KLIN

Roger Larson Perspective

Hear Roger Larson's Perspective Tuesday & Thursdays at 7:10a & 5:35p

Lincoln Radio Legend Roger Larson Is Only On KLIN

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

Listen to NewsTalk 1400 KLIN at 7:10am and 5:35pm Tuesdays and Thursdays for Roger Larson's Perspective. Also, look for Roger's archived commentaries here on KLIN.com.

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

The City's 401k Match (9-4-08)

For about the last year or two, the public has become more aware of the City of Lincoln and it's Payroll Benefits. The total package is very, very beneficial and needs to be changed, which will not be easy. While changing the benefit package for current employees would be unfair, the benefits should definitely be changed for new hires.

The biggest outrage is the matching contribution by the city of the contribution by the employee to their own 401k. While the norm in private payrolls is less than a 1 to 1 match by the employer, the city in many cases gives a 2 for 1 match, and in the case of some employees, the city pays both ends of the 401k plan.

In the name of fairness, this must be ended. While we argue every budget period about relatively minor items, we just go on paying huge sums to employees that are completely unfair to the taxpayers.

Some employees are trying to make a partisan fight out of this issue, but there is no partisanship at all. It's strictly a matter of fairness, and the unfairness costs the taxpayers.

We salute the Lincoln Independent Business Association for arguing this issue for all of us, and condemn those who criticize LIBA for interfering in the city's business. It's not just the city's business. It affects us all and should be corrected.

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

Guns, Guns, & More Guns (9-2-08)

For years, I have been ranting about the need for gun control. But my words, and the words of many more are easily drowned out by the ever powerful National Rifle Association, whose influence is so strong that Congress cannot even get a law passed outlawing public ownership and sale of military-type attack weapons.

I had some hope when I heard that another organization supposedly representing only sporting hunters was formed. They call themselves The Sporting Shooters Association, or some such innocent sounding name. But they act like another division of the NRA, opposing any type of gun control whatsoever.

In the meantime, Texas has okayed the carrying of guns by schoolteachers in the classroom, based upon the false premise that a gun in the hands of a teacher would lessen the bloodshed when someone starts shooting up a classroom. Very probably, the opposite would be true, as bullets would be flying in every direction. It's the same argument that allowing anyone to carry guns in public stops violence.

Check out the situation found in our neighboring city of Omaha, where police patrols are sent out with the sole purpose of confiscating guns. When criminals are armed, the violence increases. Surely, we can arrive at some sort of gun control that will restore some civility to our streets, while protecting the rights of hunters to own legitimate sporting weapons.

This slaughter by gunfire in our country has got to stop! What legislator has the courage to marshal the opposition to the gun lobby? If we find one, we need to offer our support.

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

Taxes (8-28-08)

Taxes are one of the main topics of conversation whenever politics is being discussed. Rightly so, since the amount of taxes we pay affects us so directly.

But it seems to me that we are attacking the wrong people when we complain about our local and state lawmakers who set our local and state taxes. We complain about the smallest of expenditures there, and about any increase in taxes, however small.

But the real source of our tax troubles, the federal budget, seems to be immune from our disgust at higher taxes, mainly because the costs of the federal expenditures are merely being constantly deferred, through deficit spending. This is immoral for Congress and we taxpayers as well.

We not only do not complain about the unnecessary federal budget items, from needless war to needless bridges and canals to nowhere, and all other types of foolish spending, most of which is driven by Congressmen trying to ensure their reelection.

We also are completely taken in by all kinds of impossible promises by the presidential candidates who promise the end of this or that within five years, or budget balancing within a certain impossible time, and many other promises which they know and we should too, are way beyond reality. If we all spent as much time holding our Congress' and President's feet to the fire on these outright lies, as we gripe about the City Council's desire to spend $10 or 20 thousand on some credible need, we would be getting at the real root of high taxes.

By the way, why don't we make a one-time transfer of significant size from our state tax surplus to our state road system? It would be a worthwhile investment in our future.

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

A Good Jump Start (8-26-28)

The national mortgage crisis has hit some areas of the country very hard. In our own city, the result has been the perception that now is not the time to build or buy a new home. Sometimes perception is stronger than reality, and that is the case here. Our economy is relatively strong, but the homebuilding industry in Lincoln is suffering because we all assume that now is not the time to build a new home. In California or New Jersey, that may be true, but not here.

Our homebuilding industry has always been strong and responsible, and the current slowdown makes it a buyer's market with a lot of value available for relatively lower cost. That's why Mayor Beutler's Homeowners Stimulus Plan is very timely. It is an effort to kick start the homebuilding industry, one so important to our city, as the money spent on new homes moves many times through the local economy.

Hundreds of sub-contractors and suppliers and their employees are affected when new homes are built and sold. The quality of life is also very much improved as home ownership increases.

The Mayor's plan is to provide cash incentive to new homebuyers, with participation in the cost by the city, the builders, realtors, and buyers. The more people involved, the greater the chances of success. The City's contribution will be swiftly recovered through new tax revenue, and one of our greatest industries will be back improving our local economy and our local pride.

Let's encourage the City Council to quickly approve the plan so we can get started right away.

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

Ethanol (8-21-08)

There is no doubt that the mandated use of ethanol in our fuel has been of great benefit to Nebraska, even though the benefits are not evenly spread among the agriculture industry. Corn producers are very happy with the resulting rise in corn prices, but the livestock feeders are not. Yet I believe everyone agrees that the net benefit is huge for Nebraska. Hopefully, prices will stabilize and all elements of the industry can benefit.

A recent Ethanol Conference in Omaha issued some very optimistic prophecies for the future of ethanol, which we all hope can come true.

But I think a word of caution is in order for several reasons. We must progress as far as we can, but we cannot over estimate what the future holds. Investors who pay inflated prices for farmland are setting themselves up for a possible disaster, if the ethanol bubble bursts, as so many others have done in the past, leading to a yo-yo type farm economy.

Secondly, the country must avoid putting all of our eggs in one basket. Chances are high that our fight for energy independence will require several advances in different areas. So we must move ahead on other types of alternative fuel as well, even subsidizing these experiments until they can become competitive.

In the meantime, we should also drill for more domestic oil, realizing that chances are that solution is short term. The future of our energy needs is the most important issue in our country, and we must respond in unison, not with political partisanship.

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

Big Things in Lincoln's Future (8-19-08)

Something is coming to Lincoln in less than two years. It is the USA National Special Olympics Games, which will be held in Nebraska, mostly at UNL, during July of 2010. The honorary Ambassador for the games is Athletic Director Tom Osborne, who is a living legend in our state for his coaching ability, and perhaps even more for his integrity and all-around character.

It is expected that the games will draw 30,000 or more athletes, coaches, administrators, parents and fans to Lincoln and Omaha during this nearly week long event.

Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Board for the Special Olympics organization, was very impressed with the bid of our Nebraska group, and is counting on us to provide wonderful venues for these athletes, who, although having some disabilities, perform with tremendous spirit. This event will give Lincoln, and Omaha as well, a chance to show what our Midwest values are, and how hospitable we can be. All Nebraskans need to share in this responsibility, either as donors or as volunteers.

The important thing to realize is that we will have tremendous national and world-wide coverage, so we can display our state as the champions we are, or if we fail, we will damage our image for years to come.

Are we up to the challenge?

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

A Fair of Our Own (8-14-08)

Now that the State Fair will be leaving our city, it will leave a void in the fall of the year for a festival celebrating our harvest, our progress, and our community.

Last week, we saw that the Lancaster County Fair is starting to grow and progress to the eventual place where the Board will stage a major fair that will not rival the State Fair, but may be more of what a Fair should be-a multi-day celebration, agricultural based, but containing many other elements as well.

The Lancaster County Fair has a long history with so much competition from the State Fair, attention-wise, that it never progressed very far. Now it has an open field ahead of it, and it appears it are going to take advantage of it.

Although many citizens felt that the building of the new County Fair at the new location was foolish, it may turn out to be worthwhile and provide our community with a great fall festival in the future.

Meanwhile, kudos to Manager Ron Snover and his board and his staff for a great production in 2008.

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

Stubborn Harm To Our Country (8-12-08)

The Democrats have had a election winning issue dealt to them with the incredible ineptness of President Bush. This is reflected in the lowest approval rating ever known this close to a presidential election.

Yet, in their own ineptness, the Democrats are setting themselves up for the same kind of election changing issue with their stubborn refusal to consider drilling for oil offshore and in Alaska. While the country suffers from high gasoline prices which affect every facet of our economy, the Democrats, under the incompetent leadership of Congressman Nancy Pelosi of California, absolutely refuse to allow a vote on permission to drill for oil where it is available.

Their excuse that it would not have any immediate affect is not valid. The permission would serve notice on OPEC that we were serious about independence on their oil, and would start the process to harvest the oil offshore and in Alaska. This decision has been delayed too long already. Of course, the move would give us time to also develop a strong initiative to develop alternative fuels.

But further delay is nearly criminal in nature. It is this kind of politics that will convince most of us that change is mostly just change of personalities, not of statesmanship.

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