O’NEILL — Michael Sobotka has some questions for Nebraska state senators.
“Nobody seems to be down in Lincoln asking the question, why do we need to spend so much money? Everyone talks about - we need to raise this tax, raise that tax - my question is why don’t we start reducing spending so we can start reducing taxes,” Sobotka said.
The farmer from rural Inman wants to address those questions as the next senator from District 40. Sobotka is one of six candidates running to replace term-limited Tyson Larson. He says spending concerns are at the core of the number one topic in the District: how to reduce property taxes.
“All the proposals (current senators) want just funnels tax dollars from one spot to another, lower one tax and raise another tax,” Sobotka said. “I don’t want to raise any tax, I want to cut some spending and then we can talk about moving money from one place to another.”
Aside from spending, he says the other tenet of his campaign is adherence to the Constitution. Sobotka says he opposes any attempt at a so-called Convention of the States to amend the Constitution.
“To say we need a Constitutional Convention is to say that the Constitution is broken,” Sobotka said. “I don’t believe it’s broken, I believe it isn’t being followed.”
Sobotka has no experience with local or state politics but says that’s a positive.
“I have not been part of the system, I am not beholden to anybody,” Sobotka said. “I think it’s time we get someone down there that’s gonna question the system because, obviously, the system doesn’t work.”
The top two vote-getters from the May 15th primary will advance to the general election.
