Southeast Nebraska speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Sep. 4, 2026
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Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
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The November election isn't just about the president, but about the Republicans in Congress who have enabled him, stayed silent and voted with him roughly 95% of the time.
There’s this and more:
1. Democracy: attacks elections and weakens checks and balances.
2. Corruption: turns government into a tool for personal and political interests.
3. Honesty: makes lies and disinformation acceptable and routine.
4. Rule of law: attacks judges, prosecutors and anyone who gets in his way.
5. War: War with no end and alienating allies.
6. Economy: tariffs, uncertainty and inflation, gas prices and lies.
7. Education: attacks teachers, universities, scientists and intelligence.
8. Cruelty: turns immigrants, opponents and even fellow Americans into enemies.
9. Presidency: replaces public service with vanity, loyalty and Trump's name everywhere.
10. (More), Epstein files, environment, health care, Communist buddies.
But Trump did not do this alone.
Fischer, Ricketts, Flood and Smith all could have said no. They had votes. They had power. And they could have slowed him down. But, they didn't.
Maybe they agreed. Maybe they were afraid. Maybe they simply didn't care enough to go against him.
The result is the same: They were his representatives, not ours!
Don’t waste your time listening to who they claim to be or what they promise to do. Look only at what they've already proven they are.
Just this once, forget the party labels. Vote for someone willing to say no to the next two years of an unleashed, unhinged and dangerous presidency.
Steve Rische, Crete
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If Hilgers wants to vote in city elections, let him move into the city. But of course he wants it both ways: don't pay city taxes (property and wheel tax), but still have a say in city affairs. OK, so he does pay the city sales tax whenever he buys something in Lincoln, but so do other non-residents when they do business here.
Do you want to extend Lincoln voting rights to, let's say, all the out-of-town football and volleyball fans that attend games in Lincoln?
If you want to vote in Lincoln elections, move to Lincoln.
Hans Gilde, Lincoln
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For decades students have been taught the mnemonic device HOMES to remember the five Great Lakes. Now, thanks to our childish president, they can be taught SHAME instead.
Bill Richt, Lincoln
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Once, the world viewed America as great because we were not a country that executed people based on unproven suspicion. "Innocent until proven guilty" was not just a slogan; it was a principle we believed in and lived by, defining our commitment to basic human rights.
Now, we tally up the body count of suspects targeted simply for being in the wrong boat in the wrong area. This dangerous policy will inevitably backfire when foreign nations decide it is fair game to target and kill American citizens based on mere suspicion. If we intend to set global standards, we must be prepared for those same standards to be applied to our own people.
Roger Doerr, Lincoln
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I've noticed a lot of Journal space that has been dedicated to Deb Fischer and her band of Trump enablers. I have also noticed that she hasn't spent a lot of time before the midterms touching base here.
She and the rest of our so-called representatives, including the governor, have been spending most of their time pushing an authoritarian agenda for a failed businessman, cruel leader, prolific liar, grifter, mafia-esque boss wanting to use the power of the presidency to strong arm his way around the world. He has shown time and again that he does not care about any person in this country but himself.
The people that were sent to represent our state have only shown they care by taking credit for mostly Biden-era policy and funding and rubber stamping anything that the Republican party dictates. This is because 1, they really do not care about us — they care only for their seat; and 2, they have zero agenda for the next two years but to continue the cruelty, corruption, and outright breaking of the law (releasing the entirety of the Epstein files is a bipartisan law).
If you want representatives who genuinely care, for their whole term, about the people, then vote Democrat or independent this November — any Democrat or independent. If you are a Republican and cannot stomach ever voting in any way for another party, then please stay home.
Christine Stone, Lincoln
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I dreamed I saw Ruth Thone last night,
Alive as you and me.
Says I, "But Ruth you're eight years dead."
"I never died " says she.
"I never died" says she.
The Gathering Place was your heart's cause,
dedicated to helping all.
But now Pete and Jim and Deb and Mike are trying to steal its light.
"They never cared before" says she.
"They never cared before" says she.
Rebecca Shacklett, Lincoln
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Voting in November is more than civic responsibility. You can impact direction of U.S. policy and actions on global warming. Who we elect can make a difference, and counter consequences of "climate denial."
We must abandon our current path to disaster due to a status-quo approach to climate change, claiming these are natural cycles that will soon reverse. Misguided national policies encourage more fossil fuel use to "keep the economy afloat." Decisions that restrict rather than encourage development of cheaper renewable energy. Withdrawal from international agreements that embrace problems looming on the horizon, all indicators that ignore realities of global warming.
Strong evidence of current change: increased intensity of storms in the U.S. and heat waves in Europe that have killed thousands of people. These are not positive trends. One administrative response proposes closing the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) near Boulder, Colorado, a source of long-term data for immediate responses and long-term planning to alleviate climate challenges. Another is opening public lands for greater mining of fossil fuels. Clearly we are moving in the wrong directions.
"Vote with Climate in Mind" shout the current yard signs in Lincoln. What does that mean and what can we do? Critical actions now are meeting candidates for local and national elected positions, asking them about climate change, and how they will respond to development of renewable energy sources. We owe this to our children and future generations.
Charles Francis, Lincoln
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Some people become cruel when they are given power and believe there will be no consequences.
That cruelty depends on spectators.
Dictatorial authoritarianism rarely survives through the actions of one person alone. It survives because others remain silent, look away, avoid taking sides, or convince themselves that what is happening is not their responsibility.
Passivity helps create the environment in which the abuse can continue. Silence does not make neutrality. Silence makes for part of the condition that allowes it.
The world is full of people who insist they are “not political,” “do not take sides,” or “prefer to stay out of conflict.” When people are being abused, persecuted, exploited, dehumanized or controlled, refusing to take a position is itself a position. It protects the status quo and leaves the victim to face the aggressor alone.
You do not need to be perfect, powerful, or heroic. Every person has some capacity to object, intervene, speak, organize, vote, support democracy, challenge lies, or refuse to cooperate with authoritarian dictate.
Those who use their capacity to harm others deserve condemnation.
Those who have the power to resist and repeatedly choose silence should not congratulate themselves for being neutral. They should ask why their comfort mattered more than another person’s suffering.
A better world is not created by private decency alone. It is created when people are willing to make their values visible, oppose those doing harm and accept some personal cost for standing beside those with less power.
Vote for change!
Robert Hegler, Cortland
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In May 2025, the Department of Justice began requesting the full unredacted voter rolls from all states. These include our full names, home addresses, dates of birth and last four digits of our Social Security numbers. And if you have applied for a mail-in ballot, your driver's license number is also included. By law these lists are state property.
When 30 states declined to this request, DOJ began filing lawsuits against them. As of Aug. 17, 21 state suits have reached federal courts. All have been dismissed. States 21, DOJ 0.
Common Cause and the Nebraska ACLU were preparing to file suit for Nebraskans to prevent the release of our information, but last February Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen released the requested voter rolls to the DOJ with no resistance.
Election officials across the country suggest this is one of the administration’s efforts to interfere with upcoming elections. Once our information is in DOJ’s possession, we likely have no control over how it is used. Do we trust this DOJ with our private, sensitive information?
As an elected state official, Evnen’s loyalty should be to the law and to the citizens of Nebraska. Election officials in other states courageously challenged the bullies in Washington and won. Our governor is tight with the bullies, so it’s likely no one here could decline.
Mickey Seefeld, Lincoln
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Congratulations to the boys from Lincoln East who earlier this month won the American Legion baseball national tournament held in Shelby, North Carolina.
They won by defeating a team from Portland, Oregon, 9-6. A number of teams from Nebraska have played in the Legion World Series but it's been since 1939 that a Nebraska team won it all.
I was very fortunate to have played Legion ball on a team made up of boys from Omaha North, sponsored by Storz beer. You would recognize the names of several of our players, among them Dave Underwood, who later coached baseball at NU; Bob Churchich, who quarterbacked the Huskers for three seasons, and the late Dan Sorensen, who taught and coached at Omaha North for many years and probably knew just about every high school athlete in Omaha during that time. That '61 Storz team played in the nationals at Hastings, taking third place.
That summer of winning bonded us players and our coach, the late Ken Bauermeister, together in a special, respectful, enjoyable and rewarding friendship that remains active and strong yet today, some 65 years later.
Relatively few earn the opportunity to accomplish what you fellows from East have. This will remain a highlight of your lives, for sure. Embrace it and all the parents, family, teachers and friends who made your success possible. It will bond you guys together for a lifetime.
Roger Baumann, Plymouth, Minn.
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Becky Conners recently wrote about utilizing Activate America to get out the vote, noting that "higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented." (Journal Star, Aug. 21).
The same argument is made in favor of vote by mail. And yet when Lincoln held its 2020 school bond vote entirely by mail, the response rate was a sad 34%.
Sadder still was that the most recent city primary vote drew 25% of registered voters, and the last city general election was 27%.
But the 2024 nationwide general election saw 78% voter participation for the county.
Last year, state Sen. John Cavanaugh proposed, and the state passed, legislation allowing Lincoln and Omaha to move the dates of their local elections so that they could coincide with presidential elections.
"Cavanaugh said having the races in November could help boost turnout and also save on money and manpower for local election officials," reported the Omaha World-Herald.
I don't think there is any question about either of those. The question is, why has Lincoln not put this before the voters for a decision. If the petition effort succeeds in getting this on the ballot, Lincoln voters will finally get their chance to be heard.
If Lincoln can double or triple its voter turnout just by changing the date, we should do it.
Kris Thompson, Lincoln
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You can tell how desperate Ricketts is to keep his Senate seat by the outrageous lies and innuendos being hurled at Dan Osborn. A fundraiser was abruptly canceled when Osborn wanted nothing to do with it upon discovering a sponsor had a distant relationship to Epstein. That didn’t stop Ricketts from insinuating a darker connection. Ricketts, on the other hand, has no issue with his endorsement from Trump who was a frequent party buddy with Epstein and appears over a thousand times in the Epstein files! (Where are the rest of those files by the way?).
And the nearly $500,000 Ricketts claims Osborn pocketed was actually used for campaign expenses, was not illegal and is another headline-type campaign distraction. Oh, and let’s throw in that dreaded “liberal” label that Republicans have conditioned us to believe is something more sinister than seeking equal opportunities and respect for people along with assisting people in need. This while our “conservative” representatives work to protect their fortunes and sit idly by while our president bullies the Middle East, alienates allies, turns the presidency into grift central, smothers our White House with tacky gold and blows our national debt to a record $40 trillion, including pet building projects he can put his name on at our expense!
This is what we get when the Republicans control all the levers of government. If you’re looking for oversight it appears there’s no one home. Democracy works best when we have some balance. It’s time to elect people who actually experience the day-to-day struggles. People who identify with the majority of the people who work daily for the necessities rather than the perks of power. The Founding Fathers envisioned a representative government. Let’s try a representative that doesn’t live on an unlimited trust fund. Let’s vote for Dan Osborn.
Mike Donlan, Sr., Lincoln
Our climate keeps heating up with dire effects, but our governmental leaders seem incapable of finding solutions to get us out of this mess that we have caused. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change. Almost every day, there are new ideas that have the possibility of helping with this goal. Recently, two promising technologies caught my eye.
The first one was reported in an article in the Iowa Stater magazine about research to stop the venting of carbon dioxide from abandoned oil and gas wells. They would be plugged by injecting a newly developed bio-oil made from leftover harvest and forest waste products into them. Not only would this keep carbon dioxide from escaping, but by using plant-based materials, like corn stalks, it also would trap this carbon far underground. If the process is fully developed, it could have the additional benefit of generating a new revenue stream for farmers and foresters.
The other emerging technology involves data centers that are often controversial, but what if they used no electricity or water, and were not visible? This sounds like a pipe dream, but several countries, including China, and a couple of U.S. companies are evaluating fully automated underwater or floating data centers. These computing facilities would be powered by waves, ocean or river currents, or seawater energy, and cooled by the surrounding water. Also, since they would be under water or floating, they would take up no land and would be out of sight. Data from the facilities would be transmitted by satellites.
These and other carbon-reducing technologies need support from our government and a streamlined regulatory process instead of the current governmental gridlock. Let’s get busy.
David Voigts, Jesup
As a parent and teacher, I’m worried about the future of education under Zach Lahn.
After graduating from public school here in Cedar Falls, I spent 11 years teaching Catholic school before becoming a principal. After my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I tried to enroll her in a local private school, but they didn’t even show up for a meeting.
I’ve been a paraeducator in Cedar Falls since 2017. I’ve seen firsthand the cuts Republicans have made to funding public schools, both as a worker and a parent. Their attacks make an already difficult job harder.
I rely on Medicaid because I don’t make a livable wage working in a public school. I believe the system is broken, and Zach Lahn, who said Iowa spends too much on public education and called Medicaid expansion “bad policy,” would only make it worse. Lahn treats teachers like the bad guys, falsely claiming we teach kids a certain ideology or to hate our history. That’s a lie -- it’s wrong.
After attending Rob Sand’s town hall in Waverly this month with two fellow teachers, I left even more convinced: Iowa needs a governor who believes in public education. Lahn doesn't.
Kathy Butler, Cedar Falls
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
It is strange indeed that in this century we would have to actually defend freedom of speech, a right that has been hard won even to the point of bloodshed. If the Enlightenment taught us anything, it is that freedom of speech came about through a willingness of those who held opposing viewpoints to engage in argument, discussion, and heated debate. What have we seen? The radical left has changed its position from championing free speech to banning it and allowing only "oppressed" groups to speak. The argument is that minorities, such as those in the LGBTQ communities, have been discriminated against, and therefore, to level the playing field, we must curb the social power of the dominant group that for so long has used free speech to uphold their position of power. Racism and sexism must be attacked vigorously. The one way to do that is to deny certain groups the right to speak. They only have the right to remain silent.
Thank you Trump administration for well-adjusted thinking. We appreciate your efforts to see "Righteousness exalted"-- Proverbs 14:34.
Dave Smith, Waterloo
Had enough hate, crime, poor leaders? Then it is time to find honest, hardworking people that will lead. I know it is hard, that is one of the reasons Diogenes carried a lit lamp during the day when looking for an honest man, there were not many. We can find one or two. Keep looking. We have found them in the past and can do so now. Vote.
Bob Black, Waterloo
I am so tired of the yearly Grout Historic District house tours! This is not the real Waterloo. Why don't the people spend time going to houses that are meant to be torn down, or just areas of the "great city" that need help with siding, sidewalks, you name it?
But no, as usual the only people (snobs) who get any attention are the rich. God bless people with money. You make me sick! Enjoy your big bucks while the rest of the city suffers. Have a great life!
I bet you all voted for Trump.
Cris Brunko, Waterloo
Defend free speech
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
It is strange indeed that in this century we would have to actually defend freedom of speech, a right that has been hard won even to the point of bloodshed. If the Enlightenment taught us anything, it is that freedom of speech came about through a willingness of those who held opposing viewpoints to engage in argument, discussion, and heated debate. What have we seen? The radical left has changed its position from championing free speech to banning it and allowing only "oppressed" groups to speak. The argument is that minorities, such as those in the LGBTQ communities, have been discriminated against, and therefore, to level the playing field, we must curb the social power of the dominant group that for so long has used free speech to uphold their position of power. Racism and sexism must be attacked vigorously. The one way to do that is to deny certain groups the right to speak. They only have the right to remain silent.
Thank you Trump administration for well-adjusted thinking. We appreciate your efforts to see "Righteousness exalted"-- Proverbs 14:34.
Dave Smith, Waterloo
Climate techologies
Our climate keeps heating up. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change.
The first one was reported in an article in the Iowa Stater magazine about research to stop the venting of carbon dioxide from abandoned oil and gas wells. They would be plugged by injecting a newly developed bio-oil made from leftover harvest and forest waste products into them. By using plant-based materials, it would trap this carbon far underground. It could have the additional benefit of generating a new revenue stream for farmers.
The other emerging technology involves data centers. What if they used no electricity or water, and were not visible? Several countries, including China, and a couple of U.S. companies are evaluating fully automated underwater or floating data centers. These computing facilities would be powered by waves, ocean or river currents, or seawater energy, and cooled by the surrounding water.
These carbon-reducing technologies need support from our government. Let’s get busy.
David Voigts, Jesup
An honest man
Had enough hate, crime, poor leaders? Then it is time to find honest, hardworking people that will lead. I know it is hard, that is one of the reasons Diogenes carried a lit lamp during the day when looking for an honest man, there were not many. We can find one or two. Keep looking. We have found them in the past and can do so now. Vote.
Bob Black, Waterloo
Tired of house tours
I am so tired of the yearly Grout Historic District house tours! This is not the real Waterloo. Why don't the people spend time going to houses that are meant to be torn down, or just areas of the "great city" that need help with siding, sidewalks, you name it?
But no, as usual the only people (snobs) who get any attention are the rich. God bless people with money. You make me sick! Enjoy your big bucks while the rest of the city suffers. Have a great life!
I bet you all voted for Trump.
Cris Brunko, Waterloo
More like this...
The November election isn't just about the president, but about the Republicans in Congress who have enabled him, stayed silent and voted with him roughly 95% of the time.
There’s this and more:
1. Democracy: attacks elections and weakens checks and balances.
2. Corruption: turns government into a tool for personal and political interests.
3. Honesty: makes lies and disinformation acceptable and routine.
4. Rule of law: attacks judges, prosecutors and anyone who gets in his way.
5. War: War with no end and alienating allies.
6. Economy: tariffs, uncertainty and inflation, gas prices and lies.
7. Education: attacks teachers, universities, scientists and intelligence.
8. Cruelty: turns immigrants, opponents and even fellow Americans into enemies.
9. Presidency: replaces public service with vanity, loyalty and Trump's name everywhere.
10. (More), Epstein files, environment, health care, Communist buddies.
But Trump did not do this alone.
Fischer, Ricketts, Flood and Smith all could have said no. They had votes. They had power. And they could have slowed him down. But, they didn't.
Maybe they agreed. Maybe they were afraid. Maybe they simply didn't care enough to go against him.
The result is the same: They were his representatives, not ours!
Don’t waste your time listening to who they claim to be or what they promise to do. Look only at what they've already proven they are.
Just this once, forget the party labels. Vote for someone willing to say no to the next two years of an unleashed, unhinged and dangerous presidency.
Steve Rische, Crete
If Hilgers wants to vote in city elections, let him move into the city. But of course he wants it both ways: don't pay city taxes (property and wheel tax), but still have a say in city affairs. OK, so he does pay the city sales tax whenever he buys something in Lincoln, but so do other non-residents when they do business here.
Do you want to extend Lincoln voting rights to, let's say, all the out-of-town football and volleyball fans that attend games in Lincoln?
If you want to vote in Lincoln elections, move to Lincoln.
Hans Gilde, Lincoln
Once, the world viewed America as great because we were not a country that executed people based on unproven suspicion. "Innocent until proven guilty" was not just a slogan; it was a principle we believed in and lived by, defining our commitment to basic human rights.
Now, we tally up the body count of suspects targeted simply for being in the wrong boat in the wrong area. This dangerous policy will inevitably backfire when foreign nations decide it is fair game to target and kill American citizens based on mere suspicion. If we intend to set global standards, we must be prepared for those same standards to be applied to our own people.
Roger Doerr, Lincoln
I've noticed a lot of Journal space that has been dedicated to Deb Fischer and her band of Trump enablers. I have also noticed that she hasn't spent a lot of time before the midterms touching base here.
She and the rest of our so-called representatives, including the governor, have been spending most of their time pushing an authoritarian agenda for a failed businessman, cruel leader, prolific liar, grifter, mafia-esque boss wanting to use the power of the presidency to strong arm his way around the world. He has shown time and again that he does not care about any person in this country but himself.
The people that were sent to represent our state have only shown they care by taking credit for mostly Biden-era policy and funding and rubber stamping anything that the Republican party dictates. This is because 1, they really do not care about us — they care only for their seat; and 2, they have zero agenda for the next two years but to continue the cruelty, corruption, and outright breaking of the law (releasing the entirety of the Epstein files is a bipartisan law).
If you want representatives who genuinely care, for their whole term, about the people, then vote Democrat or independent this November — any Democrat or independent. If you are a Republican and cannot stomach ever voting in any way for another party, then please stay home.
Christine Stone, Lincoln
I dreamed I saw Ruth Thone last night,
Alive as you and me.
Says I, "But Ruth you're eight years dead."
"I never died " says she.
"I never died" says she.
The Gathering Place was your heart's cause,
dedicated to helping all.
But now Pete and Jim and Deb and Mike are trying to steal its light.
"They never cared before" says she.
"They never cared before" says she.
Rebecca Shacklett, Lincoln
Voting in November is more than civic responsibility. You can impact direction of U.S. policy and actions on global warming. Who we elect can make a difference, and counter consequences of "climate denial."
We must abandon our current path to disaster due to a status-quo approach to climate change, claiming these are natural cycles that will soon reverse. Misguided national policies encourage more fossil fuel use to "keep the economy afloat." Decisions that restrict rather than encourage development of cheaper renewable energy. Withdrawal from international agreements that embrace problems looming on the horizon, all indicators that ignore realities of global warming.
Strong evidence of current change: increased intensity of storms in the U.S. and heat waves in Europe that have killed thousands of people. These are not positive trends. One administrative response proposes closing the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) near Boulder, Colorado, a source of long-term data for immediate responses and long-term planning to alleviate climate challenges. Another is opening public lands for greater mining of fossil fuels. Clearly we are moving in the wrong directions.
"Vote with Climate in Mind" shout the current yard signs in Lincoln. What does that mean and what can we do? Critical actions now are meeting candidates for local and national elected positions, asking them about climate change, and how they will respond to development of renewable energy sources. We owe this to our children and future generations.
Charles Francis, Lincoln
Some people become cruel when they are given power and believe there will be no consequences.
That cruelty depends on spectators.
Dictatorial authoritarianism rarely survives through the actions of one person alone. It survives because others remain silent, look away, avoid taking sides, or convince themselves that what is happening is not their responsibility.
Passivity helps create the environment in which the abuse can continue. Silence does not make neutrality. Silence makes for part of the condition that allowes it.
The world is full of people who insist they are “not political,” “do not take sides,” or “prefer to stay out of conflict.” When people are being abused, persecuted, exploited, dehumanized or controlled, refusing to take a position is itself a position. It protects the status quo and leaves the victim to face the aggressor alone.
You do not need to be perfect, powerful, or heroic. Every person has some capacity to object, intervene, speak, organize, vote, support democracy, challenge lies, or refuse to cooperate with authoritarian dictate.
Those who use their capacity to harm others deserve condemnation.
Those who have the power to resist and repeatedly choose silence should not congratulate themselves for being neutral. They should ask why their comfort mattered more than another person’s suffering.
A better world is not created by private decency alone. It is created when people are willing to make their values visible, oppose those doing harm and accept some personal cost for standing beside those with less power.
Vote for change!
Robert Hegler, Cortland
In May 2025, the Department of Justice began requesting the full unredacted voter rolls from all states. These include our full names, home addresses, dates of birth and last four digits of our Social Security numbers. And if you have applied for a mail-in ballot, your driver's license number is also included. By law these lists are state property.
When 30 states declined to this request, DOJ began filing lawsuits against them. As of Aug. 17, 21 state suits have reached federal courts. All have been dismissed. States 21, DOJ 0.
Common Cause and the Nebraska ACLU were preparing to file suit for Nebraskans to prevent the release of our information, but last February Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen released the requested voter rolls to the DOJ with no resistance.
Election officials across the country suggest this is one of the administration’s efforts to interfere with upcoming elections. Once our information is in DOJ’s possession, we likely have no control over how it is used. Do we trust this DOJ with our private, sensitive information?
As an elected state official, Evnen’s loyalty should be to the law and to the citizens of Nebraska. Election officials in other states courageously challenged the bullies in Washington and won. Our governor is tight with the bullies, so it’s likely no one here could decline.
Mickey Seefeld, Lincoln
Congratulations to the boys from Lincoln East who earlier this month won the American Legion baseball national tournament held in Shelby, North Carolina.
They won by defeating a team from Portland, Oregon, 9-6. A number of teams from Nebraska have played in the Legion World Series but it's been since 1939 that a Nebraska team won it all.
I was very fortunate to have played Legion ball on a team made up of boys from Omaha North, sponsored by Storz beer. You would recognize the names of several of our players, among them Dave Underwood, who later coached baseball at NU; Bob Churchich, who quarterbacked the Huskers for three seasons, and the late Dan Sorensen, who taught and coached at Omaha North for many years and probably knew just about every high school athlete in Omaha during that time. That '61 Storz team played in the nationals at Hastings, taking third place.
That summer of winning bonded us players and our coach, the late Ken Bauermeister, together in a special, respectful, enjoyable and rewarding friendship that remains active and strong yet today, some 65 years later.
Relatively few earn the opportunity to accomplish what you fellows from East have. This will remain a highlight of your lives, for sure. Embrace it and all the parents, family, teachers and friends who made your success possible. It will bond you guys together for a lifetime.
Roger Baumann, Plymouth, Minn.
Becky Conners recently wrote about utilizing Activate America to get out the vote, noting that "higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented." (Journal Star, Aug. 21).
The same argument is made in favor of vote by mail. And yet when Lincoln held its 2020 school bond vote entirely by mail, the response rate was a sad 34%.
Sadder still was that the most recent city primary vote drew 25% of registered voters, and the last city general election was 27%.
But the 2024 nationwide general election saw 78% voter participation for the county.
Last year, state Sen. John Cavanaugh proposed, and the state passed, legislation allowing Lincoln and Omaha to move the dates of their local elections so that they could coincide with presidential elections.
"Cavanaugh said having the races in November could help boost turnout and also save on money and manpower for local election officials," reported the Omaha World-Herald.
I don't think there is any question about either of those. The question is, why has Lincoln not put this before the voters for a decision. If the petition effort succeeds in getting this on the ballot, Lincoln voters will finally get their chance to be heard.
If Lincoln can double or triple its voter turnout just by changing the date, we should do it.
Kris Thompson, Lincoln
You can tell how desperate Ricketts is to keep his Senate seat by the outrageous lies and innuendos being hurled at Dan Osborn. A fundraiser was abruptly canceled when Osborn wanted nothing to do with it upon discovering a sponsor had a distant relationship to Epstein. That didn’t stop Ricketts from insinuating a darker connection. Ricketts, on the other hand, has no issue with his endorsement from Trump who was a frequent party buddy with Epstein and appears over a thousand times in the Epstein files! (Where are the rest of those files by the way?).
And the nearly $500,000 Ricketts claims Osborn pocketed was actually used for campaign expenses, was not illegal and is another headline-type campaign distraction. Oh, and let’s throw in that dreaded “liberal” label that Republicans have conditioned us to believe is something more sinister than seeking equal opportunities and respect for people along with assisting people in need. This while our “conservative” representatives work to protect their fortunes and sit idly by while our president bullies the Middle East, alienates allies, turns the presidency into grift central, smothers our White House with tacky gold and blows our national debt to a record $40 trillion, including pet building projects he can put his name on at our expense!
This is what we get when the Republicans control all the levers of government. If you’re looking for oversight it appears there’s no one home. Democracy works best when we have some balance. It’s time to elect people who actually experience the day-to-day struggles. People who identify with the majority of the people who work daily for the necessities rather than the perks of power. The Founding Fathers envisioned a representative government. Let’s try a representative that doesn’t live on an unlimited trust fund. Let’s vote for Dan Osborn.
Mike Donlan, Sr., Lincoln
Our climate keeps heating up with dire effects, but our governmental leaders seem incapable of finding solutions to get us out of this mess that we have caused. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change. Almost every day, there are new ideas that have the possibility of helping with this goal. Recently, two promising technologies caught my eye.
The first one was reported in an article in the Iowa Stater magazine about research to stop the venting of carbon dioxide from abandoned oil and gas wells. They would be plugged by injecting a newly developed bio-oil made from leftover harvest and forest waste products into them. Not only would this keep carbon dioxide from escaping, but by using plant-based materials, like corn stalks, it also would trap this carbon far underground. If the process is fully developed, it could have the additional benefit of generating a new revenue stream for farmers and foresters.
The other emerging technology involves data centers that are often controversial, but what if they used no electricity or water, and were not visible? This sounds like a pipe dream, but several countries, including China, and a couple of U.S. companies are evaluating fully automated underwater or floating data centers. These computing facilities would be powered by waves, ocean or river currents, or seawater energy, and cooled by the surrounding water. Also, since they would be under water or floating, they would take up no land and would be out of sight. Data from the facilities would be transmitted by satellites.
These and other carbon-reducing technologies need support from our government and a streamlined regulatory process instead of the current governmental gridlock. Let’s get busy.
David Voigts, Jesup
As a parent and teacher, I’m worried about the future of education under Zach Lahn.
After graduating from public school here in Cedar Falls, I spent 11 years teaching Catholic school before becoming a principal. After my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I tried to enroll her in a local private school, but they didn’t even show up for a meeting.
I’ve been a paraeducator in Cedar Falls since 2017. I’ve seen firsthand the cuts Republicans have made to funding public schools, both as a worker and a parent. Their attacks make an already difficult job harder.
I rely on Medicaid because I don’t make a livable wage working in a public school. I believe the system is broken, and Zach Lahn, who said Iowa spends too much on public education and called Medicaid expansion “bad policy,” would only make it worse. Lahn treats teachers like the bad guys, falsely claiming we teach kids a certain ideology or to hate our history. That’s a lie -- it’s wrong.
After attending Rob Sand’s town hall in Waverly this month with two fellow teachers, I left even more convinced: Iowa needs a governor who believes in public education. Lahn doesn't.
Kathy Butler, Cedar Falls
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
It is strange indeed that in this century we would have to actually defend freedom of speech, a right that has been hard won even to the point of bloodshed. If the Enlightenment taught us anything, it is that freedom of speech came about through a willingness of those who held opposing viewpoints to engage in argument, discussion, and heated debate. What have we seen? The radical left has changed its position from championing free speech to banning it and allowing only "oppressed" groups to speak. The argument is that minorities, such as those in the LGBTQ communities, have been discriminated against, and therefore, to level the playing field, we must curb the social power of the dominant group that for so long has used free speech to uphold their position of power. Racism and sexism must be attacked vigorously. The one way to do that is to deny certain groups the right to speak. They only have the right to remain silent.
Thank you Trump administration for well-adjusted thinking. We appreciate your efforts to see "Righteousness exalted"-- Proverbs 14:34.
Dave Smith, Waterloo
Had enough hate, crime, poor leaders? Then it is time to find honest, hardworking people that will lead. I know it is hard, that is one of the reasons Diogenes carried a lit lamp during the day when looking for an honest man, there were not many. We can find one or two. Keep looking. We have found them in the past and can do so now. Vote.
Bob Black, Waterloo
I am so tired of the yearly Grout Historic District house tours! This is not the real Waterloo. Why don't the people spend time going to houses that are meant to be torn down, or just areas of the "great city" that need help with siding, sidewalks, you name it?
But no, as usual the only people (snobs) who get any attention are the rich. God bless people with money. You make me sick! Enjoy your big bucks while the rest of the city suffers. Have a great life!
I bet you all voted for Trump.
Cris Brunko, Waterloo
Defend free speech
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
It is strange indeed that in this century we would have to actually defend freedom of speech, a right that has been hard won even to the point of bloodshed. If the Enlightenment taught us anything, it is that freedom of speech came about through a willingness of those who held opposing viewpoints to engage in argument, discussion, and heated debate. What have we seen? The radical left has changed its position from championing free speech to banning it and allowing only "oppressed" groups to speak. The argument is that minorities, such as those in the LGBTQ communities, have been discriminated against, and therefore, to level the playing field, we must curb the social power of the dominant group that for so long has used free speech to uphold their position of power. Racism and sexism must be attacked vigorously. The one way to do that is to deny certain groups the right to speak. They only have the right to remain silent.
Thank you Trump administration for well-adjusted thinking. We appreciate your efforts to see "Righteousness exalted"-- Proverbs 14:34.
Dave Smith, Waterloo
Climate techologies
Our climate keeps heating up. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change.
The first one was reported in an article in the Iowa Stater magazine about research to stop the venting of carbon dioxide from abandoned oil and gas wells. They would be plugged by injecting a newly developed bio-oil made from leftover harvest and forest waste products into them. By using plant-based materials, it would trap this carbon far underground. It could have the additional benefit of generating a new revenue stream for farmers.
The other emerging technology involves data centers. What if they used no electricity or water, and were not visible? Several countries, including China, and a couple of U.S. companies are evaluating fully automated underwater or floating data centers. These computing facilities would be powered by waves, ocean or river currents, or seawater energy, and cooled by the surrounding water.
These carbon-reducing technologies need support from our government. Let’s get busy.
David Voigts, Jesup
An honest man
Had enough hate, crime, poor leaders? Then it is time to find honest, hardworking people that will lead. I know it is hard, that is one of the reasons Diogenes carried a lit lamp during the day when looking for an honest man, there were not many. We can find one or two. Keep looking. We have found them in the past and can do so now. Vote.
Bob Black, Waterloo
Tired of house tours
I am so tired of the yearly Grout Historic District house tours! This is not the real Waterloo. Why don't the people spend time going to houses that are meant to be torn down, or just areas of the "great city" that need help with siding, sidewalks, you name it?
But no, as usual the only people (snobs) who get any attention are the rich. God bless people with money. You make me sick! Enjoy your big bucks while the rest of the city suffers. Have a great life!
I bet you all voted for Trump.
Cris Brunko, Waterloo
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