LETTER: They should have waited until Aug. 26

By Wes Homes/Fremont
Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 11:19:14 am CDT

Again the July 29 council meeting comes back to haunt Mayor "Skip" Edwards.

If he would have done as he had stated at that meeting, to take no action on this matter until Aug. 26, 2008, we would not have angry citizens, the filing as candidates for mayor, or possibly the group seeking to get this issue on the ballot for the vote by citizens of Fremont.

During what would have been 30 days, further study and the appointment of the task force could have taken place, still being within the 30-day period of time until Aug. 26.

The task force, which I had suggested at that council meeting, with persons to be asked to that task force, has become a reality. I had referred to this as a Dream Team. A team made of experts in their fields from both sides of the issue at hand.

Mr. Bill Ekeler has this team. I support this team as I had stated to Mr. Ekeler. I am confident this team, looking at both sides of the issue, will come up with a working solution to the problem.

It appears the group seeking to get this on the ballot or a special election will succeed. From comments I have heard and stated to me they will have no problem getting necessary signatures.

According to the article in the Fremont Tribune on Wednesday, it would cost the City of Fremont about $16,000 or $17,000 for this special election. If you remember it had been reported that if the ordinance presented had passed, this could have cost the city money if it was challenged. Well it appears either way we pay.

Editor’s note: City council members, not Edwards, voted 7-1 on

July 29 to suspend the rules and move to the third and final reading of the ordinance. Also, Homes has declared his intentions to run as a write-in candidate for mayor.

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Nothing But The Truth
Aug 22, 2008 3:43 PM
It is very foolish to think that $16,000-$17,000 is compareable to the amount the city would have paid in legal fees to defend the ordinance. Taking action in July was the right move.
Tired of Morons-Used to be Bobo
Aug 22, 2008 9:24 PM
Wassup, Homes?

What's your ill-informed response to this:
"Editor’s note: City council members, not Edwards, voted 7-1 on July 29 to suspend the rules and move to the third and final reading of the ordinance."

What else are you ignorant about?
What's your stand on the by-pass? Please, mis-inform us, would you?

By the way, what exactly is the point of your post? Just to say that you and Skip are in agreement? Not a very compelling reason to vote against him. Way to lead from behind.
Tired of Morons-Used to be Bobo
Aug 24, 2008 10:28 PM
'Cmon, Wes-fill us in-what's your stand on the by-pass? That's a more important issue than immigration.

Inquiring minds want to know if you have an opinion and what it might be.

This is free pub for your campaign. If you don't respond, that tells us:
a) you don't have an opinion.(cuz you're ignorant about it).
b) you do and you're afraid.
c) you're not serious about being the next Skip.

Wassup, Homes?
Alison
Aug 25, 2008 9:23 PM
We need candidates that will tell us what they are for -- not what they are against.

Wes is a nice guy but clearly not a leader that Fremont needs.

Worse, is the idea that Carl Schaffner would be on the ballot. He is worse than a single issue candidate -- he is a single issue candidate that doesn't really understand his own issue. I have talked with him, read his posts on this web site and his own. Besides not making much sense he doesn't get.

Fremont needs choices in elections but Carl is not a quality choice for any election position in this town. Don't be fooled into singning his petition.
Not the only voter
Aug 25, 2008 9:40 PM
I think its ridiculous that everyone is so mad at Mayor "skip". We have to understand that he wasn't the only one who voted. And I think that we need to get over blaming him and move on to whatever other issues need to be discussed.
Jim
Aug 25, 2008 10:19 PM
Wes - The mayor did not decide to vote on this early -- that would be the ALL COUNCIL members exept for Warner.

I don't understand why everyone is so mad and blaming Skip -- when in fact even Marsh, Schaller and Janssen voted YES to suspend the rules and vote that night.

Seems easy to get off track and start throwing stones.

Skip is easy to throw shots at and he is too professional to return fire on those who seem to want to spend all sorts of energy on naming calling...such as Mr. Homes and Mr. Schaffner.

Skip may not be the leader of our dreams but he has shown more leadership that his two possible opponents will ever be able to show.
whatever
Aug 26, 2008 2:35 PM
Jim- I think Skip gets to be the scapegoat on this one because he is the one who made the deciding vote and he is the one who showed up with a PREPARED statement. This fact alone shows there was some behinds the scenes dealings going on. I am sure the council just wanted it to be done and over with and get Fremont and themselves out of the spotlight. People just dont like to see those in charge of the rules break them or bend them to suit their own needs.
Negative Ned
Aug 26, 2008 3:54 PM
Mayor Skip didn't vote to suspend the vote and didn't call for it but he was aware that it was going to take place because he had a prepared statement to read from.

I'm sure it will never be known when and where it was really decided to call for the vote but by deciding ahead of time and NOT advertising they were going to call for the vote the council AND the mayor broke the Nebraska Open Meetings Law. It is unlawful to decide something in private and not advertise that it is going to be on the agenda for the meeting. The council memebers and mayor should not be above the law and should be ashamed of themselves for what they have done.

What blows my mind, there is usually the police presence at the meetings and they don't even know enough about the law to stop this sort of thing.

Thats what this is all about, people are getting tired of having everything shoved up their backsides by people who think they are smarter than everyone else when in fact they seriously short when it comes to really knowing what they are supposed to be doing in their jobs.

This whole thing could have been avoided by working with the people and coming up with some sort of solution rather than just shutting it down.

The Appleseed organization scared the stuffing out of the council President Gary Bolton by sending him a letter of all the things that could MAYBE happen to Fremont if the ordinance was passed.Its on the internet for everyone to read just do a google search for, Gary Bolton Fremont City Council President, and you will find the letter of hypathetical threats.

How stupid do you people think the people of Fremont are?
Jake J
Aug 26, 2008 6:01 PM
yeah, they should have, but they didnt. so you're just gonna waste time out of your life to write this pointless letter..... nice!
Mayor Can Read Not Lead
Aug 26, 2008 6:44 PM
The Mayor shows up at a planned tie vote meeting with a written statement, tucked in his bag, explaining how and why he is breaking the tie! (He could not voice it on his own?)
WHAT A SET UP. Fremont needs a Mayor who can think on his feet and lead. Not a person who fumbles around on every issue and is lost in the issues. A gas station attendant does not prepare or make you a leader!
It is definitely time for a change in Fremont.
SamIam
Aug 26, 2008 7:22 PM
Hey Jake J:

Crack me up dude! and you waste time out of your life to write a response telling him he's wasting time...nice!
A Patriot
Aug 27, 2008 5:41 PM
to Negative Ned
They really do think we stupid because you have seen what they did. And Appleseed's letter was just a scare tatic and it worked. Appleseed has only 5 offices in the US and 3-5 in Mexico
And thye people here beleve what the council tells them. You are all afried to stand up and defend this town. The only time that will happen is when it is to late. All have a negitive out look. How will we know if we don't try.
Also look at how is on the task forcw. Everyone that voted NO and Hormel and fremont beef. A task force never works out and is a wast of time, just a cover up for their mistake. And besides NO- ONE knows how much it would have cost us as a town. Other cities have passed ordenances and it held up and works. They haven't told you that have they???
You will deserve what you will get
Tired of Morons-Used to be Bobo
Aug 28, 2008 8:46 AM
So what if it was decided beforehand that the reading would be suspended. Do you morons think another 100 readings would have changed anyone's mind? There wasn't a soul in that room, council, mayor, or otherwise that didn't already have his mind made up.
BSM
Aug 28, 2008 12:19 PM
The People Of Fremont will look the other way until it is too late & Fremont is another Schuyler.No Guts/ No Glory. I tip my hat to the courageous few that are trying to do something about this serious problem, NOW
Andy S
Aug 28, 2008 12:25 PM
To Tired of Morons-Used to be Bobo
fot the first time I agree with you. It was so cut and dry. It was a waste of time for the people that showed up. And how many of the hispanic that showed were legal voters. And for the council members it was," look at our power" We do what WE want, not what the voters want