This nice weather in February has me thinking of summer and vacation.  

Nebraska has historically done a bad job in bringing tourists to our state.  We have that Midwest mentality that we don’t like bragging on ourselves. 

But when we do brag, we do it poorly.  Remember our last pitch to bring visitors to the Good Life State? 

Nebraska… Honestly, it’s not for everyone. 

Man, that slogan sucked.  Although when you look at how our governor treats liberals, gay and transgender people, families in need of DHHS services and pretty much any city bigger than Murdock, that slogan acted more as a warning to keep people out rather than a slogan to bring people in. 

But maybe, just maybe things might be changing.  

Because Nebraska has a new director of tourism and a new tourism slogan. 

Nebraska… All Heart. 

I’ve seen the video ad, and some of the print campaign, and I’ve got to say they are both pretty good.  

Too bad more people won’t be seeing them. 

Nebraska has historically done a really bad job at marketing ourselves.  We hardly spend anything compared to comparable states when it comes to bringing people to Nebraska. 

But advertising isn’t the only way to increase the tourism dollars to help our economy.  Bringing more families to Nebraska to compete in youth activities like volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball, and cheerleading is another way to improve our image and our economy. 

But Governor Pillen is working to see that that doesn’t happen. So if we are changing we’re still aren’t changing fast enough.

The Nebraska Sports Arena Facility Financing Assistance Act or SAFFA is a bill that allows for a turnback tax to benefit new sports and entertainment venues.

Competitive youth sports is a multi-billion-dollar industry nationwide and Nebraska is missing out on our fair share. 

Craig and Tiffany Wolf have proposed a 28.5 million dollar youth sports facility to be built near Gretna. Their nonprofit Wolf Pack foundation wants to build a venue that would be used for cheerleading, gymnastics, and basketball events. 

They foresee hotels, bars, restaurants and retailers populating the area surrounding it to make it a more convenient and enjoyable family experience.

Up to 70% of the sales tax generated from the new venue as well as the any sales tax from the new hotels, bars and restaurants within 600 yards of the facility, would go back to the Wolf Pack Foundation to help pay for the project.

This turnback tax would only apply to new businesses in that area, not ones that are already generating sales tax for the state.  So the state isn’t missing out on any revenue but rather benefitting from the additional 30% they would be getting.

The Gretna project is just one of the numerous projects being proposed statewide. But in order to move forward they must be approved by a review board. Under state law, Governor Pillen has to be at those board meetings to cast a vote.  

He has failed to show up for the last two meetings and as of now no new meetings are scheduled. Not every proposal is worthy of implementation, but the ones that are or aren’t need to get a ruling so they can get on with their lives.  Governor Pillen’s spokesperson said he’s not going to consider anything until at least June. 

We may have changed our slogan about not being for everybody, but it appears we still aren’t for progress. 

Tourism is a big business. Nebraska can’t depend on the College World Series, the Berkshire Hathaway meeting, or the Zoo to carry all the weight.  

We need to expand our message to people in cities who are looking to get away for some peaceful hunting, fishing, and sightseeing.  Reach out to the folks in places like Chicago, New York, and LA who need a break from being in traffic to breath some fresh air in the Sandhills. 

Believe it or not there are people in this country that have never seen a cow in real life. They might enjoy a nice trip down a country road. 

Regionally bringing young athletes to the good life state as well as offering more sports and entertainment options for the people who live here is a good idea too. 

I have met people who come to Omaha for the first time, and they are impressed with all that we have to offer.  They are blown away at our friendly nature. They had no idea this was what Nebraska was like.

Let’s do more to let the rest of the world know that we’re All Heart. 

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.