Since that very first election that eighteen years old were granted the right to vote, I became a democrat and voted in the McGovern-Nixon election in 1972. It was exciting and new for all of us that had waited so long for the country to lower the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen. My first election and my first vote and I found myself on the losing team. Although Nixon had won the election in 1972 and it only got me more interested in politics and the process of electing officials to lead our government.

     I believed that all was fair with the process and therefore I accepted the defeat and moved on to the next election. Then there was Watergate, and that opened my eyes to the reality, that the process may be fair, but there were factors that swayed elections. If the people had known about Watergate, maybe McGovern would have been President. Since then, I have found that all parties, whether Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Greens, Libertarians, Communists or any other party will do and have done whatever it takes to be elected. Scandals, cheating, mud slinging, lying, payoffs or whatever method used to get a certain party or person elected seems to be the theme of the day. This seems to be more the truth of the matter as we get closer to the election. Like what happened in Florida in 2000, even after the vote, it seems anything goes.

     My overall view electoral process whether it be primary, general or caucus came to a crash in Nebraska on Saturday, February 9^th. I have to compare it to Woodstock, too many people, not enough tickets, lack of space; the only thing it lacked was music and drugs.

     The Nebraska Caucus was supposed to be a historical event, the first time Nebraska would have a say in the choice for the Democrat nomination for the President of the United States. Instead, it was a historical disaster. So many things should have been worked out before even attempting a caucus. Knowing that this was a historical moment in Nebraska history the Nebraska Democratic Party should have planned on a large turnout to the tune of a Beatles reunion. Everyone wants to be a part of history.

     There were not enough places for people to gather to caucus. Omaha had 15 sites, while Lincoln had 53. Sarpy County had one. What were they thinking? This is bad planning on the part of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Rules were vague about how the caucus should be run. It was very confusing about where to go, or what line to stand in. The moderators didn’t quite seem to know when to do what or even what to do. After the caucus was closed, one of the caucus spokespersons continued to collect votes.  There were also parents with their children and babies in tow, which made it hard to listen to what was being said with all the screaming and crying among the children. Let’s face it, this is not a picnic, this is to put a nomination for President in place. The real shocker was when the people running the caucus asked for donations to offset the cost of the caucus. I thought “This is America; we don’t pay to vote or voice our opinions for the highest office of the United States.”

     The caucus was just a total disaster and I suggest that we go back to primary elections that give everyone a vote in the process and not just a select few who could make it in the little space and time given for the caucus. If this country really wanted to make elections fair, they wouldn’t have caucuses and primaries on different dates. All Primary Elections should be on the same date across the nation, just as it is for the General Election. This is 2008; we should also abolish the Electoral College and let the popular vote stand. One man (or woman), one vote.

     Closed-door meetings, unanswered questions, one-sided committees, special interests and half-truths seemed to be the order of the day in Omaha. The citizens of Omaha have been dealing with mixed messages since last May over Rosenblatt Stadium. Its time we stop and take a look at what is going on in Omaha and not only with Rosenblatt, but with the issues surrounding the controversy.

     Mayor Mike Fahey would like us to believe that the NCAA was the first to bring up the downtown stadium to keep the College World Series in Omaha. Does a new stadium have to be downtown? Of course not, Omaha is a well designed and laid out city. The city could build a new stadium just about anywhere. So why does it have to be in the NoDo section of town? Is the new stadium just a smokescreen to put money in the pockets of certain people who have a stake in the NoDo area? Is the NCAA pushing to have the CWS downtown or is this simply a location they know the Mayor wants.

     As a city, Omaha should think about developing other areas of the city. Remember, if we were to move the stadium to the NoDo area, what does that do to the economic development of South Omaha? Many hope to ride the development wave with Rosenblatt in place. Does it help North Omaha to put a downtown stadium in the NoDo area? Instead, is it a roadblock to North Omaha?

     The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce hired Brailsford and Dunlavey, a consulting business specializing in baseball stadiums and the impact it would bring to Omaha. Brailsford and Dunlavey had determined that they had found positive results. They also projected it would bring approximately $101 million dollars in fiscal benefits over 20 years. That’s great news for Omaha. The new stadium will cost over $130 million dollars, but over that 20-year period, there will also be upkeep and refurbishing cost of a stadium, just as we have found that we have to do to Rosenblatt. Is the cost worth it? How will it be paid for? Additional taxes would be added to the citizens of Omaha by the city as time goes by. Any way you look at it, more tax money is more tax money.

     We also have to remember that the NoDo will not really do much for businesses in the smaller neighborhoods. If North and South Omaha are not presented in a more attractive way and rid the areas of crime and decay, visitors from other states are not going into those areas to spend money in the restaurants and shops.

     There is also plenty of land between Omaha and Elkhorn that can be developed. This would provide ample parking and would not interfere with the daily traffic flow of downtown area, making the stadium easily accessible to everyone in Omaha. The traffic pattern would go into and through Omaha so the visitors would see the entire city and have a much larger impact on more than just the downtown and Old Market areas. Located on or near Interstate 80 would give the tourists and visitors see much more of the city. This would benefit the smaller and local businesses in our neighborhoods and give our guests from other cities a view of what we as residence see and why we love our city. In turn, the guests from other cities would return home and relay the message that Omaha is more than just another Midwestern city, but a Mecca of entertainment and a great place to live. This would bring in more tourism that would benefit Omaha for more that just the two weeks a year that the College World Series is in session.  It would encourage tourism throughout the year, enhance our city’s image and draw new residents to the area.

     The question is “Who is the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce helping?” Do you think that it’s going to help those shops and restaurants run by families that have been struggling to get by during the past few decades that have been put out of business by the likes of Wal-Marts or Paradise Café, Applebee’s or Cheesecake Factory. Face it Omaha, yes, a new stadium will help some, but probably not those who need or deserve the help. It will put money in the hands of these chains and franchises and not the little shop that your grandparents built or the stores that we use daily in all of our neighborhoods. Omaha is just really one big neighborhood, but do we want it to be just “another” city? The people of Omaha are a proud people and have every right to be proud, because we have survived where others have failed. Even more than neighbors we are a hard working people and families that support each other from east to west and north to south.

     Omaha, we need to stop letting the elected officials and the Chamber of Commerce dictate what we need. Omaha residents need to start telling our city managers and politicians we are fed up with their tax-and-spend projects. We need to put money into our city where it is really needed, like the safety of our citizens, quality growth in our western districts, and the renovation of the areas of town that are dilapidated such as North and South Omaha and Midtown. Make Omaha the “Good Life”, the place to live, the place to come visit and the place to feel safe. We don’t need this just in “this” part of the city or “that” part of the city; we need Omaha to be a united city.

     Spending the $9 million to tear down the Rosenblatt when we still owe $13 million is not the way to make or save money for the city. Rosenblatt can be used for concerts, as it was in the seventies. Rosenblatt could be used for a number of events throughout the year, such as graduations, festivals, community events, maybe even a “Little League World Series.”  

     So, Mayor Fahey, City Council, and every taxpaying citizen:  if you really want a new stadium, keep it out of the NoDo to help benefit all of Omaha. Keep Rosenblatt from becoming another Ak-Sar-Ben, Indian Hills Theatre or Peony Park, a part of our past that we all miss and some of us regret losing to “progress” such as a business park, a parking lot or another chain retailer.

     Let’s hope for the kind of progress that really benefits our city, the kind that is good for our neighborhoods, our tax dollars and our great Omaha way of life.