Politics

Bits and Pieces from Public Writings

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The following information was sent to Nebraska Citizen from Douglas Polk on October 24, 2005.  Doug does not have a web page nor apparently the ability to have one made.  Doug provided the picture you see here.  He has given Nebraska Citizen permission to post the following:

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I wanted to write and introduce myself. My name is Doug Polk and I am a republican candidate for the House of Representatives.  

In the news if you have heard of my campaign you have probably heard that I am a substitute teacher in the Kearney School System. While I would rather not have it become a part of the campaign I feel I should explain why I am a substitute teacher and living in Kearney, Nebraska.  My oldest son, Ethan, is a special needs child. He faces the daily challenge of living with cerebral palsy, and is mildly to moderately developmentally delayed, (retarded. . .though I prefer developmentally delayed.) Due to the challenges of Ethan’s situation, my wife and I agreed that being a substitute teacher allows me more flexibility than to teach full time. The reason we reside in Kearney is because of the need to be near medical facilities capable of dealing with Ethan’s situation. We had lived in Ansley, Nebraska for eight years until the doctors mandated that we move to a more medically equipped community.

Born and raised in Oshkosh, NE, until my freshman year of high school, I moved to Stapleton, Nebraska . My family owned two ranches on the Dismal River of central Nebraska. We lost one of the ranches in the 1980's and my sister and her husband operate the other. I have lived in the district my entire life. I love the Sand Hills, and truly feel an ache to be away from them. I am an educator having taught or coached at Shelton, Broken Bow, Gates Rural School, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller and the "I Believe in ME" Ranch in Kearney, NE. I should probably mention I also was on the Advisory Committee the State Board of Education regarding special education back in the early 1990's.

I have experience in the newspaper industry, working as a Sports Editor at the Custer County CHIEF, and as an editor of the Minden COURIER. I also was a columnist and outdoor reporter for the Kearney HUB. I am also a published author and poet, and have experience working in the Insurance Industry as an independent agent out of my brother and father's Insurance Agency formerly in Stapleton, Nebraska. (Graduate of UNK)

The reason I decided to run from congress was and is because I am concerned about many of the recent developments in government.

Being an educator I am very concerned about the federal government’s intervention into education with the No Child Left Behind Act. This could cause major future problems, and takes more control from the local area. Responsibility has to stay at the local level, I believe responsibility is what creates community. Knowing we can rely on each other and are responsible for each other, to me is much more comforting than thinking about Washington looking after the needs of my children.

I believe The War on Terror can not continue to be used as an excuse to expand governmental power. The war in Iraq also raises many questions regarding U.S. involvement in the region. I, personally, find the situation upsetting because of number of my former  students and colleagues are or have been on duty in Iraq. When many of the students were talked into the National Guard to pay for college the impression left with a number of them was that the Guard was a way to avoid active involvement.  I am not sure many of these kids were and are trained to the degree they needed to be to be over in Iraq.

The water situation in the western U.S. only continues to get worse. If the state doesn’t get some definite water laws and definitions into the law books, I believe our water will be targeted by many of the  more populated states of the arid west.

The agricultural sector of the economy continues being neglected by Washington and the politicians. I don’t think much of the nation realizes or understands how critical the situation is in agriculture and rural America. Light needs to be brought to the situation and real attempts made to change the culture of Washington regarding agriculture. It seems to often agriculture has been repeatedly sold out by the Washington politicians. There are not any easy solutions, but let’s quit attempting the same old sorry solutions over and over again.

The medical situation in rural America is depressing. While Kearney is a beautiful place and a wonderful place to live, it would be nice to have the medical facilities to allow many of us to live where we chose. Since moving to Kearney I have met a number of people, many older folks, who also were forced or felt forced to leave the rural areas because of the lack of health care.  This problem also needs to be explored and addressed.

Education, water, government intervention and foreign involvements,  agriculture, and the medical situation of rural America  are the main issues I will be discussing in my campaign. There are no easy answers or easy fixes, but the hardest part sometimes is just being heard . . .That is what my campaign is about, getting your voices heard. Attempting to get the voices of the rank and file republicans in the district heard, I do not ask for political contributions for my campaign. Too many times those contributions come from a small wealthy minority more interested in maintaining power or protecting their own interests instead of initiating true change.

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Well, I thank you kindly for your time. .
 

Thanks again,

 

 Douglas L. Polk
 1714 9th Avenue
 Kearney, NE 68845

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Douglas Polk - $0 raised, '06 election cycle, Nebraska (NE ...

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Ag groups sponsor forum for 3rd District candidates

• Posted: March 28, 2006 at 12:00 am   

KEARNEY - Nine agricultural organizations will sponsor a forum for the 3rd District congressional candidates to give the public an opportunity to meet and question the candidates.

The forum is being sponsored by the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, Nebraska Cattlemen, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, Nebraska Independent Community Bankers, Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Nebraska Rural Electric Association, Nebraska Soybean Association and Nebraska Water Resources Association.The forum will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Room C at the Kearney Holiday Inn. Four of the six candidates seeking the 3rd District seat - Adrian Smith, John Hanson, Jay Vavricek and Douglas Polk - have indicated they will participate. Ken Rahjes of KRVN Radio in Lexington will serve as moderator.

The forum will last two hours. Each candidate will make opening remarks and respond to questions from a panel of reporters. During the second hour, the candidates will respond to written questions from the audience.

Admission to the forum is free.

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3rd District Candidates Bios and three key issues Posted: May 4, 2006 at 12:00 am   

KEARNEY - Five Republican candidates are campaigning for the 3rd Congressional District nomination. The winner will face Democrat Scott Kleeb of Dunning in the November general election.
One of the five candidates, David Harris of Kilgore, did not respond to the Hub's request for information. Other candidates shared personal background and their views on key issues.

Name: Douglas L. Polk

Age: 46

Address: 1714 Ninth Ave., Kearney

Occupation: Substitute Teacher

Spouse/Family: Wife Janice, children Ethan and Ben.

Prior Elected Offices: None

Three Key Issues:

"Education. The present administration has opened up education to government intervention. The education of America's youth is being threatened by politicians attempting to gain political advantage. The No Child Left Behind Law is a disgrace and should be reformed or repealed as soon as possible. Control of education should stay at the local level.

"War on Terror. The U.S. military has achieved the military objectives set before it when asked to invade Iraq. The presence of U.S. troops allowed Iraqis the freedom to hold elections determining Iraq's future. Creating a democracy in Iraq takes the cooperation of the Iraqi people. The U.S. military cannot create this democracy, and to attempt to do so is not a military objective. Our troops deserve better foreign policy and planning in regard to their mission in Iraq.

"Rural America and global trade have become the trumpeting call of the 21st century. Leaders in Washington believe the answer to economic growth and development is free trade and a global economy. The security of our nation does not depend on the invasion of some nation halfway around the world, but depends on strengthening and not abandoning rural America in the search of a quick buck."

Name: Adrian Smith

Age: 35

Address: 1150 N. St., Gering

Occupation: Real estate agent, owner of self-storage facility

Spouse/Family: Single

Prior elected office: Nebraska state senator, 1999 to present; Gering City Council, 1994-1998

Three Key Issues:

"The top three areas of concern for the 3rd District are agriculture, transportation (primarily roads and air transportation), and telecommunications. I have dealt with these issues in the Legislature over the past eight years, having served on the Natural Resources Committee and the Transportation and Telecom-munications Committees. We need to encourage the private sector to invest in these areas.

"New government programs and regulations are not the best way to combat the challenges we face. Regulations on livestock operations are getting to be so burdensome that small and medium-sized feeding operations are being forced out of business. I was glad to support LB 975 from this past legislative session. This bill had broad support because many realized government regulations that force operations to get larger have a negative impact on the local community and the producer.

"My plan for rural economic growth includes accelerated depreciation for commercial areas of small, depressed communities. A new government program and/or a check from the government would not be necessary.

"My record in the Unicameral includes voting against excessive budget increases and against the tax increases, some of which have since been repealed."

Name: John Hanson

Age: 44

Address: 6226 E. Cedar Hills Pl., Kearney

Occupation: Ag producer and cattleman

Spouse/Family: Wife Kyle, children, Easton, Justus, Brennan and Elika

Prior Elected Offices: None

Three Key Issues:

"The top issues in this congressional race relate to strengthening rural Nebraska economically, culturally and fiscally.

"1) Strengthening our agriculture-based economy is a major issue for our district because we are the number one congressional district in number of cattle, acres of corn and the number of people who list agriculture as their primary occupation. I'm the only candidate in this race with real experience in production agriculture and cattle, coupled with experience working with Congress. When agriculture is strong, our community businesses and banks are strong. We should support our renewable fuel industry to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil and create new opportunities for rural areas.

"2) Strengthening our family values and national security is important. We must stand up to protect the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, rural health care and local control of education. We must support veterans' benefits, preserve 2nd Amendment rights and have a strong immigration policy that protects our national security.

"3) Strengthening our nation by balancing our federal budget and controlling spending can be achieved through sound tax policy and support of revenue neutrality, which requires that new legislation with a price tag be coupled with corresponding cuts in ineffective programs."

Name: Jay Vavricek

Age: 52

Address: 2729 Brentwood Blvd., Grand Island

Occupation: Owner, Legacy Communications

Spouse/Family: Wife Jan, daughter Joanna and her husband Alan Usher, son Joe.

Three Key Issues:

"Success of Agriculture. As we face the 2007 Farm Bill, we need to create a safety net that's triggered by actual revenue, not just on yield or price. We need increased support to entrepreneurial small business and farming operations, subsidy allotments that support market demands, crop insurance provisions that protect farmers from drastic changes, an increased focus on water management, new opportunities with ethanol and biodiesel, and increased trade opportunities.

"Economic growth. I've seen firsthand how job creation can stimulate a local economy. Rural communities need jobs for growth and support, and without an educated and reliable workforce, businesses and entrepreneurs will look elsewhere. In Congress I will actively work toward creating jobs in sectors affecting the rural economy by providing economic incentives to entrepreneurs that want to create or expand businesses in rural communities.

"Immigration. America needs a rock-solid national security defense that balances national security, economic growth and community harmony. This means ending current unenforceable and confusing laws replaced with real solutions that provide a border security defense, clear requirements for entry, increased visas and guest worker provisions, integrated biometric and intelligence screening, and an undocumented worker penalty reimbursement program."

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Letter to
Editor to Kearney Hub

Monuments don't impose religion

Posted: July 26, 2005 at 12:00 am
author: Douglas Polk


Regarding the contention that the Ten Commandments in Kearney's Harmon Park should be taken down, the Ten Commandments predate Christianity. Christianity incorporated the Ten Commandments into its teaching, but the Ten Commandments are not only from the Christian tradition. Nowhere in the commandments is Christ mentioned. Our society has a Judea-Christian tradition. To attempt to change or erase this tradition is just not being honest to history.


Posting the Ten Commandments in a park is not Christianity or Judaism imposing itself on our society. Our ancestors understood it was just the posting of common sense rules or laws, or traditions common to our society.The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, explains men's right to good government coming from God and/or man's creator. Should we scratch this out and re-evaluate Jefferson's doctrine? I don't think that is necessary. On our paper money it says, "In God We Trust," so maybe non-believers should be paid in stocks or goods, or maybe a foreign currency, so they won't be offended by the money.

The first three are the only ones that actually require any kind of faith in a deity.

Let's say a law says, "No spitting on the sidewalk," or "no smoking in the park," or "no swearing." If you are not a smoker, a spitter or someone who swears, why worry about the sign? Why be offended? It doesn't concern you.

The only way to protect minorities, whether religious or atheist, or pro-life or pro-choice, is to keep politics out of the judiciary. This battle has taken place since the beginning of our republic, but I believe in the last 25 years it has become a losing battle.

As a battle begins to place another judge on the highest court in our land, let's all take a moment to pray, or for nonbelievers to hope, that no more political damage is done to the system than has already been done these last few years.

Douglas L. Polk

1714 Ninth Ave.

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No Child Left Behind hurts education

Posted: August 22, 2005 at 12:00 am



In the Aug. 10 Kearney Hub, Bill Press' column, "Bush's designs on schools get it all wrong, blasted President Bush for comments about the theory of intelligent design possibly being taught in public schools.


When Congress allowed the President's No Child Left Behind Act to become law, it left education defenseless against government intervention. NCLB not only harms the educational foundation, it also sets a precedent for future federal involvement on curriculum and financing of education. Future presidential edicts could and probably will influence curriculum.The article compared Bush's position to the ayatollah of Iran and warned about religion being sponsored or mandated to be part of the curriculum of schools. While the article might have a point, its author has missed the mark. The threat to education is not from the religious community, it is from the federal government.

School Boards, both at the local and state level, are in danger of changing from decisionmaking bodies into policing entities, whose function will be to keep schools in line with federal policy decisions.

As an educator, I am concerned the public has not taken this threat more seriously.

Federal funding of schools becomes tied to assessments of student learning. The assessments take time from the classroom and assesses only the most basic of educational skills. Because funding is determined by student assessment, schools must teach to these basic tests to protect their funding.

The government decides both the skill level and the curriculum.

The goal of schools is no longer to teach a student the process of thought, or for the student to learn to think for himself. The goal now becomes attaining the satisfactory level of student achievement according to the federally mandated assessment tests.

NCLB doesn't even address true learning, which is much more difficult to assess.

This threat will do more damage to our nation than foreign terrorists.

Douglas L. Polk

1714 Ninth Ave.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The author is a candidate for Congress for the 3rd District of Nebraska.

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3rd District dough
Posted: February 20, 2006 at 12:00 am
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In his Thursday letter, Travis Carlstrom of Hastings talked about the 3rd District having three qualified candidates to choose from in the primary, and then proceeded to define the important qualifications they had, the ability to beg money for their campaigns.


Harris and Kleeb also have garnered support through campaign contributions and seem to have some support districtwide.I would like to inform your paper, there are not three qualified candidates, but six candidates. They include the three mentioned in Carlstrom's letter, as well as David Harris, Scott Kleeb and me.

My campaign has not asked for or accepted campaign contributions because I believe that is one of the problems with our electorial process (Abramoff, etc.), so it is not as easy to gauge support for my campaign. But if your newspaper is going to eliminate three of the six people running for office by publishing a letter excluding half the candidates running for office, why don't we save the taxpayers money and, just like the Kearney Hub, decide who should serve as the district's next congressman.

I would also like to know the qualifications for the House of Representatives. I always thought they were spelled out in the Constitution, but once again I will bow to the expertise of the Hub.

Douglas L. Polk

1714 Ninth Ave.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Currently, there are six candidates vying to replace Rep. Tom Osborne in the 3rd District. They are Democrat Scott Kleeb of Dunning and Republicans Adrian Smith of Gering, Jay Vavricek of Grand Island, David Harris of Kilgore, and John Hanson and Doug Polk, both of Kearney. A seventh candidate, Republican Jim Fahr of Kearney, recently withdrew.

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Letter — History will prove Bush wrong on Iraq
Posted: January 22, 2007 at 12:00 am
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I cannot disagree more with the Jan. 18 Hub Opinion, "History will prove Bush right on Iraq." The Bush administration will not be proven right, but instead will go down in history as one of this nation's most misguided administrations.


This doctrine of fear allows the administration to ignore civil and human rights in the name of security.The event of 9/11 captured the world's attention, but instead of using this stage in a positive way to bring the world together, this administration decided to use 9/11 to expand its own power through the use of fear.

The fear of weapons of mass destruction was the initial reason for our invasion of Iraq, not the spread of democracy. When no WMD were found, terrorism again became the main fear and reason to be in Iraq.

The security of the United States has not been as badly compromised by the terrorists or terrorism, as by the Bush administration. Continuing the war in Iraq has allowed the Bush administration to continue playing on our fears of terrorists and terrorism.

Douglas L. Polk

1714 9th Ave.

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Science not always right
Author: Douglas Polk, Kearney
Posted: June 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm
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Dr. Robert Price’s recent letter highlights his vast knowledge of science and his lack of knowledge regarding religion.



I could delve into science’s past and present theories and explanations which seem ludicrous in the extreme in this age, but it seems a bit childish to do so. I would like to point out a couple of things.

Price stated, “Scientific predictions are grounded in current understanding of the physical processes involved and, as such, are always subject to re-evaluation and correction as new evidence becomes available. The key here is the notion that there is a reality that we can study and better understand as we refine our theories and models.”

So in other words, science isn’t always right, but it is never wrong. Scientists just don’t have all the data, or are misreading the data they have in the reality they see around them.

I believe the same argument can be made about religion. Christians, Muslims and basically all other religions re-evaluate their faith by studying the reality around them. Being Christian, I can only speak for my experience as a Christian.

However, I can safely say my faith would differ greatly from the faith of a first-century Christian, and much of my present-day faith has been built on Christians re-evaluating their faith in regard to the reality around them, through the many centuries.

Religion attempts to answer and explain the same questions of “why” and “how” that science attempts to explain.

Price states, “a student rejecting science is only a reflection upon the student’s ignorance and nothing more.”

I believe Price ridiculing religion is a mirror image of that same type of ignorance. Maybe Price’s letter demonstrates a failure on the part of the religion community of conveying the importance of “how” and “why” in the search for religious understanding.







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Letter to Editor of Kearney Hub


Government rules drive health costs
author: Douglas Polk, KearneyPosted: August 30, 2011 at 1:00 pm

Marc Albrecht said in his Thursday column, “Going all the way back to 1820, the United States has enjoyed an income increase of 52 percent per generation. Since 1973 the rate has fallen to 17 percent per generation.”

Later, Albrecht talked health care and lamented the failed American system.

What could have made income decrease since 1973 and also has had a major impact on our health care system? How about the creation of Medicare and Medicaid through the passage of the Social Security Act of 1965? Maybe this caused the income decline.

Medicare and Medicaid are wonderful, but I question how Albrecht can look at 1973 and just say generational income has gone down since then. Don’t we have greater economic benefits available now? Aren’t we supposed to have more economic security as we age than we did in 1973?

The Medicare and Medicaid systems are broken, but it has more to do with the way the system is run.

Government regulation is the driving force behind increased costs for health care, just as regulations are driving up costs for education and any other industry the government looks into and tries to regulate.

It’s not that I oppose all regulations, but the federal government has begun believing it is omnipotent and has become a mad puppet master to manipulate the environment and economy, etc.

I don’t care how many regulations or rules a government makes, there will always be problems. People are going to die and some children are not going to learn.

Fairness is not about treating everyone the same. No two people or places are exactly the same. A law that works in New York should not be enforced in Nebraska where the law could be irrelevant. Educators, not legislators, should be in charge of education, and medical experts, not regulators, should be in charge of medical care.

Eden doesn’t exist and never will. There will always be places and people that seem better or worse off than we are, partly because manipulation of statistics is one of the few things governments do well.

To answer Albrecht’s lament about fiscal decline and our health system, I say that it may depend on our government and its ability to understand the bounds of its power vs. the rights of the individual. Generational income is more than just a statistic about money earned. It depends on a willingness to work, the reasons one works, and how a society sees its responsibilities to provide for its people.

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Letter to Editor of Kearney Hub


ObamaCare carries dangers
Author: Douglas Polk, Kearney
Posted: March 31, 2011 at 1:00 pm


I am writing this piece in response to the events in Libya, health care and President



Judges, not politicians, are charged with maintaining the laws. Judges are not to interpret the law, but judge between the different interpretations of the law presented before them. The law does not change, only the interpretations of the law. Soon judges will be obsolete, or more likely will only be a façade behind which politicians can hide when they take unpopular actions. Law is no longer seen as objective, but as a subjective tool politicians can use for the good of the people.Individual rights and freedoms are protected by laws. Countries’ sovereignty and independence are also protected by laws. When laws become totally subjective to the politicians of the moment, all freedoms and rights are threatened.

The health care program of President Obama does not change health care in any positive ways. To call the act the “Health Care Act” is to deceive the public. ObamaCare only changes access to health care by giving the government rights to control or influence access to health care. Stop for a moment and think about the expansion of power and influence for the government. What better way to control future critics of the government than to deny health care to them or their families?

Finally, the reason the citizens of America seem more upset about immigration than the government is because they understand a basic truth of living in Obama’s America. If you are not an active member of society obeying the laws of America, the government has no influence on you. It cannot tax, intimidate or track you. The financial burden of keeping America running falls only on people who are actively following the laws by paying taxes and jumping through all the hoops the government demands private citizens and companies jump through.

My grandfather’s generation did not see Social Security as only a wonderful attempt by the government to aid the elderly. Many in that generation saw it was a way for the government to track you and your daily life from birth to death. Many paid the tax but never ever applied for a Social Security card or asked for aid when elderly. Now, it is considered a vital part of a person’s retirement portfolio.

Could not ObamaCare do to health care what Social Security did to our financial relationships?

With the birth of a child, one of the first things parents must do is apply for a child’s Social Security number. At birth, the tracking begins. But, of course, it is only because our government loves and cares about us and our future. That is beyond dispute.

So, in the future, keep that in mind when you are required to give all health information regarding you and your family to the government.

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Big changes from history



Author: Douglas Polk, Kearney
Posted: January 4, 2010 at 1:15 pm



In the 1840s and 1850s, a new party was formed with one of its goals to end slavery, but Americans would have to be brought to a different point of view because slavery was legal. Whether morally right or wrong, court case after court case upheld its legality.


In fact, the Declaration of Independence was just what it said, a document making a legal case for breaking with England. The Republicans and Lincoln do not make mention that later in the document, one of the complaints against the crown was its attempts to interfere with slavery.It wasn’t until the party began reinterpreting, or in the South’s opinion, misinterpreting historical precedent, that the party could carry out its quest to end slavery. The document the party and President Abe Lincoln was reinterpreting was the Declaration of Independence, which begins with a statement of the equality of man and the rights possessed by men.

When Jefferson Davis, a southern senator, left the U.S. Senate, he called the Republicans and Lincoln on this point, stating they were purposely misinterpreting the document for political gain.

During the start of the Great Depression, President Hoover did nothing. He believed the government did not have the authority to intervene in the economy. In 1932 he lost the presidency to a man who was unafraid to re-interpret the Constitution and the powers of government.

World War II brought America out of the depression, but FDR’s reinterpretation of the Constitution changed the role of government, and it evolved into one of enormous power and control. Now in 2009 we again face a crisis and again, we are asked to reinterpret the purpose of government and it’s responsibilities to its citizens.

Whether or not health care reform is right or wrong, I think it important to understand there is no turning back. Once doctrine is reinterpreted, the likelihood of returning to the previous interpretation is quite limited.

Our current government is on the verge of demanding more power for itself than ever before. Whether or not the cause is just, I am not sure our leaders really understand what they are asking, besides the trillions and trillions of dollars, which exist only somewhere in the distant future of our descendants.

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