NEBRASKA CITY – State Legislature candidate Bob Hallstrom is winding down his campaign that included personally knocking on 8,000 doors in the First District, helping clean up debris after the Falls City thunderstorm and embracing the task of bringing tax relief to southeast Nebraska.

 

A wonderful experience

Hallstrom: “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed going out and meeting and engaging the people of the First Legislative District and knocking on doors and going to fish fries and soup suppers and walking in parades and going to community activities. It’s just been a wonderful experience.”

He said the property tax issue is a spending issue and he proposes automatic lowering of tax levies when property values rise.

Hallstrom: “I think people are tired of valuations going up, the tax levies remaining the same and they pay a higher tax bill year after year.”

Leadership matters

Hallstrom: “I don’t think property tax relief occurs without leadership. One of the things I’ve talked about throughout my campaign is the need for effective leadership. What I’ve done my entire professional career has prepared me for this moment.  I think I can be an effective leader on property tax relief and other issues of significance.”

Hallstrom said the campaign experience has stiffened his resolve to make a difference for the people he will represent in the state Legislature.

Hallstrom: “People that know me can probably tell you and I use a quote from a former president that said ‘the people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’

Caring about the job

“During this campaign I’ve had an opportunity going door-to-door, meeting people, being invited into their front room to show them just exactly how much I care about doing this job."

He said he has visited critical care hospitals, talked with school superintendents, engaged with Colonial Acres at Humboldt regarding their financial issues and reached out to potential allies for the cause of child care.

Voters stay engaged

Hallstrom: “I would encourage voters to continue to be engaged. The messages that are being sent out are vitally important, particularly with regard to the competition in the First Legislative District.”

 I know there has been some talk about negative campaigning. I want to make it perfectly clear that we have exposed my opponent’s voting record as a county commissioner on increasing property taxes.”

He said a pivotal point of the campaign was when Schaardt canceled his participation in a forum organized by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.