Nesbitt vows to be 'full-time treasurer'

Tom Nesbitt

Nebraskans need someone to be accountable for state spending and "don't want some faceless bureaucrat in charge," Tom Nesbitt told the Gazette on Friday.

Nesbitt, who was the youngest commander of the Nebraska State Patrol, was in McCook as part of his campaign for state treasurer, having met with Red Willow County Republicans Thursday night.

Nesbitt noted past troubles with the state retirement system, saying the state treasurer is just the official to keep track of such accounts.

Nebraska voters will have the chance to eliminate the office at November's election, but the office, with its 50 employees and $26.5 million budget, wouldn't be eliminated until 2015.

Nesbitt has already promised to run for re-election in 2015 if he is elected in 2010.

"I'm not a politician. This office is not a stepping stone for me," Nesbitt said, noting Nebraska has had four treasurers over the past decade.

He said he's a "proven watchdog" over state tax dollars as well as its citizens when he was the state's top cop, overseeing a $41 million budget and 700 people.

The agency voluntarily gave back half a million dollars to the taxpayers, saving 350,000 gallons of gasoline one year, for instance, by having his officers park their car and shut off the engine for 30 minutes each shift. Another $180,000 was through attrition of personnel and other innovative thinking, he said.

Noting criticism of current treasurer Shane Osborn's holding of a private job as well as his public job, Nesbitt said he would sign over operation of his private security firm to his partner while he is in office. "I will be a full time treasurer," he said.

Nesbitt and his wife, Deb, both native Nebraskans, have two children, son Nick, a Marine waiting to be deployed to Afghanistan, and daughter Bailey.