It’s a new year, and the next session of the Unicameral is about to begin. There will be a number of laws proposed this year, as there always are, but the main issue our state senators need to address, in my opinion, is Nebraska’s budget deficit. It’s currently projected to be $ 471 million.

And while that’s nothing compared to the trillions of dollars our country is in debt, we don’t have the luxury of being able to continue running in the red. We need to fix this problem.

And that means discussions on cutting programs and raising taxes. Two things politicians try like hell to avoid.

Government deficit spending has always been a hot-button issue for me. I don’t see how we can continue to be a strong nation burdened by debt.

Back in my talk radio days, I would sometimes approach the topic by asking my listeners what government programs they would like to see cut or eliminated.

But there was this one rule: it had to be a government program that affected them. In other words, you couldn’t say eliminate farm subsidies if you weren’t a farmer. You couldn’t say cuts in social security unless you were receiving those benefits.

That made the conversation much more difficult, because it’s easy to cut the other guy’s programs; it’s much harder when you are the one having to make the sacrifice.

It’s the same when it comes to raising taxes.

Sin taxes are easier to pass than general taxes. I don’t care if you tax the hell out of cigarettes because I don’t smoke. Tax the casinos because that’s a voluntary tax. But if you try to raise my income taxes, I’m going to shout to the high heavens.

But I don’t think our senators have any other option but to talk about cutting programs or raising taxes. Two things they hate to talk about, especially during an election year, but what other choices do they have?

My job normally gets a little bit easier when the Unicameral is in session because there are so many potential laws to write about. There’s always some social issue a rural senator wants to legislate. Lately, transgender issues have been a hot topic. It’s easy to write a column about an emotional issue like what bathrooms people should use.

Emotional issues are easier to write about, and people will get emotional when things like cuts in Health and Human Services are discussed, or property taxes don’t get cut.

This session, bills will most likely be submitted to deal with the detainment center in McCook, or to finally get medical marijuana into the hands of the people who voted for it. Some people can get pretty passionate about those things.

While emotional issues will get politicians’ names in the news and are easier to write about, we can’t let emotions get in the way of any budget decisions this session. All decisions about cuts to programs or tax increases need to be analytical and as reasonable to everyone as possible.

And that’s the hard part because people tend to think the other guy is getting all the benefits and they are the ones getting the shaft. The rich think the poor are all gaming the system, and the poor people think the rich guys get all the breaks.

And those in the middle assume the government is taking care of the rich and the poor, and they are the ones getting the shaft.

I don’t envy the senators trying to figure out how to fix this deficit because not only do they have to figure out how to make up the shortfall with as little pain as possible, but they also need to get the governor to approve it. Getting all that done is not going to be an easy task.

In the short term, Nebraskans are going to have to make some sacrifices.

In the long term, Nebraska needs to grow its economy. A task made more difficult with the current federal government policies on immigration and trade, and the brain drain caused by outdated state policies that don’t appeal to younger people.

It’s a new year. Nebraska should resolve to focus on getting our deficit under control. It’s a short session. Our state senators should resolve not to waste their time on pet projects that don’t have a chance of passing and focus on the budget.

The new session of the Unicameral is about to begin. Let’s hope it’s a productive one.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.