would enable Congress to overturn the president's vetoes with 

only a majority vote. 

"We're engaged in a very serious experiment here," the New Mexico Republica 

n said, arguing that the House bill cedes to the president too much of Congress' 

power over the purse. 

But Sen. Phil Gramm, reflecting the views of some 41 conservative Republica 

ns who favor the House version, criticized Mr. Domenici's bill. 

"It is a pale imposter for a line-item veto," the Texas Republican said. "I 

want to give the president the power to knock down spending. If President Clint 

on knocks down spending I support, so be it." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant will allow one new deputy 

TEXT[Hamilton County is one of 40 Nebraska counties and communities selected thi 

s week to receive federal grants that will allow them to hire one new law enforc 

ement officer. 

The announcement of the winners was made by U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob 

Kerrey of Nebraska. The "Cops Fast" grants from the U.S. Department of Justice a 

re designed to put more police on the street, they said.

For Hamilton County, the grant amounts to $58,182 over three years and it c 

ould be more if some of the communities turn down the money, Sheriff Kirk Handru 

p told the County Commissioners Monday morning. 

Handrup said more information will be coming in the next couple of weeks. B 

ut from what he knows now, the government will pick up three-fourths of the addi 

tional officer's salary and the county will pick up the remaining one-fourth for 

the three years. 

Hamilton County currently has five deputies. One additional duty added in t 

he last part of last year is the assignment of a deputy to District Court as a s 

afety measure. 

The "Cops Fast" program was enacted as part of the 1994 crime bill to simpl 

ify the grant application process for smaller communities and speed the hiring o 

f officers in those areas. The Justice Department is making more than $200 milli 

on available to state an local law enforcement agencies through the program over 

the next three years. 

In a joint statement, Senator Exon and Kerrey said, "While violent crime in 

this nation's larger cities may capture the headlines, crime in rural America i 

s growing at a faster rate than in any other part of the United States. Small co 

mmunities have to be able to take advantage of any funding or assistance availab 

le and certainly more police officers on the street is one of the best deterrent 

s to crime." 

Communities across the nation were invited to apply for the grants last fal 

l. That's when the county applied, Handrup said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Harkin Opposes 57-41 Tide 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, was in the minority Tuesday as the Se 

nate voted 57-41 against exempting Social Security in a proposed balanced budget 

amendment. 

Voting with the majority, against the exemption, were Nebraska Democrats J. 

J. Exon and Bob Kerrey and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

The Senate defeated, 70-28, a move by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to exem 

pt from the balanced budget amendment 

funding to respond to declared emergencies or major natural disasters, such as e 

arthquakes and fires in California. Senators also rejected a measure offered by 

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., to block middle-class tax cuts that would undermi 

ne efforts to balance the budget. 

The Senate last week adopted a nonbinding resolution by Senate Majority Lea 

der Bob Dole, R-Kan., that pledged support for Social Security. Harkin voted for 

the Dole resolution and was a co-sponsor of the proposal to exempt Social Secur 

ity in the balanced budget amendment. 

"I have long supported a balanced budget amendment and expect to do so agai 

n this year," Harkin said during the debate. "But Social Security funds should 

not be plundered to balance the federal books." 

Grassley said Social Security already is protected in several ways, includi 

ng congressional commitment, the political power of older Americans, existing la

w and the current surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund. 

"I believe that the Constitution should remain a document outlining fundame 

ntal constitutional principles and should not refer to particular programs of th 

e government," Grassley said. 

Exon said he could not envision ever using Social Security funds for any ot 

her purpose even if the constitutional amendment passed without a specific prote 

ction for Social Security. 

"I call for cooperation to get a balanced budget amendment passed by the Se 

nate," Exon said. "This is most important of all." 

Kerrey, who has announced his opposition to the balanced budget amendment, 

said he did not believe Social Security should be used for deficit reduction. 

"But if you put that into the Constitution, people could argue that Social 

Security should be left alone - period," Kerrey said. 

He said changes will have to be made in Social Security early in the next c 

entury to prevent its insolvency. 

At a press conference Tuesday, Kerrey said there were a number of uncertain 

ties about how a balanced budget amendment would work in curbing entitlement pro 

grams, including Social Security. 

"I think it's uncertain as to what the role of the courts is going to be," 

Kerrey said. "It's uncertain as to whether or not the president is going to have 

entitlement powers. It's uncertain as to whether or not Congress will just mere 

ly pony up 60 votes and breach a hole in the thing. 

"It's not going to be any easier as a consequence of saying, 'Gee, I've got 

a constitutional amendment now that requires me to do it.' People are going to 

still be angry." 



AUTH[Madelyn Chamerlain (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Citizens should air TV gripe 

TEXT[I want to thank and applaud Lynn Monson, managing editor of the Star-Herald 

, for adding his voice to the seemingly futile effort to bring about our God-giv 

en and supposedly constitutional rights for freedom of choice and free enterpris 

e in this TV exclusivity ruling. 

Monson pointed out in his Feb. 11 column how outraged we would be if McDona 

ld's, Burger King, Wendy's, the Omaha World-Herald, the Denver Post, the Rocky M 

ountain News and USA Today were banned because of the competition to mom-and-pop 

cafes and the Star-Herald. Why is it different that KSTF and KDUH can ban the D 

enver stations due to this exclusivity rule? I agree with Monson that there are 

a lot of voters involved in this issue, so maybe Sen. Jim Exon needs to look int 

o the possibility of spearheading a legislative repeal of this ruling which is v 

ery much against American free enterprise. Maybe Exon doesn't know how widesprea 

d this unrest is over the poor quality of local TV (no competition so no need to 

upgrade equipment or personnel?) and the banning of Denver stations. 

Maybe we of the older retired generation need to get out and get petitions 

going, and send them to Exon in order to convince him and others that this is no 

t just a few crackpots speaking, but is the general consensus of all concerned c 

itizens of the Valley. Let Exon hear from all the towns serviced by cable TV. Ye

s, Alliance, I heard you, but didn't know you suffered from blackout, too. I was 

only going by what I had heard, and I apologize. And, yes, Bridgeport, I don't 

like to listen to South Dakota news either. 

Remember, it only takes the canvassing of your block or the writing of a se 

ntence or two in a letter to make a difference. Don't wait for your neighbor to 

do it. Let our citizen power speak, or put another way, let our collective effor 

ts be where our mouths are now. Exon can be contacted at these two locations: Pa 

tricia Rapp, 2106 First Ave., Scottsbluff, NE 69361, (308) 632-3595, or Sen. J. 

James Exon, 528 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, (202) 2244224. 

In parting, suppose the Denver Broncos, under new head coach Mike Shanahan, 

got on a winning streak this fall. I know there are a lot of Bronco fans in the 

Valley, and I am one of them. Suppose, also, due to the expected reshuffling of 

programming between ABC, CBS and NBC that some of the Bronco games were not sho 

wn due to the process of changeover and the exclusivity ruling. Remember the Kan 

sas City Chief vs. 49ers game last year. You talk about howls of outrage - you a 

in't seen or heard nothin' yet. That would be at least an 8 on the Richter scale 

. Many people would simply go out and buy a large satellite and say nothing. Tha 

t would leave the older and less affluent citizens being excluded by the exclusi 

vity ruling. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP officials push amendment 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - The Republican National Committee went to the airwaves to try 

to persuade Nebraskans to urge U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey to vote for th 

e balanced-budget amendment. 

Republicans bought television advertisements in the Omaha, Lincoln and Kear 

ney areas for broadcast Tuesday evening. 

Although Exon has said he's in favor of the amendment, Nebraska Republican 

officials were wary. 

Kerrey, however, has made it clear he'll vote a resounding no. 

A Republican statement quoted Sen. Jim Exon in an appearance on Washington, 

D.C. television on Feb. 2 as saying he was trying to deliver the votes to pass 

the constitutional amendment for a balanced-budget. 

Abboud acknowledged Exon's public stance in support of the amendment. But h 

e said voting and talking are two separate issues and that Republicans won't be 

convinced until Exon casts a vote in favor. 

Meanwhile, Kerrey Tuesday repeated his opposition to a balanced-budget amen 

dment as unnecessary and inappropriate. 

"It's the right problem, wrong solution," Kerrey said. 

..."Unless and until we have the courage to take on entitlement and that me 

ans all entitlement, retirement and health care being the biggest," Kerrey added 

, "we're not going to be able to balance the budget." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Don't confirm him 

TEXT[The nomination of Dr. Henry Foster, Jr., to serve as this nation's surgeon 

general has caused an outcry among many Americans, and rightfully so. 

First, there is the disturbing realization that Dr. Foster, if approved by 

the U.S. Senate, would be the first surgeon general to have performed abortions 

in his medical practice. 

Second, there is also the fact that he served on the board of directors of 

Planned Parenthood of Middle Tennessee from 1978 through 1981, has served on the 

National Leadership Committee to Keep Abortion Safe and Legal, a Planned Parent 

hood spinoff, and supported other of the organization's subgroups. 

Why is that Significant? Because some of these groups favor explaining mast 

urbation to kindergarten students and teach that homosexual and heterosexual fam 

ily lifestyles are equal. 

Third, there is the bothersome inconsistency in statements made by Dr. Fost 

er concerning how many abortions he has performed. What started out as fewer tha 

n a dozen is now 39 and he also presided over a medical college study of a drug 

that induced abortions in 55 of 60 women. 

Fourth, there is the embarrassing lack of thoroughness on the part of the C 

linton administration in terms of researching Dr. Foster's background before ann 

ouncing him as the new surgeon general nominee. While that is not Dr. Foster's f 

ault, it raises questions about ineptitude in the White Mouse. 

We had hoped that President Clinton might have learned something from the J 

ocelyn Elders debacle. Her views on legalizing drugs, homosexuality, the Catholi 

c church and condom distribution programs were so far left of the views of mains 

tream America that the president had no choice but to ask for her resignation. 

But apparently the president doesn't seem to be getting the message. Instea 

d of nominating someone who better reflects the views of the nation, he goes out 

and finds someone just as controversial as Dr. Elders. 

As of this writing, speculation abounds that Dr. Foster may ask that his no 

mination be withdrawn. But if not, then Senate confirmation hearings will be hel 

d. 

We would encourage Northeast and North Central Nebraskans to contact Sens. Bob K 

errey and Jim Exon and let your views be known on the nomination of Dr. Foster t 

o the surgeon general's post. (Their addresses can be found elsewhere on this pa 

ge.) In our opinion, he should not be confirmed and someone else who better repr 

esents this nation should be nominated instead. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Bill Would Stop 'Computerized Porn' 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C.--Sen. Jim Exon has introduced a bill to update federal com 

munications laws protecting decency. The Communications Decency Act would extend

and strengthen protections against obscene and indecent material to cover compu 

ters, cable television and other emerging technologies. 


strict," said Exon. "This legislation will help stop those who electronically cr 

uise the digital universe to engage children in inappropriate communications and 

introductions or electronically stalk users of computer networks." 

Exon's bill would: 

* Toughen penalties for obscene, indecent or harassing use of telecommunica 

tions devices by boosting the maximum fine to $100,000 and increasing the maximu 

m jail sentence to two years. 

* Require cable systems to fully scramble audio and video portions of adult 

pay-per-view programming so that non-subscribing households are not invaded by 

unwanted, explicit material. 

* Prohibit the use of toll-free "800" numbers as a ruse to charge for adult 

"phone sex" lines. 

* Give cable operators the authority to block public access or leased acces 

s programs that include obscenity, indecency or nudity. 

"New telecommunication technologies will provide tremendous opportunities f 

or education, culture and entertainment," Exon said. "That should be encouraged. 

The Communications Decency Act will help protect our children against that misu 

se." 




SOUR[Blue Hill Leader 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Police grants announced 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced today that 40 

Nebraska communities will receive federal grants to put more police officers on 

the street. The "Cops Fast" grants from the U. S. Department of Justice will al 

low each of the communities to hire one new officer. 

The Webster County Sherriff's Department will receive a grant. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Is Exon supporting Nebraskan's views? 

TEXT[Nebraskans should know that Jim Exon was willing to help the most liberal U 

.S. senators win election in 1994 by writing $1,000 checks to Ted Kennedy, Paul 

Sarbanes, Diane Feinstein, Kent Conrad and 10 other staunchly liberal Democrat c 

andidates. 

Apparently Jim Exon feels so philosophically in tune with Ted Kennedy that 

he is compelled to contribute to the most liberal members of the Senate. 

Jim Exon has been in Washington DC for so long that he must have forgotten

that he is supposed to represent Nebraskans' views, not the view of the liberal 

establishment. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Democratic Senators Seek Delay In Appointment of CBO Chief 

TEXT[Two Senate Democrats yesterday urged the Republican leadership to hold up t 

he appointment of June E. O'Neill as the director of the Congressional Budget Of 

fice after raising questions about her credentials and complaining that Republic 

ans were trying to politicize the traditionally nonpartisan office. 

O'Neill, 60, an economics professor at Bernard Baruch College in New York a 

nd an adjunct scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, was pro 

moted for the job by House Budget Committee Chaanan John R. Kasich (R-Ohio) and 

other adherents of "dynamic" accounting techniques that consider the degree to w 

hich tax cuts boost the economy and alter market behavior. 

O'Neill, a Republican and a CBO analyst for Democratic Congresses, expresse 

d mild sympathy for the GOP drive to change accounting techniques, telling repor 

ters last week, "I expect I'll be dynamic when that's called for and static when 

that's called for." 

She also said she agrees with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan 

and GOP congressional leaders that the consumer price index overstates the true 

rate of inflation and probably should be adjusted. 

The House Budget Committee yesterday voted 28 to 4, with eight abstentions, 

to approve O'Neill to succeed Robert D. Reischauer as CBO chief. However, Sens. 

Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), urged the Senate Republican 

leadership to postpone action on the pending appointment to allow senators time 

to further explore O'Neill's qualifications and her ability to offer politically 

impartial analysis. 

Although O'Neill has been a researcher at the Urban Institute and at the Br 

ookings Institution as well as more conservative organizations, Dorgan and Conra 

d said there were serious questions about whether she meets the test of being bo 

th nonpartisan and qualified to perform this role." 

Dorgan and Conrad are among a growing number of congressional Democrats who 

fear that in their rush to imbue congressional budgetary and fiscal policy with 

economic theories that were fashionable during the Reagan era, conservative Rep 

ublicans are compromising the integrity of the CBO and other nonpartisan organiz 

ations responsible for analyzing the economy and the impact of budget and tax po 

licy changes on the deficit. 

"Over the years the Republicans' efforts in certain policy areas have been 

thwarted by the people who keep score or the people who do the research," Dorgan 

said. "And because they have not gotten the answers they would like, they decid 

ed they want to make a change in the people who give the answers." 

Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.), ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee, said 

Republicans appear "bound and determined" 

to break with CBO's traditions and practices. "I think that has the potential of 

destroying the credibility that the CBO has always had on both sides of the ais

le," he said. 

Rep. Martin O. Sabo (Minn.), ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee 

, said Republicans "are scurrying around trying to find some magic formula to ge 

t around the tough decisions they have to make to implement their contract." 

Senate Budget Committee Chainan Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), who initially fa 

vored other candidates for the CBO post, defended the choice of O'Neill and pred 

icted that the Senate leadership would confirm her selection. "Frankly, of the p 

eople who were acceptable to both houses, she was by far the best," he said. "I 

don't see any reason to delay. I don't think it will change things." 

Kasich, who described O'Neill as "fabulous and highly qualified," said it w 

as absurd to suggest that he had elicited any promises from her on how to run CB 

O. 

Earlier this year GOP leaders backed down from their plan to push for an im 

mediate change in accounting techniques. Since then, however House Speaker Newt 

Gingrich (R-Ga.), Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) and Kasich have step 

ped up their criticism of the analytical models used by the CBO, the congression 

al Joint Committee on Taxation and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics for es 

timating the budgetary impact of tax cuts, federal program changes and ebbs and 

flows in the rate of inflation. 

Armey and Kasich, both advocates of Reagan era "supply side" economics, wer 

e incensed by a recent Joint Committee on Taxation analysis showing that the GOP 

tax cut proposals-including a 50 percent cut in the capital gains tax-would dra 

in the Treasury of $704.4 billion over the next decade. 

Kasich, who believes that a cut in the capital gains tax would raise revenu 

e, not lose it, dismissed the analysis last week as "terrible." 

A spokesman for Armey said the joint tax committee numbers were "just plain wron 

g." 

Ironically, the new head of the joint tax committee, Kenneth J. Kies, is a 

conservative tax expert and ally of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill 

Archer (R-Tex.) Archer said through a spokesman yesterday that he had confidenc 

e in the Joint Tax Committee and would to rely on its numbers. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Introduces Bill Aimed at Reducing Auto Crashes 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) today introduced a bill aimed at cutting down 

on the number of Americans killed on the nation's highways. The High Risk Driver 

s Act would encourage states and the federal government to focus attention on th 

ree groups of drivers most at risk for accidents: young drivers, older drivers, 

and repeat drunk driving offenders. 

"Even with the long term decline in traffic fatality rates, too many lose t 

heir lives in auto accidents," Exon said. "In 1993, more than 42,000 Americans d 

ied in auto crashes. That's like losing a city the size of Grand Island and the 

surrounding area. 

The Exon bill seeks to reduce accidents by encouraging states to: 

*Conduct youth-oriented traffic safety enforcement, education, and training prog 

rams.

*Adopt a graduated license system so that a young driver would have to show 

a clean driving record for at least one year before getting a full, unrestricte 

d license. 

*Adopt a zero tolerance toward drunk driving by changing the blood alcohol 

threshold from .10% to .02% for drivers under the age of 21, requiring a six mon 

th license suspension for young drivers caught drinking and driving, and by conf 

iscating the vehicles of hardcore, repeat drunk drivers. 

*Research license plans and new technology to help older drivers maintain t 

heir independence. 

"A small investment in this area can yield significant returns," Exon said. 

He noted that at one Senate hearing he chaired, an economist testified that if 

this legislation were enacted, there would be at least a ten-fold return of the 

investment due to reduced costs of death, injury and loss of productivity. 

"Of course, no economist can measure the cost of the sorrow, pain and suffe 

ring incurred by parents, friends, and families of those killed and injured in t 

raffic accidents," Exon said. 

Exon introduced a similar bill last year with now-retired Senator Jim Danfo 

rth (R-MO). 





BK#[ 

HDLN[2 Line-Item Veto Bills May Go to Full Senate 

TEXT[Faced with a split among Republicans, the Senate Budget Committee yesterday 

approved two conflicting versions of legislation to expand the president's powe 

rs to cut congressional spending, sending the line-item veto bills toward an unc 

ertain fate on the Senate floor. 

The unusual two-choice strategy evolved after efforts to reach a compromise 

failed and it became apparent that, while most Republicans favored the stronger 

version, it faced probable defeat in light of heavy Democratic opposition. 

The stronger version, similar to legislation approved earlier this month by 

the House as part of the Republicans' "Contract With America," emerged from the 

panel on a party-line vote of 12 to 10. 

Two Democrats joined all but one of the panel's Republicans in a 13 to 8 vo 

te in favor of a milder version, indicating that it has a better-although not ce 

rtain-chance of winning final approval by the Senate. 

Both measures now go to the Senate Governmental Affairs Commit-tee, which m 

ust approve them before they go to the Senate floor, possibly next month. 

Under current law, a president can propose specific cuts after appropriatio 

ns bills are signed into law, but Congress can-and often does-ignore these recis 

ions of spending authority. They die unless approved by both houses within 45 da 

ys. 

The stronger bill, sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), would put presi 

dential recisions into effect automatically unless Congress approves a bill to b 

lock them. If the president vetoes the legislation, it would take a two-thirds v 

ote of both houses to override the veto. 

Under the milder version, sponsored by Budget Committee Chair-man Pete V. D

omenici (R-N.M.), Congress would have to vote on proposed presidential recisions 

, and they could be blocked by a simple majority of one house. 

Domenici's original proposal would also have applied to tax breaks. But he 

sought yesterday to drop that provision. When Democrats led a successful move to 

restore it, a revolt broke out in the GOP camp, temporarily threatening to sink 

the deal under which both bills were to go to the floor. 

Eventually, a tightly targeted provision, limiting vetoes to tax breaks aff 

ecting no more than 100 beneficiaries, was approved over objections of Democrats 

, who said it would lead to creation of tax shelters for at least 101 beneficiar 

ies. "It'll be like 101 Dalmatians-tax breaks that benefit 101 people," complain 

ed Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.). 

Sen. J. James Exon (D-Neb.), ranking Democrat on the budget panel, said bef 

ore yesterday's vote that he believed McCain's proposal stands no chance of bein 

g passed by the Senate, especially if 60 votes are required to overcome an expec 

ted filibuster by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.). 

Acknowledging that a "high majority" of Republicans favor McCain's proposal 

, Domenici said it will go to the floor first, with his proposal held "in reserv 

e" in case McCain's falls short of 60 votes. But McCain backers said it has not 

been decided whether to fall back on Domenici's proposal, which they regard as i 

nadequate. 

If his proposal fails, McCain said that he would rather try again in six mo 

nths-and again just before next year's elections-rather than settle for Domenici 

's version. "I would certainly be willing to negotiate, but I could not support 

a one-house majority vote being construed as a line-item veto," he said. 

McCain's position cast doubt over whether even Domenici's proposal could cl 

ear a 60-vote hurdle if conservative Republicans bail out on it. Committee membe 

r Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) denounced Domenici's proposal as a "pale impostor for a li 

ne-item veto" and left the room without voting on it. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant helps museum preserve SAC legacy 

TEXT[ A $426,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense will help the Str 

ategic Air Command Museum promote the legacy of SAC well into the new century, o 

fficials said Friday. 

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Leo Smith, a former SAC vice commander-in-chief, 

announced receipt of the grant at a press conference held at the SAC Museum. 

Smith said the grant was issued under a Department of Defense program known 

as "Project Legacy." Project Legacy provides funds for programs seeking to memo 

rialize the culture and legacy of the Cold War years. The SAC Museum program is 

to be known as "America's Shield: A Half-Century Perspective on America's Strate 

gic Forces." 

According to Museum Director Jim Bert, the exhibit will be a professionally 

produced, travel-capable showpiece that will interpret museum objects. The gran 

t will also be used to develop supporting programs, including interactive exhibi 

ts, to educate the public about SAC's history and its role in winning the Cold W

ar. 

A part of that effort will be acquiring new exhibits, Bert said. 

"Most date back to the early 1970s," Bert said. "The last time we entered a 

new exhibit was 1987." 

Bert said he hopes the grant will be the first of two Project Legacy grants 

to back the program. He said he applied for $956,000 in grant money this year. 

The additional $530,000 must be sought next year, he said, because Project Legac 

y grants are awarded annually on a competitive basis. 

Smith said that although the federal grant is not tied to any requirement t 

hat the museum raise money by itself, a campaign to raise $85,000 by the end of 

June will begin. 

Bert said the $85,000 will be used to relieve the financial stress of opera 

ting the museum so that more attention can be paid to making the best possible e 

xhibit from the federal grant. 

Bert said attendance at the museum has declined in recent years. Attendance 

had previously been estimated at about 100,000. Bert said 73,000 people visited 

last year, and about the same number is expected this year. 

Part of the $85,000 will be used to promote the museum to a wider audience, 

he said. 

"We are operating on a very marginal level with marketing and publicity," h 

e said. "We need a measure of comfort in operating and promoting the museum so t 

hat we can take full advantage of the grant." 

Smith said he believes the exhibit will be in place by March 1996, in time 

for celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the founding of SAC. 

Plans are being laid for a major celebration to be held in Omaha and to inv 

olve former SAC personnel from all over the nation. 

Smith said the success of the grant application was due to a "major coopera 

tive effort" involving U.S. Sens. J. James Exon and Bob Kerrey, the 55th Wing, U 

.S. Strategic Command, the Nebraska State Historical Society, the National Trust 

for Historic Preservation and the Nebraska Humanities Council. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon, Kerrey blast budget office choice 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., vows to do all he can to prevent June 

O'Neill from becoming director of the Congressional Budget Office. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who agrees it is a bad appointment, says there is no 

thing opponents can do to stop her from becoming the final word on the budget on 

Capitol Hill. 

Kerrey said O'Neill was picked for the job by the House and Senate Republic 

ans because she is an advocate of what is known as "dynamic scoring," which Kerr 

ey says will allow her to "cook the books" in whatever way the Republicans desir 

e. 

The congressional budget director's main task is to determine the cost of p 

roposed legislation. Traditionally, this has been based on a static formula that

determines what the cost would be at the time of the analysis. 

Under dynamic scoring, the budget director would he able to look into the f 

uture cost or savings of legislation. 

Kerrey and Exon and other farm state lawmakers fought for dynamic scoring l 

ast year when the GATT world trade bill was being considered. The CBO ruled that 

because tariff revenues would go down because of the trade agreement, Congress 

had to find some $3 billion in other parts of the budget to cover the cost of th 

e trade pact. 

Kerrey and Exon argued at the time that GATT would stimulate so much increa 

sed trade over the years that it would more than pay for itself and there was no 

need to make budget cuts before implementing the trade agreement. 

The CBO said it had no authority to predict future growth and work that int 

o the cost analysis, and the cuts would have to he made before the GATT bill was 

approved. 

Agriculture had to absorb some of that cost, but President Clinton won over 

the agriculture lobby by promising to extend the Conservation Reserve Program f 

or two years, to not cut discretionary farm spending and to provide $600 million 

in export incentives for farm commodities and products. 

Kerrey angrily declared he would do all he could to stop O'Neill's appointm 

ent, promising to filibuster, if necessary, or to try to get Democrats to withho 

ld their votes for the balanced budget amendment. 

Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said there is no 

thing that can be done to stop the appointment. The law says the House and Senat 

e budget committee chairmen have to agree on a candidate, notify the ranking mem 

bers of the panels and then put the new director on the payroll. There is no fur 

ther congressional review. 

Kerrey said O'Neill is a "hired gun" who cannot be counted on for objective 

analysis. 

"She will tarnish the whole character of the budget process," Kerrey said. 

He said the Republicans will use her to "cook the books" so the budget will 

appear to be in balance by the 2002 deadline in the balanced budget amendment, 

but in reality will still he out of balance. 

Exon wrote a letter to Budget Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., earlier this 

month voicing his concern over the O'Neill appointment. But he said he did not a 

nd does not expect the appointment to be withdrawn, especially in light of the f 

act that O'Neill is the "hand-picked choice" of House Budget Committee Chairman 

John Kasich, R-Ohio. 



AUTH[Carolyn Lochhead 

SOUR[San Francisco Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Feinstein Loses Bid to Exclude Social Security 

TEXT[The balanced budget amendment cleared its biggest political hurdle yesterda 

y, as California Senator Dianne Feinstein's attempt to exclude Social Security f 

ailed on a 57-to-41 vote. 

Six Democrats voted against Democrat Feinstein, while two Republicans suppo 

rted her. On Friday, the Senate had overwhelmingly approved a resolution not to 

use Social Security funds to balance the budget, a measure Feinstein described a

s a "fig leaf." 

The Senate also rejected a proposal by Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to 

exempt federal disaster aid from the amendment. Following the 70-to-28 vote, Box 

er announced that she will vote no when the balanced budget plan comes up for fi 

nal passage, perhaps as early as next Wednesday. 

However, amendment supporters say they are now just one vote shy of the 67 

two-thirds majority required to pass proposed amendments to the Constitution. 

"I'll predict that it will pass," said Senator James Exon, D-Neb., who has 

been lobbying his fellow Democrats to get the 67 votes needed for approval if al 

l 100 senators vote. "I think we have turned this thing around." 

Backers of the unsuccessful move to protect Social Security worried that wi 

thout special language the nation's most expensive program would be cut to help 

trim the nation's roughly $200 billion annual deficit. The nation has never bala 

nced its budget for more than three years in a row since the creation of Social 

Security in the 1930s, but key proponents of the balanced budget amendment said 

it should not be singled out for special protection. 

"Are we not shortchanging the children if we just worry about the seniors?" 

asked Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. 

Feinstein vowed to continue the battle, saying she and other Democrats woul 

d offer a substitute balanced budget amendment that would exclude Social Securit 

y. 

"Our fight to protect the future of the Social Security system is not over 

yet. A number of us - including several Democrats needed to secure the 67 votes 

necessary for passage - are joining together and will offer an alternative ..." 

she said after the vote. "I want to vote for a balanced budget amendment, but I 

want to get the job done right." 

Republican Party Chairman Haley Barbour accused Feinstein of reversing her 

position last year - when she supported the balanced budget amendment without a 

Social Security exclusion - just to win re-election. Barbour tacitly acknowledge 

d that Feinstein is a no vote, saying earlier plans by amendment backers to run 

television ads in California have been scaled back to radio spots, as supporters 

focus their efforts on other Democrats. 

Yesterday's vote came amid deepening political stress in the Senate, where 

Republicans have tried to maintain the impression of bipartisanship on a measure 

that might need the votes of 15 Democratic senators to pass. 

Within moments of the roll call on Social Security, Senate majority leader 

Bob Dole sought to curtail debate on the proposed amendment, with a vote on his 

effort set for tomorrow. 

Democratic leader Tom Daschle replied that he was "disappointed" at Dole's 

action, saying some senators had proposed changes that deserved a thorough airin 

g. 

Behind the rhetoric, the vote on the politically appealing attempt to shiel 

d Social Security from budget cuts demonstrated that balanced budget supporters 

have the strength to defeat any proposed changes. Fifty Republicans and seven De 

mocrats voted against Feinstein's proposal, and 39 Democrats, including Boxer, a 

nd two Republicans voted for it. 

The Senate earlier had overwhelmingly passed a Dole-crafted nonbinding meas 

ure that expressed support for Social Security. One Republican aide said that pr 

ovided political "cover" for Republicans on the issue. 

White House chief of staff Leon Panetta said the administration was "obviou 

sly disappointed by that vote because, despite the assurances about protecting S

ocial Security, it's clear that they're not going to provide that guarantee as p 

art of the balanced budget amendment." 

Republicans say that, armed with an exemption for Social Security, a future 

Congress would be tempted to redefine other popular programs to enable them to 

receive support from the trust funds, thereby endangering Social Security. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senators defeat bid to protect trust fund 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - Senate Republicans voted Tuesday against protecting Soci 

al Security from the impact of balancing the federal budget, then began pressuri 

ng Democrats to quickly wrap up debate on the constitutional amendment. 

By a 57-41 vote, senators defeated a proposal by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., t 

hat would have protected the Social Security Trust Fund from being, in Reid's wo 

rd, "looted." Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican, voted to kill Reid's pro 

posal, while Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin voted for it. 

Republicans insisted the trust fund won't be raided, explaining Social Secu 

rity is the one program that is "off the table" as they revamp the budget to bri 

ng it into balance within seven years, as the amendment would require. 

More Debate 

Senate Majority leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., noting that Thursday will mark thr 

ee weeks of debate on the amendment, asked resisting Democrats to let it come to 

a final vote. Democrats seemed unmoved, making it likely that debate will conti 

nue. 

The vote on Reid's proposal gave few clues to whether the amendment will ha 

ve the two-thirds support needed for passage. Backers believe they are within a 

vote or two of the 67 needed. 

"We're gaining momentum," said Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, a leader of the b 

alanced budget effort. "The two toughest amendments are now behind us." 

He identified them as the Reid proposal and one, defeated last week, that w 

ould have required Congress to spell out what cuts in federal spending would be 

made to balance the budget. 

State Legislatures 

Following Senate passage, the amendment, approved earlier by the House, wou 

ld have to be ratified by the legislatures of 38 states. 

Seven Democrats opposed Reid. They were Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado 

, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Bob Kerrey and James Exon of Nebraska, Carol 

Moseley-Braun and Paul Simon of Illinois, and Charles Robb of Virginia. Only two 

Republicans - John McCain of Arizona and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania - voted 

with Reid. 

Dole offered a carrot - sticking with next week's scheduled recess around P 

residents Day - if agreement can be reached by Thursday for when a final vote wo 

uld be taken. Dole also brandished a stick: bringing senators back to town if no 

agreement is reached. 

"They don't care how long they talk if they can kill this amendment," he sa 

id.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who earlier said he had enough 

votes to keep a filibuster alive, said such an important issue as a constitution 

al amendment should not be rushed. He circulated a list of at least nine Democra 

tic proposals for changing the amendment. 

Daschle also criticized the Republican Party for airing television advertis 

ements in seven states whose senators' support for the amendment is uncertain. 

"Politicizing the process is going to backfire," he predicted, adding the a 

ds have angered some senators thought to support the amendment. 

The ads target only Democratic senators. They are Daschle, Harkin, Byron Do 

rgan and Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Richard Bryan of Nevada, Jeff Bingaman of 

New Mexico, Wendell Ford of Kentucky, Exon, Kerrey and Reid. 

"Eventual Death" 

Reid warned senators that failing to protect Social Security would mean its 

"eventual death." 

"It should not be looted and it should not become a Social Security slush f 

und" for balancing the budget, he said. 

"It is hypocritical to voice support for Social Security and then support a 

balanced budget plan that jepordizes the entire program," Reid added. "I will s 

tand my ground." 

He predicted the $436 billion surplus in the Social Security trust will be 

irresistible as it grows to $3 trillion before starting to go down in 2020 to co 

ver retirement costs of the large generation of "baby boomers." 



AUTH[Howard Rheingold (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Beware of tyranny in guise of 'decency' 

TEXT[THE ELECTRONIC Decency Act of 1995, introduced this month by Sen. Jim Exon, 

D-Neb., is an outrage to all who abhor censorship and ineffective, fuzzily defi 

ned morality legislation. 

Exon, a zealot who knows nothing about the technology he is attempting to r 

egulate, has cloaked this attack on freedom of expression in anti-pornography rh 

etoric. 

Political censorship disguised as moral outrage is an old trick. This time 

it's a Democrat who's trying to bamboozle the public, but he has a lot of Republ 

ican support. 

Exon's bill would be bad for citizens and bad for business. It not only thr 

eatens our freedom, but could have a chilling effect on the electronic messaging 

business by requiring communication service providers to police their users. 

Conservatives who want the government to get its nose out of business and p 

rivate behavior and liberals who are concerned about the erosion of civil libert 

ies all need to get on the phone and fax. Don't let them slip this one in on us. 

The bill superficially appears to be an extension of legislation against us 

ing the telephone to stalk or harass. But it actually goes much further by makin 

g the operator of every computer bulletin board system, office local-area networ 

k or on-line messaging service liable for a $100,000 fine and two years' impriso 

nment if a user "flames" another one or engages in consensual conversations of a

n "indecent" kind. 

Citizens need protection against stalking, harassment and sexual predation, 

but we must find protective measures that are effective and do not infringe our 

rights. 

The Electronic Decency Act would be ineffective against digitally transmitt 

ed pornography for technical reasons. It is now possible to hide information, in 

cluding images, in the software that encodes other material, so a pornographic p 

icture can be tucked inside the date that make up an innocent-looking image. Bre 

aking these codes would mean we'd have to sacrifice another privacy protection i 

n order to chase criminals who have many other channels at their disposal. 

Professor David Farber of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the pionee 

rs who built the Internet, opposes the bill. Farber, a member, of the Electronic 

Frontier Foundation board of directors, says, "I am at a bit of a loss understa 

nding how any carrier defends itself against carrying prohibited material. 

"For example, say that e-mail/netnews/web traffic from Finland to, say, Jap 

an passes via the USA and has 'obscene' material in it. What does a carrier do? 

Clearly, neither the Finnish nor Japanese citizens are easy to prosecute. It may 

be that the article is in Finnish or Japanese. It may be encrypted or hidden in 

an image of the Mona Lisa. How does a carrier protect itself? 

"What does a school do when the material is being sent to a bulletin board 

at that school with a public key possessed only by people who 'register' with th 

e originator? Do you outlaw encryption? 

"The tendency of this nation to pass laws that are unenforceable lowers the 

respect for the law." 

You can register your objections to the Electronic Decency Act by contactin 

g Sens. Exon and Larry Pressler, R-S.D., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committ 

ee. 



AUTH[Kelly Ann Kennedy and Mike McCoy 


BK#[ 

HDLN[President's plan to bring officers to local communities 

TEXT[President Bill Clinton's crime bill, passed last fall, may be making a diff 

erence in two area communities and the Saunders County Sheriff's Department. 

Last week, it was announced that Ashland, Yutan and the sheriff's departmen 

t were three of 40 law enforcement agencies in the state to receive the COPS FAS 

T (Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns) grants. 

According to United States Attorney Tom Managhan, the grants are part of th 

e president's effort to help put 100,000 new police officers on the streets of A 

merica. COPS FAST grants were available for agencies serving less than 50,000 pe 

ople. 

Nebraska U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey said crime in small communit 

ies is a growing concern. 


es, crime in rural America is growing at a faster rate then any other part of th 

e United States. 

"Small communities have to be able to take advantage of any funding or assi 

stance available and certainly more police officers on the street is one of the

est deterrents to crime," Exon and Kerrey added. Those who applied for the COPS 

FAST grants submitted one-page applications before Dec. 31, 1994. The grants wi 

ll fund up to 75 percent of the total salary and benefits of new or rehire offic 

ers for three years, a statement from Managhan's office said. The remaining 25 p 

ercent will be paid by state or local funds. The Justice Department is making mo 

re than $200 million available to state and local law enforcement agencies throu 

gh COPS FAST over the next three years. 

County Sheriff 

According to Saunders County Sheriff Ron Poskochil, the grant will help the 

department to offer services it has been unable to in the past due to the lack 

of personnel. 

Currently, the department employs nine commissioned officers and ten civili 

an employees. In comparison with the 12,606 people the department serves, there 

are .7 sworn personnel per 1,000 population. If the grant is accepted, the depar 

tment should receive about $55,795 for the salary and benefits of a new officer. 

Poskochil said the new officer would be used in a variety of community orie 

nting policing efforts. The emphasis of this addition would be crime prevention, 

he said. 

One new area the department may be able to take on because of the grant is 

the DARE (Drug Awareness and Resistance Education) program. According to Poskoch 

il, several communities have inquired about the department serving their schools 

through this program. The program educates youth about the dangers of drug and 

alcohol abuse and teaches how to steer clear of using these substances. 

Getting out into the community is another plan Poskochil has for the additi 

onal officer. Using the examples of other cities that use foot, bike and horse p 

atrols as a means to get into the communities, Poskochil said community policing 

benefits the residents and communities as well as the department. 

An increase of communication between law enforcement officers and the commu 

nity increases the awareness of what's happening in the community, he said. By t 

alking with the people, the department can get a better feel of the problems in 

the communities and they can better express their concerns, he added. 

The community policing will include several types of crime prevention progr 

amming other than DARE. Poskochil said the department has been offering these pr 

ograms to communities and schools and will now be able to handle more. 

The department needed this grant because there has been an increase in juve 

nile crime and vandalism throughout the county, Poskochil said. In 1993, 39 juve 

niles were arrested and the total crime rate per 1,000 people was 14.2. 

While the department was named as one of the agencies to receive the grant, 

the county still has to indicate an interest to receive the funding. Poskochil 

was scheduled to present the grant information to the Saunders County Board of S 

upervisors on Wednesday. 

Yutan 

For the village of Yutan, the estimated $62,298 COPS FAST grant could provi 

de the only full-time law enforcement officer in the community. The village curr 

ently employs four regular part-time officers and is not covered 24 hours a day, 

Village Clerk Debbie Mumm said. 

Since the former police chief, Steve O'Brien, announced his resignation in 

December, the village has been looking for a replacement for the position. Accor 

ding to Mumm, the village is stilling trying to fill the position on a part-time 

basis. The new officer funded by the COPS FAST grant will be a full-time patrol 

ling position. But, the grant may open the possibility to offer the police chief 

position on a full-time basis.

"The best thing about it (receiving the grant) is when Chief O'Brien put in 

his resignation, we couldn't even talk about full-time (police chief position," 

Mumm said. "This came at an opportune time." 

Details of duties or additional programming responsibilities of an addition 

al officer have not been officially discussed by the village officials yet, Mumm 

said. 

Once the village receives all of the information from the sponsoring agency 

, the village board will look into the details of such an addition. Also, each c 

ommunity awarded a grant will have to complete cost estimates and plans before r 

eceiving the funding. 

Ashland 

The City of Ashland has been approved for a $48,446.75 grant, which wi 

ll be utilized to supplement the salary and benefits of an additional policeman/ 

investigator. 

According to Ashland Police Chief Steve O'Brien, the decision to hire 

a fifth full-time officer is one his department had been considering for about f 

our years. 

"We need to have 24 hour protection," stated O'Brien, who said his dep 

artment is unable to offer 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week coverage due to manpo 

wer constraints. 

"Right now we rely on officer on-call, the county and the state patrol 

to fill in the holes." 

"This puts the officer and the community in a bad situation," O'Brien 

said. 

In addition to increasing its' patrol coverage to a 24-hours-a-day, O' 

Brien said the additional officer will allow his department to do more double-co 

verage. 

"A large portion of our job is to serve as a deterrent," commented O'B 

rien, who said that Ashland is a nice place to live but has its share of misbeha 

vior and criminal activity. 

"It's better to be pro-active, instead of re-active, and an additional 

officer will definitely increase our visibility in the community." 

O'Brien said that when the grant program was first announced, he wasn' 

t sure if Ashland would be eligible to participate due to its size. 

"I believe all law enforcement agency should take advantage of grant p 

rograms for equipment and manpower when they come available." 

The 1993 crime figures for the City of Ashland showed that the Ashland 

Police Department had 1.8 sworn personnel per 1,000 population. In its coverage 

area of 2,177 people, it saw a 18.8 crime rate per 1,000 people in 1993. 

O'Brien said that he expects the Ashland City Council to accept the gr 

ant at it's Feb. 16 meeting. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Like Kennedy 

TEXT[Nebraskans should know that Jim Exon was willing to help the most liberal U 

.S. senators win election in 1994 by writing $1,000 checks to Ted Kennedy, Paul

Sarbanes, Diane Feinstein, Kent Conrad and ten other staunchly liberal Democrat 

candidates. 

Apparently Jim Exon feels so philosophically in tune with Ted Kennedy that 

he is compelled to contribute to the most liberal members of the Senate. 

Jim Exon has been in Washington, D.C. for so long that he must have forgott 

en that he is supposed to represent Nebraskans' views, not the views of the libe 

ral establishment. 



AUTH[C.J. Hutchinson 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Editor to Teens: Drugs, Alcohol Ticket to Nowhere 

TEXT[As a youngster, she watched friends get drunk. As an adult, her boyfriend o 

ffered her cocaine. 

In both cases, said Susan Taylor, editor in chief of Essence magazine, she 

made correct choices in rejecting alcohol and drugs. 

"What you do with your life has to do with the personal choices you make," 

Ms. Taylor told about 75 students Wednesday at Omaha's McMillan Junior High Scho 

ol, 3802 Redick Ave. "It pains me when I think what happened to my friends." 

The students whom Ms. Taylor spoke to are graduates of the Omaha Police Dep 

artment's Gang Resistance Education and Training program. 

Essence, based in New York, has been published for 25 years and focuses on 

fashion and social and health issues concerning blacks. 

Ms. Taylor, 49, spent her early years in a three-room apartment in Harlem i 

n the 1950s. She said Harlem was safe - until heroin appeared. Her family was am 

ong those who moved to Queens. 

One day, Ms. Taylor said, she returned to Harlem to visit her friend Patsy. 

Patsy and her friends had a bottle of wine. Ms. Taylor said she took a drink an 

d felt it "burn inside." Patsy and the others continued drinking, but Ms. Taylor 

did not. 

"That was the first intelligent choice I made," Ms. Taylor said. "I saw how 

they changed as they finished that bottle. I never went to visit Patsy again in 

Harlem." 

Years later, when she was an adult, a boyfriend offered Ms. Taylor cocaine. 

He sat on the edge of her sofa, encouraging her to try it. As he spoke, his kne 

e moved rapidly up and down. "All I could see was that leg he couldn't stop movi 

ng," Ms. Taylor said. 

Drug use sends a life into a slow, downward spiral, Ms. Taylor said. "There 

is no one who's doing well who's been high for years," she said. 

"You need always to think about your life and the choices you make." 

Ms. Taylor also had strong words for the students about sex. 

"Your parents might be afraid to talk about it, but I'm not," she said. "Yo 

u don't feel good about yourself when you're sleeping around. There are a lot of 

pressures to be a certain way." 

Ms. Taylor criticized music videos for depicting women as property, televis 

ion sitcoms for plots centered on sexual themes and movies that have people hopp 

ing into bed without condoms or other protection. 

"Don't believe those messages," she told the students. "These messages need

monitoring." 

Ms. Taylor, who returned to college at 37 to earn a degree in social scienc 

e, also stressed the importance of school. 

"Education divides the haves and the have-nots," she said. "If you have an 

education, you can always make your way." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Stenberg--his hat's in the air 

TEXT[Don Stenberg's hat isn't in the ring yet. 

But it's in the air. On its way. 

Nebraska's attorney general says it is "very likely" that he will be a Repu 

blican candidate for Jim Exon's Senate seat next year. 

An organizational committee is likely to be established within the nex 

t few weeks. Fund-raising can then begin. 

Stenberg talked with Doug Bereuter "at considerable length" Saturday t 

o inform him about his plans - and, in turn, listen to the congressman's thought 

s about his own possible candidacy for the GOP senatorial nod. 

Earlier, Stenberg had informed Chuck Hagel, another likely Republican candi 

date, about his intentions. 

"It would be premature for me to become an active candidate at this 

point, but I'm laying the groundwork," he says. 

Nebraska's leading Republican vote gatherer in the 1994 elections 

would like to be a part of the revolution that swept into Washington on a natio 

nal GOP tide last month. 

IN HIS Office at the Capitol on Wednesday, Stenberg speaks candidly about a 

Senate bid. 

"I think we are at an historical point in the relationship between the 

national and state governments. 

"I would like to be a part of returning power and authority to the state an 

d local levels where people have much better control over it." 

Stenberg describes this as a critical moment in American history, "the firs 

t time since the expansion of the federal government in the 1930s that we have a 

n opportunity to reduce the size of the federal government and its thousands of 

pages of government regulations." 

In general terms, he says, he supports the agenda outlined in the GOP's Hou 

se "Contract with America," and he'd like to see it move as successfully through 

the Senate as it is now sailing through the House. 

"I believe we need some additional Republicans in the Senate to help move t 

hat program forward," he says. 

Stenberg says he endorses the basic elements of the GOP plan: a balanced bu 

dget constitutional amendment, line-item veto authority for the president, term 

limits, tax-cuts. 

He supports this week's successful Republican effort in the House to rewrit 

e the 1994 crime bill, substituting block grants to local governments in place o 

f police-hiring and crime-prevention programs, reducing federal spending in the 

process.

HE SUPPORTS returning "decision-making and control of welfare and many othe 

r federal programs to the states." 

He would have voted to include in the balanced budget constitutional amendm 

ent a 60 percent congressional supermajority requirement in order to increase ta 

xes, he says. 

"We need to balance the budget by spending cuts," Stenberg contends. 

As for tax cuts, he says he is "somewhat undecided" about whether they shou 

ld be provided through increased child tax credits 

or a decrease in tax rates. Stenberg believes a reduction in 

the capital gains tax would "stimulate the economy, produce 

jobs, help increase total revenue." 

With two successful statewide elections under his belt and an established r 

eputation, stated in the political vernacular, of being tough on crime, Stenberg 

already has name recognition. 

What he needs in terms of campaign funds, he says, is "enough money (so peo 

ple) know where you stand on the issues." 

That would require a minimum of $1 million to $2 million, he figures. 

"What I hear from many Nebraskans is that Jim Exon has been there 18 years 

(next year) and has had a chance to advance his issues. 

"It's time to give someone else a chance. It's time for new leadership," th 

e 46-year-old Stenberg says. 

SOUNDS LIKE a campaign theme emerging. 

A picture of Thomas Jefferson hangs on the wall behind Stenberg's desk in h 

is second floor office at the Capitol. 

On the desk is a handwritten excerpt from Jefferson's first inaugural addre 

ss, in which the new president called for "a wise and frugal government which sh 

all restrain men from injuring one another, but shall leave them otherwise free 

to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take f 

rom the mouth of labor the bread it has earned." 

That, Stenberg says, best describes "what the federal 

government should be." 




SOUR[Palmer Journal 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senior Citizen Center 

TEXT[Forty-five members and three guests enjoyed a Creamed Chicken and Biscuit d 

inner on Valentine's Day, 1995. The Valentine King and Queen, Ed and Edna Zuehl 

ke were presented and attendants were George and Irwina Bader. They were seated 

at a table beautifully decorated by Alice Schubert. Also at another decorated t 

able were our birthday guests: Luella King, Alice Zimbelman, Orville Nicholas, L 

ouise Davison, and Ed Zuehlke. The birthday song was sung to them. 

Skip Gallant offered prayer. 

Dorothy Smyser received a reply from a letter written to James Exon. Word 

has been received, because of the large number of letters received, that the "Pe 

rsonal Responsibility Act-Welfare Reform" has been tabled for a year. 

A card was signed expressing sympathy to Milda Eckstrom in the death of her 

brother. 

Alice Schubert read a poem, "Hugs." Zoe Sanders, Skip Gallant, Fae McElvain

, and Harold Morris shared jokes. 

Door prizes were won by Alice Zimbelman, Ed Zuehlke, Zoe Sanders, Harold Mo 

rris, Alice Schubert, Ruby Cox, Emma Nicholas, and Gerald Stratman. 

Guests were Carl and Louise Davison and Dale Kirkpatrick. 

A card party was held after dinner. High was won by Luella King and Leonard 

Pelican; low by Clara Stratman and Mike Swanson. 

Call Martha Bahensky or Skip Gallant to register for dinner next week by 8 

a.m. Monday or by 9 a.m. on Tuesday to register or cancel. 




SOUR[Press & Dakotan 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Huskers to Meet the President 

TEXT[OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The University of Nebraska national college championship 

football team will meet with President Clinton at the White House ceremony on M 

arch 13. 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., announced the trip Wednesday. He requested a Wh 

ite House ceremony after Nebraska won the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 and was ranked N 

o. 1 in post-season college football polls. 

"I am pleased and proud that our national champion football team will 

be honored at the White House for their tremendous accomplishments," Exon said. 

Details of the trip are expected later. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Ag panel chair would slash farm spending 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee today propose 

d a $15 billion cut in federal farm spending, including $11.45 billion in price 

support reductions over five years and $3.4 billion in savings through the elimi 

nation of the Export Enhancement Program. 

In proposing the cuts, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said the EEP has outlive 

d its usefulness. 

Lugar told the Senate Budget Committee that elimination of the EEP does not 

represent unilateral disarmament in the international trade war because he is w 

illing to develop an export program that is legal under the GATT international t 

rade agreement approved by Congress last year. 

EEP perhaps served a purpose when U.S. prices were too high to be competiti 

ve in the international agricultural market, Lugar said, but U.S. wheat market s 

hare in 1994-95 is actually a little less than it was 10 years ago when EEP star 

ted. 

"We may want to keep standby authority for EEP, but the burden of proof sho 

uld be on those who advocate dumping grain at fire sale prices while claiming th 

at to do otherwise would be unilateral disarmament," Lugar said.

The Budget Committee will determine how much federal funding will be made a 

vailable for federal programs over the next five years. 

Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., the ranking Democrat on the budget committee, said 

agriculture bashing has become popular in some quarters. "However, I'm not goin 

g to let agriculture become deficit reduction's whipping boy," he said. 

Exon said federal health care programs - not agriculture - are the cause of 

the federal deficit. "So, as we work towards a balanced budget amendment by the 

year 2002, agriculture is willing to make its fair share of sacrifices and cont 

ributions, but it will not be victimized." 

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., acknowledged that action may have to be taken to 

better target subsidies to the small family farms that need them. 

But Lugar said caps and other attempts to target the subsidies have failed 

because of loopholes, and he predicted that the only way to get the corporate fa 

rmers out of the federal program is his "glide path out of subsidies" through th 

e 3 percent a year decrease in target prices. 

"The very large producers will opt out of the program if we lower the targe 

t prices," Lugar said, because they are only in the program now to pick up extra 

cash. Absent that cash, the producers gladly would get out of a program that ma 

ndates what they plant, when they plant and where they plant. 



AUTH[Jim Exon (Exon Diary) 

SOUR[Holt Co. Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[American is Living with the Mother of All Debt 

TEXT[There has been a lot of talk in recent weeks about cutting taxes, giving re 

birth to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), cutting the capital gains tax ra 

te, giving child tax credits, and educational tax deductions. These are all wond 

erful concepts which I have supported. 

Unfortunately, there is a growing big black economic hole, creating a 

sucking sound while gobbling up the ever-limited resources of middle America. It 

's the $203 billion ($203,000,000,000) annual budget deficit and the $4.8 trilli 

on ($4,800,000,000,000) national debt. This did not disappear with the last elec 

tion. The national debt, the accumulation of all the annual budget deficits, is 

the mother of all debts. It is still there, bigger than ever, and growing every 

day. 

Here is a little dose of reality: When taxpayers start paying their 19 

94 federal taxes, 55 cents of each dollar taxpayers pay in personal income tax w 

ill go to pay for the interest - only the interest - on the $4.8 trillion debt. 

Worst of all, about 14% of that interest debt payment will go to foreign holders 

of American debt. Interest payments paid foreign owners of American debt does n 

othing to stimulate the U.S. economy. Much like foreign aid, it only stimulates 

some other nation's economy. 

As the Democratic leader on the Senate Budget Committee, I would like 

to support tax cuts and all these other good things. But I will demand that spen 

ding cuts occur first to offset the lost revenue so the deficit and the national 

debt both do not increase. 

There is a reasonable probability that the Federal Reserve would react 

again by raising interest rates even higher because of the tax cuts over-stimul

ating the economy. 

A number of economists have warned that a tax cut during this economic 

growth period could spur inflation. Remember that the Federal Reserve already r 

aised interest rates six times in 1994, a total of 2.5 percent. I worry that the 

Federal Reserve, which seems to have a trigger happy finger on raising interest 

rates, would continue to do so even more rapidly to counteract a perceived surg 

e of inflation. 

The interest on the national debt is the fastest growing portion the federa 

l budget. Any increase in interest rates, automatically increases the annual bud 

get deficit because America borrows money to pay the interest on the $4.8 trilli 

on national debt. 

The last thing our economy needs is double digit interest rates. That 

would hurt consumers buying cars, homes and any other installment purchases. Hig 

her interest rates could easily neutralize any benefit from a tax cut and as one 

of the truly uncontrollable costs for agriculture, business, and industry, they 

can create mayhem for both new and established businesses. 

One of the national priorities to ensuring a long term stable economic clim 

ate is balancing the federal budget. As you know, I have 

long advocated the Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment. I will be a leader 

in trying to win approval for a sound Balanced Budget Amendment this year. At le 

ast it would be a step in the right direction. 




SOUR[Indianola News 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Introduces Bill Aimed at Reducing Auto Crashes 

TEXT[WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U. S. Senator Jim Exon introduced a bill aimed at cutti 

ng down on the number of Americans killed on the nation's highways. The High Ris 

k Drivers Act would encourage states and the federal government to focus attenti 

on on three groups of drivers most as risk for accidents: young drivers, older d 

rivers, and repeat drunk driving offenders. 

"Even with the long term decline in traffic fatality rates, too many l 

ose their lives in auto accidents," Exon said. "In 1993, more than 42,000 Americ 

ans died in auto crashes. That's like losing a city the size of Grand Island and 

the surrounding area." 

The Exon bill seeks to reduce accidents by encouraging states to: 

*Conduct youth-oriented traffic safety enforcement, education, and tra 

ining programs. 

*Adopt a graduated license system so that a young driver would have to 

show a clean driving record for at least one year before getting a full, unrest 

ricted license. 

*Adopt a zero tolerance policy toward drunk driving by changing the bl 

ood alcohol threshold from .10% to .02% for drivers under the age of 21, requiri 

ng a six month license suspension for young driver's caught drinking and driving 

, and by confiscating the vehicles of hardcore, repeat drunk drivers. 

*Research license plans and new technology to help older drivers maint 

ain their independence. 

"A small investment in this area can yield significant returns," Exon

said. He noted that at one Senate hearing he chaired, an economist testified tha 

t if this legislation were enacted, there would be at least a ten-fold return on 

the investment due to reduced costs of death, injury and loss of productivity. 

"Of course, no economist can measure the cost of the sorrow, pain, and 

suffering incurred by parents, friends, and families of those killed and injure 

d in traffic accidents," Exon said. 

Exon introduced a similar bill last year with now-retired Senator 

John Danforth (R-MO). 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Higher rates feared if WAPA sells 

TEXT[Thousands of Nebraskans would pay an additional $50 million a year if the f 

ederal government sells a power distribution system as proposed by the Clinton a 

dministration, according to a state power agency. 

Larry Marquis, executive director of the Municipal Energy Agency of Ne 

braska, said the state now spends about $31 million a year for low-cost hydroele 

ctric power generated at federal dams. The cost would increase to $81 million if 

the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is sold, Marquis said. 

WAPA sells the power for just enough to cover its operating costs and 

to help pay for construction of dams and reservoirs. 

A Clinton budget proposal estimates that selling the WAPA, the Alaska Power 

Administration, the Southeastern Power Marketing Administration and the Southwe 

stern Power Marketing Administration would raise about $3.7 billion. 

Legislation to sell the power marketing administrations, as well as the Ten 

nessee Valley Authority, has already been introduced on the House side of Congre 

ss. 

A similar sale proposal from the Reagan administration in the mid-1980s stalled 

in Congress. 

Bob Chopko, WAPA's public affairs officer in Golden, Colo., said the sale w 

ould help the administration retire a debt of about $3.4 billion for building 55 

dams and reservoirs. It also would help taxpayers, he told the Omaha World-Hera 

ld last week. 

But any benefit would be more than offset by electricity rate increase 

s, according to representatives of Nebraska utilities. WAPA provides about 25 pe 

rcent of the power required by the Nebraska Public Power District, the state's l 

argest utility, Marquis said. 

Impact would be felt in area 

The municipal agency said selling the WAPA would raise electricity cos 

ts in 53 communities, including Imperial and Wauneta. 

Power costs also would increase for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Wayne State College, Peru State College, 

the Beatrice State Developmental Center, the state penitentiary and the regional 

centers at Norfolk and Hastings. 

Don Suda, manager of Southwest Public Power in Palisade, said WAPA pro 

vides about 11-12 percent of the power they receive. He said they calculate the

sale of WAPA would cost Southwest consumers $400,000 in higher rates. This would 

represent about nine percent, he noted. 

The savings in deficit reduction would be far outweighed by the cost t 

o the consumers, he added. 

Imperial projects $170,000 impact 

Imperial receives about 40 percent of its power from WAPA, according t 

o Utilities Superintendent Rick Rigel. He said if they have to replace that powe 

r with power from other suppliers, it would cost Imperial $170,000 per year, or 

about a 20 percent increase. 

The impact in smaller towns that rely heavily on WAPA power could be e 

ven greater. About 80 percent of the power purchased by the Village of Wauneta c 

omes from WAPA. The remainder purchased through Nebraska Public Power, according 

to Utility Supt. Pat Madden. 

Congressman Bill Barrett and Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey have alr 

eady taken stands against the proposed sale. 

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is launchi 

ng a campaign to solicit funds in order to inform consumers on just how adversel 

y this could affect them. 

Glenn English, general manager of the NRECA, said there is a great danger o 

f electrical rate increases if a bidding war breaks out as investor-owned utilit 

ies try to buy the PMAs and their transmission facilities. 

The Clinton plan says consumers would be protected from "significant r 

ate increases." 

"It's easy to say that," Marquis said. "But the fact is you have priva 

te power companies saying they'd be glad to get into a bidding war and pay the h 

ighest price for these transmission lines. 

"When you hear that, you wonder whether the statement in the budget pr 

oposal can be fulfilled." 

The Nebraska Legislature is even getting involved. A resolution (LR49) 

opposing the proposed WAPA sale has been approved by the Legislature's Natural 

Resources Committee. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clean Water Act Solons: Ease 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon (D-NE) are working to reform the Safe 

Drinking Water Act so that it protects public health while relieving communitie 

s of the costs of excessive regulation, warning that Congress should not repeat 

the mistake it made last year in abandoning similar reforms. 

"Communities across Nebraska and the nation are paying for Congress' failur 

e to reform the Safe Drinking Water Act last year," Kerrey said. "We need to ref 

orm this law so that it protects public health without saddling cities and the t 

axpayers who own them with the costs of unnecessary federal regulation. We're wo 

rking now to make sure Congress gets the job done this year instead of delaying 

these reforms further." 

Kerrey was a key architect last year of a compromise that would have reliev 

ed communities from the high cost of testing for some contaminants in drinking w 

ater when scientific evidence shows that there is only a small likelihood of a c

ontaminant appearing in a water supply. The reforms stalled in the closing weeks 

of the 103rd Congress. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon To Investigate Cable Complaints 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon recently announced that he is launching an investigat 

ion into complaints about cable television service in the Scottsbluff, Gering an 

d Alliance area. The complaints center on problems with program quality, schedul 

e and viewer choices. 

Exon said Federal Communications Commission regulations, federal statutes, 

contract rights between providers and local television affiliates, contract agre 

ements between networks and local affiliates, and private business decisions all 

are part of the Panhandle TV landscape and must be examined. 

Exon's discussions will involve cable, broadcast and network television rep 

resentatives as well as federal and local regulators. 

Anyone interested in providing input and recommendations should contact Exo 

n's Scottsbluff office at 2106 First Avenue, (308) 632-3595. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon raps porn on info highway 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) introduced a bill to update federal communicat 

ions law protecting decency. The Communications Decency Act would extend and str 

engthen protections against obscene and indecent material to cover computers, ca 

ble television and other emerging technologies. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Gordon woman appointed to rural commission 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Wednesday that Cyd Janssen of 

Gordon has been appointed to the Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commiss 

ion. 

The 10-member commission was created by legislation co-sponsored by Exon an 

d Kerrey and signed into law by President Clinton in August. The panel will stud 

y and recommend ways to develop the economies of rural Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota 

and North and South Dakota. 

Janssen is a registered nurse and works as a health policy consultant for t

he State of Nebraska and regional health care groups. She has served on the Nebr 

aska Rural Development Commission since 1991. 

Maxine Moul, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, h 

as been named as the other Nebraska representative on the commission. 




SOUR[Denver Post 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator's attempt at censorship deplorable 

TEXT[The Electronic Decency Act of 1995, S.314, introduced this month by Sen. Ji 

m Exon, D-Neb., is an outrage to all who abhor censorship and ineffective fuzzil 

y defined, morality legislation. 

Exon, a zealot in Washington who knows nothing about the technology he is a 

ttempting to regulate, has cloaked this attack on freedom of expression in antipornography 

rhetoric. 

Political censorship disguised as moral outrage is an old trick. This time, 

it's a Democrat, but he has a lot of Republican support. 

Conservatives who want the government to get its nose out of business and p 

rivate behavior and liberals who are concerned about the erosion of civil libert 

ies all need to get on the phone and fax. Don't let them slip this one in on us. 

Bad for business, too 

Besides its threat to our freedom, S.314 could be disastrous for the electr 

onic messaging business. 

It would have a chilling effect by requiring communication service provider 

s to police their users. 

The bill would be bad for citizens and bad for business. We need to tell ou 

r congressional representatives to see through the rhetorical disguise of the bi 

ll. S.314 superficially appears to be an extension of legislation against using 

the telephone to stalk or harass. 

The way in which the language of the Exon bill would extend the law against 

telephone harassment, however, would mean that the operator of every computer b 

ulletin board system, office local-area network or on-line messaging service cou 

ld be liable for a $100,000 fine and two years' imprisonment if a user "flames" 

another one or engages in consensual conversations of an "indecent" kind. 

Citizens need protection against stalking, harassment and sexual predation, 

but we must find protective measures that are effective and do not infringe our 

rights. 

The Electronic Decency Act would be ineffective against digitally transmitt 

ed pornography for technical reasons: It is now possible to hide information, in 

cluding images, in software that encodes other material; a pornographic picture 

can be hidden in data that make up an innocent-looking image. 

Prominent opponent 

New tools to encrypt electronic communications mean that we will also have 

to sacrifice another privacy protection in order to chase criminals who have amp 

le other channels at their disposal. 

Professor David Farber of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the pionee 

rs who built the Internet, opposes the bill. Farber, a member of the Electronic 

Frontier Foundation board of directors, says, "I am at a bit of a loss understan

ding how any carrier defends itself against carrying prohibited material. 

Example shows enigma 

"For example, say that email/netnews/web traffic from Finland to, say, Japa 

n passes via the U.S.A. and has 'obscene' material in it. What does a carrier do 

? Clearly neither the Finnish nor Japanese citizens are easy to prosecute. It ma 

y be that the article is in Finnish or Japanese. It may be encrypted or hidden i 

n an image of the 'Mona Lisa.' How does a carrier protect itself? 

"What does a school do when the material is being sent to a bulletin board 

at that school with a public key possessed only by people who "register" with th 

e originator? Do you outlaw encryption? 

"The tendency of this nation to pass laws that are unenforceable lowers the 

respect for the law." 

Register your objections to Exon and Sen. Larry Pressler, R-S.D., chairman 

of the Senate Commerce Committee. 



AUTH[Fred Barnes 

SOUR[North Virginia Daily 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Budget-balancing act in the Senate 

TEXT[Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota was once an ardent backer of th 

e balanced budget amendment. His support was unconditional. "Requiring the gover 

nment to operate within its budget does not mean that all important new initiati 

ves or existing programs will have to be abandoned or gutted," he said reassurin 

gly. "Nor does it mean we would be forced to renege on our current obligation to 

America's seniors." Dianne Feinstein, Democratic senator from California, was a 

nother amendment booster. She endorsed it without caveats, voted for it, campaig 

ned on it. 

That was 1994, when embracing the balanced budget amendment (or "BBA" in Ca 

pitol Hill parlance) was safe for Democrats. The BBA had little chance of congre 

ssional passage. And, even if it had miraculously won a two-thirds majority in t 

he Senate and House, its chances of ratification by three-fourths of the states 

were slim. 

Times have changed. Now the BBA has already cleared the House (300-132) and 

is only a few votes short of the necessary 67 in the Senate. The states? After 

last fall's massive pickups, the GOP controls a majority of legislature for the 

first time in decades, giving the BBA a reasonable chance at ratification. The u 

pshot is that Senate Democrats are suddenly leery of the amendment. And its pros 

pects for passage have dimmed. 

Seventeen current Democratic senators voted for the BBA in 1994 (it fell fo 

ur votes short) and three others who voted against it last year backed it in 198 

6 (it failed by one vote). But BBA backers count only nine in support now: Richa 

rd Bryan of Nevada, Ben Campbell of Colorado, Bob Graham of Florida, Howell Hefl 

in of Alabama, Fritz Hollings of South Carolina, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Carol M 

oseley-Braun and Paul Simon of Illinois and Chuck Robb of Virginia added to 52 R 

epublicans, that brings the BBA count to 61 - six short. Of the eight other Demo 

crats who backed the amendment last year, at least two - James Exon of Nebraska 

and Sam Nunn of Georgia - are expected to vote for it again. But Daschle and Fei 

nstein aren't. 

They have their new found reasons. Feinstein insists the BBA must exempt So

cial Security from the balanced budget equation. "In the past year, I've done a 

lot of thinking about this," she noted on Jan. 31. The BBA "would allow surplus 

Social Security funds to balance the budget. The surpluses could wind up being u 

sed to pay for general government programs instead of being saved for tomorrow's 

retirees, as intended." OK, but this is no different from last March 1, when sh 

e voted for the BBA. 

Daschle accepts the GOP promise to protect Social Security, but turns that 

into a problem. "If, as the contract with America says, you take Social Security 

benefits off the table, then everything else would have to be cut by 18 percent 

," he said on Feb. 3. "That includes everything, including defense, which the co 

ntract says should be increased. But, if you remove defense along with Social Se 

curity, then everything else has to be cut by 29 percent. That would mean cuttin 

g a fifth out of Medicare." 

Daschle's calculations are dubious, but at least he's getting at the real i 

ssue. It's not just Social Security or, as some Democrats haven claimed, the dim 

inution of congressional authority or the BBA's lack of an enforcement mechanism 

. (The fear of most Democrats isn't that it won't be enforced, but that it will. 

) The core issue is how much government Washington is going to dispense. The BB 

A's downward pressure on spending is bound to shrink the role of the federal gov 

ernment, probably a lot. It gives Republicans more leverage in cutting programs, 

especially those for Democratic constituencies. It also gives Republicans an ex 

cuse if cuts prove unpopular: The BBA made me do it. "This is the stake in the h 

eart of the liberal welfare state," says Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, w 

ho heads the GOP "rapid response team" on the BBA. 



AUTH[Freler Wyre (editorial) 


HDLN[Liberals rule Democratic Party 

TEXT[The two-party system is good for this country. What is wrong is that the li 

berals have captured the Democratic Party. There are conservatives in both parti 

es as well as liberals. The battle has just begun. 

The liberals will lie, cheat, kill and have the morals of an alley cat. The 

y do not fear the judgment of almighty God. They think like the new-ager, that i 

n some point in time, they will become Gods themselves. 

It is time for all God-loving and fearing people to stand up and say that i 



nsible for teaching their children (Proverbs 22:6). We should pray and work hard 

for change in this country's direction. 

President Clinton said that he made mistakes. Then he should correct them b 

y: 

þ Taking the sodomites out of the military. 

þ Stopping the unborn baby killing. 

þ Stop building nighttime basketball courts. 

þ For once, telling us the truth. Mr. Clinton is good at telling yo 

u what he thinks you want to hear. 

Sen. J. James Exon is a conservative Democrat who is fighting to bring

integrity and power back into the hands of the family. He needs your support. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Effort to Cut Ag Spending Draws Fire 

TEXT[Washington -- Farm-state senators on the Senate Budget Committee reacted de 

fensively Thursday to a proposal by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to cut spending 

on agricultural programs by $15 billion over five years. 

"I'm not going to let agriculture become deficit reduction's whipping boys, 

" said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. 

"Spending on agriculture is spit in the ocean compared with the problem of 

balancing the federal budget," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, second-rankin 

g committee Republican. 

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., committee chairman, said: "I don't intend to le 

t the agriculture budget bear the brunt of deficit reduction." 

All three senator's were reacting to Lugar's plan, presented in testimony b 

efore the committee, to make deep cuts in crop and export subsidies. 

Lugar, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the cuts he propo 

sed could be agriculture's contribution to the $450 billion that will be needed 

to be cut in the next five years, over the life of the new farm bill, if the U.S 

, Constitution is amended to require a balanced federal budget by 2002. 

Most of the savings proposed by Lugar would come from scaling down the targ 

et prices set by Congress for corn, wheat, cotton and rice. 

Farmers are paid subsidies, or deficiency payments, that are based on the d 

ifference between the higher target price and the lower market price. 

Additional savings proposed by Lugar would be made by eliminating export su 

bsidies paid primarily to exporters to make U.S. wheat more competitive in the w 

orld market. 

"We should save $11.45 billion by reducing target prices on major program c 

rops by 3 percent a year, each year, for five years," Lugar said. "We should sav 

e $3.4 billion by eliminating the Export Enhancement Program." 

Lugar, a possible Republican presidential candidate, said he hoped to set a 

n example for other committee chairmen by calling for cuts in the programs under 

his jurisdiction. 

"I began by saying I am not certain Congress is serious about cutting feder 

al spending," Lugar said. "If we are not serious, then major reform in agricultu 

re will not occur. The 1995 farm bill and the overall federal budget will largel 

y reflect the status quo." 

Lugar said failure to begin gradual reductions in all federal benefit progr 

ams in 1995 could set the stage for economic chaos if the Constitution is amende 

d to require a balanced budget in seven years. 

"At that point, the catastrophe will be apparent," Lugar said. "The reducti 

ons will take place without gradual adjustment. Farmers and other citizens will 

not thank us for having failed them through lack of foresight or courage." 

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., a member of both the Agriculture and Budget Commi 

ttees, testified against Lugar's plan, describing it as "kicking the skids out f 

rom under our farmers."

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., who is not a member of the Senate Budget Committee 

, announced his opposition to the Lugar plan after the hearing. 

"Chairman Lugar's strategy of erodingg target prices would be a direct 

hit to farm income - a hit whose ultimate victim may be the American consumer wh 

o depends on an affordable, reliable food supply," Kerrey said. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who with Kerrey is a member of the Senate Agr 

iculture Committee, also announced his opposition to Lugar's plan. "I am shocked 

and dismayed that Sen. Lugar is trying to take the meat ax to these commodity p 

rograms, which are vital for maintaining farm income," he said. 

Gov. Nelson, who read Lugar's testimony while visiting Washington on o 

ther business, said the senator's plan could be "potentially devastating to the 

family farm as we know it today." 

Nelson said U.S. agriculture was trying to adjust to previous cuts in feder 

al programs as well as international trade agreements that could weaken some sec 

tors of the farm economy. 

"The American public probably doesn't understand that food costs are as low 

as they are in part because of price supports that the government has been able 

to give farmers," Nelson said. 

Conrad, responding to questions after the healing, said Lugar may be callin 

g for cuts in agriculture to promote his possible presidential campaign in New H 

ampshire, where the first 1996 primary election will be held in February. 

"I am sure he believes in what he proposes, but it may also happen to play 

well in terms of his presidential candidacy," Conrad said. "New Hampshire is not 

exactly an agricultural state." 

Lugar was unavailable for comment on Conrad's statement. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Taking a Rare Stand, Senate Says: Social Security Isn't Untouchable 

TEXT[The U.S. Senate has taken a rare stand against an unfortunate practice of s 

ome politicians treating Social Security as untouchable. The Senate voted 57-41 

to defeat an effort by Democrats who wanted to exempt Social Security from being 

reduced in compliance with a balanced budget amendment. 

It is folly to pretend that Social Security can never be subjected to fisca 

l restraint. However, in the words of some demagogues, to touch Social Security 

is to "balance the budget on the backs of the elderly" or to "break a contract b 

etween the generations." 

Such talk has been behind efforts by Democrats to stall the balanced budget 

amendment by portraying it as a threat to Social Security. It also is used by a 

ctivists for senior citizens' groups that are urging their members to vote again 

st any senator or representative who supports a balanced budget amendment - unle 

ss the amendment carries a we-won't-touch-Social-Security guarantee. 

With such pressures building, it was to the credit of 57 senators including 

Democrats Bob Kerrey and J. James Exon of Nebraska and Republican Charles Grass 

ley of Iowa that the free pass for Social Security didn't succeed. As Kerrey sai 

d, "If you put that into the Constitution, people could argue that Social Securi 

ty should be left alone - period."

Social Security can't be left alone forever. It can't be off limits if 

the government is going to solve its financial problems. This doesn't mean that 

today's elderly will lose their benefits - nobody is suggesting that. But reali 

stic officials have come to understand that Social Security must be altered. The 

program must balance the increasing number of retirees in relation to the numbe 

r of workers. Otherwise, it will become an increasing drain on federal revenues, 

increasing the debt and taking resources that are needed for the other essentia 

l functions of government. 

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole said that GOP senators won't seek chan 

ges in Social Security to help balance the budget. He and others are trying to d 

evise a balanced-budget plan that wouldn't affect Social Security. 

But that doesn't and shouldn't mean that Social Security will never be touc 

hed. The program, Dole said, can't be kept "off the table forever." 

Senator Dole is right. So is Senator Kerrey. So are other 55 senators who v 

oted against building a permanent wall around the program. The fact that votes a 

gainst the idea came from members of both parties was encouraging. 



AUTH[Melody Loughry 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Abbott stands by his road 

TEXT[On a scale of 1 to 10, Highway 30 between Lexington and Overton is a 7, say 

s the director of the Nebraska Department of Roads. 

"It isn't the best road we've ever built and it isn't the worst," Allan Abb 

ott said Friday morning after walking the road with State Sen. Jim Cudaback and 

District 5 Highway Superintendent Les O'Donnell of North Platte. 

Abbott reiterated the position he's held since Riggs first began complainin 

g about the road. 

"There's nothing wrong with the road," he said. 

Perception is the biggest problem with that section of road, Abbott said, b 

ecause it isn't the state's most "aesthetically pleasing" project. Abbott said U 

.S. Sens. Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey, as well as Third District Rep. Bill Barrett, 

State Auditor Breslow and a representative of the state ombudsman's office, have 

contacted him with concerns about the road, and only the ombudsman's office fou 

nd "something wrong" with it after hearing his explanation. 

The state's chief engineer said his department made a judgment call to go a 

head with the project late in the year in 1992, rather than allow the road to "g 

et more beaten up" over the course of another winter. As a result, the asphalt d 

idn't roll as smoothly as it otherwise might have. The result, Abbott said, is a 

ridge that runs along the center line for the length of the project. He said th 

at ridge doesn't present a safety hazard and the differential should "chip off" 

over time. Since then, the state has amended its specification to eliminate the 

kind of sloping ramp that caused the ridge, Abbott said. 

"When you resurface over concrete you expect the cracks in concrete to show 

through at some point," he said. "The section of Highway 30 between Elm Creek a 

nd Overton is three years older and you'll see a number of cracks in it." 

The bottom line, Abbot said, is that the section of Highway 30 between Lexi 

ngton and Overton "looks a little bit not so good, but there is nothing structur

ally unsafe about it. 

Abbott said Riggs has made his department more aware of the public's percep 

tion of value and quality, and in project managers' meetings, he has made the po 

int that roads must have a good appearance, in addition to being structurally so 

und. He said Riggs complaints have stirred an "awakening" in his department to t 

he fact that "people care about their roads." 

"I do not expect any more problems with that road than any other three-year 

-old road in our system," he said. "I see nothing out there that would prevent i 

t from having a normal life span. I have ridden the road. I have walked it. The 

bottom line is, it's the perception that counts because that's what everybody se 

es and believes." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Ganske Only Midlander To Reject Missile Plan 

TEXT[Washington - Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa, was the only Nebraska or western Iow 

a congressman who voted last week to derail a Republican effort to speed deploym 

ent of a national missile defense system. 

"I want to know the cost of deployment before I vote in favor of it," Gansk 

e said. 

The House of Representatives voted 218-212 to approve an amendment offered 

by Rep. John Spratt Jr., D-S.C., to the Republican defense and foreign policy bi 

ll, part of the House Republicans' "Contract With America." 

The Spratt amendment reordered the Republican priorities for defense spendi 

ng, placing troop readiness, modernizing equipment and protecting U.S. troops fr 

om short-range missiles ahead of a national anti-missile system. 

The Republican bill had included a non-binding provision urging deployment 

of a national anti-missile system "at the earliest possible date." 

Ganske was one of 24 Republicans who broke ranks to support the Spratt amen 

dment, which represented a defeat for Republican leaders. All but seven Democrat 

s backed the Spratt amendment, as did Rep. Jim Leach, a senior Republican from e 

astern Iowa. 

Voting against the amendment were: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Jon Christensen, 

R-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa; and Tom Latham, R-Iowa 

. 

Ganske said he favored the Spratt amendment because he agreed with its prio 

rities and language that made anti-missile systems "subject to availability of f 

unding." 

Senate Votes 


Killed, 57-41, an amendment offered by Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Dianne 

Feinstein, D-Calif.,to the proposed constitutional amendment requiring a balance 

d federal budget. The Reid-Feinstein amendment would have banned the use of Soc 

ial Security funds in calculating balanced budgets. 

To kill the amendment: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Cha 

rles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

Against: Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.

Tax Increases 

Killed, 59-40, an amendment offered by Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., that wou 

ld have prevented either the House or Senate from requiring a three-fifths super 

majority to raise taxes. The House has adopted an internal rule requiring the su 

permajority for tax increases; the Senate has no such restriction. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Grassley. 

Against: Kerrey, Harkin. 

Business Tax Provisions 

Killed, 59-40, a motion offered by Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., that would 

have called for Congress to consider changing tax provisions that benefit speci 

fic industries as an alternative to cutting spending. 



Senate Committee Budgets 

Passed, 91-2, a bill that authorizes spending for Senate committee operatio 

ns in the next two years. The bill allows $49.4 million this year, a 15 percent 

reduction from the 1994 level, and $50.5 million the following year. 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Lugar farm plan assailed 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The reviews are in, and as might be expected, the farm lobbyis 

ts, commodity groups and Farm Belt lawmakers are none too happy with Sen. Richar 

d Lugar's proposal to put price supports on a five-year "glide path" to oblivion 

. 

"If a $15 billion cut is a glide path, then we need to find us an old kamik 

aze pilot to take her down," said Keith Herd, head of the National Corn Growers 

Association Washington office. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, predicted Lugar's plan to cut the target price by 

3 percent a year cumulatively over five years would "devastate" the economies of 

rural and small-town America. 

Harkin acknowledged Congress should be "doing everything we can to eliminat 

e the budget deficit, (but) not obliterate the family farm. I am shocked and dis 

mayed that Sen. Lugar is trying to take the meat axe to these commodity programs 

which are vital for maintaining farm income." 

Lugar, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee who is giving strong co 

nsideration to running for the GOP presidential nomination, denies there is anyt 

hing "meat axe" about his proposal. 

Maureen Hinkle, director of agricultural policy for the National Audubon So 

ciety, said Lugar is "planning an orderly phase-out, and given the budget situat 

ion, there will have to be a phase-out. The choice is between chaos and order, a 

nd Lugar has proposed an orderly phase-out," she said. 

Hinkle's support for Lugar's proposal is at odds with Herd's theory that a 

phase-out of the farm programs would unite commodity groups and environmentalist 

s, because without the cross compliance provisions in the farm programs, farmers 

would be less inclined to maintain their land to the environmental standards th

e environmental groups have set. 

Hinkle allowed that cross compliance has helped elevate conservation standa 

rds in agriculture, but she says cross compliance has not been as effective as i 

t should have been. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., the chairman of the Nonpartisan Commission on Enti 

tlement and Tax Reform who has said virtually no sacrifice is too great in the w 

ar on the budget deficit, dismissed Lugar's plan as "unilateral disarmament in t 

he battle to preserve American agriculture's share of international markets and 

deny farmers fair compensation for their work to ensure a reliable, affordable f 

ood supply." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, whi 

ch will decide how much Lugar will have to spend on farm programs over the next 

five years, warned Lugar and other "agriculture-bashers," as he calls them, that 

"I'm not going to let agriculture become deficit reduction's whipping boy." 

Not everyone on Capitol Hill was wringing their hands and beating their bre 

asts over the Lugar plan. Rep. Dick Armey. R-Texas, the House majority leader wh 

o joined in a losing effort to kill the 1990 farm bill, was virtually ecstatic o 

ver Lugar's proposal. "Sen. Lugar has set the standard for the 1995 farm bill," 

Armey said. 

Herd said Lugar's proposal is at one end of the scale, and President Clinto 

n's vague plan to cut farm program spending by $1.5 billion over five years is a 

t the other. Herd is confident the commodity groups and their allies can make th 

e case for a farm bill that is closer to what Clinton is planning for than what 

Lugar wants. 

"Agriculture has a legitimate and critical role in the national economy," h 

e said. 

Although Lugar has long held that most of the crop subsidies go to the larg 

e producers and have little real impact on the family farm, he did not include p 

ayment caps or means testing in his proposal. He said farmers have shown they ca 

n get around the caps, and his plan to cut the target prices will virtually elim 

inate any incentives for the corporate farmers to subject their production to go 

vernment regulation. 

John Campbell, a Nebraskan who helped former Agriculture Secretary Clayton 

Yeutter shepherd the 1990 farm bill through Congress, said Lugar's plan "sets th 

e marker at one end of the spectrum, almost like President Reagan did" in the 19 

81 and 1985 farm bills. 

The difference is that Reagan could not get involved in the process, and Se 

n. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee at the 

time, did not have the "farmer insider" qualifications that Lugar has. 

Lugar is a corn and bean farmer from Indiana, so critics of his approach ar 

e not going to be able to dismiss him as another politician who knows nothing ab 

out farming. 

"He knows what he's talking about, and he has tremendous respect in the Sen 

ate," Campbell said. 

But even with those credentials, Campbell said Lugar is not going to be abl 

e to convince enough members on his committee, including the Republicans, to go 

for the full phase-out of subsidies. 

People like Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, are already talking about propor 

tionality, and how farmers are willing to contribute to deficit reduction, but t 

hey do not want to become victims of deficit reduction. 

Proportionality and other factors will probably cut Lugar's $15 billion in

proposed savings in half, which will end up as a major victory for Lugar in the 

historical sense. 

How it will affect his chances in the Iowa precinct caucuses, if he chooses 

to run for the GOP presidential nomination, is another issue altogether. 

And judging from his schedule so far, with its trips to New Hampshire and n 

one to Iowa, Lugar may not care too much what Iowans think about his proposal. 

The fiscal conservatives up in New Hampshire will probably love it, especia 

lly in light of the fact that it contains no cuts in the dairy program. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[GOP Change Too Radical, Cleland Tells Democrats 

TEXT[Max Cleland, Georgia secretary of state and former head of the Veterans Adm 

inistration, said Saturday in Omaha that voters in 1994 wanted a slimmed down go 

vernment but are getting more than they asked for from the Republican Congress. 

Nearly 700 people gathered at Ak-Sar-Ben to hear Cleland, the featured 

speaker for the Douglas County Democratic Party's annual Harry S. Truman Dinner 

. 

"I think the American people voted for change," Cleland said in an int 

erview before the speech. "They voted Republican because, in the election of 199 

4, the Republicans did stand for change. 

"I think they voted for smaller government, maybe a less centralized g 

overnment and maybe a move toward a smaller budget," he said. 

Republicans effectively tapped those sentiments, Cleland said. 

"I don't think the American people voted for a revolution," he said. " 

I don't think they voted for radical change." 

Democrats must respond by promoting "tighter, better government," he s 

aid. 

"But there is a difference between saying, 'Yes, we need to get leaner 

, we need to run a better ship,' and scuttling the ship altogether," he said. 

The debate between the two parties should focus on what government nee 

ds to do as well as on what functions it should abandon, Cleland said. 

The Democrat was particularly critical of his fellow Georgian, Republi 

can House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He said he is not surprised that public opinion 

surveys show a downward trend in Gingrich's rating as people become more famili 

ar with him. 

Cleland is one Georgian who doesn't claim Gingrich. "Yeah," Cleland sa 

id, "he's from the South - southern Pennsylvania," where he was raised. 

In his speech to Omaha Democrats, Cleland said: "I think Newt Gingrich 

and his ilk are men and women of the '90s - the 1890s. They want to lead Americ 

a firmly into the 19th century." 

The accomplishments of government have to be recognized for the positi 

ve influences on American society and the economy, Cleland said. 

"Government is and has been a partner in the success of the American f 

armer, the recovery of our veterans and our military retirees, the hope of our i 

nner cities, the security of our senior citizens, the advancement of small busin 

esses, the protector of our environment, the defender of our freedoms, the arbit

er of our public safety and the keeper of the vitality of our public institution 

s," he said. 

In the interview, Cleland said the Americans With Disabilities Act is 

one unfunded federal mandate that should not be rolled back by the Republicans i 

n Congress. 

Cleland, 52, lost most of both legs and his right arm below the bicep 

as an Army captain during a helicopter assault in Vietnam. He has championed the 

rights of the disabled since the early 1970s, when he was elected to the Georgi 

a Legislature. 

He continued to be an advocate for that cause as head of the Veterans 

Administration in the late 1970s and as Georgia's secretary of state since 1982. 

None of the disabilities act's requirements for accessibility to jobs 

and public places are unreasonable given the benefits, he said. "But I do tell a 

ll my disabled friends, 'Don't make unreasonable demands,'" he said. 

Cleland was recruited to come to Omaha for the dinner by U.S. Sen. Bob 

Kerrey, D-Neb. Cleland supported Kerrey in 1992 for the Democratic presidential 

nomination, even though most of the Georgia Democratic establishment backed Bil 

l Clinton. 

The relationship between Cleland and Kerrey, who lost part of his righ 

t leg in the Vietnam War, goes beyond politics, Cleland said. 

"We are brothers," he said. 

Cleland does not feel the same way about Clinton, he said. 

He said he may run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia in 1996 if the curre 

nt Democratic senator, Sam Nunn, decides against seeking another term. 

If he does run, Cleland said, he will put substantial distance between 

himself and Clinton. 

Gov. Nelson was the highest-ranking Democrat to attend the dinner Satu 

rday night. He took a shot at Mayor Daub, saying, "He's done for Iowa-Nebraska r 

elations what Jack the Ripper did for door-to-door salesmen." 

Kerrey and U.S. Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., were out of town. 

Honored at the dinner were Mike Fahey, an Omaha businessman and former 

national Democratic committeeman, and Betty Barr, a longtime community activist 

. 

The crowd included two prominent Republicans, State Republican Chair-m 

an Jerry Schenken and former State Sen. Brad Ashford. Dr. Schenken said he was t 

here because he is a longtime friend of the Fahey family. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Unfunded Mandates Bill Passed By Senate 

TEXT[Senator Jim Exon (D-NE) applauded the passage of a bill he co-sponsored to 

require mandates passed in Washington be paid for before they are passed along t 

o the states. 

"We cannot ask the states to follow all kinds of new rules and regulations 

without providing them the funding to do so," Exon said. "Unfunded federal manda 

tes force state and local governments to dig into their own taxpayers' pockets t 

o the tune of billions of dollars."

The bill passed on a vote of 86 to 10 after Exon protected the rights of Se 

nators from both sides of the aisle to offer amendments. 

Exon, who is the Democratic leader on the Senate Budget Committee, pointed 

out that this bill will not affect any current mandates, but only future regulat 

ions imposed on state and local governments. He said the problem of mandates no 

w in effect would have to be explored at a later date. 



AUTH[Andrew Howes 

SOUR[The Creightonian 

BK#[ 

HDLN[MAD DADS believe parents must be more responsible 

TEXT[As president and co-founder of Omaha's MAD DADS, Eddie Staton doesn't belie 

ve that children are the cause of today's violent crime epidemic. Parents are. 

"The real problem isn't the kids, it's a parenting problem," said Staton. " 

People need to assume the responsibility of being a parent." 

The MAD DADS (men against destruction, defending against drugs and social d 

isorder) are a non-profit organization, founded five years ago by Staton, Chairm 

an John Foster, and Bishop R.D. Tyler. 

Because the image of black men is often a false one of pimps and hustlers, 

Staton said the MAD DADS were formed to prove otherwise. 

"We had to organize MAD DADS to show that there are strong black men willin 

g to put their lives on the line for the children of Omaha and America," said St 

aton. 

With over 70,000 volunteer hours accumulated in Omaha, the MAD DADS have be 

en dealing with the issue of crime for far longer than people have been willing 

to talk about it, said Staton. 

"People are opening their eyes to the crime that's always been there," said 

Staton. 

"It's always been a concern for us." 

The DADS' membership varies form week to week, as there are no full-time em 

ployees aside from Staton. Volunteers make up the rest of the organization. 

The DADS spend a great deal of their time walking and driving the streets o 

f North Omaha on the weekends. Starting from their headquarters at 30th and Bed 

ford, the DADS monitor several predetermined hot-spot areas, mainly sitting and 

talking to kids, said Staton. 

"We're chaperons on the street," said Staton. "We talk with the kids, and f 

or those who need it, we have an argument for excuse they may give us." 

The DADS are an extremely spiritual organization, placing much of their emp 

hasis on the word of God. Staton believes that the only real answers can be foun 

d in God, not in politics or in prisons. 

"When you put God back in the picture, that's when you'll be successful," s 

aid Staton. "We're doing the right thing, for the right reasons, at the right ti 

me, and right will win in the end." 

With dozens of awards received, including two from President's Bush and Cli 

nton, the MAD DADS have been leaders in the growing anti-crime grass-roots movem 

ent of the country. All of the organization's funding comes from private sources 

, which according to Staton helps the group remain non-partisan and independent. 

"We can say what we want," said Staton.

"Adults might not like me, but kids like me a lot." 

The DADS have dealt with Sen. Jim Exon and Rep. Doug Bereuter on several oc 

casions, but have had limited correspondence with Sen. Bob Kerrey and former Rep 

. Peter Hoagland. 

Above all else, Staton is most proud of the facelift the MAD DADS have give 

n the image of black men in the community. 

"Our greatest accomplishment is the visible strong male force volunteering 

on the streets every weekend," said Staton. 

Despite his fear of the GOP's dismantling of the '94 Crime Law, Staton rema 

ins positive about the future and those who will inherit it. 

"I see more kids not using drugs because of how it's devastated their paren 

ts," said Staton. 

"I'm very optimistic about the youth of the country." 



AUTH[Donald Lambro (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[A budget weak on deficit cutting 

TEXT[By submitting a swollen $1.6 trillion budget that produces an unbroken line 

of $200 billion deficits, President Clinton has declared surrender on the No. 1 

economic issue of our time. 

Abandoning any pretense that he wants to cut the $1 trillion in deficits th 

at will be added to the debt over his term, he has given the Republicans a golde 

n opportunity to seize the moral high ground and deliver on their promise to bal 

ance the budget. It is a political challenge that Newt Gingrich's army of budget 

-cutting revolutionaries seem eager to accept. 

The Republicans have effectively defined the president as a "tax and spend 

Democrat" of the old order. And Mr. Clinton's 1996 budget did not disappoint the 

m: 

It raises spending by $73 billion and possibly by $100 billion. Instead of 

declining, as Mr Clinton has boasted, the deficit will grow to $200 billion a ye 

ar or more over the next five years, and to $300 billion after that. Overall, sp 

ending would, at the end of his term, consume a larger percentage of the nation' 

s gross domestic product than at any time in the last 40 years. 

But no one was more disappointed in the president's budget proposals than l 

eaders of his own party who have condemned it. 

Sen. Jim Exon of Nebraska said it "falls short, way short, of the deficit r 

eduction we need. He has dropped the ball." His fellow Nebraskan, Democratic Sen 

. Bob Kerrey, suggested that the president's failure to propose entitlement cuts 

represented a failure in "presidential leadership." Sen. Bill Bradley said he w 

as very "disappointed that the proposed 1996 budget does not go further in reduc 

ing the deficit." 

Asked on "This Week With David Brinkley" if the budget would ever be balanc 

ed in our lifetimes, Budget Director Alice Rivlin said, "That depends on how lon 

g your lifetime is." 

Mr. Clinton had an opportunity to show that he was a new kind of Democrat b 

y proposing a budget that would put the deficit on a steep downward trajectory. 

To do that, he would have to cut about $50 billion a year over four years out of 

a budget that is rapidly moving toward the $2 trillion mark - or a little more

than 2.5 percent of total annual spending. But to do that would mean he would ha 

ve to anger his party's most powerful special interests, like the National Educa 

tion Association, the AFL-CIO, the American Association of Retired Persons, big 

city mayors, and countless other pro-spending groups. 

More than anything else, Mr. Clinton fears being challenged in 1996 by some 

one from the liberal wing of his party, as was Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and Jimmy 

Carter in 1980. Thus, while he has given rhetoric to the conservatives and centr 

ists in his party, he has chosen to stick with the spending programs and policie 

s of the liberals that form the core of his last remaining support. 

His decision to submit a budget for fiscal 1996 that does not lay a glove o 

n any of the major discretionary programs of government or the other social welf 

are programs that are near and dear to his party's left is the most compelling e 

vidence to date of where his political heart is. 

He won the presidency as a New Democrat, preaching change, but there is pre 

cious little in his budget proposals that would fundamentally change the way gov 

ernment is run or spends our money. 

Enter the Republicans who are bent on making radical changes in the length 

and breadth of the government's budget. 

While the news media have been focused on the balanced budget amendment fig 

ht, the crime bills and other preliminary measures in the GOPs' "Contract With A 

merica" agenda, House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich has been preparing a 

tough-as-nails budget resolution that will call for deep cuts and some program 

eliminations for the coming fiscal year. 

Just how far House Republicans are willing to go in overhauling the budget 

and driving down the deficit was made clear last week by the GOP's freshmen memb 

ers who want to dismantle four Cabinet departments: Energy, Housing and Urban De 

velopment, Commerce, and Education. 

There isn't much in any of these departments, which collectively spend near 

ly $80 billion a year, to argue for their retention. 

North Carolina Rep. Sue Myrick noted that since its formation, HUD has spen 

t more than $5 trillion on anti-poverty programs, with very little to show for i 

t. With 12,883 employees on its bloated payroll and a budget of $27 billion a ye 

ar, up $1.1 billion from the year before, this is one department that is ripe fo 

r the ax. 

Mr. Clinton requested $17.8 billion for the Energy Department and its more 

than 20,000 employees. He could have proposed shifting its remaining nuclear arm 

s programs to Defense and dismantling Energy's remaining programs, but he chose 

to defend the status quo. This amount of money would be better spent on tax brea 

ks to encourage more domestic oil exploration. 

The Republicans are not going to enact everything they want in their budget 

proposals this year, but they are going to get a lot passed. And the betting in 

this corner is that before the year is out, at least one and possibly two of th 

ese departments will be eliminated for good. 



AUTH[Scott Bradner 

SOUR[Network World 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Mr. Postman - Read that letter!

TEXT[Do you ever suspect that the number of clues in the world is a constant, an 

d that with the increase in the world's population, the average density of clues 

per person is going down? Or that clues are geographically sensitive and just d 

on't inhabit some parts of the landscape, such as certain cities on the Potomac 

River? 

A couple of weeks ago, Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.) introduced S.314, the "Comm 

unications Decency Act of 1995." On the surface, this bill simply extended the e 

xisting federal anti-obscenity and anti-harassment telephone regulations to the 

general data communications industry. It proposes to substitute "telecommunicati 

ons device" for the word "telephone" in a number of existing laws. 

But there are some troubling aspects to this proposal. The current text mak 

es it a crime if someone "makes, transmits or otherwise makes available any comm 

ent, request, suggestion, proposal, image or other communication" that is judged 

to be obscene. Run afoul of this, and it could cost you 100 grand and two years 

in jail. 

This would imply that service providers would have to somehow monitor all o 

f the communications going over their network from all parts of the world and ju 

dge on the fly what was bad. (As an aside, who's definition of "bad" should you 

use, that of Milpitas, Calif., or some small town in Tennessee?) 

That would take some tricky technology, especially to judge images as they 

zip past at the speed of light. How is a computer program going to be able to te 

ll if a picture of some kids at the beach will be seen as titillating to some? S 

eems to me like a job for the National Security Agency computers; although while 

I expect they can keep up with the messages, I wonder about the pictures. 

It would appear that all providers might have to scan things themselves sin 

ce they could not guarantee that some upstream provider wouldn't mess up and let 

a dirty word through. That means Fred's Internet service, operating out of his 

parent's basement at 37 Main Street, will be making some heavy investments in co 

mputers. This bill just might be good for the supercomputer biz. 

One might think that Exon was in some kind of time warp, stuck back in the 

days of the pony express, where the postal service might have time to screen eac 

h letter in an effort to prevent Aunt Mabel from reading anything too shocking. 

But apparently not. When the technological difficulty of the task was point 

ed out to him, Exon was quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying, "If I were 

against this, if I did not want to be bothered with it, that's the argument I wo 

uld make." Sometimes the simple truth is not enough. 

The question of practicality here is in addition to the question of whether 

this sort of thing should be the responsibility of companies that transport inf 

ormation or of the originators of that information. Although it might be hard to 

control all of the originators, especially those outside the U.S., there seems 

to be a bit of shoot-the-messenger thinking going on here. 

Another question is even more basic. Once started on this type of endeavor, 

where can one expect to end up? Pornography today, religion tomorrow and critic 

izing the government the day after? FedEx and the postal service also deliver me 

ssages. Will they be next? This whole thing could put teeth in your mother's exh 

ortation to say nothing if you can't say something nice. 

It might to be time to warm up your writing-to-Congress pen. Or maybe use a 

crayon - it might be more familiar to them. 

Disclaimer: Harvard has educated a passel of congress critters over the yea 

rs, so it undoubtedly has a higher opinion of them than I express here.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon Backs Telecommunications Bill 

TEXT[Washington, D.C. - Senator Jim Exon (D-NE), stressing the need to help rura 

l areas merge onto the "information superhighway," announced his support for a p 

roposed telecommunications reform bill. The Universal Services Telecommunication 

s Act will encourage competition in the industry, reduce costs for consumers, an 

d ensure that all Americans have access to modern phone and other telecommunicat 

ions services. 

"This bill embraces values like universal service and educational opportuni 

ty so that all Americans, including those in rural areas, have access to quality 

telecommunications service at a reasonable price," said Exon. "Telecommunicatio 

n reform legislation will speed the development of the information superhighway. 

The educational aspects of the bill give value to that process. America already 

has plenty of ways to entertain itself. This bill will give all Americans an o 

pportunity to educate and enrich themselves." 

The proposal would assure that schools, libraries, and other educational in 

stitutions could receive preferential rates for new telecommunications technolog 

ies. 

Provisions that Exon has long championed to help rural areas keep up with t 

he information revolution while not being endangered by unfettered competition a 

re included in the bill. 

"Last year, we came close to enacting a similar bill but fell short in the 

closing days of the Congress," Exon said. "Hopefully, this year, we will be able 

to place into law these improvements that will help all Nebraskans as we enter 

the 21st Century." 



AUTH[David Swartzlander 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Journalism students push limits 

TEXT[Your assignment, and you have to accept it to get your grade in journalism, 

is to contact the famous person of your choice, get him or her to send you a fa 

x proving you contacted the person, and, if possible, write a story. 

You have 90 minutes 

This is the daunting task that Pat Engelhard's Lincoln High School journali 

sm class faced. 

Gal MaIler can give you a Top 10 list of reasons why it was impossible to c 

ontact David Letterman, although he did get an autographed picture of the "Late 

Night" host. 

Hannah Eskridge thought picking Dick Cavett, a Lincoln High grad whose mom 

still lives here would be easier. It wasn't. 

Hal Hansen was sure he could get through to Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who is s 

upposed to answer constituents in Nebraska. He was wrong.

But Riley Peterson got through to his choice, professional skateboarder Jer 

emy Klein. 

And Renae Rottingham has struck up a correspondence of sorts with her perso 

nal pick, drag car racer Shelly Anderson. Elizabeth Barojas probably had the eas 

iest time of it. She called author Ray Bradbury at home. 

"It was so weird," she said. "His wife answered the phone and called for hi 

m. He came on and said. 'Hello. this is Ray.' What do you say?" 

She was so flustered, she ended up saying "dumb stuff" to him. But she did 

fax him some questions and is waiting for his response. 

This marks the third year Engelhard has given her journalism class the assi 

gnment. She really doesn't care who a student chooses. She is more interested in 

how the student goes about trying to reach his or her choice. 

"The purpose of the final project is, with a limited amount of time and res 

ources, how do you overcome obstacles?" she asked. "They are graded on whether t 

hey make contact. Some kids ran into nasty people, which in itself was a good ex 

perience. It presents obstacles. What matters is how you ferret around it." 

She started the exercise because she noticed students would do the least wo 

rk it takes to accomplish a task. She thought they needed to work harder. 

"We don't challenge our high school students enough," she said. "Most stude 

nts appreciate a good challenge. They learn their limits and their strengths. I 

don't think high school should just be for rote learning. It was fun." 

Maybe more fun for some than others. Patrick Farrell, who tried to reach on 

e of the producers of the TV show "Northern Exposure," discovered a whole new wo 

rld by calling the CBS-TV network in New York City. 

"New Yorkers are the rudest people on earth," he said. 



AUTH[Andrew Taylor 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Balanced-budget backers in Senate see close vote 

TEXT[With the fate of the balanced-budget amendment resting in the hands of a fe 

w undecided Democratic senators, the congressional 

debate on the issue is nearly over. But the suspense isn't. 

By all accounts, the final Senate vote on Feb. 28 will be very close. 

"I predict the votes will be there to pass the balanced-budget amendment," 

said supporter Larry Craig, Idaho Republican. But both Mr. Craig and Paul Simon 

of Illinois, the top Democratic supporter, acknowledge passage is not a sure thi 

ng. 

Senators watching the numbers most closely say four or five undecided Democ 

rats will determine whether the measure receives the 67 votes needed to send it 

on to the states for ratification. The House passed the amendment last month by 

a wide margin. 

States would have seven years in which to ratify the amendment which would 

require the federal government to balance its budget by fiscal 2002 or two years 

after ratification by 38 of the states. 

Based on interviews with senators and aides closely watching the count, the 

most critical senators now are Wendell H. Ford, Kentucky Democrat, and Tom Hark

in, Iowa Democrat. Mr. Ford voted for the measure last year; Mr. Harkin voted ag 

ainst. 

Here's how the vote shapes up now: 

Vote counters expect 52 Republicans - everyone but Mark O. Hatfield of Oreg 

on - to vote for the amendment. Supporters must attract 15 Democrats to muster t 

he 67 votes needed. 

Based on interviews, or unequivocal public statements, 10 Democrats are con 

sidered solid yes votes: Max Baucus of Montana, Richard H. Bryan of Nevada, Ben 

Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, Jim Exon of Nebraska, Bob Graham of Florida, Ho 

well Heflin of Alabama, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois, 

Chuck Robb of Virginia and Mr. Simon. 

Based on interviews with Congressional Quarterly, Democrats John Breaux of 

Lousiana and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota are likely to vote yes, though they re 

main officially undeclared. They would bring the tally to 64 - three votes short 

. 

The fate of the measure, unless there is an unexpected change of heart by o 

ther Democratic senators, rests with the following five undeclared Democrats: 

þ Sam Nunn of Georgia, who has consistently voted for the amendment, though 

he has voiced doubts about it. He has told amendment supporters he is concerned 

the amendment could cause the courts to meddle in the financial affairs of gove 

rnment. He raised the same concerns last year. Another concern for Mr. Nunn is t 

he effect the amendment could have on the Pentagon. Supporters of the amendment 

are cautiously counting him as a yes, though they are keeping their fingers cros 

sed. If he votes no, the amendment is in deep trouble. 

þ Mr. Harkin, who voted for the amendment in 1986 and against it last year. 

He is up for re-election in 1996 and is sending strong signals he will vote yes 

. 

þ Mr. Ford. By many accounts, Mr. Ford could be the decisive vote. He voted 

for the amendment last year and in 1986. But he has said he would "have a hard 

time" supporting the amendment if Social Security were not exempted. Even so, a 

Democrat close to the vote count predicted Mr. Ford would vote for the amendment 

. 

þ Joseph Biden of Delaware, who voted against the amendment in 1986 and 199 

4 but is up for re-election in 1996. He said in an interview he is leaning in fa 

vor of the amendment. 

þ Kent Conrad of North Dakota. Mr. Conrad is a deficit hawk, but he said in 

a Feb. 16 interview he feels the amendment has several flaws. A source friendly 

with Mr. Conrad predicted he would not be the critical 67th vote, though he mig 

ht vote yes if passage is assured. 




SOUR[Franklin County Chronicle 

BK#[ 

HDLN[State Senator Ed Schrock Stops In Franklin During Legislative Break 

TEXT[Making the most during the state legislature's three-day break, State Senat 

or Ed Schrock (Dist. 38) visited Franklin Friday morning. 

Our area's representative from Elm Creek was at the Lincoln Hotel for appro 

ximately 45 minutes and visited with several people from Franklin.

Representing about 32,000 people, Senator Schrock said he was visiting Hold 

rege, Franklin, Red Cloud, Lawrence, Superior, and Blue Hill. The senator repres 

ents five full counties (Franklin, Gosper, Harlan, Phelps, Webster) and 80% of t 

wo others (Nuckolls and Furnas). 

Schrock "Mail Bag" 

When asked what were the greatest concerns he was receiving in the mail, Se 

nator Schrock said, "The largest amount of mail I've received comes from older v 

oters concerned about the possible cutting of federal funds of Senior Citizens C 

enters in my district. Because federal funds are involved, I can't do anything a 

bout that, but I have sent on their concerns and mail to national Senators Exon 

and Kerrey. I share their concerns, but if the taxpayers want less, but more eff 

icient government, then they will have to find some other sources for revenue on 

the funding of their centers." 

Other items that he has received a great deal of mail on is the cutting of 

funding for the disabled, taxes, and water. 

Water 

Schrock said the legislature was recently briefed by Michael Jess who repre 

sents Nebraska's water rights, and he said he had no doubts the state will be in 

volved in a water right dispute over the Republican River. "It will be a costly 

matter, 

and I've seen a figure of some $80 million. As the law was written, Nebraska was 

to receive 50% of the Republican River flow, Colorado was to receive 10%, and K 

ansas 40%. Kansas says Nebraska's share is too much that both surface and ground 

water rights are involved. I'm not sure that surface water irrigators should hav 

e to bear the brunt of the water reduction. One of the biggest problems on the l 

ack of flow downstream is the lack of water going into the river from upstream." 

Property Tax Reform 

On the matter of what the legislature was doing about property tax reform, 

Senator Schrock said, "We're not getting very far on that. I've had other senato 

rs tell me that if the state is going to have property tax reform and the state 

legislature can't solve the problem, then the people will take care of the matte 

r through the initiative process." 

Initiative 300 

The senator said he has also been getting mail on pending legislation that 

would repeal Initiative 300 which does not allow law corporations to farm and wh 

ich helps preserve the concept of the family farm. "I checked back and found tha 

t Franklin County had the highest percentage (80%) of any county voting for Init 

iative 300 back when it was voted into law. I'm not going to do anything that wo 

uld be contrary to that," he said. 

Items also discussed with Senator Schrock included the lottery, and the fin 

ancing of education. "It's still early in the session and not much has been done 

about that," he said. "I'm one of a group of senators in favor of increasing t 

he state's sales tax to 7%. Of that, 1% would go back to communities on a per-pe 

rson basis, and the other 1% would go back to schools on a per-pupil basis. It 

should raise about $430 for each pupil which would help reduce property taxes. H 

owever, the reality of the situation is that we don't have the votes to see it t 

hrough," Schrock said. 

A subscriber to the Chronicle, the senator said he is keeping up with the c 

ounty's news and read about the Speedway cattle truck accident just across the s 

tate line and commented on the community's award-winning EMTs. "I know you've g 

ot some excellent EMTs who have won some state awards," he said. He also noted F

anklin's new efforts on the recycling of more plastics and thought Franklin was 

making good on continuing to be a leader in community recycling when he found o 

ut that markets had been found for the plastics and newspapers. 

Will Be At Macon 

One of the items Mr. Schrock intentionally made note of was that he intends 

to hold an upcoming public meeting in Macon at the Lions Hall that concerns the 

matter of parking on the highway. "I'm going to demand a state highway official 

come down and explain the situation, and see what, if anything, can be done abo 

ut it," he said. "I'm here to represent the people of the area and those in the 

Macon area have a genuine concern about this matter. It well may be that nothin 

g can be done about it. Maybe safety is an issue, but if an arbitrary decision h 

as been made by some official who has not taken the people's wishes who have bee 

n parking like that for years into consideration, then the matter needs to be lo 

oked into." 

Voters wishing to state their views to Senator Schrock may write or call hi 

m at: Senator Ed Schrock, Dist. 38, State Capitol, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE, 

68509-4604; Ph: Capitol: 402-471-2732. 



AUTH[Dale Kindred 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Harm to rural areas 

TEXT[KANSAS CITY, Kan. - I heard the other day that Sen. Jim Exon has decided to 

vote in support of the balanced budget proposal. I believe it will do great har 

m to rural communities. If it is tied to a requirement to have a "super minority 

," it could be fatal to rural Nebraska. I use the term "super minority" rather 

than "super majority" because it more accurately reflects what is being proposed 

. The democratic concept of "one person one vote" is being thrown out to favor m 

inority control of government. If 41 percent of voters can block the wishes of 5 

9 percent, then which group is super? 

Which of the rural counties and towns pay more taxes than they receive from 

Washington, D.C.? What would be the impact of the loss of these federal dollars 

to the elderly, small farmers and ranchers and, in turn, the merchants who depe 

nd on them? Will the state, counties and towns be able to continue providing the 

current level of services? Will this accelerate the loss of population in small 

towns throughout Northeast and North Central Nebraska? 

Some individuals will save taxes. But will these be real savings? If you sa 

ve $100 in taxes but spend an additional $500 to help pay your mother's medical 

bills because Medicare was cut, what have you saved? Of if you have to replace y 

our car sooner because of reduced road repairs, what have you saved? 

In 1983, I wrote Rep. Doug Bereuter that I would wait and see what the resu 

lts of the tax cut and increase in defense spending brought us. I passively sat 

while the deficit quadrupled. I do not think that these radical changes being pr 

oposed should be thought of as Republican or Democratic issues, but rather a con 

flict between the affluent suburbs and the poorer rural and inner-city interests 

. 

I worked too hard to help create senior centers and other programs to prote 

ct and serve the elderly to see them eliminated. We can't honestly tout the comm 

unity and the family while destroying the structures to support them. Let your c

ongressmen know how you feel. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Appointment to rural commission 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced recently that Cyd Janssen o 

f Gordon has been appointed to the Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commi 

ssion. 

The 10-member commission was created by legislation co-sponsored by Exon an 

d Kerrey and signed into law by President Clinton last August. The panel will st 

udy and recommend ways to develop the economies of rural Nebraska, Iowa, Minneso 

ta and North and South Dakota. 

"The vitality of rural Nebraska is the engine that drives the continued gro 

wth of the state's economy," Exon and Kerry said. "The work of this commission w 

ill bring people from the whole region together to come up with ways to help our 

rural communities thrive." 

Janssen is a registered nurse and currently works as a health policy consul 

tant for the State of Nebraska and regional health care groups. She has served o 

n the Nebraska Rural Development Commission since 1991, where she helped lead ef 

forts to establish rural health care networks in the state. She and her husband 

are ranchers in western Nebraska. 

Janssen was appointed by acting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Richard Romin 

ger at the urging of Exon and Kerry. Governor Ben Nelson has named the Director 

of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Maxine Moul, to be the other 

Nebraska representative on the Commission. 



AUTH[Joe Brennan 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon: Retirees Will Help Cut Budget 

TEXT[Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., said Tuesday that he believed that Social Security 

recipients were willing to sacrifice some benefits to help balance the federal b 

udget. 

Exon, speaking at an Omaha press conference, said options include reducing 

cost-of-living adjustments for beneficiaries and imposing a means test on high-i 

ncome retirees. 

He said he did not want to cut Social Security for low-income elderly. 

"Social Security recipients are, by and large, like the farmers, ready to t 

ake their proportionate share of the cuts," Exon said. 

He spoke at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. 

Exon, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee delivered a breakfast 

speech on the deficit, national debt and prospects for passing a balanced budge 

t amendment to the Constitution.

Exon said that he would vote for the budget amendment and that supporters h 

ad the necessary 67 votes in the Senate to pass the measure. He said he expects 

a final vote within two weeks. 

The House has approved the amendment. 

Social Security, at $334 billion, is the largest single expenditure in the 

1995 federal budget. 

Exon said the congressional leadership in both parties still believed 

that Social Security was the "third rail" of politics- touch it and you die. 

He said, however, that he saw signs that the public wanted an honest discus 

sion of Social Security. 

"In many ways," Exon said, "the people are ahead of the politicians on this 

." 

He asked Nebraskans to make suggestions to him on how to balance the budget 

, including specific programs that should be cut. 

Exon said the public must understand, however, that simply cutting visible 

programs such as public broadcasting or the National Endowment for the Arts - wh 

ile leaving Social Security, Medicare, or other entitlement spending untouched - 

will not get the job done. 

Exon said he favored across-the-board cuts of about 13 percent as the 

fairest approach. 

On his future political plans Exon said he would announce within 60 days wh 

ether he will seek re-election in 1996. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[For county races, this bill makes sense 

TEXT[LB.166 has been one of those "quiet" bills before the Legislature 

this year. It would make a significant change, but so far has generated relativ 

ely little attention. 

Maybe because it makes so much sense. 

If the bill is approved, county office-holders in Nebraska would be elected 

on non-partisan ballots. The original bill exempted county commissioners from t 

he change; an amendment would shift them to non-partisan ballots, as well. Eithe 

r way, the bill deserves approval. 

Lincoln County's most recent elections are a good illustration of why. Poli 

tical labels made little difference in the final vote, demonstrating that voters 

wisely considered the job to be done, not the label. On the other hand, 1994 ra 

ces in Lincoln County brought the example of Republican voters alone deciding in 

the primary the only candidate whose name would appear on the fall ballot for L 

incoln County sheriff. LB.166 would have changed that. 

For policy-makers, political labels can be helpful indicators of a certain 

philosophical bent. Even in those races, however, labels can be deceiving since 

few people fit comfortably into neat "boxes." Is Ted Kennedy the typical Democra 

t, for instance, or is Jim Exon? Labels become even less meaningful the more sp 

ecific or task-oriented a job becomes. Why should voters care, for example, abou 

t the philosophical bent of a clerk of the district court or the register of dee 

ds? Efficiency in doing the job is what's needed and wanted.

No matter your own political philosophy, a candidate's party affiliation ne 

ver has proven to be a particularly good indicator of performance. There have be 

en lazy Republican and lazy Democratic officeholders; outstanding Republicans an 

d outstanding Democrats. Plenty of mediocre officials from each party, as well. 

What LB.166 just might do is attract more good candidates. And that would b 

e to everyone's advantage. As it stands, registered independents can't run for c 

ounty office at all. Then there are those who might consider running, but won't 

take on a member of their own party, particularly an incumbent, in a primary rac 

e. Laws, it seems to us, should be aimed at deepening the potential pool of cand 

idates, not limiting the pool. 

The changes that LB.166 could bring about are overdue. It should be approve 

d. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Make or break 

TEXT[We believe Gov. Ben Nelson is right in arguing that the economic developmen 

t bills being debated in the Legislature - as a way to help the recruiting effor 

ts to lure Micron Technology Inc., to Omaha - would be a positive move for all o 

f Nebraska, not just Omaha. 

Omaha is one of three finalist sites for a new Micron Technology plant that 

would cost $1.3 billion to construct and result in 3,500 new jobs. The company 

has said it plans to make a decision in early March between the three finalist s 

ites. 

So, state lawmakers are under a tight deadline in considering the bills, wh 

ich would offer a payroll tax return for job training, tax-increment financing t 

o build the plant and permission for power companies to negotiate lower rates wi 

th large corporate customers. The bills would require an investment of $50 milli 

on and at least 500 new jobs for companies to be eligible for the incentives. 

Concern has been raised from some rural state senators that the bills are n 

ot in Nebraska's best interests. Given the short time available to pass the legi 

slation, the possibility of a filibuster or other delaying tactics is a real one 

. 

Would Nebraska be giving up too much by passing these bills as an enticemen 

t for Micron to come here? We don't believe so. 

The bills are specific in the size of investment necessary in order to qual 

ify for the incentives and other benefits. That means not many other firms will 

be able to qualify for them. But even if just one Micron or other large firm dec 

ides to build in Nebraska, the economic impact - through spin-off jobs, for exam 

ple - would be substantial. 

It's also important to point out that Nebraska gains nothing if Micron deci 

des to build elsewhere. But if they do choose the Omaha area, the state stands t 

o gain a lot. Those who argue that the state would gain more if it weren't so ge 

nerous in incentives should remember that without the incentives, the gains woul 

d be far less - nothing, to be exact. 

Plus, being able to successfully recruit a firm the size of Micron would do 

a lot for Nebraska's economic development reputation. Yes, this plant would loc 

ate in the Omaha area, but the next one might come to Grand Island, Scottsbluff

or Norfolk. 

It would be nice to think that firms the size of Micron or even smaller wou 

ld be willing to move to Nebraska simply because, well, it's Nebraska. Even thou 

gh our state has many positives going for it, the reality is that it's a fiercel 

y competitive world out there in economic development circles and the legislatio 

n being proposed could help make or break the deal. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Senator advocates equal cuts 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Across-the-board cuts in the federal budget are the only way t 

o reduce the deficit without saddling some programs with excessive cuts, Nebrask 

a Sen. Jim Exon said Tuesday. 

The ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget committee, Exon said all federal 

programs, including Social Security, must be on the table in 

order to balance the federal budget by the year 2002. 

"I think an across-the-board cut is probably the way to do it," 

Exon said at a news conference after a closed meeting with members of the Omaha 

Chamber of Commerce. 

If programs like Social Security, veterans' benefits, Medicare and military 

retirement benefits are removed from the budget equation, other federal program 

s will shoulder a disproportionate share of budget cuts, Exon explained. Aides d 

istributed a table showing how cuts for other programs will grow as programs are 

taken off the table. 

WITH EVERYTHING on the table, a 13 percent cut is needed, Exon's figures sh 

ow. But if Social Security is excluded, other programs would have to be cut by 1 

8 percent, he said. 

"I think that there's a general consensus that Social Security recipie 

nts are ready to take their share of the cuts," Exon said. 

Exon floated the idea of a 13 percent across-the-board cut on the Senate fl 

oor on Jan. 31 when he also pointed out how cuts on other federal spending would 

have to rise if Social Security were excluded. 

Exon said Tuesday he plans to vote for a proposed constitutional amendment 

that would require a balanced federal budget by the year 2002. But he said he wa 

s uncomfortable that the measure doesn't specify cuts. 

"If we tell the people what's coming, they will be with us on this," Exon s 

aid. 

THE BALANCED budget amendment is expected to reach the Senate floor in 

the next 10 days and Exon predicted it will have the 67 votes needed to pass. 

Federal government spending is projected to be $2.3 trillion in 2002. About 

$1.2 trillion must be cut over the next seven years to balance the budget, Exon 

said. 

Given what's needed, debates about cutting programs like the Corporation fo 

r Public Broadcasting are a waste of time because they represent such a small po 

rtion of the federal budget, Exon said. 

"We could fire Barney, Big Bird and Oscar. We could send the entire congres

sional staff packing. We could board up the national Endowment for the Arts. And 

you know what, my friends? ... They would amount to a tiny, barely noticed blip 

," Exon said. 




SOUR[Seward County Independent 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Seward gets FASTCOP grant to add 1 officer 

TEXT[Seward may soon have another police officer, funded in part by the federal 

FASTCOP Program. 

City Administrator Dan Berlowitz said Sen. James Exon's office has confirme 

d that Seward's application was among those receiving funding under the 1994 Cri 

me Bill program. 

Seward will receive an estimated $59,260 over a three-year period, which is 

about 75 percent of the wages and benefits cost for one officer, Berlowitz said 

. 

Around 7,000 communities applied for funding for 18,000 officers in the pro 

gram. Berlowitz said 40 Nebraska communities were among those granted all or par 

t of their requests. 

Seward had requested funding for two officers. 

Berlowitz said paperwork for the program should arrive within the next few 

weeks, and once that is completed, it may be late March or April before the fina 

ncing is secured. 

He is, however, somewhat concerned about some new debate in the Congress re 

garding the 1994 Crime Bill, in which there has been discussion of changing the 

FASTCOP program. 

The city is now hiring an officer to fill a vacancy in the department, so w 

hen funding is available through FASTCOP, it will have a ready list of potential 

candidates for the position, Berlowitz said. 

The city will pay 25 percent of the new officer's pay, as well as provide u 

niforms, a weapon and other Standard equipment. After three years, the city is e 

xpected to take on full funding of the position. 

Berlowitz said the city has anticipated the need for an additional officer 

and the FASTCOP program will shorten the timeline for that happening. 



AUTH[Jean Parker (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Help safeguard the lives of animals 

TEXT[Most Americans are unaware of the tragic extent of cosmetic and chemical te 

sts done on animals in the United States. Every year millions of animals die ago 

nizing deaths at the hands of corporate giants such as Alberto, Ann and Hammer, 

Bausch and Laum, Bristol-Myers, Clairol, Clorox, Colgate, Palmolive, Elizabeth A 

rden, Faberge, Gillette, Johnson and Johnson, Lever Brothers and Noxel to name j 

ust a few. Proctor and Gamble alone killed over 450,000 animals in its laborator

y between 1985 and 1993. 

Just a few of the horrendous experiments performed on animals ... cats go t 

hrough agonizing death throes from the toxic effects of massive amounts of hairs 

prays, aerosol deodorants and household cleaners that they are forced to inhale; 

rabbits are held in stocks while skin lotions and fragrances are squeezed into 

their eyes with a syringe; dogs are force fed oven cleaner, drain openers and ot 

her poisonous substances; guinea pigs have toxic chemicals grafted onto their ra 

w skin .. . the atrocities go on and on. All of these experiments are conducted 

without sedation or painkillers and result in lengthy, agonizing deaths. 

The companies mentioned above, along with numerous others continue to 

maim and poison animals in tests that cannot be accurately applied to humans and 

that many prominent researchers and scientists have criticized as out-dated and 

worthless. Reliable effective and even cheaper alternatives are now available - 

skin patch tests, computer models and cell culture tests - but countless corpor 

ations refuse to consider such options. Cosmetic, chemical and household product 

research would all be better served by these tests which take advantage of new 

technologies and don't mutilate, torture and kill animals. 

If you find that you are appalled at the needless suffering that millions o 

f animals are enduring, there are several things you can do. Refuse to buy the p 

roducts made by companies that test on animals. Call their CEOs or write their o 

ffices and let them know you are boycotting their products. Urge your elected of 

ficials to spend money on research that advances human health and well being, no 

animal misery. Press them to take a leadership role in legislation that abolish 

es animal testing and replaces it with the more accurate and reliable newer tech 

nologies. 

Write J. James Exon or Robert Kerrey, c/o U.S. Senate, Washington DC 2 

0510; write to Bill Barrett, c/o U.S. House of Representatives, Washington DC 20 

515. Join an organization that works to safeguard the lives of these animals use 

d for experimentation. (Contact me for names and addresses.) 

We need to work towards a society that will no longer tolerate this in 

humane treatment and cruelty. Laboratory animals are helpless and defenseless an 

d they need our protection urgently. 



AUTH[Freler Wyre (editorial) 

SOUR[Sheridan County Star 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Two Party System Still Good 

TEXT[The Two Party System is good for this country. What is wrong is that the li 

berals have captured the Democratic party. There are conservatives in both parti 

es, as well as liberals. The battles has just begun. The liberals will lie, chea 

t, kill and have the morals of an alley cat. They do not fear the judgement of t 

he Almighty God. They think like the New Ager, that in some point in time, they 

will become Gods themselves. 

The Holy Bible says in Psalm 14:1 "That fool hath said in his heart, there 

is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that 

doeth good," (see Psa. 53:1). Mr. Clinton said, "The Bible says abortion is leg 

al in the eyes of God." Evidentally, he has not read Exodus 21:22,23. 

It is time for all God loving and fearing people to stand up and say that i



nsible for teaching their children (Proverb 22:6). We should pray and work hard 

for change in this country's direction. 

President Clinton said that he makes mistakes. Then he should correct them 

by 1) Taking the sodomites out of the military, 2) Stop the unborn baby killing, 

3) Stop building nighttime basketball courts, 4) For once, tell us the truth. M 

r. Clinton is good at telling you what he thinks you want to hear. 

We have a God in Heaven, his name is Christ, Jesus, who has taught us from 

Genesis to Revelation how to live on this earth. That covenant was signed with h 

is blood. 

Breaker---Breaker, this is Clarkson's crazy fisherman, Freler Wyre, talking 

at you with love. 

Senator J. James Exon is a conservative democrat who is fighting to bring i 

ntegrity and power back in the hands of the family. He needs your support. Come 

- on -back, good buddy. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[More pork awards 

TEXT[Right on time and ugly as usual, the "1995 Congressional Pig Book Summary" 

has singled out several politicians for ridiculous and questionable spending. 

The 20-page booklet, published each year by the Citizens Against Government 

Waste, touts itself "the book Washington doesn't want you to read." 

Among the past year's most outlandish spending: 

* "The Alaskan Pipeline Award" to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who funneled near 

ly $30 million in pork to his home state. 

* "The Bridge Too Far Award" to Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), for his spons 

orship of a $15 million footbridge to Ellis Island. 

* "The 'Who Says You Can't Take It With You?' Award" to Sen. Dennis DeConcini 

(D-Ariz.), who took at least $95.5 million in perks with him when he retired. 

* "The Bumpers Crop Award" in recognition of the $46 million in dubious aid b 

ound for Arkansas, courtesy of Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.). 

* "The Boy Who Cried Wolf Award" for a $400,000 EPA grant to battle a non-exi 

stent Algal Bloom crisis in Hawaii. 

* "The Bipartisan Porkers Award" to tag-team Reps. Joe McDade (R-Pa.) and Joh 

n Murtha (D-Pa.), whose combined efforts produced a bipartisan $78 million in qu 

estionable benefits for the home state. 

* "The My Money Lies Over the Ocean Award" to annual, never-authorized $19.6 

million for the International Fund for Ireland, a going-away giveaway from forme 

r House Speaker Tip O'Niell (D-Mass.). 

* "The War Games Award" for $14.4 million for the XXVI Olympiad and $3 millio 

n for the Special Olympics that got charged to the Pentagon. 

* "The Billion Dollars or Bust Award" to Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), sometimes k 

nown as the "King of Pork." Byrd's most recent allocations of $158 million for 1 

995 puts him ever closer to the billion dollar barrier in pork spending. 

These are just a few of the congressmen who worked hard this past sess

ion to make certain the reputation of government service remains deceitful and d 

istrustful. These are the names voters should remember when they speak ill of th 

eir government representation. 

Happily, none of Nebraska's representatives are mentioned in the annua 

l expose booklet. Whatever their politics and personal beliefs, at least Sens. B 

ob Kerrey and Jim Exon and Reps. Bill Barrett, Doug Beureter and Jon Christensen 

can look their constituents in the eye. 



AUTH[Carol Bryant 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Cleaning contract creates controversy 

TEXT[Who will clean three county office buildings turned into a messy situation 

at Tuesday's Hall County Board of Supervisors meeting. 

Last month, Supervisor Dick Hartman suggested having workers from Mid-Nebra 

ska Mental Retardation Services clean the Hall County Administration Building, c 

ourthouse and Department of Social Services building. 

So the supervisors delayed considering janitorial bids to explore the Mid-N 

ebraska possibility. "I think they deserve a chance," Hartman said. 

Supervisors decided Tuesday to award the one-year cleaning contract to G & 

D Janitorial for $49,848 after a lengthy and heated discussion. 

The current contract expires March 1. Supervisors Hartman, Margaret Landis 

and Gary Quandt voted against selecting the firm, which has cleaned the building 

s this past year. 

Before that vote, a motion to use Mid-Nebraska services at an estimated tot 

al cost of $60,936 failed by a 3-4 vote. 

Quandt, Judy Rosenkotter, Irene Abernetht and Tammie Stelk opposed using th 

eir services during the upcoming year. 

Then, a motion to accept the $47,320 low bid from Total Service Inc. fell b 

y a 2-5 vote. Quandt, Stelk, Rosenkotter, Abernethy and Robert Leslie voted agai 

nst the motion. The firm had cleaned the buildings for two years, but their low 

bids the last two years were rejected, company president Tom Oshlo said. 

Stelk told supervisors the contracts were not renewed because of county emp 

loyee complaints during a survey. 

The matter had been referred to a janitorial committee for study. Hartman, 

Rosenkotter, Stelk, Building and Grounds Superintendent Rick Stepanek, board ass 

istant Ellen Merrill and Deputy County Attorney Jerry Janulewicz met Feb. 16. St 

elk presented the meeting results Tuesday to supervisors. 

Stelk and Rosenkotter advocated giving sheltered workshops like Mid-Nebrask 

a or Goodwill Industries a chance to do the job but suggested waiting a year to 

give more planning time. 

"I'm afraid its opening us up for criticism for favoritism," Rosenkotter sa 

id. 

Rosenkotter told supervisors using the sheltered workshops would be more ex 

pensive. In minutes from the Feb. 16 meeting, Stepanek said he might have to hir 

e a full-time employee to assist with cleaning. 

Mid-Nebraska had informed supervisors its workers would not do all the clea

ning chores in the buildings. 

The total cost estimate for using Mid-Nebraska was $60,936 for the first ye 

ar and $59,740 the second year. 

The figures included buying equipment and manpower to complete work Mid-Neb 

raska wouldn't do. 

"This is a good way to use their talents. However, I think there are some p 

itfalls here we have to be careful about," Leslie said. 

In other business, the board: 

þ Indicated it would pay expenses to send two or three members of the Ha 

ll County Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant Reuse Committee to Washington. D.C. L 

andis, the committee chairwoman, said the group will meet with the secretary of 

the Army to discuss whether a non-profit group could lease the entire plant and 

sublease portions of it. 

þ Voted 5-2 to send a letter to Sens. Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon urging the 

m to vote for the Balanced Budget Amendment. Leslie and Abernethy voted against 

the motion. 

þ Unanimously approved sending a letter to area state senators supportin 

g LB.649, which would allow voters to petition their county governments. 

þ Opened bids for hauling gravel to four county roads projects. The bids 

were referred to Dan Hostler, public works director. 

þ Approved placing a weight limit on loads hauled on the Alda Road from 

Rosedale to Barrows Road. 

þ Discussed what groups should have tax-exempt status. County Assessor J 

an Pelland said permissive exemptions are granted to non-governmental units such 

as churches. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Council approves action on loan for sewer plant work 

TEXT[The Holdrege City Council Tuesday night took action to get the money for im 

provements to the city's wastewater treatment facility. 

The council approved a resolution which authorizes the city to borrow $2.5 

million from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Control's revolving fund. 

The council also passed a ordinance to issue utility revenue bonds to 

pay off the loan. 

The action will mean higher sewer bills for Holdrege customers. 

Bill Stoner, engineer with Olson Associates, estimated that the average use 

rate, including residential and commercial, would go from a current $7.90 a mon 

th to a projected $14 to $19 a month. 

He said that similar increases are being seen in other area towns that 

making improvements to their systems. Gothenburg, for example, has a new averag 

e resident rate of $18.50 per month. 

Cozad recently raised its residential rates from $17.25 a month to $21 

.50, Mr. Stoner said. 

The improvements to the facility are required by state and federal reg 

ulations, Mayor Jim Van Marter said. 

"The city has no choice," he said.

Improvements are designed to increase the capacity of the plant to mee 

t the current requirements for effluent discharge, or the water that is released 

after it has been treated in the plant. 

"This project will give you enhanced water quality from the treatment 

facility," Mr. Stoner said. 

The work will involve the construction of a sequential batch reactor a 

t the current plant site as well as a composting facility at the landfill. The c 

omposting facility will handle the sludge from the treatment plant. 

Mr. Stoner said that after the improvements, the facility should meet 

the new sludge regulations for stabilization and the new limits for ammonia. 

The project requires an Environmental Impact Statement, which Mr. Ston 

er said was complete. He said that may some problems with noise and dust during 

the construction, but there should be few problems after the project is in place 

. 

He also noted that there could be some odors coming from the compostin 

g site. "We hope they will be manageable," he said. 

The money for construction will come from the state revolving loan pro 

gram at an interest rate of 5.3 percent for 15 years. Some of that money will be 

used for increased operating costs, Mr. Stoner said. 

Mr. Van Marter was asked about getting federal grants, since Kearney h 

as recently received a $6 million grant for a similar project. He said that gran 

t apparently came through the efforts of Sen. Bob Kerrey. He said he has approac 

hed both Sen. Kerrey and Sen. Jim Exon about similar grants, but didn't hold out 

much hope. 



AUTH[Chuck Mittan 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Sheriff's Department receives "Cops Fast" grant approval 

TEXT[The Webster County Sheriff's Department is among the 40 Nebraska law enforc 

ement agencies receiving grants through a program called "Cops Fast." 

Administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, the program will provide pa 

rtial funding for each of the agencies to hire one new officer. 

"We're not really sure what it will amount to," said Webster County Sheriff 

James Disney. "We've been named as a recipient in the initial round, but we don 

't know how large a share the county will have to pay or anything like that." 

The program was enacted as part of the 1994 crime bill to simplify the gran 

t application process for smaller communities and speed up the hiring of officer 

s in those areas. 

Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey endorsed both the crime bill and the Cops 

Fast Program, and were pleased to announce the names of the 40 Nebraska law enfo 

rcement agencies selected. 


es, crime in rural America is growing at a faster rate than in any other part of 

the United States," said Senator Exon. 

Senator Kerrey said, "Small communities have to be able to take advantage o 

f any funding or assistance available, and certainly more police officers on the 

street is one of the best deterrents to crime."

More than $200 million will be made available over the next three years to 

American communities with populations under 50,000. 

COPS is an acronym for Community Oriented Policing Services, established by 

U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno; and FAST is an acronym for Funding Accelerate 

d for Smaller Towns. 

Funding begins for the individual agencies after approval of the FAST appli 

cation and after the officer has been hired and sworn in. 

Grants will be made for up to 75 percent of the total salary and benefits o 

f each officer over a three-year period, up to a maximum of $75,000 per officer. 

The funds must not be used to replace money the agencies otherwise would ha 

ve devoted to future officer hiring. In other words, any hiring utilizing COPS F 

AST funds must be in addition to, not in lieu of, previous hiring plans. 

Other law enforcement agencies in the area awarded grants under the program 

include the City of Minden, City of Superior, and the Buffalo County Sheriff's 

Department. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Exon appointed 

TEXT[U.S. Senator Jim Exon has been appointed as one of only five Senate confere 

es to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the recently passed unfunded ma 

ndates bill. Exon is a co-sponsor of the legislation to require mandates passed 

in Washington be paid for before they are passed along to the states. 

"I am pleased to be part of the conference committee that will hammer out t 

he final version of this important piece of legislation," Exon said. "The states 

should not have to go to their own taxpayers to pay for new rules and requireme 

nts passed down from Uncle Sam without adequate funding." 

Exon noted that the Congressional Budget Office estimates conservatively th 

at the cost of complying with federal mandates has risen from $225 million in 19 

86 to $2.8 billion in 1991. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Alliance One of 'Cops Fast' Recipients 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced earlier this month that the 

Alliance Police Dept. was one of 40 Nebraska communities to receive a grant fro 

m the "Cops Fast" grant program administered by the U.S. Dept of Justice. 

The "Cops Fast" grants will allow each of the communities to hire one new o 

fficer. 



AUTH[Jane Bryant Quinn 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Americans Not Ready to Accept Reductions in Entitlements 

TEXT[New York- Ironically, as the balanced budget amendment 

moves ahead in Congress, both parties are trying to wiggle around the tough budg 

et law already on the books. They believe that Americans--for all their complain 

ts about government spending--are not ready to accept cuts in Medicare, Medicaid 

, Social Security and other popular entitlement programs. 

You'd see the same wiggling under a constitutional amendment. Congress repr 

esents the people and will do our bidding, no matter what. 

Most voters don't know about the Budget Enforcement Act, passed in 1990 and 

extended in 1993. It has been a splendid restraint on spending, thanks to two t 

ough budget rules: 

(1) Tax cuts are not permitted to add to the federal deficit over the follo 

wing five years. If Congress cuts taxes, it's required to replace the revenue lo 

ss by raising other taxes or lowering spending on entitlements. Any increases in 

entitlement spending must be financed the same way. 

An entitlement is a benefit you receive because of your circumstances. The 

only way to lower spending on these programs is to change the definition of who 

qualifies. The major entitlements are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, vete 

rans benefits, federal pensions, agricultural price supports and certain welfare 

programs such as food stamps, aid to dependent children and Supplemental Securi 

ty Income for the low income elderly. 

(2) Discretionary spending, which covers everything else the government doe 

s, is virtually under a spending freeze. These tight ceilings were first imposed 

under President Bush, for fiscal years 1991 and 1992, then extended under Presi 

dent Clinton through 1998. 

Discretionary money is appropriated by the Congress every year and can be c 

ut (or raised) as the lawmakers see fit. Recipients aren't entitled to a certain 

level of payments. A few examples of discretionary spending are federal salarie 

s, defense, student aid, federal courts and highway grants to states. 

The budget Clinton sent to Congress this month does not obey a plain readin 

g of the Budget Enforcement Act. 

The president proposed several middle-income tax cuts, along with spending 

cuts to pay for them. But most of the spending cuts come from the discretionary 

side of the budget. He is not paying for his tax cuts by raising taxes or reduci 

ng entitlements, as the law requires. 

The Republicans haven't submitted their version of the budget yet. But many 

Republicans also want to pay for tax cuts with discretionary spending, to avoid 

a battle over popular entitlements prior to the 1996 presidential election. 

It may seem immaterial whether spending cuts come from the entitlement or d 

iscretionary side of the budget. But it's not. Here's why: 

A cut in taxes reduces government revenues, automatically, every year. If t 

hat tax cut is truly to be paid for, it must be matched with a guaranteed annual 

increase in government receipts. Cutting entitlements would do it. 

If a tax cut is paid for with discretionary spending, there's no guarantee 

that the lower level of spending will last. All you get is a politician's promis 

e. Next year, or the year after, discretionary spending might rise--which means 

that the tax cut wouldn't be paid for after all.

Can the president and Congress get away with pretending that the Budget Enf 

orcement Act doesn't exist? That depends on whether anyone will defend it. 

The president, through the Office of Management and Budget, is promoting a 

tortured reading of the law that says it's OK to cut taxes without cutting entit 

lements. On the Republican side, Richard May, staff director for House Budget Co 

mmittee Chairman Rep. John Kasich (R-Ohio) believes that spending cuts of any ty 

pe "can be locked in and should count as having to offset tax cuts." That's the 

politically popular route. 

The Senate, however, is talking tough. Both Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) an 

d James Exon (D-Neb.), ranking majority and minority members of the Senate Budge 

t Committee, are standing by the current budget-control law. 

Congress could change the law, of course--a course that both Kasich and the 

administration would favor. In any event, "we are going to have to deal with en 

titlements if we are going to balance the budget by 2002," May says. But the wig 

gling suggests how readily Washington might find a way around a balanced budget 

amendment. No system of budget control will work until Americans are willing to 

give up treasured entitlements. There's no evidence for that yet. 




SOUR[Omaha World-Herald (Iowa Edition) 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Armey: Tax Changes Several Years Away 

TEXT[Washington - Despite widespread taxpayer frustration, federal tax law will 

not undergo major change until at least 1997, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, 

R-Texas, said Wednesday. 

Armey, a former economics professor, said Congress may be ready by 1997 to 

enact his plan for a 17 percent flat tax on all income with no deductions. 

"After 70 years of tinkering, today's tax code is a wasteful, complicated m 

ess," Armey testified before the Senate Budget Committee. "Rates are high, looph 

oles abound, and noncompliance is rife because taxpayers feel the code is writte 

n not for them, but for well-organized special interests." 

In an interview after the hearing, Armey said there will be little chance t 

o make major changes in tax law until after the 1996 presidential election. 

He said that does not mean Congress will fail to vote on changes in the cur 

rent law that are proposed in the Republican Contract With America. 

"The contract improves the current tax code, but it doesn't make it any les 

s obnoxious," Armey said. 

Tax changes proposed in the contract include indexing capital gains to infl 

ation, granting a $500 per-child tax credit, phasing out higher tax rates on hig 

h-income Social Security recipients, and raising the earnings limits to $30,000 

a year for Social Security recipients. 

Armey said simplicity is the main virtue of his plan, which would have one 

low rate for all income with no targeted tax incentives. 

"Taxpayers will be able to pay their taxes on a simple, 10-line form the si 

ze of a postcard," Armey said. He handed out a sample form. 

Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., ranking Democrat on the committee, said Armey may h 

ave difficulty persuading taxpayers to endorse a system that eliminates the dedu

ction for interest paid on home mortgages. 

Armey told Exon he had 5,000 letters from people endorsing a flat tax after 

it was discussed recently on a national television show. 

"Do the people who write in understand that the flat tax would eliminate th 

e deductions they are now taking?" Exon asked Armey. 

"I've gotten far, far more letters from people who said they would be happy 

to give up the home-mortgage deduction to take advantage of low tax rates and a 

generous family deduction," Armey replied. 

He said the family deduction would be $13,100 for an individual, $26,200 fo 

r a married couple, and $5,300 for each child. 

"A family of four would have to earn $36,800 before it owed a penny of fede 

ral income tax," Armey said. 

The committee also heard testimony from Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., co-sponsor wi 

th Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., of a proposal to defer taxes on all savings and i 

nvestments. 

Nunn said all income would be treated alike under the their plan. 

"The key is what is done with that income," he said. "If it's reinvested, t 

he tax would be deferred until you spent the money. If you go out and buy a boat 

, you'd be taxed." 

Nunn said that if the Senate considers changing the 28 percent capital gain 

s tax rate this year he will offer an amendment that would allow a tax deferral 

on capital gains that are reinvested. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Vote moves solidify balanced budget OK 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - The balanced budget amendment was given all but final congress 

ional approval this morning when Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Joseph 

Biden of Delaware announced they would vote for the measure. 

The decisions represent a switch for both men, who voted against nearly ide 

ntical amendments last year and now face re-election contests. 

The announcements put the unofficial tally at 67 in favor of the bill, whic 

h would amend the Constitution to require a balanced federal budget by the year 

2002. 

Biden announced his decision in a statement sent to reporters and dated Wed 

nesday. After tracing previous, unsuccessful efforts to cure chronic deficits, h 

e said, "I have concluded that there is nothing left to try except the Balanced 

Budget Amendment." 

Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who last week predicted passage of the amendment, sa 

id he had Harkin in the "yes" column for two weeks and is not surprised by his a 

nnouncement. 

Also today, Exon said he favors a temporary reduction in cost of living all 

owances in Social Security benefits for wealth recipients. 

That would be only under "extreme" circumstances, and it would not reduce b 

enefits for lower income recipients, but Exon said the option of cutting entitle 

ment programs such as Social Security has to be made available to Congress when 

it follows through on balancing the budget.

Harkin, one of the chief advocates of a failed amendment to the bill that w 

ould have prevented any cutbacks in Social Security benefits to balance the budg 

et, agonized over his decision. In the end, he said he went with his gut feeling 

. 

As former chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee with jurisdict 

ion over Social Security and the key social programs, Harkin said he had been un 

der intense pressure to find room in his annual appropriations bill for worthy p 

rograms, but the interest on the national debt, now pegged at 28 percent and pro 

jected to go over 50 percent before the new century begins, kept on freezing out 

discretionary spending. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., took the Senate floor this morning and said he agr 

ees the budget should be balanced and that he sympathizes with those who are pus 

hing the constitutional amendment. However, he said, the problem seems to be the 

behavior of 535 members of Congress, not the structure of the Constitution, and 

simple legislation should do the trick. 

Kerrey, who has said he will vote against the amendment, said Congress shou 

ld he focusing on getting entitlement programs, the core of the budget problem, 

under control. 

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and federal retirement, which he calls 

"the Big Four," will consume 44 percent of the budget this year. Mandatory spend 

ing will consume 65 percent. By 2000, it will he 70 percent. By 2005, the number 

is 78 percent, Kerrey said. 

Long-term entitlement reform coupled with a reasonable reduction in discret 

ionary spending, including defense, would reduce interest rates dramatically and 

achieve the goal of this amendment without tampering with the Constitution, he 

said. 

Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, long ago announc 

ed his support for the amendment. 

The Senate is expected to vote final passage of the amendment Tuesday. Supp 

orters expect a comfortable margin now that Harkin and Biden have announced thei 

r support. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Service Notes 

TEXT[Midshipman David E. Bowen, Omaha, is a senior at the U.S. Merchant Marine A 

cademy, and has been selected for inclusion in the 1995 edition of "Who's Who Am 

ong Students in American Universities and Colleges" as one of the nation's outst 

anding campus leaders. David is the son of Bruce and Christine Bowen. 

Twenty-one Academy midshipmen in all have had the honor of joining the 

elite national group of students comprising the 1995 "Who's Who." An Academy no 

minating committee and editors of the annual directory select these students bas 

ed on their achievements, leadership in extracurricular activities and future po 

tential. 

Outstanding students have been honored in the annual directory since i 

t was first published in 1934. 

A graduate of Omaha Central High School, Midshipman Bowen was nominate

d to the Academy by Sen. J. James Exon. 

The Academy, located in Kings Point, NY, is a federal institution oper 

ated by the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Th 

is tuition-free four-year college prepares young men and women from across the n 

ation as officers for the American merchant marine and for leadership positions 

in the maritime industry. 

David is the grandson of Roger and Eugina Bowen and Bruce and Zatha Fl 

etcher of Orchard. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Clinton plan could triple utility rates 

TEXT[Rate payers in several Nebraska communities, including Red Cloud, could see 

a significant increase in their electric bills if the Clinton Administration go 

es ahead with plans to sell federal agencies marketing low-cost hydroelectric po 

wer, according to Aaron Boucher, Red Cloud City Planner. 

Unveiled Feb. 6, President Clinton's budget proposal calls for the sel 

ling to private investors of power marketing agencies (PMAs) which are currently 

owned and operated by the federal government. 

One of the PMAs which would be sold is Western Area Power Administrati 

on (WAPA), which provides electricity for customers in Red Cloud. 

If WAPA is sold to private investors, the cost would rise to nearly $1 

20,000 annually, an increase of around 180 percent in the cost of electricity. 

"Red Cloud stands to lose a great deal if WAPA is sold to private inve 

stors intending to maximize their profits," Boucher said. "And Red Cloud is not 

an isolated case-many nearby communities including Blue Hill, Deshler, Franklin 

, Grand Island, Hastings and Oxford would also be affected." 

On the side of the Nebraska power consumers on the issue are U.S. Senator J 

im Exon and Larry Marquis, general manager of the Nebraska Municipal Power Pool 

(NMPP). 

Exon suggested the president explore the possibility of having consume 

rs form a consortium that might negotiate a purchase of the PMAs by power co-ops 

and others who benefit from this extensive national system of power facilities. 

Marquis said, "If WAPA is sold to the private sector, the bottom-line 

cost to rate-payers would be over $50 million for all Nebraska communities and t 

hat figure would escalate as time goes on." 

"Although the sales would give people a tax-break, the increased elect 

ricity costs would offset any potential economic gain from a one-time tax cut," 

Boucher added. "It would be much more costly for consumers in the long run." 

Red Cloud residents are encouraged to voice their opposition to the sa 

les; the City has already sent letters to Congress and local residents are urged 

to do the same. Boucher said sample letters are available at the city office. 

Power marketing agencies operate thousands of miles of electrical tran 

smission lines throughout the country, marketing energy produced at government-o 

wned hydroelectric dams in many western and southern states.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Businesses helped 

TEXT[Washington--Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey announced Thursday that the Northeast N 

ebraska Economic Development District will receive a federal grant to help new a 

nd expanding businesses. 

The $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will be used t 

o establish a regional revolving loan fund for businesses in 14 Northeast Nebras 

ka counties, the Democrats reported. 

"We need to do all we can to help and encourage small business owners, 

especially those just getting started," said Exon and Kerrey. "Many entrepreneu 

rs cannot get loans from traditional lenders. This fund will help save and creat 

e jobs in Northeast Nebraska." 

Communities in the area already have contributed more than $300,000 in 

matching funds to get the revolving loan fund off the ground. 



AUTH[Gerard S. Harbison (Assoc. prof. of Chemistry, UNL) 


BK#[ 

HDLN['Can't Regulate Internet' 

TEXT[As someone who uses the internet daily for teaching, I object to the recent 

World-Herald editorial, "Mouthwashing Needed in Cyberspace." The World Wide Web 

contains no user groups. It is not structured that way. Some sexual material ha 

s indeed been available on the web; it is, after all, an enormous agglomeration 

of material written by tens of thousands of individuals. Given the freedom it gi 

ves people to create what they wish and make it available to the entire world, i 

t is surprising only that so little erotica is on the web. The vast preponderanc 

e of web use is not sexually oriented. 

I don't propose to debate whether government should regulate what people ca 

n read, write or display on the net. It has become an irrelevant question. Such 

regulation is simply impossible without intolerable intrusion of government into 

private lives. 

Sen. Jim Exon's bill will not suppress porn on the net. It may, however, se 

verely restrict the James Joyces of the 21st century. 



AUTH[Mary Rita Wagner (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Viewers have right to watch what they want 

TEXT[We are very appreciative of Sen. Jim Exon's input to help with our televisi

on problems here in Scottsbluff. The following are my views on local television, 

and I'm referring to both stations. 

Several years ago we were told we would no longer reccive programming from 

KUSA Channel 9 as well as KMGH Channel 7 from Denver. Supposedly, this was so th 

e local businesses would get advertising time and no longer would the local stat 

ions carry advertising from Denver. In other words, local advertising would keep 

shoppers at home to shop with the local merchants. This sounds good. However, w 

e are now getting, and have gotten for some time, advertising from Rapid City, S 

pearfish and Sioux Falls in South Dakota as well as from Gillette, Newcastle and 

Sheridan, Wyo. Where's the logic in this? These towns are just as far away from 

Scottsbluff as Denver! 

We pay for cable, why can't we watch what the people in Mitchell watch? 

The reception from the local stations leaves us with a lot to be desired. W 

e get wavy lines, poor color, erratic volume control, and not to mention total b 

lackout in programs. When we call about these situations, it's pass-the-buck tim 

e. The cable company will tell you it's the fault of the television station, but 

when we call them, they say it's the fault of the cable company. How can these 

stations and companies get licensing if they are not up to federal guidelines? 

And it was announced in grand fashion that KDUH, Channel 9 in Scottsbluff, 

would be carrying Fox programming on Channel 5. Last fall, the Fox channel was c 

arrying the Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers game. We were pleased, bu 

t only for a short time. We turned on the TV to Channel 5 (Fox), only to find it 

was scrambled. The Viking game was on Channel 9 (ABC). Why scramble the Fox Cha 

nnel? When I called about this, I was put on hold for a lengthy time, and when t 

he young man finally came back to talk to me, I was told, "You don't have any ri 

ghts." 

I stopped him and informed him I do have rights as an American citizen. My 

father, father-in-law, uncles (one of whom was killed in service), my brother, m 

y husband and his brothers all fought for our rights. And I do believe this give 

s us the right to watch what we want in our home. 

As the old saying goes, one can't do it all, so if we in the area want bett 

er television, please do your share. Write and-or call Exon's office, be it loca 

lly or in Washington, D.C. I have! 

Mary Rita Wagner, Scottsbluff 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Chuck Hagel-at the starting gate 

TEXT[It looks like a go for Chuck Hagel. 

The Omaha investment banker says he will announce late next month whether h 

e intends to seek the 1996 Republican nomination for Jim Exon's Senate seat. 

His preliminary assessment of potential financial and 

organizational support is nearly complete. 

And the feedback so far? "Overwhelmingly positive," Hagel says. 

Sitting in his west Omaha office just off Pacific Street, its walls decorat 

ed with pictures of selected American presidents, the 48-year-old Hagel seems po 

ised to jump out of the campaign starting blocks first.

It makes sense. He is the least known of the three most prominently mention 

ed Republican senatorial prospects. 

Don Stenberg, attorney general, twice elected statewide, is almost a cinch 

to enter the race. 

Doug Bereuter, Lincoln congressman, elected nine times in the 1st District, 

seems somewhat more uncertain at this point. 

RATHER THAN shrink from the prospect of facing one or both of those two wel 

l-known, successful GOP officeholders, Hagel welcomes a contested primary. It's 

his ticket to name recognition. 

"I need a good, strong, hard-hitting primary," he says. 

If you're a political newcomer and you're getting ready to challenge an inc 

umbent senator, you need to attract attention, develop a presence and create a w 

inning image prior to the general election campaign, Hagel says. 

Although he didn't say it, the corollary to that is that if you can't beat 

a Stenberg or a Bereuter in May, you probably won't be able to beat an Exon in N 

ovember anyway. 

Hagel emerges on the statewide political landscape bearing an intriguing re 

sume. 

Decorated, twice-wounded infantry sergeant in Vietnam. 

Aide to former Congressman John McCollister. 

Deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration in the 

Reagan administration. 

President and CEO of USO. 

President of McCarthy and Co., an Omaha investment banking firm, since 1992 

. 

IF HE ENTERS the GOP Senate race, "I will be the underdog," Hagel acknowled 

ges. "But I don't mind that. 

"I believe I can present to Republicans a new voice, a new vision, new lead 

ership." 

Lacking name recognition, he says, he would be prepared to travel "into eve 

ry county, every corner of the state" a year in advance of the 1996 campaign. 

Hagel identifies himself as a conservative. 

While he says he supports "every element" of the House Republican "Contract 

with America," he believes some of its provisions must wait. 

"I think the contract is a good compass. . . but I do not believe it can al 

l be accomplished in one Congress." 

Hagel believes tax cuts should wait. 

"Taxes should be cut, but we need to get spending under control first." 

Across-the-board spending reductions "may be a good starting point," he say 

s. 

Hagel also supports downsizing the federal government, abolishing departmen 

ts and programs, consolidating agencies. 

"Government is not bad," he says, "but in the last 40 years we've asked gov 

ernment to do too much, some of which it is not equipped to do. 

"Welfare is a good example. We've spawned two generations of hopelessness w 

ith the shape of our welfare programs." 

OK, NOW let's talk about the Omaha political factor. 

Nebraska voters traditionally have reserved one Senate seat for an Omahan a 

nd one for a person who hails from elsewhere in the state. Jim Exon lives in Lin 

coln. Bob Kerrey moved from Lincoln to Omaha prior to seeking and winning his Se 

nate seat.

The Omaha factor is complicated in 1996 by the fact that Gov. Ben Nelson is 

an Omahan too. 

Would Nebraskans be comfortable with the idea of having all three of the st 

ate's premier political offices held by Omahans? 

"I live in Omaha, but I'm a Nebraskan. I'd be a U.S. senator for all the st 

ate," Hagel says. 

"I've lived in 11 towns in this state. I spent my first 20 years in (wester 

n and central Nebraska's) 3rd District. My values, my character were shaped ther 

e." 

The crux of his campaign message would be: "Let's get back to focusing on p 

ersonal responsibility," Hagel says. 

That's something the guys on his office walls might agree with, he suggests 

. 

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ike. 



AUTH[Jack Anderson and Michael Binstein 

SOUR[Rock Springs (Wy.) Daily Rocket Miner 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Gramm's S&L Vision Earned Respect 

TEXT[WASHINGTON - Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, the presidential candidate who says 

he was "conservative before conservative was cool," may have another boast: Crac 

king down on insolvent savings and loans before it was popular. 

So says Edwin J. Gray, who for four years served as chief regulator of the 

saving and loan industry. Gray penned a recent note to Gramm endorsing him for p 

resident because he was "one of the very few in Congress who sought to help me i 

n my efforts to go after S&L crooks and protect the taxpayers from loss. Indeed, 

no other senator made the kind of genuine, personal effort you did to help me.. 

. prevent the gutting of legislation intended to strengthen financial safety and 

soundness." 

As the 1996 campaign gears up a year before the first primaries, Gramm and 

other GOP candidates are jockeying for endorsements and an early edge. Senate Ma 

jority Leader Robert Dole, R-Kan.,took out a full-page advertisement in a New Ha 

mpshire newspaper touting 20,000 supporters within The Granite State. Gray says 

his endorsement of Gramm, who he only met in 1987 and has not spoken to since, w 

as unsolicited, and undertaken because the Texan impressed him with his intellig 

ence and independence. 

Gray's endorsement may not win Gramm many votes - especially in New Hampshi 

re - but it is interesting and may prove helpful for a variety ot other factors. 

While Gramm is one of the biggest regulatory-bashers in Washington, this is an 

instance where Gramm sided with bureaucrats over big business. 

A glowing review from Gray - who has won numerous purple hearts for his pol 

itical courage in taking on Democrats, Republicans and corrupt industry official 

s - also helps Gramm deflect suggestions that he may have acted improperly in a 

1988 case involving Texas builder and thrift executive Jerry Stiles. Gramm's con 

tract dispute with Stiles over the cost of improvements on the senator's Marylan 

d vacation home led to an inquiry by the Senate Ethics Committee, which found th 

at Gramm had not acted improperly. 

Back then, Gramm was being harangued on a daily basis from Texas thrift ope

ators. He regularly visited with groups of S&L executives, listening to their c 

onspiracy theory which held that Gray and his posse "were out to get Texas." Aft 

er meeting with Gray and seeking his perspective, however, Gramm became one of t 

he first lawmakers to be convinced that the federal government had to act if a m 

assive taxpayer bailout of the industry was to be avoided. 

Gramm antagonized industry officials by offering an amendment to legislatio 

n that would have assessed thrifts $15 billion so that weak institutions, which 

were running up large debts, could be shut down. Gray also hails Gramm as the on 

ly senator willing to fight to strip so-called "forbearance" provisions - essent 

ially accounting gimmicks designed to handcuff regulators and to prop up insolve 

nt thrifts - from legislation moving through Congress in 1987. 

Congress finally passed legislation in 1987 that was too little, too late, 

and contained much of the "forbearance" language that helped aggravate what soon 

turned into a $150 billion taxpayer bailout. However, it was the fight, not the 

final result, that most impressed Gray about Gramm. 

"It would have been particularly easy for you at that critical time... to i 

gnore my pleas for help," Gray wrote. "Unlike (former House Speaker) Jim Wright, 

and yes many others in Congress, you listened to us as regulators." 

LOOSE LIPS - White House senior advisor Harold Ickes found himself pillorie 

d recently at an off-the-record retreat for incumbent senators and their staffs. 

Ickes was representing the White House at the retreat, conducted by the Dem 

ocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to help Democratic senators gear up for re 

election. The event was held the same day that the details of President Clinton' 

s budget had leaked to the media - and before any senators had a chance to see i 

t. This left Ickes to take the heat from several lawmakers about a White House t 

hat can't keep a secret. 

"(Sen. Carl) Levin, D-Mich., was the most vocal about it," one attendee sai 

d. "He said it was a sieve over there at the White House and talked about other 

items that had leaked out." Sens. Howell Heflin, D-Ala., and James Exon, D-Neb., 

were also among those confronting Ickes. 

Said another attendee: "Harold was commiserating with them... saying that t 

he White House has got to do something about this. Harold was agreeing with ever 

ything they said." 




SOUR[Overton Beacon-Observer 

BK#[ 

HDLN[EC Village Board Pursuing Overpass Project 

TEXT[Elm Creek Village Board members Thursday night endorsed an effort by the El 

m Creek Chamber of Commerce to proceed with plans to seek an overpass on U.S. 18 

3-U.S. 30 intersection on the west edge of the community. 

"We're definitely interested in it," Village Board Chairman Bob Kugler told 

the dozen citizens attending the monthly board meeting. 

As a result of some contacts in the last week, Kugler announced that repres 

entatives of the UPRR and the State Highway Dept. will meet with the board at th 

e next regular meeting on February 16. 

Kugler said representatives told him that the necessary state and federal f

unds may be available for such a project. 

"The railroad bought the right of way 30 years ago for the possible overpas 

s," Paul Casper said. 

Buffalo County Sheriffs officials reported that in the last 12 years there 

have 12 accidents at the intersection. 

"There were no fatalities from 1983-94, but there were two personal injury 

accidents and 10 reportable property damage accidents," Capt. Bob Anderson said. 

Anderson told the board that his office is contacting the state department 

for records of accidents at the intersection prior to 1983. 

Those attending the meeting recalled at least 4 to 6 deaths prior to 1983. 

Deputy Sheriff Duane Bond said the response time for fire and rescue person 

nel would obviously be improved by such an overpass. 

Floyd Waller reported that he had been in contact with the State Highway De 

pt. as early as 1989 about a possible overpass. 

"We had some correspondence with the Highway Engineer at that time and he t 

old me that this intersection met all the criteria for an overpass..I think the 

lack of funds at that time were the reason it wasn't pursued," Waller said. 

"I think a guy needs to keep pursuing this until it is done," Waller said. 

Board member Barb Hellriegel asked Dean Shubert, who led the chamber delega 

tion at the meeting, what the group wanted from the board. 

"We just want you to keep pursuing the possibilities of getting the overpas 

s," Shubert said. 

Jan Hinrichsen suggested that the board also pursue the possibility of a pe 

destrian walkway over the tracks in the downtown area. 

Board members suggested that they may also contact State Senators Jim Cudab 

ack and Ed Schrock as well as Senators J.J. Exon and Bob Kerrey and Congressman 

Bill Barrett about the meeting and the proposal. 

Board members were also confronted about flood control in the Elm Creek are 

a. 

Shubert proposed that the city investigate ways to avoid flood damage in th 

e event of heavy rains north and west of town. 

"We need additional drainage under the highway and railroad tracks," Shuber 

t said. 

"We're just buying time until the inevitable hits us," Shubert told the boa 

rd. 

"There were 60-80 acres of water backed up northwest of town last summer, t 

hanks to log jam on Turkey Creek," he said. 

"We could double our sewers and it wouldn't keep the water out," Kugler sai 

d. 

"On Church Street, the water from Joe Burkey's corner drains north..and whe 

n the water comes up on Turkey Creek, we get the water downtown," Kugler said. 

Kugler asked for suggestions: 

"1. You need to talk to the NRD about clearing the creeks; and 2. the railr 

oad needs to do something about the culvert or bridge on Elm Creek.. there's ver 

y little clearance when the water is high," Shubert responded. 

"The railroad right of way is acting as a dike or dam, forcing the water in 

to town," he said. 

"This is a very big project you are talking about, much more than the $3000 

(for putting a gate on the storm sewer)," Kugler said. 

City Maintenance Supt. Harlan Simmerman has investigated some of the subjec 

t:

"The NRD told us at one time that they had no money for such a project as c 

learing creeks, but they do tell us they have the money now." 

"The first thing we have to do now is go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer 

s--they have all the authority over these waterways now," Simmerman said. 

"You can't just clean a creek anymore, you need a permit..you may be destro 

ying habitat," he said. 

Simmerman suggested that in order to clear Turkey Creek east of town requir 

ed getting permission from the landowners and get a permit from the Corps of Eng 

ineers..The NRD will wil fill out the paperwork and get it to the right places," 

Simmerman said. 

Shubert also suggested that the city might look at inserting a tube across 

the highway and railroad to carry some of the excess water. 

"All the water is ultimately coming down the east side of Easy Street to th 

e highway," City Engineer Reed Miller said. 

"There's 4 to 5 feet of fall from the north part of town to that point, but 

we've never had an overall plan to take the water out of there," he said. 

State Highway personnel agreed to take a look at the findings of the survey 

regarding the water problems along Easy Street and Highway 30, Simmerman said. 

"We'll do what we can to get this going," Kugler said. 



AUTH[Todd Van Kampen 

SOUR[Star-Herald Pride Edition 

BK#[ 

HDLN[Farm bill key to the heartland economy 

TEXT[TWIN CITIES - They hear about them on their radios. Politicians talk about 

them. They see their fruits whenever they take a summertime trip on county roads 

. 

But when they hear the words "farm programs" or "farm bill," how well do Gr 

eat Plains city dwellers understand them? 

Unless he or she has been in farming, chances are the average Twin Cities r 

esident can't explain a "nonrecourse loan," a "deficiency payment" or the "Conse 

rvation Reserve Program." 

But economic experts and political leaders say the prosperity of Scottsbluf 

f-Gering not to mention the Panhandle, Nebraska and all the Great Plains states 

- may depend on what Congress does with those programs and others next fall. 

That's the deadline to pass the 1995 "farm bill," the latest set of revisio 

ns to federal farm programs that have their roots in President Franklin D. Roose 

velt's New Deal. 

The goals haven't changed much in 60 years. They aim to give farmers a stab 

le income and the nation an adequate food supply, says Roy Frederick, an agricul 

tural economics professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

"At that time, not only farmers but a lot of people were under duress," he 

says. "The feeling was that if we let agriculture collapse in this country, the 

consequences would be dramatic not only for farmers, but for consumers." 

The stakes remain just as high for Great Plains residents, says U.S. Rep. B 

ill Barrett, R-Neb. He gained a key role in this year's farm bill debate when he 

won the chairmanship of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Gener 

al Farm Commodities.

Barrett says federal farm involvement supports an industry that produces $1 

trillion per year - one-fifth of the U.S. gross domestic product - and employs 

21 million people directly or indirectly. Meanwhile, food costs average only $4. 

25 per day for every American. 

"I think there's a lack of education as to what a success story American ag 

riculture is today," he says. "We're still providing the least expensive and the 

safest food production on the planet today." 

But experts and politicians say farm programs could be in peril this year, 

as the new Republican majorities in both houses of Congress try to move toward a 

balanced budget. 

Barrett and U.S. Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., say Nebraska farmers will have to a 

bsorb some budget cuts. But some powerful urban members of Congress have suggest 

ed an end to farm subsidies, including House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas 

, and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind. 

"If that should happen, it could be absolutely devastating if we don't have 

more time to straighten them out," says Exon, the ranking Democrat on the Senat 

e Budget Committee. 

Critics of farm programs will be opposed by such key congressional leaders 

as House Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Senate Majority Lea 

der Bob Dole, R-Kan., and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. 

Barrett says farm-state interests also can turn to former Rep. Dan Glickman 

, D-Kan., President Clinton's nominee for Secretary of Agriculture. "I think it 

gives us some additional strength and power and influence that we need," he says 

. 

"We're going to need it." 

But any cutbacks in farm programs wouldn't affect Scotts Bluff County agric 

ulture as directly as they would in other parts of the state, says Garth Taylor, 

a UNL agricultural economics professor based at the Panhandle Research and Exte 

nsion Center in Scottsbluff. 

The fate of subsidies for sugar beets and corn - two of the county's major 

crops - are at stake. But dry edible beans, cattle and "cover crops" such as alf 

alfa receive no price supports, says Mike Treffer, acting executive director of 

Scotts Bluff County's U.S. Consolidated Farm Service Agency. 

Taylor says many smaller farmers don't take part in farm programs, often be 

cause they can't afford the government's directive to take some acres out of pro 

duction. The largest 10 percent of Nebraska's farmers receive half of the state' 

s farm subsidies, Frederick says. 

"This is what is really goading people" who argue for cuts in farm programs 

, Taylor says. "Farm programs don't really go to farmers. They only go to a few 

farmers." 

But cattle producers' feed prices are affected by federal corn programs, Ta 

ylor says. Cow-calf operations and feedlots account for the majority of the Panh 

andle farm economy's gross sales, according to a paper on Panhandle agriculture 

by Daryl Ellis, a former UNL agricultural economics assistant. 

Even farmers who don't sign up for the corn program benefit from its attemp 

ts to keep prices from falling too low, Taylor says. And Scotts Bluff County's c 

ash crops, including dry beans, are eligible for federal crop insurance against 

natural disasters, Treffer says. 

Sugar price supports have drawn fire in Congress, even though they aren't s 

upposed to cost taxpayers any money. The program forces Americans to pay more fo 

r sugar and products containing sugar, say professors Roger G. Johnson of North

Dakota State University and Albert Ortego of Louisiana State University. 

But the program also brings stability to the economies of sugar-producing a 

reas, the two professors wrote in a paper for the National Public Policy Educati 

on Committee. Irrigated farmland in the western Great Plains, including 80,000 a 

cres in the Panhandle, accounts for 22 percent of U.S. sugar beet production. 

If the federal sugar program were cut back or eliminated, "we'd probably ha 

ve a rough time maintaining the industry here in the face of an open world marke 

t," Taylor says. 

A sudden end to farm programs likely would take a bite out of land values, 

a key measure of a farmer's wealth, Frederick says. The effect probably wouldn't 

be as great in areas where several major crops don't receive subsidies. 

"But when we have commodities where people depend more on farm programs, fa 

rm payments, the question is getting from here to there without there being much 

blood in the streets," he says. 

Farm programs appear more expensive because the U.S. Department of Agricult 

ure's budget includes several welfare-related food programs, Barrett says. 

Programs such as food stamps, school lunches and the Women, Infants and Chi 

ldren nutrition program make up about 62 percent of the USDA's $68 billion 1994- 

95 budget, according to figures from Barrett's office. "Traditional" price suppo 

rts and conservation programs make up 28 percent. 

Barrett says spending on the traditional programs has fallen by $15 billion 

since 1986. But it's tricky to cut subsidies when U.S. competitors in the world 

food market continue to subsidize their farmers, Taylor says. 

"The broader question is we always seem to have these internal debates abou 

t these farm programs," he says. "But we never seem to go to our trading partner 

s - the French, the European Community - and say, 'We'll cut our farm programs i 

f you'll cut your farm programs.'" 

The United States and its trading partners are supposed to move toward lowe 

r price supports and fewer import barriers for farm products under the North Ame 

rican Free Trade Agreement and the Uruguay Round of the General Agreements on Ta 


The impact of the two agreements will be among several issues debated as Co 

ngress begins to craft the farm bill this spring and summer, say experts and pol 

iticians. 

* Congress could reduce the farm programs' tilt toward larger farmers by st 

arting a "means test," say Barrett and Exon. It would cut off subsidies to farms 

above a given income level. 

* Exon says taxpayers could save money if Congress raises the national loan 

rate, which affects the size of deficiency payments on crops such as wheat and 

corn. The Panhandle produces 20 million bushels of wheat and 30 million bushels 

of corn a year, Ellis says. 

Farmers would receive more money for their crops, but less in deficiency pa 

yments, if the market price rose above the loan rate. But that also could make A 

merican crops more expensive in other countries, Exon says. 

* Budget pressures could force cutbacks in the Conservation Reserve Program 

, Barrett and Exon say. But they add that the program's popularity in Congress p 

robably will protect it from being canceled. 

They say the CRP, which idles highly erodible land: puts money in farmers p 

ockets and satisfies environmental groups' demands for more wildlife habitat. El 

lis says farms in Kimball, Banner, Sheridan and Box Butte counties account for t 

wo-thirds of the Panhandle's 386,000 CRP acres. 

* Barrett and Exon say Congress may be less willing to go along with enviro

nmental regulations that do little good and hinder farmers' ability to make mone 

y. 

Barrett says upcoming debates could include a fresh look at the federal def 

inition of a "wetland." Some farmers have complained that federal officials' zea 

l to protect wildlife habitats have kept them from making the best use of their 

land. 

"I think probably with the new (GOP) majority back here, it pretty much gua 

rantees farmers and property owners that they're going to see a more reasoned ap 

proach to these private property issues," he says. 

But Exon says farmers and environmental groups are natural allies in retain 

ing the CRP. "I don't think there is a much better definition of an environmenta 

list than a farmer, because it's his land and his water we're talking about," he 

says. 

The first hearings on the farm bill should begin in April, but the complete 

d bill probably won't reach the floor until October, Barrett says. His subcommit 

tee, which will review programs for every major Panhandle crop except sugar, wil 

l hold at least one hearing in the Midwest. 

But Exon says the tone for the bill will be revealed in the next few weeks, 

when the House and Senate budget committees set 1995-96 spending targets for ea 

ch federal department. 

"People think we have all year to write the farm bill," Exon says. "The far 

m bill's going to be written in the next 30 to 45 days." 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Development District gets $500,000 aid 

TEXT[U.S. Senators Jim Exon and Bob Kerrey have announced that the Northeast Neb 

raska Economic Development District, headquartered in Norfolk, will receive a fe 

deral grant to help new and expanding businesses. 

The $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will be used to est 

ablish a regional revolving loan fund for businesses in 14 area counties. 

"We need to do all we can to help and encourage small business-owners, espe 

cially those just getting started," Exon and Kerrey said. "Many entrepreneurs ca 

nnot get loans from traditional lenders. This fund will help save and create job 

s in Northeast Nebraska." 

Communities in the area have already contributed more than $300,000 in matc 

hing funds to get the revolving loan fund off the ground. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Hobbling the Internet 

TEXT[T[OBSCENITY LAWS that defer to "local community standards" in determining o 

bscenity are running into real complications

on the Internet, where images and text cross state, local and even national boun 

daries at the touch of a button and where, unlike with telephone calls or distri 

bution of pornography through the mail, there is often no "sender" in the tradit 

ional sense. Anyone in cyberspace can rove the world, scan displays or files and 

"download" material to his or her own computer without anyone's help or knowled 

ge. This has already gotten some people into serious trouble, as with the case o 

f two California systems operators who were held liable-and were actually jailed 

-for images downloaded without their knowledge in a southern state where local l 

aws ruled them obscene. Now Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.) has introduced a bill on "i 

ndecency" in electronic communications that could expand those kinds of unpredic 

table liability even further-enough so that not only the Internet's free-speech 

enthusiasts but also businesses looking to expand there are warning that the bil 

l is recklessly overbroad. 

The bill sounds simple: It would amend an existing law aimed at curbing har 

assment, obscenity or threats made by telephone, changing the word "telephone" t 

o "telecommunications devices" and widening criminal liability to anyone who "ma 

kes, transmits, or otherwise makes available any comment, request, suggestion, p 

roposal, image or other communication" that is found "obscene, lewd, lascivious, 

filthy or indecent"-even privately exchanged messages between adults. Opponents 

complain this would cripple the Internet, and in particular commercial e-mail o 

r access networks that sell accounts to customers, by forcing them to monitor an 

d if necessary block every individual message sent or received (since any could 

lead to images' being downloaded anywhere, by anyone). Universities could be sim 

ilarly liable, adding another layer to what's already a vexed issue at many scho 

ols that must decide whether to curb student access to pornographic "bulletin bo 

ards." The labor costs of such monitoring could drive up the cost of maintaining 

a system and slow the explosive growth rate. 

The language of Sen. Exon's bill appears to make only minor changes to the 

laws on telephone harassment and indecency, adding, for instance, the phrase "or 

utilizing a telecommunications device" to references to using a telephone to ma 

ke or transmit an obscene, indecent or harassing communication. Groups such as t 

he Electronic Frontier Foundation that seek to keep the Internet in the state of 

near-complete freedom that has sparked and continues to spark such amazing tech 

nical and commercial innovation have rightly pointed to the problems brought up 

by using the word "transmit," which means something vastly broader for computer 

networks than for phone companies. It's just one example of the danger of pushin 

g through a law based on a careless analogy from one technology to another, and 

choking off a robustly growing communications enterprise in pursuit of an ideal 

of "decency" that is adults' own business. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Stoney considers run against Sen. Kerrey 

TEXT[OMAHA (AP) - Less than four months after losing a bid to unseat Sen. Bob Ke 

rrey, D-Neb., Republican Jan Stoney is considering a run at the state's senior s 

enator. 

Stoney said she thought Sen. Jim Exon, D-Neb., who is expected to seek his

fourth six-year term, could be beaten. 

"Every incumbent is vulnerable" to a challenger with a strong organization 

and financial resources, Stoney said Saturday. She declined to name a date when 

she would make an official decision. 

"A lot of people do run in back-to-back elections," Stoney said. "I didn't 

enter the last race until November 1993. I needed more time (to be victorious). 

I won't wait that long this time." 

Stoney commented after the Nebraska Republican Party's 161-member Central C 

ommittee elected former Douglas County GOP chairman Chuck Sigerson of Omaha as c 

hairman of the party. 

Sigerson defeated former Lancaster County GOP Chairman Alan Jacobsen of Lin 

coln. 

Sigerson, 49, a former assistant party chairman, replaced Dr. Jerry Schenke 

n of Omaha, who didn't seek re-election. 

"We need to do a self-diagnosis of the party," Sigerson said. "There's no q 

uestion what direction we'll go: it will be strongly conservative. We'll be part 

of the national changes." 

Sigerson said he expected at most two or three Republicans to battle for th 

e chance to challenge Exon, including state Attorney General Don Stenberg. 

"A race like that is time-consuming and very expensive," Sigerson said. "My 

job is to keep peace in the family. The goal is that whichever candidate wins t 

he primary, he'll have 100 percent backing (from the others)." 

The committee also re-elected Bob Caldwell, 24, of Kearney as party treasur 

er. Mike Tefft of Lincoln was elected GOP chairman of the 1st Congressional Dist 

rict, Pat Mcpherson of Omaha for the 2nd District and Kevin Fry of Ewing for the 

3rd District. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Nebraska, Iowa Congressmen Back Deduction 


to pass a bill that would restore a tax deduction that helps self-employed peopl 

e pay for their health insurance. 

"Small changes like these are what our health-care system really needs," sa 

id Rep. Bill Barrett, R-Neb. 

The measure passed 38l-44. It would make permanent the 25 percent tax deduc 

tion for health insurance premiums paid by self-employed people, includin farmer 

s and ranchers. Businesses already can deduct 100 percent of their health insura 

nce costs. 

The tax deduction expired at the end of 1993. Swift passage of the popular 

legislation, which is retroactive to that point, is needed to allow taxpayers to 

claim the deduction this year when they file their 1994 tax forms. "The clock i 

s ticking, and we can't afford to wait much longer," Barrett said. 

But the measure could be stalled in the Senate over a potentially controver 

sial portion of the bill. In order to offset the cost of the deduction, the legi 

slation would end a tax provision that benefits companies that sell broadcast st 

ations to minorities.

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said last week that Senate Finance Committee leade 

rs were trying to fund alternative ways to pay for the health insurance deductio 

n so that the bill does not get bogged down in a dispute over federal affirmativ 

e action polices. 

Besides Barret, House supporters of the bill included: Doug Bereuter, R-Neb 

.; Jon Christensen, R-Neb.; Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-lowa; Greg Ganske, R-Iowa; Tom 

Latham, R-Iowa. 

Senate Votes 

Wartime Exemption 

Killed, 55-41, an amendment offered by Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.,to the pro 

posed constitutional amendment that would require a balanced budget by 2002. The 

Byrd amendment would have expanded the ability of Congress to waive the balance 

d budget requirements allowing such an exception when there is an "imminent thre 

at of war." The balanced budget amendment already included an exception after wa 

r has been declared. 

To kill the amendment: Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 

Against: J.J. Exon, D-Neb.; Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. 

Veterans Benefits 

Killed, 62-33 an amendment offered by John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., 

that would have protected veterans programs from cuts under the balanced budget 

amendment. 

To kill the amendment: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley, Harkin. 

Child Hunger Relief 

Killed, 60-35, a motion offered by Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., that urged 

Congress to spare child hunger relief programs from spending cuts to balance th 

e budget. 

To kill the motion: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 


Student Aid 

Killed, 60-35, a motion offered by Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., that urged 

Congress to spare student aid programs from spending cuts to balance the budget 

. 

To kill the motion: Exon, Kerrey, Grassley. 






BK#[ 

HDLN[Harkin Says Columnist Was in Error 

TEXT[Washington - Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said he was not pleased with a column 

published last week in The Wall Street Journal on the day he announced his supp 

ort for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. 

"Al Hunt (the columnist) has got it all wrong," Harkin said. "I'm doing wha 

t I feel in my gut is right." 

Hunt, the Journal's Washington bureau chief, wrote Thursday that Harkin rec 

ommended at a private meeting with foes of the amendment that they "focus on def 

eating it in the states," where 38 legislatures will have to ratify it. 

"This is the guy who in the 1992 presidential contest depicted himself as a 

Harry Truman tell-it-like-it-is Democrat," Hunt said. "Imagine Harry Truman's c

ontempt for such a cop-out." 

Hunt also targeted Joe Biden, D-Del., another former opponent of the balanc 

ed budget amendment and who, like Harkin, is up for re-election. 

Harkin denied that he encouraged foes of the amendment to try to defeat the 

amendment in the states. 

He said he told them there was no way to preserve current trends in federal 

spending "without taking money from one pocket and putting it into another pock 

et." 

Harkin, who is up for re-election next year, said Hunt failed to mention th 

at by endorsing the amendment, Harkin was going against the wishes of President 

Ciinton, Senate leaders, labor unions and others who have been Harkin's stronges 

t supporters. 

"The easy thing for me to do is what all my friends wanted me to do, a 

nd that's vote against it," Harkin said. 

Harkin previously has opposed the balanced budget amendment, Hunt 

pointed out in his column. 

He said his decision to support the amendment was based on what h 

e believed to be "right for Iowa, right, for our country and right for our futur 

e." 

The Senate is to vote on the amendment Tuesday. It needs a two-th 

irds majority, or 67 votes, to pass. The House already has approved it. 

In announcing his support, Harkin joined two longtime supporters 

of the amendment, Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, bot 

h members of the Senate Budget Committee. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., has been steadfast in opposition to the 

amendment. He said it would not control annual deficits that have accumulated in 

to a national debt of nearly $5 trillion, requiring interest payments approachin 

g $3OO billion a year. 

"The only mechanism our country has for enforcing the Constitutio 

n is the courts," Kerrey said. If the amendment is enacted, he said, there could 

be "protracted court battles which would give an unelected judiciary unwarrante 

d control over budget policy." 

Exon, top-ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee, said he is co 

nvinced Congress does not have the courage to balance the budget without the pow 

er of a constitutional amendment. 

"This will certainly be the most important vote I have ever cast 

in dealing with our nation's fiscal policy," said Exon, who has been in the Sena 

te since 1979. 

Grassley said that if the Senate approves the amendment, it will 

be the first time in more than two decades that Congress "has put the next gener 

ation ahead of the next election on a fiscal vote." 

Grassley said his reasons for supporting the amendment were both economic a 

nd moral. "By living high on the hog we force future generations to pay for our 

excessive spending," he said. 

In a Seate speech Friday, Grassley said the demand for a balanced budget was t 

he main message of the November election in which voters replaced Democratic maj 

orities in Congress with Republicans. 

" Americans are learning that they can live with the reductions in the grow 

th of federal spending that will be necessary," Grassley said. 

Meanwhile, the Clinton adnnnistration launched a campaign to persuade undec 

ided or wavering senators to vote against the amendment.

"Simply put, a balanced budget amendment could cause significant harm to th 

e economy," the Treasury Department said Friday in a state-by-state analysis. 

The analysis concluded that the 1990-92 recession would have been more pain 

ful in each state if a balanced-budget amendment had been in effect. 

Without $87 billion spent by the federal government in this period, unemplo 

yment would have been more than 9 percent instead of the 7.7 percent peak reache 

d in June 1992, the Treasury Department said. 

For Nebraska, where unemployment peaked at 3.1 percent in 1992, the rate wo 

uld have been as high as 3.8 percent, according to the analysis. For Iowa, the a 

nalysis said unemployment would have been 5.2 percent with a balanced-budget ame 

ndment instead of 4.7 percent in 1992. 

"A balanced budget amendment would force the government to raise taxes and 

cut spending in recessions at just the moment when raising taxes and cutting spe 

nding will do the most harm to the economy and aggravate the recession," the Tre 

asury Department said. 



AUTH[Jane Bryant Quinn 

SOUR[Vancouver Columbian 

BK#[ 

HDLN[There's a tough law on budget 

TEXT[Ironically, as the balanced budget amendment moves ahead in 

Congress, both parties are trying to wiggle around the tough budget law already 

on the books. They believe that Americans-for all their complaints about governm 

ent spending-are not ready to accept cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security 

and other popular entitlement programs. 

You'd see the same wiggling under a constitutional amendment. 

Congress represents the people and will do our bidding, no matter 

what. 

Most voters don't know about the Budget Enforcement Act, passed in 1990 and 

extended in 1993. It has been a splendid restraint on spending, thanks to two t 

ough budget rules: 

(1) Tax cuts are not permitted to add to the federal deficit over the follo 

wing five years. If Congress cuts taxes, it's required to replace the revenue lo 

ss by raising other taxes or lowering spending on entitlements. Any increases in 

entitlement spending must be financed the same way. 

An entitlement is a benefit you receive because of your circumstances. The 

only way to lower spending on these programs is to change the definition of who 

qualifies. The major entitlements are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veter 

ans benefits, federal pensions, agricultural price supports and certain welfare 

programs such as food stamps, aid to dependent children and Supplemental Securit 

y Income for the low income elderly. 

(2) Discretionary spending, which covers everything else the government doe 

s, is virtually under a spending freeze. These tight ceilings were first imposed 

under President Bush, for fiscal years 1991 and 1992, then extended under Presi 

dent Clinton through 1998. 

Discretionary money is appropriated by the Congress every year and can be c 

ut (or raised) as the lawmakers see fit. Recipients aren't entitled to a certain 

level of payments. A few examples of discretionary spending are federal salarie

s, defense, student aid, federal courts and highway grants to states. 

The budget Clinton sent to Congress this month does not obey a plain readin 

g of the Budget Enforcement Act. 

The president proposed several middle-income tax cuts, along with spending 

cuts to pay for them. But most of the spending cuts come from the discretionary 

side of the budget. He is not paying for his tax cuts by raising taxes or reduci 

ng entitlements, as the law requires. 

The Republicans haven't submitted their version of the budget yet. But many 

Republicans also want to pay for tax cuts with discretionary spending, to avoid 

a battle over popular entitlements prior to the 1996 presidential election. 

It may seem immaterial whether spending cuts come from the entitlement or d 

iscretionary side of the budget. But it's not. Here's why: 

A cut in taxes reduces government revenues, automatically, every year. If t 

hat tax cut is truly to be paid for, it must be matched with a guaranteed annual 

increase in government receipts. Cutting entitlements would do it. 

If a tax cut is paid for with discretionary spending, there's no guarantee 

that that lower level of spending will last. All you get is a politician's promi 

se. Next year, or the year after, discretionary spending might rise which means 

that the tax cut wouldn't be paid for after all. 

Can the president and Congress get away with pretending that the Budget Enf 

orcement Act doesn't exist? That depends on whether anyone will defend it. 

The president, through the Office of Management and Budget, is promoting a 

tortured reading of the law that says it's OK to cut taxes without cutting entit 

lements. On the Republican side, Richard May, staff director for House Budget Co 

mmittee Chairman Rep. John Kasich (R-Ohio believes that spending cuts of any typ 

e "can be locked in and should count as having to offset tax cuts." 

That's the politically popular route. 

The Senate, however, is talking tough. 

Both Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and James Exon (D-Neb.), ranking majority 

and minority members of the Senate Budget Committee, are standing by the curren 

t budget-control law. 

Congress could change the law, of course- a course that both Kasich and the 

administration would favor. 

In any event, "we are going to have to deal with entitlements if we are goi 

ng to balance the budget by 2002," May says. 

But the wiggling suggests how readily Washington might find a way around a 

balanced budget amendment. 



AUTH[Rick Ruggles 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Omaha's Sigerson Takes Helm of Nebraska GOP 

TEXT[Chuck Sigerson of Omaha won the chairmanship of the Nebraska Republican Par 

ty on Saturday and promptly predicted that the GOP would defeat U.S. Sen. J.J. E 

xon in 1996. 

Sigerson promised delegates at the party's central committee meeting in Oma 

ha that he would serve as an aggressive spokesman. Ater defeating Alan Jacobsen 

of Lincoln for a two-year term by a vote of 84-69, Sigerson wasted little time i

n taking the offensive. 

"I believe Jim Exon is going to be defeated in 1996 regardless of which of 

our candidates emerges from the primary," he said in an interview. 

He also said he would strive to make sure that U.S. Rep. Jon Christensen, w 

ho defeated Democratic incumbent Peter Hoagland last fall, receives credit for h 

is efforts in Congress. 

Just as the party chairman should work to defeat incumbent Democrats, he sa 

id, the chairman must seek "to defend elected Republicans." 

Sigerson, 49, said that serving as chairman during a time when Republicans 

control Congress was the pinnacle of his party efforts. 

"I'm just ecstatic," said Sigerson, who will replace Dr. Jerry Schenken of 

Omaha. The chairman functions primarily as a spokesman and fund-raiser. 

Pat Higgins, who handles public relations for the Nebraska Republican 

Party, estimated that 230 people sat under the pale light of three chandeliers i 

n Crown Hall in northwest Omaha. 

When Sigerson stepped up to give his speech, he was escorted by about 

25 students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other colleges. The stud 

ents, led by Sigerson's son, Andrew, a law student at UNL, clapped and yelled as 

they walked with the new chairman and his wife, Liz, toward the rostrum. 

Speakers stood before a background wallpapered with 45 Sigerson, Jacob 

sen and Bob Caldwell posters. Caldwell, Andrew Sigerson's roommate, ran unoopose 

d and was re-elected state party treasurer. 

One sign said, "Huskers for Sigerson." 

In his speech before the vote, Sigerson, former Douglas County GOP chairman 

, said the Democrats "have misled the people of this state continually about the 

ir policies and their motives." 

"The Ben Nelsons, Bob Kerreys and Jim Exons of the world can get something 

straight right now," he said. "There is a new sheriff in town, and its name is t 

he Nebraska Republican Party." 

Sigerson said later that Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg and Omaha i 

nvestment banker Chuck Hagel are expected to be among those running in the Repub 

lican Senate primary. 

Jan Stoney, who was defeated by Kerrey in the U.S. Senate race last fall, s 

aid she was thinking about running against Exon. She said some people also had e 

ncouraged her to consider running for governor in 1998. 

Jacobsen, 41, former Lancaster County GOP chairman, said in his speech that 

Nebraska's Republican candidates could struggle "if we continue to fight and bi 

cker and hold grudges among each other." 

His speech included quotations from Abraham Lincoln and Newt Gingrich, spea 

ker of the U.S. House. 

"I tried. I wanted to win," Jacobsen said after the vote. "I sent a lot of 

mailings out, traveled, called. So it is a disappointment." 

Jacobsen, who received a standing ovation during Sigerson's victory speech, 

said Sigerson would serve as a strong spokesman for the party. 

"I hope we will do what I said in the speech, and that is not just bash Dem 

ocrats," Jacobsen said. 

District chairmen elected Saturday were Mike Tefft of Lincoln in the 1st Di 

strict, Pat McPherson of Omaha in the 2nd District and Kevin Fry of Ewing in the 

3rd District.





BK#[ 

HDLN[Budget game: Going by the gut 

TEXT[NEXT door in Iowa, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin has bellied up on the balance 

d budget amendment. He's going to support the amendment when it comes up for a v 

ote in the Senate on Tuesday. Harkin made that decision after a lot of agonizing 

. In the end, he said, he went with his gut feeling. 

When a whole lot of voters are going with their gut feelings, that's a pret 

ty safe thing for a Democratic senator to be doing. But it's not the courageous 

thing to be doing. 

Harkin has signed up for the feel-good, do-nothing school of public policy. 

He and others who support the balanced budget amendment are indulging voters wh 

ose line of thinking on this issue is about like those who are all for physical 

fitness but wouldn't walk up a flight of stairs or let their back-sides touch an 

exercise bike. 

During the final hours before the Senate vote, wavering Democrats reportedl 

y are weighing the political consequences. Should they do the right thing, vote 

against putting gimcrackery in the U.S. Constitution and thereby give the Republ 

icans an issue to abuse them with in the next election? Thus are monumental deci 

sions made. 

Here in Nebraska, there's no suspense about how our two Democratic senators 

will vote. Sen. Jim Exon long has been on record favoring a balanced budget ame 

ndment and Sen. Bob Kerrey has had the fortitude to resist this popular yet misg 

uided notion. 

Exon says the amendment is the nation's last hope to "break the cycle of ru 

naway federal spending." That's true only if members of Congress make it true. T 

hat's false if members of Congress are willing to alienate their constituents by 

instilling the very budget discipline that so many of their constituents say th 

ey want. 

At least Exon is honest about the harsh reality that goes along with a bala 

nced budget amendment, and the distorted picture most people have about federal 

spending. Too many think the budget can be balanced by clamping down on a few we 

lfare queens and cutting wastefraudandabuse. That won't cut it, and Exon is blun 

t enough to say so. 

But on this issue, the Journal prefers Kerrey's approach: He not only talks 

about harsh realities but is willing to take the heat of voting against the bal 

anced budget amendment. He's right that Congress instead must focus on getting t 

he core of the budget problem - entitlement programs - under control. 



AUTH[Jack Anderson and Michael Binstein 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Directins for the Low Road in '96

TEXT[Democratic senators and their staffs were meeting recently at the Airlie re 

sort in rural Virginia to plan for the 1996 campaign 

when an unusual thing happened. As pollsters and campaign consultants took to th 

e floor to advise incumbent lawmakers to "go negative" in their upcoming campaig 

ns, one of the most soft-spoken Senate Democrats stood up in dissent. 

Sen. Claiborne Pell (R.I.) told the audience that in six statewide campaign 

s for office, he has never once run a negative ad. In most cases, he never even 

mentioned his opponent, and he doubts he will do it any differently next year. 

Unfortunately, the patrician Pell and others like him have become an a 

nomaly in recent years. Judging by some of the rhetoric at the recent incumbent 

"retreat," Democrats have learned the message of the last election cycle, and it 

doesn't bode well for 1996: While President Clinton rails against the "politics 

of personal destruction," Democrats in Congress are gearing up for a blitzkrieg 

in 1996. Some staff members in attendance said they think that's only par for t 

he course. 

"Consultants are always...telling people that they have to go negative 

," one Senate aide told us. "At one point, [the consultants] started showing fig 

ures, looking at focus groups. The only time the focus groups responded was when 

candidates started using negative ads." 

Even those who generally opt for the high road are prepared for the wo 

rst. Sen. J. James Exon, (D-Neb.), who won his last race by nearly 20 points, un 

derstands the power of negative ads. "I've never gone negative in my entire care 

er," Exon explained to the audience, according to a source present. "But I'll te 

can. I didn't have to use them, but I had them in case." 

The 1994 election cycle set records for advertising in an off-year ele 

ction. Candidates spent more than $400 million on advertising last year, with mo 

st of it used by candidates to smear their opponents. That's up from a record $3 

00 million in 1992, when the presidential race alone chalked up $74 million in a 

dvertising costs. Last year, all of the money went to local and regional campaig 

ns. 

Some consultants argue that negative ads aren't necessarily bad. "Nine 

times out of 10, the information in a campaign is about issues," said one consu 

ltant who spoke at the retreat. "Negative campaigning doesn't mean dirty campaig 

ning. It doesn't have to be personal." 

Other consultants argued that this crop of candidates is better prepared fo 

r battle than those who ran in 1994. Many of them were first elected in 1978, wh 

en President Jimmy Carter was beginning to plummet in the polls. Six years later 

, they survived in a year when Ronald Reagan carried 49 states in the general el 

ection. They were then reelected in 1990, just before George Bush enjoyed his hi 

ghest approval ratings. 

As Democrats reviewed the results of the November elections, they paid quie 

t homage to the competition. Included in an information packet distributed to se 

nators and staff was a 1990 memo from GOPAC, the political action connnittee dir 

ected by Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), now House speaker. In the memo, titled "Lan 

guage: A key mechanism of control," Gingrich issued a laundry list of words that 

Republican candidates should use to describe the opposition. Among them: intole 

rant, destructive, corrupt, traitors, bizarre, cynicism. 

The Gingrich memo might also be a sneak preview of 1996. 

The president who says he didn't inhale wants to make sure his daughter doe 

sn't either. 

National drug control policy director Lee P. Brown, who has had his st 

aff cut and who has endured criticism from conservatives on Capitol Hill, told u

s recently that he and the president understand each other when it comes to keep 

ing youngsters away from drugs. According to Brown, who believes that drug preve 

ntion and treatment must take their rightful place alongside law enforcement, th 

e president is practicing what he preaches. 

"I know what he tells his daughter," Brown said in a recent interview. "We 

spent 45 minutes once talking about the whole issue of our youth using more drug 

s. He sits down with his daughter and tells her the facts...He pointed out that 

she is interested in science, so he has taken the opportunity to capitalize on h 

er interests and talk about the fact that marijuana, for example, contains some 

of the same toxic particles as tobacco, and sometimes even higher in concentrati 

on." 



AUTH[John Schwartz 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Sexually Explicit Story Sparks Debate Over On-Line Rights 

TEXT[It's hard to feel sorry for Jake Baker. 

He was a student at the University of Michigan, but then he was kicked out 

after posting a sadistic story to an on-line discussion "newsgroup" devoted to s 

exual fantasies. The brutal rape scenario involved duct tape, a curling iron and 

high-octane immolation. Even Baker noted in a disclaimer that "the following co 

ntains lots of sick stuff." 

In one of the sickest turns, Baker gave the victim the name of a female cla 

ssmate. And that's where he got into trouble. School officials suspended him, de 

claring that he had gone beyond fantasizing and into the realm of threats-though 

he had, by all accounts, never talked with her. She didn't know of the story's 

existence until a Michigan alumnus in Moscow was reading the newsgroup and compl 

ained to the school about it. 

Baker was then arrested under a federal statute prohibiting interstate tran 

smission of threats. A local magistrate took the highly unusual step of ordering 

Baker, a young linguistics major who had never been arrested before, held witho 

ut bail. "They don't understand that it's all fictional," said Baker's attorney, 

David Cahill. 

It's unclear whether Baker would actually have tried to act out any of his 

fevered imaginings, which I found hard to read without gagging. In a swaggering 

e-mail letter that his attorney confirms was found on his computer, he wrote: "J 

ust thinking about it anymore doesn't do the trick. I need to do it." 

But Cahill said Baker told others that he would never do such things in rea 

l life. At the end of his story, he had written, "The more you talk about it, th 

e more you think about it, the farther from it you go." Cahill charactertzed Bak 

er's filth as "blowing off youthful steam... 

There's a subculture of seeing who can be the most gross on the Internet, and Ja 

ke was a part of it." 

The case has set off no small debate in the network community. Some people 

agree with Michigan legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon and her intellectual disci 

ples, who believe that pornography in whatever form constitutes violence against 

women. Others, including the American Civil Liberties Union, saw the arrest as 

an overreaction that raises the Orwellian specter of "thought crime."

One participant in the many newsgroup discussions of the case, Dave Turner, 

wrote that "I think that maybe this world would be safer if he were locked up. 

But...if you want to lock him up, do so in a way that doesn't destroy the rights 

of everybody else." 

Another on-line denizen, Jim Bearden, supported the arrest. He argued that 

"I won't be as fast to get worked up about some alleged grave injustice in the c 

ase of a guy like this." 

Jeanne DeVoto responded on-line: "The idea that there may be someone out th 

ere capable of imagining torture and murder frightens me much less than the idea 

that imagining such things has become a criminal offense." 

In an attempt to stamp out digital works such as Baker's, Sen. James Exon ( 

D-Neb.) has introduced the Communication Decency Act of 1995. The bill wouldn't 

just penalize creators of sexual explicit stories. It could make all telecommuni 

cations providers, phone companies induded, liable for whatever offending messag 

es cross their networks. Companies would be put in the position of monitoring an 

d censoring their networks, or face penalties totaling tens of thousands of doll 

ars or even jail time. 


strict," Exon said when he introduced the bill. 

Not surprisingly, the bill has engendered some opponents, and they aren't a 

ll starry-eyed civil libertarians. 

Stewart Baker, former general counsel at the National Security Agency and n 

ow an attorney with Steptoe & Johnson, told me last week that "it's hard to beli 

eve that the on-line services can accept that responsibility and survive as serv 

ices that people will want to use. There's no doubt there's a problem here-but I 

don't think the Exon bill is the way to address it." 

Brad Templeton, who publishes an on-line news service through ClariNet Comm 

unications Corp., believes that the Exon bill would leave electronic communicati 

ons with narrower rights than paper publishers: "This law strongly declares that 

the computerized press aren't real press." 

Templeton, like many people on-line, looks at the Jake Bakers of the world 

and compares them to the Jim Exons-and sees the greater threat to the net sittin 

g in Washington. 

And now, a correction: In my last column, I misattributed comments that online 

rudeness will fade through social ostracism. They were in fact made by Muat 

az Al-Barwani, a member of an on-line class for Brown University alumni. My apol 

ogies. 



AUTH[Deborah Page (editorial) 


BK#[ 

HDLN[Keep it secure 

TEXT[I read the article in the Feb. 22 Star that our Honorable Sen. J. James Exo 

n wants to whittle Social Security anywhere from 13 to 18 percent. That's ridicu 

lous. I would lose a minimum of $78 out of my check. 

Many Social Security recipients would go from independence to welfare - wou 

ld that save any money? Also, some would have to go into HUD Section 8 housing -

more degradation and federal money shift. 

I was appalled when my aunt and uncle said they did not apply for or receiv 

e Social Security of Medicare. They are 69 and 68, respectively. They both get v 

ery sizable private pensions and have excellent private health insurance through 

their colleges where they were professors. I think new regulations are needed. 

Anyone who retires with $50,000 annual pension and can keep or afford to buy 

private health insurance does not need Social Security and/or 

Medicare! 

I'm still waiting for health reform, especially outlawing pre-existing cond 

itions in private health insurance. 

Let's try other things first: no benefits for felons in prisons; cut childr 

en not meeting medical and financial requirements; boot the alcoholics and drug 

addicts off (after they get into treatment, limit of six months to get into trea 

tment and rehabilitation); and not giving Social Security to those who don't nee 

d it. 

Then the rest of us can have our Social Security (with security) and contin 

ue SSI COLAs. 

When I received my Social Security I had a booklet saying the money wa 

s for shelter, food, clothing and hobbies. I have thus utilized my Social Securi 

ty for those purposes. My thanks to the taxpayers for my Social Security. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Amendment Seeks Sanctity For Old Glory 

TEXT[Washington - Supporters of a constitutional amendment to prohibit desecrati 

on of the U.S. flag held a rally at the Capitol to begin their latest attempt to 

pass the measure. 

"This time we are going to be successful," said Sen. J.J. Exon, D-Neb. 

"We want everyone to know that Old Glory will never be desecrated again." 

The amendment would allow authorities to prosecute those who are respo 

nsible for burning the flag. It would effectively reverse Supreme Court decision 

s in 1989 and 1990 that said flag desecration qualified as free speech protected 

under the First Amendment. The rulings overturned state and federal laws prohib 

iting flag desecration. 

Past amendment efforts have fallen short of the two-thirds majority ne 

eded to pass Congress. If this year's amendment were to pass, it would need rati 

fication by 38 states before taking effect. 

This year's amendment has been co-sponsored by 163 House members and 3 

0 senators. Besides Exon, backers include: Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; and Re 

ps. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.; Jon Christensen, R-Neb.; Bill Barrett, R-Neb.; Tom La 

tham, R-Iowa; and Jim Ross Lightfoot, R-Iowa. 

Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa, supports the amendment although he is not ye 

t a co-sponsor, a spokesman said. 

Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said Tuesday that he would actively oppose th 

e amendment because it does not belong in the Constitution. 

"Our Constitution should not have specific language dealing with every 

problem we face in America today," Kerrey said.

Barrett said the amendment was needed because there was no other way t 

o prohibit people from burning or desecrating the U.S. flag. 

"I happen to be a very patriotic guy," said Barrett, a Korean War vete 

ran. "I can get choked up at the 'Star-Spangled Banner.'" 

Kerrey, a Vietnam veteran, said he and the vast majority of Americans 

also respect and revere the American flag. The reason that flag burning rarely h 

appens, he said is "the community's revulsion" with that form of protest. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Stenberg Forming Committee To Organize 1996 Senate Bid 

TEXT[Lincoln - Attorney General Don Stenberg moved a step closer Tuesday to beco 

ming a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Sen. J.J. Exon. 

Stenberg announced the formation of a committee to begin organizing a 

campaign and raising money for the 1996 race. 

"We're continuing to make the preparations necessary so I can formally 

become a candidate at some point in the future," Stenberg said. 

"At this point, certainly, it is very likely that at the appropriate t 

ime I will become a candidate," he said. 

Grand Island attorney Sam Grimminger, a former deputy attorney general 

under Stenberg, will be chairman of the Don Stenberg for Senate Committee. 

Nancy Reckewey of Lincoln will be vice chairman. Charles Sederstrom, a 

n Omaha attorney, will be treasurer. 

Stenberg, a 46-year-old Republican, was re-elected to a second term as 

attorney general in November. A month ago, Stenberg acknowledged that he was sp 

eaking with supporters about a run for the Senate. 

Exon, 73, a Democrat, said last week that he would announce his 1996 p 

lans within 60 days. Exon previously served eight years as governor of Nebraska. 

Grimminger said the committee's priority was to form a statewide organ 

ization. Major fund raising will begin later this year, he said. 





BK#[ 

HDLN[Grant to assist small businesses 

TEXT[U.S. Sens. Jim Exon (D-NE) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) announced Feb. 23 that the 

Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District will receive a federal grant t 

o help new and expanding businesses. 

The $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will be used to est 

ablish a regional revolving loan fund for businesses in 14 Northeast Nebraska co 

unties. 

"We need to do all we can to help and encourage small businessowners, 

especially those just getting started," Exon and Kerrey said. "Many entr 

epreneurs cannot get loans from traditional lenders. This fund will help save an

d create jobs in Northeast Nebraska." 

Exon and Kerrey urged approval of the grant. Communities in the area have a 

lready contributed more than $300,000 in matching funds to get the revolving loa 

n fund off the ground. 



AUTH[David Sundberg 


BK#[ 

HDLN[In Lodgepole, there's E.K. and The First State Bank 

TEXT[LODGEPOLE - E.K. Yanney of Lodgepole didn't always want to be a banker. Whi 

le in college he had dreams of being a professional drummer, having played percu 

ssion instruments in the Kearney Jr. High, High School and Kearney State College 

symphony orchestras while growing up in that town. 

One day his father took him aside and asked him just how much he 

enjoyed riding buses, pointing out that if he chose to be a musician for a livin 

g he could expect to spend most of his days riding buses between engagements. Ya 

nney decided he wasn't that enthralled about bus riding and began to think serio 

usly of going into the banking business. He says he probably was influenced by t 

he fact that his father had worked for a bank for a rather brief time and earned 

a whopping $90 a month at it. But then the Great Depression came along. 

Today, and for the past many years, Yanney is the president and c 

hief executive officer of the First State Bank in Lodgepole. He and his wife, Sh 

irley, moved to Lodgepole to start the bank going in 1954. He was sent by his em 

ployer, the chairman of the National Bank of Commerce in Lincoln. 

Yanney was hired by that bank after receiving his bachelors degre 

e in Commerce and Business in which he took some banking courses (later, getting 

his master's degree.) "As an employee they ran me through every department in t 

he bank. You don't learn banking from books. You have to learn it on the job," h 

e is convinced. 

At the time he took his first bank job, Yanney could have made mo 

re money as a teacher, a profession for which he had also been qualified by his 

higher education. But in banking, he consistently received the maximum raise eac 

h three months he was reviewed. 

It was then that he took night classes that earned him his master's in Coun 

seling and Education. Since then Yanney has advanced his education even farther 

in graduate classes at Colorado University, Harvard Graduate School of Business 

and most importantly at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He considers Rutgers " 

the most prestigious banking school anywhere. But it was very expensive." 

When World War II broke out, Yanney soon found himself fighting t 

he Germans from a tank in the Armored Corps. He was a tank machine gunner and ra 

dio operator who helped spearhead the attack in France and later miles ahead of 

General Patton and other elements of armor and infantry. 

At one point in the war Yanney was officially listed as missing i 

n action near the town of Merkendorf in Bavaria. His unit was later awarded a Pr 

esidential Citation for its' actions. 

During the drive into and across Germany Yanney and his tank crew 

went to three concentration camps, including one of the most famous, or infamou 

s, of them all, Dachau, near Munich. His tank shot and blew up the guard towers

at the Mirnau concentration camp. There they found bodies of prisoners laid out. 

"The guards shot at us with machine guns. But you can't stop a ta 

nk with machine guns. Nobody had the firepower we had. I guess that's why I'm si 

tting here," Yanney said. 

The Yanneys have four grown daughters: Mary Jo, Julie, Cathi and 

Michelle. All but Cathi are directors of the family-owned bank. 

Yanney admits to being a little old-fashioned in his way of condu 

cting business. You can walk directly into his office at the bank right from the 

sidewalk. You don't have to go through a secretary or anyone else to drop in an 

d talk to him about a loan or opening an account. You can expect him to pour you 

a Pepsi and put a of candy in front of you. 

Yanney arrives at his office every workday morning at 5:30, reads 

at least five newspapers, goes for breakfast and is ready to conduct business b 

y 6:30 a.m. Even earlier by appointment. "It's not unusual for me to process thr 

ee loan applications by 7 a.m." he said. 

"There is no substitute for newspapers to get your news, he said. 

He said if he finds a story that's really important he will read it two or thre 

e times to get it well in mind so he will remember it. 

Yanney has served in many public service roles throughout his car 

eer. The most important one, he says is the 12 years he served as chairman of th 

e Nebraska Investment Council, having been appointed first by Governors Frank Mo 

rrison and later by James Exon. 

He said the Nebraska Investment Council is responsible for decidi 

ng how to invest the state's funds, including state employees' retirement money. 

That is literally billions of dollars. 

Yanney said he has always found that the majority of people in th 

e west are as honest as they were in the days of the covered wagon.

P\C[P DATE[6-21-94 AUTH - The Exon Library

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