Copyright 2000 The Omaha World-Herald Company
Omaha
World-Herald
April 2, 2000, Sunday SUNRISE EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 2a;
LENGTH: 854 words
HEADLINE:
U.S. Senate Hopefuls Divided On Vouchers, Web Tax, Census
BYLINE: C. DAVID KOTOK
SOURCE:
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: Kearney, Neb.
BODY:
School vouchers, Internet taxation and census
questions revealed some contrasts Saturday among the seven U.S. Senate
candidates. The participation of former Gov. Ben Nelson with the six Republicans
failed to generate a tag-team attack on the lone major Democratic candidate, who
was running 31 points or more ahead of any of the Republicans in The
World-Herald Poll taken late last month. George Grogan, an Omaha businessman
making his first bid, quipped at one point: "It sounds like there are seven
Republicans up here, but that is not the case." While there was much agreement,
the Republicans were not all reading from the same script as they stressed
differences that they hope will provide an advantage as they head into the May 9
primary. Elliott Rustad, a Lincoln physician, Dave Hergert, a Scottsbluff
agribusinessman, and Grogan emphasized that they are not politicians and can
provide fresh approaches. Attorney General Don Stenberg, Secretary of State
Scott Moore and Nelson said their political experience qualifies them to go to
the Senate. Former State Sen. John DeCamp, who has become a perennial candidate,
assumed the role of provocateur, demanding "sound ideas instead of sound bites."
The forum, sponsored by the Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association,
was in the style of a joint press conference. It was not a debate with rebuttals
and direct exchanges. On the question of giving the parents of school-age
children financial vouchers to pay for public or private education, the opinions
ran from strong support to opposition. "I'm in favor of parents' choice," said
Stenberg, a longtime champion of social conservatives pushing the voucher
issues. Stenberg said he was insulted when he saw President Clinton send his
daughter to private school but not make a similar choice available to lower- and
middle-income parents. Hergert, who started a private Christian school in
Scottsbluff 11 years ago, stepped around the question by declaring his intention
to close the U.S. Department of Education and send all its budget money back to
the states. Rustad expressed sympathy for parents paying property taxes to
support public schools while paying private-school tuition. But he also
expressed a fear that vouchers could damage public education. Moore noted the
popularity of vouchers among Republican voters and split the difference. "I'm
not against vouchers," he said. "But they are not high on my priority list."
Choice already exists in Nebraska, Nelson said, with parents able "to choose any
number of public schools." A new system could dilute funds for the public
schools, he said. The question also gave Moore a chance to jab his
less-experienced rivals who proposed sending more federal dollars back to the
states without any strings. If they believe the federal government will increase
dollars and cut strings, Moore said, they are in "la-la land." Grogan and Moore
had contrasting appraisals of the man all the candidates are trying to replace -
Democrat Bob Kerrey, who has decided not to run for a third term. Grogan said he
will "vote the people's will," unlike Kerrey, who he said went to Washington and
voted for "Clinton-Gore down the line." Moore put Kerrey among a group a special
senators, including Democrat Gilbert Hitchcock, Republican George Norris and the
state's other current senator, Chuck Hagel, a Republican. Nelson, the Democrat,
did not mention Kerrey. Instead, he invoked Republican presidential candidate
George W. Bush, who is willing to address the question of sales
tax on Internet purchases. Access to the
Internet should not be taxed, said Nelson, to the agreement of
the others. But e-sales should not be given a substantial
advantage over retailers who have to add the state sales tax to the total, he
said. Grogan, Rustad and Hergert said they don't want any Internet taxes, at
least for now. Moore said he sees the Internet as "the key to a renaissance of
rural Nebraska." Stenberg focused more on coordinating state and federal efforts
to keep the Internet out of the hands of sexual predators and Internet
pornography out of the hands of children. DeCamp insisted that, like all
technological breakthroughs, the Internet should be allowed to develop without
regulations. The new controversy over some of the questions on the Census 200
long form also found Hergert, Rustad and Stenberg adopting the position that the
forms invade a person's privacy. Grogan advised people to follow the law and
fill it out. In the future, he said, there should be a more sensitive review of
the questions. Nelson said he found some questions distasteful but necessary
information for the distribution of federal funds. Moore and DeCamp were not
troubled by the questions on the form. Moore said his wife filled out the long
form without complaint. "The government probably knows less about me than Land's
End, L.L. Bean and Amazon.com," Moore said. How many more times the candidates
will answer questions in a debate or forum before the May 9 primary is
uncertain. The only scheduled debate will be late this month in Fremont.
LOAD-DATE: April 4, 2000 
