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.