Conservative, rural Nebraskan Carlson seeks shot at the highest office in the state

Republican gubernatorial

candidate Tom Carlson is a

man of principles. And those

principles, according to the

Nebraska State Senator, are

what guide him in everything

he does.

"I believe in the Bible and

the God who inspired it," Carlson

said. He went on to say

that it inspires him in "everything

I do."

The 71-year old Holdrege,

Nebraska native has held a seat

in the Nebraska legislature

since 2006, and was elected as

the Chairman of the Agricultural

Committee in 2009. Since

then, he was named the Chairman

of the Natural Resources

Committee and has also assumed

a role as a member of

the Banking and Insurance

Committee.

“I really understand agriculture,

and it’s something that’s

very important to us here,”

Carlson said. “We decided this

was what we’re supposed to

do, and I think it’d be okay to

have a governor who is from

rural Nebraska. I’m hoping that

I’m a friend of agriculture and

aware of water issues helps me

in the Third District.”

Carlson has made a pledge

to visit each of Nebraska’s 93

counties before the end of the

year, placing particular emphasis

on the state’s third legislative

district, which he says accounts

for some 45 percent of

the vote in statewide elections

– a staggering number in any

political race.

When asked what three

things he and his campaign

will be known for as the race

progresses, Carlson quickly

replied with his first answer:

increase the number of private

sector jobs.

“It’s so easy to expand government,”

Carlson said. “If you

expand government by just one

job, you need to create ten private

sector jobs. You have to

be very, very careful about expanding

government. You have

to either cut back on government

or expand those private

jobs.”

Government, according to

Carlson, should play a very

limited role in the lives of Nebraskans.

He lists public safety

as its chief responsibility, citing

the State Patrol and the judicial

system as two examples

of effective government. Apart

from that, education is something

the gubernatorial hopeful

places a unique emphasis on.

“Every child in Nebraska deserves

the opportunity to earn

an education,” Carlson said,

placing particular emphasis

on the word ‘earn’. “The state

doesn’t have an obligation to

give anybody an education, but

they deserve the opportunity to

earn an education. They’ve got

to earn it, they’ve got to work

for it.”

Social services have been a

constant thorn in the side of

many Republican candidates,

especially at the national level,

and Carlson offers what he sees

as a balance between compassion

and complete dependence

in his approach to handling

such issues.

“It’s a hard one to talk about

because it can sound like

you’re not being kind to people,”

Carlson said. “But there

are two areas I know we can

make improvements on that

would save dollars and help the

people who receive benefits.”

On his campaign literature,

Carlson states the following

approach to social services.

“Help those who are unable

to help themselves, but with

incentives to encourage those

who can provide for themselves

to do so.”

Carlson believes that there

is a fundamental difference in

some people, something he describes

as an unwillingness to

work, or a complacency that

has taken hold of some individuals

who receive benefits.

“You’re supposed to prove

that you’ve tried to get another

job, but the system is such that

if you go and get a job at $7 an

hour, you’re going to have that

taken out of your unemployment

benefits. So are you going

to take that job? No, because

there’s not enough incentive to

take it.”

He also believes childcare

subsidies need reform, but says

that current rules prevent mothers

from working full-time and

bettering themselves. Under

current regulations, mothers

making up to $20,000 annually

receive full benefits, but anything

over that, and benefits

are stripped. Carlson proposes

phasing benefits out gradually,

rather than an immediate

cutoff, which is currently employed.

This former football coach

says the outcome of such

changes is simple.

“Everybody is better off,”

Carlson said. “Those are who

capable of helping themselves

should.”

Continuing on a similar note,

Carlson says he would support

legislation that states those

who receive state welfare assistance

should be submitted

to drug tests, all in the name of

protecting taxpayer dollars.

“Those are taxpayer dollars,”

said Carlson. “If drugs

are the reason you lost your

job, I don’t believe we have an

obligation to you. But it gets

more difficult when children

are involved, because children

need to eat.”

For more information on

Senator Carlson and his campaign,

visit http://www.TomCarlson-

ForGovernor.com or contact

the campaign via email at ContactUs@

TomCarlsonForGovernor.

com.