Wednesday, October 22, 2008

LT-TV: Farmer Esch

We barely got out of the chute on the NRCC's ad (below), when the Lee Terry campaign put up their latest ad.

It is untitled, but we'll call it, "Farmer Esch". Take a look here:



We were waiting for this one.

We were pretty shocked to find out that Jim Esch makes most of his money by owning Colorado farm land and reaps thousands of taxpayer dollars each year from the CRP, by NOT farming.

This is why Jim Esch can be unemployed, yet own a brand new apartment above The Slowdown in NoDo.

As many Dems can tell you, it pays (well!) to not be a farmer.

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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought Mr. GreenJeans died a few years ago. I guess I was wrong, he is alive and well right here in Omaha, Nebraska.

I wonder if buying useless farmland and applying for Government Subsidies is what the "Managing Partner of a Family Real Estate Partnership" does?

I'll be curious to see if he applies for any Ag Subsidies for unfarmed farmland in Afghanistan or Argentina (isn't that one of the countries that he was trying to stumble across a money making venture in last year?)

BTW, has anybody checked to see who paid for his trip to Afghanistan? Was it the family business that paid for all of his travel for the last 2 years or what? How much does it cost to go to Afghanistan, sit in a hotel, and watch Baywatch all day?

Anonymous said...

After Esch loses again this time, will he immediately start running for 2010 or take awhile off to manage the farm???

Anonymous said...

Wow! The Esch Camp is shockingly silent on this issue. Is it possible that they did not know about this just like no one knew about the DWI during his 2006 race? I wonder what new skeleton would jiggle out of Jim Esch's closet if he chose to run for yet another elected office in another 2years?

You know, the Dems really ought to vet their candidates a little better!

Anonymous said...

You're wrong Sweeper. With his consistent record of being paid to do nothing, Jim Esch is supremely qualified to join the Democrats in Congress, who've done nothing since they took over in 2006.

"Hi, I'm Jim Esch. For years I've mooched off your tax dollars, for my own private gain. Now I want to give back to the country that's given me so much. I want to mooch for America!"

Darn, I'm wiping away a patriotic tear as I type this.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad he hasn't stooped to the pathetic level of talking about issues that do not matter.

Let's talk about issues of substance that truly matter to our nation.

That is why I'm voting for Jim Esch.

Anonymous said...

Since when is sucking off the Government so you can work less, if at all, not something the voters should know about? what are you, a Socialist?

Anonymous said...

And Lee gets paid for doing what exactly?

Anonymous said...

This line of attack didn't work so well for Pete Ricketts. Of course, the animated turkey didn't help, but perhaps people are now a little more ticked about welfare for rich people.

Anonymous said...

Funny thing is, Lee could have been a leader and not voted YES on the 2002 Farm Bill which expanded Ag subsidies for those who own farm land and don't farm it for conservation purposes, thus retiring the land.

Isn't this what the state of Nebraska has proposed doing along the Republican River??

The 2002 farm bill became the most sweeping environmental legislation since the Clean Air Act of 1990.

The Conservation Subsidies. USDA conservation programs dispense about $3 billion annually to the nation’s farmers. The largest conservation subsidy program is the Conservation Reserve Program, which was created in 1985 to idle millions of acres of farmland. Under CRP, farmers are paid on a per acre basis, not to grow crops, but to cultivate ground cover, such as grass or trees, on retired acres. About one-third of land idled under the CRP is owned by retired farmers, thus one does not even have to be a working farmer to get these subsidies.

Troubling sign - Lee Terry voted for the bill and since has forgotten once again that he voted for lousy legislation that expanded government.

Conservative? I think not.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry, did I miss something? When did Jim Esch retire from farming?

The Ag Subsidies in the 2002 Farm Bill are intended for real live farmers that want to hold onto their land for the next generation to come in and farm it. They are also designed to drive up commodity prices (you know, that old law of supply and demand) for farmers that are struggling to stay above water while actually driving tractors and other "Farmer Stuff" like that. I guess you could say that the 2002 Farm Bill is a great example of the Road to Hell being paved with good intentions.

Congressman Terry is also on record as voting against Ag Subsidies when included in less encompassing legislation. When used to accomplish a specific task, like encourage the growing of Energy Producing Crops, they are a great tool to have in the box. When used to line the pockets of City Folks (by the way, some of this Ag Land the Esch's have is in North Omaha off of Fort Street!), it is a shameful way to make a buck and will ultimately cost the real farmers the most, through the loss of this benefit that many of them rely on to continue Family Farming as opposed to Corporate Farming. Shame on you, Jim!

Maybe when Congressman Terry voted for them, it was in a "Sense of Congress" about how nice Farmers are? Or, perhaps it was a House Budget Resolution that has no funding, cutting, or expanding of programs ability, whatsoever?

We all know how the Esch Campaign likes to use non binding legislation to dirty-up a person's reputation with a particularly strong constituency. IE the Veteran's Benefits and the National Guard Health Care that Lee Terry NEVER voted to cut-just ask General Lemke or bother going to the actual FUNDING BILL.

Fact: Jim Esch did drive drunk and blew through a red light at a busy "after the bars downtown" intersecton. Jim Esch did test at double the legal limit of blood alcohol (which, FYI, would now be almost 3 times the legal limit because the State Legislature deemed that level to be so dangerously high!). Jim Esch does collect Ag Subsidies for doing NOTHING ($102,000 in 4 years in his name alone, I wonder if any of the rest of the Esch's do this and is that how they can afford to give him $4,600 every 2 years to run for Congress even though most of them are still in High School, College, or just Bartenders in Chicago, but all vote in Omaha?!

Jim Esch should donate his unused farmland to a very poor family, they could have an incredible life on $32,000 a year income or, maybe, they would actually go live on the land and turn it into a family business, maybe farming!

Jim Esch knows damn well that Ag Subsidies are intended for real life farmers. Not "City Folks" with the last name Esch that want to do nothing, but run repeatedly for political office. What office is next Jim? I have been hearing for months that you want Vokal's seat on the City Council.

Jim Esch is very smart, but sadly, very lazy. He wouldn't cut it as a Member of Congress. You don't ever get a few months off to recuperate after a "brutal campaign" like Esch said he needed after the 2006 campaign. Is exhaustion the real reason Jim had to leave Creighton Prep? We heard daddy was really pissed and told him to get to work and sent him to Colorado to see what "real" work was all about.

Anonymous said...

If Lee doesn't like the law, why doesn't he work to change it?

Oh yeah, he doesn't like to do any actual lawmaking. He just likes to strut around, "Yippee, look at me, I'm a congressman!"

Anonymous said...

Maybe when Congressman Terry voted for them, it was in a "Sense of Congress" about how nice Farmers are? Or, perhaps it was a House Budget Resolution that has no funding, cutting, or expanding of programs ability, whatsoever?

Ummmmm, not on the 2002 Farm Bill. Moreover, I used to work there and I know the difference. HE VOTED YES ON THE 2002 FARM BILL. Shall I go find the actual ROLL CALL VOTE, jackball. Oh yeah, here it is:

1.) Terry voted yes on passage of the Conference Report. Roll Call vote 123, May 2,2002.

2.) Terry voted yes on passage of the original bill. H.R. 2646, Farm Security Act. Roll Call Vote 371.

Maybe Terry wised up, but to vote NO on the Farm Bill in 2008 shows how political and how he falls into line - lock/stock and barrel and takes marching orders from Republican House Leadership.

No true leadership from Lee Terry. He votes YES on the 2002 Farm Bill when Republican's were in the majority and votes NO when they are in the minority.

Figures, Lee votes for something and then decides the next time that it is in the best interest of his own personal career to vote the way of the party.

GET LOST!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Hey Pot (Jackball), it's me Kettle. Why don't you criticize your boss, Dumbass, for changing his position on Embryonic Stem Cell Research after being in favor of it? Was it his mom, dad, or the Priest that christened him shortly after birth that kicked his ass on that one? How long was he refused communion in the Catholic Church for his loss of faith?

Exactly how is it different to criticize a person for voting for a good Bill that had some crap in it 6 years ago and then voting against a bad Bill that had even more crap in it 4 years later is different than criticizing a drunk for plowing through a red light and pleading down the offenses he was charged with 7 years ago?

If Esch doesn't like the public to know about the DWI, he should have agreed to stop lying to the public by telling them that Congressman Terry voted to cut funding to veterans and National Guard recruits. The reason that Jim Esch would not stop running the commercial is because he knows damn well that the National Parties do these ads independently and without any advance notice to the candidates.

One last question, if MADD had run this DWI commercial, would Esch have the kahunas to criticize them?

Anonymous said...

BTW, doesn't anyone recognize sarcasm? I am not an idiot, I understand the difference between a Resolution, a Sense of Congress, and a Bill. I was only pointing out that Esch still doesn't understand their differences even after being schooled on them by Congressman Terry during their KFAB radio debate months ago!

Maybe his VBFF Government teacher at Creighton Prep that Esch graduated with from there could give him a refresher course in how Congress works before he runs again, next time.

Anonymous said...

My gosh the Terry people are angry. Luckily it's coming through in their ads for all of Omaha to see.

Please remember -- Lee Terry is NOT ENTITLED TO THIS SEAT! If (and I hope when) Lee loses, he has nobody but himself to blame.

Anonymous said...

Would Jim Esch have voted for the 2002 Ag bill? Why or why not? What parts of it does he think need to be changed? Would he have voted for the 2008 Ag bill? Why or why not? In fact, his website is mum about his position on agriculture. I realize he is running for Omaha, but last time I checked, there were still farmers in the NE-2. So, on issues that are very important to Nebraskans, agriculture and social security, we still have zero idea what Jim Esch would do. And this is after 3 years! It ain't rocket science.

There ya' go Terry, another ad for you.

Anonymous said...

The negative attacks on Esch just convince me even more how Terry knows he may actually lose this race. How come Terry wants to work out a deal? If Esch takes his ad about Terry's vote on Veterans off the air then Terry will take out the ad about Esch's DWI. Need I remind the Republicans that the current President had a DUI and look how far he made it politically?

Anonymous said...

You're right, there are farmers in the 2nd District, even some right here in Omaha, one of them is named JBDHK Family Farms. Guess what all those letters stand for.

You are also right that Lee Terry is not "entitled" to this seat. He does not like "entitlements". He believes that you should work for what you have. Lee Terry has the respect of the majority of the people in this Congressional District and many of his colleagues and industry groups in Washington. The business leaders are thankful for his support of both small and large business in this District and across the State.

Jim has shown a liking of entitlements. It seems that he is the one that believes he is entitled to something.

ptg said...

Don't anyone let partisanship stand in for reason. How many wrongs does it actually take to make a right?

identity said...

You say "kahunas" - I say "cojones" ...

Let's call the whole thing off.