Southeast Nebraska speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Jun. 19, 2026
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
- Updated
I remember the ride vividly. Just a quick, easy ride to shake out the legs. Down the Rock Island Trail and back via the Tierra Williamsburg/SouthPointe Trail. Entirely off-road but for a few road crossings. At the 27th Street crossing, I waited for the light to turn red and the white man to flash. But, it was not safe to cross. Instead, someone driving a large SUV was driving (speeding) south on 27th, oblivious to the red light. I was already in the road and they were not slowing down. The grill of the SUV was inches from me when the driver finally stopped. So, instead of broken bones, I was full of endorphins. (Endorphins that I let out using many expletives). I think of this incident every time I hear about yet another cyclist, runner, or walker hit (and killed) in our city. I thought of it yesterday when I learned of a cyclist who was sideswiped (hit?) by a truck – a cyclist whose body is currently full of broken bones. When are we, as drivers, going to take responsibility for the vehicles we drive? And, importantly, when are traffic engineers and city planners going to take responsibility for the roads they build? Let us capitalize on the amazing trails we have and build safe connections that acknowledge the potential for mistakes, on roads and crossing roads, so these injuries and fatalities can be a thing of the past.
Jessica Corman, Lincoln
- Updated
Donald Trump is making a mockery of our Constitution and a mockery of our national institutions. As soon as he came to office he started by plowing up the lovely rose gardens to make a concrete patio, then he demolished the west wing of our stately White House to build his "golden" ballroom. Next, he took over the JFK Memorial Center and added his name without Congress' consent. The Reflecting Pool's water wasn't blue enough so he tore that up. Now he wants to build an ugly arch at the entrance of Arlington Cemetery in a tribute to himself, which desecrates those who fought and died defending the Constitution and our country. He turned the White House grounds into a Vegas sideshow for his millionaire and billionaire friends to enjoy a "boxing match." He should have taken his birthday party to Mar-a-Lago and not infringed on our country's 250th birthday celebration by making it about himself. The people of this nation are paying for all these messes. Most average citizens cannot afford to pay for the price of food, gas and insurance premiums.
It is said that "everything Trump touches dies." This seems to be coming true. He is more interested in self-aggrandizement than winning the Iran war (which he started) and making himself more corrupt money than protecting the Constitution and serving the people who elected him. Trump is a national wrecking ball. If you don't want more of this lawlessness then we must "vote him and his kind" out of office and preserve our Constitutional rights and country.
- Updated
Yet another friend was recently hospitalized after a truck failed to give her adequate space and struck her on South 27th Street. This terrifying incident highlights a glaring safety crisis on Lincoln’s roads. Next year, my son starts at Lincoln Standing Bear High School. He was thrilled about the freedom of biking to campus, but from our southeast Lincoln home, routes like South 70th, South 84th, and Saltillo Road completely lack safe cycling infrastructure. Instead of fostering his independence, we will have to take time off work daily to drop him off and pick him up. In two years, he’ll get his license and drive himself adding an entirely unnecessary car to traffic and increasing the demand for school parking. The problem stems from both infrastructure and driver behavior. During my morning runs and rides on the newly paved 98th Street, it is obvious from my daily close calls that many drivers are unaware of Nebraska’s updated Move-Over Law (LB530). This law requires drivers to move into the opposite lane when passing vulnerable road users like walkers, runners and cyclists, or to slow down and drive with care if moving over isn't safe. We proudly tout “The Good Life” here, so let’s live up to it and prioritize safe infrastructure and widespread driver education before yet another tragedy occurs.
Forrest Kievit, Lincoln
- Updated
Trump announced his 39th “deal” with Iran, one day after announcing (again) he was going to bomb them back to the dark ages. The markets reacted accordingly. Will this one be the real deal or like the 38 deals before that?
Who knows? The insider traders seem to. They're making off like the bandits they are. Before each unhinged threat of action, claims of ceasefires or concepts of a plan, there is a spike in stock market trades in related industries.
- Updated
The Auditor of Public Accounts works in the state Capitol and holds real power over how Nebraskans see their government. That is exactly why Auditor Mike Foley's recent WIC report should concern anyone who values careful, professional oversight.
The report frames a review of a federal nutrition program with pages about the $40 trillion national debt and $1 trillion in annual interest. It then lays out improper payments adding up to a few thousand dollars. Tying findings that small to the national debt is not analysis. It is theater.
- Updated
The May 24 Lincoln Journal Star stated, "America is witnessing a dangerous generation of disconnected young people, increasingly detached from the value of human life.” I agree.
But I see hope. Jean Maalouf (Ph.D) urges youth "to see" which means to get knowledge and impressions through the eyes. It also means to understand, to learn, to discover, to witness, to experience, to guess, to plan, to have more and more information, to be aware, to have insight, to be enlightened.
- Updated
My hat is off to Dr. Jackie Ostrowicki for her May 21 Local View column, “Great libraries drive great cities.” She is exactly right. Great cities aren't just about roads, buildings, or skylines. They must also include places for people to learn, gather, read, think, and belong. Libraries do this daily, often with little fanfare. I grew up in Lincoln and have fond memories of visiting the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown as a youth. Even then, it seemed old, which isn’t an insult. Old libraries can have dignity. But public libraries must serve their communities. They aren’t museums. They are vital civic infrastructure. That's why the new Lincoln Central Library project is important. Done well, it can be much more than a book-checkout spot; it can also be a community hub, a meeting place, a refuge, a classroom, a front porch, and a destination for book lovers and architecture fans like me. The new Omaha Central Library serves as a nearby example. I recently visited and waited with a couple of dozen others as the doors opened on a random weekday morning, showing that a good library will bring people in – and bring them together. In the past year, I’ve visited other central libraries in St. Louis, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Boulder, and other major American cities. The best are jewels that foster community and reflect city values. Lincoln deserves such a library. Dr. Ostrowicki made the case beautifully. Brava.
Gary Sampson, Springfield, Virginia
- Updated
Since the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, China has increased its international sales of clean energy. ("An Iran War Winner: China's Clean Energy, Wall Street Journal, 4/13/26) The Journal reports China accounts for more than four-fifths of global solar technology manufacturing and more than 70% of electric vehicle production. North America is under 10% of global production for both solar and batteries. It could have been our country raking in close to $20 billion in February from clean energy -- solar, EVs, wind and batteries. China did it.
President Trump has issued a June 4 order under the Defense Production Act, designed for a wartime emergency, to spend $700 million on expansion of coal. The funding would go to 14 existing coal plants and a new coal export terminal in California.
- Updated
So, our Supreme Glorious Leader (or whatever he wants to be called nowadays) is reportedly “bored” with Iran. He grabbed Maduro and immediately got a more compliant (if not exactly changed) Venezuelan regime, and Israel’s Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu apparently convinced him the same thing would happen with Iran’s Ali Khamenei.
Er ... not quite.
More like this...
I remember the ride vividly. Just a quick, easy ride to shake out the legs. Down the Rock Island Trail and back via the Tierra Williamsburg/SouthPointe Trail. Entirely off-road but for a few road crossings. At the 27th Street crossing, I waited for the light to turn red and the white man to flash. But, it was not safe to cross. Instead, someone driving a large SUV was driving (speeding) south on 27th, oblivious to the red light. I was already in the road and they were not slowing down. The grill of the SUV was inches from me when the driver finally stopped. So, instead of broken bones, I was full of endorphins. (Endorphins that I let out using many expletives). I think of this incident every time I hear about yet another cyclist, runner, or walker hit (and killed) in our city. I thought of it yesterday when I learned of a cyclist who was sideswiped (hit?) by a truck – a cyclist whose body is currently full of broken bones. When are we, as drivers, going to take responsibility for the vehicles we drive? And, importantly, when are traffic engineers and city planners going to take responsibility for the roads they build? Let us capitalize on the amazing trails we have and build safe connections that acknowledge the potential for mistakes, on roads and crossing roads, so these injuries and fatalities can be a thing of the past.
Jessica Corman, Lincoln
Donald Trump is making a mockery of our Constitution and a mockery of our national institutions. As soon as he came to office he started by plowing up the lovely rose gardens to make a concrete patio, then he demolished the west wing of our stately White House to build his "golden" ballroom. Next, he took over the JFK Memorial Center and added his name without Congress' consent. The Reflecting Pool's water wasn't blue enough so he tore that up. Now he wants to build an ugly arch at the entrance of Arlington Cemetery in a tribute to himself, which desecrates those who fought and died defending the Constitution and our country. He turned the White House grounds into a Vegas sideshow for his millionaire and billionaire friends to enjoy a "boxing match." He should have taken his birthday party to Mar-a-Lago and not infringed on our country's 250th birthday celebration by making it about himself. The people of this nation are paying for all these messes. Most average citizens cannot afford to pay for the price of food, gas and insurance premiums.
It is said that "everything Trump touches dies." This seems to be coming true. He is more interested in self-aggrandizement than winning the Iran war (which he started) and making himself more corrupt money than protecting the Constitution and serving the people who elected him. Trump is a national wrecking ball. If you don't want more of this lawlessness then we must "vote him and his kind" out of office and preserve our Constitutional rights and country.
Yet another friend was recently hospitalized after a truck failed to give her adequate space and struck her on South 27th Street. This terrifying incident highlights a glaring safety crisis on Lincoln’s roads. Next year, my son starts at Lincoln Standing Bear High School. He was thrilled about the freedom of biking to campus, but from our southeast Lincoln home, routes like South 70th, South 84th, and Saltillo Road completely lack safe cycling infrastructure. Instead of fostering his independence, we will have to take time off work daily to drop him off and pick him up. In two years, he’ll get his license and drive himself adding an entirely unnecessary car to traffic and increasing the demand for school parking. The problem stems from both infrastructure and driver behavior. During my morning runs and rides on the newly paved 98th Street, it is obvious from my daily close calls that many drivers are unaware of Nebraska’s updated Move-Over Law (LB530). This law requires drivers to move into the opposite lane when passing vulnerable road users like walkers, runners and cyclists, or to slow down and drive with care if moving over isn't safe. We proudly tout “The Good Life” here, so let’s live up to it and prioritize safe infrastructure and widespread driver education before yet another tragedy occurs.
Forrest Kievit, Lincoln
Trump announced his 39th “deal” with Iran, one day after announcing (again) he was going to bomb them back to the dark ages. The markets reacted accordingly. Will this one be the real deal or like the 38 deals before that?
Who knows? The insider traders seem to. They're making off like the bandits they are. Before each unhinged threat of action, claims of ceasefires or concepts of a plan, there is a spike in stock market trades in related industries.
The Auditor of Public Accounts works in the state Capitol and holds real power over how Nebraskans see their government. That is exactly why Auditor Mike Foley's recent WIC report should concern anyone who values careful, professional oversight.
The report frames a review of a federal nutrition program with pages about the $40 trillion national debt and $1 trillion in annual interest. It then lays out improper payments adding up to a few thousand dollars. Tying findings that small to the national debt is not analysis. It is theater.
The May 24 Lincoln Journal Star stated, "America is witnessing a dangerous generation of disconnected young people, increasingly detached from the value of human life.” I agree.
But I see hope. Jean Maalouf (Ph.D) urges youth "to see" which means to get knowledge and impressions through the eyes. It also means to understand, to learn, to discover, to witness, to experience, to guess, to plan, to have more and more information, to be aware, to have insight, to be enlightened.
My hat is off to Dr. Jackie Ostrowicki for her May 21 Local View column, “Great libraries drive great cities.” She is exactly right. Great cities aren't just about roads, buildings, or skylines. They must also include places for people to learn, gather, read, think, and belong. Libraries do this daily, often with little fanfare. I grew up in Lincoln and have fond memories of visiting the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown as a youth. Even then, it seemed old, which isn’t an insult. Old libraries can have dignity. But public libraries must serve their communities. They aren’t museums. They are vital civic infrastructure. That's why the new Lincoln Central Library project is important. Done well, it can be much more than a book-checkout spot; it can also be a community hub, a meeting place, a refuge, a classroom, a front porch, and a destination for book lovers and architecture fans like me. The new Omaha Central Library serves as a nearby example. I recently visited and waited with a couple of dozen others as the doors opened on a random weekday morning, showing that a good library will bring people in – and bring them together. In the past year, I’ve visited other central libraries in St. Louis, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Boulder, and other major American cities. The best are jewels that foster community and reflect city values. Lincoln deserves such a library. Dr. Ostrowicki made the case beautifully. Brava.
Gary Sampson, Springfield, Virginia
Since the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, China has increased its international sales of clean energy. ("An Iran War Winner: China's Clean Energy, Wall Street Journal, 4/13/26) The Journal reports China accounts for more than four-fifths of global solar technology manufacturing and more than 70% of electric vehicle production. North America is under 10% of global production for both solar and batteries. It could have been our country raking in close to $20 billion in February from clean energy -- solar, EVs, wind and batteries. China did it.
President Trump has issued a June 4 order under the Defense Production Act, designed for a wartime emergency, to spend $700 million on expansion of coal. The funding would go to 14 existing coal plants and a new coal export terminal in California.
So, our Supreme Glorious Leader (or whatever he wants to be called nowadays) is reportedly “bored” with Iran. He grabbed Maduro and immediately got a more compliant (if not exactly changed) Venezuelan regime, and Israel’s Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu apparently convinced him the same thing would happen with Iran’s Ali Khamenei.
Er ... not quite.
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