April 16, 2026 • 41 mins
A super casual day on the KFAB Comment Line today. Starting with mental health, then best places to eat in omaha.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And thank you for being with us. Peyton Hilock, the producer,
is here with me today. Good morning, Good morning Geene.
It is a great day outside. It is it's a
great day for golf, and I think that's why Scott
Vorhees went running out the door at rapid speed. But
we want to hear from you today. We want to
get your feedback. We want to hear your comments and
concerns and questions and complaints. Anything goes. We talked a
(00:21):
lot about different subjects this week, and I want to
just I don't have a guest today, but I want
to bring a lot of them back up to get
your opinion on a lot that was said, especially about
talking about the incident that happened at Walmart here in Omaha.
But really anything goes today and whether it's city, state, national,
the world, and we will have like I said, we
will have guests. We're going to have a good guest
(00:42):
tomorrow and I'll tell you about that in a little bit.
And of course you're going to get a lot of
opinions from me. But it's your chance to speak up
and sound off, So send your emails to comment at
kfab dot com or call us at four oh two,
five to five, eight eleven ten, and we're happy you're
with us, you know, Peyton. I said yesterday that Wednesday
is my favorite day of the week because I get
(01:03):
to take care of my grandson, the world famous Max,
six years old kindergartener. And he always says the funniest things.
But yesterday it was such a nice day and we
were out in the backyard and they have one of
those big play structory things that's all I wood and
has all this stuff. Well, he wanted to get from
one side to the other without putting his feet on
(01:23):
the ground. This was his big thing, he told me.
And he goes, you know, Grandma, the floor is lava.
And he said, and there's also a lot of mutant
snakes down there.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Oh yeah, you can't. You can't touch the ground.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I know.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And I said, mutant state snakes? You mean like two
headed snakes And he goes, no, I mean they're immune
to the hot lava. And I go, oh, I get it, okay.
And then he looked at me and he goes, do
you know that one thousand venuses can fit in the sun?
I go no, I did not know that, But he
was right.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
It just came out of his head, so he was right.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
We looked it up. My husband was there with me yesterday.
There could be one thousand fetuses could fit in the sun.
But you know, onto some more serious issues. I was
listening to Scott this morning, and maybe some of you
were too. But there's still a lot of conversation going
on about what happened at Walmart and why the suspect
who is now dead, she had a history of mental illness,
(02:20):
a known history of mental illness, had been in court,
had received some treatment in the past. But why these
things are happening now and why there are not more
facilities for mental health. And you know, I remembered back
way back when I was in nursing school, which was
in the seventies, that was just part of your training.
I mean, psychiatric nursing was part of the training. There
(02:43):
were inpatient psychiatric wards in the hospital, there was inpatient facilities.
But I will tell you this. The movement came about,
I think with very noble intentions, but I think it
suffered with inadequate planning, in inadequate funding. And that was
(03:03):
the old stereotype of a mental institution. It was these
big fortresses with fences around them in stone walls, and
the thought that people that had mental disorders were just
thrown in there, locked up, and their future was bleaked.
And there was all sorts of rumors about experimentation and
mistreatment of patients. And the whole thought was, let's get
(03:27):
these patients that are suffering from whatever kind of mental
illness out of these institutions, and let's get them back
in society and let's give them the treatment they need
without patient facilities. Well that sounded great, you know, it
really did, but it didn't materialize like that, and that's
why more and more of these facilities closed. But there
(03:49):
wasn't any options to take the place. And what you
are seeing now is that there's a real shortage of
caretakers and providers, and I don't mean just the institutus,
but the people themselves. There are less and less physicians
going into psychiatry, There are less and less nurses that
are going into psychiatric nursing than before, and and so
(04:13):
you see this this lack of facilities and lack of
the ability to treat these patients, which, like I said
in the beginning, that was a noble intention, but it
just didn't work.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Out.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
It wasn't that long ago with Richard Young was open
here in Omaha down on Harney Street that is closed down.
You know, I, like I said, I just remember and
my first job after I got out of nursing school
in Illinois, and it was at Saint Louis University and
they had a it was called Wole Mental Health Institute
right next to Saint Louis University Hospital and it was
(04:48):
an inpatient mental health facility. Now I do know in
Saint Louis, a huge, huge conglomerate is Barnes Jewish Hospital,
which is part of wash U and Saint Louis, and
they still do have a psychiatric facility within that hospital.
So I don't know, and I'd have to do some
research if it really varies state to state or not.
(05:09):
But you know, in Omaha, let me just bring up
a few things, and that is thank goodness spearheaded by
a great man ken Stenson, who's the former KEYWIT chairman.
There now is down on Dodge Street, west of Children's Hospital,
a new facility which is Children's Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.
And this is something that ken Stenson spearheaded help raise
(05:33):
the money for. It is open and it will take
care of youth from they said from infancy on up
to probably about eighteen to nineteen years old. And that
is a walking clinic. You can come in and out.
It does have some inpatient facilities within this mental health
and wellness center there. It treats everything from mental disorders
(05:56):
to eating disorders. And this is something that we have
in Omaha now that not many cities have. And there
is a big need I think out there for the youth,
and there's a lot and you know, we see that
all over what other facilities and what other options do
they have? And unfortunately, what you see in many big
cities and in Omaha too, if there isn't a facility
(06:19):
for the youth, what happens? They end up out on
the street. And we are seeing more and more younger
people within their teens becoming homeless because there's no place
for them to go either. Another thing that we did
when I was Mayor of the city with Omaha Police
Department is we did it at first on a grant
(06:40):
with a pilot and we had hired a mental several
mental health professionals that would respond to every nine to
one to one call that was a DV call a
domestic violence call because you as a you know what
happened just recently with the Douglas County Sheriff's deputy. Those
domestic violence its calls are very dangerous and just sending
(07:03):
a police officer or a couple police officers out there
sometimes can put them in a very very precarious situation
because they are dealing with mental illness. A lot after
the pilot, we went ahead and funded that and put
it in Omaha Police Department's budget. There is a mental
health professional now in every police precinct in the city
(07:24):
of Omaha, and they are dispatched with nine to one
one if there's a domestic violence call that comes in
through nine one one. And so that is something above
and beyond that the Omaha Police Department now is doing
to help address these issues with their calls that they
get through nine one one. And then I just wanted
(07:44):
to bring up if you look at things that have
happened in Omaha in the past, doctor Anthony Garcia and
Nico Jenkins, I think everybody remembers those several years ago,
both very mentally ill serial killers here in Omaha. Now
both are incarcerated, but the story with them and the
story of their past life and what had happened to
(08:06):
them to get them to this place was just unbelievable.
And doctor Anthony Garcia was a physician and went to
medical school and ended up being a serial killer on
a revenge mission that he had. And so these are
things that are very, very real and very real in
society right now. But I just had to say, I
(08:26):
think it was that what has happened for them not
having enough facilities to take care or to put people
that are mentally ill or suffering from mental health problems.
There's not a lot around because of what happened in
that movement in the past. Let's get them out of
these big facilities, don't lock them up anymore, Let's give
them the treatment. Great intention, but the facilities aren't there anymore.
(08:49):
And you know, I obviously everybody knows this about me.
It's personal to me too. Mental illness. The person my
husband for forty one years, never ever ever thought it
would happen to him, a surgeon, a physician, a very
well known respected and I saw a downward spiral with him,
but he would not get treatment. And you know, and
(09:09):
you can't believe how you feel when I'm my past,
I'm a nurse. I feel like I should have recognized this.
I know it's very hard on my kids, who were
adults at the time, but still, this downward spiral and
all of the symptoms were there, and all the signs
were there, and you thought, well, you got to give
him help, but you never ever thought it would end
in a suicide and it did. And so personal with me.
(09:33):
I mean, people absolutely need help, but there is there's
a lack of it, and you know, I think we
all need to do a little bit more as far
as what is a state by state do certain states
offer and other states don't. But there is an issue
out there, and I just wanted to really bring that
up because we used to have him here in Omaha,
and it used to be part of every nurses and
(09:54):
every physician's training, and it's not there anymore.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
I think society is really trying to destigmatize getting help,
especially in men. It could be very difficult in men,
but for everybody as well that it is. Okay, I'm
gonna go to the radio talk back Mike.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Here.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
This is on the iHeartRadio app. You hit that microphone
you can send us a message and here we go.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
What can you tell us about about the Rich or
Young hospital or building?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
What's ever gonna happen to it?
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Yeah, you know they.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I forgot that was a talkback now Mike, I was
going to start talking to him.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
You know, it is.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
It is vacant now. I believe it has been that
they are looking at purchasing it. Uh, you know, a
private group of nonprofit is looking at at purchasing it.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
You'll probably turn it into a Walmart.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
No, it's not. It's not big enough.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
But I'm telling you, you know, I drove by that
every single day for twelve years, and as you know,
it's kind of pushed back from the street and I
you know, sometimes when you drive down a street every day,
you don't pay a lot of attention to what's around you.
And I did not realize until about a year or
so ago what bad shape that was.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
It was.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
You know, the windows were open, they were broken. It
just it looked bad. And so the city did put
some attention to that, trying to get that boarded up
and safe. But there definitely is I believe that there
is a private nonprofit group that is going to purchase
(11:26):
that and that's going to do.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Something with that.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
You got that Omaha World Herald in front of you,
per usual, you're shuffling through it.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
What are you thinking about it today?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Well, the one thing I will say, and I don't
want this show to always be just about the street car,
but everybody wants to know about it, and I'm willing
to talk about it. But we did have a really
interesting guest on yesterday which I want to thank him again,
and that was Clark Ross, who is the owner of
Mercury Bar down on sixteenth and Harney. But he is
the one that is spearheaded. I guess he would be
(11:54):
called the chairman of this a gliance group that is
formed of one hundred and twenty businesses or in residents.
And I call it the corridor because it's the streetcar corridor,
meaning the three blocks or the three blocks on either
side of where the rails will be, and then the
six block area on either side or where the rails
will be, because those are the ones that are suffering
(12:15):
the most hardship with the construction. But I wanted to
make sure he was on so that he would have
a voice and say here's what is happening to us,
because this was never the intention. I mean, everybody knew
that when we were going to be building a streetcar
that there would be hardship for the businesses along the route.
But well, for every street project in Omaha, everyone, whether
(12:39):
it's out Millard, whether it's an Elkhorn, there is a
disruption when there's a road a project going on, and
it's usually very very temporary, and then it's usually once
it's done, it's very beneficial to all of those that
are along that street or whatever the construction was going
to be. And that's what we thought with the construction
of the street car. And I want everybody to keep
(13:00):
in mind that the original completion date was supposed to
be twenty twenty six this year, and because of all
of the additional mud work that mud is requiring, it's
added two years now. These businesses and these residents on
there is a real concern to me. Now, I don't
have any authority to do anything anymore, but I really
(13:21):
think that I'm glad that he said the city is
meeting with them. I am very very glad that the
city is taking some extra efforts as far as wayfinding,
of as far as traffic control, as far as offering
other options for parking. But these businesses are really suffering
and suffering for a longer period of time than anybody
(13:43):
ever thought. And because of that, some of their revenues
are down thirty thirty five, sometimes forty percent, and they're
not going to survive two more years, and that's a
big concern. One of the solutions that I had and
my team had was to have a hardship fund, which
we did do. Had about one point two million. It
was run through the Chamber, but we knew at the
(14:04):
time that wasn't enough, and now since the construction is
going on two extra years, they do need some sort
of financial relief. I will say this. Clark brought it
up and I did too. It is not legal for
the city to give taxpayer money to private business That
is in the state constitution, so the city can't give
(14:25):
taxpayer money. However, the city can do a lot of
public private partnerships, and I would encourage them to continue
to look for ways, hopefully from other private businesses that
are bigger businesses that are really going to benefit from
the streetcar, to consider working on another hardship fund to
(14:47):
help these businessesses get through this time, because it's going
to be positive when the street car is done, the
big businesses along the route are definitely going to benefit
from it. But at the same time, the big businesses
along the route do not want all the smaller businesses, restaurants, bars,
residents to move out. And that's not what we want.
(15:08):
That's just defeating the purpose. So why we're doing it.
So again, I really I support what they are doing.
I understand what they were doing.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
I am looking.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
You asked me about the World Herald, and I went
off on this other thing. But there is a Midland
Voice today which is an opinion and it's by Eric Miller.
And Eric Miller is the streetcar operation manager for the
City of Omaha, and he wrote an op ed in
the World Herald which is a positive one today and
it just it's the headline is current route for the
Omaha street car in the best place. And he goes
(15:40):
back and explains how the initial route was studied, why
it was determined to be in the area that it is,
and then that the plan is to do in the
future for the streetcar line. But it's a very good article,
and if you get the World Herald and read it,
I would suggest you read it. So I'm reading it
right now.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
It's always very fun speaking of construction. Correct me if
I'm wrong here, But this new Omaha Public Library is
opening up the nineteenth this weekend, right, They're big grand opening. Yes,
I had a couple of people reach out asking about that.
The first one here, can you interview Courtney Kopitz? Sorry
if I mispronounced that the library media director fabulous wanted
(16:21):
to be a librarian since she was three. That could
be fun. Get her on here for a little segment
in relation to the opening. That could be a little
bit of fun.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
You know.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I agree. And Laura Marlane is the library director. She
is one that the marriage does not appoint the library
born a trustees appoints the library director. But I was
very involved in the really initial planning with the library.
I would love to have Laura on or I would
love to have who did you just set Courtney Courtney on? Yes,
(16:52):
But again, according to Mary Ewing, there is a basically
a gag order on city employees and city directors such
as mar Laura Marlane coming on this show and talking
to the public about.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
City issues, and so it's disappointing.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I don't know why any mayor or any administration would
back away from city employees coming on the air to
inform the public about something as great as this new library.
I would love to have them on, but as far
as I know in the last email I received from
the communication director, it's that any request from me will
(17:31):
be denied by order of Mayor John Ewing, And so yes,
I would love to have them on. But let me
just remind you about the library too. And when I
mentioned while ago public private partnerships, this is just a
really good example of a perfect public private partnership that
the City of Omaha had with Heritage and with a
(17:53):
lot of the foundations. Because that's about one hundred and
fifty eight million dollar library on the corner of seventy
second end Dodge. The city put in about twenty million,
and the rest is private, and it will be a
city owned and operated library. The employees are all city employees.
This is an example of it, and it will always
(18:14):
be public. It's not going to be private. And this
is a real good example of public private partnerships.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I'm curious about how much you know.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Is it true that the new library will be completely
automated and there will be no browsing other than on
a computer. And then the tail end of the question
is what will become of the Swanson Library at ninetieth
and Dodge.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Right now, there is no plans to do anything with Swanson.
I know that it's so close to seventy second in Dodge.
Ninetieth and Dodge is very very close. We have had
genealogy at the Swanson Library.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
There was talks way back in.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
The Faihi administration about shutting down Swanson, but right now,
there is absolutely no plans to shut it down.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Right now, maybe you guys could use a little bit
of extra library time.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
There's another one for you guys to go to.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Yeah, true, But let me tell you there is a
unbelievable robotic system in this new Central Library that can
retrieve books for the whole city basically, and you can't.
You know, it's like a bot and it's just unbelievable.
It's stories and stories high, and it's like robotics are
in there that'll retrieve books immediately, and it's just amazing
(19:22):
how it works. But yes, there are still stacks, and
yes you can still browse for books, and yes there
are still going to be reading areas that you can sit,
and there's a children's area with books. You don't want
a child to come to the library and have to
use a robotic to get a book.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I know it. They probably would.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Like it drop it off like a vending machine.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
And that's exactly what it does. It's pretty amazing. But
that is something that I think people will really want
to learn about that we have available in this new library.
And we call it the Central Library. It doesn't have
a name, just Central, and it replaced the Central Library
which was Dale Clark Downtown. But I will say that
there still will be stacks and it still has the
(20:02):
appearance of the libraries of the past that we all love.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Well. I learned the Dewey decimal system, so I'm glad
I'll still be able to put those skills to use.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
I don't believe you know about, oh, come on the
Dewey system. I think that's been gone for a while.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
But yes, I mean, I think people love books, they
love libraries, and they love to go in there. And
I think I hope everybody it's going to open the
nineteenth to the public. I hope everybody goes in there
and takes a look at it. Because there's a different
thing of opinion, difference of opinion about the outside, about
the look and the design. Some people love it, some
(20:39):
people don't like it. But I think once you walk
through those doors and you see what it has to offer,
you're gonna love it.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Yes, all of us here are human. I'm human, Gene.
Are you human?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Yes, definitely, definitely human.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Classic We are not a bot. Yes, nobody here is.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
We are not AI.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Okay, So, Jeane, I've gotten this quite a few times
in the emails and the talkbacks, and I'll just read
this to you. I want you to respond here and
maybe give to the listeners out there some of the contexts. Okay,
this comes from Shirley. Thank you for the email. Shirley
comment at kfab dot com. I've listened to your show
every day since it started, but with all due respect,
(21:17):
you need to get over the fact and stop mentioning
it every day. The Mayor Ewing has put a gag
order on his staff from being on your show. Get
over it and move on. Have you even reached out
and invited the mayor to coffee so you can settle
your difference.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Well, actually not reach out nask to coffee, but I
have reached out to the mayor's office following the basically
the guidelines that I was given that any request to
be on the show had to go through the communication director.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
So I did do that.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I did reach out and I did send an email,
and the response was any request from me for city
staff or directors to be on the show would be declined.
When I first when the election was over, and I'm
going back, you know, to last may But when I
became mayor, I defeated Jim Subtle, Jim Suttle reached out
(22:09):
to me, or I reached out to him. I went
up to his office, been a long time with him,
talked about the job of a mayor. He showed me around,
We chit chatted. I have said, do you you know,
let me know what I need to know. I can't
say that Jim Suttle and I are best of friends,
but whenever we see each other, we're very, very friendly
with each other. As my other opponents that I've had
(22:29):
in the past, Mayor Ewing never did reach out to me.
After he won the election, I then then reached out
to him and asked if we could meet and if
we could sit down and if we could talk, and
I was given he was really too busy to meet
with me, so we never did meet.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
He never did accept that invitation.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Now I would not I would like not to have
to talk about it every day, and I usually don't
bring it up, but it is relevant every day because
there are so many issues that people call into the
show and comment about that. I would like to have
a city employee, a city director to come on the
show and just talk about the issue of the day
(23:10):
that this show is not focused on talking about the
current mayor. This show is focused on talking about current issues.
And if we're talking about the library, or we're talking
about a new development, we're talking about the streetcar, we're
talking about the butt city budget. It's very, very helpful
to have the city taxpayer paid employees come on and
share their expertise. I know them all, I've worked with them,
(23:33):
most of them I hired, and I support what they do.
And so again, Shirley, thanks for the comment. I would
like to not to have to talk about it every day,
but like I said, it becomes relevant every day when
there is a public safety issue. I would like to
have my friend TODJ. Moteraan I've worked with Todd for
sixteen years. He's not allowed to come on. So I
(23:56):
think it's important for people to understand the dynamics. So
what's going on.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Absolutely, thank you for your email, Shirley. We appreciate this
type of insight and these questions.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
We love it.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
It creates a good atmosphere for everyone in the community.
We're gonna jump to the phone lines real quick. Ken,
you are live on news radio eleven ten KFAB with
Gene Stothart.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Welcome, Ken, Hello Arny.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
I was just curious if if anybody would be really
opposed in Amaha with all the mental health crisis going
on in the area, the juvenile's detention center that they
built that's not being used, if it would be wise
to maybe even consider turning that into some type of
(24:41):
mental health center, so we're not releasing people back with
back into the public with mental health issues like what
happened at Walmart the other day, right, And you.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Know, I would say a possibility. You know, the juvenile
court judges are in that new facility, but it was
meant for youth to be in there, and that portion
of it is empty and not being used. Now that
building does belong to Douglas County, it's not a city
of Omaha. Building, and it's Douglas County Board that would
(25:15):
make that decision of if that building is going to
be repurposed and used for something else. However, mental health
is under the umbrella of Douglas County, not the City
of Omaha. So you know, you don't see anything line
item any budget in the City of Omaha's budget for
mental health or mental treatment that is more under Douglas County.
(25:38):
So that would be some decision that they would definitely
have to make. But let me remind you the reason
that there are so few rooms in that new facility
that Douglas County built and it is empty is because
it was back to the same thing I was talking
about before. They wanted to get a way from having
(26:02):
in I'm going to call them patient Inpatients are incarcerating
kids and giving them the treatment that they need to
keep them back in school and back in society and
back out doing normal things, but the treatments aren't available yet.
It was kind of the they got the cart before
the horse, so they built the building. They didn't put
(26:23):
enough rooms for all the kids that are right now
in the Douglas County Youth Center. They don't have enough
beds for them, but they don't yet have the mental
health facilities, or the counseling, or the social workers are
all of those needs that are out there, they don't
have those yet, and that's just the problem we're talking
about earlier. They just don't have the It was a
(26:46):
great intention to say we're not going to lock people
up anymore, we're not going to incarcerate them. We're going
to give them the treatment they need. But that treatments
aren't available yet, and that's exactly what has happened with
that new facility.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I have a really interesting question here that comes from Terry.
What is there that you regret during your tenure not
doing or wish maybe you would have done differently. I've
always been a guaranteed supporter of yours. The accomplishment that
you achieved during your service is incredible. The mall is
a great place. I enjoy sitting by the fire pits
and boasting our city to visitors. Many accomplishments that you
(27:20):
speak of, rightfully, So what about any regrets or something
that you wish you would have done that you didn't do.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
You know, there are some, and I think I brought
one up one day, which is minor and that was
I just recalled one time I called out this cop
at ninetieth and Dodge for shutting down the intersection during
a snowstorm, and I'm like, why.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Did I do that?
Speaker 1 (27:43):
I got criticized so much for that because, and I apologize,
I wasn't there. I didn't understand what was going on.
So but anyway, you know another thing that I would
say that I regretted, and this is this some big things,
but it's something that I did personally, is when I
(28:05):
became mayor that the budget was supposed to be about
fourteen million dollars short.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
I became mayor in June.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
I had to have the budget done into the council
by August, and I thought, I have to set a
really good example. And so what I did. I was
still in the city Council. The city council sets the
salary for the mayor and the city council for four years.
Once you're in that term, you can't change it. But
before I became mayor, I was still in the city Council.
(28:34):
I brought the mayor's salary back in front of the
council and I thought, if I'm going to have to
really start slashing the budget. I have to set a
good example, and I lowered my salary by ten percent
and I froze it for four years. And I thought
that that was a good move to make to show
I will do it. If I'm going to have to
do it to other employees and other city staff, I'm
(28:56):
going to show by example that I could do that too.
And you know, I mean, that just didn't go over
well with people. And I was able to get that
budget done, and actually that budget ended up having a
surplus by the end of the year without cutting positions.
But then now the mayor's salary is four years behind
(29:19):
where it basically should be. You know, my last year
I was mayor. The mayor gets paid about one hundred
and eighteen thousand dollars a year. Now, that may seem
like a pretty good salary, but compared to the other
top fifty cities, it isn't. And I think, did I
do something that really will harm the mayors in the
future for what they get paid. So that is one
(29:40):
thing that I did that I probably regret doing. And
one other thing real quickly is I thought another thing
I would do when I first became mayors, I thought,
I don't need a city owned car.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
And every interesting, every mayor before.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Me, from holl to fay Heed to PJ, they all
have drivers, and they all had a city owned car
that they would move around town in when they were
doing city business. I thought, well, I will be different.
I don't need security and I'm going to drive my
own car. And I did that for four years. Well,
sometimes I would have a driver, which was a police
(30:16):
officer and sometimes not, but I ended up paying a
lot of extra out of my own pocket insurance for
multiple drivers.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
I had.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Some of those police officers had some fender benders with
my cars, and I paid for that. You know, I
paid for all the gas. And I thought, okay, you know,
after four years, I could see why mayors had a
city owned car. I didn't care. I didn't want it fancy.
And I said my second term, I'll take a city
owned car. And I was criticized. I mean, people just
(30:46):
criticized me bitterly, saying we don't we should not be
buying you a car, and you should not be driving
around a car that taxpayers paid for, when every other
mayor before me had had that all along. And again
I thought I was setting a really good example. But
it kind of backfired on me when I thought, No,
you know, the police would take my car through a
car wash and tear the windshield wipers, and one would
(31:09):
tore my rear view mirror off one time, and you know,
and I had to pay for it myself. And I thought, Okay,
I can understand why, but every other mayor did it
before me. I thought I was trying to set a
good example. It really didn't.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
That's very interesting. See this is the type of stuff
that I like to know.
Speaker 6 (31:24):
That.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
That's very interesting. Okay, So I just had a cold
brew over here, and I am so hungry. I am
so hungry.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
Are you lit up over there now?
Speaker 5 (31:32):
Yeah, I'm all fired up. I'm all I'm wired up
and ready to go. But Ryan asked a very important question.
Let's get through important questions here. Where in all of
Omaha metro area is you is your favorite restaurants for
Asian cuisine, barbecue, pizza, and a burger? Can you maybe
give me two or three of your favorite places? Oh?
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Okay, I love for a burger. I love Barretts, which
is down on Leavenworth. I loved I really like those
for for for hamburgers. My husband is a ham. He
loves hamburgers and he is on this quest for the
perfect hamburger, and I think he found that one he
(32:14):
really likes there. I will have to say not in Omaha.
But there is a great restaurant that I go to
about once a week in Ashland, and that's Rulemans. And
you know, Ashland is not that far. It's way down.
It's kind of by the where the great and outlet
malls are down on six and they have great burgers
and great steaks there. So I do like that. Phil
Ruhlman owns that. And Willie Thesen the the father of
(32:37):
Grandfather's Pizza. He's the one that helped put Rulmans together.
But anyway, for pizza's, we're still in the quest for
the best pizza I like. I particularly like Zeo's Pizza.
I think there that's really good. And I like the
There's Pison's. There's only one of those, and that's out
on about one hundred and it's like on it's on
(32:59):
Center where Center and L come together there by the
railroad tracks by Bob Boozer. That's a really good one,
I think. For pizza, so barbecue, I'm still hunting and
I love barbecue. Yeah, and I'm still hunting for the
best barbecue.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
So I lived in Kansas City for a few years
for college, and I had some really good barbecue.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Tell us what, you know, they talk about Kansas City
barbecue and they talk about Saint Louis barbecue. What is
Kansas City barbecue? What's the difference?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
You know, I'm a college kid, so going and getting
barbecue isn't like a common occurrence.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Going through a drive through for you probably.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Yeah. Q thirty nine was pretty good. I like Joe's.
It's okay.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
Joe's is kind of like the the I don't want
to say fast barbecue, not to diminish it, but it's
more common chain franchise. Okay, but real question, real quick
question one more real quick. I love Charleston's.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Charleston's. You said that the other day.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yeah, I really love it.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
And you know, they have a new Charleston's now, which
is at Heartwood Preserve on between Dodge and Pacific one
hundred and forty four. I love that place. I mean,
I love salmon, and they have the best salmon in
the world there, and it smells good in there. It
smells like a wood fire. I love Charleston's a lot ruben.
Speaker 5 (34:08):
Are you a fan of the ruben? We are home
of the ruben.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
It's debatable, but we will claim it.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Will claim it, We.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Will claim it. And one of the best rubens. Well,
I've had a really good ruben at Barrett's, but a
really good Ruben at the Cottonwood. Yes, because that's where
they claim the ruben was invented.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Down in the basement.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Now the Crescent Moon across the street claimed they are
where the ruben was invented. But both of those they
are together. They both have great rubens, but so does Barretts.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Yes, that one's good too.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
And then even across the street over here in the
historic Dundee Dundee Dell has a very very good rubens.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
Right across the street. We should head on over.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I know.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Yeah, that sounds like a great lunch. Jean Stouth. Here
we are.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
And during the break we were talking about food again.
Obviously we're hungry, yes, but we forgot to mention. I
forgot to mention Runza runs up. I tell you, as
far as a fast food hamburger, Runzas are good. And
when we had the USA swim trails here the swimmers
would beg for them to bring huge boxes full of runs,
(35:15):
as they loved them. But we can't forget runza's. And
I think, as far as I think I did say
Godfather's pizza, I think I said that. Yeah, that somebody
called and corrected this, that I said something wrong, But anyway,
I know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
I remember come to peace.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
One time when I was a kid, my dad took
me to a Nebraska Iowa game at Memorial Stadium. It
was cold, gross, wet, slushy snow, and they sell runza
at Memorial Stadium and he bought me two runzas and
I shoved them in my sweatshirt pocket and it was handwarmers.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
Oh good, idea dad.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Did your dad think of that?
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (35:53):
I don't know if it was something that happens normally,
but I just remember he shoved two runs in my
pocket and boom.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
I hope you didn't take your hands out of your
pocket because they probably were greasy.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Yeah they might have been, but you know what my
hands were more, my feet were. My hands were well.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
I hope you didn't put runs in your ship.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Runs is are?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
I mean runs? It is really good.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
I mean because you could tell it's homemade, and you
could tell you could tell with the burgers, and Mike,
like I said, my husband's on this quest for the
perfect burger and he loves runs of burgers.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
So very interesting.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Let's get to one caller here, Michael, You're on news
radio eleven ten KFAB with Jean Stuth.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Oh Mayor, I just wanted to tell you how much
I really enjoy your show. Great deal, thank you. Oh yeah,
And I mean, learning so much about city government. And
I think the reason I enjoyed your show is also
one of the reasons why you haven't gotten much of
(36:50):
a reach out from the current mayor or why he
doesn't want people in his administration to come on your program.
I think that reason is that I think there's just
a discomfort with the depth of your knowledge. I mean,
it's the contrast is so stark that I think it
(37:11):
probably discombobulates him a bit. I think, I mean that
would be my that would be my guess. I mean,
I'm still in you know, semi lowe. I don't know,
just a semi shock that how you could have lost
that election, Like you said, too many people stayed home.
(37:33):
I mean, it's just it's just to me, that's a
reminder that anything can happen inflectus. Good lord, Well thanks.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
For your comment.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, thank you for saying that. Thanks for your comment.
You know it could be insecurities, but I will for
the mayor. But you know, I mean, good Lord, I
was mayor for twelve years. He's been mayor for ten months.
I should know what's going on. I mean I really should.
And that's not in any way trying to make him insecure.
And when I was mayor for ten months, I had
a lot to learn too, So why not, you know,
(38:03):
let your directors, who are very knowledgeable and very good
at what they do, get out there and say the
things that that would help people understand what is going on.
And again, yes, you know, I'm not one I lost
the race. That's all there is to it. I'm not
one that's gonna sit out there and go you know,
I was cheated out of that race or it was unfair.
(38:24):
It was a fair election. You know the results. I
accept it, and I'm you know, I'm more than ready
to move on. I loved being mayor. I could have
been mayor four more years because I knew what I
was doing. But I love being retired too, and it's
fun doing this this little radio show too.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
So I'm really fine where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
But i still feel like I know the directors, I
know this city, and let's share what is going on
with all of all of Omaha, and I try to
hide or restrict people from what they can say.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
Curtis sent an email saying Jay's Smokehouse has the best
barbecue here in town and some of the best burgers.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Oh, I'll have to try it.
Speaker 5 (39:02):
Very interesting, Yes, Jays Okay, Jay's like j apostrophe s
I am glad.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
I am glad you said that because thank you for
something we need to check out.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
Yes, what about you said something to me earlier about
a guess we have coming on tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Yes, now, now this is interesting and I want you
all to tune in because Bob Stuby, who is the
public Works director and has been the public Works director
since two thousand and five for twenty one years. He
was hired by Mayor Fayhee. Good job, Mayor fay Heey.
Bob is a He is great. He is a friend
(39:38):
of mine. I've worked with him for sixteen years. For
the time that I was on the city council too.
You know, he's a trusted advisor. He's he was a
key member of my cabinet and he still is a
public works director. He is being allowed to come on
tomorrow because Bob is retiring in the summer and after
a long career. He is running for the mayor of Papillion.
(40:03):
And I invited Bob on and to ask him to
talk about running for mayor and just talk about his
career in general, because the projects and things he has
been involved with, I mean, it's amazing and I want
him to talk about it. We did have him scheduled
a couple of weeks ago, I know the mayor told
him he couldn't come on, and then he went back
(40:23):
and talked to the mayor and the mayor said he
could come on, but he could not talk about city issues. Well,
he's going to talk about his career tomorrow and he's
going to talk about what he wants to do next.
He's a great guy and I think you'll want to
listen in because I think he's been involved in so
much and has such historical knowledge of this city and
big things from the flood to the riverfront to the
(40:44):
sewer project, really interesting guy, and he's going to be
in the studio tomorrow, so listen in.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Yes, that'll be a very very interesting interview. Hopefully we
can get to the bottom of a lot of different things.
Like we always say here on the KFA B comment line,
we love to hear your input. We love to hear questions,
comments and concerns. We don't want to just talk about
the streetcar every day, but you guys love to hear
about it. Or maybe I should say you guys love
to ask about it, but whatever you like. Even when
(41:11):
we're on other shows throughout the day, email us. It
comes to my email and we can tackle it at
a different time. I have lots of good questions for
tomorrow the rest of the week, so go ahead and
add those up.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Thank you for spending time with us, and thanks for listening.
And this is KFAB
And thank you for being with us. Peyton Hilock, the producer,
is here with me today. Good morning, Good morning Geene.
It is a great day outside. It is it's a
great day for golf, and I think that's why Scott
Vorhees went running out the door at rapid speed. But
we want to hear from you today. We want to
get your feedback. We want to hear your comments and
concerns and questions and complaints. Anything goes. We talked a
(00:21):
lot about different subjects this week, and I want to
just I don't have a guest today, but I want
to bring a lot of them back up to get
your opinion on a lot that was said, especially about
talking about the incident that happened at Walmart here in Omaha.
But really anything goes today and whether it's city, state, national,
the world, and we will have like I said, we
will have guests. We're going to have a good guest
(00:42):
tomorrow and I'll tell you about that in a little bit.
And of course you're going to get a lot of
opinions from me. But it's your chance to speak up
and sound off, So send your emails to comment at
kfab dot com or call us at four oh two,
five to five, eight eleven ten, and we're happy you're
with us, you know, Peyton. I said yesterday that Wednesday
is my favorite day of the week because I get
(01:03):
to take care of my grandson, the world famous Max,
six years old kindergartener. And he always says the funniest things.
But yesterday it was such a nice day and we
were out in the backyard and they have one of
those big play structory things that's all I wood and
has all this stuff. Well, he wanted to get from
one side to the other without putting his feet on
(01:23):
the ground. This was his big thing, he told me.
And he goes, you know, Grandma, the floor is lava.
And he said, and there's also a lot of mutant
snakes down there.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Oh yeah, you can't. You can't touch the ground.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I know.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And I said, mutant state snakes? You mean like two
headed snakes And he goes, no, I mean they're immune
to the hot lava. And I go, oh, I get it, okay.
And then he looked at me and he goes, do
you know that one thousand venuses can fit in the sun?
I go no, I did not know that, But he
was right.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
It just came out of his head, so he was right.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
We looked it up. My husband was there with me yesterday.
There could be one thousand fetuses could fit in the sun.
But you know, onto some more serious issues. I was
listening to Scott this morning, and maybe some of you
were too. But there's still a lot of conversation going
on about what happened at Walmart and why the suspect
who is now dead, she had a history of mental illness,
(02:20):
a known history of mental illness, had been in court,
had received some treatment in the past. But why these
things are happening now and why there are not more
facilities for mental health. And you know, I remembered back
way back when I was in nursing school, which was
in the seventies, that was just part of your training.
I mean, psychiatric nursing was part of the training. There
(02:43):
were inpatient psychiatric wards in the hospital, there was inpatient facilities.
But I will tell you this. The movement came about,
I think with very noble intentions, but I think it
suffered with inadequate planning, in inadequate funding. And that was
(03:03):
the old stereotype of a mental institution. It was these
big fortresses with fences around them in stone walls, and
the thought that people that had mental disorders were just
thrown in there, locked up, and their future was bleaked.
And there was all sorts of rumors about experimentation and
mistreatment of patients. And the whole thought was, let's get
(03:27):
these patients that are suffering from whatever kind of mental
illness out of these institutions, and let's get them back
in society and let's give them the treatment they need
without patient facilities. Well that sounded great, you know, it
really did, but it didn't materialize like that, and that's
why more and more of these facilities closed. But there
(03:49):
wasn't any options to take the place. And what you
are seeing now is that there's a real shortage of
caretakers and providers, and I don't mean just the institutus,
but the people themselves. There are less and less physicians
going into psychiatry, There are less and less nurses that
are going into psychiatric nursing than before, and and so
(04:13):
you see this this lack of facilities and lack of
the ability to treat these patients, which, like I said
in the beginning, that was a noble intention, but it
just didn't work.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Out.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
It wasn't that long ago with Richard Young was open
here in Omaha down on Harney Street that is closed down.
You know, I, like I said, I just remember and
my first job after I got out of nursing school
in Illinois, and it was at Saint Louis University and
they had a it was called Wole Mental Health Institute
right next to Saint Louis University Hospital and it was
(04:48):
an inpatient mental health facility. Now I do know in
Saint Louis, a huge, huge conglomerate is Barnes Jewish Hospital,
which is part of wash U and Saint Louis, and
they still do have a psychiatric facility within that hospital.
So I don't know, and I'd have to do some
research if it really varies state to state or not.
(05:09):
But you know, in Omaha, let me just bring up
a few things, and that is thank goodness spearheaded by
a great man ken Stenson, who's the former KEYWIT chairman.
There now is down on Dodge Street, west of Children's Hospital,
a new facility which is Children's Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.
And this is something that ken Stenson spearheaded help raise
(05:33):
the money for. It is open and it will take
care of youth from they said from infancy on up
to probably about eighteen to nineteen years old. And that
is a walking clinic. You can come in and out.
It does have some inpatient facilities within this mental health
and wellness center there. It treats everything from mental disorders
(05:56):
to eating disorders. And this is something that we have
in Omaha now that not many cities have. And there
is a big need I think out there for the youth,
and there's a lot and you know, we see that
all over what other facilities and what other options do
they have? And unfortunately, what you see in many big
cities and in Omaha too, if there isn't a facility
(06:19):
for the youth, what happens? They end up out on
the street. And we are seeing more and more younger
people within their teens becoming homeless because there's no place
for them to go either. Another thing that we did
when I was Mayor of the city with Omaha Police
Department is we did it at first on a grant
(06:40):
with a pilot and we had hired a mental several
mental health professionals that would respond to every nine to
one to one call that was a DV call a
domestic violence call because you as a you know what
happened just recently with the Douglas County Sheriff's deputy. Those
domestic violence its calls are very dangerous and just sending
(07:03):
a police officer or a couple police officers out there
sometimes can put them in a very very precarious situation
because they are dealing with mental illness. A lot after
the pilot, we went ahead and funded that and put
it in Omaha Police Department's budget. There is a mental
health professional now in every police precinct in the city
(07:24):
of Omaha, and they are dispatched with nine to one
one if there's a domestic violence call that comes in
through nine one one. And so that is something above
and beyond that the Omaha Police Department now is doing
to help address these issues with their calls that they
get through nine one one. And then I just wanted
(07:44):
to bring up if you look at things that have
happened in Omaha in the past, doctor Anthony Garcia and
Nico Jenkins, I think everybody remembers those several years ago,
both very mentally ill serial killers here in Omaha. Now
both are incarcerated, but the story with them and the
story of their past life and what had happened to
(08:06):
them to get them to this place was just unbelievable.
And doctor Anthony Garcia was a physician and went to
medical school and ended up being a serial killer on
a revenge mission that he had. And so these are
things that are very, very real and very real in
society right now. But I just had to say, I
(08:26):
think it was that what has happened for them not
having enough facilities to take care or to put people
that are mentally ill or suffering from mental health problems.
There's not a lot around because of what happened in
that movement in the past. Let's get them out of
these big facilities, don't lock them up anymore, Let's give
them the treatment. Great intention, but the facilities aren't there anymore.
(08:49):
And you know, I obviously everybody knows this about me.
It's personal to me too. Mental illness. The person my
husband for forty one years, never ever ever thought it
would happen to him, a surgeon, a physician, a very
well known respected and I saw a downward spiral with him,
but he would not get treatment. And you know, and
(09:09):
you can't believe how you feel when I'm my past,
I'm a nurse. I feel like I should have recognized this.
I know it's very hard on my kids, who were
adults at the time, but still, this downward spiral and
all of the symptoms were there, and all the signs
were there, and you thought, well, you got to give
him help, but you never ever thought it would end
in a suicide and it did. And so personal with me.
(09:33):
I mean, people absolutely need help, but there is there's
a lack of it, and you know, I think we
all need to do a little bit more as far
as what is a state by state do certain states
offer and other states don't. But there is an issue
out there, and I just wanted to really bring that
up because we used to have him here in Omaha,
and it used to be part of every nurses and
(09:54):
every physician's training, and it's not there anymore.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
I think society is really trying to destigmatize getting help,
especially in men. It could be very difficult in men,
but for everybody as well that it is. Okay, I'm
gonna go to the radio talk back Mike.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Here.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
This is on the iHeartRadio app. You hit that microphone
you can send us a message and here we go.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
What can you tell us about about the Rich or
Young hospital or building?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
What's ever gonna happen to it?
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Yeah, you know they.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I forgot that was a talkback now Mike, I was
going to start talking to him.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
You know, it is.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
It is vacant now. I believe it has been that
they are looking at purchasing it. Uh, you know, a
private group of nonprofit is looking at at purchasing it.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
You'll probably turn it into a Walmart.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
No, it's not. It's not big enough.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
But I'm telling you, you know, I drove by that
every single day for twelve years, and as you know,
it's kind of pushed back from the street and I
you know, sometimes when you drive down a street every day,
you don't pay a lot of attention to what's around you.
And I did not realize until about a year or
so ago what bad shape that was.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
It was.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
You know, the windows were open, they were broken. It
just it looked bad. And so the city did put
some attention to that, trying to get that boarded up
and safe. But there definitely is I believe that there
is a private nonprofit group that is going to purchase
(11:26):
that and that's going to do.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Something with that.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
You got that Omaha World Herald in front of you,
per usual, you're shuffling through it.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
What are you thinking about it today?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Well, the one thing I will say, and I don't
want this show to always be just about the street car,
but everybody wants to know about it, and I'm willing
to talk about it. But we did have a really
interesting guest on yesterday which I want to thank him again,
and that was Clark Ross, who is the owner of
Mercury Bar down on sixteenth and Harney. But he is
the one that is spearheaded. I guess he would be
(11:54):
called the chairman of this a gliance group that is
formed of one hundred and twenty businesses or in residents.
And I call it the corridor because it's the streetcar corridor,
meaning the three blocks or the three blocks on either
side of where the rails will be, and then the
six block area on either side or where the rails
will be, because those are the ones that are suffering
(12:15):
the most hardship with the construction. But I wanted to
make sure he was on so that he would have
a voice and say here's what is happening to us,
because this was never the intention. I mean, everybody knew
that when we were going to be building a streetcar
that there would be hardship for the businesses along the route.
But well, for every street project in Omaha, everyone, whether
(12:39):
it's out Millard, whether it's an Elkhorn, there is a
disruption when there's a road a project going on, and
it's usually very very temporary, and then it's usually once
it's done, it's very beneficial to all of those that
are along that street or whatever the construction was going
to be. And that's what we thought with the construction
of the street car. And I want everybody to keep
(13:00):
in mind that the original completion date was supposed to
be twenty twenty six this year, and because of all
of the additional mud work that mud is requiring, it's
added two years now. These businesses and these residents on
there is a real concern to me. Now, I don't
have any authority to do anything anymore, but I really
(13:21):
think that I'm glad that he said the city is
meeting with them. I am very very glad that the
city is taking some extra efforts as far as wayfinding,
of as far as traffic control, as far as offering
other options for parking. But these businesses are really suffering
and suffering for a longer period of time than anybody
(13:43):
ever thought. And because of that, some of their revenues
are down thirty thirty five, sometimes forty percent, and they're
not going to survive two more years, and that's a
big concern. One of the solutions that I had and
my team had was to have a hardship fund, which
we did do. Had about one point two million. It
was run through the Chamber, but we knew at the
(14:04):
time that wasn't enough, and now since the construction is
going on two extra years, they do need some sort
of financial relief. I will say this. Clark brought it
up and I did too. It is not legal for
the city to give taxpayer money to private business That
is in the state constitution, so the city can't give
(14:25):
taxpayer money. However, the city can do a lot of
public private partnerships, and I would encourage them to continue
to look for ways, hopefully from other private businesses that
are bigger businesses that are really going to benefit from
the streetcar, to consider working on another hardship fund to
(14:47):
help these businessesses get through this time, because it's going
to be positive when the street car is done, the
big businesses along the route are definitely going to benefit
from it. But at the same time, the big businesses
along the route do not want all the smaller businesses, restaurants, bars,
residents to move out. And that's not what we want.
(15:08):
That's just defeating the purpose. So why we're doing it.
So again, I really I support what they are doing.
I understand what they were doing.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
I am looking.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
You asked me about the World Herald, and I went
off on this other thing. But there is a Midland
Voice today which is an opinion and it's by Eric Miller.
And Eric Miller is the streetcar operation manager for the
City of Omaha, and he wrote an op ed in
the World Herald which is a positive one today and
it just it's the headline is current route for the
Omaha street car in the best place. And he goes
(15:40):
back and explains how the initial route was studied, why
it was determined to be in the area that it is,
and then that the plan is to do in the
future for the streetcar line. But it's a very good article,
and if you get the World Herald and read it,
I would suggest you read it. So I'm reading it
right now.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
It's always very fun speaking of construction. Correct me if
I'm wrong here, But this new Omaha Public Library is
opening up the nineteenth this weekend, right, They're big grand opening. Yes,
I had a couple of people reach out asking about that.
The first one here, can you interview Courtney Kopitz? Sorry
if I mispronounced that the library media director fabulous wanted
(16:21):
to be a librarian since she was three. That could
be fun. Get her on here for a little segment
in relation to the opening. That could be a little
bit of fun.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
You know.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I agree. And Laura Marlane is the library director. She
is one that the marriage does not appoint the library
born a trustees appoints the library director. But I was
very involved in the really initial planning with the library.
I would love to have Laura on or I would
love to have who did you just set Courtney Courtney on? Yes,
(16:52):
But again, according to Mary Ewing, there is a basically
a gag order on city employees and city directors such
as mar Laura Marlane coming on this show and talking
to the public about.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
City issues, and so it's disappointing.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I don't know why any mayor or any administration would
back away from city employees coming on the air to
inform the public about something as great as this new library.
I would love to have them on, but as far
as I know in the last email I received from
the communication director, it's that any request from me will
(17:31):
be denied by order of Mayor John Ewing, And so yes,
I would love to have them on. But let me
just remind you about the library too. And when I
mentioned while ago public private partnerships, this is just a
really good example of a perfect public private partnership that
the City of Omaha had with Heritage and with a
(17:53):
lot of the foundations. Because that's about one hundred and
fifty eight million dollar library on the corner of seventy
second end Dodge. The city put in about twenty million,
and the rest is private, and it will be a
city owned and operated library. The employees are all city employees.
This is an example of it, and it will always
(18:14):
be public. It's not going to be private. And this
is a real good example of public private partnerships.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I'm curious about how much you know.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Is it true that the new library will be completely
automated and there will be no browsing other than on
a computer. And then the tail end of the question
is what will become of the Swanson Library at ninetieth
and Dodge.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Right now, there is no plans to do anything with Swanson.
I know that it's so close to seventy second in Dodge.
Ninetieth and Dodge is very very close. We have had
genealogy at the Swanson Library.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
There was talks way back in.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
The Faihi administration about shutting down Swanson, but right now,
there is absolutely no plans to shut it down.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Right now, maybe you guys could use a little bit
of extra library time.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
There's another one for you guys to go to.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Yeah, true, But let me tell you there is a
unbelievable robotic system in this new Central Library that can
retrieve books for the whole city basically, and you can't.
You know, it's like a bot and it's just unbelievable.
It's stories and stories high, and it's like robotics are
in there that'll retrieve books immediately, and it's just amazing
(19:22):
how it works. But yes, there are still stacks, and
yes you can still browse for books, and yes there
are still going to be reading areas that you can sit,
and there's a children's area with books. You don't want
a child to come to the library and have to
use a robotic to get a book.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I know it. They probably would.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Like it drop it off like a vending machine.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
And that's exactly what it does. It's pretty amazing. But
that is something that I think people will really want
to learn about that we have available in this new library.
And we call it the Central Library. It doesn't have
a name, just Central, and it replaced the Central Library
which was Dale Clark Downtown. But I will say that
there still will be stacks and it still has the
(20:02):
appearance of the libraries of the past that we all love.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Well. I learned the Dewey decimal system, so I'm glad
I'll still be able to put those skills to use.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
I don't believe you know about, oh, come on the
Dewey system. I think that's been gone for a while.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
But yes, I mean, I think people love books, they
love libraries, and they love to go in there. And
I think I hope everybody it's going to open the
nineteenth to the public. I hope everybody goes in there
and takes a look at it. Because there's a different
thing of opinion, difference of opinion about the outside, about
the look and the design. Some people love it, some
(20:39):
people don't like it. But I think once you walk
through those doors and you see what it has to offer,
you're gonna love it.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Yes, all of us here are human. I'm human, Gene.
Are you human?
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Yes, definitely, definitely human.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Classic We are not a bot. Yes, nobody here is.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
We are not AI.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Okay, So, Jeane, I've gotten this quite a few times
in the emails and the talkbacks, and I'll just read
this to you. I want you to respond here and
maybe give to the listeners out there some of the contexts. Okay,
this comes from Shirley. Thank you for the email. Shirley
comment at kfab dot com. I've listened to your show
every day since it started, but with all due respect,
(21:17):
you need to get over the fact and stop mentioning
it every day. The Mayor Ewing has put a gag
order on his staff from being on your show. Get
over it and move on. Have you even reached out
and invited the mayor to coffee so you can settle
your difference.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Well, actually not reach out nask to coffee, but I
have reached out to the mayor's office following the basically
the guidelines that I was given that any request to
be on the show had to go through the communication director.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
So I did do that.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I did reach out and I did send an email,
and the response was any request from me for city
staff or directors to be on the show would be declined.
When I first when the election was over, and I'm
going back, you know, to last may But when I
became mayor, I defeated Jim Subtle, Jim Suttle reached out
(22:09):
to me, or I reached out to him. I went
up to his office, been a long time with him,
talked about the job of a mayor. He showed me around,
We chit chatted. I have said, do you you know,
let me know what I need to know. I can't
say that Jim Suttle and I are best of friends,
but whenever we see each other, we're very, very friendly
with each other. As my other opponents that I've had
(22:29):
in the past, Mayor Ewing never did reach out to me.
After he won the election, I then then reached out
to him and asked if we could meet and if
we could sit down and if we could talk, and
I was given he was really too busy to meet
with me, so we never did meet.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
He never did accept that invitation.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Now I would not I would like not to have
to talk about it every day, and I usually don't
bring it up, but it is relevant every day because
there are so many issues that people call into the
show and comment about that. I would like to have
a city employee, a city director to come on the
show and just talk about the issue of the day
(23:10):
that this show is not focused on talking about the
current mayor. This show is focused on talking about current issues.
And if we're talking about the library, or we're talking
about a new development, we're talking about the streetcar, we're
talking about the butt city budget. It's very, very helpful
to have the city taxpayer paid employees come on and
share their expertise. I know them all, I've worked with them,
(23:33):
most of them I hired, and I support what they do.
And so again, Shirley, thanks for the comment. I would
like to not to have to talk about it every day,
but like I said, it becomes relevant every day when
there is a public safety issue. I would like to
have my friend TODJ. Moteraan I've worked with Todd for
sixteen years. He's not allowed to come on. So I
(23:56):
think it's important for people to understand the dynamics. So
what's going on.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Absolutely, thank you for your email, Shirley. We appreciate this
type of insight and these questions.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
We love it.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
It creates a good atmosphere for everyone in the community.
We're gonna jump to the phone lines real quick. Ken,
you are live on news radio eleven ten KFAB with
Gene Stothart.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Welcome, Ken, Hello Arny.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
I was just curious if if anybody would be really
opposed in Amaha with all the mental health crisis going
on in the area, the juvenile's detention center that they
built that's not being used, if it would be wise
to maybe even consider turning that into some type of
(24:41):
mental health center, so we're not releasing people back with
back into the public with mental health issues like what
happened at Walmart the other day, right, And you.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Know, I would say a possibility. You know, the juvenile
court judges are in that new facility, but it was
meant for youth to be in there, and that portion
of it is empty and not being used. Now that
building does belong to Douglas County, it's not a city
of Omaha. Building, and it's Douglas County Board that would
(25:15):
make that decision of if that building is going to
be repurposed and used for something else. However, mental health
is under the umbrella of Douglas County, not the City
of Omaha. So you know, you don't see anything line
item any budget in the City of Omaha's budget for
mental health or mental treatment that is more under Douglas County.
(25:38):
So that would be some decision that they would definitely
have to make. But let me remind you the reason
that there are so few rooms in that new facility
that Douglas County built and it is empty is because
it was back to the same thing I was talking
about before. They wanted to get a way from having
(26:02):
in I'm going to call them patient Inpatients are incarcerating
kids and giving them the treatment that they need to
keep them back in school and back in society and
back out doing normal things, but the treatments aren't available yet.
It was kind of the they got the cart before
the horse, so they built the building. They didn't put
(26:23):
enough rooms for all the kids that are right now
in the Douglas County Youth Center. They don't have enough
beds for them, but they don't yet have the mental
health facilities, or the counseling, or the social workers are
all of those needs that are out there, they don't
have those yet, and that's just the problem we're talking
about earlier. They just don't have the It was a
(26:46):
great intention to say we're not going to lock people
up anymore, we're not going to incarcerate them. We're going
to give them the treatment they need. But that treatments
aren't available yet, and that's exactly what has happened with
that new facility.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I have a really interesting question here that comes from Terry.
What is there that you regret during your tenure not
doing or wish maybe you would have done differently. I've
always been a guaranteed supporter of yours. The accomplishment that
you achieved during your service is incredible. The mall is
a great place. I enjoy sitting by the fire pits
and boasting our city to visitors. Many accomplishments that you
(27:20):
speak of, rightfully, So what about any regrets or something
that you wish you would have done that you didn't do.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
You know, there are some, and I think I brought
one up one day, which is minor and that was
I just recalled one time I called out this cop
at ninetieth and Dodge for shutting down the intersection during
a snowstorm, and I'm like, why.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Did I do that?
Speaker 1 (27:43):
I got criticized so much for that because, and I apologize,
I wasn't there. I didn't understand what was going on.
So but anyway, you know another thing that I would
say that I regretted, and this is this some big things,
but it's something that I did personally, is when I
(28:05):
became mayor that the budget was supposed to be about
fourteen million dollars short.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
I became mayor in June.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
I had to have the budget done into the council
by August, and I thought, I have to set a
really good example. And so what I did. I was
still in the city Council. The city council sets the
salary for the mayor and the city council for four years.
Once you're in that term, you can't change it. But
before I became mayor, I was still in the city Council.
(28:34):
I brought the mayor's salary back in front of the
council and I thought, if I'm going to have to
really start slashing the budget. I have to set a
good example, and I lowered my salary by ten percent
and I froze it for four years. And I thought
that that was a good move to make to show
I will do it. If I'm going to have to
do it to other employees and other city staff, I'm
(28:56):
going to show by example that I could do that too.
And you know, I mean, that just didn't go over
well with people. And I was able to get that
budget done, and actually that budget ended up having a
surplus by the end of the year without cutting positions.
But then now the mayor's salary is four years behind
(29:19):
where it basically should be. You know, my last year
I was mayor. The mayor gets paid about one hundred
and eighteen thousand dollars a year. Now, that may seem
like a pretty good salary, but compared to the other
top fifty cities, it isn't. And I think, did I
do something that really will harm the mayors in the
future for what they get paid. So that is one
(29:40):
thing that I did that I probably regret doing. And
one other thing real quickly is I thought another thing
I would do when I first became mayors, I thought,
I don't need a city owned car.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
And every interesting, every mayor before.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Me, from holl to fay Heed to PJ, they all
have drivers, and they all had a city owned car
that they would move around town in when they were
doing city business. I thought, well, I will be different.
I don't need security and I'm going to drive my
own car. And I did that for four years. Well,
sometimes I would have a driver, which was a police
(30:16):
officer and sometimes not, but I ended up paying a
lot of extra out of my own pocket insurance for
multiple drivers.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
I had.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Some of those police officers had some fender benders with
my cars, and I paid for that. You know, I
paid for all the gas. And I thought, okay, you know,
after four years, I could see why mayors had a
city owned car. I didn't care. I didn't want it fancy.
And I said my second term, I'll take a city
owned car. And I was criticized. I mean, people just
(30:46):
criticized me bitterly, saying we don't we should not be
buying you a car, and you should not be driving
around a car that taxpayers paid for, when every other
mayor before me had had that all along. And again
I thought I was setting a really good example. But
it kind of backfired on me when I thought, No,
you know, the police would take my car through a
car wash and tear the windshield wipers, and one would
(31:09):
tore my rear view mirror off one time, and you know,
and I had to pay for it myself. And I thought, Okay,
I can understand why, but every other mayor did it
before me. I thought I was trying to set a
good example. It really didn't.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
That's very interesting. See this is the type of stuff
that I like to know.
Speaker 6 (31:24):
That.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
That's very interesting. Okay, So I just had a cold
brew over here, and I am so hungry. I am
so hungry.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
Are you lit up over there now?
Speaker 5 (31:32):
Yeah, I'm all fired up. I'm all I'm wired up
and ready to go. But Ryan asked a very important question.
Let's get through important questions here. Where in all of
Omaha metro area is you is your favorite restaurants for
Asian cuisine, barbecue, pizza, and a burger? Can you maybe
give me two or three of your favorite places? Oh?
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Okay, I love for a burger. I love Barretts, which
is down on Leavenworth. I loved I really like those
for for for hamburgers. My husband is a ham. He
loves hamburgers and he is on this quest for the
perfect hamburger, and I think he found that one he
(32:14):
really likes there. I will have to say not in Omaha.
But there is a great restaurant that I go to
about once a week in Ashland, and that's Rulemans. And
you know, Ashland is not that far. It's way down.
It's kind of by the where the great and outlet
malls are down on six and they have great burgers
and great steaks there. So I do like that. Phil
Ruhlman owns that. And Willie Thesen the the father of
(32:37):
Grandfather's Pizza. He's the one that helped put Rulmans together.
But anyway, for pizza's, we're still in the quest for
the best pizza I like. I particularly like Zeo's Pizza.
I think there that's really good. And I like the
There's Pison's. There's only one of those, and that's out
on about one hundred and it's like on it's on
(32:59):
Center where Center and L come together there by the
railroad tracks by Bob Boozer. That's a really good one,
I think. For pizza, so barbecue, I'm still hunting and
I love barbecue. Yeah, and I'm still hunting for the
best barbecue.
Speaker 5 (33:14):
So I lived in Kansas City for a few years
for college, and I had some really good barbecue.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Tell us what, you know, they talk about Kansas City
barbecue and they talk about Saint Louis barbecue. What is
Kansas City barbecue? What's the difference?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
You know, I'm a college kid, so going and getting
barbecue isn't like a common occurrence.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Going through a drive through for you probably.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Yeah. Q thirty nine was pretty good. I like Joe's.
It's okay.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
Joe's is kind of like the the I don't want
to say fast barbecue, not to diminish it, but it's
more common chain franchise. Okay, but real question, real quick
question one more real quick. I love Charleston's.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Charleston's. You said that the other day.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yeah, I really love it.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
And you know, they have a new Charleston's now, which
is at Heartwood Preserve on between Dodge and Pacific one
hundred and forty four. I love that place. I mean,
I love salmon, and they have the best salmon in
the world there, and it smells good in there. It
smells like a wood fire. I love Charleston's a lot ruben.
Speaker 5 (34:08):
Are you a fan of the ruben? We are home
of the ruben.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
It's debatable, but we will claim it.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Will claim it, We.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Will claim it. And one of the best rubens. Well,
I've had a really good ruben at Barrett's, but a
really good Ruben at the Cottonwood. Yes, because that's where
they claim the ruben was invented.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Down in the basement.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Now the Crescent Moon across the street claimed they are
where the ruben was invented. But both of those they
are together. They both have great rubens, but so does Barretts.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Yes, that one's good too.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
And then even across the street over here in the
historic Dundee Dundee Dell has a very very good rubens.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
Right across the street. We should head on over.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I know.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Yeah, that sounds like a great lunch. Jean Stouth. Here
we are.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
And during the break we were talking about food again.
Obviously we're hungry, yes, but we forgot to mention. I
forgot to mention Runza runs up. I tell you, as
far as a fast food hamburger, Runzas are good. And
when we had the USA swim trails here the swimmers
would beg for them to bring huge boxes full of runs,
(35:15):
as they loved them. But we can't forget runza's. And
I think, as far as I think I did say
Godfather's pizza, I think I said that. Yeah, that somebody
called and corrected this, that I said something wrong, But anyway,
I know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
I remember come to peace.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
One time when I was a kid, my dad took
me to a Nebraska Iowa game at Memorial Stadium. It
was cold, gross, wet, slushy snow, and they sell runza
at Memorial Stadium and he bought me two runzas and
I shoved them in my sweatshirt pocket and it was handwarmers.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
Oh good, idea dad.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Did your dad think of that?
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (35:53):
I don't know if it was something that happens normally,
but I just remember he shoved two runs in my
pocket and boom.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
I hope you didn't take your hands out of your
pocket because they probably were greasy.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Yeah they might have been, but you know what my
hands were more, my feet were. My hands were well.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
I hope you didn't put runs in your ship.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Runs is are?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
I mean runs? It is really good.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
I mean because you could tell it's homemade, and you
could tell you could tell with the burgers, and Mike,
like I said, my husband's on this quest for the
perfect burger and he loves runs of burgers.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
So very interesting.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Let's get to one caller here, Michael, You're on news
radio eleven ten KFAB with Jean Stuth.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Oh Mayor, I just wanted to tell you how much
I really enjoy your show. Great deal, thank you. Oh yeah,
And I mean, learning so much about city government. And
I think the reason I enjoyed your show is also
one of the reasons why you haven't gotten much of
(36:50):
a reach out from the current mayor or why he
doesn't want people in his administration to come on your program.
I think that reason is that I think there's just
a discomfort with the depth of your knowledge. I mean,
it's the contrast is so stark that I think it
(37:11):
probably discombobulates him a bit. I think, I mean that
would be my that would be my guess. I mean,
I'm still in you know, semi lowe. I don't know,
just a semi shock that how you could have lost
that election, Like you said, too many people stayed home.
(37:33):
I mean, it's just it's just to me, that's a
reminder that anything can happen inflectus. Good lord, Well thanks.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
For your comment.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, thank you for saying that. Thanks for your comment.
You know it could be insecurities, but I will for
the mayor. But you know, I mean, good Lord, I
was mayor for twelve years. He's been mayor for ten months.
I should know what's going on. I mean I really should.
And that's not in any way trying to make him insecure.
And when I was mayor for ten months, I had
a lot to learn too, So why not, you know,
(38:03):
let your directors, who are very knowledgeable and very good
at what they do, get out there and say the
things that that would help people understand what is going on.
And again, yes, you know, I'm not one I lost
the race. That's all there is to it. I'm not
one that's gonna sit out there and go you know,
I was cheated out of that race or it was unfair.
(38:24):
It was a fair election. You know the results. I
accept it, and I'm you know, I'm more than ready
to move on. I loved being mayor. I could have
been mayor four more years because I knew what I
was doing. But I love being retired too, and it's
fun doing this this little radio show too.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
So I'm really fine where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
But i still feel like I know the directors, I
know this city, and let's share what is going on
with all of all of Omaha, and I try to
hide or restrict people from what they can say.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
Curtis sent an email saying Jay's Smokehouse has the best
barbecue here in town and some of the best burgers.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Oh, I'll have to try it.
Speaker 5 (39:02):
Very interesting, Yes, Jays Okay, Jay's like j apostrophe s
I am glad.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
I am glad you said that because thank you for
something we need to check out.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
Yes, what about you said something to me earlier about
a guess we have coming on tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Yes, now, now this is interesting and I want you
all to tune in because Bob Stuby, who is the
public Works director and has been the public Works director
since two thousand and five for twenty one years. He
was hired by Mayor Fayhee. Good job, Mayor fay Heey.
Bob is a He is great. He is a friend
(39:38):
of mine. I've worked with him for sixteen years. For
the time that I was on the city council too.
You know, he's a trusted advisor. He's he was a
key member of my cabinet and he still is a
public works director. He is being allowed to come on
tomorrow because Bob is retiring in the summer and after
a long career. He is running for the mayor of Papillion.
(40:03):
And I invited Bob on and to ask him to
talk about running for mayor and just talk about his
career in general, because the projects and things he has
been involved with, I mean, it's amazing and I want
him to talk about it. We did have him scheduled
a couple of weeks ago, I know the mayor told
him he couldn't come on, and then he went back
(40:23):
and talked to the mayor and the mayor said he
could come on, but he could not talk about city issues. Well,
he's going to talk about his career tomorrow and he's
going to talk about what he wants to do next.
He's a great guy and I think you'll want to
listen in because I think he's been involved in so
much and has such historical knowledge of this city and
big things from the flood to the riverfront to the
(40:44):
sewer project, really interesting guy, and he's going to be
in the studio tomorrow, so listen in.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Yes, that'll be a very very interesting interview. Hopefully we
can get to the bottom of a lot of different things.
Like we always say here on the KFA B comment line,
we love to hear your input. We love to hear questions,
comments and concerns. We don't want to just talk about
the streetcar every day, but you guys love to hear
about it. Or maybe I should say you guys love
to ask about it, but whatever you like. Even when
(41:11):
we're on other shows throughout the day, email us. It
comes to my email and we can tackle it at
a different time. I have lots of good questions for
tomorrow the rest of the week, so go ahead and
add those up.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Thank you for spending time with us, and thanks for listening.
And this is KFAB
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