Thursday, February 25, 2010

Let's go surfin' now...

It has been a busy week kids, so we are just going to drop a few links, and feel free to discuss amongst yehselves.


State Senator Tom White says the fact that he can't get along with fellow Democrats shows that he's bipartisan.


And his spat with Democrat Mayor Jim Suttle will cost Omahans another $50K! Good to know the Mayor has that kind of cash is just sitting around.


Senator Ben Nelson makes news that he is willing to vote against Democrats -- when they don't really need his vote -- in order to show Nebraskans how he's willing to buck the system if it means he can get re-elected.


You loved Jerry Odom when he ran for Mayor of Omaha. You were with him when he ran for President. Now you can love him as he runs for Congress (NE-2)! (And that's a kickin' website!)


If I were the Omaha Fire Department, I'd look out. The Auditor is a comin'...
Of course, we thought that was the City Finance Director's job, but good thing the Mayor found another $38K lying on the floor to outsource that part of her job as well.

And we'll open it up to chat about whatever else is on your mind...

58 comments:

From The Bleachers said...

Chief Hoser (McDonnell) is getting paid $131,000 to "manage" the Fire Department. Now the taxpayers have to foot the bill for almost $40,000 more to do his job? According to my math that is about $170,000 to run a department in the red by 4 million?

I don't understand the new math they teach the kids today!

From The Bleachers (again) said...

By the way.....when the Chief Hoser (McDonnell) retires he'll make around $100,000 per year plus medical benefits. Does anyone else see something wrong with this sad story?

Anonymous said...

You don't think there is a little paper shredding going on down at the Fire Dept HQ...is there??

Anonymous said...

Not bad for someone that doesn't have a college degree. In fact, he didn't pass the Paramedic test!

Anonymous said...

With both Ben Nelson and Tom White tripping over themselves to prove which one hates Democrats more than the other, the question is ... how much support do they each think they're going to get from Nebraska's Democrats?

I'd say, "not much."

Nathan said...

Sorry Dave, but the very fact that your group is anti-firefighters precludes us from taking any of your groups recommendations seriously. A impartial review by a third party is best. And it is not at all unusual in the private or public sector for independent organizations to be hired for these types of reviews.

"The shortfall resulted mostly from unbudgeted payouts for comp time, sick leave and vacation time."- OWH 2/24/2010. And all this dinero is dinero that would have had to be paid anyway.

Anonymous said...

Tom White gets along fine with Democrats-Pelosi, Fahey, White, Snowplow, Mello Yello, Nordy, Rogain.

But, that's about it. What I find interesting is the amount of time he is taking away from the taxpayers of Nebraska to get paid days off to go see his Sweet Sugar Momma Nancy Pelosi.

So, Tommy Boy, how is Momma Nancy?

Anonymous said...

Oops, not White, well maybe White, he is kind of a schizo on policy-maybe he doesn't get along with himself on most days. He does get along with Kickback Ben, though.

I wonder if Ray Jansen has forgiven him yet?

Anonymous said...

This must mean that he is great at being a bully and a suck up, but just look what happens when he doesn't need anything from you or you oppose him.

Again, Lee Terry may want to get a body guard-White seems unstable.

I can only imagine what kind of conversation Ian Russell was put through to work for free for all of these months. But, then again, it's easy to work for free when you can do all your work in your State Government paid for office and your bills are paid by your State Government paycheck.

Good thing Tom White voted to bar internet, telephone and office equipment records from the State Freedom of Information Act. That way, no one can prove just how much Tom White for Congress work Tom White and Ian Russell do on the taxpayer's dime.

Anonymous said...

Hey do the Democrats have a candidate for governor?

GeosUser said...

Wow! Jerry Odom does have a good looking website complete with detail on the issues he addresses. I saw that Matt Sakalosky got some TV news coverage yesterday about becoming an official candidate or some other such nonsense. Lee Terry has to be just about as worried with Odom as Sakalosky, but at least Odom has gone to the effort to fully explain his goals and objectives for running. Odom will probably get about as many votes as Sakalosky too.

Anonymous said...

And how many votes do you think that is?

Anonymous said...

Ian Russell's Vanguard Strategies took mucho denaro from an NDP fund supposedly for the election of legislative candidates. Tom White got elected, Ian got a job with Tom White.

You fill in the blanks.

Anonymous said...

Is the blank that Ian is TW b*t*h?

Unknown said...

After hearing what our great Senator Uncle Ben Nelson said on Lincoln's KLIN radio this morning - he's open to using special budget rules known as reconciliation to pass a health care package, this is the text of my email to him - So did I read it correctly that you said on a Lincoln radio station that you agree with the use of reconciliation to pass the health care 'reform' package - what part of the NO that you are hearing from your constituents do you not understand? ENOUGH.IS.ENOUGH --- we cannot afford this - Nebraska cannot afford this - I don't care what the CBO 'projects' the costs at - they will be wrong - there are always unintended consequences - and this bill is just full of them! Granted I have only 1 vote in 2012 - but by all the latest poll numbers, it sure looks to me like 70% of your constituents agree - NO to this health care 'reform' -- You sold us out once - made NE a joke - now do the right thing - and listen to the people you were elected to represent - or do you think that you know better than your constituents? If so, run more of those 'pro-Ben' ads you flooded the TV with and simply say "I hear you. But I know better than you what you need."

Anonymous said...

Looks like that Matt guy has some strong competition for 15 to 20 per cent of the vote in the Primary.

Should be fun to watch those 2 try to out-right wing each other.

Have they looked at the numbers in the 2nd?

macdaddy said...

I said a few months ago that Nelson wasn't going to run in 2012 and that all that was left was for him to decide where he wants to retire to. Now we know: he won't come back here.

macdaddy said...

Nice picture of John Kerry. Dude.

Street Sweeper said...

;-)

Lurvey said...

I think Mark Lakers is Radiant!

Fern said...

Give Mark Lakers a good buttermilk bath and he'll win best of show!!!

The Boar said...

Not even Buttermilk will get the smell out of the pollution created by the Mega Hog lots Lakers loves. How many family pork producers went out of business in the last decade????

Anonymous said...

Flies in the buttermilk?
Shoo fly shoo?

Anonymous said...

"You don't think there is a little paper shredding going on down at the Fire Dept HQ...is there??

5:01 PM, February 25, 2010"

You posted the same thing over at the OC blog. I will not mention the other blog out of respect to Sweeper's rules.

Just wondering said...

Query? Has a private shredding company arrived at the fire chiefs office in the last few months?

Anonymous said...

Nelson voted for the good Obamacare before he votes against the bad Obamacare.

One Out In The Third said...

You knuckleheads...why would Omaha Fire have need for a shredder? Just follow the fire calls and see if they are throwing file cabinets into the fire to put it out. "Hey Joe...throw some more papers on this fire." Never heard of smothering a fire?

Anonymous said...

In december of 2000, after the Supreme Court had just stolen the Presidential election from the majority of American voters; a GOP friend told me this. " We won you lost, end of story" So on this soon to be new health care bill that is going to passed by a majority vote in the Congress and the Senate. I say to all of you GOP people."We won you lost end of story"

Anonymous said...

To 10:02AM: Good One!

Anonymous said...

10:02--if the Dems ram it through, you run a very high risk of losing the House and maybe the Senate in Nov. So, your 'win' might prove to be pretty hollow.

But as of today, the votes aren't there in the House D Caucus for the Senate bill--at least that's what I am reading.

Macdaddy said...

Wasn't somebody posting here about how Nebraska was going to have a billion dollar deficit? The OWH said it was going to be $12million. A billion, 12 million. Apparently democrats have no concept of math.

Anonymous said...

macdaddy -

I'm fairly certain that $12 million figure was for one month, and the total projections were $40 million lower than initially projected. I have no idea where the $1 billion rumor came from, but it's not a $12 million total shortfall. If it were only a $12 million shortfall, they'd be throwing a party at the governor's mansion right now.

Anonymous said...

The confusion comes from the figures for NEXT year - a projected $12 million shortfall for 2010-2011. But the current year still has a $30 million shortfall with only four months to make it up. That's not terrible compared to the $300 million they had to make up last year, but it's still significant. Still not $1 billion, though. Don't have a clue where that came from.

Thanks Gov Dave said...

Dave Heinemann is saving our cash reserve because he knows Obama can't fix the economy. Thank God Dave Heinemann shows fiscal restraint!!!!

Anonymous said...

You lunk heads. The Billion is over the next budget cycle....... Who knows though as it is a "Projection" so if Obama's plans work then the State's Receipts will improve and the shortfall will decrease. Of course it works the other way too.

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it Jane Kleeb says she's filing to run for public office. Anyone heard what she's running for - - - or from?

One Out In The Third said...

That would be funny.

Anonymous said...

In terms of recent filings, it appears Bob VanValkenburg wants to replace Lincoln State Senator Amanda McGill. If elected, that guy definitely would add some spice to the floor of the legislature.

papio said...

8:53 said, with "Ben Nelson and Tom White tripping over themselves to prove which one hates Democrats more than the other, the question is... how much support do they think they're going to get from Nebraska's Democrats? I'd say not much!"

Are you kidding?

Nelson and White get complete support from Nebraska Democrats. Democrats aren't stupid. They are neo-socialists who don't mind trading government tyranny for individual freedom, but they aren't dumb.

It is Nebraska Republicans and Independents who voted for Nelson and White who are the targets of Nelson's and White's false shows of non-partisanship.

These guys bank on Nebraska voters being politically retarded enough to vote against their own natural conservatism. And so far, these two power-hungry crumbs have been right.

Anonymous said...

McGill has another opponent? Hmm thought Tom Dierks was the only one. Whatever! Did she ever find a job? Kind of stinks seeing as she is a UNL grad, been on TV, and is a State Senator and still couldn't get hired. Wonder what it is that rubs HR managers wrong. One would think having someone with all those skills and such would be great to have on staff?

We will just have to see how she does against this Dierks fellow.

Anonymous said...

Papio got it right. Without significant GOP support neither of these guys would be able to do any more harm than they already have. For proof od this, look at election results AND FEC and NADC reports-it's pathetic how many "good republicans" support them.

No Limit Safe Haven White and Cornhusker Kickback Nelson sure did put Nebraska on the map-didn't they!

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it Kleeb is going to file in NE01

Anonymous said...

How can a resident of Hastings file for office in NE01, unless the Kleebs, or at least jane, are planning a move to Lincoln? That would make a mockery of their often repeated, "we love the third district and living in rural Nebraska" baloney.

Anonymous said...

Funny the Kleeb's like to hang out in Omaha.

Anonymous said...

Just in. Jane Fleming-Kleeb filed for dogcatcher in Hastings! Yippee-Aye-Oh-Tie-Ay! Get along little doggies!

Anonymous said...

deadline to file is tomorrow. will be interesting to see who jumps into what races.

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it that Kris Pierce is going to apply for the vacant City Council seat. Might end his campaign...

Anonymous said...

There's a rumor that Chuck Sigerson's wife Liz will apply to fill his vacant council seat

Anonymous said...

I was not aware Kris Pierce lived in the district. I thought he lived "in a van down by the river!" ala SNL's Matt Foley, motivational speaker.

One Out In The Third said...

Anon...

If you had to live in Hastings you would hang out in Omaha too. Not enough union groupies for Mrs. Kleeb to mesmerize in Hastings.

Anonymous said...

Tom White not being able to get along with Democrats does not show that he is "Bipartisan". You have to be able to get along with Republicans to be bipartisan.

Tom White can't get along with anyone. That just shows that he is a bully. Maybe it comes from daddy having been the CJ and Tommy Boy not having to work very hard to get his legal career off and running.

Or, maybe it's just a crappy attitude toward anyone and everyone that disagrees with you.

Just look at how he treats fellow members of the Unicameral.

The world herald should take a poll of all state senators and rank them on bipartisanship and ease to get along with.

A Mirror said...

I get along with Tom White

Anonymous said...

We knew you would, Ian.

A Mirror said...

To Anonymous above, I meant to say that Tom White spends a lot of time in front of me.

Anonymous said...

Jane Kleeb's Facebook page said last Friday, "on my way to file for elected office for the first time..."

Since she's not sharing with anyone just what it is that she filed for, maybe she chickened out or was just lying to get some attention.

Hey, Jane, we know you read Leavenworth Street. Which is it?

Anonymous said...

The right wingers break all records in the filibuster. They are more likely to use it then racists did when it came to Civil Rights. Most of the current right wingers have the same conservative ideas of the Dixiecrats and George Wallace supporters of the 1960's




GOP Filibuster Record: Republicans Using Obstruction Tool With Astonishing Frequency

macdaddy said...

Interesting comment, Anon 1:14. Republicans finally just got to the magic 41 which means that for the past year, any threat of filibuster was credible only if opposition to a particular bill was bipartisan.

As for the charges of racism in your post: yawn. You know, there's a children's story called "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." You might want to read it.

Anonymous said...

YAWN!

Hey, Sweep, how about a new topic? This one's beginning to smell like my oldest pair of sneakers.