If you can’t win on issues, then try winning on values. That is the approach Pete Ricketts is taking in his quest for Ben Nelson’s senate seat. Ricketts has begun running commercials in Nebraska so voters can see “what’s important” to him. If you haven’t seen the commercial, you can watch it here.

Recently, a puff piece was written by Mike Bockoven and published in the Grand Island Independent entitled “Emphasizing Nebraska values.” This story is nothing more than propaganda piece. (This poor excuse for journalism was so well researched that it mentioned Don Stenberg was running for senate but forgot to mention David Kramer is also running).

I apologize for going off on a rant. Let’s get back to the topic at hand: Nebraska values.

The main crux of his [Pete Ricketts] appeal to voters was the idea of Nebraska values, which Ricketts promises to take to Washington if elected. Those values, he said, include hard work and dedication, but also a genial nature and caring personality, values that he said are currently lacking in Washington.

“At the end of the day, Nelson is a Democrat,” he said. “I think the leadership of that party is not in line with the values of Nebraska.”

So, that begs the question… What are Nebraska values?

If a person is born and raised in Nebraska, does that mean they automatically have Nebraska values? Is there a way to measure these values?

Why does someone with Nebraska values make a better public servant than someone without them? Can a gay person have Nebraska values? If I have Nebraska values, how can I get rid of them? If I lose them, can I ever find them back?

Ricketts currently lives in Omaha. Notice he doesn’t mention Omaha values because people in rural areas will tell you that Omaha values don’t line up with Nebraska values.

In the past couple weeks, voters have witnessed that Pete Ricketts will try to campaign on Nebraska values and not on the issues. So, what can you do? As a voter, every time you hear Pete Ricketts talk about his “Nebraska values” I want you to stick your finger down your throat and induce vomiting.

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The above phrase rang through the student center on Tuesday morning as Nick Lemek told the world why he was a Democrat.

This was just one of many inspiring sound bites that captivated the audience for over an hour. The event was to allow College Democrat members the opportunity to tell those listening why they were a Democrat. Issues ranged from abortion, to stem cell research, to the Iraq war, and even to the legalization of marijuana.

Those in attendance included many College Democrat members, Kathleen Fahey, and numerous faculty and students.

Tuesday also marked the official start of the campaign season for the Democratic Party. The UNO College Democrats officially gave their support to all of the Democratic candidates running in our area and throughout the country.

Thanks to everybody for participating, and thanks for making this a great event!

A story about same-sex benefits caught my eye in this weeks UNO Gateway.

Same-sex benefits for faculty stirs ongoing debate - UNO Gateway

Here are some of the highlights…

UNO Student Regent/President Elizabeth Kraemer would like to see more research done on the issue of same-sex benefits before taking a definitive stand on the issue.

“I’m going to take the stance of what is best for UNO. More research needs to be done to see what’s in the best interest of UNO,” she said.

Well, it’s simple. Not offering same-sex benefits at the University of Nebraska puts the entire university at a competitive disadvantage. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of UNO if we are losing teachers because we can’t do something as simple as offering dental coverage to a professor’s partner.

My magic decoder ring is telling me that when an elected official says we need “more research” on an issue, it generally means they don’t support the issue and don’t have the gumption to express their actual opinion.

[Regent Randy] Ferlic says that a lack of money to fund same-sex benefits is the primary reason for not offering them.

“It wouldn’t be very pragmatic. We can’t afford it,” he said.

Kraemer also believes that finances may very well be a part of the debate.

“It wouldn’t surprise me [if funding was an issue]. The university is still in a little bit of a squeeze financially,” she said.

Mr. Ferlic how much is this actually going to cost the university? Give me a figure. How do we know we can’t pay for it when we don’t know what it’ll cost?

My magic decoder ring is now telling me that a politician that says there is “a lack of money to fund” a project just hates the project but couldn’t think of a better reason to oppose it.

I’m going to save the university thousands of dollars in consulting fees by telling them how much this will actually cost. The University of Nebraska has 10,000 full-time employees. Many institutions that have implemented same sex benefits indicate that 1% of there workforce applies for this benefit. So, at the University of Nebraska, that would be 100 employees.

The 1.0 percent figure is considered high, based on the experiences of the universities of Chicago, Iowa and Stanford which witnessed an increase of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.2 percent respectively after offering coverage to same-sex couples. SOURCE: Carnegie Mellon University

Most figures I’ve seen indicate that it costs $2500 per person for same sex health care benefits. If that is the case, it would cost the university $250,000 per year. If only .2 percent of the full-time employees sign on to the program (like what happened at the University of Iowa), the cost would be would be a measly $50,000. To put this in perspective, the president of the university, J.B. Milliken, makes $270,000 per year.

I’m still waiting for someone to speak up with a legitimate reason why we aren’t doing this immediately. Opposing this concept because there needs to be “more research” on the topic or because the university doesn’t have any money are not legitimate excuses (I’m sorry, they aren’t).

When are the homophobes going to come out of the woodwork and condemn this? At least those people have the guts to tell you why they actually oppose this.

When November roles around, you may see these people collecting their unemployment checks. Term limits are forcing twenty state senators out of office. If you’ve ever dreamed of making $12,000 a year doing the work of the people, then this may be your opportunity.

Let’s play a little game. Although it may not be as fun as the Jim Vokal for City Council slogan contest, I promise you’ll have a good time.

How many state senators can you name?

How to play: Take a minute and scan the pictures of the twenty senators above. See how many senators you can name (bonus points will be given if you know the district they represent).

How many senators could you name?
0-1 - You’re Normal, Congratulations!
2-4 - Must be a political science major
5-9 - Someone’s been watching a little too much NETV2
10-19 - You’re Abnormal, Congratulations!
20 - Please seek immediate medical attention

Thank You Mr. President - 144 comments
Jim Vokal caught with his pants down - 79 comments
What does Jim Vokal prefer? - 78 comments
Dave Nabity for Governor - 49 comments
Karl Rove was Cooper’s source - 44 comments