NEBRASKA CITY – State Legislature candidate Dennis Schaardt told B103FM radio Friday about how unfunded mandates on local government and the need for rural economic development have motivated his journey into state politics.

Schaardt, owner of Den’s Country Meats in Table Rock and former Pawnee County commissioner, said he feels better prepared for election than his last run for the Legislature, which went to Julie Slama. On Nov. 5, he will appear on the ballot along with fellow Republican Bob Hallstrom.

Schaardt: “Four years ago when I ran, we were going through covid so you couldn’t walk out and visit people and stuff like that and I didn’t understand the whole money thing or anything like that. It is way different this year. My campaign team has me on point and we’re moving forward a lot better this time because you need money and you need doors and that’s what wins the races, I think, and that’s what we’re doing.”

 

 

 

How did you finance your campaign?

Schaardt: “Everyone called me when Julie (Slama) decided not to run and I had to make a decision there. I had a lot of farmers that said you need to do this, it’s your time. I stepped in and farmers stepped in with some donations to get me started and went from there. Which, as  you understand now, it looks like most of the money is coming from outside of the district and it’s going to my opponent and that’s fine, but I’m just who  I am and running my campaign as clean as I can.”

What is your core message?

Schaardt: “My core message is taxes and agriculture, schools and infrastructure for southeast Nebraska.

The main thing I’m focusing on – taxes. The Legislature tried something this summer. It didn’t work. Bob has a plan -  I don’t think it’s going to work. We’ve got to come up with a total reform what’s going to happen out here. I’ve been hit up because I raised taxes as a county commissioner and we did, but, hey, life goes on. You’ve got to raise taxes to pay the bills. When rock goes from $6 to $19 in three years, things go up.”

 

Accomplishments as a county commissioner

Schaardt: “We hadn’t built a bridge in Pawnee County like in 10 years I think when got on there because money is tight. They came up with some new bridge match programs and we had saved some money up. I went to my constituents, farmers and such, and said what we are going to do. They said ‘you know what’ we’re going to have to raise a few taxes to get this done because we need these bridges. In my eight years while I was on there we put six brand new bridges in. That is quite an accomplishment in a little county that has a budget of only $1 million and a half tax levy money coming in.”

Support from county commissioners

Schaardt: “What happens to me, what we see, the different lobby groups, different senators that don’t understand how the schools, the NRDs, the cities work and then they make these laws. These unfunded mandates come down to us that cost us more money to implement and then they wonder why we have to raise taxes. They keep sending more rules down to us – if it be a school, a county or city – they don’t get it and then they complain that we raise taxes. The problem starts up there.”

 

Ballot initiatives

Schaardt: “I’m pro life, so I’m going to vote for 434 and not for 439.”

… “Bob thinks school choice is good. It’s $10 million to do that school choice. That’s more than I spent in five years as a county commissioner taxing my people. He’s complaining to me that I raised taxes in Pawnee County, but he wants to throw $10 million at school choice in one year where it took my five years to spend that in my county. I don’t think that’s right.”

Economic development for agriculture

Schaardt: “A lot of the things I see is value added agriculture coming. I mean we are ag down here. I’d like to see other types of things, which is good. I think the ag has changed. They are turning corn into plastic now and there are companies out looking where the corn is at and maybe they can build a plant that can use things made of corn.

… We need to look at those type of operations because they will be sustainable and keep going where your crop prices go up and down. Maybe if you can get groups like that to build here and have jobs and we can bring the young people back to work those jobs I think that’s the way to go.”

Campaign 2024

Schaardt: “You know, I think all of us voters are wore out. I mean from the presidential race to our senate race all the negativity and stuff. I think people are tired of it. They just want to move on and whatever it’s going to be it will be. I still encourage people they need to get out and vote. Don’t stay away from the polls because of this. You need to still vote so you have a stake in what is happening, put the negative behind you and look through the good and vote for who you think is the best person to vote for.”