Candidate for mayor Tammy Buffington features on her website a video and text referencing $720 million worth of "unfunded liabilities" that Lincoln must deal with. She compares that figure to a $15 million budget surplus during Mike Johanns' time as mayor. You can watch the video below:
I can't figure out where her $720 million figure comes from. After reading her "Issues" page, I'm not even sure she knows where it comes from. For example she seems to use the words debt and deficit interchangeably. If she makes that fundamental mistake, and if she doesn't provide any accounting of the $720 million, how am I supposed to trust that the number is legit?
I expect more -- significantly more -- from somebody who wants to be mayor. Lincoln has plenty of issues to deal with, many of them financial. Ms. Buffington, tell us something we don't know. Like how you prioritize those problems, or specifically what you intend to do about them. And for goodness sake if you're going to throw around a big number like $720 million at least have the common decency to tell us where it came from. Otherwise it is little more than a bogeyman intended to rile up the most gullible voters.
Can any of you, dear Lincolnites, determine where Ms. Buffington's $720 million comes from?
Comments
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Fletch
April 25, 2011 at 2:41PM
I’m guessing, as with the rest of her campaign, it was pulled out of her… well, you know. This is more embarassing than when Cindy Johnson ran for mayor.
Fletch
April 25, 2011 at 2:47PM
My best guess is that she’s including the obligations for the arena and the Antelope Valley project and other bonds in her total. Don’t know how else you would get it that high, unless you starting accounting for road construction figures for the next ? years that aren’t even on the books.
CS
April 25, 2011 at 2:56PM
That is about the most worthless 52 seconds of video I have ever seen-it even sucks for a sound byte because there is no indication of any sort of citation. Even the most biased and inflammatory of campaign ads usually feature an “according to…..” or something.
Fletch
April 25, 2011 at 3:07PM
Not to mention the voice like fingernails on a chalkboard, and that snarky smile at the end, as if to say, “take THAT, Chris Beutler!” The man must be shaking in his shoes.
Mr. Wilson
April 25, 2011 at 3:13PM
That’s my best guess as well. But if you’re going to go that route, you may as well throw the south and east beltways into the mix. That would easily take the total over $1B.
meatball
April 25, 2011 at 3:19PM
I’m pretty sure she’s including the projected road construction figures for however far behind we supposedly are. I’ve heard her throw that number into the total when she’s trying to show how deep the city is in debt.
I'm just sayin'
April 25, 2011 at 5:56PM
I think Mr. Wilson’s admonition from last week would apply to Ms. Buffinton…
Comments
See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
I’m guessing, as with the rest of her campaign, it was pulled out of her… well, you know. This is more embarassing than when Cindy Johnson ran for mayor.
My best guess is that she’s including the obligations for the arena and the Antelope Valley project and other bonds in her total. Don’t know how else you would get it that high, unless you starting accounting for road construction figures for the next ? years that aren’t even on the books.
That is about the most worthless 52 seconds of video I have ever seen-it even sucks for a sound byte because there is no indication of any sort of citation. Even the most biased and inflammatory of campaign ads usually feature an “according to…..” or something.
Not to mention the voice like fingernails on a chalkboard, and that snarky smile at the end, as if to say, “take THAT, Chris Beutler!” The man must be shaking in his shoes.
That’s my best guess as well. But if you’re going to go that route, you may as well throw the south and east beltways into the mix. That would easily take the total over $1B.
I’m pretty sure she’s including the projected road construction figures for however far behind we supposedly are. I’ve heard her throw that number into the total when she’s trying to show how deep the city is in debt.
I think Mr. Wilson’s admonition from last week would apply to Ms. Buffinton…
“Knock it off, jackasses”
We aren’t as dumb as we look.
<em>We aren
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