Hundreds rally for children's issues

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By MELISSA LEE / Lincoln Journal Star

Children don’t vote.

They don’t contribute to political campaigns.

They don’t lobby.

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UNO associate professor Will Austin address the crowd at a rally on the north steps of the state Capitol, Tuesday. (Ted Kirk)

So when government budgets need to be trimmed, Sarah Ann Lewis fears, children’s programs too often are the first to take a hit.

Lewis, policy coordinator for Voices for Children in Nebraska, wants that to change.

“Politicians need to have a children’s agenda,” she said Tuesday, following a rally at the Capitol intended to draw attention to critical issues facing children such as health care, education and poverty.

The Step Up for Kids Rally was just one of a number of events across the nation Tuesday organized by the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Every Child Matters Education Fund.

Wearing “Want My Vote? Invest in Kids!” T-shirts, hundreds of participants — from stroller-age on up — called on policymakers to pour more resources into insuring children, educating them and providing them with quality care.

“Look up here. This is our future,” University of Nebraska at Omaha associate professor Will Austin told the crowd, gesturing to the dozens of children seated on the Capitol steps.

“Look upon this as an opportunity. Look upon this as a blessing. … Take the time to help these kids be whatever God intended them to be.”

In 2006, more than 63,000 children in Nebraska were living in poverty, according to Voices for Children in Nebraska, which helped organize the rally.

About 45,000 children were not covered by health insurance at any time during that year, and nearly 30,000 3- and 4-year-olds were not enrolled in a nursery, preschool or pre-kindergarten program.

Too often, those children are invisible to policymakers, said Deila Steiner, director of federal programs for Lincoln Public Schools.

“We must lend our voices to their voices,” she said.

Many families face an impossible choice: whether to provide food, heating, clothes or child care for their children, said Dr. Tom Tonniges, director of Boys Town Pediatrics.

A rocky economy, along with high gas and fuel prices, are making such choices even more difficult, speakers said.

For the sake of its future, Nebraska must lend a hand to struggling families, Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln said.

“We can make much better choices to step up for kids,” she said.

The rally drew the interest of key politicians as well as political hopefuls, including U.S. Senate candidates Mike Johanns and Scott Kleeb.

In interviews, both men named health care and education as critical areas affecting Nebraska children.

Johanns, the Republican nominee, said his record shows he’s committed to those and other children’s issues.

“I’m just happy to be here talking about issues that are enormously important,” he said.

Kleeb, the Democratic candidate, said he’ll work to invest resources into insuring more children and providing them with better education.

“If our kids don’t have these opportunities, where are we going to be?” he said.

Jim Esch, Democratic candidate for the 2nd District House seat, also was in attendance.

Politicians must act on their promises, UNO’s Austin said.

“Don’t forget, change starts at home,” he said, referring to themes echoed by both presidential candidates, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

“Change starts here.”

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.