Nebraska Appleseed Not Happy: Judge Refuses Injunction

Watch out for that apple…

Nebraska Appleseed is a Lincoln-based entity that seems to be on the wrong side of just about every issue limited government types are concerned about. If it costs money, grows government, facilitates the welfare state, promotes a “green” agenda, and potentially raises taxes, odds are high…Nebraska Appleseed would be for it.

GiN’s “Deserving of Darts” feature was only created recently – otherwise Appleseed would have already nominated themselves multiple times. The most vivid examples involve their very “vigorous” support of “health care reform”. Appleseed was front and center in organizing more than one pro-socialized medicine rally in Lincoln, including one in August 2009 that involved bussing in faux supporters and hired thugs to target counter-protestors for physical intimidation. No matter regarding the previous availability of GiN’s dart board; we are certain over time that Appleseed is likely to require a health supply of darts.

Recent action from Appleseed is much more deserving of nomination for GiN’s Whine List.

Not content with their failure to pressure Nebraska government to pay Medicaid benefits for prenatal care for participants who either failed to comply with program guidelines or who were illegal immigrants, Appleseed decided to file suit against State of Nebraska officials. The whole issue revolves around a bill we at GiN have dubbed “the bill that refuses to die”; LB 11101.

A Lancaster county judge recently added to Appleseed’s reasons to whine: their request for an injunction was denied, an August 25 report in the Lincoln Journal Star noted. Appleseed’s lawsuit obviously goes beyond whining; it should give all taxpaying citizens concern and cause us all to question the current paradigms under which we are operating. Should government be engaging in welfare-state funding so heavily? The fact that an advocacy group believes it can sue government and force elected officials to fund a program in perpetuity absent any criteria or adequate funding should be a neon sign that we’ve gone way too far in engendering such a deep sense of entitlement.

Most assuredly, Appleseed is not through whining on this subject. The LJS article gave no indication that Appleseed has dropped their lawsuit. In addition to pursuing legal acton against Nebraska officials regarding the program funding, we have seen ample evidence that Appleseed, other groups, and a number of Nebraska Senators have the state objective of going back at the LB 1110 issue in the coming session of the Unicameral.

While this article focuses on aiming darts at a group that deserves it for one particular action, we should all stay focused on Appleseed and its activities. We can thank the Lincoln Journal Star and a number of our legislators for ensuring this group impacts Nebraska government.

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NOTES and ADDITIONAL READING RECOMMENDED:

  1. The issue of prenatal care funding and the attempted remedy, a bill introduced in the Nebraska Unicameral, LB 1110, arose at a time when GiN was rather overwhelmed. We only had time to complete one article on the topic: LB 1110 Another Conundrum Caused By Federal Government. There is much more that could and should be said about it. While we didn’t have much time to report on LB 1110 and the many maneuvers associated with it by legislators, media, and advocacy groups like Appleseed, we did track those events. Suffice to say for the moment, the entire episode was illuminating in a way that was not flattering to the aforementioned list of Nebraskans.

Stubborn_Facts

Shelli Dawdy is first and foremost the mother of three children whom she has taught at home via the classical method since removing her children from school in 2001. During her early years as a homeschool mother, she worked part-time as a freelance writer. Born and raised in the Iowa, Shelli and her husband moved to the state of South Dakota in 1997, attracted to its more limited government and friendly tax environment. In 2006, Shelli and her family relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska, when her husband’s employer offered a new position. She took a break from work and politics for a time, recognizing the need to focus solely on her childrens’ schooling with two now of high school age. Distressed by many things she was witnessing on the national political scene and disillusioned about the Republican Party, she decided to start writing again, this time online. Motivated to get involved with others at the grassroots level, she networked with activists on the social media tool, Twitter. She was involved in organizing the first tea party rallies inspired by Rick Santelli’s “rant” on CNBC in February 2009. Recognizing that activism should generate on the local level, she founded Grassroots in Nebraska in March of 2009. The group’s mission is a return to Constitutional, limited government, according to its original meaning. While the group has held several tea party rallies, it’s focus is to take effective action. Among its many projects, GiN successfully coordinated testimony for the hearing of the Nebraska Sovereignty Resolution, networked with other groups to ensure a large show of public support at the hearing, and coordinated follow up support to ensure its passage in April 2010. While working to build up GiN throughout 2009, she was asked to work as writer and producer of the documentary film, A New America, which lays out how Progressivism is responsible for how America has moved away from its Constitutional roots. You can see more of her work on Grassroots in Nebraska (GiN) and StubbornFacts