Daily Nebraskan Voters’4Suide
rage 4THE SENATEOctober 29,1996
A ‘father ’ figure for Nebraska
Gov. Ben Nelson says
his record of service to
the state’s people has
prepared him for
Washington.
By Chad Lorenz
Senior Reporter
He lives in Omaha, he works in Lin
coln.
Although he’s a Democrat, many of
his stands are conservative.
And when he’s not busy governing
the state, he’s campaigning for the U.S.
Senate.
Gov. Ben Nelson plays many roles,
some of them opposite roles, but he has
committed himself to one.
Nelson has tried to be a father-fig
iira a oorotolror mnol AfUto KIa
Besides being the father of four
children, two biological and two
adopted, Nelson has also taken care of
his great-aunt and his mother in her
later years.
And for the past six years, he has
been “father” of the state, doing his best
to take care of Nebraska’s children and
senior citizens.
During Nelson’s college years at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he
spent a lot of time around older people
when he worked at Lincoln churches.
At church lunches, dinners, bap
tisms and funerals, Nelson would chat
with the parishioners, many of whom
were seniors.
“I like their history, I like their sto
ries,” Nelson said. “I never got tired
of older people.”
Until his mother’s death in August,
Nelson made sure she got the best care
possible. Dealing with his mother’s
Medicare benefits made him realize
that there was a problem in the system.
“I had never seen such confusing
forms and useless paperwork until I
began overseeing my mother’s Medi
‘ care filings,” he said.
Nelson met with more demands as
a father after his first wife died in 1977
— raising ms son rat ana aaugnter
Sarah.
“I had to struggle like most single
moms and dads do.”
At the time, Nelson was the presi
dent and chief executive of Central
National Group Insurance. His impor
tant role at work and at home some
times caused problems, like when a
baby sitter would cancel before a com
pany meeting.
Through all die challenges, Nelson
realized parenting lessons and strength-;
ened ties with his family.
“I enjoyed it,” he said. “It created a
bond and a love because most fathers
aren’t put in that position.”
Nelson’s role as father didn’t end
with his family. As governor, Nelson
said, he has tried to look out for
Nebraska’s children in trying to give
them an education.
His push for public education in the
campaign reflects his appreciation for
his own education: a 10-year UNL
career including graduate work and a
law degree.
Nelson earned his bachelor’s de
gree in philosophy while living and
Jay Calderon/DN
GOV. BEN NELSON shakes hands with football fans before Nebraska’s game against Kansas.
i--:_____i
working as a counselor in Selleck Resi
dence Hall.
While chatting with students there
last month, Nelson commented that
things didn't seem very different from
his years there—and that the food was
probably just as bad.
While working on his master’s de
gree in philosophy, Nelson taught un
dergraduate students in Philosophy
410: logic. His former students some
times approach him and remind him of
the grades he gave.
Also during graduate school,
Nelson worked in the U.S. Department
of Agriculture and later in die State
Insurance Department.
His part-time work during the
school year and his summer jobs
supplemented his scholarships in fi
nancing his college tuition by himself.
Nelson graduated with no debt and
a brand new Ford Galaxy 500. But that
was the 1960s.
“You can’t do today what I did.”
In days of low tuition and economic
abundance, Nelson still watched every
dollar.
“I watched it so closely, I still have
expense calendars with entries to the
Nebraska Bookstore,” Nelson said.
Nelson said his compulsion to save
and his reputation for being “tight as
three coats of paint,” carried over from
his parents’ lifestyles.
Surviving the Great Depression
made them value their few assets, he
said, so they taught their only son the
same. Rationing food and supplies dur
ing World War II also made a young
Nelson realize all things were limited.
It was also during his childhood that
Nelson was exposed to political role
models.
Every Memorial Day, Nelson’s fa
ther would take him to the cemetery
where the Nelson plot was just down
from the grave of an outspoken Ne
braska senator. Nelson’s father would
repeat the senator’s history again and
again.
“I grew up in the shadow of
George Norris,” Nelson said. “It was
drilled into me to the point no script
was needed.”
That memory carried into high
school, where Nelson was elected gov
ernor of the Hi-Y model legislature.
In the YMCA-based state youth
government, Nelson won by getting the
block votes from Lincoln and Omaha.
“That’s when the seed was
planted,” Nelson said.
That early boost of confidence al
ways reminded Nelson of the possibil
ity of becoming governor. He talked
about it during college and in his early
career, but friends and family urged
him to run in 1990.
Before running for governor,
Nelson’s only political experience
came from working in the upper ranks
of Central National Group Insurance
and as executive vice president of the
National Association of Insurance
Commissioners.
In 1985, Nelson turned from insur
ance and opened a private law prac
tice, which he kept until he took office
as governor in 1991.
Political Experience: Served as dale Insurance director
under Democrat Gov. Am Exon, 1975-76; state chairman of Democrat Helen Boosafe"
campaign for governor, 1966; etected governor 1990; leetoclBd in 1994. tther experience:
Insurance-law expert and consultant, Kennedy tMbnd DeLacy & Svoboda of Omaha.
1985-1990; board of drectors, Brst Executive Coup., 1968-1990; meadhe vice president.
National Association of Insurance Commissioner, 1982-85; president and chief executive
officer, Central National Insurance, 198081.
He admits he didn’t feel completely
prepared to take command of the state’s
government.
“You feel insecure about it,” Nelson
said. “Even though people call you
‘governor,’ it doesn’t mean you feel
like it.”
It wasn’t untO two months into his
term, during a time of crisis, that
Nelson realized how a governor typi
cally feels.
The Nebraska Supreme Court had
just thrown out a law on personal prop
erty tax—a move Nelson fought.
“I remember I was walking outside
the Capitol and one of the local report
ers passed by and said: ‘You became
governor today.’
“It’s when you take charge,” Nelson
said. “That’s when you become gover
nor.”
It’s that take-charge attitude Nelson
said he wanted to take to Washington.
Nelson thinks he can give Nebraskans
a “higher level of service” by looking
out for their interests in die Senate.
Even though Nelson promised Ne
braskans in 1994 that he would com
plete his four-year governor term, he
said he’ll let the people decide what
job they want him to do.
“When I’ve talked to the folks, they
say ‘I like what you’ve done. I wish I
could have you in both jobs.”
%