Loren Lippincott
We are now about three weeks into the special legislative session called by Gov. Jim Pillen to find measures to lower local property taxes in Nebraska. So far we have had a great number of “solutions” thrown our way. A record number of 81 bills have been submitted by lawmakers to address this single issue. With so much pressure to look for other sources of revenue to replace property taxes, I have received a record number of emails from Nebraskans, not only from my district but from across the state, asking me to please spare their “turf” and not increase taxes on certain items or begin taxing their particular pet product. This is completely understandable given the fact that everyone wants to protect his or her own personal interests.
I’ve noticed that when discussing the subject of taxes, the word “fair” is batted about like a ball in a tennis game. However, as is often said, “What’s fair for thee, is not fair for me or the man behind the tree.” Fair is a relative term! (It’s interesting to note that the word ‘fair” is not in the Hebrew dictionary.) Routinely special interest groups hire lobbying firms to defend their turf. These lobbyists are master salesmen, hired to sell their particular slant on the subject to legislators. Often new legislators are easily seduced by the attention, perks and flattery provided by these paid influencers. However, it is the responsibility of an elected representative to balance the interests of the few against what’s best for the majority of citizens. While this may not make a public official very popular with certain lobbyists, it is the path of true statesmanship. As former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “The moment you decide, you divide.”
Once a bill makes it out of committee and onto the floor of the legislature to be debated openly, all kinds of persuasion tactics are employed–both good and bad. The heat of legislative battle often takes me back to my days in the U.S. Air Force. As flight instructors we often had to remind ourselves of the contrast between good teaching techniques and bad ones. One of the negative and least productive techniques is what we called “fear, intimidation and ridicule.” As my dad used to say, “Honey attracts flies better than vinegar!” In other words, positive feedback and encouragement (sprinkled with liberal doses of objective truth) always get better results than negativity, insults and hostility. Far too often I have seen just such a venomous verbal barrage coming from a certain group of our Lincoln family which it appears to think is the best persuasion tactic out there. But as I think back on my own life, when I have used fear, intimidation and ridicule in relationships or debate, it has never produced my desired results… never!
Nearly every day at work in the Unicameral I have to remind myself of a right course of action found in 1 Corinthians 14:3, “…but everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.” (“Prophesies” in this context means “declaring truth”) I try to make it my goal to deal with others with their best interests and humanity in mind, even when we vehemently disagree on an issue. That way I’m protecting both my own soul and theirs.
I have found that a good technique for finding solutions to any disagreement about legislation is to take the arguments for a bill (pros) and arguments against a bill (cons) and do my best to weigh them equally while straining out as best I can my own preconceived ideas. While keeping objective moral truth at the forefront, I try to put my personal will and prejudices in neutral so that the truth and the good of the majority will prevail. However, that’s not always an easy path to walk because as Chuck Missler said, “The sure barrier to truth is to assume you have it.”
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.