I recently appeared at the State Capitol to testify on the need for road funding. A Senator decided to bring forward a bill that would reverse last year’s action by the Legislature to fund roads and the Lincoln South Beltway.
The Lincoln Independent Business Association strongly opposes LB1098. We believe more roads are necessary for the safety of Lincoln residents, as well as the residents of the entire State of Nebraska.
In the past 11 years, 17 people have lost their lives in tragic accidents on Highway 2. To clarify, these 17 deaths occurred in the stretch of Highway 2 that goes through the City of Lincoln. Highway 2, from east Lincoln to west Lincoln, is very dangerous and keeps taking lives. According to the NDOR 20 year plan, Highway 2 is the only Nebraska highway in the “red zone” or the extreme category for semi-truck traffic in the future. And things are just going to get worse unless we do something about it. LB84 allows us to do something about it.
The City of Lincoln, Lancaster County and NDOR have already invested a significant amount in purchasing right-of-way for the protection of the Lincoln South Beltway. According to the Lincoln Journal Star, the State has spent about $10 million (80 percent of it federal money, 10 percent city and 10 percent state) for engineering and the purchase of two large parcels of land for the beltway.
The beltway has been contemplated for the last 40 years. There must be a plan in place to move forward and get the beltway built. LB84 is the plan and it’s in place, but LB1098 would put the beltway, and several other needed road projects, on the backburner for who knows how many more years.
In June of 2009, U.S. Senator Ben Nelson told Lincoln Journal Star reporter Don Walton that he had concern over “the lack of progress on the Lincoln South Beltway.”
Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler summed up the importance of a south beltway in 2009 when he told the Lincoln Journal Star that the beltway’s completion is crucial to Lincoln’s economic vitality and driver safety.
For the safety of our families in Lincoln and across the state, please tell your state senator to oppose LB1098.
On the other hand, LIBA supports LB745. The bill requires a vote of the people to enact an occupation tax. It also requires a sunset on the tax when the bonds are paid in full. This is nothing short of good policy. It promotes transparency in government and allows the good taxpayers of Nebraska to determine which projects they would like to fund.
LB745 ensures that occupation taxes will not become an extension of sales and use taxes with no accountability. Nebraskans will know what they’re paying for, how much they’re paying and how long they’ll pay for it. LIBA supports LB745.
LIBA studies and promotes these types of issues that are important to businesses and our community. If you have an interest in joining LIBA, please call Coby Mach at 466-3419. LIBA membership is not restricted to just businesses. We also have “individual” memberships for those who want to help influence our local government decisions.