Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcoming Mike McDonald back to the program. Candidate for Omaham
mayor in the primary coming up in April. We have
three other candidates, most prominently the three time incumbent mayor
Gene Stothard. And if you've been following the news, you
know there's a big controversy over what Mike McDonald's said
at a group this over this past weekend about the
(00:23):
city's homeless services coordinator, tom Ra Dwyer and said she
is a DEI hire and would be fired on day
one if he's elected. And the mayor came back with
a strong response or rebuke to Mike McDonald on that
lots to talk about here, and Mike McDonald joins us here.
Good morning, Mike.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Good morning, Thanks for the imitating you.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Bet good to have you on. Do you stand by
what you said about tom Ra Dwyer.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh, the mayor started a de I, signed the I
agreement with the National leg of Cities, and then three
months later she hires the homeless coordinator based on using
federal money. But this isn't about de I. This homeless
crisis of the City of omah is that about DEI.
It's about DEE. People are dying, not that we should
(01:13):
be talking about. For twelve years, the homeless crisis has
continued to grow twelve hundred percent over the last twelve years.
The reason I'm going to terminate this homeless crist person,
the homeless coordinator the first day, is based on you
hire someone to do a job, and if they're not
getting the job done, you fire them. That's all this
(01:34):
is based on. It's about the people that are homeless
right now. You know, we need to give these people
some hope and help. There's no hope or help in
a tent or a cardboard box. Are you know? Under
these bridges are a dumpster. We almost had a man
killed last week in a dumster, and we had a
citizen die a few days ago. We've got to change
(01:54):
our course and make sure that we are looking at
getting people help. But we I'm proven right now is
the fastest growing homeless population in the country. We need
to go a different direction.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I think whether or not the coordinator position is justified,
or whether or not this particular coordinator is doing a
good job, are all fair game for discussion. It seemed
to be though Mike a bit of a personal attack.
That's why I ask if you stand by what you said.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Oh, I think this person cares. I just think they're
not getting the job done. And that's that's my point
is that you hire someone for their ability to do
the job, and if they're not getting the job done,
you fire them. So I think this person cares about people.
But over the last twelve years, we've gone the wrong
direction and now we are the fastest homeless population growing
(02:46):
homeless population in the in the country.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Wouldn't you Wouldn't you have a better political argument if
you said, I don't care who the homeless coordinator is,
we shouldn't have the agency because if we have an
agency that sends a message out to the homeless network
that Omaha has services for you, will take care of
you here, so make your way to the Big O.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
No, I think we should as individuals run to human
suffering and government run to human suffering. But at the
same time, I want to approach it more as a
FEMA type approach because it is that type emergency. We're saying,
you're no longer going to be able to seek shelter
under a bridge, in a cardboard box or a tent,
or again a dumpster. We are going to have a
(03:31):
designated site for you so you can get those type
of services. And I think the Francis House and the
Sienna House is doing a great the Stevens Center is
doing a great job. But also we need an area
where the services are available. I mean, you can you
can bring your tent so you can have that independence,
(03:54):
but we're going to be there to help you with
facilities and people that want to help you with We
know a number of people that are homeless have a
mental health issue or a drugger, alcohol addiction, or other
issues that we want to help with, but we got
to make sure we always look at public safety first.
And the people I'm talking to in the City of Omah,
they want to help homeless people, but they also want
(04:16):
to make sure that we look at public safety first
and we're taking care of that, and then we can
let the homeless people have an opportunity to be the
best version of themselves with help. But it's always going
to be public safety first. And again, over twelve years,
this has gone the wrong direction. Under Mayor Stothard, we're
now growing by twelve hundred percent and we are the
(04:38):
fastest growing city for unsheltered the homeless population in the country. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
But Chief, let me press you on this though, because
this is an issue to Omahan's and that is, are
we encouraging a larger homeless population by creating a public agency?
Why can't the city just support the private agencies you
cited some of them. The private agencies have expertise here.
But if there is a public agency and there is
a public program and a public apparatus for homelessness, that's
(05:07):
going to encourage more homeless folks coming to town.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, I think it's a team effort, and I think
we have to lead through the Mayor's office in the
City of Omah. But it's definitely a team effort. People
are going to want to come and help with their time, talent,
and treasury. There's this I know that based on the
giving nature of the people of Omah. But I believe
we have to set that area as the city of
(05:33):
all want to say, you no longer can camp, you
can no longer can stay under bridges and in the
other areas you're currently proxibly have one hundred homeless camps
right now in the city. We have to have a
designated area. And again that's the area where there's help
and there's facilities and shelter for you, but you cannot
(05:54):
just continue to live under a bridge and a tent
or a cardboard box. There's no hope or help under
those bridges. We've been approaching this wrong. We have to
make sure these people know they have a chance to
get help, but they cannot stay under the bridges, and
public safety's always got to be number one.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
I tend to agree. I don't think we need We've
got these all over the city. I don't think it's
a good idea. The state doesn't allow it, the county
doesn't allow it. But that's the policy we have for
the moment. I appreciate the time, Mike. We've got to
run for now. The mayor will be she's violently in
disagreement with what you just said, and she'll be on
(06:34):
I trust tomorrow. At the same time, the news would
be because he's in violent agreement. But you just well, yeah,
that's true. That's Mike McDonald
Welcoming Mike McDonald back to the program. Candidate for Omaham
mayor in the primary coming up in April. We have
three other candidates, most prominently the three time incumbent mayor
Gene Stothard. And if you've been following the news, you
know there's a big controversy over what Mike McDonald's said
at a group this over this past weekend about the
(00:23):
city's homeless services coordinator, tom Ra Dwyer and said she
is a DEI hire and would be fired on day
one if he's elected. And the mayor came back with
a strong response or rebuke to Mike McDonald on that
lots to talk about here, and Mike McDonald joins us here.
Good morning, Mike.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Good morning, Thanks for the imitating you.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Bet good to have you on. Do you stand by
what you said about tom Ra Dwyer.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh, the mayor started a de I, signed the I
agreement with the National leg of Cities, and then three
months later she hires the homeless coordinator based on using
federal money. But this isn't about de I. This homeless
crisis of the City of omah is that about DEI.
It's about DEE. People are dying, not that we should
(01:13):
be talking about. For twelve years, the homeless crisis has
continued to grow twelve hundred percent over the last twelve years.
The reason I'm going to terminate this homeless crist person,
the homeless coordinator the first day, is based on you
hire someone to do a job, and if they're not
getting the job done, you fire them. That's all this
(01:34):
is based on. It's about the people that are homeless
right now. You know, we need to give these people
some hope and help. There's no hope or help in
a tent or a cardboard box. Are you know? Under
these bridges are a dumpster. We almost had a man
killed last week in a dumster, and we had a
citizen die a few days ago. We've got to change
(01:54):
our course and make sure that we are looking at
getting people help. But we I'm proven right now is
the fastest growing homeless population in the country. We need
to go a different direction.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I think whether or not the coordinator position is justified,
or whether or not this particular coordinator is doing a
good job, are all fair game for discussion. It seemed
to be though Mike a bit of a personal attack.
That's why I ask if you stand by what you said.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Oh, I think this person cares. I just think they're
not getting the job done. And that's that's my point
is that you hire someone for their ability to do
the job, and if they're not getting the job done,
you fire them. So I think this person cares about people.
But over the last twelve years, we've gone the wrong
direction and now we are the fastest homeless population growing
(02:46):
homeless population in the in the country.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Wouldn't you Wouldn't you have a better political argument if
you said, I don't care who the homeless coordinator is,
we shouldn't have the agency because if we have an
agency that sends a message out to the homeless network
that Omaha has services for you, will take care of
you here, so make your way to the Big O.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
No, I think we should as individuals run to human
suffering and government run to human suffering. But at the
same time, I want to approach it more as a
FEMA type approach because it is that type emergency. We're saying,
you're no longer going to be able to seek shelter
under a bridge, in a cardboard box or a tent,
or again a dumpster. We are going to have a
(03:31):
designated site for you so you can get those type
of services. And I think the Francis House and the
Sienna House is doing a great the Stevens Center is
doing a great job. But also we need an area
where the services are available. I mean, you can you
can bring your tent so you can have that independence,
(03:54):
but we're going to be there to help you with
facilities and people that want to help you with We
know a number of people that are homeless have a
mental health issue or a drugger, alcohol addiction, or other
issues that we want to help with, but we got
to make sure we always look at public safety first.
And the people I'm talking to in the City of Omah,
they want to help homeless people, but they also want
(04:16):
to make sure that we look at public safety first
and we're taking care of that, and then we can
let the homeless people have an opportunity to be the
best version of themselves with help. But it's always going
to be public safety first. And again, over twelve years,
this has gone the wrong direction. Under Mayor Stothard, we're
now growing by twelve hundred percent and we are the
(04:38):
fastest growing city for unsheltered the homeless population in the country. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
But Chief, let me press you on this though, because
this is an issue to Omahan's and that is, are
we encouraging a larger homeless population by creating a public agency?
Why can't the city just support the private agencies you
cited some of them. The private agencies have expertise here.
But if there is a public agency and there is
a public program and a public apparatus for homelessness, that's
(05:07):
going to encourage more homeless folks coming to town.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, I think it's a team effort, and I think
we have to lead through the Mayor's office in the
City of Omah. But it's definitely a team effort. People
are going to want to come and help with their time, talent,
and treasury. There's this I know that based on the
giving nature of the people of Omah. But I believe
we have to set that area as the city of
(05:33):
all want to say, you no longer can camp, you
can no longer can stay under bridges and in the
other areas you're currently proxibly have one hundred homeless camps
right now in the city. We have to have a
designated area. And again that's the area where there's help
and there's facilities and shelter for you, but you cannot
(05:54):
just continue to live under a bridge and a tent
or a cardboard box. There's no hope or help under
those bridges. We've been approaching this wrong. We have to
make sure these people know they have a chance to
get help, but they cannot stay under the bridges, and
public safety's always got to be number one.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
I tend to agree. I don't think we need We've
got these all over the city. I don't think it's
a good idea. The state doesn't allow it, the county
doesn't allow it. But that's the policy we have for
the moment. I appreciate the time, Mike. We've got to
run for now. The mayor will be she's violently in
disagreement with what you just said, and she'll be on
(06:34):
I trust tomorrow. At the same time, the news would
be because he's in violent agreement. But you just well, yeah,
that's true. That's Mike McDonald
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