INQUIRING YOUNG NEBRASKA MINDS WANT TO KNOW

One of the things I enjoy most about being Nebraska's Senator is traveling around the state, visiting with people and finding out what's on their minds, which, by the way, is the answer to one of many questions I was asked during the February recess…. What is the favorite part of my job?

When Congress takes a recess I don't take a break from work, I just change work locations from Washington to Nebraska.

At a school assembly in Grand Island students asked dozens of questions. I want to share some with you not only to see what’s on their minds but to illustrate how well informed they are.

If we leave Iraq are we safe from terrorism?

The war on terrorism is far from over but in Iraq we must transition the mission. The surge gave the Iraqi government time to show progress in self governance but it failed to meet the benchmarks. U.S. forces should focus on our national security objectives in Iraq which are fighting terrorists, maintaining Iraq’s border integrity, protecting American assets and personnel and training Iraqi soldiers.

Can we afford the "free" money being distributed to help the economy?

Because of the sinking economy, can we afford not to do it? The goal for the economic stimulus package is not to add to the debt, it is to minimize whatever economic perils we face so the economy doesn't get worse. In the long run, an extended recession will do much more damage to our national debt than a short-term stimulus package.

What is your plan to address illegal immigration?

Secure the borders first. At the same time, we must fix our broken system for legal immigration so that it isn't a barrier to those that want to come here legally. We also need to consider how to improve the system of work visas for farm workers. I do not support efforts to provide amnesty or a path to citizenship for those here illegally because we have seen that this tends to encourage more illegal border crossings.

How can we cut back on the amount of water to produce ethanol?

On average, the production of one gallon of ethanol requires three gallons of water. Most of that water is recycled and reused by the ethanol plant. New technologies are helping to lower water consumption by about 25%. The U.S. ethanol industry requires a total of about 44 million gallons of fresh water per day which is less than three-tenths of 1 percent of total U.S. industrial daily fresh water usage. The future of ethanol holds promise for less water usage as other crops, wastes, and cellulosic materials that require less water join with corn in providing the source for future biofuels.

Fun Questions

Where did you go to High School? McCook. How often do you see the President? Several times a year at the State of the Union Address, the White House Christmas Party and other business and social events. What do you have to do to be a senator? Be at least 30 years old, an American citizen for a minimum of 9 years, and win an election. Do you have a hobby? I like to hunt and fish and cut wood at my cabin.

I came away from that school assembly with a renewed sense of faith in the future leaders of America. They are bright, informed and caring which is a credit to their families and teachers. The country will be in good hands.

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	Column	February 25, 2008
INQUIRING YOUNG NEBRASKA MINDS WANT TO KNOW One of the things I enjoy most about being Nebraska's Senator is traveling around the state, visiting with people and finding out what's on their minds, which, by the way, is the answer to one of many questions I was asked during the February recess…. What is the favorite part of my job? When Congress takes a recess I don't take a break from work, I just change work locations from Washington to Nebraska. At a school assembly in Grand Island students asked dozens of questions. I want to share some with you not only to see what’s on their minds but to illustrate how well informed they are. If we leave Iraq are we safe from terrorism? The war on terrorism is far from over but in Iraq we must transition the mission. The surge gave the Iraqi government time to show progress in self governance but it failed to meet the benchmarks. U.S. forces should focus on our national security objectives in Iraq which are fighting terrorists, maintaining Iraq’s border integrity, protecting American assets and personnel and training Iraqi soldiers. Can we afford the "free" money being distributed to help the economy? Because of the sinking economy, can we afford not to do it? The goal for the economic stimulus package is not to add to the debt, it is to minimize whatever economic perils we face so the economy doesn't get worse. In the long run, an extended recession will do much more damage to our national debt than a short-term stimulus package. What is your plan to address illegal immigration? Secure the borders first. At the same time, we must fix our broken system for legal immigration so that it isn't a barrier to those that want to come here legally. We also need to consider how to improve the system of work visas for farm workers. I do not support efforts to provide amnesty or a path to citizenship for those here illegally because we have seen that this tends to encourage more illegal border crossings. How can we cut back on the amount of water to produce ethanol? On average, the production of one gallon of ethanol requires three gallons of water. Most of that water is recycled and reused by the ethanol plant. New technologies are helping to lower water consumption by about 25%. The U.S. ethanol industry requires a total of about 44 million gallons of fresh water per day which is less than three-tenths of 1 percent of total U.S. industrial daily fresh water usage. The future of ethanol holds promise for less water usage as other crops, wastes, and cellulosic materials that require less water join with corn in providing the source for future biofuels. Fun Questions Where did you go to High School? McCook. How often do you see the President? Several times a year at the State of the Union Address, the White House Christmas Party and other business and social events. What do you have to do to be a senator? Be at least 30 years old, an American citizen for a minimum of 9 years, and win an election. Do you have a hobby? I like to hunt and fish and cut wood at my cabin. I came away from that school assembly with a renewed sense of faith in the future leaders of America. They are bright, informed and caring which is a credit to their families and teachers. The country will be in good hands. ###