Every day, I become more and more convinced that Nebraska can’t afford to re-elect Jim Pillen governor.

The latest incident showing the arrogance of the governor and his staff was a story published by the Flatwater Free Press revealing that Governor Pillen doesn’t carry a government phone to conduct official business.

They weren’t looking for a story about his phone usage. I’m guessing they just assumed he had two phones. They found out he didn’t when the publication tried to get more information on the 2.5 million dollar no-bid contract the governor awarded a close friend and traveling companion. The Flatwater Free Press was looking for phone records that might shed more light on who was in the loop before the lucrative contract was signed.

They filed a Freedom of Information Act request, and after being put off for months, they were finally told that no such phone records exist because, unlike previous governors, Pillen doesn’t use a government phone. An official phone for official business is more subject to inquiries, and the governor wants to keep the suspicious things he does private.

The governor’s office evidently thinks this secrecy is no big deal and that the Flatwater Free Press was just trying to stir the pot. Pillen’s spokesperson, Laura Stimple, took a page out of the Donald Trump playbook and sent them a statement about the missing phone that said in part, “If you choose to publish this non-story, your outlet will have demonstrated once again that it is more interested in political hits and sensationalism than news that matters to hard-working Nebraskans.”

But the news of this contract does matter to hard-working Nebraskans. This is one more incident where the governor shows disdain for those taxpaying Nebraskans she spoke about. Those hard-working Nebraskans have a right to know why their tax dollars are being spent so cavalierly.

The secrecy continues when the Free Press requested emails from Pillen’s Chief of Staff, Dave Lopez. It’s been reported that Lopez was involved in making the decision to give the grant to his friend Julie Busheil. Flatwater asked to see the correspondence between Lopez and state economic officials.

The governor’s office said there is no such correspondence.

Under Nebraska law, “all records and documents, regardless of physical form, of or belonging to this state” are a matter of public record.

Yet they can’t or won’t provide records showing more details about this multi-million dollar sweetheart deal.

Hey Governor Pillen, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Going out of your way to avoid having to show details about the deal makes it seem even more suspicious. (If that’s even possible.)

Time and time again, Pillen has shown arrogance and hubris towards the voters of Nebraska. Governor Pillen needs to remember that he works for us, not the other way around.

When he ran for office four years ago, he couldn’t be bothered to debate both his Republican primary opponents and his Democratic challenger, Carol Blood. His people physically blocked me from asking him a question at a public event. He chastised the West Omaha voters when Jean Stothert lost her reelection bid. He stonewalled an investigation into a death at one of his family farms. He dismissed a report on the dangerous nitrates in the water around his farms because the story was investigated by a reporter born in China.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. He doesn’t think he has to be responsive to the voters of Nebraska.

But the voters of Nebraska are his bosses. And the employee handbook calls for him to have a separate phone for government business. If this were the private sector, he could be fired for insubordination.

His bosses across the state will hold a meeting in November to determine whether or not his behavior is grounds for termination. I’ll be casting my vote to have him removed.

Lynne Walz will be responsive to the voters. If Brett Lindstrom decides to get in the race, I believe he will be too. Either one will be better and more honest than the current occupant in the Governor’s Mansion.

I can’t think of one positive thing Pillen has done in these four years that qualifies him to be able to keep his job.

That’s why every day I become more and more convinced that Nebraska can’t afford to re-elect Jim Pillen governor.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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