NTF issue paper: douglascounty171.doc. 5-22.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM ISSUE PAPER:
DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SQUANDER PANDEMIC DOLLARS.
BACKGROUND. Douglas County received over $110.8 million dollars of pandemic rescue funds from the federal government. Though the parameters for spending this largesse are loose and vague, the intent was for these dollars to primarily fund and reimburse the medical community, whose personnel continue to work diligently and with high risk to themselves to help coronavirus victims both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, sniffing the sudden financial infusion, liberal and leftwing interests swarmed county commissioners with their begging bowls, eager to join in spending the windfall on their favorite welfare interests.
COUNTY SQUANDERING. Beset by throngs of nonprofits seeking handouts of pandemic money, county commissioners hardly could wait to win friends and allies by dispensing thousands to liberal/leftwing groups who then spread the windfall among their own pet constituencies, many of them already living on government handouts. Much of this money otherwise could have helped coronavirus victims, their caretakers and families, and the medical personnel who so compassionately care for them.
PRIME EXAMPLES.
*To allocate $410,000 in a federal emergency rental assistance program to volunteer liberal attorneys to help stop evictions. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Maureen Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Morgan.
*To appropriate $1.5 million in federal pandemic aid funds to a nonprofit group to provide partial funding for a shelter to temporarily house homeless in a defunct Omaha hotel. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $77,985 in federal pandemic funds to Angel Guardians to provide community training on best practices for incident prevention and de-escalation situations. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $715,000 in federal pandemic funds to I Be Black Girl to fund black maternal welfare programs. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate amounts of $874,196, $133,954, $74,395, and $10,000 in federal pandemic funds for a supplemental nutrition welfare program. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $60,000 in federal pandemic funds to Heartland Family Services to address pandemic health disparities among North Omaha residents. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $500,000 in federal pandemic funds to the Omaha Symphony Workforce to fund a talent development program for high school students. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan.
*To appropriate $56,815 in federal pandemic funds to 1st Friday Outdoors to help fund a monthly program to provide community arts. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $20,000 of federal pandemic money to the Omaha Center for Refugees and Immigrants to buy culturally-appropriate food and refrigeration to store it. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $304,000 in federal pandemic funds to No More Empty Pots to pay for remodeling of its food hub. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $250,000 in federal pandemic funds for a North Omaha cultural center. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $75,000 in federal pandemic funds for an Ecumenical History of North Omaha exhibition. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $1 million in federal pandemic funds to the Yates Project to provide social and mental health services to legal and illegal immigrants. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $50,000 in federal pandemic funds to leftist Legal Aid of NE to help renters avoid eviction. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $100,000 in federal pandemic funds to leftist Together Inc. for homeless prevention. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $50,000 in federal pandemic funds to the Simple Foundation for a youth life skills development program. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $50,000 in federal pandemic funds to the leftist Women’s Center for Advancement. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $400,000 in federal pandemic funds to provide mental health care, translation services, and transportation to legal and illegal immigrants over 50 years old. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $2 million in federal pandemic funds to support tourism in Douglas County. YES, against taxpayers: Borgeson, Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
*To appropriate $50,000 in federal pandemic funds to the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance to provide home education and resources to at-risk kids. YES, against taxpayers: Boyle, Cavanaugh, Friend, Garcia, Morgan, Rodgers.
OTHER SPENDING. County commissioners in their pandemic recovery plan proposed spending listed actual cash transfers, internet subsidies, tourism and travel, subsidized employment, funding for leftist nonprofit groups, increased services to minority communities and high poverty areas, early education, child care and home visitations, affordable housing assistance, and premium pay for select public employees.
TAKE ACTION NOW. Douglas Co. Commissioners are continuing to spend this federal pandemic largesse until 2025. Unless convinced otherwise, they will continue to waste these sums on the less deserving at the expense of coronavirus medical providers and patients. NE medical providers like doctors and nurses are still suffering acute stress from overtime work in long hour shifts. Caring for the physical and mental/behavioral needs of their patients has caused some in their ranks to either quit or become disillusioned with their professions. Contact your Douglas Co. commissioner and strongly urge him/her to expend federal pandemic monies on those directly affected by the coronavirus in the medical and health care communities and COVID-19 victims. Email netaxpayers@gmail.com for county commissioner contact information and join our NTF County Watch Project.
Research, documentation, and analysis for this issue paper done by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom. This material copyrighted by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, with express prior permission granted for its use by other groups in the NE Conservative Coalition Network. 5-22. C