Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We have over the course of many weeks talked with
candidates and surrogates, and yeah, it's about time. I think
we hear from Jasmine Harris, who's good enough to join
us this morning for a few minutes. Jasmine, Good morning,
Good morning Gary. How are you well? I appreciate you
coming on. You are democrat, a nonprofit director. You have
(00:23):
a bachelor and a bachelor's degree in biology from you
and O and a master in public health from un MC.
And this is not your first rodeo for an attempt
to run at mayor how do you perceive it's going
this time compared to last.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
So last time in twenty one when we ran, we
were you know, in the midst of COVID, so everything
was different. You know, you weren't gathering in person. A
lot a lot of things were via zoom and you know,
not a lot of knocking at the doors where you
were talking with folks. It was a lot of dropping literature.
So this time it is more FaceTime with people getting
to do the debates and have that last time either,
(01:01):
so I think getting more in front of people and
allowing them to see who I am as a person,
and you know, the policies that I want to bring in,
the priorities I want to bring as mayor is different
this time around.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I suggested earlier this morning, Jasmine that my perception is
that you do not have a ton of financial backing
compared to some of the other candidates. One is that true?
And two? What does that mean as you try to
take down an incumbent and otherfigh profile candidates.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, you know, finances aren't like you know, the incumbent
and folks who have been in office for a long time,
They've had decades to build up their war chests, right,
you know, the consistent donations to them. For me, it's
about people. My donations come from people who are spending
their part earned money. It's not special interest dollars. It's
(01:56):
not corporation dollars for the most part, but it's individuals.
And I'm the candidate who has some of the highest
individual donors. So for me, that shows that people believe
in this campaign.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah. Do you have access to any surveys, any polling
that you trust regarding how the race is going?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I do not. I know there were some polling numbers
that were released earlier, I think from one of the
other candidate's campaigns, and so I'm just out there talking
to people. I'm hearing from people themselves. So that's what
I'm out here doing.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, what is your What would you say? Because you've
talked a lot about the biggest issues that all the
candidates have, do you have one that is pre eminent
to you as far as the most important issue in
this mayor's race and in this city.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
For me, it's public safety. I know, we talk about
public safety a lot, and people think of law enforcement,
and that's a piece of it for me. The other
part is prevention. Again, my background is in public health
and being a policy advocate and seeing that we need
to address public safety on the prevention side, and what
(03:06):
the root causes are of crime and so mental health
resources and how we have the mental Health Responders unit.
I think that really can help in how we address public.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Safety in our city in terms of let's flesh that
out a little bit for me, I mean, we know,
just if you look at the crime stats and the
folks who are apprehended in almost every case, it's a
matter of either poverty, gang membership, affiliation, or as you suggest,
(03:39):
mental health. How do you address that part in terms
of city.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Budgeting most definitely. So again, we have the Mental Health
Responders Unit that was created under the police department where
they go out on those calls, and that was created
around twenty twenty and what we've seen since they have
has been created and upticking the calls. Last year, I
think they received over ten thousand calls for mental health
(04:07):
concerns and I know that that team has five coresponders
and they want to expand to thirteen. So prioritizing how
we expand that unit to ensure we have the right
amount of staff and resources to address that uptakeing calls.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Another big issue for you and other candidates too is
access to public transportation to the extent where anybody in
any part of the city can find a job and
maybe another part of the city and not have to
worry about how they're going to get there. Do you
see that as a key issue.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yes, Transportation is a big key issue as well. I
know we talked about the street car and it's limited
access it's going to have because it's just going in
one area, and so for me, we have to look
at also how do we can the rest of the
city we've grown by annexing and we don't have a
(05:05):
dedicated transportation system that gets people from down the river
to out to Elkhorn. And I tell people we need
to think bigger than just the localized streetcar. We have
our Metro Area Transit buses, our Orbit buses, now we
have the streetcar. The Transit Authority is working on this
micro transit pilot program. All of these things need to
(05:26):
be connected. And I think that is what we need
to do as a city, to have that working relationship
with Metro Area Transit and the Transit Authority to start
dreaming bigger and how we connect our city.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Well, that's what the micro transit effort is supposed to do,
is it not.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It's supposed to get people from those gaps. So, for instance,
my morning starts off like getting my son to work too,
has to work at seven, and he's out off of
one hundred and eighth in the interstate, and it would
take him two hours to get to work and the
last stop would be if he got off the bus,
taken forty minutes to walk to where his job is.
(06:03):
So the micro trend that is supposed to address that
gap where you can get off the stop and then
be able to catch a ride for a cheaper amount
than what is costing right now.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Do you think the street car is a good investment.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Personally, I don't. I think that you know, the voter
should have had a chance to say in that, but again,
that's done, that has happened, and I think we could
have invested that money in something like light rail or
a regional train from Omaha to Lincoln.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Well week from tonight we'll know who the final two are. Jasmine.
We appreciate you coming on this morning. Good luck.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Gary, you have addrest your name, you too, Jasmine Harris
here on KOFAB This Morning News seven twenty two. Now,
I'm a sports free fan, Jim Rose. I haven't heard
a talk of a train from Omaha to Lincoln in
a while. That's fresh. I like it.
We have over the course of many weeks talked with
candidates and surrogates, and yeah, it's about time. I think
we hear from Jasmine Harris, who's good enough to join
us this morning for a few minutes. Jasmine, Good morning,
Good morning Gary. How are you well? I appreciate you
coming on. You are democrat, a nonprofit director. You have
(00:23):
a bachelor and a bachelor's degree in biology from you
and O and a master in public health from un MC.
And this is not your first rodeo for an attempt
to run at mayor how do you perceive it's going
this time compared to last.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
So last time in twenty one when we ran, we
were you know, in the midst of COVID, so everything
was different. You know, you weren't gathering in person. A
lot a lot of things were via zoom and you know,
not a lot of knocking at the doors where you
were talking with folks. It was a lot of dropping literature.
So this time it is more FaceTime with people getting
to do the debates and have that last time either,
(01:01):
so I think getting more in front of people and
allowing them to see who I am as a person,
and you know, the policies that I want to bring in,
the priorities I want to bring as mayor is different
this time around.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I suggested earlier this morning, Jasmine that my perception is
that you do not have a ton of financial backing
compared to some of the other candidates. One is that true?
And two? What does that mean as you try to
take down an incumbent and otherfigh profile candidates.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, you know, finances aren't like you know, the incumbent
and folks who have been in office for a long time,
They've had decades to build up their war chests, right,
you know, the consistent donations to them. For me, it's
about people. My donations come from people who are spending
their part earned money. It's not special interest dollars. It's
(01:56):
not corporation dollars for the most part, but it's individuals.
And I'm the candidate who has some of the highest
individual donors. So for me, that shows that people believe
in this campaign.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah. Do you have access to any surveys, any polling
that you trust regarding how the race is going?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I do not. I know there were some polling numbers
that were released earlier, I think from one of the
other candidate's campaigns, and so I'm just out there talking
to people. I'm hearing from people themselves. So that's what
I'm out here doing.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, what is your What would you say? Because you've
talked a lot about the biggest issues that all the
candidates have, do you have one that is pre eminent
to you as far as the most important issue in
this mayor's race and in this city.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
For me, it's public safety. I know, we talk about
public safety a lot, and people think of law enforcement,
and that's a piece of it for me. The other
part is prevention. Again, my background is in public health
and being a policy advocate and seeing that we need
to address public safety on the prevention side, and what
(03:06):
the root causes are of crime and so mental health
resources and how we have the mental Health Responders unit.
I think that really can help in how we address public.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Safety in our city in terms of let's flesh that
out a little bit for me, I mean, we know,
just if you look at the crime stats and the
folks who are apprehended in almost every case, it's a
matter of either poverty, gang membership, affiliation, or as you suggest,
(03:39):
mental health. How do you address that part in terms
of city.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Budgeting most definitely. So again, we have the Mental Health
Responders Unit that was created under the police department where
they go out on those calls, and that was created
around twenty twenty and what we've seen since they have
has been created and upticking the calls. Last year, I
think they received over ten thousand calls for mental health
(04:07):
concerns and I know that that team has five coresponders
and they want to expand to thirteen. So prioritizing how
we expand that unit to ensure we have the right
amount of staff and resources to address that uptakeing calls.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Another big issue for you and other candidates too is
access to public transportation to the extent where anybody in
any part of the city can find a job and
maybe another part of the city and not have to
worry about how they're going to get there. Do you
see that as a key issue.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yes, Transportation is a big key issue as well. I
know we talked about the street car and it's limited
access it's going to have because it's just going in
one area, and so for me, we have to look
at also how do we can the rest of the
city we've grown by annexing and we don't have a
(05:05):
dedicated transportation system that gets people from down the river
to out to Elkhorn. And I tell people we need
to think bigger than just the localized streetcar. We have
our Metro Area Transit buses, our Orbit buses, now we
have the streetcar. The Transit Authority is working on this
micro transit pilot program. All of these things need to
(05:26):
be connected. And I think that is what we need
to do as a city, to have that working relationship
with Metro Area Transit and the Transit Authority to start
dreaming bigger and how we connect our city.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Well, that's what the micro transit effort is supposed to do,
is it not.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It's supposed to get people from those gaps. So, for instance,
my morning starts off like getting my son to work too,
has to work at seven, and he's out off of
one hundred and eighth in the interstate, and it would
take him two hours to get to work and the
last stop would be if he got off the bus,
taken forty minutes to walk to where his job is.
(06:03):
So the micro trend that is supposed to address that
gap where you can get off the stop and then
be able to catch a ride for a cheaper amount
than what is costing right now.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Do you think the street car is a good investment.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Personally, I don't. I think that you know, the voter
should have had a chance to say in that, but again,
that's done, that has happened, and I think we could
have invested that money in something like light rail or
a regional train from Omaha to Lincoln.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Well week from tonight we'll know who the final two are. Jasmine.
We appreciate you coming on this morning. Good luck.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Gary, you have addrest your name, you too, Jasmine Harris
here on KOFAB This Morning News seven twenty two. Now,
I'm a sports free fan, Jim Rose. I haven't heard
a talk of a train from Omaha to Lincoln in
a while. That's fresh. I like it.
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