NEWSROOMOur picks for legislative districts, 21, 25 and 27Lincoln Journal Star The Journal Star today makes endorsements in races in which candidates will be eliminated in the May 13 primary. We’re picking the two candidates in those districts who we believe deserve to advance to the general election. As always, we hope our participation helps spark discussion and interest... District 21 A field of six candidates — the most in the state — is vying for the District 21 seat being left by Sen. Carol Hudkins. The district includes a chunk of northwest Lincoln, rural areas and the towns of Raymond, Malcolm and Ceresco. Vern Barrett, 68, has been teaching leadership since 1980 in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He espouses the concept of servant leadership and believes the ability to listen is one of the most important behaviors a leader can develop. Barrett describes himself as a fiscal conservative. He already is analyzing how he can meet the needs of constituents in his district, which vary from urban residents in northwest Lincoln to small towns, farmers and acreage owners. In an interview with the Journal Star editorial board, Barrett said he plans to introduce legislation to reform government, such as prohibiting Public Service Commission members from receiving contributions from companies they regulate. Omaha World HeraldApril, 25, 2008 Vern Barrett, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, astutely weighs the needs of rural and urban Nebraska. He teaches in the Department of Agriculture, Leadership and Communications within the broader UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. He is a thoughtful analyst who speaks passionately about the strategic need to address Nebraska's educational challenges, be they school funding or access to affordable, good-quality higher education. Barrett's travels help prepare him for the responsibilities of being a state senator, as he has trained leaders in communities as large as Omaha and as small and vibrant as Ord. He well describes the varying needs of city corporations and family farmers. Observers describe him as a problem-solver, an important quality in a state lawmaker. Candidate Vern Barrett in five:Lincoln Journal Star 1. I am the father of six adult children. 2. In my job of helping leaders across the state, I have learned the ability to listen is one of the most important behaviors a leader can develop. 3. I have visited every state except Alaska and have been to South America and Mexico, primarily in a teaching role. I am a lifelong teacher, first as a high school teacher and then at the university. 4. I’m a jokester. I like to make people laugh. Joy is so important. When you lose the joy in your life, you can’t look forward to Mondays. 5. I am a student of people and a storyteller. Democrat Barrett, 68, is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor in the Department of Agriculture, Leadership and Communications and works on community development issues through UNL extension services. He is a member of the UNL Academy of Distinguished Teachers. On the campaign trail: Barrett has been walking the neighborhoods in his district since February — through rain, sleet and snow. He has knocked on doors no politician has ever knocked on, he believes. He has been among the rich and the poor. “The poor have taught me the most,” he said. “We have people in tremendous need.” Barrett has raised about $24,000, he said, mostly from individual donors. People say they don’t think their voices were heard on the State Fair move. They thought the fair was taken care of when they approved a measure in 2004 to direct 10 percent of lottery money to help the ailing fair. Older people are upset that program funds for aging Nebraskans are being cut, he said. Q: Should the state have a role in the (illegal) immigration issue? If so, what specific legislation or bill might you propose? A. Immigration is a federal issue, and it has become a wedge issue for some people who like to get headlines and inflame people about something they can’t do anything about. Immigration officials say they need better facilities for temporary detainees. My belief is illegal is illegal. I have many friends in other countries who would like to come here and can’t. The solution is to not give jobs to undocumented workers. If there were not those jobs, they wouldn’t come. Q: How can the state address high property taxes? A. Several solutions to offset property taxes are: more state aid to schools, widening the homestead exemption for older citizens and taxing farm land differently than residential property. The real solution is to increase economic growth in the small business sector, thus increasing revenue to decrease property taxes. — JoAnne Young http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2008/05/05/news/politics/doc481a40d2a9dfe525189301.txt Barrett Files for District 21 Senate SeatCERESCO, Neb. – Vern Barrett has declared his candidacy for Nebraska Legislative District 21. The position, formerly held by term-limited Carol Hudkins, is now open for a new representative. Barrett is entering the race for Legislative District 21 because he believes that his many years of proven leadership experience working to improve organizational and community development throughout Nebraska will be an asset to the legislature. Vern is a professor of leadership in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a member of the UNL Academy of Distinguished Teachers. In 1997 he was a leadership consultant to the governor of the Bio Bio Province in the South American Country of Chile. He was also a leadership consultant to Universities in Chile, and Mexico. Several of his memberships include the International Leadership Association, Association of Leadership Educators, and the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. Barrett is a fiscal conservative who believes that government can do a better job of serving all the people. He sees representing District 21 as a challenge because it represents four different interests: Northwest Lincoln communities, small towns and farms and acreages. Some of the challenges are the funding of education, services for increasing number of senior citizens, allocation of water resources, provision for equitable health care, and property taxes. Vern and his wife Nancy have been married for over thirty years. They reside in rural Ceresco where they raised their six children. Barrett, his wife, family and campaign team are looking forward to the hard work and challenges of the upcoming campaign. Vern Barrett can be contacted via phone at 402-443-3437 or by email at vernbarrett@futuretk.com |
Experienced leadership for the challenges of tomorrow! |