UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN 3rd DISTRICT, NEBRASKA TOM OSBORNE

Washington Round-up | Week of July 14, 2003

Working to Reverse the Trends & Revitalize Nebraska

This summer, some of the news was not bright. We have been hearing the negative reports for some time. More and more people are leaving Nebraska for other states, or more urban areas. And, the ones that are staying are having a tough time surviving. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2001 poverty guidelines, many of Nebraska’s counties have single people earning $2,000 or more below the national poverty guideline of $8,590. The report revealed that seven of Nebraska’s rural counties are the poorest in the nation, and even more counties are moving toward rock bottom.

Mostly in the Third District, but all across the state, most of Nebraska’s 93 counties lost people in the last decade. This negative trend has shown Nebraska’s population shifting from rural areas to urban areas, or people moving completely out of the state. These reports clearly emphasize the fact that Nebraska needs a positive game plan to promote more economic development and opportunities to reverse this trend.

This is not a new challenge. Many communities have experienced these trends and are taking on the odds by hiring economic development specialists. Some colleges, such as the Western Nebraska Community College, are trying to lure companies and young people back to Nebraska by providing cutting-edge training and technology skills that allow workers to compete in the marketplace. Others have worked to make sure residents and businesses in their areas have access to high speed Internet. This fall, I will host a Best Practices Agriculture Conference to help Nebraskans find ways to stay in agriculture, yet create income opportunities through diversifying their operations.

We still need to increase efforts to diversify our local economies. We all can do more to keep young people in the state, grow entrepreneurs and new businesses, and help existing businesses expand. That is why I teamed up with Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) to introduce the New Homestead Act of 2003 that works to create new business opportunities and keep young people in rural America. Senators Hagel and Dorgan introduced the same bill in the Senate. H.R. 2194 works to provide people the resources and tools they need to succeed in rural Nebraska, so we begin to stem the tide of young people and businesses leaving rural states like Nebraska for more urban areas. The legislation provides incentives for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals to move to, or stay in rural areas. The bill includes provisions dealing with college loan repayments, home tax credits, creating individual Homestead accounts, providing rural investment tax credits and creates a venture capital fund.

Although this is a very ambitious bill, it is a marker to get people thinking about ways to rejuvenate rural America. I hope these incentives can be a catalyst for more people to stay in Nebraska, as well as make it their home and location for a new business. The New Homestead Act will not be easy to get through Congress, but it will hopefully spur further debate and more innovative approaches to tackle the challenge of depopulation.

In addition, through annual Youth Leadership Forums and other initiatives, I have been working to urge more students to plan their future in Nebraska by becoming an entrepreneur. I am developing a guidebook that provides information about how to cultivate young entrepreneurs in our state.

There are successful businesses in the Third District, but there is room for even more diverse economic development activities. It is important to build on the strengths of our state as we improve the economy. In the Third District, we have a safe and secure environment, low cost of living, one of the best aquifers in the world, and able people who possess the work ethic to make anything succeed. We just need to create the opportunities to set Nebraska on a more positive path. With a strong commitment, we can do it together through a variety of efforts.