Buffington bashes Beutler over Brashear hiring
Republican Mayoral candidate Tammy Buffington today put out a bombastic press release regarding Mayor Chris Beutler’s recent hiring of former Speaker Kermit Brashear to lobby for the city.
Tammy Buffington
I’m just going to give you the whole press release. Here it is:
I opened my paper yesterday to discover that our mayor is once again spending MORE of the taxpayer’s money. He has decided to hire a former State Senator, a successful Omaha attorney to help with the city’s labor negotiations. It will cost us $350/hour with a projected total of $50,000 for the four weeks of work. This is more than half of the mayor’s yearly salary. Is this how our mayor stays away from the important work of the city? Pay others to do his work? He told a group last evening that they are welcome to come to city hall because he has many assistants to help them. Are these the 19 aides that he has hired at an average salary of $114,000 plus benefits and an additional 12% yearly retirement with no match?
Our mayor is painting the success of Lincoln in such glowing terms and accepting all the credit for this success. Has he ever thought that the reason we have a low unemployment is that citizens of Lincoln are hard working. Faced with a struggling economy and loss of jobs, many are going out and finding whatever they can to make ends meet. Spouses are going back to work instead of staying home with their children. People are making sacrifices. They are cutting back on luxuries. They are paying their bills as best as they can. Wouldn’t it be better for this mayor to find ways to cut back and put money back into the hands of the taxpayers? Wouldn’t it be better if he was a leader of this community and settled the union issues himself? Would that mean that he might not be able to take money from the unions in this election? Would it mean that he would have to hold the line on raising our taxes if he is elected?
I guess the voters will decide in 5 weeks if they like his leadership or if they want to try someone new that will look for ways to cut the budget and return the money to the taxpayers.
Winterized 
Deena, have you decided whether or not you are going to vote for Chris Beutler or Tammy Buffington? It’s not a hard question, I’m sure if you asked Jonathan Cook he wouldn’t hesitate in answering. The two candidates offer 2 radically different approaches to city government, you deciding between the two shouldn’t be difficult.
Who Deena votes for is not relevant to her running for city council. It’s a moot question Terry. I want to know how she is going to vote on issues. About the mayor hiring Kermit I agree with Tammy. There are many lawyers in our city government already, use them. Heck Chris is a lawyer himself. People don’t elect people so they can pay some person $350 per hr to make the decision for them.This is cowardly, make the decision yourself Chris, why are we paying you if you don’t have the b—s to do it yourself. Stand up, be bold and just DO IT!!!!! You coward.
You see Tammy is a business owner, she knows that maybe her businesses can’t afford to go hiring people to make decisions for her so as a business owner she makes the decision by consulting with others in her business.
I want to know, in Betlers ads it says he started his business here in Lincoln, what business? Good God he has worked for government 95% of his life. Tammy, has it right, do your job Beutler, get rid of your good friend Kermit before it’s to late. These guys have been friends for over 30 years now. Plus, don’t we have people here in Lincoln he could have hired? Dumb thing here Beutler. Again, do the job you were hired to do.
The earthquake has happened and the tsunami is coming. They will try to get all the tax money spent they can just in case Just like the 4000;000 of left over gift money or tif money. I just herd of another company adding jobs and expanding you don,t see them with their hands out for gift money or tif money they earn it the right way and grow, but some developer’s always have their hands out. Spend spend spend Grow grow grow do the people really want growth just for the sake of growth with a greater and greater burden on tax payers. Just like a career legislator that magically turns into a urban development specialist.