While talking of equality of education the Unicameral and Education Committee continue to create legislation with the intent to provide money and resources to the urban school districts within the state. Because representation of rural and urban interests within the Legislature is so imbalanced, urban schools can and do oversimply education and ask that funding be figured on an individual student basis. Endless debate in the Legislature about urban poverty and lack of opportunity, while the same poverty and lack of opportunity exists outstate, only in a manner and form harder to document. We don't have social workers and programs in every town or school to build up numbers to create funding. Instead the Unicameral just continues to turn a blind eye on the rest of the state while righteously talking about statewide improvements in education.

Professing to be in partnership with the local school boards, districts and teacher unions within the state, the Unicameral instead ignores the education establishment in Nebraska and has declared itself a dictator, bent on favoring the schools within the urban areas. Since the start of state funding, look at the number of schools closed in the rural areas of the state and then compare that with the number of new schools opened in the Lincoln and Omaha areas.

Talking of equality, the Unicameral allows legislation to be passed which causes rural schools to cut programs because of the lack of funding, while using the same legislation to create new avenues of funding for the urban schools in Omaha and Lincoln. Ultimately causing the schools in the rest of the state to put the education of its students behind the goal of basic survival.

Creating testing regulations and programs designed to make it easier to politically police the education of Nebraska's students, instead of improving the education of the state's students. Programs designed to create data to justify political process instead of the education of Nebraska's youth. As an educator in outstate Nebraska, thank you for a job well done.

All hail the Unicameral, autocracy in action !

Doug Polk

Kearney

Gloor leadership appreciated

On behalf of people throughout Nebraska who are affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, I am honored to add my support to Mr. Mike Gloor's bid for the District 35 state Legislature seat.

Because of their friendship with community leader Mr. John Brownell, who died in 2005 from complications caused by ALS, Gloor and his friends and fellow sailors, known as "The Crew," worked on a variety of area awareness and funding projects in the fight against ALS. Even after their friend and captain passed away, the Crew has continued to help people who are affected by this terrible disease. They hosted the successful ALS in the Heartland Oktoberfest on Sept. 22 at Fonner Park. It is a great community event that has become an essential part of our mission.

Mike Gloor is an evenhanded, approachable leader who is always willing to roll up his sleeves to help the ALS community. I consider him one of our great allies, and I have no doubt that his natural leadership and admirable character will benefit our state in the same way his skills and kindness continue to benefit the ALS community.

Steve Langan, executive director,

ALS in the Heartland, Omaha