[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

Just curious, but do you see being "progressive" as a negative trait?

maybe the same reason the left sees the tea party as "negative"




look, I am a conservative, (yes, I am Pro-Life) but I use facts and not just emotions guide me like many on the left do.



when u use just ur emotions and let emotions cloud the facts, it can make people on either side do stupid things




yes, there are the AFA and FRC cranks on the right who are motivated by anger and hate like some on the left are.


and they dont speak for many conservative christians like me.





I am not saying being a Progressive or even a Tea Party person is a bad thing,


but there is a fine line between being on the far-left or far-right


and being someone like most people who arent far-left or far-right in Omaha who is truely motivated by clear logic and well meaning intentions.



I am a Pro-life somewhat middle of the road on issues, but conservative at times independent who has voted for Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

I am not motivated by politically party lines, but whoever is best candidate for everyone.

[RhettB]

Originally Posted by iamjacobm

A billion dollar 20 year plan for North Omaha was laid out during Suttle's term. It is tough to quell a violent culture in 4 years. The fact that Suttle's term has lead to the most cohesive plan of any previeous mayor to date has to count for something.

I was referring to crime, not long term development. If I wanted to move my family to Omaha, I'd not pick North Omaha today because of the crime, not what development would be there in 10-20 years.

[Raphael07]

Originally Posted by RhettB

I was referring to crime, not long term development. If I wanted to move my family to Omaha, I'd not pick North Omaha today because of the crime, not what development would be there in 10-20 years.

Development, or, rather, lack there of, has a strong correlation with crime rates.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by billiefan2000

how bout cutting wasteful spending. like cuting the number of mayoral assistants and also get rid of his private mayoral car.

Ok, a couple questions here.

1) What wasteful spending would you cut? The items you mentioned would be a tiny, tiny percentage of the revenue we would lose by removing the restaurant tax.

2) Why would you want to get rid of the Mayor's vehicle? I don't think the cost to lease that vehicle is an unreasonable cost.

Originally Posted by billiefan2000

btw, u said Suttle is responsible for crime rates going down.

I did not say that. I said that the Mayors office (read: for any mayor) and city council can, in fact, have a serious effect on crime rates.

[RhettB]

Originally Posted by Raphael07

Development, or, rather, lack there of, has a strong correlation with crime rates.

Yes, and no.

For how many decades was the Vickers plant where Sorensen Park is now? Did the presence of all those jobs have any impact on the civility of the area? Jobs have a part in the equation. How one chooses to live is another thing altogether.

[iamjacobm]

Originally Posted by RhettB

I was referring to crime, not long term development. If I wanted to move my family to Omaha, I'd not pick North Omaha today because of the crime, not what development would be there in 10-20 years.

I am getting at the point that crime doesn't just disappear by anything right away. Creating a community will be the only real way to rid the violent culture in North Omaha. And that takes decades.

It isn't a magical solution in anyway, but just more policing wont solve a damn thing. It will take a generation believing it is wrong to end disputes with gun fire or stabbing. Those generations wont happen unless some major work is done to the area.

[iamjacobm]

And it isn't just "put Aksarben Village in North Omaha" type stuff. The plan is heavy on more activities for kids, better parks and a lot more cultural amenities. Again it isn't perfect, but it is a laid out blueprint to change the tide of North Omaha.

The group organizing it has had a lot of success with the same types of things in Atlanta.

[RhettB]

Originally Posted by iamjacobm

And it isn't just "put Aksarben Village in North Omaha" type stuff. The plan is heavy on more activities for kids, better parks and a lot more cultural amenities. Again it isn't perfect, but it is a laid out blueprint to change the tide of North Omaha.

The group organizing it has had a lot of success with the same types of things in Atlanta.

Development is risky. For example, look how people on subsided housing do not care about where they live. Some do, many do not. The "its not mine so I don't care" mentality has to end. Taking pride in something whether you own it or not needs to happen. The code of silence / anti-snitch ideology must be changed as well. All these shootings, yet no witnesses.

[iamjacobm]

Originally Posted by RhettB

Development is risky. For example, look how people on subsided housing do not care about where they live. Some do, many do not. The "its not mine so I don't care" mentality has to end. Taking pride in something whether you own it or not needs to happen. The code of silence / anti-snitch ideology must be changed as well. All these shootings, yet no witnesses.

The idea for taking pride is breaking up the subsidized housing. Mixing it with middle income housing, people who own. Being next to property owners caring for their property is supposed to encourage others to do the same.

All of the things you are saying are a culture thing though. Many of the kids have grown up with those ideas.

You can't change a culture in a year, I think you can over 20 years.

[RhettB]

First, I need to say that not all of North Omaha is riddled with crime. But its the pocket areas of high crime that give the whole area the stigma that it has. The underlying foundation is at what point will the stigma be changed? People need to feel welcomed and safe to go someplace. What needs to happen first? Bring change into the community in hopes that it causes a cultural shift, or change the culture of the people in the community as not to inhibit said development? We need new community leaders. Ones who want to actually bring new and better things to the area. Begin with not re-electing Chambers. He did very little for his legislative district during his 30-year stint.