[pheaton]

Omaha's 'Worst Street' Gets Repaired - Local News - Omaha, NE - Omaha - msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38684535 - broken link)

The 15 million dollars + we pay already isn't enough. I guess the people are expected to just pay for the entire bill.

I've said it before, if you as a city cannot afford to maintain your roads, you either need toll roads, or you need to dig them up and go back to dirt, because you're doing something wrong.

If you did it correctly, then you would budget to maintain the things that you build. It's not that hard. You put in x number of square feet of concrete, you know that you will need to repair y number of potholes on average during the lifespan of that area of the road, and you will have to replace the whole thing in an average of z number of years. Just a simple budget and planning schedule.

[billiefan2000]

has Mayor Suttle and his associates seen 62nd and ames to fowler


or 60th street to 63rd street where taylor street is.

and there are some bad streets in mid-town and west omaha I could mention

they are way worse than 105th and Spaulding streets.


have been on 105th and Spaulding streets a couple of times and it looks good by comparison to the 2 I mentioned.




good response to Suttle 's action by using 105th and spaulding as the worst looking street in omaha

[mattpoulsen]

Actually, ya, we the taxpayers are expected to pay the entire bill. How else would the city have a budget??

Its a little simplistic to treat the city's budget like a piggy bank. On top of this winter being one of the wost in decades we are simultaneously hit with depleted tax revenue due to the economy. Its not simple budgeting. First streets don't hold up in a perfectly predictable way and winters like we had this year tore the heck out of the roads. You can't simply budget everything like the city has a steady income stream. I think this is why people get all enraged when they hear about shortfalls. Usually the shortfalls are not due to expanded spending they are due to contracted budgets or budgets that did not meet projections.

I'm a financial conservative so I'm pretty wary of taxes, but the bottom line is the streets need fixed. I use the streets. You use the streets. I don't have a huge problem with a slight increase to pay for that amenity.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Actually, ya, we the taxpayers are expected to pay the entire bill. How else would the city have a budget??

Its a little simplistic to treat the city's budget like a piggy bank. On top of this winter being one of the wost in decades we are simultaneously hit with depleted tax revenue due to the economy. Its not simple budgeting. First streets don't hold up in a perfectly predictable way and winters like we had this year tore the heck out of the roads. You can't simply budget everything like the city has a steady income stream. I think this is why people get all enraged when they hear about shortfalls. Usually the shortfalls are not due to expanded spending they are due to contracted budgets or budgets that did not meet projections.

I'm a financial conservative so I'm pretty wary of taxes, but the bottom line is the streets need fixed. I use the streets. You use the streets. I don't have a huge problem with a slight increase to pay for that amenity.

Not only that, we don't have the manpower or resources to keep up with plowing the streets these days.

This is what always drives me nuts about the tax cranky "make cuts! cuts cuts cuts!" people. Hal Daub cut taxes in Omaha for something like 6 straight years. Although I'm a big fan of Hal Daub and understand that his tax cuts had many benefits for the city, there was a real lack of foresight there as that scaleed down budget, when it wasn't adjusted for the times, led to things like crappy snow plow and police cruiser fleets. Know the bills on all that is coming due and Jim Suttle is in the unenviable position of pushing through some substantial tax increases so we can do business like a major metropolitan city again.

I honestly feel bad for Jim Suttle. There are alot of legitimate gripes about the guy but I think he's made a big effort into being forthcoming with the Omaha people and he's got nothing in return but kicks in the teeth.

[Calvinist]

Originally Posted by pheaton

Omaha's 'Worst Street' Gets Repaired - Local News - Omaha, NE - Omaha - msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38684535 - broken link)

The 15 million dollars + we pay already isn't enough. I guess the people are expected to just pay for the entire bill.

I've said it before, if you as a city cannot afford to maintain your roads, you either need toll roads, or you need to dig them up and go back to dirt, because you're doing something wrong.

If you did it correctly, then you would budget to maintain the things that you build. It's not that hard. You put in x number of square feet of concrete, you know that you will need to repair y number of potholes on average during the lifespan of that area of the road, and you will have to replace the whole thing in an average of z number of years. Just a simple budget and planning schedule.

As someone that lives outside the city limits, I find it a shame that I can't even help to vote this clown out of office. This kind of taxation without representation is why I plan to move away from Omaha in a couple years.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by Calvinist

As someone that lives outside the city limits, I find it a shame that I can't even help to vote this clown out of office. This kind of taxation without representation is why I plan to move away from Omaha in a couple years.

That's what happens when you decide to live in the suburbs. I'm just glad Omaha was smart enough to hold that problem off unlike alot of other cities that let their suburbs drain them dry.

[billiefan2000]

i can name a even worser street

browne street 90th street to 93rd street. (which is near 90th and fort)

mostly looks and is like a dirt road out in the country. has been like that for years

[joelwnelson]

At least that stretch of Browne St. isn't *supposed* to be a paved road...

[mattpoulsen]

I hear this complaint about those outside city limits not having representation. Well, first of all, you are using the streets and contributing to their wear and tear, so even from just a fairness sense I feel no pity for you. Second, you have representation. You have both state and county representation. Its really popular to throw the phrase "no taxation without representation" out there but this is not the case here. You theoretically have a way of stopping it. The term was coined to account for situations where there was no recourse (e.g, GB taxing the colonies).

[pheaton]

I understand that we as taxpayers have to pay for the maintenence, but why did they not budget for this in the regular taxes? Why do they need a special tax on top of everything? Poor budgeting, poor planning. You can't just lay concrete and be surprised one day that it needs maintenence and start taxing the hell out of people. You have to budget beforehand and come up with a maintnence plan. If you can't do it or afford it, leave it dirt or gravel.

As for having to pay taxes outside of the city limits. I live and work outside of the limits and have to pay the crazy wheel tax. Like I said. I think it's time to make some toll roads. Instead of a wheel tax you can charge 68 dollars for an annual toll pass. Or you can toss in 25 cents everytime you drive down certain roads.