Lincoln's new mayor: what should he do? (sales, city hall)

[MattDen]

Lincoln voted in a new mayor and a very, very out of mainstream politician also.

I wonder if the new mayor of Lincoln has what it takes, he seems to not be serious about issues facing his community.

If the mayor is in the mainstream he will work with the school board and other districts cut property taxes by 50%, preferably 75% to match the property tax rates in the bordering state of Colorado better yet if he is a real leader he should cut the property taxes to match Alabama and Louisianna's rates.
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Anyway, for the current situation here is an easy 5 minute solution to the huge structural budget deficit.

The mayor should close to libraries if people want to read then they can buy books at the book store. The library could easily be replaced with a computer room at city hall. If they were serious about this budget gap they would close the library because that way people would be buying lots of books and books have a sales tax.

Additionally, all community centers should close. Thats for fitness centers and coffee shops are for. Lincoln shouldnt be in the entertainment business anyway.

Also regarding transit it doesnt make enough from fares so requires city subsidy so they should have two transit trips in the morning and two in the afternoon which I think is more then reasonable consider mass transit is a loss for Lincoln.

Also, Lincoln has way too many parks I seriously dont understand they dont sell the parks that arent on flood plains. Also I think they should have volunteers or minimum wage migrant labor mow the lawns at the parks and recreation department.

I also think that road maintance should be given priority based on property tax base in a given area in my opinion. Areas that dont have a high property tax base should have defered maintance on their roadways.

Anyway, Lincoln is just an ironic community it seems like if somebody like me can think of how to close to the budget deficit in 5 minutes then the new mayor should also rather then talking to budget directors.

It would also be nice if they charged for fire department calls there
are cities that charge several hundred dollars per fire this would be
for city coffers.

Also they should privatize parts of the police department in my
opinion they could have private security guards be the meter maids.

[mattpoulsen]

You aren't really serious with this are you:

The mayor should close to libraries if people want to read then they can buy books at the book store. The library could easily be replaced with a computer room at city hall. If they were serious about this budget gap they would close the library because that way people would be buying lots of books and books have a sales tax.

Come on! Lack of books and emphasis on reading them is a problem and putting a computer room at city hall is not at all a solution.

Anyway, Lincoln is just an ironic community it seems like if somebody like me can think of how to close to the budget deficit in 5 minutes then the new mayor should also rather then talking to budget directors.



You didn't find a way to close the budget deficit. You found a way to strip Lincoln of any identity. People like parks and people like libraries. How much do you really think you'd gain by doing that anyway. By selling off land and property you are only helping the gap in the current fiscal cycle. What do you do next year??

[MattDen]

If people enjoy parks and libraries they should sell cupcakes, do car raffles and have ice cream socials. If enough people liked them enough then the ice cream socials could keep them open either that or the rich Lincolnites should step in and keep them open.

Only if they are national recognized, regional destinations (large amount of people coming from long distances) or significantly increase property values adjacent to the library/park should they remain open.

I am all for public libraries and parks but if they are going to have a library make it major destination or keep it open with ice cream socials. If a city isnt going to set itself a part which means a huge library then it should not be open.

For example, I dont think public libraries if they huge and are a major attraction that can have brand-new high density housing to increase tax base.

Also, parks should only be open if they are increasing the property valuations at a much higher then those areas with-out a park or if they are on a floodplain but then again on floodplains just have a bike trail and reduce lawn maintance by 50% or charge a bike trail fee.

Besides when is this new mayor going to say what he is going to have budget cuts for his structutal budget deficit. I came up with a solution to it in 2 minutes why cant he?

[mattpoulsen]

Because the Lincoln budget situation doesn't have a 2 minutes solution! You didn't come up with a solution...you came up with more problems.

"keep the libraries open with ice cream socials"...you can't be serious with that!

[AZ_singlemother]

Originally Posted by MattDen

Lincoln voted in a new mayor and a very, very out of mainstream politician also.

I wonder if the new mayor of Lincoln has what it takes, he seems to not be serious about issues facing his community.

If the mayor is in the mainstream he will work with the school board and other districts cut property taxes by 50%, preferably 75% to match the property tax rates in the bordering state of Colorado better yet if he is a real leader he should cut the property taxes to match Alabama and Louisianna's rates.
=============================
Anyway, for the current situation here is an easy 5 minute solution to the huge structural budget deficit.

The mayor should close to libraries if people want to read then they can buy books at the book store. The library could easily be replaced with a computer room at city hall. If they were serious about this budget gap they would close the library because that way people would be buying lots of books and books have a sales tax.

Additionally, all community centers should close. Thats for fitness centers and coffee shops are for. Lincoln shouldnt be in the entertainment business anyway.

Also regarding transit it doesnt make enough from fares so requires city subsidy so they should have two transit trips in the morning and two in the afternoon which I think is more then reasonable consider mass transit is a loss for Lincoln.

Also, Lincoln has way too many parks I seriously dont understand they dont sell the parks that arent on flood plains. Also I think they should have volunteers or minimum wage migrant labor mow the lawns at the parks and recreation department.

I also think that road maintance should be given priority based on property tax base in a given area in my opinion. Areas that dont have a high property tax base should have defered maintance on their roadways.

Anyway, Lincoln is just an ironic community it seems like if somebody like me can think of how to close to the budget deficit in 5 minutes then the new mayor should also rather then talking to budget directors.

It would also be nice if they charged for fire department calls there
are cities that charge several hundred dollars per fire this would be
for city coffers.

Also they should privatize parts of the police department in my
opinion they could have private security guards be the meter maids.

I agree with cutting on unnessary overspending - taxpayer waste of money. If you want a quality of life in Lincoln, you have to pay for it. If you want the kind of lifestyle and set up like in Alabama or Louisiana, move there. I'm sure the citizens of Lincoln would not agree on library cuts and other cuts of which would reduce the quality of life within their community.

[MattDen]

The infrastructure is already rotten in Lincoln. One of the major thoroughfares is one way each direction, the main library is tiny and old and has tons and tons of expensive city workers when very few people are in there. The parks and recreation department seems to be lazy when it comes to cutting the grass and most of the parks are just plain ugly here in Lincoln, they do have a few exceptions to the rule. The transit system buses have so very few people on them when they drive by, many instances you can see its just the driver only.

All and all, Lincoln has tons and tons of fat in the city budget can be cut and each would only effect a very, very small minority of the population. But the Lincoln mayor is skittish and seems like to delay making hard choices, thats not what I call a leader.

[gambit]

Hey I've got an idea, let's just turn Nebraska into a fiefdom, or at least several fiefdoms. We'll have an autocratic system with everyone living in barracks or dorms (to make it as efficient as possible), there wouldn't be any crime to worry about, no taxes because there would really be no wages. Wouldn't have to an education system at all, let alone just killing those expensive colleges out west. Will have to work this out, sort of a marxist meets capitalist utopia (for at least the upper %.00001).

[snowblind9]

Sounds like Mattden has been playing too much Sim City lately? Bringing it into reality.