Published Sunday | April 27, 2008
Schools, taxes hot issues for District 13 candidates
BY TOM SHAW
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10320597

Education and taxes are key issues for the seven candidates in Omaha's District 13 race for the Nebraska Legislature.

The top two finishers in the May 13 primary will advance to the November general election. Term limits are forcing incumbent State Sen. Lowen Kruse to leave after eight years in office.

Six of the candidates are Democrats and one is a Republican; the race is officially nonpartisan.

District 13 covers a wide area, ranging from the secluded homes of Cunningham Lake and the Ponca Hills to the urban neighborhoods of Florence and north-central Omaha.

Donna M. Adams, who runs a counseling agency, said wards of the state and children in foster care need better support services in areas such as mental health.

"There's a great number of things that can be improved in foster care," Adams said.

She said the question is whether lawmakers and the people of the state are willing to spend more money on such improvements.

For education generally, Adams said, state and local leaders need to make sure that schools provide a positive learning environment. She said that includes having clean school buildings, students treating each other and their teachers with respect, and many other issues.

Candidate Jackie Casey said property taxes are too high and people are afraid to improve their homes because of higher valuations.

She said home valuations should not rise unless property is sold. The state's current system requires assessors to place similar valuations on similar properties, called equalization.

Casey, a day care owner, also believes social programs for children and young adults could be run more efficiently to save taxpayer money.

Tanya Cook, a former director of urban affairs for Gov. Dave Heineman and his predecessor, Mike Johanns, said gainful employment and early childhood education are important.

Residents, she said, want jobs where there are opportunities to move up, earn more money and take on greater responsibility.

With greater income, Cook said, comes more opportunities for families to save for their children and retirement. She said good jobs help to anchor families and communities.

Cook said her experience is well-suited for a district with residents of varying economic levels.

Ron Geringer said more state support should go to education, from the elementary to university levels. Higher education, he said, deserves to be in the discussion about how effectively state funding is distributed.

He said a better education system would encourage more businesses to come to Nebraska and encourage others to stay.

Douglas County records show that Geringer was late in recent years paying property taxes on his home and three rental properties. Since 2002, he has been late 36 times and paid $1,200 in total interest. Payments can be made in two installments each year.

He said he had cash flow problems and that his ability to pay on time depended on whether his properties were fully rented and the expense of making improvements to the rentals.

Geringer, who runs a Web design firm, was fired from his job with the City of Omaha Planning Department in 1988. He was accused of having a financial interest in his wife's corporation and helping it acquire a tax-delinquent house from a city-county commission. The firing was upheld by the City Personnel Board and a district court judge.

Geringer said he had no association with the land commission at the time the land was purchased. His wife obtained the property and added his name to the deed because they were married.

Kurt Geschwender, a real estate agent, said property assessments for elderly and low-income homeowners should be frozen.

The lone Republican in the race, he said local schools and governments shouldn't be allowed to reap property tax windfalls when property valuations go up.

Geschwender also wants to make sure that public benefits do not go to illegal immigrants.

"They break into your house," he said, referring to the United States, "and then they ask you for a handout."

He also said children of illegal immigrants receive benefits paid for by taxes.

"We're feeding them, what, two or three meals a day in the schools, that's why they're there. Those people are a burden on the working taxpayers of the state."

A federal program provides school meals to students for free or at a reduced rate based on family income. The family has to apply for the program.

Geschwender said he did not have figures showing how much taxpayer money is spent on the services he believes illegal immigrants are abusing.

Darcy Tromanhauser, director of the immigration program at the Nebraska Appleseed Center, said that, in general, illegal immigrants pay taxes to support services for which they are not eligible, such as food stamps.

Tromanhauser said a study of the economic impact of immigration in Nebraska is being conducted at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She said a Texas study from a few years ago indicated that illegal immigrants paid almost $425 million more in state taxes than was spent on education, health care and corrections.

Chris K. Green, who owns a software business, is a vocal opponent of the Iraq war. He said he wants the state to recall Nebraska's National Guard troops from the war.

Green said Guard members "have sacrificed jobs and limbs" in the war, and he believes the nation has not had enough troops at home to help with major disasters.

Although other states have raised the issue of recalling their Guard troops, the federal government has authority to place National Guard members on full-time, active duty for wartime missions.

Green also wants no state sales tax charged on vehicles that run on E85, a type of ethanol. He said that would encourage more alternative fuel use and more gas stations to carry E85, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Many stations carry a 10 percent ethanol blend.

David Newell, a real estate investor and former state senator, proposes that the state pay the property taxes on the first $10,000 of assessed valuation for homeowners. That way, homeowners would get a tax reduction and local governments wouldn't be shorted property tax money, he said.

Newell, current chairman of the Metropolitan Community College board, also believes that young people need help affording college. He said one way to cut costs is to have some institutions focus on research, while others focus on teaching.

In 1995, Newell resigned as manager of the City-County Building and Douglas County Courthouse following an allegation that he had physically harassed a female employee.

Newell said he took a paper from the employee's hand that she was about to throw out. There was no harassment, he said, and the allegation was never proved.

Donna M. Adams

Age: 40

Party affiliation: Democrat

Address: 9205 Timberline Drive

Occupation: chief executive officer, Adams Counseling and Consulting Agency of Omaha and Sigma Treatment Foster Care

Education: bachelor's degree, sociology, Lincoln University (Missouri), 1990; master's degree, education guidance and counseling, Lincoln University, 1993; master's degree, education administration and supervision, Lincoln University, 1997; master's degree, human services, Bellevue University, 1999

Previous offices held, sought: none

Family: divorced, four children

Web site: none


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Jackie Casey

Age: 52

Party affiliation: Democrat

Address: 3703 Mormon St.

Occupation: owner, Crayon Castle child care center

Education: graduate, Omaha Notre Dame Academy, 1973

Previous offices held, sought: none

Family: married, nine children

Web site: none


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Tanya Cook

Age: 43

Party affiliation: Democrat

Address: 2929 Mormon St.

Occupation: president, City Girl Communications

Education: bachelor's degree, business administration, Georgetown University, 1986; master's degree, training and development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1994.

Previous offices held, sought: none

Family: none

Web site: votetanyacook.com


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Ron Geringer

Age: 66

Party affiliation: Democrat

Address: 5508 N. 63rd St.

Occupation: operates Web design and hosting firm

Education: bachelor's degree, general studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1974; master's degree, public administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1976

Military: Army, 1959-62

Previous offices held, sought: none

Family: married, three grown children

Web site: under construction


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Kurt Geschwender

Age: 59

Party affiliation: Republican

Address: 12345 N. 36th St.

Occupation: owner, Geschwender Real Estate

Education: graduate, Omaha Burke High School, 1967

Military: Marine Corps, 1967-69; Vietnam War veteran

Previous offices held, sought: none

Family: divorced, two grown children

Web site: kurtgforlegislature.com


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Chris K. Green

Age: 57

Party affiliation: Democrat

Address: 3302 Belvedere Blvd.

Occupation: CK GREEN Inc. software consulting firm

Education: graduate, Omaha Roncalli High School, 1969

Military: Naval Reserve, 1972-73

Previous offices held, sought: none

Family: married, one stepson; five children from previous marriage

Web site: none


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David Newell

Age: 61

Party affiliation: Democrat

Address: 7165 Mormon Bridge Road

Occupation: real estate investor

Education: bachelor's degree, education, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1971

Military: Army, 1967-69; Vietnam War veteran

Previous offices held, sought: Metro Community College Board, 2002-present; Legislature, 1977-85; ran for Douglas County register of deeds, 2000

Family: married, two grown children

Web site: davenewell.org