Reservist returns to run for office

During an informal meeting with friends and supporters Thursday night, Jeff Tidyman, 33, of McCook, announced his intention to run for the District 44 seat of the Nebraska Legislature.

Tidyman said he made his decision based on his burden for the state of the Nebraska.

Tidyman said his real concern is with the state's economy, not with the state budget.

"When you're talking about the budget, the question is 'How much money do you take from one Nebraskan and give to another.' That doesn't solve the state's economic problems," he said.

What the state needs to concentrate on is how to bring new money into the state, he said.

Tidyman pointed out that in the United States in 1890, 75 percent of the country's work force was involved in agriculture, 20 percent in manufacturing and five percent in service. By 1990, that trend reversed itself, with 5 percent in agriculture, 20 percent in manufacturing and 75 percent in service.

"This trend is irreversible," he said. As technology continues to improve for agriculture, farmers will be able to produce more, and the more farmers can produce the fewer farmers there will be.

"If fewer of our grandkids are in agriculture, what will the rest or them do? They'll get their education and leave the state."

One of the state's largest resources for economic development is its land, Tidyman said, using the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in North Platte as an example.

"That project created 600 jobs, which created the need for 600 new homes, which created the need for places like Menard's," he explained

Tidyman also discussed the state's potential for exporting energy. He said the state must continue developing its ethanol industry, but at the same time it needs to look at other potential energy sources such as wind energy and nuclear power plants.

Another potential for the state of Nebraska is to look at fuel cells that can contain the electricity produced by the state's energy sources until it is called for from other parts of the country.

Whatever economic path the state decides to take, it should begin now, Tidyman said.

"The bottom line is that Nebraska has a huge potential. We have to continue supporting agriculture 100 percent, but we can't continue to believe that agriculture will support the state of Nebraska 100 percent."

The growing of Nebraska won't be easy, Tidyman told the group. When things look tough, it's easy to ignore the problem.

"Gambling is easy. Cig-arette taxes are easy. It's a lot harder when you have to look 30 years into the future and decide what is best for this state."

Tidyman graduated from Medicine Valley High School in Curtis. He received his bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas after which he spent one year as a volunteer for Americorp.

He has been a member of the U.S. Marine Reserves for the past five years and returned from a year-long deployment in the Middle East three we