Willing to work with anyone to solve problems

When Gene O. Morris let me know that the McCook Gazette would be publishing a Tribute to Ben Nelson edition, I knew that I had to be a part of it. I was excited for the opportunity to participate because it would give me a chance to thank Ben for all that he has accomplished during his tenure in Lincoln and Washington.

I didn't work for Ben when he ran for governor. The first time I had a conversation with him was when he was interviewing me for a position as his legal counsel. It was more of a conversation than an interview and I remember thinking when I walked back to my law office about how comfortable I was with the conversation, but also how he really didn't ask me anything about the job. I started to get nervous. How would he know if I could do the job?

I soon learned that this was the way Ben sized up people. He didn't need to ask me about my credentials. He assumed I had them. Instead, he learned about me as a person -- which was far more valuable information. I came to learn that Ben is an incredible judge of character. He gets to know people personally -- and he sizes them up -- very accurately. Fortunately, I got the job.

During his 20 years as an elected official, Ben continued to size up the people he worked with -- both in Nebraska and Washington. He got to know both Democrats and Republicans. He became friends with people on both sides of the aisle. In my estimation, Ben epitomized what politics should be: which is bipartisan.

You argue and discuss policy at work ... but it is not personal. He was successful because he didn't see red or blue, he just saw people he could work with to solve problems.

I saw him do this over and over, but one example sticks out for me. We were working on property tax legislation (sound familiar?) and Ben was speaking with a group of farmers from northeastern Nebraska who were furious with a legislative proposal than Ben had introduced. He spoke to the group and after he was finished a crowd of about 15 men surrounded him and questioned him about his position. When the dust cleared to a person they each shook his hand and said, "I don't agree with you, but I'll vote for you."

That was just one example of Ben's ability to truly listen to his constituents. Because he didn't promise he would do everything, but instead that he would do what he thought was in the best interests of the State, he earned the respect of those he worked with and was associated with.

One thing that Ben -- and Diane -- did when they were in the Governor's Office was refurbish the Governor's "Mansion" on H Street, across from the State Capitol. The "mansion" had fallen into substantial disrepair. When Ben and Diane moved in, carpeting and draperies were torn and thread-bare, furniture hadn't been recovered since it had been purchased, and the kitchen was too outdated to efficiently handle the number of events that were scheduled there each week. The security system was non-existent. The personal space was unsuitable for guests. You get the picture.

Diane and Ben organized a bipartisan committee of former governors and first ladies and raised the money to completely restore the governor's mansion. When it was finished, they opened it to the public. The public lined up around the block to see their Governor's Home.

Ben believed that he was employed by the electorate and that he had a responsibility to turn the state over to the next governor in better shape than he found it. He absolutely did that. During his tenure, Ben cut the budget and rebuilt the cash reserve fund that had ben depleted in the difficult economic years that preceded his tenure as Governor.

He strengthened the patrol and prison system budgets because he understood that public safety is paramount.

Despite his fiscal conservatism, he consistently supported gas tax increases, which surprised me. He explained that in order for this state to be prosperous and for our agricultural and manufacturing sectors to get their products to market, we would need a solid transportation infrastructure.

Ben fought for rural development and for agriculture and as a result was a good friend to Nebraska highways.

Ben Nelson literally reduced the size of government. He cut the number of state agencies, reduced the number of square feet of state office space and capped the number of state employees. Even with the restrictions in place, he brought legislative packages each year to the Unicameral and was able to make substantial reform -- in large part because he had a very strong relationship with Nebraska's legislators.

If you know Ben, you know he loves a practical joke and truly appreciates it when someone gets one over on him. Ben truly has a good sense of humor. He loved it when we joked about his hair or his frugal nature. We would often tell him he was "tighter than three coats of paint" or that he was "so tight that his shoes squeaked." He always smiled when we did. I think he was proud of being so fiscally conservative. He laughed when we said his hair never moved, even in the strong Nebraska wind, or when we referred to him as "Hair Force One."

When Ben reached the Unites States Senate, he continued his efforts to support his home state. Ben understood that there was much he could do in Washington to build our state and in the brief two terms that he was there, he did it better than any U.S. Senator from Nebraska in recent memory. In our Capitol City, Ben found funding for the Antelope Valley Project to prevent flooding in Lincoln. The West Haymarket Project (which eventually became the Railyard) was funded by Build America Bonds that were made available through the stimulus bill that Ben helped write.

While never in the military himself, he was a tireless advocate for our service men and women. He asked to serve on the Armed Services Committee and while we saw the public work he did on the committee, we didn't see what he did behind the scenes. He visited our service men and women overseas on four different occasions; he led "Operation Airlift" to get members of the Nebraska National Guard home to spend Christmas with their families; and he worked to get the U.S. Department of Defense to adopt benchmarks to measure progress in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Ben has been a tireless advocate of funding for StratCom and the joint forces headquarters.

One of what I consider to be his most important achievements was his efforts to secure and assist in bringing a U.S. Department of Defense Affiliated Research Center (UARC) to Omaha. This is a research center with a strategic alliance with the University of Nebraska. The center's goal is to ensure that essential engineering and technology capabilities of importance to the Department of Defense are maintained. This research center, one of only 15 in the U.S. affiliated with the Department of Defense, will be an important research partner with the University of Nebraska for decades to come.

Since I worked at the University of Nebraska after my tenure as Ben's lieutenant governor, I was able to watch what he did for this state's university system. Each year, the university's leadership team met with Nelson staffers to hammer out the university's key priorities. These ranged from inventions in nano technology to research in teaching inner city kids about cyber law. Senator Nelson would then scour the halls of the nation's capitol, looking for money in any line that would allow the University of Nebraska and other institutions of higher learning across the state -- from Doane to Creighton to Chadron -- to become stronger and more competitive institutions. The University's Chancellor, Harvey Perlman, said that Ben's efforts "helped crate an environment in which the University was acceptable for entry into the Big Ten."

It is so fitting that Ben Nelson hails from McCook. Ben was always proud of his hometown and spoke often of his upbringing. I specifically remember him talking about working at Walt Sehnert's bakery and the lessons he learned there. It just feels right adding Ben Nelson to the list of statesmen who have hailed from McCook, including such men as George W. Norris and Frank B. Morrison.

There are so many more things I would like to mention about Governor Nelson's and U.S. Senator Nelson's legacy -- from his work to support the education and environment through lottery funding to his passion for ethanol and agriculture exports. The bottom line is that he was a strong and tireless servant for the state that elected him four times. Nebraskans benefitted as a result.

Nebraska is the home of Arbor Day. Every time I visit Nebraska City and see the trees that have been planted and how they grace the fields and the landscape, I can't help but think of the wisdom of those who came before us.. Senator Nelson: Thank you for all the programs and initiatives and resources that you planted during your terms in office. We will be reaping the benefit of your many accomplishments for decades to come.