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Friday, October 8, 1982
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Vol. 82 No. 36
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Thone says 'no' to state tax increase
Staff Photo by Dave Banti
Gov. Charles Thone speaks at a press conference
Thursday in the state Capitol.
By Vicki Ruhga
Gov. Charles Thone said he will not raise state
taxes, although total receipts for September were 7
percent below projections.
The tax receipt figures were released at a press confer
ence held by Thone Thursday at the State Capitol. Donald
Leuenberger, state tax commissioner, said sales and use
tax receipts were 2.8 percent below September projec
tions, individual income tax receipts were 3.7 percent
below, corporate incomes tax receipts were 9.7 below and
miscellaneous tax receipts were 36 percent below pro
jections. Thone said the continuing lag in state receipts because
of the recession is disappointing. However, he said, he
refuses to take the easy way out and raise taxes to solve
the budget problem. Instead, he listed five administrative
actions to correct the problem.
First Thone called for a mandatory hiring freeze
effective immediately for all agencies under his control.
He also asked state agencies not under his control to com
ply. There will be some exemptions on non-adminstrative
positions for the corrections department and State Patrol,
as well as case-by-case reviews if there is appropriate
justification for hiring. However, Thone said, exceptions
will be few and are between.
Second, Thone ordered the reinstitution of a freeze
on all out-of-state traveling for state officials, with the
exception of corrections officials transferring prisoners.
Third, Thone said the budget office will reduce
state agency budget allottments to 45 percent, rather than
the 50 percent they had been reduced to last spring. He
estimated that this action alone will save $30 million to
$35 million.
The fourth measure requires agencies to use confer
ence calls wherever possible. This should save time and
traveling expenses, Thone said.
Finally, prior approval by the budget office will be
required for purchases of equipment over $500, he said.
Compared to neighboring states, Nebraska is in rela
tively good shape with $45 million in the state treasury,
Thone said. He cited Kansas as an example. In the first
quarter, actual receipts for Kansas were 7.4 percent below
projections, compared to Nebraska's 6.6 percent deficit.
Thone said the reason he will not raise taxes is because
Nebraska's families, farmers and businessmen are exper
iencing the same revenue shortages as the state. A tax
increase would unfairly shift the burden onto them, he
said.
If the administrative measures are not successful,
Thone said, he will not hesitate to call a special session of
the Legislature in November to further cut spending.
"We will do whatever we possibly ian do to cut spend
ing," he said. "The special session would be a last resort."
Complaints from special-interest groups will have no
effect on the adminstrative measures taken, Thone said.
"The real needs of Nebraska are still being well met,"
he said. "Special interest complaining will not prevent me
from seeking cuts in spending."
Candidates discuss views on univers
economy
ReHgious beliefs
strongly affects
Heider's stands
By Linda Liekhus
Stan Heider, 46th District challenger,
said he originally planned to run for
office in four years, but the "thing that
was the catalyst was Sen. Dave Landis'
support of the gay rights amendment."
Heider said he opposed the gay rights
amendment and believed the district
voters agreed with him on the issue. In
the May primary election, the 46th Dis
trict voted against the amendment nearly
4-1, he said.
The challenger said although he doesn't
have a "whole lot" of political experience,
he has had an interest in politics.
Heider is running for office as a regis
tered Republican, but until last May he
was a member of the Democratic Party.
Landis
Election
"Tic said he switched political parties
after hearing the Democratic Party plat
form. Heider said he didn't approve of the
Democratic leaders' support of the gay
rights amendment or the party's support
of abortion, "at least in a vague way."
, There was also a plank about the
need for a comprehensive sex educa
tion program, Heider said. The chal
lenger said he believes "a sex educa
tion program doesn't need to be done
or should not be done from the stand
point of the government running the
schools, but it (sex education) should
be something that is worked out with
the parents."
Heider said his religious beliefs play
an important part in his campaign and
his life. Religious beliefs are the difference
between the candidates, he said.
"The difference is that the quality of
life says everybody should be entitled
to the same opportunities, rejecting the
idea that an unborn child that is deformed
or perhaps mentally retarded has the
Daily Nabraikan Fila Photo
Stan Heider
chance to life," he said.
"The humanist would say abortion
is all right in this situation. From my
standpoint, because of my religious con
victions, that (deformed or retarded)
person has as much a chance of life as
someone considered normal," he added.
Heider's campaign has focused on
issues such as the gay rights amendment,
sales tax increases and spending bills.
Heider said he is opposed to sales tax
increases and large spending bills; how
ever, he supports welfare programs such
as Aid to Dependent Children and their
control by state law.
Concerning students at UNL, Heider
said they should be "concerned with
receiving a quality education."
"The university should be a priority
of the state to work with in order to
maintain quality education," he said.
The candidate said he also believes
the university budget "is justified,"
but that some areas could be made more
efficient.
Heider said he would discourage students
from getting student loans because of the
problems they later could have trying to
repay the loan.
Heider and his wife, Laura, are dis
trict managers and distributors for their
franchise of "Successful Living," a firm
that sells inspirational and motivational
books and records.
supports
quality education,
faculty pay raise
By Linda Liekhus
Incumbent State Sen. Dave Landis
worked for the Nebraska Legislature
even before his election as the represen
tative for the 46th District four years
ago.
By working so close to the Legisla
ture as a researcher, Landis concluded
that "many of the senators didn't do
their homework." Landis said he believed
he could participate in the legislative pro
cess and be more diligent at it. This
prompted him to run for office.
Now, four years later, the senator
has prepared a campaign platform based
largely on his record, bills suggested
for the coming legislative session, and
public exchange between himself and
the people of the 46th District on a wide
variety of issues.
One issue important to Landis is the
economy.
"People's jobs and homes are their
chief assets. That is the primary basis
of their individual support and their
individual welfare is the basis of the ex
tension of governmental services to
others," Landis said. "The economy
determines the individual's well-being
and social well-being, which is the most
important concern."
. Landis said he is working on lessening
this concern. During the last legislative
session, the Nebraska Economic Develop
ment Finance Act was passed, allowing
tax exempt bonds to underwrite economy
development, he said.
Also, the Home Mortgage Finance
Act allows tax exempt bonds to be used
to underwrite mortgages. This allows
individual mortgages at lower interest
rates, Landis said.
"(This) act has brought in roughly
$90 million into Nebraska from outside
Photo Courteiy of Dava Land it
Sen. Dave Landis
lenders for the purpose of giving mort
gages at more affordable rates," he said.
"If these trends hold true, this could
mean an influx of money from outside
Nebraska to Nebraska to underwrite
new economic ventures; economic ven
tures that will employ people and provide
us . with an incentive for new growth."
Landis cited two issues he believes are
the most important for UNL students to
consider. "(Students) need to be concerned
about the quality of education they're get
ting, and that's why they've got to be con
cerned about faculty salaries," he said. Stu
dents need to concerned about tuition so
that their education will be affordable, but
also about teachers' salaries to keep them
in the classroom, he said.
Landis said he has never voted against
the university on budget questions. He
said he would support a pay increase for
professors.
One university proposal that Landis
is opposed to is a new veterinary school.
Landis said it would be better to trans
fer some of the money away from that
proposal and put it into the mainstream
of the college.
Landis has a law degree from UNL
and is employed as a lawyer for his family's
real estate firm, Four Stars, Inc.
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