I really don't know how many folks read this but I'm going to plead that anybody reading this takes a few minutes to call or email Ben Nelson and strongly urge him to represent the feelings of Nebraskans and vote "NO" on cloture for the Health Care Reform Bill. This seems to be the most likely way to slow the bill down or stop it altogether. There is no need to hurry this thing to passage. Urge Senator Nelson to force the Senate to take a deep breath and include more public comment before snowballing this over the American people just to meet an arbitrary deadline. So please call AND email - keep the pressure up and pray that he does the right thing. Please - even if you have never done such a thing before. http://bennelson.senate.gov/contact-me.cfm

Here we go again, more federal dollars on the way. Seems to be no end to the money flowing out of Washington DC for little Bridgeport's water system. The 52% of us that pay any federal income tax are again paying for an aspect of the needed water system. Nevermind that Bridgeport had artificially low water rates for decades and that the city failed at performing even basic maintenance on the existing system. No accountability, no consequnces - just more money to fix things up. Way too much dependancy on the federal government to take care of a local issue. Not much more to say on this one - here is the article: http://www.kneb.com/news/index/36ab64f3-30df-4898-92c3-d6133322005b.

I see that the Nebraska Panhandle's lone congressman has introduced legislation that will ensure that Scottsbluff's airport will receive a yearly $1,000,000 federal grant despite not having the required number of boardings. While I am glad that Congressman Smith is looking out for his district, I think we all need to remind him of one important fact. WE ARE BROKE!!! The country is out of money. We are in debt up to our eyeballs and beyond. The extra money will have to be borrowed from China and repaid with interest by our chilren's children and beyond. All members of congress must put aside thier little pet projects and do what is right - balance the budget, spend less. We cannot afford to fund every little local project. If the locals cannot buy enough tickets to support the airport - then perhaps we do not need one. It is fundamentally unfair to ask all taxpayers across the country to suplement the few folks that fly out of Scottsbluff. Business needs to learn to stand on thier own. If they cannot compete, then they should fail. The Federal Government cannot solve every local issue. I am sure certain local individuals would be upset when reading this but it is time we stop asking Washington to cough up more money at every turn. Stop changing the rules when the rules do not suit us anymore. We have run out of money for projects like this and many hundreds of other projects. We are taxed enough already! ( See: http://www.kneb.com/news/index/ce813ce2-55a4-4532-92a6-36aa7d258378 )

It has come to my attention that the city of Bridgeport has accepted or is expecting some amount of money from the federal stimulus package. This money is to be used to help renew/replace outdated infrastructure in the city water system. I am calling on the mayor and city council to reject this federal money and fund the project locally. As we all know, the stimulus package passed by congress in 2009 is pure and simple expansion of the federal deficit. Money we as a country do not have. The money will have to be borrowed from foreign lenders or simply printed at the Treasury. Either way, our taxes and our children's taxes and likely our grand children's taxes will have to be raised at some point in time to repay this money and the massive interest it will surely accumulate. It is folly and over simplified thinking to believe that money received for projects such as Bridgeport's water system is somehow "free" or not raised locally. Taxpayers will bear the burden of this debt long into the future - Bridgeport taxpayers. Sadly, accepting this money from the so called stimulus bill means only those that pay federal taxes will pay for the system. Those households that have income levels below federal criteria and pay no federal income tax will not be sharing the burden. Only the (statistically speaking) 52% of households that pay federal taxes will be paying for all 100% of Bridgeport residents to enjoy clean drinking water. Fundamentally unfair. It is time for all Americans to step up to the plate and share the fiscal responsibility of local infrastructure projects. The users that benefit should be the users that pay for the system improvements. I would rather pay locally higher water fees than send my money to Washington and have an inefficient bureaucratic system somehow find a way to funnel it back to my local town all while some of it is lost in the hassle.

Furthermore, the city of Bridgeport was going to improve the water system anyway - this year. The same labor and same jobs will be needed with or without the current recession. It makes little or no sense to use the stimulus money on this project as it does not create or maintain even one job that would have existed without the stimulus bill. In other words - this project does absolutely nothing to stimulate the economy either locally or nationally. Just another taxpayer funded debt creator.

The stimulus money is NOT free and will have to be repaid -- it just won't go to the city office - it will go to Washington DC. Please join me in pressuring the city fathers of Bridgeport to reject the stimulus funds. All area residents are encouraged to do this as YOUR tax dollars are being dropped in as well.