May 2009
1 post
Light Rail
Please please visit the idea of light rail. Think about this, put a rail down the center of dodge for people who want to park and commute to work downtown or out west. Think of the amount of people that could use it that are within 2 blocks of dodge street. the center lane switched back and forth any how, and it could still be a lane for cars when the train is not there or you could go around it...
April 2009
14 posts
A more progressive, inclusive, sustainable,...
Personally, I hold a vision for a more progressive, inclusive, sustainable, transparent and economically vibrant community. It is time for the young leaders in this community to insist upon a local government that engages citizens well before decisions are made about our future.
I see a city where there is a holistic approach to both for-profit and non-profit endeavors, where there are no longer...
Empower Department Directors
For many years the adjacent neighborhood to an area owned by the City of Omaha, has requested a cleanup of the property at 45th & F through D Streets. The Omaha Parks Dept has the responsibility for the trees, and Public Works has the maintenance of the (unimproved) road and the City property. Each and every year we request that the overgrowth and weeds be tended. We were told 4 years ago...
Aggressively fight crime in North and South Omaha
I’ve seen alot of good ideas mentioned here, so I won’t restate them. I would like to say though, that the next mayor of Omaha needs to aggresively fight crime in North and South Omaha. The Omaha Police Department is a great agency already, but as always they could improve further and the next mayor can have a major impact on that. Here are some of my ideas.
More police on the...
Make Omaha more beautiful
If you’ve ever been to California, you would see how pretty the traffic medians are. The small islands between traffic lanes are tree-lined, nice foliage (shrubs, flowers) and sometimes even lighted! That’s a huge step above our concrete or sometimes grass medians we have here. It really gave so much charm to what would have been dull-looking streets and made every street look cozy,...
Extend public transportation
I would also like to see the MAT system extended to the places where people who have limited skills are employed. It is sad when someone finally secures employment & two or so weeks later must quit becasue of lack of transportation.
-Vernon Davis
Attractions and developments to make Omaha more...
In my vision of Omaha’s future there is a monorail elevated train system, such as the one at Disneyworld (or Sydney, Australia). It is quiet, efficient and out of the way of traffic so it doesn’t stop for red lights nor does it impede traffic by using up a lane in the street. I see a carousel in a focal point downtown as a center for children to play and families to congregate. There...
Recognize and support the significance of the arts
I think a major platform should be recognizing the significance of the arts in Omaha and thus support, even with simple words and action, the creativity going on around us here so that the people in the community can recognize it as well. As a leader its obviously important to be a role-model in some ways, and so by sharing their support publicly it would help out the arts (organizations,...
Drug abuse - prevention and reform
I would like to see mandatory drug testing in the schools. I am surprised by the popularity of drug use in the schools. It has also filled our jails. The expense is overwhelming. I would rather see money spent on prevention and reform. What is the anger and rebel environment being caused by? Parents gone, stress on parents to provide financially, or pressure on the kids to excel before...
Open dialogue between the mayor and the people of...
I challenge the next mayor of Omaha to keep an open dialogue between the office of mayor and the people of Omaha. But instead of an exchange of campaign-style rhetoric from the mayor and a laundry list of beefs from the constituency, I would love to see things along the lines of a series of small-group coffees with representatives from different sectors and interests; a Mayoral Blog so that...
Public safety
The reason governments were invented and the most important objective of any government should be public safety. We get our governments so involved in other programs that they lose sight of public safety as their primary objective. If we are not safe everything else is not important.
Concern for public safety in Omaha right now means two things. First we must stop accepting the crime in north and...
A network for volunteers
I would like to see a volunteer network for children and families established that links all of the non-profits in Omaha. My family is looking for opportunities to volunteer as a family and we’ve found it difficult to pinpoint opportunities…. couldn’t we somehow establish a volunteer bulliten board? -Becky O’Leary
Heart of America
Omaha began as a bridge — a way for folks to get from what they knew in the East to new territory in the West. My vision for Omaha is that again the city would be known for both bringing people together and adventuring into the unknown. Our medical organizations are breaking ground continuously and studying to find cures for illnesses. Our events throughout the city are consistently safe...
Mayor should dedicate himself to "greening" the...
My hope is that the next mayor of Omaha dedicates himself to ‘greening’ the city in large and small ways. Some small scale things that could be done right away are to install recycling bins at Eppley, organize glass pickup at curbside, and create citywide contests that ask neighborhoods or affinity groups of any kind to track their carbon footprints and develop hyperlocal ideas for...
Smooth and consistent traffic thoroughfare
There seems to be a real emphasis by a few engaged Omaha citizens on GREEN, SUSTAINABILITY, SAVING ENERGY COSTS and other related initiatives. Encouraging increased usage of biking, walking, carpooling and public transportation make enormous sense, and Omaha can only benefit by embracing these common sense practices. I’d like to add one simple suggestion that complements these promising...
March 2009
6 posts
Education, jobs, and opportunities for all of...
I’m looking for a mayor who can bring hope in the form of education, jobs and opportunities to the people of North Omaha and South Omaha. Many of the problems we’ve seen with violence in those areas is a direct result of the lack of hope among young people there. Omaha’s next mayor should partner with existing community groups to improve conditions in those areas of Omaha. A...
Bicycle lanes for cleaner, healthier...
Omaha needs clear and visible bicycle lanes connecting midtown to downtown, North O to Downtown and South O to Downtown. These lanes should have the same rights as cars with real turning lanes, wide enough for kid trailers, painted and made clear to other drivers and bicycle racks in each part of Omaha. Omaha cyclists are scared to ride their bicycles on our roads, we need to make this change in...
Let's keep Omaha's creative talent...
I encourage them to make a commitment to sustainability, public transportation and the encouragement of community resources such as green spaces, art outlets, etc. Omaha has an amazing network of young, creative entrepreneurs and encouraging their causes, as well as improving their quality of life is central to keeping our city progressive and further attracting and keeping such talent.
-Ali...
My idea for Omaha...
A vibrant, walkable, mixed use district in downtown Omaha with residence & retail connected to midtown by streetcars…
-Ethan Burmeister
I want to see someone with courage and vision.
I am horribly bored with Omaha politics. I am horribly bored with Omaha politics because there is not courage, no vision and no real leadership. And in my opinion there has not been any in my 10 years in Omaha. It does not take courage or vision to support the building of new buildings. Anyone can do that. But it does take courage and vision to champion a re-investment in our people, the...
Develop a “shared frame” or common vision
Here is my question for Omaha’s Next Mayor…
What is the process by which a community comes to a “shared frame” or common vision?
This question grows out of the Young Professionals Summit at which the best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell suggested that successful communities have a shared frame or goal or vision. The example he gave was New York City in the mid-1990s when Mayor Rudy...