Bring Back Sidney

11/01/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
Well, we were not going to post until Tuesday, but last night, during Halloween, I was told about the agenda for Monday's Commissioners meeting and the discussion of the “Economic Corporation” that would be formed to control economic development in our county and cities.

As we explained for a number of reasons, our group, along with others, does not want to see corporate influence in our small panhandle government. It is not necessary for a variety of reasons in our opinion, which we will be happy to go over again after we make a major post on Tuesday with new figures from the U.S. Federal Government about Cheyenne County. It will show exactly why this type of development will be difficult in our cities and counties at this time. We will post about this on Tuesday. What is the rush to spend this money? Let's look at the numbers and see what our next steps should be, not just throw more money at development.

You can read about the meeting on the Sun Telegraph page. We thank them for posting the information. Here is a link. https://www.facebook.com/SidneySunTelegraph/posts/pfbid0BFen8qtfPssizeB91r1wTmy2uugKfGXRuSS6Wi1tyb4UcgGNcN3R1hoGJGoB9S9Bl

Holding the meeting at 8 am on a Monday will make it impossible for many of us to attend and speak out. Also, a regular commissioner meeting is not the forum to handle this type of public concern. This is a “touchy” subject right now in our community. It will certainly divide our city and county if not handled carefully. We will implore our commissioners to table this matter until the public has full opportunity to comment on this matter. Many will not be able to attend this meeting. Public comment is needed. Have a great weekend, everyone.

10/31/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
Happy Halloween. Today, we are getting ready for Trunk or Treat this evening from 4pm to 6pm in Hickory Square. Grandkids will then come over and polish off the rest of the candy. We hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween.

Our next post will be on Tuesday next week. We have some new numbers about our local economy to share that are really important. This weekend, have fun with the kids and family. Next week, we have some very important issues to address as a community. Have a great weekend!

10/29/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
In 2017, we lost 2,000 high-paying jobs. That caused a huge $23,000 a year loss in median family income in Sidney in 2018. The 2020 census shows us just how impactful it was. We have studied those numbers for the past 5 years on this page. It is scary. We write about it, but get called “negative” by some here who really need to study the numbers instead of calling names. You can't ignore these numbers. This loss caused a $60 million loss in local money flowing through our economic engine. That is huge. We are now seeing the result in Sidney. What we have been saying on this page for 3 years. What is the city and county's answer to that? Raise taxes. Wrong answer, people. Absolutely the worst thing you could do. Makes a larger problem. Over and over and over again, wrong answer.

Everyone says, “We need more businesses in Sidney”. While we agree with that, it is NOT the answer. What is the most important pillar in any business? CUSTOMERS. Sidney, the customer base here is down over $60 million dollars, which means our economic engine is down $60 million. You don't make that better by adding more businesses. You make that better by raising wages so existing customers have more money to spend in those businesses.

If the customers don't have money to spend in local businesses, those businesses fail. That is happening here. Now. Look at it this way. A new business is like having a new shiny car. Let's all get a new car. That car, though, is no good to anyone if it doesn't have gas. Our gas is our residents; they are customers. Customers with money to spend. You can fill our downtown with shiny new cars, new signs, new buildings, new businesses, pickleball courts, parking lots, on and on, but unless we have gasoline, which is customers, none of it works. Plain and simple. We need more gas. The key to any economic recovery is customers. They have to have a higher “consumer confidence,” and right now in Sidney, consumer confidence is at an all-time low because we have taxed the heck out of all our customers. Taxes and spending are destroying our gasoline supply.

We don't need new economic development, shiny new businesses, shiny new cars. Those don't do any good unless they have customers with money. Pure economics. For 3 years, we have been saying we need to cut spending so we can cut taxes. It is never done. It is getting worse. Last night our council once again spent more money. Unreal. We need gasoline, Sidney. Either through spending and tax cuts or more people. New businesses alone will not fix our economy. Those new businesses will need customers with MONEY, gasoline. Shiny new cars still need gas. We are losing gas because of spending.

10/28/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
It is 4 am. I am thinking about new troubles that have just come to light in our community. Searching history, the law, and wondering what I can say to my community that will inspire them to get involved and help fix some of these issues. Sidney is a great place. Just get involved, and let's change for the better.

How many read the last article I referenced in a post from Nebraska State Senator Jana Hughes? Here is a link. Read it, get informed. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0H2hwQTDiSEbt6bCgf1sshgTFsPBQnnA5v59x7iqjgLBLD1h3xvVefGqXHqALpyckl&id=100089096333521. She said in her post that the citizens of Nebraska are often referred to as the “Second House” because it is the people who provide oversight, attend public hearings, propose ballot initiatives, and so on. Community is the answer. It says so in Nebraska law.

When I addressed the city council, several were shocked to find out that Nebraska created a “Public Records Act” a full year before Nebraska was even a state. That was 1866. Transparency, open meetings, and oversight in Nebraska law are the job of the public, and we are failing. No more fear. Let's be a community that cares.

Do you know that Nebraska has several statutory laws governing the direction of community development? Statutes such as 19-0903. By law, a community must develop a “Comprehensive Plan” for development and direction within a community. Nebraska Law. Do you know where to find it in our city? County? Here is a link to Sidney's Plan. https://www.cityofsidney.org/DocumentCenter/View/177

Sidney's plan is 2 ½ years old. It has never been fully used. Look who is listed in the plan. I lived in Pennsylvania for 22 years. Our township lived by our comprehensive plan. Myself and others residents used it to change the quality of a local development. IT WORKS! Community control. Oversight by the people. Here in Sidney, it was shoved aside by our ex-city manager, so he controlled everything along with the influence from a small group of people. Too much power was given to one person. The same names appearing over and over again in city politics, control groups. We need to change that. That must never happen again. Power returns to the community. The ENTIRE community. More people need to get involved.

In the last couple of weeks and even the last few days, we have been finding more tragic mistakes. Like I said 2 weeks ago, there will be more. Keep moving forward. We need to create oversight following Nebraska law. Transparency laws are there; we just need to use them, so it doesn't happen again. Move forward. We need to be the “second house” as it is intended in Nebraska law. We need to follow and learn from history. Our forefathers were here. They created laws so this doesn't happen, but it is happening here because the community is not providing oversight. That needs to change. More people involved in providing oversight, fewer mistakes. We can do this. Let's get it done.

10/26/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
God's creations are amazing. I have stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the halls of Notre Dame, the beaches of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the shrines of Miyajima, Japan. But yesterday's trip into the depths of Nebraska was so moving, I am going to post about it today.

Brian Fort is a walking encyclopedia of Nebraska history. This week, he came to my daughter and me and said he is going to find this old homestead in this hidden valley out in the middle of nowhere. “Want to go?”. Of course! There are no roads. 4 wheel drive through amazing country. Running herds of antelope, some of the largest Golden Eagles I have ever seen. Bald Eagles and breathtaking views.

My daughter wanted to paint. She is an avid “plein air” artist who travels to beautiful areas to capture the feeling of being there. She was blown away by what Brian shared with us. Some of the largest cottonwood trees I have ever seen, decades old, with such bright, amazing colors.

The rancher's grandson finds us driving along a ridge line. We stop and talk about the amazing sights. Thousands and thousands of untouched acres full of history. He points to a clump of cottonwoods and says the homestead is down there. There is also a natural spring coming up from the ground. Great place to paint. He is out, moving cattle off the range for the coming winter. An amazing young man.

We found the old homestead. Brian's passion is to preserve the history. He hunts for relics and gives them to the property owners, who mostly donate through him to museums. He preserves and shares history. How can you not love sitting on a huge Cottonwood log, under a deep blue sky, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while listening to the history of how this small valley was settled and watching your daughter paint a beautiful cottonwood? Looking through the old homestead, sharing Brian's passion to preserve history, the dreams of the past.

God gave Nebraska a special kind of magic. Different, but full of life and energy. Thank you, Brian, for finding this and sharing it with us. A truly magical adventure. Today I will thank God for yet another amazing day. We are blessed to live within this beautiful creation.

10/24/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
While reading the newspaper last night, I saw a letter to the editor from a local resident about property taxes. It was difficult to read, so I contacted the resident (Tom) and asked a few questions.

Tom sent me the letter last night from Governor Pillen. He said he also wrote our City Council and County Commissioners. He only heard back from Governor Pillen. PUT POLITICS aside, everyone. Look at the law. Under Nebraska law, ALL property taxes are controlled locally. We have been saying this for 3 years. This is also what Governor Pillen is saying in the letter. Further, he goes on to say that there is a SPENDING problem, which we have been saying for 3 years. We have no problem with revenue. It is spending. Governor Pillen went on to say that the state is placing “revenue caps” on cities, counties, and schools to try to keep them from raising property taxes as home valuations go up. Interesting. Sidney, it is a local problem. We have done all this to ourselves because we don't control our spending. Our budgets are out of control.

These are facts. Property taxes hurt start-up businesses. Those of you who follow business like we do know that 90% of all start-up businesses in America fail in the first year. Here is an article from Forbes about it. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2024/09/10/90-of-startups-fail-how-to-secure-your-place-in-the-10/

We make it worse when we are the highest-taxed area around. That lowers wages and discretionary income. Our disposable incomes ( Median Family Income) in this area are already $23,000 a year BELOW the Nebraska average. Wages and taxes have to be addressed. More business start-ups are not going to do that. We need to cut spending. That is the root cause, and even the state of Nebraska knows it. We do not need to spend hundreds of thousands on economic development; we need to cut spending so we can cut taxes, and businesses can afford to give raises. Full stop!

Here comes the broken record again, but we will keep saying it until everyone hears it. Our sales tax revenue was down again last month. Look at the numbers. It continues to decline. We have told you exactly why. It is going to get worse over time. A roller coaster ride of uncertainty. We have shown you post after post about sales tax revenue. When you use CPI and adjust for inflation, we are over $1 million less today in sales tax revenue than we made in 2018, one year after Cabelas left. That is over $50 million dollars of sales to make $1 million in sales tax revenue. How many small downtown businesses will it take to make up a $50 million loss of sales? That is not growth; that is just keeping us even with 2018. $50 million is a HUGE number to try to make up. It will take time. Until then, we need to work together and cut spending. Gov. Pillen is saying it, we have been saying it. It is time to do it. Time to be a community and work together on our problems. We can do this.

Gov. Pillen's Letter
https://changecheyenne.com/images/PDF/Gov%20Pillen.jpg

10/21/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
We are going to get a new City Manager. The City Manager's job is to steer the city in the direction of the goals or objectives of the city. BUT, many forget the most important aspect. The city is not an entity; the city is the residents who live in Sidney. PEOPLE. Far too many times, I have heard the council and commissioners say they need to raise taxes to help the city or county. Well, those taxes are hurting the people. You have to look at the city as people. That is the first step.

Does the Manager need to help cut the budget? If so, you need a financial manager. Does the manager needs to help with city development, then you need one who is well-versed in planning. Do you have employee problems, then you need on who is skilled in leadership. These are important tasks. To start, the city council needs to set a proper course for our city. In other words, where are we going, Sidney? Should we cut the budget and downsize? Should we grow? Do we do a little of both? We need a rudder, a direction. We are floating around in a sea of uncertainty without a rudder. Sales tax revenue is down again last month. Income is down, taxes are up. Time to set a better course, with a rudder.

I read the city's plan to create a selection committee. I applaud them for including residents so they can accept different points of view. The problem we have is it is not set up correctly. First, you never put people/employees on a committee that will be selecting their boss. No. Bad idea. They will be thinking of the work environment over the goals of the city. You don't let employees hire a boss. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. In this committee, they have 5 people from the city and only 3 from the community. That is also a bad idea. It should be the other way around: 2 or 3 from the city and the others representing a cross-section of the residents. Business, families, and generational. They should also be free from entitlements from the city. In other words, not part of the system being used in the city currently. Then and only then do you get a committee free from criticism and, most importantly, cronyism, which we have a problem with.

Time and time again over the past 3 years, I have posted that we have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on creating “Master Plans” but never used them because we had a city manager who followed his plan, not the community's. The reality is, we have no direction, so economic development doesn't work. Taxing doesn't work, planning doesn't work. We don't follow what we create, and we are sailing through life without a rudder. Let's create some community goals and move our community forward in a direction that will work with our goals as a community. Create a rudder first.

Please rethink this process. Start with community input. Listen to the residents. There is no rush. Our city has very competent people in management positions right now. They know their jobs. It is not going to fall apart. Do this right. Include more residents. Avoid any appearance of cronyism. That only builds criticism. Establish a rudder with goals so we can move forward together as a community. This is not a council decision; this is a community decision. We are invested in this town. Please consider that.

10/17/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County
Now that our city manager is gone, we are beginning to see things he did behind closed doors. Not good. Trust us, there will be more. We can fix this, however. Let's get started.

First, learn through history. In the 30's and 40's, as America was going through the great depression, President Roosevelt started the “Fireside Chats”. Radio addresses that were transparent, instilling confidence, talking about direction and goals. It worked. He served 4 terms. It always works when the people know what is going on.

When Reagan came into office with out-of-control inflation, the soviet threat, and so much more the first thing he did was address the people in weekly radio “chats”. Every Saturday. I listened to them. I listened to the direction our government was taking and built my business around that. It worked. Transparency, open government, goals, he talked to Americans. This is why he won 49 out of 50 states in 1984. Transparency.

Our City Manager and City Council, and many others in government, made mistakes. No doubt. Either we own up to them and move forward with transparency, or we continue trying to cover it all up. We need transparency. This weekend, I read a report from 2015 put out by the University of Nebraska. Population projections for rural counties in Nebraska through 2050. You can download it here. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cparpublications/449/
Read page 35. It is a chart showing what will happen to Cheyenne County. It is true, made even worse by the loss of Cabela's. Residents of working age are leaving. All throughout Nebraska. Interesting report.

Last night, Eric sent me a new article on News Channel Nebraska about the “Uncertainty Index” in small businesses. I read it and then went to the NFIB source for the full report. I will put links below. Basically, it outlines the 2 main problems we face here.... TAXES and Labor Supply. Labor supply is short because our wages are so low. The high cost of housing and low wages lead to labor problems as people leave. If you bring more business here now, you will make our labor shortage worse. Sidney, please pay attention. We have to address spending, wages, and taxes. Our leadership just raised taxes. Wrong direction. They just made all this worse.

We are a small town in the panhandle of Nebraska. We have to cut spending, create affordable housing. The houses we built with grants are a joke, $299,950, seriously? That entire process and cover-up is a joke. Acknowledge it and move forward. We should hire 1 economic director, not a corporation. Corporations do not belong in government. Local history shows that. Trust comes through people, not corporations. It is really easy in today's media to build trust. Open social media pages. Let the people comment and give everyone a voice. TELL us what is going on. No secrets. Work together.

https://panhandle.newschannelnebraska.com/story/53167188/uncertainty-index-growing-for-small-business?fbclid=IwZnRzaANeegVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmi-jJwSIqqESw4uu-3qZU1NEmqJb9QVm3ltP7cr40JUlZFavwlRZ8UsUOpX_aem_V4eH3nk7LUheHn7iDX0BuA

https://www.nfib.com/news/press-release/new-nfib-survey-small-business-optimism-declines-in-september/

https://www.google.com/search?q=president+reagan+radio+chats&rlz=1C1UEAD_enUS1095US1095&oq=president+reagan+radio+chats&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCjExNDM3ajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

10/15/2025

https://panhandle.newschannelnebraska.com/story/53164415/library-board-calls-out-former-city-manager?fbclid=IwY2xjawNcnIRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHpi_PISBrqUioUFRCf7FkAHgXDH4qUsy731JNX3vKGS0eAoVZyaBEEoVuW_N_aem_X4ZxN4V07eUqG4IFnxvpUQ

This is the sad reality when people and even departments are cut out of the decision process. The City Council is ultimately responsible under Nebraska law for allowing these actions to happen. Let's hope everyone learns from this, and more transparency is the result.

Sidney Library and Foundation board President told the city council Tuesday the Library's budget was submitted without the Library staff or board's involvement. Interim City Manager Josh Hanson propos

10/14/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
This weekend, we received a question about what Commissioner Sanders said at the Special City Council meeting last week. Did the Commissioners raise or lower our taxes? So let's take a look at the truth...

Truth can take many forms, especially when words are chosen very carefully to convey a certain viewpoint. This is why, when you are sworn in to testify in court, like I have hundreds of times, they say, “Promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” The whole truth is usually different from the truth. What does that mean? Commissioner Sanders said they lowered the levy for our taxes to the lowest it has been in over 10 years. That statement is true. But is it the whole truth?

If you don't know how the taxing structure works, you might jump the the conclusion that the Cheyenne County Commissioners have lowered taxes because they lowered the levy. That is not the whole truth. While it is true they lowered the levy, it is also true that the state of Nebraska increased our property values so much this last year that the Commissioners can lower the levy and we still get a tax increase. Both in this case are true.

Look at the property tax values for this $264,000 home in Sidney we chose at random in the photo we posted. From 2020 to 2021, the levy went up, but the tax went down. Why? Home values went down. From 2021 to 2023, the levy went down each year, but taxes went up. Why? Home values went up. Now, look at the levy value set in 2024; it is about the same as in 2015. So what Commissioner Sanders said is true. They have the levy at 2015 levels; however, this home is paying $300 more in taxes than it did in 2015, even though the levy is about the same. The levy is only one component in calculating your property tax. Commissioners, City Council, etc., determine if your taxes go up or down depending on just how much they move the levy.

So in 2025, which is not on this chart yet, the Commissioners kept a lower levy, but our taxes in most cases are going up. Home values went up by about 7%. That is huge. The commissioners did lower the levy (true), but not low enough for us not to have a tax increase (whole truth). They raised property taxes in Cheyenne County $200,000 to fund a reserve account they like to keep 1 million dollars in. So you can lower the levy but still raise taxes. That is what they did. Hope this makes sense. We have some more questions we will try to answer this week about what is coming to Sidney. Time to get informed.

10/11/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
So some here in Sidney question why I keep pushing for the right to FOIA, ask questions. Why do we care what our local government does? Why do I do that? Let me explain why.

I love history because we must never forget the mistakes and successes of the past. We learn and build on it. When I first moved to Pennsylvania almost 30 years ago, I immediately went to the place where George Washington crossed the Delaware that Christmas morning in 1776. Stood where he stood, looking across the Delaware, I was stunned. The Delaware is almost 300 yards wide there. The patriots were tired of being taxed with no representation in King George III's rule. They fought for their rights, created the United States, for and by the people. A government of the people.

Living in Pennsylvania, I was surrounded by Civil War battlefields. The most horrendous was Gettysburg. 30 minutes from my home. I went there dozens of times. More than 50,000 American casualties in 3 days of fighting over July 4, 1863. The North was fighting to preserve the Union, end slavery. The South was fighting for states' rights. Gen. Reynolds, killed at Gettysburg, was the 1 Corps Commander, Army of the Potomac. His family's home in Pennsylvania was close to mine. Died at 43 on the first day of the battle protecting the right flank of the Union. The most moving was to walk Picket's charge. Over 1 mile. During that charge of just over 1 hour, there were 8,000 casualties. Southern soldiers executed that charge knowing they would die. They marched up Cemetery Ridge, looking into more than 50 cannons firing at them. Rights are that important. As Gen. Lee retired from the battlefield, his wagon train of wounded was over 17 miles long. Americans, both sides.

I walked the battlefields of Fredericksburg, Manassas, and many more. Stunned that Americans could not find a way out of all those deaths through conversation and debate. Americans who just 80 years prior fought side by side for rights to form the United States, now kill each other for the same thing. Why? All on the land in Pennsylvania that I called home, my backyard. How does that not affect you? It did me and still does.

The war ended on April 9, 1865. There were ill feelings on all sides. Carpetbaggers stealing from the South. Distrust. Governments divided. One year after the end of the war, Nebraska passed the Public Records Act of 1866. Nebraska, at that time, was a territory. The goal was to show complete transparency in the Nebraska government, build trust. Encourage people to move to Nebraska. Give them the right to look into the government, see the truth. Hold elected officials accountable. One year later, Nebraska became a state. The people's government.

I have walked the battlefields of Normandy, France. The cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, Alsace, Bastogne, and so many more. I have seen the memorials to hundreds of thousands of people fighting for rights. We must never forget those who died for our right of transparency in government. Our rights.... Never.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was signed into law by President Johnson, July 4, 1966, during a time of distrust. President Kennedy had been assassinated 2 ½ years earlier, Vietnam War, lies, distrust. Whenever there is distrust, laws of transparency are created to rebuild trust in government. The Nebraska Open Meetings Act was signed in 1975. It was made to keep public policy in the open and not in back rooms in secret. All acts, laws, and rights are created to keep government open, transparent, and accountable.

Why do I FOIA? Because people fought and died for those rights. Rebuild trust. Brave people in history gave us these rights. Honor the gifts they gave us. Build trust through transparency. Protect your right to question. If there is nothing to hide, what is the problem?

10/06/2025

Good Morning, Sidney and Cheyenne County,
Today at 12 pm, the Sidney City Council is holding a workshop at City Hall to listen to a proposal to fundamentally change the Economic Development Director's position from a person to a “corporation”. This can not be done. Corporations do not belong in the administration of any public government created for the people. Corporations do not have to adhere to Federal and State laws like people do. They are not meant to “occupy” any position in our government. This will make the Sidney government less transparent. Maybe that is the goal. It has to be stopped.

Governments are by people, for people. We seemed to have forgotten that here in Sidney. So, today I will address the city council and hopefully remind them just how important our history and people are. This is a bad idea. Bad for our future. Bad for our community.

Please come to the meeting at 12 pm. It is time to return Sidney to the people. Transparent, accountable, and inclusive, no corporations. I will be addressing the council about America and the history of its people. I hope to see you there. It is time democracy stands up and stop this proposal.