Anti-Recall Restaurants Serve Up Help
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There’s new support, a warning, and a challenge from those fighting the recall of Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle.
A group known as “Restaurants Against the Recall” joined a roomful of former mayors, current and former city council members, State Senator Brad Ashford, and several business leaders today to voice their concerns that a successful recall will damage the city for years.
In addition during this “Stop the Recall” news conference, philanthropist Dick Holland said he’s very suspicious of the recallers. ”You don’t know if they’re for the people, all the people, or are they for themselves. It’s a very, very narrow group saying these things,” said Holland. Holland also argued if the recall is successful people have “no idea what kind of government they’ll get next.”
The Mayor Suttle Recall Committee hit the streets six days ago looking to gather the signatures of 26,643 registered voters in the City of Omaha within 30 days. If the petition drive is successful Suttle can either resign or face the voters in January.
Holland’s group downplayed moves by another anti-recall organization “Forward Omaha” which is airing commercials questioning the legality of the recall petition drive, and looking to hire what it calls ”persuasion poll workers” on Election Day. Forward Omaha will pay people $150 to be outside Omaha polling places on November 2nd to educate “thousands of Omahans about the importance of not signing” the recall petitions. Some members of the Recall Committee believe the Forward Omaha poll workers are nothing more than hired hands looking to intimidate voters and keep them from signing the petitions.
Former Mayors Mike Fahey and P.J. Morgan said a recall will hurt Omaha for several years to come. At the same time Morgan said “I don’t think any of us agree with all (Suttle’s) issues.” But Morgan, who was elected in 1989 following the recall of then Mayor Mike Boyle, said Boyle’s recall had brought the “city to a standstill.” Boyle, who opposes the recall, was not at today’s announcement. Former Mayor Hal Daub, who lost to Suttle last year but has not said if he’s for or against the recall, was not on hand either.
City Councilman Chris Jerram noted those pushing the recall have demanded more budget cuts. But Jerram made it clear that talk is cheap. Jerram asking, “Well Recall Committee what are you going to cut? How many police are you going to lay off? How many fire stations you going to close? How many libraries are you going to close?”
Among the restaurants standing with Suttle are Julio’s, Jams, and Barrett’s Barleycorn. Several other restaurants, upset with the City’s new 2.5 percent restaurant tax, are backing the recall.
Also coming out against the recall today were labor leader Terry Moore and Susan Buffett the daughter of Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world.
Mayor Suttle was not at the meeting.
Reported by Joe Jordan, joe@nebraskawatchdog.org
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Posted under Blog, Omaha City Hall.
Tags: Brad Ashford, Chris Jerram, Jim Suttle, Joe Jordan, Nebraska Watchdog, P.J. Morgan, Susan Buffett, Terry Moore
3:17 pm on October 27th, 2010
With Hal Daub’s staff running the recall and him silent on the issue, I won’t believe he is not behind this recall until he publicly says he opposes it.
5:40 pm on October 27th, 2010
P.J. Morgan talks about disrupting the city’s business with a recall election. Apparently, he has forgotten about the approx. $300,000.00 he cost the City of Omaha for special election after he resigned as mayor to take a private sector job.
8:48 pm on October 27th, 2010
The question is raised, “Where are you going to cut?” No one said Police or Fire or Libraries. How about cutting the enormous salaries of his staff for one back to where they were with previous administrations? How about cutting a million dollar fee for a survey to see if Omaha would benefit from a Cable car? There are many other ways to cut the fat away from the budget without cutting useful services. Another might be the delay of painting the bicycle lanes until spring! They are still painting them when snow is coming. All that nice paint will be ruined during the winter months when bicyclists won’t be using them and then they will have to pay for that to be re done next spring. I want a Mayor that will run the city government like he would his OWN PERSONAL checkbook!
5:25 am on October 28th, 2010
“Fat Cats” of the Democratic Party are stepping up with thousands of dollars to fight this recall. Can’t have the Democratic Party suffer another embarassing recall because it hurts their pride
7:33 am on October 28th, 2010
Let’s see, you have the former Mayor who caused most of Omaha’s financial problems supporting leaving his incompetent tone-deaf replacement in office. What’s wrong with that picture??? Beyond that, you’ve got the head of the local AFL-CIO, a radical leftist rich lady who throws her daddy’s money around trying to remake Omaha into SanFrancisco and an assortment of local businessmen/owners who have gotten/need favors from city government. And last, but not least, Omaha’s own George Soros, Dick Holland who’s footing the bill to try and save a fellow leftist. Omaha will not suffer when Suttle is recalled and it won’t cost more than $500k to be rid of him.
9:42 am on October 28th, 2010
That whole press conference with all the rich dudes was kind of pathetic wasn’t it? Why are they ALL fighting so hard? Makes me wonder who would lose money ???whatever if old suttle is removed????? Kind of getting sick of ben gray and chris jerram too. Seems they can’t think on their own more left wing liberals who think they ‘know best’ for all of us
12:47 pm on October 28th, 2010
Brad Ashford needs to be kicked out of the Nebraska Republican Party.
2:14 pm on October 28th, 2010
Good too see some folks are a bunch of suckers like the recallers.
7:31 pm on October 28th, 2010
Hey here is a great idea. If a restaurant has a petition inside it, boycot it.
These guys want to play hard ball politics, then i will take my business elsewhere. Wait, that sounds familiar. Wow, all of Omaha’s restaurants will have to shut down. The folks who dont want to pay the 2 1/2 percent are eating in other cities, and if those of us who are pissed about these guys playing politics go eat elsewhere, so long!! Welcome to politics boys and girls
4:31 pm on October 29th, 2010
Mr. Trenton Magid or poser,
Mr. Morgan saved or made this city more than any costs for his step-down. You owe him and his family a debt of gratitude. He is passionate about Omaha and continues to bring businesses to this city. I know, I have traveled with him to many parts of the country and listened to him brag to out of state businesses about Omaha as a great place for them to set up shop, yet we have not named a street, park or stadium after him.
Maybe you have never been thru a family tragedy that faced him at the time. We need leadership like Mr. Morgan right now. If we had that sort of leadership, maybe our taxes would not be going up and we would not have all the issues out there that face us.
He has been there in the middle of the mess and phone calls. If he says it is a huge disruption to the city, it is and maybe we should listen a little closer to the wisdom he brings.