Enduring heritage: Model T’s and Nebraska’s Unicam

…And then there were three in Saturday’s Heritage Days Parade. Yes, three of Ford Motor Companies’ historic Model T’s, and all were the two door coupes. Two were 1927 models, the last year that they were built—the next version was the Model A. The third was of course, the 1925 Model T Coupe that Grannie Annie and this old guy has owned, with great pride, since 1953. Next year it will be celebrating its 100th birthday. I hope to live long enough to see it.

I consider our Annual Heritage Days a great success. No rain to bother events, a really busy Norris Park with reportedly over 100 vendors, and more happenings along Norris Avenue on the bricks. Sure, the wind did blow but then we do live in Nebraska. Lots of happy people, and that is what it is all about!

Grannie and I attended the annual Norris breakfast in the ArtBank. The speaker was Charlyne Berens, a retired associate dean and professor from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln (UNL) College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Ms. Berens was speaking on McCook’s most influential past political leader Senator George Norris.

My personal opinion of George Norris has perhaps been colored by my dad’s outspoken opinion and that of not caring much for Senator Norris. Perhaps that was because Norris was of the Democrat persuasion. Then too, Senator Norris was great at spending vast amounts of government money. Now Dad liked the idea of Norris’ move to do rural electrification and establishing Nebraska as the only public power state in the union. Dad didn’t have much to say about Nebraska’s Unicameral Legislature, although his uncle-in-law Ed Hoyt was Speaker for a time, and neighbors and close friends Don Thompson and Lester Harsh were both members representing our local district.

Ms. Berens spoke of how our Senator Norris reorganized Nebraska’s two-house legislature into the unicameral that we know today. Yes, we are the only state in the union with such a state government, and she spoke of the advantages. Listening, I mentally compared how such a system would get rid of some of the problems we see in our US government today.

Our Nebraska legislature is officially non-partisan. Members are elected from their districts running as either Democrat or Republican. Once in the legislature, they are officially non-partisan and are supposed to represent the people of the districts that elected them. Not so in our US government, where our representatives are pressed to obey the dictates of either the Democrat or Republican powers that be. Seniority pays big benefits by getting placed on more prestigious committees.

Unlike our US government, Nebraska has term limits which cures the power of long-term seniority. Sure, a member can run again but he/she has to sit out at least one term before they are eligible to run again. I like that system!

Another requirement that our Unicameral has is that every proposed law has to have a public hearing. The public is invited and can make comments or express their objections or affirmations of what is being proposed. Again there is no political boss, like Nancy Pelosi, telling our members how they should vote, as our state senators are more inclined to vote for the good of those who elected them. Sure, there is sometimes rancor and one-sided arguments in our Unicameral, but I feel that in the end, the results are more in line with we-the-people who elected them.

As an aside Ms. Berens noted that our Nebraska legislators are only paid $12,000 per year. Remember that our Legislature only meets for 90 days every other year and 60 days the years in between. Sure they get expenses including mileage when called to work at the capital for special meeting. They are the ones that set their wages so if there is a problem they are the ones responsible.

The Saturday before Heritage Days this old pilot was privileged to ride along to a Fly-In at Oshkosh, Nebraska. It was a fun time with a lot of general aviation aircraft in attendance. We were also visited with a Flight For Life helicopter from Kearney along with their crew. Several pilots were giving rides to any that cared to go along. Popular with the younger set. Their Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at Oshkosh is a gentleman named “Whitney” who prior operated here at McCook and was well liked by his customers until he found it necessary to leave due to disagreement with our present owner. The whole community at Oshkosh was involved with the FlyIn with their farmers market out back of the hangar. Dinner was available and we all enjoyed visiting with fellow pilots and in my case former students. Fuel sales boomed from their self-service facility.

Sure different from what happens at our McCook Airport. Our ramp is generally bare with only our Fed Ex and UPS air carriers sitting there during the day and Denver Air Connection coming and going. General aviation is mostly absent. In this long-time pilot’s opinion things need to change!

That is how I saw it. Dick Trail