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Omaha Steve (31,631 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
After months of asking Omaha Steve about the issues, 4 candidates on the record on Ward I
How did I do?
http://www.voterinformation.org/vg-home.html?main=race_info.html&side=race_list.html
Remember THE issue for ward I goes public April 14th!!!!!
Nothing compared to the information you can find on:
www.electstevedawes.com
Abortion This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
Animals A carefully written dangerous dog law similar to Omaha’s would help make our city safer for our citizens. Use Cox Cable video to promote the new dog park North of the Bellevue Cemetery, leash laws, etc.
Anything else? [Not answered]
Bellevue Library While I live just a short distance from the library, my sister that lives out west in the Bryan High area has a fifteen minute drive. A co-op for the Western residents would save money. It deserves consideration.
City Business Connection Only using the library and city services, that I know of.
City Resources Relocate city hall outside of Olde Towne ASAP is the priority. I would have voted for the riverfront buy out with a cap of $200,000. Tax payers will now spend about an extra dollar per person without fixing the problem. The Bellevue presence on Cox Cable is woefully underused; it can be used to teach residents about important issues with VIDEO instead of text.
Constitution This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
Decency This is not a known problem for Bellevue. Federal and state laws seem to be working.
DOMA This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
Eminent Domain It is a case by case basis. The circumstances of improving the community vs. the land owner need to be addressed every time.
Family This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
Gambling I’m a Presbyterian. Gambling is considered a very bad vice. To allow new gambling drives up crime, increases cost for the Police Dept, and lowers what Bellevue can be. But if the citizens want a voice, it should be put on the ballot for a vote. State law would need to be changed, however, and I don’t see that happening.
Governing documents Bellevue has no charter. We follow state laws. The Bellevue Mission Statement link is below. Yes, I have read it. http://www.bellevue.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=FeT70CIq6YA%3d&tabid=39&mid=624 The mission statement is the how and why of how Bellevue functions and looks to the future. Strategic Plan, Comprehensive Plan. The Strategic Plan sets the base that embraces our Comprehensive Plan, Fort Crook Road Plan, Olde Towne Development, etc. so that the city has a definite direction, goals and action plan. The Olde Towne Development plan is critical to Ward I and rehabilitating the most historic portion of Bellevue. The coverage of Bellevue political issues by the Bellevue Leader. It provides excellent coverage at a very low cost.
Immigration Bellevue does not have the resources to contribute to this issue without additional funds from taxpayers. The city is on a tight budget. A few years ago Bellevue illegally used sewer funds for non-sewer use. The city then had to pay it back. It is up to the citizens to tell their council members if they want to allocate new money to immigration enforcement.
International/Ethnic It is not the role of city government to mandate where its citizens choose to live. But strict enforcement of codes in low income areas is a must, and mandating that rental property be kept up is crucial.
Job Creation (City) Bellevue needs to start up the BUY BELLEVUE campaign again. It is on the door at City Hall. I used an Olde Towne roofer (Blaha Roofing) to keep dollars churning within Bellevue. Money spent in Bellevue adds to an increase of sales tax dollars to the budget. I’m sure Swine Dining brings in much more sales tax revenue than the gun shop it replaced. The more work we create in Bellevue brings more jobs to Bellevue.
Motivation The current council voted against capping the cost of buying out flooded homes on the river by a 4-2 margin. Now the Bellevue taxpayers will be paying an extra $30,000 to get a lot less done. Stopping this kind of waste of Bellevue tax dollars is critical to the budget and to the health of Bellevue. The peddler law. After a season of bad hail storms, a plethora of out-of-town contractors offering to save home and business owners money by avoiding codes began showing up around Olde Towne. The city was not prepared to deal with what happened. I volunteered at a council meeting to be on a committee to plan for handling this issue next time. Nothing came out of it. From the Bellevue Leader 11-30-11 A missed opportunity The Bellevue City Council's refusal Monday night to buy out the remaining residents along the riverfront was by no means a crazy vote. There were clear and understandable reasons why four of six council members refused to bail out residents whose decision to live in the path of repeated flooding has always courted disaster. Similar offers of aid have not been proffered to Bellevue residents who sustained damage due to flooding, which makes even more unreasonable the suggestion that aid should be given to the river folk who sit outside Bellevue's city limits. Add all this to harsh economic times and tight budgets and it is not hard to see why council members voted to cut adrift residents of Elbow Bend and Iske Place. Nevertheless, the council should have committed $200,000 to the $2.4 million buyout program. This was a missed opportunity to rid the riverfront directly south of Bellevue of almost all the remaining river homes at a known cost and for all time. Instead, having pronounced as permanently uninhabitable all but nine of roughly 45 homes, the city will now incur the cost of boarding up and demolishing those homes, a cost estimated as high as $230,000. True, liens can be imposed on the land to recoup those costs but the chances of those liens being satisfied are negligible. Who would buy the land? Who would sell, when a significant part of the proceeds might go to satisfy a lien? So what is the difference between what the City of Bellevue was asked to contribute to the buyout plan and what it will likely have to pay anyway? For a similar amount of money, the city could have gone a long way to ending this ongoing effort to restore the riverfront to a natural state that requires no emergency services and frees the federal government from subsidizing flood insurance. It would have removed a settlement that through repeated flooding has become an eyesore, a more pressing consideration now that the pending Missouri River Bridge will pass by, making it the first impression many people will get of Sarpy County. To these considerations add the fact that the city could have, at minimal extra cost, lent a helping hand to people who need it. Yes, they are a stubborn folk down by the river, for whom the folk song "We shall not be moved" might easily have been penned. But their numbers have dwindled over the past 20 years from about 160 to 45 houses, and would slip to nine or fewer under the buyout program. At that point the end would be in sight. All this the City Council declined to embrace Monday night. Instead, we will likely be left with an ongoing problem for roughly the same price we would have paid for getting rid of it.
Personal/Political This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
President This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
Qualifications I have worked in the public sector for over 20 years, have been active in community events all my life, and my historic preservation background is perfect for rehabilitating Historic Olde Towne.
School Districts Continuing the police at schools program is the top priority.
Sustainable Development The new Bellevue City campus being green would be a good start. Sustainable growth means looking to the South and Southwest of Bellevue for future growth. We can’t go East because of the river. The North side is the county line. Papillion and LaVista will soon be a hard boundary too. The time is coming where sewers and lift stations will be needed before we can expand to the South, otherwise Bellevue will soon reach a point of no growth. We are a city of over 50,000. We have no drop-off recycling. Glass is one of the easiest materials to recycle, and we don’t do that at all.
Biographical
http://stevedawes2012.com/index.htm. Bio: I was born in Omaha and grew up in the small town atmosphere of Florence. I attended Mc Millan Jr High, where I was an active participant in football and wrestling. While a student at Mc Millan, I founded RECAP or “Recycling Environmental Conservation Action Program†at the Florence Presbyterian Church. I continue to be active in environmental causes. While attending high school at Omaha North, I was active on the student council and in drama, participating in a number of productions including Jesus Christ Superstar. I graduated in 1975. Later, I performed in the production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Orpheum Theater. I was a Life Scout in Troop 320. I was also a member of the Order of the Arrow. As a young adult, I ran for Omaha City Council, first district, in 1982. I placed tenth out of 18 candidates without the benefit of campaign funds. This race became the impetus for becoming even more deeply involved in community activism. I have served as a Deacon and Session member at Miller Park and Florence Presbyterian Church. I also served as youth director at Florence. My faith plays an important role in my life. I hold a Class II Wastewater License and am employed at the Missouri River Waste Water Treatment Plant. I have been with the City of Omaha for twenty-three years. Embracing Nebraska’s Working Families, I have served on the Executive Board of AFSCME, Local 251 and have been a long time union shop steward. In 2001, I founded the Indian Hills Theater Preservation Society and served as Chairman. I was also a founding member of 2020 Omaha. 2020 is a group of like-minded citizens interested in preserving Omaha’s 20th century architecture and landscape. That experience and the resultant network contribute to my knowledge and interest when working to improve Historic Olde Towne--the heart of Ward 1. I had a role in the two documentary films about the fight to save the Indian Hills Theater. Saving the Indian Hills : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378712/ Preserve Me a Seat: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0852991/ My wife Marta shares my interest in historical sites and we developed and own several websites of historic cemeteries in the area. (See (http://www.steveandmarta.com/graveyards/bellevue/bellevue_1.htm) We have four adult children and three grandchildren. Since moving to Bellevue, We have been active in the community. I am proud of the fact that Marta got a Masters degree from Bellevue University. Avid supporters of the Bellevue Farmer’s Market, we make it a point to support this event each weekend. Many of the Olde Towne merchants recognize us. We actively support the Olde Towne eateries with our dollars and presence. I know that historic Olde Towne is the heart beat of Bellevue and every dollar spent here helps our local businesses AND is one more dollar that stays in Bellevue. In my free time, I enjoy classic cars, model railroading, E-bay, relaxing with family on our scenic deck, bird watching, theater, good-local food, music and friends.
Constitution This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
He omitted that fact that he has a deep fascination with the Bellevue High School girls basketball team, even though he never had a child on that squad.
Brilliant. The Constitution is non-partisan and in fact is the FRAMEWORK that affect local issues. Every other candidate understands the importance of the most pertinent document in maintaining the law.
As a public servant and American citizen, I am obligated and bound by oath to protect, serve and uphold the Constitution of the United States. Rest assured that I will completely fulfill my obligation to the citizens of Bellevue and the United States of America.
I believe you take an oath for a reason when being accepted to this position. It is your duty to uphold the Constitution.
Upholding the Constitution means you govern as a representative of your constituents by trying to maintain the maximum amount of freedoms for everyone. The type of government that works best is that which governs least. The Constitution is a living document, still very much applicable to our lives. At times, there have been points in history that we have sought to amend the document, but this type of responsibility should not be taken lightly. As a public servant you are called to make sure that all citizens have the same access and opportunities. Upholding the Constitution means equal rights, not equal outcomes or specialized treatment. It means we have the right to our land, to freedom of speech and religion, to own guns, and to be free from illegal searches. It means the government should not get involved in your private lives. The antithesis of the upholding the Constitution is seeking to pass legislation such as SOPA, NDAA, and the Patriot Act. It also means that we should not, as a government, force the people to purchase things like health insurance. The Constitution is in favor of personal responsibility and the free market, and we must be as well.
This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
Constitution This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues.
This sort of answer for this type of question should be a red flag to the good people of Bellevue.
This sort of answer for this type of question should be a red flag with a gold hammer and sickle to the good people of Bellevue.
He deliberately avoids any question that would mark him as a flaming socialist.I disagree. He answered those questions in a way that absolutely confirms he's a flaming socialist.
He omitted that fact that he has a deep fascination with the Bellevue High School girls basketball team, even though he never had a child on that squad.
I kind of pity him. A little. He has to lie on the questionnaire and his answers are foolish. Back where he bilked friends and discussion board members, the place where he kicked the campaign off, i see an embarrassingly low level of support.
At least he has friends out there wanting to help, because I heard they put an awesome website together for him. Maybe someone can help me out here because I can't recall the website's URL.
Thanks in advance for your assistance on that website name.
You must be talking of that fabulous website http://www.electstevedawes.com/.
It's a true work of art. :II:
His copy and past of an article into one of his answers is in extreme poor taste, and bizarre. His answers are poorly constructed.
I am totally convinced he has no campaign staff or assistance to speak of.
Nutjob nadin gave him awful advice on how to answer, or else he relied on his own woeful intellect.
www.electstevedawes.com
It's reasonable to assume the two (R) candidates and the (L) candidate are doing most, if not all, of their work themselves.....especially the (L) candidate (the incumbent (R) has an office staff associated with his business, and the other (R) candidate is a long-time former city employee with friends willing to lend a hand).
But essentially, these three of them are doing most of their work themselves.
Just read that. He deliberately avoids any question that would mark him as a flaming socialist.
This is now a public service: http://electstevedawes/
Family This is a non-partisan race to keep the focus on LOCAL issues
He would have been miles ahead to lie through his teeth and answer those questions as if he were a normal patriotic American.
www.electstevedawes.com
This one really shows how he feels
He really doesn't hit on that at www.electstevedawes.com does he?
Again, compare the big guy's answer with the answers given by the other three candidates.
Voters in Bellevue (and Nebraska as a whole) like to know this stuff.
By flippantly saying in so many words, "it's not important in this race or for this office," the big guy's stance indicates he's anti-family.
Now, of course the big guy has a family and familial feelings--but that doesn't come across in his non-answer.
he must not be a family man if he sits at his computer in his underwear like it shows at www.electstevedawes.com :o
he must not be a family man if he sits at his computer in his underwear like it shows at www.electstevedawes.com :o
I think his answers say, "None of your business."
By flippantly saying in so many words, "it's not important in this race or for this office," the big guy's stance indicates he's anti-family.
I think his answers say, "None of your business."
That's never a good answer for a politician.
Speculatively:
--the incumbent (R) probably has the office secretary lick and apply postage stamps to campaign material.
--the challenging (R) probably has his wife lick and apply postage stamps.
--the (L) candidate probably licks and applies postage stamps himself.
--the big guy's sitting around, hoping for somebody else to do it for him, and if no one does it for him, it's not going to get done.
Hey Gina, we're not sure from that picture that underwear is even being worn.
That answer to the Constitution made my eyebrows shoot up in shock and surprise. As a voter, if I read that I'd go, "WHAT? Whoa, this guy is up to no good."
The whole side-stepping with his LOCAL issues drivel made him look very sneaky and suspect. What are you up to? Why do you want this job? Those are the kinds of questions running through voters minds, especially in this political climate, where a lot of people feel duped by the messiah and other sleazy politicians.
The big guy's answers on the Constitution and abortion are likely turn-offs.
Abortion's not a "hot button" issue, but it is a "warm button" issue in Bellevue (and Nebraska as a whole) this year.
By refusing to answer that the big guy of course has indicated that he's enthusiastic about abortion.
As for the Constitution, please compare the answers of the other three, with the big guy's.
People in Bellevue (and in Nebraska) take the Constitution seriously, and the big guy's flippant non-answer betrays that he doesn't.
Too bad for the big guy.
www.electstevedawes.com
There just happens to be an abortion clinic/doctor there in Bellevue and it might be in Ward 1. It gets picketed every weekend by at least two people in Bellevue. The doctor that runs the place has cause so much furor over what he has done business wise that Council Bluffs Iowa was considering a ban on him opening a new office there.
Lame OS. Very lame. The current city hall doesn't need to be replaced just to satisfy some need to help your union friends out. Also that gun store your whining about was there for at least 15 years and the day some BBQ place makes more cash then a gun store then I want to see the menu and ask where in the **** they get thier meat.
Qualifications? I have worked in the public sector for over 20 years, have been active in community events all my life, and my historic preservation background is perfect for rehabilitating Historic Olde Towne.
(edited to add)
Forgot to add a plug for the big guy, http://www.electstevedawes.com/
Yes, we must keep doing that.
Not as much as we were doing it, but still do it.
www.electstevedawes.com
I'm still gettin' http://www.electstevedawes.com in the top 3 then CC in 4th and 5th in my Nada search engine!
www.electstevedawes.com
What is the count today?
I can't wait for the upcoming meet! www.electstevedawes.com
I hope he shakes my hand! :hyper:
You know, I wanted to go out of curiosity, but I don't think I'll be able to make it.
I have a social obligation down over in Murray, Nebraska circa noon until 4:00 p.m. that day, and it's a long drive back up here to the roof of Nebraska.
I'm hoping the big guy does some "live blogging" of the event to Skins's island, so we can see it in real time.
www.electstevedawes.com
I can't wait for the upcoming meet! www.electstevedawes.comChocolate covered pretzel?
I hope he shakes my hand! :hyper:
Chocolate covered pretzel?
I can't wait for the upcoming meet! www.electstevedawes.com
I hope he shakes my hand! :hyper:
I'll be there, too!
Will you dance with me, Gina? After we eat lots of Steve's free wings and mini-tacos, of course.
:cheersmate:
www.electstevedawes.com (http://www.electstevedawes.com)
I am going to put my hair up and wear my best Sarah Palin suit so they are sure to notice me. Maybe Steve will hug me like he did Cindy, and I bet I will have the same reaction she did. :panic:
I will dance with you, we going dirty or waltzing? :naughty:
I always wanted to dance with Sarah Palin. We'll be quite the pair- the redheaded Sarah Palin and a biker with a .45 on his hip.
Dirty waltzing! I gotta lead, though.
www.electstevedawes.com (http://www.electstevedawes.com)
well at least now I will know it's your barrel of your gun.. :whistling:
www.electstevedawes.com
If you feel it on my left hip, it's my .45. Anyplace else, it's all Dog.
www.electstevedawes.com (http://www.electstevedawes.com)
:lmao: www.erectstevedawes.com :lmao:
Oh, that's good!
I'd say that the sight of you and me doing the dirty 3-step would erect Steve Dawes, but he doesn't swing that way. Neither of us is a high school girls' basketball player.
I can do a mean Britney Spears Catholic girl though :naughty:
Which one, the young 1999 version or the older, bloated 2012 copy?
Now you're getting into www.erectbigdog.com territory!
And that definitely ain't my .45. :naughty:
I prefer Christina Aguilera.
I'll wear my hair up like this...it really does the Sarah Palin on me :naughty: think it will turn Steve on?
(http://content.clearchannel.com/cc-common/mlib/2135/04/2135_1333378847.jpg)
the dirty one or the fat one?I would take either one.
Don't know about Chief Droopy Drawers, but for me.... :pervert: :leghump: :pineapple: :sheep:
:-)
I'll wear my hair up like this...it really does the Sarah Palin on me :naughty: think it will turn Steve on?
(http://content.clearchannel.com/cc-common/mlib/2135/04/2135_1333378847.jpg)
pray God, what does the :pineapple: mean?
Well, there were no stuffed buffalo, 2 pounds of ice, a 9 iron, and a packet of instant grits smilies.
:-)
No need to use "God", wasp works just fine... :lmao:
:ohmy:
:lmao: :tongue:
Love you, "Gena"!
:-)
I got your Gena right here! :hyper:
Heading for the short bus in 5...4...3....2....1
I shall liberally apply spermicide to my hand before shaking his :naughty: I don't want any www.electstevedawes.com on my hand
btw....anyone notice that liberally/liberal = too put on too much ?