To Omaha City Council: You Had One Job
On Tuesday, December 22nd, Vinny Palermo and four other council members showed their constituents exactly what they think about their job and how important it is to them. What they have shown us at times before, and now in the recent decision to appoint Colleen Brennan, is that not a single one of them takes their role seriously enough to do the homework, to give the thought to, or find the time for discussion needed to take seriously the voices of the communities they serve. I want us to really reflect on the lack of care given to this incredibly important appointment and the fact it should lead us to question how much time and effort our council members put into any decision of impact. I won’t go in to all the intensely racist, xenophobic, and covid-denying beliefs Colleen holds, and has written about extensively on her blog, not to mention the election fraud conspiracies she gives credibility to, because not a single word of it deserves a place on this platform. I do want you to look for yourself though and see what she believes CLICK HERE. What I will go into is what Vinny Palermo was quoted saying in the Omaha World Herald article about this appointment (CLICK HERE for article)
Omaha World Herald States:
“Palermo also said he had not seen her website and said he doesn’t agree 100% with any political figure. On his vote for her, Palermo said Brennan reached out to him about the appointment more than any other candidate.”
In his own words, Vinny is not interested in doing his job. But I will.
I am running for Omaha City Council in District 4 and the guiding principle of my platform is information empowers people to action. I know I need to be informed and in constant conversation with my constituents and District 4 community leaders to ensure that my decisions are based on the life experiences and situations of those I’m seeking to serve. This open seat was an opportunity to make sure each Council member’s district was heard. This was a chance for Vinny to do his job, and instead, in his own words, he did not want to. Vinny along with the other four members did not research Colleen, and there was neither discussion nor explanation to his constituents. This is a pattern of his office that led me to run. Vinny voted for her based on the fact she “reached out” to him the most. It took me only minutes to find Ms. Brennan’s website, and only paragraphs into her first few blogs on race, I realized that she has not taken any time to listen to the conversation and instead relentlessly attacks communities of color. I would not have voted yes to this shameful appointment because I would have done the necessary steps to be informed on the candidates. Her grossly misinformed stances now have a vote on city council for the next 6 months, and a platform to run in the upcoming election. Vinny did not do his job on Tuesday, and he has not been doing his job for some time. I wouldn’t be running if he was. He left his community out of the discussion, as he has left the community out of the discussions surrounding the general fund, the collective bargaining agreement with OPD, and the trash and recycling contract. To add insult to injury, he has now blocked his twitter (as of writing this article) and is refusing to answer for this appointment, ensuring that he remains inaccessible. I am running on being accountable to the people I represent, on taking the time to be informed, and on continually growing so that our district’s voice is heard.
She / Her / Hers