LINCOLN -  In her latest legislative column, State Sen. Julie Slama calls out Southeast Community College for its march toward tax increases, condescending responses and mimicry of Peru State College.

The state senator says some state lawmakers have condemned a potential Southeast Community College tax hike, but have been met a dismissive attitude.

She said Southeast Community College is using public funds to duplicate services already provided by Peru State  College and has even overlapped on Peru State's Bobcat mascot.

 

Here is Sen. Slama's column:

I am writing to provide you with an important update regarding the recent pink postcards sent by
Southeast Community College (SCC), which have raised concerns about a potential tax increase.
In this newsletter, I aim to address these concerns and ensure that you are well-informed on this
matter.

First and foremost, SCC’s actions in raising your taxes have been nothing short of concerning.
SCC has exploited a loophole in state statute to raise your taxes, a move that no other community
college system in Nebraska is currently making. When state senators, including myself, raised
concerns and questioned SCC’s actions, we were met with condescending responses, as if we
simply “don’t understand” the situation.

A group of state senators, numbering in the dozens, took action by issuing an interim letter to

condemn the tax hike. Unfortunately, we were met with the same dismissive attitude that many
taxpayers have encountered. SCC’s spending in district 1 has not primarily been directed toward
providing unique services to underserved students. Instead, it has been often focused on building
campus locations that offer services that overlap with those provided by Peru State College. This
means your tax dollars are being spent on redundant services.

To add to the concern, SCC allocated funds for a consultant to choose a new mascot, spending
taxpayer dollars in the process. The result? They selected “Bobcats'' as the new mascot, despite
the fact that Peru State college has had the same mascot for over a century.

In summary, I want to make it clear where I stand on SCC’s unjust tax hike. My next step is to
work on reigning in SCC’s authority to raise your taxes through legislation. We will ensure that
our message is heard loud and clear in the Legislature.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and
Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at
Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604;
telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.