Latest Blog Posts
Bird Flu in Lincoln!
I found incontrovertible proof this morning that bird flu has arrived in Lincoln. It has to be here. What else could possibly explain the giant splatter of poo from an obviously distressed bird in the middle of my driveway? I mean, the thing was huge, roughly equivalent to the daily poo output of an entire commercial chicken farm. I tried to take a photo but it was so big I couldn’t fit it all into the frame. That poor bird must have really been hurting.
I knew it was bad when even Daisy refused to go near. I think I may need to declare my driveway a Superfund site.
Is the LJS Too Pro-Tom?
The Journal Star has been giving Tom Osborne, relative to Dave Heineman, quite a bit of column space these past couple weeks. For example, in Sunday’s paper the score was: Heineman, one photo, one shared article; Osborne, three photos, one shared article, one dedicated article, and one editorial. The Journal Star also backs Osborne in next week’s primary. My question: to what degree is the Journal Star’s support for Osborne related to his disproportionate coverage?
I see two possibilities:
- The Journal Star is so overcome by Coach Tom Fever that it is using its pages to promote its desired candidate as much as possible.
- Tom Osborne is doing more newsworthy things than Dave Heineman in the days leading up to the primary.
The first option makes a lot of sense. After all, if you want a guy to win, you talk him up whenever you get the chance. It stands to reason that the Journal Star would do the same thing. They don’t have any real obligation to provide equal time to all the candidates, beyond any state and federal campaign laws. And besides, Governor Heineman got all sorts of free press during the legislative session by virtue of being Governor.
The second option also makes sense, at least from the Journal Star’s perspective. They’ll cover what needs to be covered. But if it’s true, what the heck is wrong with Dave Heineman’s campaign? Why isn’t he increasing his media presence, especially in light of all the coverage Osborne has received lately (e.g. from the NSEA, Dennis Hastert, and John McCain endorsements)?
I don’t know which of these possibilities is correct, if both are partially correct, or if there’s another option I completely missed. But to me the gap in coverage has been noticeable.
Van Dorn Development Unpopular with Neighbors
The proposed small commercial development at 9th/10th and Van Dorn Street apparently isn’t popular with neighbors. I’m a little surprised by their opposition. The block being renovated is currently occupied by an empty lot and a few extremely run-down rental properties. It is clearly not a showcase block. The block sees far too much traffic on three sides to be viable as a residential block. It once housed light commercial activity (a greenhouse, and maybe another shop, but my memory is fuzzy) on the south portion of the block.
It isn’t as though new commercial development will draw more traffic to the neighborhood. Instead, the most likely customers for the proposed businesses—a Starbucks, a dry cleaners, and a sandwich shop—are individuals who are already on their way to or from Downtown, or to or from Highway 77. Resident Zemis Sedricks thinks that property values will decrease. On the contrary, tasteful, vibrant economic activity should increase property values in the immediate vicinity, especially in comparison to the dillapidated conditions currently found on the block.
The neighbors’ opposition seems to me to be based on unfounded fears. That’s not to say their fears are entirely unreasonable, but given the realistic alternatives for the block, the current plan seems almost ideal. As long as the neighbors and developers maintain an open dialog, there is no reason the development can’t add value to the area.
No Eminent Domain for Hua
The City Council acted wisely yesterday and eliminated any fears that eminent domain would be used to acquire Chan Hua’s property at 14th and ‘Q’. I’m especially interested in this:
In the past week, private parties have expressed interest in relocating Hua and then dealing with the city, possibly by becoming part of the development team. As private operators, they wouldn’t have the same constraints.
That’s the way these things should work. If the City can’t win with Mr. Hua, then having a private party step in to work with him—especially since Mr. Hua has said he is willing to negotiate, so long as the deal is fair for him—is an ideal solution. Everybody will come out ahead. I’m crossing my fingers.
Eminent Domain Abuse is Back?
After a brief, but welcome, hiatus, it appears that Mayor Seng and the City of Lincoln have brought the hot topic of eminent domain abuse back into the spotlight. The first paragraph of Deena Winter’s article on the topic is beautiful:
Chan Hua’s grandparents lost a hog and farm operation to Communist China. His parents lost a construction company in Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge. And now, Hua fears he’s about to lose his Chinese restaurant to the city of Lincoln.
Granted, Winter’s comparison of Lincoln to China and Cambodia is a little over the top. But only a little.
To be clear, the City and Hua are still in negotiations, so eminent domain is not the primary option at this point. Still, it is an option because the property has been declared blighted. Then again, Lincoln will declare anything blighted, so don’t put too much stock in that declaration. Communities often leverage the blight label as a way to get property owners to back down during negotiations.
Hua’s property was valued at $199,200 during the 2005 tax year. He paid $290,000 for the property on December 23, 2003. The nearly $100,000 gap illustrates the vast difference that often exists between the taxed value of property and its market value. (Both of which are distinct from the value of the property to the property owner, which is often much higher.) Also remember that new tax valuations will come out in June, so the tax figure may be revised.
At some level this appears like a simple dispute. The City wants a chunk of land for public use (a parking garage). The property owner doesn’t want to sell. No big deal, right? The owner should be bought out, or, in extreme circumstances, eminent domain might fairly be used. But that simplistic perspective doesn’t work here. The City played its cards all wrong. The City admitted early in the process that Hua’s property is not necessary for completion of the parking garage project. Instead, his property is only necessary for some of the secondary private projects that may be built on top of the parking garage. In other words, eminent domain is not an option for taking Hua’s property because the desired use for his property is private rather than public.
Well, that isn’t entirely accurate. Eminent domain is an option even in this case because of the Supreme Court’s ridiculous ruling in Kelo v. New London. But using eminent domain would come with a price: it would be labeled as eminent domain abuse, and suddenly public outcry would become a significant liability. In a worst case scenario (from the City’s perspective), the City could find itself in a battle with the Institute for Justice. The City’s lawyers would really have fun with that.
Long story short, this scenario would work out much better for everyone if Lincoln would just offer Mr. Hua an extremely fair price for his property, along with support services for relocating his business. What’s “extremely fair”? Mr. Hua paid $290,000 two years ago. I say offer up $350,000. Overkill? Not really. Remember that the City is strong-arming a man out of his property against his will. We owe him not only for the “real” value of his property, but we also owe him enough to try to overcome his unwillingness to sell. To me, $350,000 is within the range to satisfy those constraints.
Run, Seng, Run
The Journal Star took a look at whether or not Mayor Colleen Seng should run for a second term in this morning’s paper. I took a look at that question way back in November.
The article’s main points seem to be:
- Mayor Colleen Seng is nice.
- She likes being Mayor.
- She works hard.
- She thrives on acceptance and agreement.
- Her approval rating is weak.
- She gets beat pretty good in polls comparing her to her likely challengers.
As I have already said, I don’t think she should run again. This morning’s article only reinforces my opinion. As a community, Lincoln probably needs a mayor like Colleen Seng every now and then. I don’t think we are the type of community that can be led by an aggressive, hard-charging executive year after year after year. But right now, I think the community is ready for a little aggressiveness. We want somebody with answers, and we want him or her to put those answers in place. There can be danger in that sort of leadership, of course, but I think Lincoln is ready to tolerate the challenges.
Nanny State Misunderstanding
This morning’s Lincoln Journal Star editorial demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the term ”nanny state”. The editorial supports nanny statism in the context of barring drivers from driving while distracted. But such laws designed to prevent Driver A from killing Driver B (or Pedestrian C) have little to do with a nanny state.
The nanny state involves the government preventing or discouraging a person from engaging in behaviors that are “harmful” primarily to himself. Such policies include anti-smoking laws, junk food taxes, neo-prohibitionism, sex toy bans, and so on. The LJS is confused in that it conflates any restriction on personal behaviors with nanny statism. But laws that restrict personal behaviors on public property do not necessarily rise to the level of nanny statism. Banning talking on a cell phone while walking on a public sidewalk (which may annoy others, but doesn’t threaten to harm them) would be nanny state creep; banning make-up application while driving 75 miles per hour on a public Interstate does threaten others, and is therefore regulatable without fear of the nanny state label.
The problem here is that the LJS’s definition is overbroad. And it is a problem. In the editorial they claim to support one particular so-called nanny state policy, and many people are likely to agree. They see the policy, they see the nanny state label, and they think to themselves, “Gee, I always thought the nanny state was totally irrational, but this policy makes sense.” That in turn leads to folks being more likely to accept other “mild” instances of actual nanny state creep. And once the foot is in the door…
Truth be told the Journal Star’s mistake is pretty minor. And it’s not as though the LJS is the first or only media organization to endorse nanny statism (real or otherwise). But it was an annoying enough mistake that on a quiet Saturday morning I thought, “Eh, what the heck, I’ll blog it.”
By the way, I suppose I should make clear that I don’t necessarily favor banning any specific activity while driving. I don’t have a problem with talking on the cell phone, reading a map, or even applying make-up while driving. Some people are remarkably talented at multi-tasking while behind the wheel. I do, however, support making drivers pay attention to what they’re doing, and holding them liable for damages they cause to persons or private or public property as a direct and probable consequence of their negligence. In other words, the crime ought not be driving while texting, but driving while incompetent. Believe it or not, those laws are already on the book.
Friday Five
Five Lincolnites I would like to spend a day with:
- Mayor Colleen Seng
- John Chapo, Executive Director of the Folsom Children’s Zoo
- The Downtown “litter patrol”
- Butch Hug, University of Nebraska Assistant Athletic Director for Events
- Ann Ringlein, Owner of the Lincoln Running Company, Vice President of the Lincoln Track Club, assistant cross country coach and track and field distance coach at Nebraska Wesleyan, etc.
A Certainty of Rain
Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a forecast like this:
- Friday: 100% chance of rain
- Friday night: 100% chance of rain
- Saturday: 100% chance of rain
I hope you didn’t have yard work on your honey-do list this weekend. Then again, if it is on your list, you’re probably pretty thankful right now!
By the way, was anybody else awake last night to hear the cool thunder? I fell asleep on the couch and woke up around 12:45am. Before I went to bed I stepped outside with the dog for a couple minutes. The clouds were lit up with a constant strobe of cloud-to-cloud lightning, and there was persistent, rumbling thunder. It was incredibly eerie, but also pretty neat to experience.
Best Eatin’ in Lincoln
Swoof over at Eatin’ in Lincoln is hosting a Best Eatin’ in Lincoln poll. My responses:
- Mexican
I’ll give this to La Mexicana, but my favorite is actually Santiago’s in Crete. - Pizza
Yia Yia’s gets the nod by virtue of the combination of its food, atmosphere, and location. I’m also giving an Honorable Mention to Doughboyz for their creative pies. - Bar Food
I plead ignorance on this one. - Sandwich
Bison Witches. - East Asian (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese)
I’m going with Blue Orchid here, but I’m pretty ignorant of the other options available in this category. Anybody care to take me out and educate me? - Indian
The Oven. - Steak
Y’know, I thought about this one, and the only place in Lincoln I’ve never had a bad steak is Outback. - Burger
Grandmother’s makes burgers just the way I like them. - Fine Dining
There aren’t many options to choose from, and of those I have visited, I don’t have a favorite. - Casual Dining - there’s a line between Fine and Casual, help me draw it.
Darned if I know where the line is, but I’ll put in a vote for Lazlo’s Downtown. - Sushi
I plead ignorance. - Fish
Ho boy, this is tough. There isn’t much seafood action going on in Lincoln. I’ll say Beacon Hills. - Fast Food
Oso Burrito, hands down. - Chain
I have a soft spot for Panera Bread. - Other/Mish-mash
Crawdaddy’s. I don’t know what “Other/Mish-mash” means, but I haven’t said Crawdaddy’s yet, so here it is. - Best in Show
By virtue of the consistency of its excellence over the years, The Oven retains its crown.
Now for some categories Swoof missed:
- Ice Cream
Ivanna Cone, no doubt about it. - Character
Crawdaddy’s oozes character. Just don’t eat off the floor. - Dessert
I don’t actually have a nominee here because I don’t eat dessert at restaurants very often. But I bet The Missus has a nominee (or twelve). - In Memoriam
Garden Cafe. The original Garden Cafe, back before they started dinking with the menu and screwing everything up, eventually killing one of Lincoln’s best restaurants. - Italian
Valentino’s Grand Italian Buffet. It’s just like the old country. But with more sugar. And chicken nuggets.
Go cast your vote for the Best Eatin’ in Lincoln!
Fix a Street
If you could tackle one road project in Lincoln, what would that project consist of, and why would you choose to do that project? Assume you have a reasonable, but not unlimited, amount of funds to work with.
Skeeter’s
The Missus and I grabbed a quick bite at Skeeter Barnes last night before helping a couple friends move. My meal, the three meat combo, was excellent. The shredded pork was flavorful, the brisket was tender, and the chicken was tasty as always. The Missus, however, was “underwhelmed” by her salad. I’m not a salad guy, but her lettuce looked like something I’d add to our compost heap. She also said the chicken it was topped with was “hard”. I don’t know how chicken gets hard, but I suspect that’s not a good thing.
We actually wonder if management (and/or ownership) has changed. Skeeter’s has taken a step down a notch or two over the past few months. Although my food was excellent this time, on our two previous trips I was unimpressed. There seems to have been a staff turnover recently, because many of the faces we had come to recognize over the years are now conspicuously absent. The staff that are there today are adequate, but they didn’t seem to have been as well trained as one might hope. And the manager on duty (or at least a guy who acted like a manager) struck me as a bit of a bully. The staff members he interacted with were visibly uncomfortable.
I should make one thing clear: these are just impressions, and they may have no basis in reality. It’s entirely possible that Skeeter’s is still the same restaurant The Missus and I have come to love over the years, and that this recent “down” period is in fact nothing more than the bad luck of catching the restaurant on a couple rare off days. Likewise with the management. That can happen. In fact, I hope that’s the case. We’ll see.
Running in Traffic
Larry Claassen doesn’t want runners in the streets:
I’m not sure how the mind rationalizes that running in traffic is a healthy or wise activity, but let me tell you that neither of us wants you as a hood ornament. Running in the street is definitely bad for your health and my nerves.
Actually, Larry, it’s pretty easy to rationalize running in the street, albeit in limited situations. Granted, Lincoln is blessed with a great network of trails and a pretty respectable sidewalk infrastructure. But trails and sidewalks aren’t available everywhere, and they have their downsides. Trails and sidewalks themselves are quite safe for pedestrians, but crosswalks can be incredibly unsafe. I’m not sure how safe crosswalks are in other parts of the country, but in Lincoln, drivers almost always blow through crosswalks without a second thought. When approaching, say, a stop sign or a stop light at an intersection at which they want to make a right turn, most Lincoln drivers pull through the crosswalk and then look both ways. Now imagine you’re a runner entering that crosswalk right about then.
Sure, running in ‘O’ Street is probably unwise. But running in the street in residential areas with lots of intersections can actually increase a runner’s visibility to drivers, and therefore his safety. That can be especially true at night, when pedestrians approaching crosswalks can be very difficult to see until the last second. Assuming, of course, that the runner in question does her part to be safe, such as wearing bright clothing and obeying the law.
To the extent that Mr. Claassen is concerned for safety, I agree with him. But I disagree that sticking to the sidewalks and trails ought to be a runner’s only option. If street runners are really so bad for Mr. Claassen’s nerves, perhaps he just needs to pay a little more attention while driving.
Super Taco
Swoof, over at Eatin’ in Lincoln, recently made a trip to Super Taco, located near 56th and Holdgrege. Looks like I might be heading over that direction for a bite to eat one of these days.
Slooow
My apologies if Lincolnite loads a little slowly or oddly (i.e. the page doesn’t load entirely) today. I’m told there’s a bottleneck somewhere leading to Lincolnite’s server. There is no problem with the server itself.
The Blogs
-
The blog that covers everything Lincoln
-
The home of the Wilsons
-
In which Mr. T mutters and muses
-
Local and national sports chatter
The Blogroll
The Archives
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004