Tax claims omit rest of the story (Ben Nelson vs Ricketts Ne.)

[Omaha Steve]

Full story reg req: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2223062

Published Sunday
August 13, 2006

Tax claims omit rest of the story

BY ROBYNN TYSVER


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Taxes, tax cuts, property taxes. Nebraska voters are being deluged with tax claims and promises as the candidates in the fiery U.S. Senate race swap charges about each other's tax plans and records.

Republican Pete Ricketts hopes to undercut Democrat Ben Nelson's reputation as a fiscal conservative by highlighting selected pieces of Nelson's record as governor and in the Senate.




Nelson wants to paint Ricketts, a political newcomer, as a rich man who harbors plans to tax the middle class.

What's a voter to believe?

[acmavm]

1. Simple. They're both republicans (although one calls himself a

Dem). So suspect EVERTHING they say. Because they are 1) looking out for their own best interests and doing everything the can to get elected and 2) 100% supporters of corporate Nebraska (ConAgra, UP, Cargill, etc.)

We have one of the highest tax rates in the country. Why? Because we absolutely refuse to call these corporate's bluff and make them pay their fair share. I've seen estimates and articles that say we lose out on 90 million a year in taxes because of these tax breaks. So who pays? We do.

Nelson also cost us million in the incompetent was he cancelled that deal about taking the nations' nuclear waste and making Nebraska a glow in the dark nuclear garbage dump. The good thing is that the waste isn't scheduled to be parked out by Grand Island or where ever that was. The bad thing is because he didn't notify the other states involved in the compact in a timely manner Nebraska had to pay something like 200 million in penalties.

Crap, what are out choices here? Elect a guy who calls himself a dem and votes with the repubs on every IMPORTANT issue. Or some rich asswipe who tries to pretend like he's Mr. Nebraska Everyman and it's so phony it sucks.

Nebraska politics suck.

[StoryTeller]

2. You're right...

...Nebraska politics does suck. About the only person I'm excited about right now is Jim Esch. It would be nice if he could unseat Lee Terry. One can only hope, I suppose.

Glum in Omaha.

[TheFarseer]

4. I like Jim Esch

I think his position on Iraq is dead on eventhough it might be the most cynical thing I've ever heard: guard the oil and the border with Syria and Iran and let the Iraqi police or whatever handle the rest. I've also heard him say some good things about alternative energy. That said, I don't see that he's trying very hard to win. I live in Omaha and other than the bus benches, I haven't seen any evidence that there is even a race for congress. Just my take, maybe I'm wrong.

[TheFarseer]

3. I agree with maybe half of what Nelson says

I agree with about 1% of what Rickets says. The nuclear waste deal was not Ben's idea. We got into that before he was governor. I don't remember the specifics of how we got out of it, so I won't touch that. Bottom line, Ben Nelson is a shadow of the asswipe Pete Ricketts is. Pete is wrong on EVERY issue and I won't help him get into the Senate by either talking smack on Nelson or not voting.