Latest Blog Posts
Overbuilt?
According to this article, Downtown Lincoln’s housing market is overbuilt. I wonder what the Downtown Lincoln Association would say about that? My guess is: “Nuh uh!”
Governor Heineman Hates Women and Children
The headline might be a stretch, but it got your attention, right?
Governor Heineman used his veto pen yesterday to eliminate over $40 million from the state’s $2 billion two-year budget. That’s about 2%. None of the vetoes are all that substantial, relatively speaking, which makes it all the more humorous when Gov. Heineman brags about his vetoes demonstrating fiscal restraint. Yeah, well, sort of, but he could have cut a lot more—axing entire programs, for example—if he had wanted to. But there was no political need since the state’s budget forecast is starting to perk up.
The headline, by the way, refers to Heineman’s veto of $120,000 for a prostitute diversion program; $5.4 million from special education; and $1.3 million from the Education Department.
Kennel Commotion
Current city ordinance bars all commercial kennels from within city limits. A new proposal would change that policy. Existing kennel owners are fighting the proposal because they say it is unfair. Why should new businesses get to play by different rules. But they should be careful about what they’re protesting; if Lincoln annexes their land, they will instantly be out of business.
I propose a compromise plan: block kennels from opening within today’s city limits, but allow them beyond that (even when the city expands). Good idea? Awful idea?
Follow the Crowds
Admit it, a bunch of you spent a lot of time mingling with crowds this weekend. Raise your hands: How many of you went to Lowe’s? How about the Extreme Makeover house?
(I stopped by Lowe’s on Sunday morning.)
Air Park is Booming
There was a nice piece in the LJS yesterday about Air Park and how the easily-forgotten neighborhood is picking up steam.
Flashy New Signs
Have you noticed the new electronic billboards popping up around town? I have seen two: one near 56th and Old Cheney, and the other near 48th and Normal. Are there others? What’s your opinion of them?
Friday Five
It’s the Friday Five “A Few of My Favorite Things” edition. My favorite…
- ...place to be alone is the prairie at the Pioneers Park Nature Center.
- ...memory of a Lincoln gone by is riding my bike to Kool Krest and playing golf with my Lincoln Journal paper route money.
- ...summertime Friday night activity is going to Friday Nights Live at SouthPointe.
- ...stretch of road is Sheridan Boulevard.
- ...grocery store is Hy-Vee.
Petty Whine of the Day
Hey, what’s the deal, Journal Star? I tried to flip directly to the restaurant review in today’s Ground Zero and it wasn’t where it was supposed to be. No fair confusing the tired guy!
Twenty Four
The Cable Advisory Board has recommended that Time Warner Cable give customers affected by the Passport/Navigator fiasco a $24/month rebate. That represents approximately 35% of an affected customer’s bill. I don’t see it happening, especially since TWC has already come to agreements with many individual customers, but hey, stranger things have happened.
Frankly, I would rather see TWC put the money into infrastructure upgrades. I could really go for some 20 Mbps Road Runner…
Hey DirecTV, Look Over Here!
Given Time Warner’s recent PR problems in Lincoln, and given LES’s hints that it is interested in exploring broadband over power lines, and given the City of Lincoln’s stated interest in expanding the availability of internet access to more citizens (whew!)…
...wouldn’t it be cool if DirecTV were to choose Lincoln for their experiment? Granted, they are looking for a “top 50” city and Lincoln is only the 74th largest. But come on, DirecTV, let’s talk!
Kabuki is Gone … Sort Of
Kabuki, the Japanese restaurant and sushi bar at 48th and Highway 2 in the Briarhurst Shopping Center, appears to have closed. Sort of. In its place is Oyummy (gag!), a Chinese restaurant and Japanese sushi bar. I wonder if the name change is primarily a marketing move. I think most Lincolnites think Japanese food is scary (ew, raw fish and squid!), but Chinese food is safe.
Whatever the case, I still love the fact that there’s a sushi bar next door to a bait shop. I still grin when I see those signs side-by-side.
Downtown is No Home for Homer’s
Homer’s, long a staple of Downtown retail, is closing its Downtown location. It’s not a huge blow for Downtown, but it certainly doesn’t help the city’s efforts to draw more retail to the area.
In place of Homer’s Lincoln will get a new sandwich shop, Erbert & Gerbert’s, a sandwich chain with stores in the north-central U.S. I hope I don’t sound ungrateful when I say “Woo, another sandwich shop!”. They wouldn’t open up shop if they didn’t see an opening in the market. Here’s hoping I have a new regular spot to eat, but I’m a little concerned: E&G’s uses Jif instead of the far-superior Skippy. I’ll try not to hold that against them.
Dear Mayor Beutler…
As Mayor Beutler takes office, what advice would you offer him? Here are a couple off the top of my head:
- Lincoln wants a strong leader right now. But please, lead, don’t push.
- A large part of Mayor Seng’s image problem was that she allowed herself to stay in the shadows. Keep yourself visible. For example, have you considered following Chief Casady’s example?
- You’re going to have to solve some tricky budget problems this year, and probably throughout your term. I hope you have somebody on your staff who can help you communicate to the public the consequences of various budget scenarios.
- When I referee, my pre-game instructions to my assistants often begin: Don’t screw up. Cover each others’ back. Make each other look good. The rest of the pre-game builds from there. The folks who work with you might benefit from similar instructions, repeated often.
- Have fun.
- Call me, we’ll do lunch. I’m not exactly sure how that will help you as mayor, but it would make this blogger’s day.
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