Ewing on Why He Wants to be Omaha's Next Mayor

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
As we continue to approach the city elections, the primary
less than three weeks away now, and we've been covering
a lot on the mayoral race. And we're joined this
morning by one of the five candidates, current Douglas County
Treasurer John Ewing, running from Omaha mayor. John.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Good morning, Gary, How are you well.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Good to have you back here. This has been I
can imagine a little bit frustrating for you, given the
fact that so much of the attention in this race
so far has been about the incumbent mayors author and
her head critic Mike McDonnell, one of the other candidates.
Has it been difficult for you to get traction?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
No, I don't believe so. I think the news media
has focused on their debating back and forth about issues,
and the people of this community are focused on who
they believe will be the best leader for this city.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Okay, what do you think of the top issues we've
been chatting about this here this morning, as we have
been for a few weeks. What do you believe Omaha
voters will make their decision based on Well.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
I believe they'll make their decision based on experience. I
believe they'll also make their decision based on who they
believe they can trust to carry out what they say
they're going to do. And I believe that's me because
I've been in public service now a little bit over
forty three years, and even when I ran for Douglas
County Treasurer, I made three promises that I would restore

(01:39):
fiscal integrity, restore public trust, and utilize technology to serve
you better. And I've done those things, and I think
that's what voters really pay attention to, is do you
do what you say you're going to do?

Speaker 1 (01:53):
John?

Speaker 3 (01:53):
Could you clarify your position on a couple of issues,
because I think maybe it's been either mister reported or
maybe a little unclear. Where are you on cooperation with
immigration and customs enforcement with regard to any illegals that
are in town? If your mayor what's the policy?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Sure, the policy is going to be that the Omaha
Police Department does not search out and look for people
based on their immigration status. If someone is involved in
a violent crime and they happen to be someone who
is undocumented, then certainly you don't want those people in
your community. But if someone is just stopped for a

(02:35):
basic traffic stop or some other minor thing like a
property damage accident. There's no reason to look and see
what their immigration or status may be.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
That's number one.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
That's the policy.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
That's the policy now, and that wouldn't change under John
Ewing administration. No, okay, what about what about the option
of making Omaha or he's leaning Omaha toward a sanctuary city.
You would be opposed to that, you'd be in different
to you.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
I've never I've never endorsed that. I think that leads
to a lot of a lot of additional problems and
unfunded things that create a large issue for the taxpayers
of the various cities.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
Now and with regard to the streetcar, U Mayor Stouthord
has been an unabashed cheerleader for it. Mike MacDonald says,
if he'd been mayor it had been put to a
public vote, what would John Ewing have done or what
will he do?

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Sure? The first thing is I agree that it should
have been put to a public vote. Once you make
that decision, or you make that comment in the heat
of a re election campaign, then you should keep your word. Secondly,
I would look and see if there is a possibility
of the streetcar being stopped now. Being perfectly honest, when
I see the Harney Street Bridge being torn down twenty

(03:59):
one year years prior to its usefulness being over and
been looking at all of the other things that have
been done in conjunction with the street car, I believe
it's been rushed to this point to try to keep
it from being something that could be stopped. So I'm
not sure if it can be stopped now.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Would you have been in favor of it?

Speaker 2 (04:23):
If you been mayor, I would have asked the citizens
of Omaha what they wanted, and from everything I've heard,
the citizens of Omaha did not want the street car.
Believe this information I saw was that sixty eight percent
were not in favor. If I was in favor of

(04:44):
the street car and saw that type of resentment or resistance,
then it would have been my job as mayor to
show the people of the community why it would be
advantageous to have it, And if I couldn't do that,
then we wouldn't move forward with the project. I believe
that's always the mayor's responsibility to lead and convince people.

(05:07):
If there isn't a course of action that you think
should be taken, did you decide.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
We're chatting this for another minute here with John Ewing,
Douglas County Treasurer and candidate for mayor of Omaha. Did
you decide to run, John, because you'd like a chance
to impart your vision in the city of Omaha? Already
you have a problem with Mayor Stothard.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
For me, it's always about my belief that having talked
to the citizens of this community, I have a more
comprehensive vision that they would like to see implement it.
I don't run against other candidates. I don't run because
other candidates are in the race. When I made my
decision to run for mayor, I was not sure what

(05:51):
Mayor Stothard was going to do, and that had no
impact on me. As a matter of fact, I had
made plans to announce, and then she announced a few
days before I did, and I went ahead with my announcement.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Good to have you on and I'm sure chat again John.
Thank you, John Ewing,