Stop The Unnecessary Killing...

Ever come across this scene once or twice a year in your lawn or on a walk through the park?  Ever wonder what happened?  Well if you have...you have just seen the tip of the iceberg.  Our politicians...mainly those evil "Progressives" in favor of such alternative energy solutions as wind power are only setting our migrating fowl up for a bigger fall.  Wind farms with tower lighting...the poor birds haven't a chance.  You figure it out...then do your part. 

Horror Stories...

More claims of voting fraud.  And more.  And even more... 

Sell Your Nebraska Absentee Ballots...

Nebraska has been the bastion of conservative thinking for as long as anyone can remember...a state in precision lock-step with the Republican Party.  It's time for change though...and here is your opportunity to help make that change...while making a little change yourself.  

Here at the OOITT Ballot Exchange we realize that today's economy is tight and jobs are hard to find...have you priced a loaf of bread lately?  Foreclosures exist on every block and who knows what the 2011 tax schedules will look like. 

So...we at OOITT are branching out into a new endeavor that hopefully benefits "you the people"...while at the same time helps bring political change to the Big Red State and boosts our economy. 

Here's the pitch..Just like internet sites that offer up Husker football tickets in exchange for cash...we at OOITT Ballot Exchange recognize that the demand for votes by candidates in our bi-annual federal...state and local elections is just as high.  

It's 3rd and 9 from the one-yard line and the Blackshirts are showing blitz...that's what Nebraska Dems are facing in 2010.  The Dems want a 1st and 10...bad...so let us work as your agent to sell your absentee ballot to the highest bidder.  There is a small 5 percent transaction fee to cover mailing and unexpected legal fees when your ballots are sold...and of course we will maintain your anonymity...and ours...throughout the whole process.  

All you have to do is visit one of our soon-to-open back alley kiosks...tell us how many ballots you have available...your city and your voting ward.  We'll do the rest.  In other elections throughout the U.S. exchanging your ballot lands you a free meal or gift certificate.  

Imagine what you could gain in a tight race?  And hey...who want's to risk facing the New Black Panthers outside your polling place?  Our promise is that we will do our utmost to get you the most bang for your ballot.  Hey...if the kids are old enough...register them too.  That LED big screen may arrive sooner than you think.

So don't dilly-dally...contact us here at the OOITT Ballot Exchange and let us do it to you...for you.  Our back alley kiosks will be opening soon...watch for Grand Opening announcements.

*  This ad was paid for by the guy with the most money. 

 

More Goon Squad Tactics...

SEIU...Go figure.  It's time to go back to a paper ballot...I.D. and a polling place.  There is even fraud going on with absentee ballots.  

It's time to tighten...not loosen voting laws.   This ain't Dancing With The Stars...it's the future of our nation. 

The "Og" Out Here In The "NEB."...

The Ogallala Aquifer...covering 174,000 square miles and extending over eight High Plains states...provides nearly all the water for residential...industrial...and agricultural use.  Because of widespread irrigation...farming accounts for 94 percent of the groundwater use.  It is truly the lifeblood for our region.

"Because of the Ogallala...the High Plains is the leading irrigation area in the Western Hemisphere.  Close to 13.6 million acres are irrigated in the Ogallala region.  The leading state irrigating from the Ogallala is Nebraska (46%), followed by Texas (30%) and Kansas (14%)."  The Ogallala Aquifer is being depleted at an alarming rate and some studies suggest that it will run dry within the next 25 years.

OK...it's time to share what I think of the XL Pipeline.  If you research Nebraska pipelines...you will find there are already over 20,000 miles of pipeline...one kind or another...running throughout our state.  Pipelines parallel both sides of the Platte and Republican river valleys nearly the entire length of our state.  These pipelines have been in place for years...there are routine aircraft flights that frequently check Nebraska's oil pipelines looking for leaks.  The industry says that when it comes to moving oil or natural gas...pipelines are by far the safest method of transport.  I could go on and on but I won't.  It's a safe industry and technology makes it safer with each passing day.  

The recently invented "XL issue" is in its entirety an election year "Pitch a Bitch" contrived by Jane Kleeb and her local gang of "Hippie Wannabe Leftists" in an attempt to smear politicians they don't like.  Guilt by association..."Evil Heineman"..."Evil Johanns"..."Evil Smith"..."Evil (fill in the blank)"...etc...etc...etc.  

Nice try Jane...but you missed the friggin' boat...completely.  You missed the part where agriculture is probably the prime enemy of the Ogallala out here in the "NEB".  For many years I have pointed out that Nebraska irrigation is majorly responsible for the Ogallala's depletion and future demise.  I will not mention how our "Stewards of the Land" are poisoning it with chemicals...all while our friends in the Unicameral and other "electeds" ignore the long term outcome.  The pipeline is the least of our "issues."   Pssst...have you ever seen a plot of all the oil wells in Nebraska and where they sit?   We could have a "Deepwater" event right here in Huskerland...what would that do to the "Og"?  Get moving Jane...kill the oil fields too.   

It's also hilarious how after Jane's "P a B" surfaced in the media that our state and national "electeds" immediately backed away from the XL Pipeline saying we should rethink it...even the desperate Ben Nelson jumped on board.  It's my opinion that our "electeds" didn't miss the boat...they flat fell out of it.  They should have grabbed the economic bull by the horns and touted how the XL is one of the best things that could happen in our state...offering new jobs...new industry and a boost to our economy.  And are you ready for this?  What they should have said is that it's time for Nebraska to consider building a new...state of the art...high tech and environmentally friendly OIL REFINERY right here in the "NEB" to process the Canadian crude.  We need to replace the aging refineries along the Gulf Coast and Nebraska has a lot to offer including a secure distribution point in the very middle of the U.S.  How much difference is there between an oil refinery and our local water hog ethanol plants anyway?  

Fossil fuels are not going away...in 1960 there were 74,000,000 registered automobiles in the U.S...and in 2008...close to 256,000,000...and that doesn't include fossil fuel consuming trains...boats...planes and public transit buses.  We aren't going to reduce the use of fossil fuel burners to zero in our lifetime...or in our children's lifetime.  We can still be "earth friendly" by building safe refineries and pipelines while transitioning to nuclear power and if it has to be...building a forest of ugly and inefficient wind and solar farms.  In the meantime maybe we can look into extracting oil from oil-rich Montana and North Dakota instead of relying on foreign oil be it from Saudi Arabia or Canada.  Looks to me that the Canadian oil is headed to foreign markets anyway.

No...the XL Pipeline is no threat to Nebraska or to the Ogallala Aquifer...we should take advantage of it...prosper from it...you know...be "progessive."  And in the meantime...like yesterday...we better be giving serious consideration to reducing irrigation and look at growing crops that are suited to our climate. We should be extending the life of the Ogallala here in the "NEB" as come one day a gallon of water will be much more valuable than a gallon of gas.

A couple of other funny things...elements of Jane's goon squad are working against her on this.  Validates the theory that "Money Talks...and Bullshit Walks."  Finally...what the hell was Heineman thinking when he/his campaign took donations from XL?   Flags popped up on this move that even a third grader would notice.

On a different note...because I find it funny too...one of our local television news anchors is referring to hopeless Mike Meister...Dem. candidate for Governor...as..."Mister Meister."  That sounds like a name you would give your cat or a Ron Popeil gadget you would use to spray your flowers with.        

Do What I Say...Not What I Do...Arrogance Thrives In The Land of Progressives...

"Jimmy" Williams...

Journalist Juan Williams firing from NPR this week is really no shocker.  Living in western Nebraska for several years NPR and Nebraska Public Radio was one of the few "news sources" available...local Scottsbluff/Gering television was laughable at best...KDUH lived to it's call-sign and you relied heavily on radio for your touch to the world.  Western Nebraska was news starved.  I guess when you're living the good life though it doesn't matter.  I bet Smith and Meister traded copies of Doc Savage growing up.  Well maybe Meister did.

NPR was a common stop late in the afternoon and Juan Williams was one of their few commentator's that I took time out for when he came on the air.  I surmised him to be a moderate liberal that appeared to do a little research for his reports.  His move...and Mara Liasson's move...to Fox were a bit of a surprise when it first happened but they have both settled in nicely and seem a good fit for the touted "fair and balanced" bunch...although I choose to believe they have both "seen the light" and were evolving...shedding their liberal leaning views.  

Getting back to the gist of things...despite what some would say is "political-in-correct speak" on Williams' part...even though the majority of us agree with what he said...the crowner to me is that NPR has been after Williams since his alignment with Fox and since Fox is the Progressive's favorite news source to bash...what better week to can him than during NPR's fund raising week.  "Keep those checks coming in folks...we had to eat one of our own...but that's ok...we're NPR...we're publicly funded and it seems we are going to have to devour Mara too."  Williams won't even look back over his shoulder...he'll write another book...make even more money...and be happy at Fox.  

Since moving to central Nebraska and Al Gore's invention of the internet...news and commentary travels at the speed of light...no more 28 WPM teletypes to rip and read from...NPR has fallen by the wayside.  News comes so fast today that what's read in the local foot-wide newspaper (local foot-wide newspaper = smaller than a Jimmy John's...much slower and much less enjoyable) is two days...sometimes two weeks old before it reaches your door step.  The only thing keeping our local foot-wide alive is the obituaries (how's that for irony?)...if the local mortician could only afford a good server and web designer.

Halfast Traffic Count...

Our overpopulated Senior High School...that is an accident waiting to happen in itself already...is trying to close a street that separates the the school from the athletics fields.  The school administration says the street is dangerous and a threat to students crossing it during school hours and it should be closed.  Others say it is a land grab by the school to increase building space while others say closing the street won't solve the problem...only divert traffic to other sides of the school and create an inconvenience to local traffic.   

In their infinite wisdom our Mayor and City Council have ordered the street closed during school hours and a traffic count taken.  Our foot-wide newspaper has been running a daily traffic report...with both sides of the issue taking part.  The school says no complaints...the neighbors say otherwise.

To check things out I drove around the school and neighboring streets to see how the traffic count was being conducted.  What I found was that there appears to be no traffic counting equipment in place...anywhere.  Are they just running the test during school arrival and departure times then pulling the equipment or are they having the Calculus class come in early?  I don't know.  To run a meaningful count one would think that they would have counters on every street within a few blocks of the school 24/7 to note where the increases or decreases in flow are occurring.  Obviously not the case.  This morning a couple union guys were diverting traffic away from the school at State and Custer...after painting the intersection crosswalks.  Why would you schedule this during a valid traffic count?  I think the whole thing is a ruse by the City and School and that there will be a permanent street closing after the "comprehensive study."

A few options the school might have is to build a safe skywalk or tunnel over/under the street.  What I did notice this morning was that the closing of College Street at the school provides a better view of students crossing it where it is closed.  Maybe a permanent ban on parking on College Street south of the school would be a safe and serious consideration?  Passing motorists would have a better chance of spotting little Betty or Bobby as they step off the curb.  One would think a high school student would have learned how to cross a street safely by their junior year.   Another option would be build a second high school on the south side of town and reduce the number of students jammed into Senior High?  That place ever catches fire or a disaster strikes...the present Senior High will be a tragic scene.

One comment in the foot-wide paper also caught my attention.  One local said the traffic problem now extends to the Five Points area...that traffic is backed up.  For about a half hour to an hour each morning it is a busy intersection because of local school traffic...shortlived.  This scene has gone on for years...not just recently.  You would think this is Houston or Denver listening to some people.  If you can't handle the pressure of 5 Points at "rush hour"...leave earlier or later...or find an alternate route. 

 

Fresh Meat...and No Cheesy Suit...With Correction...

The Third District House race just got a little bit more interesting with the addition of Dan Hill running as a conservative Independent.  With the democrat contender holding on with a 17 percent share in a recent "who you gonna vote for" poll...a three-way split still leaves Adrian Smith as the front-runner.  

Hill says he and Smith share similar beliefs...except he isn't reluctant to take on a larger leadership role...something Smith hasn't done.  Smith does get points for listening to his constituents.  

I hope Smith finds time for at least 3 or 4 debates...I don't expect it though.  I think Hill is a viable candidate and deserves a listen...especially when incumbents get too comfortable in their position...you never know. 

Correction 9/10/2010...an email this morning from an anonymous commenter corrected me on Adrian Smith's voting record in Congress and I must apologize for my gross error and set the record straight.  I misread my source.

Again...my sincere apologies to Congressman Smith...and no...I do not "just make up stuff" in my postings.  I strive to be 100% accurate.

Here are the facts...

• Adrian Smith has only missed 31 of 3,385 (<1%) roll call votes since Jan 4, 2007.  This is the 30th best voting record in Congress. 

• Adrian Smith has sponsored 11 bills since Jan 4, 2007 of which 10 haven't made it out of committee and none were successfully enacted.  Smith has co-sponsored 261 bills during the same time period.

The Answer My Friend Is Not Blowin' In The Wind...

An interesting article that provides a nice overall perspective.

Grand A"Fair" - Day One...

Wow...it was packed...automobiles lined both sides of the streets for blocks...filling church parking lots...children filled with excitement...people wheeling in in wheel chairs...I kid you not.  Not on the south side of town...but the north.  Day one of the State Fair...and Skagway North...GI's long-time super market puts on it's annual free customer appreciation barbeque with live entertainment at Abbott Park across the street from their store.  I bet there were over a thousand people served.  Didn't see any out of county freeloaders...it was a majority of hard working Grand Island people.

Heineman was at the State Fair Grand Opening with his toothy cheerleader smile working the crowd...Mike Meister showed up in his Goodwill suit...is it seersucker?...and bad mouthed the Gov. on the 6 o'clock NTV news.  Funny thing was...Heineman followed Meister and although he didn't throw any cheap shots back at Meister...he did go out of his way to make sure he said he wasn't going to lower himself by throwing any cheap shots at Meister like Meister threw at him.  A true gentleman politician wouldn't have even acknowledged that Meister made a cheap shot in the first place.  Sticks and Stones Governor.  Heineman's mistake of the day was not showing up at the Skagway barbeque and hanging out with some real Nebraskans.

One proud moment for GI and the State Fair came when our Mayor proclaimed..."Take a whiff...we don't stink anymore."

Greatest BS Story of the Year...

If you believe this to the degree it is being reported...I have some bridge stock on the Platte River you might be interested in.

Hindenburg Update....

The father of the "Hindenburg Omen" has parachuted from the ship.  Thought the DJI was on a slight rebound early this afternoon then it tanked.  Obama's "Summer of Recovery" continues...tanking markets and housing values in the toilet. 

The Best Way To Get To The State Fair...

Ok...there is no best way...expect traffic congestion and delays once you hit the GI city limits...I am sure the local AM newsradio will be providing traffic updates.  

If you are coming in on the newly finished South Locust "Obama Stimulus Expressway" (paid for with "free money" I might add) expect the first bottleneck at the south Wal-Mart.  There are two poorly placed traffic lights within less than a block of each other at the Highway 34 junction and unless the City Engineer or Traffic Division has a brainfart and realizes this will be a problem...there will be issues.  The next bottleneck will be at the main entrance on South Locust on the west side of Fonner.  On an average day there is lots of local traffic going both ways and with Fair traffic crossing into Fonner from the north it will be jam city.  I wonder if they will close off left turns from the north into Fonner?...or if they will use the traffic light or have the NSP doing hand and arm signals?  It's two lanes each way and unless the locals stay home it will be gridlock.  A story in this morning's foot-wide newspaper tells how the local Chamber of Horrors...er...Commerce will be conducting daily prayer services during the Fair to pray for smooth traffic flow.  Everyone is "hoping."    

If you are coming from the east I suggest taking the east exit on I-80...cruise into town on 34/2...take the free turn onto South Locust and then wait in the mile-and-a-half line like everyone else...keep to the right.  Coming from west or north...you are on your own...everyone knows no one lives west or north of GI.  Don't try parking in any of the surrounding business lots...they are already posting notices in the local foot-wide newspaper saying violators will be towed.  Skagway South and Advance Auto Parts...as well as some other businesses are offering $10.00 parking but it is limited to a few stalls.  Shuttle service will be available from satellite parking areas where-ever they are.     

As a good citizen I promise to avoid South Locust during the Fair.  The key is to drive safely and be patient.  And no road rage...

No Change Here...

Getting back to the serious side of things....the right of our out-of-state and overseas military personnel to vote in local and national elections has been a hot button issue with me for years.  

In 2008, when Nebraska's Democratic leadership decided to be like Iowa and control ballots with a "caucus"...one issue that jumped out immediately was how this process denied our military personnel a fair shot in picking candidates.  I wrote members of the NDP and Ben Nelson pointing out how a caucus would not let our troops be a true part of the process.  All I got back was lip service.  Nebraska's first Democratic Caucus came and went...in utter failure and with record low participation...contrary to their toutings.

Things haven't changed a lick for our troops...their voice remains stifled and our friends in D.C...on the Democratic side for some reason...still turn their backs on the men and women they send into harms way.  Get off your butt Senator Nelson and straighten this mess out.  Our troops have earned their right to vote...and to have their vote counted.

Snub The Tub...

Prince Charles says the Brits...and the rest of us I guess...should rip out our bathtubs and stick to a short 5-minute shower to help stem the tide of excess carbon use that he and "Chicken of the Sea" James Cameron believe is destroying our planet.  The princely comments were more amusing than the article...especially the one from the poet in St. Louis. 

Loose Cannon Alert...

Chuck Hagel tooted his horn again today endorsing Pennsylvania's Joe "Gimme A Job and I'll Leave Arlen Alone" Sestak as his pick for the U.S. Senate.

Political motivation???  You betcha...Hagel is hoping Obama will look his way when he reloads his cabinet...Secretary of Defense...Secretary of Defense.  It's funny in a sickening way how far ego drives politicians. 

GI Independent Newsdogs Asleep At The Wheel...

Well maybe...it could just be selective news reporting by our local foot-wide parakeet cage liner.  I find it odd that NTV and KHAS both picked up on the report yesterday and the crimebeat crew at the Independent remains majorly "scooped."   

The little voice in the back of my mind says the Independent suffered a "Chamber of Commerce" moment and chose to ignore the story...but then again you can only fit so much news into a foot-wide newspaper...especially when the County Sheriff is taking away our fishing and crane viewing rights.  The funny thing is...well not funny...they dumped the body next to the bridge so the signage should also restrict the area around the bridge. 

 

Putting The "Spill" Into Perspective...

The Grand Generation...

VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945 from Richard Sullivan on Vimeo.

Rocky September???...

Never heard mention of this predictor before...the question is do we sell now or just wait and watch it come and go???  Stay tuned.

Nuff Said...God Bless Our Troops...

Best Places To Eat During the Fair...

For Those With a Death Wish...The Fair Food.

For a Steak...Lulu's Prime Steakhouse in Chapman - 308-996-2244.  On Highway 30 just east of GI...great steaks but the prime rib and dinner salad are a little anemic.  Their specialty Chicken Fried Steak will serve 4 full grown lumberjacks easily...bad part...I think they are only open on weekends.  Number Two...Texas T-Bone on South Locust...I would have given them the #1 honors but their steaks have slipped in size and quality lately although their dinner salad is still probably the best in all of Nebraska and most surrounding states...a meal in itself.  The guy down the street to the south requires two forms of payment with his high dollar menu and you don't get what you pay for in my honest opinion.  

Chinese and a pleasant atmosphere...Hunan's on North Webb...catch the lunch menu or the evening menu...you won't regret it.  Other than the Tokyo Express near the north Wal-Mart...save your money. 

For a sandwich and cool refreshing beverage...Bullwinkle's on North Webb.  They have the best burgers...club sandwiches and by far the best french fries in town...they are actually served hot.  You may have to wrestle a local to find a place to sit...the place fills quickly in the evening.

Traditional Mexican...Rafa's - hands down.  While the owner is hedging on paying his share of the newly assigned food tax the city has imposed...their food is outstanding...but be ready for traditional.  There are other places that claim to be traditional in town...but in reality are no different than Taco Hell.  If you are really brave you might hit one of the Roach Coaches parked along South Locust *

*  See Fair Food.

For an cheap impromptu picnic...Hit Skagway and load up with a bag of your favorite chips...a bag of your favorite hamburger buns...a couple of cool drinks...a can of Bush Beans and utensils.  Then head to Schroder's at the Conestoga Mall Food Court...and pick up a pound or two of their beef brisket.  It melts before it reaches your mouth...best around.  If you are into instant gratification...just go directly to the Mall and do a sitdown in their store next to the big screen. 

Best donuts in town...Skagway North at Five Points...get there before 8 am and you can practically steal a dozen.

Restaurants in Hastings...none...nada...don't waste your time. Ok...Murphy's Wagon Wheel downtown. 

Kearney...None worth driving the 80 mile round trip for...ok...the Cellar Lounge on North Second for a large order of their onion rings.

 

Coming in from the east...you might catch a good meal at Chance's R' in York.  Coming in from the west...Ole's in Paxton...especially for Sunday Brunch...they serve a royal feast and you can watch the taxidermy look back at you while dining.   

Worth the drive and a GPS may not find them unless you have their Lat./Lon...catch them on the weekend...The Speak Easy southwest of Funk near the booming village of Sacramento.  The last mile may prove a challenge if it's been or is rainy.  Even on a dry day the last mile makes you think you have reached the edge of the universe...still worth it though if you are after a good steak.  For those wanting a waypoint...Lat./Lon.= 40 24 29.68 North...99 16 30.78 West... or the traditional phone number...308-995-4757

Coming next...the best way to sneak in and out of GI.

They Still Don't Get It...

Grand Island's City Council and Mayor continue to show little sincerity in reducing city spending and holding property taxes at current levels. They continue to come up with nickel and dime cuts here and there but nothing with teeth.  

When you are talking about revenue shortfalls to the tune of millions the best they can come up with is the elimination of a bad idea round-about and cutting the funding for studies for an overpass that will only lead to traffic gridlock in downtown GI (the council was really sorry to have to cut the study funding because there were millions of dollars in "grant money" available for it's construction - why do local politicians and city managers believe "grant money" is free?)  They also decided not to build the Fire Training Center...after spending over half a million dollars for 20 acres to build it on...I want to know how that property was ever valued at $590K???

If they were serious they would permanently close the Heartland Shooting Park...cut back the overfunded public parks...and close the Library back a few more hours than the token 5 hours they offered.  Instead...they want to close two of the four recently built wading pools that are free to local children while a visit to the Water Park costs the better part of a 50 dollar bill for a family of four...and then terminate the people that actually fix our streets...sewers and water works and provide police safety.

GI's present and past Mayor's and Councils have spent taxpayer dollars like whores on a holiday...a new showplace city hall with major cost overruns...a Convention Center voted down twice by voters and of most recent the grab for the State Fair.  It's obvious that the State Fair was a red herring when other Nebraska cities wouldn't touch the State Fair.  We are now left with a deteriorating infrastructure that can't be funded because of frivolity.  Why didn't they have the foresight 10 to 20 years ago?  I can only attribute it to their own personal greed...that and the good old Chamber of Commerce mentality.

Mitch Nickerson...who has never been a taxpayers friend...must have drawn the short straw and offered up the possibility of a property tax increase while the Mayor clamored she just wanted the budget passed soon...she must have better things to do.  You can bank that our Mayor and Council already have a property tax increase planned and will hit us with it at the last moment because Lord knows we've cut everything imaginable...I call BS! 

Meanwhile our Mayor avoids city taxes on her family business...wants handouts to expand her business...all while making record profits as gun and bullet sales soar by 45 percent across America...all while paying $14.00 an hour. 

So when you pull into town to visit our State Fair...bring lots of cash and be sure to spend it...we need it.  Wear your Kevlar too...City and County Law Enforcement staffing is lean.  Try not to commit any crimes either...our Taj Mahal jail has too many vacancies and it's not generating enough revenue from the Feds...so you might have to cook your own meal before TV time.  Maybe they could cut costs at the jail by turning the air conditioner up a couple degrees.     

Coming soon...the best places to eat in and around Grand Island during the State Fair and how to sneak into town without using what will likely be a gridlocked Obama Stimulus Expressway - South Locust.    

"Recovery Summer"...A Joke At Best...

Gallup just completed a survey of weekly spending that reveals further decline in the average Americans spending during the first week of August 2010...a month where most parents are preparing for the new school year.  Even worse than last years poor numbers.  While the present administration...government officials and economic guru's right down to the local level keep singing the "Happy Song" one can only wonder how much worse it's going to get before it gets better.  To be honest...the way our government spends...all levels...I doubt we will see a "recovery" in our children's or grandchildren's lifetime.  

With "back to school spending" in the toilet...makes you wonder how Christmas sales will go after the seasonal employees get their pink slips.  

We Can't Do It...

The United States obviously is not able to afford legal immigration let alone the illegal influx.  It is time for "change."  I don't think the "change" we will be getting from our President and legislators will be in the right direction.

This Ain't Pleasantville Dorothy...

A story in this mornings GI Independent pretty much labeled GI's citizenry as a bunch of pigs.  According to Betty Curtis and Jack Sheard of the Clean Community System...who are in need of hundreds of volunteers to step forward and put a fresh face on our community...cause frankly GI looks like crap and it's long overdue. 

Why?  Because the State Fair is coming and we don't want to look bad.  According to Ms. Curtis...GI's property owners don't know trash when they see it because they have been buried in it for so long.  Ah...bliss is living in squalor and not realizing it.  So...we need volunteers to clean up other peoples trash...hundreds of volunteers.  

Hey Betty...maybe you can also provide some fresh paint for the ghetto housing along South Locust...and for the ratty looking taco stands working out of peoples front lawns.   Funny she didn't mention that the probabilities of being shot...stabbed or bludgeoned in GI is comparative to Omaha's.  Maybe she and Mr. Sheard can clean that up too...afterall we need to make that lasting impression.  

Why not hire a Hollywood scene crew to come in and build a facade up and down South Locust?  Sorry...I am spending too much time keeping my own yard clean than to worry about other peoples yards or business property.  I consider their comments to be an insult.  GI doesn't look any different than Lincoln or Omaha. 

One More Weasel...

Pete obviously didn't receive Jumpin' Joe Biden's "Smartass" Memo.

Here's Another Two-Faced Weasel That Needs To Go...

Why do I have the perception that Lindsey is now against it after he was for it?  While not a big fan of the left leaning "The Hill"...it shows how two-faced Graham is.  I got to give him some credit...his ability to pick the right meeting to attend was on the mark.

We have been "snake-bit" by too many "career politicians" and a house cleaning is in order.  While I support Adrian Smith out here in the Third...one comment he made long ago still raises my hackles...his stated desire to be a career Congressman. 

Ben...Any Nebraskan But You...

Ben Nelson is at it again...he's disassociatin' himself from the Beltway Crowd...telling Nebraskan's in his latest letter to the folks back home that DC ought to be more like Nebraskans.  Some Nebraskans anyway.  

Ol' Earmark goes on to say he is trying to teach the DC crowd to be more like Nebraskans...be responsible spenders.  Well Ben...you should have practiced what you now preach back when you were trying to be relevant with the Health Care Bill.   Isn't our Healthcare bill an "unfunded mandate" that you and your cronies will be funding on the backs of taxpayers?  As Joe Biden succinctly put it... “Why don't you say something nice instead of being a smartass all the time?" 

We can only hope that Governor Dave and the Clowns of the Unicameral take heed to Ben's advice...when considering the $679 million dollar budget shortfall...more taxes will only decimate Nebraska's economy. 

 

A Bunch of "Smackin' Nazi's"...

Our outgoing mayor...known for her blunt alligator mouth remarks...literally stated Arizonan's are a bunch of Nazi's when it comes to the recent Arizona Immigration Law.  In a recent interview with the Grand Island Independent (Saturday May 22nd, 2010 edition...Page 4-A...upper right...Lincoln Pool Story...last sentence) she blatantly...likely without much thought...used the "N-word."  I find it odd too that the Indy didn't post the Newsmakers weekly interview on their web-site like they ALWAYS do..it usually gets center page billing.  Too many State Track meet stories George?
  

...Found the Newsmakers Story Buried In Their Archives... 

Like her liberal friends in the video I seriously doubt that she has read the bill (I have...it's a brief 18 pages...not ten like some purport).  I guess it's expected from our mayor...being the good Democrat that she is.  The video leaves me wondering who the real puppets are.  

It's a good thing she's headed out the door...her spending has set this city back several years...and her final day in office can't come soon enough for a lot of us.  I look forward to her crawling back into her "tax free" zone.  Maybe Arizonan's ought to boycott Hornady Bullet products while they cut the power to LA???

Of course all this has left me pondering what our mayoral wannabe's are thinking about Arizona's law?  I bet a dollar to a donut that our former mayor wannabe...the good Republican he touts himself to be...pulls some kind of  "Heiny Manuever" when queried about what the folks in Arizona or Fremont are trying to do to stop the costs borne by illegals.  So like his primary opponents...who also call a club a club...I will be voting for the other guy come November. 

By the way...I support Arizona's law...they are doing what the U.S. Government fails miserably at...enforcing the same laws.  

The Arizona Bill...  

The Fremont, Nebraska Ordinance proposed in 2008... 

Ben Nelson Off The Hook...

While listening to the radio this morning I heard a brief snippet from Arlen Specter Pennsylvania Senator blazing the trail for Ben Nelson in 2012.  Senator Specter said it was he...evidently not Ben Nelson...that provided the 60th vote on Obamacare.  At this time I would like to apologize to the senior Senator from Nebraska if he can prove that it was not he that provided the 60th vote.   Specter even admits it on his Senate web page.  Ben...we are so sorry...we'll be even sorrier when you are mistakenly removed from office in 2012.  

Road tripping today I also heard the Attorney General Blumenthal of Connecticut story.  Being a 10-year active duty Marine Corps Vet during the Viet Nam era...voluntarily enlisted not drafted...volunteered for duty in Viet Nam but sent somewhere else...I have to say the AG has no honor...Marines don't pretend...because you will be caught.  

It's funny how you can forget something as simple as being a non-combat reservist with a trail of draft deferments prior to enlisting to save your ass from the draft.  And for not really being a Captain of the Harvard Swim Team...I won't even go there.  As we say in the Marine Corps...this guy is lower than whale dung...Liberal Connecticut deserves him.  I'm being polite.

Oh...wrong picture...that's Phil Spector. 

Non-Committal...

The true color of our Cheerleader-in-Chief re-surfaced today during his call-in show.  With all the goings-on in Arizona...Dave says leave it up to the folks in Fremont...it's not my hometown anymore...until the next election that is.  What exactly is your stand on illegal immigration Governor?  Is Arizona wrong?  Maybe we should get Miss Oklahoma up here to run for office.  

Two Entertaining AGW Nutcases...

Tiny Tim was a man...er...human...er...ahead of his...ah...time.  Alice Cooper on steroids.

 




Al Gore is just an idiot...all he is lacking is the falsetto.

Let's All Do What The "Kurdies" Do...

 Now that I have our attention...Get out and vote today.

Where's The Money???...

April tax/fee collections for the State of Nebraska were released by the Nebraska Department of Revenue today...the good news...sales tax revenue was a smidge above what the Forecasting Board predicted for April...the really bad news...income tax receipts for the month were almost 52 million below their projection.  This is substantial...off the charts...and our Cheerleader-in-Chief Governor Dave Heineman is disappointed.  

My question is how can the State Forecasting Board be so far off when predicting income tax revenue?  Did a large number of individual Nebraskans and corporations decide to take a tax holiday?  Is there a big bag of envelopes sitting in a dark corner in some Lincoln post office...or did last weeks Wall Street guy that entered the Proctor and Gamble stock sale do the spreadsheet numbers for Nebraska?

I can only think that May's numbers will be better...but I have my doubts.  Funny too that an Iowa television station scooped all of Nebraska's media in reporting this.  

The Running Man Revisited...

The recent rash of taserings has added another dimension to sporting events.  I am thinking this could be the next version...albeit somewhat tamer...of the running of the bulls held in Pamplona each year.  Baseball and golf are boring venues.  It's time to spice things up...spontaneous taser runnings during the 7th inning stretch...anytime during a golf tournament...and during half-time events at football games.  4 or 5 runners out on the field or course at one time trying to dodge the taser would only make it that much more exciting.  Throw 3 or 4 "taserers" into a marathon run and I bet the Boston Marathon would see faster times.  Can you imagine the grimacing that slow motion would capture?  Let's liven up boring sports. 

The Fair Is Coming...The Fair Is Coming!!!...

Another post before I hit the rack..buried inside this morning's daily news...which arrived after 7am I might add...was a story about how our Mayor and members of the City Council were going to hold a study session to finally declare war on GI's "smell problem."  I also caught the 10pm NTV story re: the same.  While it wasn't mentioned in the pulp and ink copy...NTV's reporter showed video of the Mayor and Council's plan to impose fines on our local and habitual smell miscreants...pretty much naming J.B. Swift on the east side of town...McCain's on the north...and a long standing feedlot on the west side of town.  Something to the tune of 1500 smackeroos depending on the results gleaned from the City's "Nasal Ranger SWAT Team."

Now I'm not even close to being one of the brightest lights in the barn...but...don't we already have State and Federal agencies responsible for keeping tabs on offenses to our atmosphere?  The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality...the Environmental Protection Agency???  Seems back in 2000 folks in GI complained to the NDEQ about the gagging atmosphere surrounding the Monfort/JBS facility and City Wasterwater Plant...and the complaints went nowhere.  I think a few complaints may have been shuttled to the deaf ear of the EPA.  Our previous Mayor...now running for Mayor again...could only offer lip service and an official telephone number to an answering machine that citizens could call to "air" their complaints of offensive odors within our little burg.  Little has been accomplished in the past 10 years and finally JBS is going to spend millions to upgrade their equipment to tone down the burning blood smell emanating from their plant frequently.  Why?  Because the State Fair is coming to town and they don't want to "stink."  

Regarding McCain's...yes their processing puts out an offensive odor and the feedlot on the west side of town can be rank at times too...although the feedlot has been in place a lot longer than the new housing building around it.  I would say the feedlot was there before a third of the present city has been in place.  

I will cut this off...but the one burning question I have is...If the Nasal Ranger SWAT Team tags any of these or other industries with a "Stink Violation" and imposes a fine...nice revenue generator eh?...what keeps them from telling the City to "Go to Hell?"  There are no NDEQ or EPA violations.  "Take me to court baby" would have to be my response.

Ted Lets It Out...

Hunting Down A Terrorist Dog Is Easy...Just About Anyone Else Too...

Omaha Is As Bad As Grand Island....

Another blow to Isla de Grande's persona...Shootings per capita in Omaha are as bad as Grand Island's. 

Nebraska Watchdog points this factoid out and State Senator Brad Ashford has planned  "Shooting Summits" for both cities in the near future.  If anything...this should be a warning to the carny operators during GI's opening State Fair run...a shooting gallery will be a revenue loser.

Senator Ashford thinks we should have Federales with automatic weapons on our street corners.   

Green...Green...It's Green They Say On The Far Side of the Hill...

Here I go again...another "green" issue...no...not the oil leak in the Gulf...Downtown GI's leaders are whining about Buffalo Grass.  This is a front page story.

As part of the Second Street revitalization our leaders went to the experts to find the right grass that was heat tolerant...conserved water and didn't require a lot of mowing.  Now after last years planting "it isn't green enough...soon enough...and heaven forbid it has weeds."   Whaa...Whaa...Whaa...  The grass is still dormant and the Chamber of Commerce isn't happy.  It's "BUFFALO GRASS" not Coursemaster Blue.  It's obvious these people don't know Jack about putting in a lawn.  They take time to establish and you don't kill dandelions in a day.  Last check there were over 200 inmates in the Hall County Jail...they can use their dinner spoon to dig weeds and if the grass ain't green enough give them a can of foliage paint.

I live in a town facing a 5 million dollar budget shortfall that continues to grow and these clowns are crying about how flippin' green the grass isn't.  So much for the Conservationist of the Year Award for GI's Business Improvement District.  And to think we have a Water Festival here every year.

Disclaimer:  I am not...nor do I associate with Tree Huggers...but I do believe in common sense.