Tea Party Express Comes to Omaha

Our correspondents were at Elmwood Park yesterday when the Tea Party Express arrived.  Building awareness for their cause the program included address from Congressman Lee Terry, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and former Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharon Angle.   The crowd of approximately 250 was entertained by several groups and individuals with satirical songs and rap, even rap, music.
Congressman Lee Terry spoke to the crowd for about 15 minutes telling them of the onerous regulations that Obama and team have put in place.   He related several local incidents of OSHA gone wild, punishing firms and small businesses.   Terry rightfully feels that the plethora of regulations is one of the major causes for the state of the economy today.

Next up on the candidate list was Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning.   If the attacks from Don Stenberg, the Omaha World-Herald and the Nelson/Johnson controlled Nebraska Democratic Party have had any impact on Bruning's popularity, it certainly wasn't evident from the strong response he received from the crowd which included everyone from young mothers to nuns.    Like most of these events, though, the predominant hair color among the attendees was gray.  

Bruning who is the only endorsed Nebraska candidate thus far by the Tea Party Express delivered a speech of about four minutes telling the crowd how he had sued the E.P.A. more than 20 times on behalf of Nebraskans and how he took leadership in the fight of twenty-six attorney generals across the country in an effort to overturn Obamacare.

Sharon Angle, the candidate that lost her bid to defeat Dirty Harry Reid was next up.   She is traveling across the country with the Tea Party Express.   She told folks how she was just a mother and housewife until a Nevada judge told her she couldn't home school her child after he failed first grade.   The judge told her because she didn't live more than 50 miles from a school she had no choice to do so.   That started her career in politics and her activism.

The event lasted two hours and folks came and went.   Th only other U.S. Senate candidate present was Patrick Flynn (he apparently didn't care about the Bruning endorsement).   Elected office holders were for the most part not visible although we did note the presence of Nebraska School Board member John Sieler.   Oh, and of course, we were pleased to see that the Keystone Pipeline opponents found time to come out and make their presence known with a couple of signs.    For some reason we didn't see Jane Kleeb who must still be in Washington, D.C. deciding as to whether she has enough nerve to be arrested in front of the White House as she watches other common citizens and Hollyweird stars shackled.  

It was a successful event although not as well attended as some in the past, but it's not yet an election year.    One could see this as the just the beginning of another boil. 

Governor Asks Obama/Clinton to Deny XL Pipeline Permit

Sandhills Scene

This morning Governor Heineman's office released a copy of a letter sent to our esteemed president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking them to deny the Keystone XL Pipeline permit.  The governor makes it clear that he doesn't oppose the pipeline per se, but simply the routing of it through Nebraska's Sand Hills.  

No doubt, Heineman's letter will just bring more attacks from Ben Nelson who will once again say that Heineman has the power to stop the pipeline.   Wait and see.

Here is the context of Heineman's press release:  

Governor Calls on President to Deny Pipeline Permit (Lincoln, Neb.) PIPLINE LETTER (pdf) - Today, Gov. Dave Heineman sent a letter to President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging the federal government to deny the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, currently proposed to be routed over the Ogallala Aquifer. In the letter, Gov. Heineman said, “I want to emphasize that I am not opposed to pipelines. I am opposed to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline route because it is directly over the Ogallala Aquifer.” The text of the letter follows: Dear President Obama and Secretary Clinton: I am writing to you today regarding a very important issue to the State of Nebraska and to our citizens- the Keystone XL Pipeline. I am opposed to the proposed route of this pipeline. The Final Environmental Impact Statement compares a potential spill in the Sand Hills region to a 1979 Bemidji, Minnesota spill and concludes that “the impacts to shallow groundwater from a spill of a similar volume in the Sand Hills region would affect a limited area of the aquifer around the spill site.” I disagree with this analysis, and I believe that the pipeline should not cross a substantial portion of the Ogallala Aquifer. Of the current proposed route, 254 miles of the pipeline would come through Nebraska and be situated directly over the Ogallala Aquifer. The aquifer provides water to farmers and ranchers of Nebraska to raise livestock and grow crops. Nebraska has 92,685 registered, active irrigation wells supplying water to over 8.5 million acres of harvested cropland and pasture. Forty-six percent of the total cropland harvested during 2007 was irrigated. Maintaining and protecting Nebraska’s water supply is very important to me and the residents of Nebraska. This resource is the lifeblood of Nebraska’s agriculture industry. Cash receipts from farm markets contribute over $17 billion to Nebraska’s economy annually. I am concerned that the proposed pipeline will potentially have detrimental effects on this valuable natural resource and Nebraska’s economy. I want to emphasize that I am not opposed to pipelines. We already have hundreds of them in our state. I am opposed to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline route because it is directly over the Ogallala Aquifer. Therefore, I am asking you to disapprove TransCanada’s pending permit request. Do not allow TransCanada to build a pipeline over the Ogallala Aquifer and risk the potential damage to Nebraska’s water. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Daub Gets Heineman Endorsement in Regents Race

Not wasting any time on this endorsement, Governor Dave Heineman emphatically endorsed Hal Daub's recently declared bid for Regent.    Endorsements don't mean a lot in many instances but there is no question that having the governor on your side in a Regent Race is a real plus:

Here is what Heineman had to say:

"Hal Daub has my enthusiastic endorsement. His lifetime of experience and able leadership as a dedicated public servant would be invaluable to the Board of Regents.  Our university system is critical to the future of Nebraska and we are fortunate to have leaders like Hal who are willing to serve.  His service in Congress and as mayor of Omaha will bring a unique and insightful perspective to the board. His commitment to public service is second to none.”

Bruning Turning Attacks into Fund Raising Opportunity

In our 'We Get E-mail' category today we get one from Newsmax that comes from Jon Bruning's campaign.   Apparently, given the thermometer, the attacks are still helping Bruning raise money.

Of course, the hit pieces continue in the Omaha World-Herald today with Don Stenberg's comments about the Bruning riches and friends.   We still don't know where this is going but we'd say Deb Fischer is wise to refrain from commenting.  

With all this commotion one sometimes recalls the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for."  Nelson/Johnson/Democrat Party may ultimately find themselves wondering what they expected to come of this.....

Here's the Newsmax e-mail

Dear Newsmax Reader, This week Ben Nelson sent out a vicious fundraising letter to 10,000 Democrats attacking Jon for his outspoken claims against government spending and Obamacare. This was followed by two hit pieces in Nebraska papers and more ugly vitriol from the bowels of DC by the head of the Democratic Senatorial Committee. I have to ask: since when did saving taxpayer dollars become a bad thing? We need your help to fight these attacks today! If Ben Nelson and his peers in Washington feel no shame raising money against Jon's unabashed fight against overspending and fraud in DC then we feel no shame for affirming our position: the federal government is out of control and Ben Nelson needs to go! Will you join me today and make a donation of $25. Help us reach our goal of raising $20,000 before the end of August. We have just one week to go.  Our federal debt will drown us all unless we unseat Ben Nelson. Ben Nelson's votes for Obamacare and big government spending just don't align with Nebraska values, and neither do his politics. These desperate actions show just how out of touch Ben Nelson and his political machine are with Nebraska voters, who time and time again have rejected dirty politics like this. As sad as these actions are, they are predictable and we expect more of them. Ben Nelson and the Washington establishment backing him are focused on Jon because they must be hearing the same thing Jon hears as he travels the state - Nebraskans are disappointed with Ben Nelson's style of politics and are demanding new leadership, and Jon is poised to provide that leadership next November. Join us today and make a small donation to help us defeat these attacks. Thank you for your support, Trent Fellers, Campaign Manager P.S. Please consider making a donation today. We have one week left in the summer and we need to hit our goals! Click here to make a donation today.

Omaha Fire Union Talk of Moving Forward With Suttle

With the "deal of the century" contract/non-contract negotiated by our incompetent Mayor Jim Suttle now celebrating its 2nd anniversary and with the Omaha City Council about to consider taking away the contract bargaining power from him, we thought we'd share with you one of the latest communications from the Omaha Firefighters Union to its resident lackey Jim Suttle.   Whether the measure passes the city council today or whether the city continues in limbo awaits, but the August 19 letter does tell us a little about the mentality of the union.

Oh, and by the way, we are certainly glad that Councilman Jerram has finally come out of his stupor/coma and realized that he has been nothing but a marrionette for Suttle and the Fire Union.     We hope his recovery continues.

Mayor Jim Suttle
City of Omaha
1819 Farnam Street, Suite 300
Omaha, NE 68131
RE: Moving Forward

Dear Mayor Suttle:

In light of the Omaha City Council’s failure to act on the tentative agreement, my Executive Board has directed that we communicate to the administration the following:

1. The Omaha Professional Firefighters have participated in extensive and time consuming negotiation sessions with the designated negotiating team representing the City of Omaha. We will not and do not recognize the Omaha City Council as the negotiating team on behalf of the City of Omaha because their representatives have been at the table across from us for these many months. Certain Council members have stated that their two-tiered negotiation process should not be a surprise to us because they have acted in a similar manner with respect to their treatment of the Omaha Police Union and Police Managers Association. Local 385 does not bargain for those employees, and the Council’s conduct in failing to take action on the agreed-upon tentative agreement is, in our opinion, a breach of the good faith Local 385 has shown in submitting this agreement to an up or down vote of our membership.
2. The leadership of Local 385 believes so strongly that this Council has once again exceeded their bounds that we, as of today, filed a prohibited practice petition in the CIR against the City and the individual members of the Council who have engaged in this hijacking of the negotiation process. Please see the attached Petition which was filled with the Commission today
3. The Council approved amendments to the agreement and then rejected the amended agreement, demonstrating a state of confusion and disunity in terms of what it is the Council really wants. I am confident that there is probably more than one Council member whose goal is no contract at all with Local 385. There are members of the Council who may believe that a rejection of the negotiated agreement is in their own political interests, but as any thoughtful person can recognize, a rejection of this agreement is not in the interests of the taxpayers or in the interests of the over 600 employees of the Omaha Fire Department and their families who remain my primary concern.
4. The proposed contract called for concessions in wages, health insurance premiums and substantial pension benefit reductions while providing the City with an annualized savings of $16 million. Our members demonstrated the courage and selflessness to approve that tentative agreement and for that reason, we remain committed to our word embodied in the negotiated contract which was reached with the individuals who we were advised had the authority to bargain and agree in terms on behalf of the City. This two-tiered negotiation tactic employed by five members of the Council named in the attached Petition will not be tolerated by Local 385 and should not be tolerated or condoned by your administration.
5. Our members are still working under 2008 wages and we have stalled litigation in a good faith effort to resolve our disputes outside the litigation context. I have directed our attorney to contact the City Attorney and jointly request Judge Peter Bataillon to issue a ruling on matters pending before him. I have also directed our Union Secretary to begin the process of determining back pay calculations for the 2009 CIR order

I ask, on behalf of Local 385, that your representatives and ours sit down immediately to determine how the City will respond to the issues raised herein.

Sincerely,

Steve LeClair, President
Omaha Professional Firefighters, Local 385

Does Obama Know We Have A Constitution, Right? -- Randi Scott

The ideological shift the United States has been moving toward has finally happened.  Now, instead of attempting to hide the liberal agenda with rhetoric, Obama is comfortable enough to just come right out and say that he is picking and choosing what laws to follow.  For a while now, Obama has been selectively enforcing our laws and finding ways around the Constitution.  There are four specific recent instances:  1) he bypassed the Defense of Marriage Act by just deciding not to enforce it anymore; 2)he skirted  Congress and the War Powers Resolution when he chose to go into Libya; 3)he circumvented Congress to get his Cap and Trade passed via the EPA, and 4) last week he found a way to get the Dream Act going through the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security .  With the last decision to only enforce illegal immigrants who are committing crimes (doesn’t the term “illegal” kind of imply it is a crime in the first place?), Obama has solidified his position as a President who is not a fan of our founding fathers, our history, or our nation.  What laws are we going to choose to follow next? Are we now only going to use our resources to go after armed robbers and not just your run of the mill robbers? 

Right now, it seems the important issue is not whether the federal government has jurisdiction over immigration, but rather what is the purpose of our separation of powers in our federal  government?  Many of us are unhappy with Congress at the moment, but Obama would rather not have them at all.  It seems whatever Obama decides to do, he is doing.  Separation of powers is there for a reason, not for the President to find loopholes in support of his agenda.  Like it or not, Obama represents the entire country which means he needs to leave his Chicago political roots behind and behave like a diplomat—not a 15-year-old trying to find a way to sneak behind his parent’s rules. 

Randi Scott

Attorney, Campaign Manager for Lindstrom for Congress

Pipeline Politics

A pretty accurate assessment of the Keystone Pipeline, "The Politics of a Pipeline", by the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal can be found at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904875404576532590288708636.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

While it mentions Lois Lane, oops Margot Kidder, somehow Nebraska Jane Kleeb's name is lacking.    Guess you have to have the guts to be arrested to get mentioned.  

Anyway, there has been enough talk and politics about the pipeline.   Let's get it done.

Ewing's View of Government Effficiency

If you read today's local daily, you'll note that it discusses John Ewing's proposal to consolidate five Treasurer's offices into two.  According to Ewing's math he could reduce the $350,000 currently paid out on lease payments for the five offices by $300,000.  And of course all this is "in the very early stages" according to Jerry Leahy, the County Property Director.   Of course, Ewing would remain cloistered away from the public in his downtown office so he wouldn't have to deal with the incredibly poor service his office is delivering now.   With consolidation into two sites one wonders how service could possibly improve or become more convenient?

With that said, we earlier in the month wrote of the 'efficiency' of Ewing's office and provided some photos of the lines at the 144th Street location in Millard.  

Today our reporters were at the 84th and Chicago location.   With three days until the end of the month, we could find virtually no parking places that didn't have a 'reserved' sign painted on them or didn't threaten to remove our vehicle by towing from an HDR reserved spot.  After waiting and waiting for a legitimate parking place we were able to head inside where we found about 30 folks ahead of us all in a uncontrolled serpentine line that begged for a simple 'take-a-number' system used by businesses in high volume locations.

Of course that 30 person long line that sometimes was in excess of 40 people long took just about one hour of our time to negotiate.  What was really distressing was to watch the elderly and handicapped, some in wheel chairs, some on oxygen, others just old who either had to stand in the line or in several cases just left.   Wouldn't a numbering system and chairs make more sense?  

Oh, heaven forbid someone needed a restroom as there appear to be no public restrooms in the building.   That in itself might account for why some who waited left.

Ewing will tell folks he wants to go to Washington to better represent them.  If our last two trips to his offices are any indication we're sure that if he gets elected he'll be happy to sit in his Capitol office, collecting his $100,000 a year police pension and his congressional pay of $175,000 a year away from contact with the citizens and simply say 'let them eat peas." 

While the Omaha World-Herald is out trying to destroy Jon Bruning for no illegal behavior it somehow ignores the total
incompetence of Ewing who would like to be a congressman.    Too bad.

The Bruning Revelations/Attacks

All of the last week's Bruning revelations were probably not unexpected.   Perhaps the vitriol of them should have been.    We've been solid believers that Bruning is the only guy that could win against Nelson and that he would win the primary in order to do so.   Both Omaha's and Lincoln's local dailys have been doing their part to fuel the news furor with Don Walton of the Lincoln Journal Star in the mix (see reference to his article below):

The last week's 'developments' lead us to certain conclusions:

1. Ben Nelson intends to run for re-election
2. Ben Nelson regards Jon Bruning as the guy who really is a threat to his (Nelson's) reelection
3. Ben Nelson will do ANYTHING NECESSARY to win re-election Don Walton reminds of a Chris Cillizza quote: "Chris Cillizza, writing in the Washington Post a week ago: "Paul Johnson may well be the best campaign manager of either party in the country."
4. As Don Walton notes, the raccoon analogy simply opened up the vicious Nelson/Johnson attack machine earlier than expected.
5. The attack machine, precipitated by the Bruning gaffe, precipitated the recent Omaha World-Herald 'reports' about Bruning's finances and beach house.  The local daily doesn't like to be scooped by the Johnson/Nelson/Nebraska Democratic party.     With 'Part 2' of the Democratic Party's response promised, you no doubt expect more from the Omaha daily
6. The Omaha daily has already positioned itself by its editorial shots and 'investigative reporting' (Robynn Tysver has no doubt been aided by an open telephone line to Johnson) as one that will endorse anyone other than Bruning for the G.O.P. nomination (our guess, probably Fischer) and Nelson for re-election, certainly if Bruning is the nominee.
7. Bruning has been damaged by these revelations.   It does not appear that he has violated the law but many are already being faced with the idea of being required to 'hold their nose' when they go to the polling place in November if Bruning is the nominee.
8. Bruning has been the only one of the potential G.O.P. nominees who has shown the aggressiveness and the fund raising ability to beat Nelson.    We suspect that last week's initial attack by the Democrat Party ad brought in some dollars.   The continued assaults suggesting the appearance of impropriety may change this.   The next round of F.E.C. fund-raising reports will tell something.
9. Bruning who should be out their daily attacking Nelson for Obamacare and the Cornhusker Kickback now has to defend his personal financials which is where Nelson and associates want him.   Who would have thought a rich guy like Nelson who got that way by questionable investments himself would have been able to put a young whippersnapper like Bruning into the same sort of position he put Pete Ricketts in (Wall Street versus Main Street) six years ago?

We could go on but the bottom line is that Nelson, etal., are as viscous as ever and Bruning is damaged.   Whether that changes the dynamics over the next months remains to be seen.  Certainly, prospects for Stenberg and Fischer may be changing.

You can read more the entire Walton article at: http://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_f0c7ff6b-d910-5b71-a4cb-4bdf792e0932.html#ixzz1WQOn9Sb5

Oh to Be Poor

We find it worthy of note that Ashland, NE is in the process of building eight homes for 'poor families'.    Yes, the city has received a grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to build those eight homes, a $1.7 million dollar project.   Let's see that works out to $212,500 for each 1,400 square feet three-bedroom home with a garage.    Now, that might not be too much if a regular family were building it for themselves, but really $212,500 each for poor families?    No doubt they'll qualify for additional assistance.

Not too bad to be poor in Ashland, NE or America.

Suttle Agrees Council Can Change Labor Contracts

One of our 'moles' attended a Young Democrats meeting this last week.   You can actually hear (not see as the video camera was aimed at the floor to avoid letting folks know our guy was there) the 12 minutes of the meeting by clicking on the link below.   Most is just Suttle rhetoric.

The mayor introduce himself by saying he enjoyed the job of being mayor and than talking about how he fell into his pond, apparently something normally reserved for his canine.   Wonder why he didn't apply for F.E.M.A. aid?  He said that he became a student of politics while in college.

He told the group that Omaha has been in a period of chaotic times (apparently not introduced by his incompetence) and that there were still some that "couldn't let go of the recall."   

As the speech progressed he said that he needed to get through the fire contract issue before going to Chicago in September to meet with Moody's.   He set the stage for a downgrade of Omaha's bond rating if the fire contract wasn't resolved by then and further indicated that the city might be downgraded anyway due to the connection the city has with the federal government which has already been downgraded by Standard & Poors.   He said that a downgrade would cost the city six to eight million dollars in additional interest on bonds it needs to sell over the next six months.   We should note that while we aren't sure how much of those bonds are revenue bonds that revenue bonds don't carry a AAA rating to begin with so as usual some of the mayor's rhetoric is just that and scare tactics.     We're a little surprised he isn't blaming George W. Bush for the city's woes.

Suttle and Fire Union President Steve LeClair

He, of course, talked about how five members of the city council are "holding the city hostage over the fire contract."   He said it didn't have to be that way and said that although his labor negotiators hadn't done so with the police contract they had been in constant conversation with the council members since last December when the contract details were largely finalized    We wonder if there is/was such an urgency why this deal, which he incidentally told us two years ago was the "deal of the century", has developed such an urgency in the last month (Oh, Chicago and the bond raters). 

Of considerable interest he noted that although the council has delegated labor negotiations to the mayor's office Suttle told the group that under the charter the city council has the right to approve contracts and make changes.  

Our conclusion is that this mayor is his own worst enemy.   Despite his iterations he is not inclusive and is totally arrogant in virtually everything he does.   The hastily called press conference with the police union yesterday is an example as he did not tell any of the five council members who voted against the contract of the press conference.    That's really inclusionary, isn't it   His threats to those recalcitrant council members further illustrate his arrogance and his 'do it my way or else' mentality.

Interested readers can listen to the whole address by the mayor although they could skip most of the first eight minutes.  Feel free to check it out at:
http://youtu.be/rnVN-oDd34c

Venture -- H. Dean Cowles

We received the following from the Objective Conservative's own H. Dean Cowles, our official Poet Laureate.  

 

Venture

With resolve’s tight impact, like a band,

I sought to better understand

The workings of that foreign land,

The Black Hole of my curious mind.

It rejected my intensive press,
Refused my every willingness

To search for meaningful success

But, value there I failed to find.

Unwilling to explain itself

In its atmosphere devoid of health,

I left that gloom, retired in stealth~~

No wiser now, no gain divined.

H. Dean Cowles

Sick of Buffett -- Mike Bigley

I'm am sick of Buffett shooting off his mouth about things he knows nothing about. Additionally, I'm very irritated that Buffett has chosen to hold a fund-raiser for Berack Hussein Obama. I type this after reading the article referenced at the end of the message. I had to rant, and yes....preach to the choir!

Buffett is a type of "savant", much like Raymond Babbitt in the movie "Rainman".

Warren Buffett is quirky and odd much like the Rainman but with only slightly better social skills. He's highly intelligent but has a very narrow focus and frame of reference toward life in general. Buffett is superlative at evaluating business deals, investment strategies, and generally as a capital allocator for Berkshire-Hathaway. That is basically his "circle of competence". Once he ventures outside that "circle of competence" his opinions are no better and most often worse than those of the average person.

Buffett suffers of wealth-guilt....he just does. It's impossible for any reasonably intelligent, rational person to have several billion dollars, adequate health, and the comfort and security that the U.S. provides, and yet observe the widespread poverty and suffering throughout the world and NOT feel guilty. Of course like all liberals, Buffett prefers to assuage his guilt with "other people's money", not his own.

Buffett also suffers from being insulated by his great wealth. Though Buffett is portrayed, and loves to play the part of, a very frugal person, this is simply a byproduct of his own quirkiness, not the driving force. Regardless of his lifestyle, for decades, he has never had to worry about financial security and this has distorted his opinions and approach to life in general. Though he's portrayed as an ordinary Midwestern person, in reality he has no concept of what it's like to live life without exponentially excessive financial security. He therefore is widely out of touch with real life in such regard.

So why do people focus on Buffett's opinions outside his "circle of competence"? Well, much like the foolish people in the movie, "Being There", where everyone in the country from the President on down mistook the simpleton, Chance (the) Gardener, for an oracle, people have an awful habit of extrapolating a singular, narrow talent to far-reaching knowledge of everything. Think of the clueless followers of our half-witted, talentless ex-vice president, Al Gore and his Nobel Peace Prize for the mythical global warming. Why would anyone consider Al Gore an expert on anything, let alone anything scientific?

In Buffett's younger days, when journalists or stockholders would ask him about non-Berkshire topics, he'd thoughtfully and advisedly defer, stating "he had nothing to add". He was disciplined enough to NOT venture outside his "circle of competence". But as Buffett has grown older, or maybe it's simply years of adulation and constant requests for his opinions on everything, as with most humans, Buffett's ego has gotten the better of him.

Buffett may not know anything substantive about so many of the things he's asked about, but hey!, it doesn't mean he's not willing to give his opinion....knowledgeable or not.

Buffett's judgment and track record on "macro" economics, politics, and evaluating character in other people is abysmal. Whether it's the near-disastrous metal commodities hedge against the dollar years back, his lack of understanding of personal property rights and the Constitution, to his assessment that "we have the right guys in place" to solve our economic woes....referring to our "Excuse-maker-in-chief", President Crybaby Bozo, "Helicopter-Ben Bernanke ("we'll drop dollars from helicopters"), or the tax-cheating, former Wall-Street do-nothing, Geithner. Two years later, $4 trillion more in debt, 9+% unemployment, zero-GDP growth, stagflation....how's Mr. Buffett's judgment working out so far?????

Anyway, his latest foray into national politics and macro-economics is more of the same silly lib/socialist myths. In closing, I refer to the well-written article below:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/08/the-stooge-of-omaha.php

The Stooge of Omaha:

"We wrote here about Charles Koch’s elegant rejoinder to Warren Buffett’s very silly op-ed, in which Buffett requested that the federal government raise his taxes. The flaws in Buffett’s reasoning, and his epic hypocrisy, have been widely noted. Some of the main points can be summarized as follows:

1) Nothing prevents Buffett from contributing more money to the federal treasury, but, like every liberal I know of, he has chosen not to do so.

2) Buffett’s tax rate is lower than his secretary’s because his income consists entirely of capital gains, while hers is ordinary income."...........

Rant over....

East Coast Earthquake: Pointing The Blame To Bush

NEWS ALERT:

President Obama has just confirmed that the DC earthquake occurred on a rare and obscure fault-line, apparently known as "Bush's Fault". Obama also announced the Secret Service and Maxine Waters will continue an investigation of the quake's suspicious ties to the Tea Party. Conservatives however have proven that it was caused by the founding fathers rolling over in their graves. Don't be alarmed with the earthquakes... That is just the Country shifting to the RIGHT!!

Reliving Nelson's Extortions Courtesy of the Liberal Media

We thought for those of you who forgot Judas Ben Nelson's now infamous sellout of Nebraskans on Christmas Eve 2009 that we might refresh your mind.   Yes, and this comes from none other than PBS's Frontline.   It makes it pretty clear that Nelson took a $100 million dollar bribe to sell his 'conservastive' soul to Barack Obama.  

What Frontline doesn't tell you is that Nelson also extorted $600,000 from the National Democrat Party to use to try to explain his sellout, the Cornhusker Kickback, to his constituents back home in Nebraska.

Nelson can say anything he wants against Jon Bruning, Deb Fischer, Don Stenberg, Pat Flynn, etal., but he can't explain his failure to listen to his constituents.

That failure to listen to constituents has only been magnified by his failure to hold town hall meetings not just this year but last year as well.  

Thoughts on Yesterday's "Local Daily" articles

Just a couple of thoughts on articles in yesterdays local daily:

Abortion Laws:   Tracy Durbin of Planned Parenthood, abettor to murder, complained of the new Nebraska law that requires girls under the age of 17 to get written, notarized parental consent saying, "This law absolutely throws up another barricade for minors...It's one more hoop they have to jump through."    Apparently Durbin and Planned Parenthood are okay with murdering babies, but we suspect they support a parental sign-off for kids wanting a tattoo.

On Migration to and from Nebraska:   The article notes that Texas is gaining about 1,000 Nebraskans a year since 2009.     Could that be because Texas has no income tax?  Could it be because Texas has an economy that is creating jobs, lots of jobs.   It certainly couldn't have anything to do with Rick Perry who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, could it???????

Nebraska Restrictions On Abortion Are Heading Nation to Double-Dip Recession

Hard to believe isn't it?   Yes, in our "we get e-mail" category for the day our friends at Moveon.org tell us that nasty Dave Heineman, abetted by radical right wing Nebraska legislators (we should be so lucky), is driving the nation toward a double-dip recession.    The only way we can fight this spreading radicalism is to send Moveon.org $20.

Talk of drinking the Kool-aid..... Here's what Moveon had the audacity to send out and believe that we'd believe:

"Dave Heineman and the wave of Republican governors and state legislators elected in 2010 have passed a radical right-w Can you chip in $20 a month to stop theming agenda and devastating budget cuts that have put the whole country on the verge of a double-dip recession. Now they're pushing for more.?

Dear Nebraska MoveOn member,

With Republican Governor Dave Heineman and a Republican-dominated legislature, we knew things could get ugly. But "ugly" is a polite word for what we've seen.

Nebraska Republicans have gone on a right-wing binge, with some of the most extreme restrictions on abortion in the country and deep cuts in education and health care that are pushing us toward a double-dip recession. And Republicans are pushing the same far-right agenda in state capitols across the country.¹

The scariest part is, these right-wing extremists are pushing for even more. In states across the country, Republicans are calling "special sessions" to ram through even deeper budget cuts and partisan redistricting maps that will lock in GOP dominance for years to come.²

With so much at stake, we've launched a major effort to bring MoveOn's grassroots muscle and Internet organizing to state capitols all across the country.

This is one of the biggest expansions we've ever taken on. Can you help give us the ongoing resources we need by making a donation of $20 per month? It's easy, and you can cancel at any time.

Yes, I can give $20 a month to fight Dave "

Call Jon Bruning

According to the local daily, the 'endangered' Salt Creek Tiger beetle is in trouble because the Lancaster County Board has voted against giving the Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership $90,000 over the next three years to help acquire 150 to 250 acres of saline wetlands.  

Sounds to us like the only viable solution may be to collect them in buckets and save then from extinction, but p-l-e-a-s-e make sure the buckets are appropriately covered so the raccoons and Jon Bruning don't expedite the ultimate fates of these 'poor' creatures

Lindstrom Wants to Be Irrelevant

In today's 'breaking news' category, Brett Lindstrom, the guy who is challenging Lee Terry for the Republican Second District Congressional nomination tells us that he when he is elected he will only serve three terms--six short years.   We guess that if he is going to try to make an issue of Lee Terry's original pledge to do just that he has to logically do the same.   

What Terry found out and what anyone with any knowledge of the sad state of Washington and the Congress understands is that no congressman can accomplish much in his first six or even ten years.   Sadly, seniority is everything.   So were Lindstrom by some quirk of fate be elected he'd end up breaking his pledge as well.   Worse yet, Second Congressional citizens would be saddled with a rookie who would have to rebuild seniority for the district until such time as some other rookie came along and defeated him to start the process all over again.

We don't like the status in D.C.   We don't like term limits although the time may be coming when that is the only way to change the direction of our country.   Unfortunately we have to deal with the realities of the current environment and unilaterally disarming by declaring you will serve only three terms is sort of like declaring yourself a lame duck from the beginning and making yourself irrelevant from the start.

Here is what Lindstrom wrote:

BRETT LINDSTROM SELF-IMPOSES TERM LIMIT

"Omaha, NE (August 26, 2011)- After careful deliberation, I have decided to self-impose a three-term limit in Congress. The notion that a Representative needs to be in Congress for several years before any impact can be made is nonsense. Representatives should be leaders from day one. If I cannot accomplish a conservative agenda after six years, then I am not the leader District 2 deserves.

The voters of Nebraska's 2^nd Congressional District no longer simply need a safe conservative vote but rather someone that will fight for conservative values. I am not going to Capitol Hill to make friends or become beholden to lobbyists or special interests. My intention is to make a difference and if that means swimming upstream so be it.

Serving as a Representative is an honor and should be done in servitude-not treated as a lifelong occupation. We need fresh ideas and creative thinking to tackle the problems our nation faces and that can be best accomplished by continually electing new leaders to serve."

How Important Is Nebraska's Electoral Vote?

Larry Sabato and Crystal Ball have a good article about the projected 2012 electoral vote that breaks down the states by safe, leaning and toss up.   The article, "The Electoral College: Democrat's Friend?" is written by Alan I. Abramowitz and can be found at: http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/aia2011082502/ .

What the chart tells us is that there is still no guarantee that a Republican can/will beat Obama in 2012.   It also tells us that electoral votes are important and since only two states distribute their electoral votes on other than an "winner-takes-all" manner, each of the other 48 (or 55 if you're the president) have the clout of delivering a unanimous vote in the Electoral College.   Only Maine and Nebraska don't and as you'll note from the chart, Maine is pretty much in Obama's camp already.   On the other hand you will note that of Nebraska's five votes, one is classified as 'leaning' Republican although it went to Obama in 2008.  

What are we getting at?  Simply, that given the anticipated closeness of the presidential election next year, Nebraska's one 'leaning' vote could go to Obama and, yes, possibly elect him.   That would be a sad day for Nebraska and the nation's history--even worse than Senator Nelson's sell-out of his constituents and the country by his casting the 60th vote for Obamacare!   It would be a disaster for the future of the country and an insult to Nebraskans.

It's no surprise that the Nebraska Republican Party has tried to reverse this sad 1992 decision by its legislature to allocate its electoral votes on the basis of districts--a vote abetted by current Nebraska State Senator Brad Ashford.  Some Republican...RINO. 

Electoral Vote Allocation for 2012, 2016, 2020

Let's face it--the Democrats want the votes allocated because it makes them relevant.  But Republicans outnumber Democrats by two-to-one in Nebraska and by about the same in the legislature.    If this situation existed in New York, California, Florida, Illinois or Texas there would be no debate about it.   The party that controls wouldn't care about the one that wants to relevant.   The party that controls would assure votes are cast on a winner-takes-all basis--as they do.   When those states change their method of allocation Nebraska can re-look allocation.   Until then Nebraska needs to return to the winner-takes-all process.

The state tried to change this in the 2011 session but the Democrats have found a new ally in State Senator Paul Schumacher, also a Republican and a RINO who finds the idea of splitting the vote pleasing.   Schumacher prevented the return to winner-takes-all from getting out of committee in 2011.

Having noted the above, we've learned that a resolution will be introduced at the September Republican Party State Central Committee to deal with so-called Republicans who refuse to support their party on what is truly a 'litmus' issue for the party.   It reads as noted:

Whereas Nebraska is one of only two states that award electoral votes based on the presidential winner of congressional districts,

Whereas Nebraska’s overall clout in national elections is decreased by a procedure used in only one other state,

Whereas 48 other states refuse to allocate their electoral votes under such a plan because such plan dilutes the clout of their states and citizens in determining the election of the president,

Whereas the vast majority of Nebraskans and their votes for the president are not counted on an equal playing field with those of other states,

Whereas it is of the highest priority and interest to the Nebraska Republican Party and the citizens of Nebraska that the state returns to a “winner-takes-all” electoral vote plan,

Whereas the Nebraska Republican Party supports legislation that returns the state to the “winner-takes-all” basis,

And, whereas the Nebraska Republican Party believes that the “winner-takes-all” issue is a litmus test for those who would claim to be Republicans and seek the support of the Nebraska Republican Party,

Be it resolved that the Nebraska Republican Party will not support in any manner, financial or otherwise, any state senator who opposes the return of the state to the “winner-takes-all” electoral vote plan either by failing to vote for such in committee or on the floor of the legislature.

The resolution will deal with the likes of Schumacher who will become persona non grata next year if he prevents the measure getting to the floor.  Certain, RINOs like Schumacher will never again see the support of the Republican Party and the party will find a candidate to replace him come the next election.

Nelson Polling Shows Bruning Will Beat Him?

Just a follow up to our Bruning Attack entry below.   It seems that Ben Nelson and his campaign consultant Paul Johnson must be spending their time reading polls since Ben doesn't have to worry about town hall meetings and listening to constituents.

Yesterday the Lincoln Journal Star reported:

"Sen. Ben Nelson's re-election campaign will dispatch 10,000 fundraising letters Tuesday describing Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning as "a verbal bully" and urging a contribution to organizations that serve the needy before considering writing a check to Nelson.

The fundraising appeal, signed by Nelson campaign manager Paul Johnson, points to Bruning's recent remark associating welfare recipients with raccoons.

"The verbal equivalent of a 'knee to the groin' to people already down and out will undoubtedly raise him a chunk of change for his campaign and put him in good standing with a certain element of (Republican) primary voters," Johnson writes. "But his comments do not reflect Nebraska values.

"He has let blind ambition get in the way of judgment, civility and doing the job he was hired to do."

The fundraising appeal systematically criticizes nine additional Bruning statements or actions that Johnson said suggest "in Jon's world, the ends justify the means."

The polling must not look very good for Ben given his attack on a potential primary candidate some 9 months before the G.O.P. primary and 15 months prior to the fall election........

The Attacks on Bruning

It seems the world is out to get Jon Bruning.   The Democrat's (Ben Nelson) full page ad yesterday wasn't exactly kind in its accusations/innuendos.    We'd been told that Robynn Tysver of the Omaha daily had been working on a piece aiming at Bruning's wealth and business interests and somehow a day after the paper sells the Democrats/Nelson a full page ad the piece conveniently shows up in today's paper.   Apparently, the 'news' division got scooped, so to speak, by its "sales division." We know that Tysver had contacted other G.O.P. senate candidates over the last month to clarify 'issues' with their financial statements although there isn't apparently much meat with them.   Wonder if she's looked at Ben's?

From both an editorial perspective and a news (so-called) one it's clear that the Omaha World-Herald has no use for Bruning.  It's clear that if he is the nominee it has set the groundwork to endorse Nelson after its mea culpa over the one issue that it has disagreed with him on--Obamacare.    It's also pretty clear to us that the local daily won't endorse Stenberg over Nelson should Bruning somehow succumb to the attacks against him.  Don is much to conservative and doctrinaire for them and their editorial page management.   Perhaps, they'll endorse Fischer. They may very well endorse her for the G.O.P. nomination.

It's clear that the local daily simply isn't interested in analyzing Nelson's re-election tactics.   While all four G.O.P. members of congress are all over the state and their districts holding town hall meetings, we hear only about the 'structured' events  Nelson attends, devoid of common citizens and the potential verbal assault of those ugly Tea Party members.     Will the local daily allow Nelson to justify his upcoming re-election announcement based on these flimsy contacts with constituents?    Will it forget that this is a guy who is so afraid of public opinion that he moved his office to a 'safe' place where constituents couldn't demonstrate against him and where he could have their cars towed away should they have the audacity to try? 

What is sad is that while Democrats and Nelson are attacking Bruning whom they regard as the most potent candidate against them, the Omaha World-Herald and the Nebraska Republican Party fail to scrutinize or attack Nelson for his demagoging of the Republicans on the Social Security and Medicare issues.  Someone ought to debunk the scare tactics and advertisements Nelson/the Democratic Party is airing to scare senior citizens.    The truth of the matter is that current seniors on those programs and ones nearing retirement age won't be affected by restructuring proposals---UNLESS SOMETHING ISN'T DONE NOW TO FIX THE PROGRAMS.    If nothing is done which seems to be Nelson's approach there will be lots of baby boomers who in 10 or 20 years will find that the benefits they are receiving WILL BE REDUCED.  But Nelson will be writing his memoirs at his turkey farm overlooking the Platte River and living comfortably off his fortune by then.    Maybe the World-Herald should talk about that.    Maybe the Nebraska Republican Party should take out a full page ad telling Nebraska seniors of Nelson's lies and scare tactics.  

Perhaps folks have forgotten that Ben Nelson made himself rich while serving as Nebraska's Insurance Commissioner.  We wonder if the local daily will go back and look at Ben Nelson's questionable finances prior to becoming a U.S. Senator and Nebraska's governor?   Oh, those have already been discussed so they aren't relevant, right?

Bruning has started fighting back.   We've already received a fundraising e-mail today using the ad as a reason for us to send him more bucks.    No doubt, the ad will help his fund raising among some offended by what they've seen.  

What's the bottom line?  We're not sure.   Bruning will have to overcome this attack and the forthcoming ones from Nelson/the Democratic Party (yesterday's was only Part 1)and from both the Lincoln and the Omaha dailies.   The efforts to make Bruning the target are rooted in Nelson's fear of the G.O.P.'s strongest candidate (at least now) and the need to get away from the fact that Nelson doesn't want to talk about Obamacare (and the Cornhusker Kickback)--the Christmas present he gave Nebraskans against the well of more than 70% of them, the Christmas present he gave all of America with his 60th vote.....

A "failed" Steve Jobs

There is an interesting piece by Nick Schulz in National Review Online, " Steve Jobs: America's Greatest Failure: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/275528/steve-jobs-america-s-greatest-failure-nick-schulz

Of course it's title as well as ours is a little misleading.   The article, however, is worth a read (It's short).  While Steve Jobs may not be our favorite conservative, Schulz makes some very interesting points for capitalists and entrepreneurs, among which are:

• "I didn't know I needed the ability to read the Wall Street Journal and The Corner on a handsome handheld device at my breakfast table, on the Metro, on the Acela, or in Starbucks I entered.   But Steve Jobs did.   I didn't know I wanted to mix and match my music collection on a computer and take it with me wherever I went, but Steve Jobs did.  I didn't know I wanted a portable multimedia platform that would permit me and any kids to hurl angry birds out of a slingshot at thieving pigs.   But Steve Jobs did."
• "All those successes were made possible by failure after failure and the lessons learned from those failures."
• "There's a moral here for a Washington culture that fears failure too much.   In today's Washington, large banks aren't permitted to fail; nor are large auto firms.  Next up will be too-big-to-fail hospital systems.   Steve Jobs is a reminder that failure is a good and necessary thing.   And that sometimes the greatest glories are born of catastrophe."
• "Jobs is a great entrepreneur for another reason.   Lots of ninnies can give customers what they want.   Jobs gave people products they didn't know they wanted, and then made those products indispensable in their lives."

You should read the article to read of the failures that led Jobs to the successes.   The point is there was no one to bail him out.   Like all entrepreneurs he had a dream and he pursued it at the risk of fortune and failure.   Like many entrepreneurs, he failed--and then succeeded.   That's a lesson that our president, our congressman and senators in Washington should learn.   It's a lesson most Americans will never appreciate as they sit down with their I-pads.

Of Energy Independence and the Failed "Green" Jobs Effort

Jonah Goldberg has an interesting column on energy and 'green' jobs, "America's "Green" Quagmire.  Besides showing that he isn't in the 'flyover' mode  of most politicians and columnists (he talks of passing trucks carrying windmill blades on his 2000 mile jaunt across the country) he notes that the war-like effort that failed former President Carter hoped to initiate with the Department of Energy has not only failed to achieve energy independence but has also been corrupted by the hijacking of the effort by the green job promises of Obama and company.    Omaha's failed 'green-jobs-producing-mayor' might well consider the article which can be found in it's entirety at: http://www.aei.org/article/104048 .

Here is a little of what Goldberg had to say:

• The notion that we should move to a war footing on energy has been a reigning cliche of U.S. politics ever since Jimmy Carter's Oval Office energy crisis address in 1977. "This difficult effort will be the 'moral equivalent of war'--except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not to destroy."
• If we want energy independence..... we would massively expand our domestic drilling for oil and gas and our use of coal or carbon-free nuclear. That would also create lots of jobs that can't be exported (you can't drill for American oil in China, but we can, and do, buy lots of Chinese-made solar panels).
• As for the windfall in green jobs, that has always been a con job.
• ......Barack Obama came into office insisting that Spain was beating the U.S. in the rush for green jobs. Never mind that in Spain--where unemployment is now at 21%--the green jobs boom has been a bust. One major 2009 study by researchers at King Juan Carlos University found that the country destroyed 2.2 jobs in other industries for every green job it created, and the Spanish government has spent more than half a million euros for each green job created since 2000. Wind industry jobs cost a cool $1 million euros apiece.
• The record in America has been no better, Obama's campaign stump speeches notwithstanding. The New York Times, which has been touting the green agenda in its news pages for years, admitted last week that "federal and state efforts to stimulate creation of green jobs have largely failed, government records show." Even Obama's former green jobs czar concedes the point, as do other leading Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters of Los Angeles.
• Green jobs, like shovel-ready jobs, proved a myth in no small part because Obama is eager to talk as if this green stuff was the moral equivalent of war, but he's not willing or able to do things a real war requires.
• What we're left with is not the moral equivalent of war but the moral equivalent of a quagmire. A very expensive quagmire.

We're Going to Have Dinner with the President!!!!

Well, sort of.   You see in our 'We Get E-mail' category one of our liberal contributors got one today from our esteemed leader the Nobel Laureate Prince of Peace President of the World of Equal Nations Commissar Barack Barry Soetoro Hussein Obama.    Wow, all we have to do is donate just a five bucks to help him get re-elected and our name goes into the hat.   Our messiah will even pay for our hotel and airplane flight!   We know we're going to win this one.    You can too if you just follow the instructions below..

Friend --

I've set aside time for four supporters like you to join me for dinner.

Most campaigns fill their dinner guest lists primarily with Washington lobbyists and special interests.

We didn't get here doing that, and we're not going to start now. We're running a different kind of campaign. We don't take money from Washington lobbyists or special-interest PACs -- we never have, and we never will.

We rely on everyday Americans giving whatever they can afford -- and I want to spend time with a few of you.

So if you make a donation today, you'll be automatically entered for a chance to be one of them. Please donate $5 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner-with-Barack

We'll pay for your flight and the dinner -- all you need to bring is your story and your ideas about how we can continue to make this a better country for all Americans.

I always look forward to meeting supporters like you -- and this will be the kind of casual meal among friends that I don't get to have as often as I'd like anymore, so I hope you'll consider joining me.

But I'm not asking you to donate today just for a chance to meet me. I'm asking you to help us build this campaign if you believe in the kind of politics that gives people like you a seat at the table -- whether it's at the dinner table with me or the table where decisions are made about what kind of country we want to be.

It starts with a gift of whatever you can afford.

Please make a donation of $5 today, and we'll throw your name in the hat:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner-with-Barack

I've said before that I want people like you to shape this campaign from the very beginning -- this is a chance for four people to share their ideas directly with me.

Hope to see you soon,

Barack

Where Is Ben Event Devoid of Ben But Not Political Rhetoric

Our team of contributors were at last night's "Where Is Ben" event held by Americans for Prosperity at Walnut Grove Park in West Omaha.   Although Congressman Lee Terry was to be one of the speech makers, his appearance was pre-empted by the need to deal with issues relating to his staff given the earthquake in Washington.   However, there was no shortage of conservative speakers who were not afraid to appear in public unlike Nebraska's U.S. Senator who continues to be A.W.O.L. when it comes to scheduling town hall meetings with his constituents.

Conservative speakers included John Sieler and Mark Quandahl, both members of the Nebraska School Board and Nebraska State Senators Scott Price, Jim Smith and Bob Krist as well as AFP guy former State Senator Mike Friend.  

All speakers told a crowd of about 125 that they, unlike Nelson, weren't afraid to talk to their constituents and valued their input.    Many of the faces at the event were not those of the familiar 'political' crowd.    Many, no doubt, would consider themselves Tea Party members--potential terrorists if we are to believe certain members of congress.

Mike Friend

The event was noticeable for a couple of things that have become common as such.   First, there were a couple of 'trackers', folks who attend the event on behalf of liberal candidates or the state Democratic party in hope of catching someone comparing poor people to raccoons.   There was also a conservative 'tracker' there who claimed to be a friend of Lee Terry but who was not particularly complementary of Congressman Fortenberry.

Senator Jim Smith

One group noticeably absent was the anti-Keystone Pipeline group led by the fearless Jane Kleeb who was apparently still busy in Washington, D.C., urging on Nebraskans and others to get arrested for their civil disobedience demonstrations in front of the White House while attempting to avoid the same for herself.

Senator Bob Krist

Bottom line, the event was called to let Nebraskans know that while their three congressmen and Senator Johanns have held lots of public town halls across the state Ben Nelson continues to avoid doing so.   Why?   Because he's still running from his giving his constituents Obamacare and the eternally embarrassing Cornhusker Kickback against the well of 70% of his constituents and more than 60% of the citizens of our country.   

Other "Where is Ben" events are scheduled across the state this week.
If we were Ben we'd hide too!

Will the Racist Ernine Chambers Return?

The local daily's article about Ernie Chambers' likely effort to return to the legislature is certainly no surprise.   He's been planning it since he left because of term limits three years ago.    Can he win? Maybe, maybe not.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this divides, yes divides, the black community. All the money and business support will go to his opponent Brenda Council who replaced him as the state senator for that district.    While Council is a unabashed liberal on virtually every issue, she is regarded as at least rational and certainly much less controversial and obstructive.   One can expect that former Omaha City Council member Frank Brown and current Omaha City Council member Ben Gray will try to become king makers in the upcoming race--hope the use of the latter word didn't offend anyone....

For a long time, Ernie is reputed to have lived in Bellevue with a friend although he apparently maintains a North Omaha address that will allow him to qualify.   While some might make that an issue (gosh, hope we didn't) it's pretty difficult under current state law to protest such situations.   We can think of several past state senators who had similar arrangements.

Ben Nelson and John Ewing probably will not be unhappy with anything that brings out the black vote (excuse us for our racism) in North Omaha as they will both be the beneficiaries of any increased voter turnout   That might be even more advantageous to them if the Republicans in the legislature manage to restore the winner-take-all electoral vote method prior to next year eliminating the need for the current occupant of the White House to show up to encourage turnout next year.

It will be interesting to watch.   Our bets are on Brenda Council but the North Omaha community will define itself by their choice as one that seeks a purported role model in Council or a return to the past racist confrontational days of Ernie.

La Vista Pool Bond Is Good Example of What is Wrong with Government, All Government

A couple of Sundays ago the local daily carried an article about the proposed La Vista water park with a headline suggesting the $8.5 million cost of the project might sink it.   According to the daily, the park would consist of:

"A large main pool with a four-lane, 25-yard lap area and a large play zone. A wading pool for kids.  A lazy river where people can float on inner tubes.  And a pair of water slides."

And why would La Vista build it?  To enhance it's image as a progressive suburb.

But who would pay for it?   Well, the taxpayers of course.   We are told that it would only cost the owner of a $150,000 home just $82 a year for the next 20 years.    Of course, that homeowner would still have to pay to have his or her family utilize the facility.    And for those without kids or a desire to use the pool?   Well, they just get to pay for it anyway.

This is precisely what is wrong with government today--at both the national, state and local levels.  

Omahans are already footing the bill for a water park used two months of the year at Zorinsky (as well as others elsewhere) and they have another one a short twenty or so miles away at Mahoney State Park.   

In a time when governments at all level are stretched for revenue, in a time when folks are calling for less government why would any of these entities even consider such boondogles?  

Building a water park should be the province of private business.   In fact, if there weren't as many as these current and proposed water parks in the Omaha area, maybe a private business would take the risks and build one without tax payer dollars.

La Vista taxpayers ought to say no to this boondoggle.  It's an idea that just doesn't float!