Editorial Roundup:

McCook Daily Gazette. Aug. 4, 2020

Now may be a good time to trade in your used car

The pandemic is affecting things in ways none of us could have imagined.

In May, the Nebraska State Patrol put out a news release stating that 200 speeders had been ticketed for exceeding 100 mph over the previous two months.

Perhaps the drivers were releasing pent-up energy from quarantine, or perhaps it was a fatalistic attitude that manifested itself in dangerous driving behavior.

Maybe it’s just us, but we’ve noticed a lot more “in transit” stickers in vehicles than normal.

Perhaps people are using their covid checks for down payments, or perhaps the confinement has given them time to look for a new vehicle.

Local drivers may be wise, according to a Wall Street Journal story, that pointed out that auto retailers sold 2.1 million preowned vehicles in May and June, a 9% increase over last year, and used-car stockpiles dwindled to just under 2.2 million vehicles by late July, roughly 22% lower than last year.

Earlier information from the IHS Markit consulting firm noted that the average age of a vehicle on American highways rose by a month this year to a record 11.9 years.

Before COVID-19 set in, dealers expected to sell a little under 17 million cars in 2020, but the pandemic cut that projection to 14 million for the year.

Cars are lasting longer, according to the figures, with the average age climbing to 12 years, compared to 10.6 years a decade ago.

Dealers paid an average of $14,895 for a used car in June, up from $12,548 in April.

Local trades are always more attractive to buyers, however, so if trading cars is something you’ve been thinking about, perhaps now is a good time.

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Omaha World-Herald. Aug 8, 2020

Nebraska lawmakers must join together to finish 2020 session constructively

Nebraska state senators return to the Capitol on Tuesday, and only three days remain in this year’s legislative session. It’s a tight schedule. But lawmakers must complete a crucial task.

They must move the compromise on taxes and business incentives forward, amending it as appropriate, then give it final passage.

In doing so, they can demonstrate to the public that they can move past their honest differences and avoid the gridlock that so often afflicts Congress and burdens our nation.

This doesn’t mean all state senators will be happy with the outcome - it’s a compromise. Lawmakers and stakeholders have been woefully fractured for months on these tax, school funding and incentives issues. So, the only way forward is through a responsibly negotiated compromise. Which fortunately is what the Legislature has before it.

Lawmakers made an encouraging start in the first round of debate. From differing perspectives and interests, they identified areas for further discussion, scrutiny and, in some cases, amendment. They sent the much-needed message that they want to work together to hone the legislation into final form.

This week, they must finish that important task. They must demonstrate they can come together for the good of Nebraska.

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Lincoln Journal Star. Aug 6, 2020

Adaptability imperative as schools set to reopen

Lincoln High juniors with last names beginning with A through G line up to have their photos taken for identification as part of readiness days last week. Unlike elementary and middle school students, high school students in LPS will begin classes on staggered schedules.

Ongoing debate about the proper way to reopen Nebraska’s K-12 schools this month – if at all – during the pandemic has shined a light on the numerous things expected of our education system that it was never intended to do.

Beyond learning, our schools provide child care when parents are at work. They ensure no child goes hungry. They often serve as the window into mental well being and problems at home.

Now, a school year unlike any other approaches, with the threat of an outbreak of a potentially deadly virus looming large over every decision. In light of everything, the demand to ensure children are in school has merit. But so, too, do calls to require remote learning until COVID-19 slows down, as a rise in infection rates could shutter schools.

However, this year will take flexibility and adaptability on the part of schools, parents, teachers and elected officials – not further politicization of education. The entire community, both in Lincoln and elsewhere in the state, must step up to the plate.

For one example of this, look at Lincoln’s Malone Center.

When Lincoln Public Schools and others statewide closed hurriedly in March as the coronavirus pandemic first reached Nebraska, the nonprofit provided a safe space, structure and the technology needed for students learn remotely.

Its only constraint? Too many interested students, too little space to accommodate all of them in a socially distant manner.

These are the kind of proactive steps Nebraskans will need to take as students and teachers return to school amid a pandemic. If we truly care about the academic and social growth of our youth and the health and safety of those returning to school buildings the way we say we do, we must find ways like this to accommodate children and families alike as we navigate these uncharted waters.

With news this week that 6,771 of the more than 42,000 students in LPS – nearly 17%, with the highest numbers in Title I schools – have elected thus far to start the school year remotely, such efforts assume added importance.

LPS, for instance, produced a substantive, detailed plan for reopening that exceeded 100 pages, one we previously wrote threaded the needle delicately in this difficult time.

But while they’ve since amended procedures to reduce the number of high school students in the building at once, not all districts in the state have needed such a detailed plan. In rural areas that have few, if any, documented cases of COVID-19, the restrictions won’t be as numerous.

Accordingly, the school year won’t look the same in Lincoln or Omaha classrooms as it will in Loup County or Osceola.

Getting through the 2020-21 school year will come with challenges. It will likely involve some school closures to combat outbreaks. But it will require creativity and ingenuity to ensure the safety of everyone involved and that students’ needs are met while the pandemic rages on.