NOTE: When Sam ran for Reno city council he spent zero dollars... and still received over 18,000 votes... and that was before Dean Heller and his cronies stopped counting Sam's votes.
"Sam Has a Dream and a Vision." (click here)
Aging Rock Star Challenges "Blondie"
...........
Sammy (challenger) ............................................... Jessica (incumbent)
Call Sam: (775) 825-1398
email Sam (click)
About Sam's "Interview" with the RGJ Regurgitator.
Here are the real questions that the reporter was afraid to ask.
Sam handed them to Benny before the "interview".
THE REAL QUESTIONS for The Encyclopedia of Reno Government:
* What did you do before you became The Encyclopedia?
* What are some things you have done for Reno?
Can you describe your historical place and participation
in Reno government?
* Considering the massive amount of work you have done and
time you have spent on your Crusade, how much are you paid?
How big is your staff?
* What do you think of new city hall? It's parking problems?
* What do you think of govt bureaucrats' salaries?
* How do you feel about the RGJ's reporting of political news?
The rest of the media (TV & radio)?
* How much are you spending on your campaign? In that case,
is it possible to win with no money spent?
* What's your opinion of the Kayak course?
* How about the city's financing of all their projects? Is
there enough money?
* Why do you call yourself the Encyclopedia?
* How long have you been playing the guitar? How many
songs do you know? How many charity concerts do you
perform each month... for how long? How many songs on
your latest CD?
* What else have you done for Reno? Has Guinness
book of Records contacted you yet?
* Who is your favorite on city council?
* What is the status of your 2 federal lawsuits (against
Reno and Reno Airport) that were ordered to Trial
by the 9th Circuit Court?
* Why do you think the RGJ and Reno council are
so jealous and afraid of you?
* What is the first thing you will try to do as Reno mayor?
Sammy's Simple Platform Statement: "I will continue my 10-Year Crusade (click) ... to expose corrupt mendacious perverted deceptive rotten evil wicked feebleminded imbecilic moronic nitwitted disconjerkutigulated preposterously-pathetic sleazy nasty cockamamie government noodleheads... wherever their heads pop up."
Good Government starts at the Local Grassroots level.
PUT UP... not KISS UP!
Sam's Statement:
"I will continue my long fight for open, honest, respectable government. No
other candidate for the Reno council has actively fought as long and as hard
for clean government as Sam Dehne. No other candidate for the Reno
council would, if elected, make the waves that I intend to make. No
other candidate would, if elected, demand clean government as forcefully
as I will. No other candidate, if elected, would accomplish as much --
or in less time - than I will in returning Reno government to its
rightful owners."
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
.............................................Who is Sam? (click here)
A Very Brief Bio and List of Some of Sam's Accomplishments (current as of August, 2004):
One of Sam's greatest "honors" is that he has never received an "honor" from the bureaucrats that he Watchdogs... honoring his heoric Crusades.
Click here for 2004 RGJ Report
Dehne challenging incumbent, says he won’t spend a penny
Ben Kieckhefer RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
8/23/2004 11:18 pm
SAM DEHNE
Sam Dehne has attended just about every public meeting in the community for a dozen years, playing his guitar and railing against officials, the local media and whatever else pops into his mind.
Dehne, who calls himself the “Encyclopedia of Reno Government,” is challenging incumbent Councilwoman Jessica Sferrazza for the Ward 3 council seat. He calls Sferrazza his favorite member of the council and said he doesn’t plan on spending one penny on his election bid.
“I didn’t think she should get a free ride, and I just have too much fun doing this stuff,” Dehne said.
Dehne says he’s commented at more than 3,000 local government meetings and offers videotapes of his performances as proof. He’s trying to get himself included in the Guinness Book of World Records for the accomplishment (Click).
Running for election is nothing new for the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and commercial pilot. He ran for mayor in 1995, 1998 and 2002 and the council in 2000 but has never won a race.
He has been a thorn in the side of some officials and had a contentious relationship with former mayor Jeff Griffin. Dehne has twice sued the city or government officials after he was ejected from public hearings.
Both federal lawsuits were dismissed by district judges, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco sided with Dehne and sent the cases back. They are scheduled for jury trials later this year.
Dehne moved to Reno in 1994. (Note: this was an RGJ mistake. Sam moved to Reno in 1967.) He said it’s important to have someone who is willing to stand up and scream (Note: the 3,000 + official video tapes prove that Sam does not "scream". Click) at government officials.
“It just disgusts me what has happened to this place,” Dehne said. “The traffic, the gridlock, the crime, the noise.”
He said being a citizen activist is fun but frustrating and he doesn’t expect to quit any time soon.
“I would be relegated to hanging around Lake Tahoe drinking coffee in the morning and margaritas at night,” Dehne said.
............................Why Not Join the Biggest Political Party in Reno? (click here)
.................................................((This is Sam's earlier Billboard... just substiture Mayor for Senator.)
........................................ .........."Click" here to see the actual Billboard with Sam standing beside it.
SOME OF SAM's VIEWS ON SOME OF THE LOCAL ISSUES (PAST AND CURRENT):
[Sam has been instrumental in overseeing and often correcting local
politicos on the following Issues. He has kept them (sort of) straight.]
The Reno Airport is an integral part of Reno... period! The scandal-plagued Airport Board is mostly appointed by Reno City Council, but city hall refuses to take responsibility for the airport's abusive and moronic actions. The hideous Rewana Farms landgrab scheme, which played a role in the deaths of 14 of its innocent citizens... and the devastation of the lives of dozens of others, is an insult to democracy.
One of my first acts will be to demand a full-blown federal investigation of the Reno Airport and the misappropriation of $$$millions and $$$millions of tax dollars. Cargo hubbing in Reno is asinine. I will also do all that I can to replace the appointed aviation amateurs who are currently (mis)running the airport.
Relocation of the Airport should be publicly discussed and voted upon. Growth at the Airport is cancerous... with ever-increasing noise, danger, blight, and pollution. A real city council would protect citizens against local diabolical self-serving government bureaucrats... rather than contributing to the problem with kickback contracts.
Soliciting and subsidizing Cargo operations in Reno is flat stupid!
Citizens should be able to trust Public Servants to decide controversial issues in a manner that protects all the citizens... not just powerful Special Interests... but this is too often not the reality.
Public referendum votes must be used more often so that the "bosses" (the citizens) can give direction to their Public Servant "employees" when they are deciding controversial issues.
Citizens can understand public issues IF they are properly informed about the pros and cons of each issue.
The Public Servant has the responsibility to fully inform the public about complex issues. It is reprehensible to intentionally distort the facts.
The Railroad is an integral part of Reno, Nevada. City hall plotted to waste some $600,000,000 tax dollars (after massive Bonds are paid off) on their beloved Trenching Scheme despoite the fact that a huge majority of citizens said NO. There were better solutions that are fair to the citizens of Reno. Building a trench exposes the town to construction blight for years.
See the report on this ridiculous scheme by clicking here.
It must not be allowed to be Cancerous. It must pay its way through impact fees. Taxpayers should not have to pay for negative growth impacts such as schools, roads, police, etc. The people should vote to approve or disapprove major proposed projects. Growth should not be decided by the entities that profit from growth.
There's not enough! (See GROWTH)
There's too much! (See GROWTH)
It is nothing short of outrageous for citizens to fund a million dollar city hall propaganda machine. "Actions speak louder than words." Any public funds that are used to "inform" the citizens should be distributed throughout the entire media of Reno. Reports originating from city hall should be balanced and objective, not slanted to serve the agenda of those city officials who are subservient to powerful Special Interests.
Economic development in the Truckee Meadows should be carefully evaluated. New companies should be discouraged from coming here unless they offer ONLY quality jobs which will not require public subsidies for their workers. ALL companies should have to pay taxes at the same % rate as the casinos. Corporate Welfare should be outlawed. Soliciting and subsidizing Cargo operations in Reno is flat stupid!
The road situation in Reno is an insult to its citizens. City Hall must prioritize its financial resources. Propaganda machines must be scaled back and roads fixed. The people have had to complain for too long.
The Open Meeting Law should be strictly enforced. No more Secret Meetings! The attorney general must start taking action against Public Officials who continuously violate this law and the spirit of this law.
The so-called state ethics commission should be disbanded for conduct undeserving of public confidence. The EthComm was created to protect innocent citizens against corrupt Public Officials. It has been doing just the opposite.
We have to stop the big boys from making the decisions. Casinos and developers are important in the local economy, but they should not be permitted to undermine democratic due process and decision-making.
Lobbyists should not be permitted to run amok anywhere...Period.
Assistance for home purchases by the downtrodden is important. But paying $150,000 per home is an insult to the process. Affordable homes should be just that... affordable. Housing specialists should be hired to create housing units that sell for $50,000 or less.
Super-secret tax-funded government organizations like the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada should not receive taxdollar support in any amount as long as their meetings are closed to the public.
Reno can not compete with Las Vegas. Sam has always said we must promote our other local resources as well. Other businesses must pay taxes under similar guidelines that the casinos have to follow. No free rides! We should have widescope public discussion of the future of gaming in the Truckee Meadows. However, soliciting and subsidizing Air Cargo operations in Reno is flat stupid!
Public servants should not be paid more than the average salary of the constituents they represent. They should all have to wear BIG name tags with their salaries plainly exposed thereon.
All Public Officials should be expected to abstain from voting on any issue that benefits his or her major campaign contributor/bribers... and/or especially THEIR PRIVATE COMPANIES AND CRONIES.
Water is scarce in Nevada. Citizens should be asked to use water wisely. However, water saved should not then go to further development... unless specific projects are approved by the citizens. During periods when water is plentiful, good judgement as to water use should be the order of the day.
Citizens should be permitted to discuss and decide major issues. Major decisions should NOT be made by the big boys. Hard questions asked by citizens should be given straight, honest answers by government officials. Immediate neighborhoods (a few streets or blocks) should be permitted self-determination. Cancerous growth projects should not be forced upon them by outsiders.
Key issues should be discussed at public meetings. They should NOT be discussed in secret meetings prior to public meetings... using telephone conferences, serial or chain meetings, less-than-quorum "briefings", email, memos, directives from special interest groups, or directives from lobbyists. The current Reno city council has too many "secret briefings" away from the citizens as a modus operandi. No more Secret Meetings. THIS IS WRONG!
As long as the law requires drug-testing for workers, the bureaucratic "brass" and elected officials should also have to comply. Simply put; that means elected Public Servants and all top bureaucratic staff should be tested periodically. In Reno, they have continuously refused to do what the city workers have to do.
Let all the citizens decide with a referendum state-wide vote.
SOME OF SAM's VIEWS ON SOME OF THE "NATIONAL" ISSUES:
The American people can have little trust in, and respect for, a Congress that serves special interests. Heavy campaign contributions buy the loyalties of individual members of Congress. A national public vote (referendum) must be taken to outlaw members of Congress from voting on issues that would benefit their major campaign backers. Major issues should be voted on by citizens. A republic is a form of democracy where leaders are elected by the people to serve the will of the people... not to function as an oligarchy!
The Internet has become a vital communication and systems control tool. People who intentionally attack the Internet with any virus or adversarial program should face a maximum penalty of death. This concern is so important that a new cabinet-level office should be established to monitor and ensure the integrity and health of the Internet.
Questions should be defined and answered regarding all aspects of improving transportation in the 50 states. Equal treatment and consideration must be given to the rights of all citizens; including those who are adversely effected by the noise, danger, and blight of the tremendous transportation explosion in the airline, air freight, and trucking industries. Big private transportation businesses must not be allowed to thrive upon the misery of local residents of our nation's cities.
A public vote (national referendum) should be taken to decide whether there should be a master insurance policy established to cover all U.S. residents and citizens. At present, too many Americans are either poorly insured or not insured at all. Health costs must be put under a microscope. Pharmaceutical companies should be required to reveal production costs of their medicines... to be compared to retail prices. Most companies are subsidized by one form of U. S. taxpayer-funded corporate welfare or another. This fact must be factored into their profit margins.
All research findings relating to social decay and related crime should be made public for comprehensive assessment. All entities wishing to keep the public in the dark about such research findings should be identified and treated accordingly. It is much more cost effective to prevent and deter crime... than it is to punish the perpetrators.
A national referendum should be held to determine all gun laws. The Constitution says that citizens can have guns, but with that right, comes responsibility.
A federal Website should be established and maintained to display questions asked by citizens regarding the environment and pollution. Answers should be responsibly researched and also displayed on subject Website. The balance continues to be negatively in favor of big businesses that unfairly damage the environment and the health and lifestyles of citizens.
A federal Website should be established and maintained to inform Americans about all companies, foreign and domestic, that receive public subsidies in any form ... including "regular" contracts. Members of Congress who receive campaign donations from any business, large or small, should not be permitted to promote or vote on legislation that would benefit such business. A simple guiding factor would be for all government personnel who handle citizens' money (elected officials and bureaucrats)... to act as if the money they are dispensing is their very own. That is; dispense the taxes the way they would spend their own savings.
Abolish this archaic, top-heavy, and lethargic organization. The only thing worse than taking citizens' money... is wasting it.
Note: Some supporters ask if this platform is an indictment of the present day folly of politics. You decide for yourself. Where do the other candidates stand on these issues? Paid for by folks wanting honest government
*Vote Against any Incumbent. "Power corrupts" - time to get 'em out of there.
*Vote Against any Lawyer. They don't see the inherent conflict in writing complex laws that they will later charge us to interpret.
*Vote Against any Government Employee - Professor, Lawyer, Prosecutor, etc. They just have no idea how hard the rest of us have to work to pay for their cushy government jobs, so they have no problem with making us work harder.
Your HomeTown Best Person for Mayor
ONE EXAMPLE OF SAM ASKING HARD QUESTIONS
ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ABUSES (from the past):
Section 2.02.02 of the Reno City Charter Law (also supported by numerous NRS Laws) orders that:
"Council members will have no direct or indirect leases, contracts, or agreements with the city of Reno." The man posing as Reno mayor flagrantly flaunts this Law. And the current city attorney lets him get away with it:
Is it right for (fromer Reno mayor) Jeff Griffin to vote on the appointments of Reno Airport Authority trustees who then almost immediately vote to give an Airport contract to the mayor's private company? NO!
dollars? NO!
Check out Sam's Qualifications
Sam, the Worker's Friend... Sam, the Businessman's Friend
Paid for by demand... for honest government
Click back to The Reno Citizen
