Omaha Forums

S33 wrote:

jessep28 wrote:

Louie wrote:The people of Nebraska voted Pete Ricketts as their governor. I mean if that doesn't prove Dave's points, what will?

The fact that Ben Nelson, a Democrat, was governor from 1991-1999?

Get those facts out of here. You're going to crush his narrative.

So 16 years ago we had a "Democratic" governor? Welp, you got me good.

I apologize for our unjust democratic process, and that not every elected official can be an activist liberal.

How frustrating for you.

S33 wrote:I apologize for our unjust democratic process, and that not every elected official can be an activist liberal.

How frustrating for you.

Voting Ricketts in is comparable to Trump getting a nomination.

While the people of Nebraska may be fairly moderate, on paper it doesn't always appear that way. The fact that both the current and immediate past governor are opposed to putting gay marriage to a vote and that the State is trying to sue Colorado because it's hellbent on enforcing overreaching marijuana laws doesn't really look good to many prospective residents and employers who already think of Nebraska as "flyover country."

Omaha, Lincoln and the section of I80 connecting the two should just secede from Nebraska and make their own state.

Louie wrote:

S33 wrote:I apologize for our unjust democratic process, and that not every elected official can be an activist liberal.

How frustrating for you.

Voting Ricketts in is comparable to Trump getting a nomination.

That is the dumbest thing I've heard in quite some time. Ricketts, while you may not like his social politics, fundamentally, is nothing like Trump. Trump is a media clown, and he appears to have lost his mind. He passes up no opportunities to go on national media, say some really dumb things, and damage his brand and credibility. Trump is irrelevant, and deep down, everyone knows it.

Ricketts conducts himself as a professional and is not only respectful of his constituents, but to the political process (albeit, a money-driven process). Your only correlation you have between Trump and Ricketts, is billionaire status and conservatism.

Granted, he is against gay marriage, at least on a political surface, he is. Overall, he ran a damn good campaign with some of the best fiscally conservative principles for the state of Nebraska. Everyone knows general acceptance of recognizing the gay community as equals to the heterosexual community, is a foregone conclusion, largely driven on a federal level.

But dismissing Ricketts as a "Trump," can be construed as just as bigoted as his anti-gay politics.

RNcyanide wrote:Omaha, Lincoln and the section of I80 connecting the two should just secede from Nebraska and make their own state.

I concur.

HR Paperstacks wrote:

RNcyanide wrote:Omaha, Lincoln and the section of I80 connecting the two should just secede from Nebraska and make their own state.

I concur.

Fighting intolerance with intolerance. The same logic and effect as drinking off a hangover.

HR Paperstacks wrote:

RNcyanide wrote:Omaha, Lincoln and the section of I80 connecting the two should just secede from Nebraska and make their own state.

I concur.

And you wounder why some out state Nebraska has a dislike for Omaha. Pretty narrow view without really looking at what drives the area. Like it or not Ag drives a big part of the economy and MANY jobs in the "new state" you suggest are completely tied to the part of the state that you cannot stand.

nebugeater wrote:

HR Paperstacks wrote:

RNcyanide wrote:Omaha, Lincoln and the section of I80 connecting the two should just secede from Nebraska and make their own state.

I concur.

And you wounder why some  out state Nebraska has a dislike for Omaha.  Pretty narrow view without really looking at what drives the area.  Like it or not Ag drives a big part of the economy and MANY jobs in the "new state" you suggest are completely tied to the part of the state that you cannot stand.

I saw it more of a joke than anything else. Could have added a smiley in there at some point to make that more evident. Ooopsie.


Edit: Fixed it.

Actually I only said I concur because I feel this part of the state is way different than the rest. Never said I cannot stand the rural parts or that I have a problem with our governor. I just think it logically makes sense similar to splitting up California.

I don't know if it's the best idea or not, just throwing my two cents out. No need to attack me...

Edit: and rereading, I for some reason just read that as split. I can see how you may have come to that conclusion from the word "secede". I don't think this section should split to spite the rest of the state. We all have a lot to offer.

Of course, it would make politics easier if we divided up into sections and subsections based upon our interests, but isn't that pretty much the antithesis to diversity?

But I will say, that if we could somehow take the fringe 20% on the left and the fringe 20% on the right, and give them their own country, I would be in favor. Basically, just get rid of anyone who is incapable of being politically rational. I'd endorse that type of oppression.

Nebraska has a healthy mix of Urban, Suburban and Rural populations and when combined with our more democratic system of splitting electoral votes than the norm we end up with a healthy political and economic system. Even if there is some feeling of a social and economic disconnect between Omaha, Lincoln and Outstate (I like that term, like Upstate NY or Downstate IL) it pales in comparison to those other examples.

Omaha's metro pop: ~900,000
Nebraska pop: ~1,900,000
~ 47%

Chicago's metro pop: ~9,800,000
Illinois metro pop: ~12,900,000
~75%

NYC metro: ~19,900,000
NY + NJ pop: ~28,400,000
(Obviously a lot of NYC's metro population exists in other states)
~ 70%

I think it would make a lot of sense to split California up, and turn NYC, Chicago, and several other major urban centers into city-states. You would have more direct representation for residents of both the states and the cities. Reduce a number of redundant services and inefficiencies created by laws crafted with urban centers in mind that don't keep rural areas in mind not to mention if you made St. Louis or KC a city-state incorporating the parts for both states they span you would replace a significant number or redundant bureaucracies. I just don't see Omaha as being at that level.

I was kind of thinking along the lines of city-state when I originally wrote that yesterday. I've had the idea from when I was younger that that may be more representative of certain areas. Now I know that Omaha may not be on the same level as the other cities listed, but just imagine if CB was part of our "state". Not that we have the same problems as KC, but I think it would make us not try to compete as much against each other.

And S33, I completely agree with giving the extreme fringes their own country. It seems like they cannot accomplish anything and are pulling the country apart.

The fact that Ben Nelson, a Democrat, was governor from 1991-1999?[/quote]
Get those facts out of here. You're going to crush his narrative.[/quote]

I liked many aspects of Ben Nelson, but his electoral success does not signal a voting block that was seeking inclusion and diversity. Ben Nelson was anti-gay (i.e. he was and to my knowledge still is against gay marriage) and could have done more to advocate for the rights of minorities in the state. I give him credit where credit is due (for example he wrote letters to Omaha gay pride goers) however he was by and large a conservative politician pandering to the politically conservative majority of Nebraska.

I did see on the news last night the metro"/ real estate market is red hot right now. They said since January 1st it started taking off and said if the fed rises interest rate it could slow it. And this alone doesn't mean a population boom but it could be a good sign.

daveoma wrote:The fact that Ben Nelson, a Democrat, was governor from 1991-1999?

Get those facts out of here. You're going to crush his narrative.[/quote]

I liked many aspects of Ben Nelson, but his electoral success does not signal a voting block that was seeking inclusion and diversity. Ben Nelson was anti-gay (i.e. he was and to my knowledge still is against gay marriage) and could have done more to advocate for the rights of minorities in the state. I give him credit where credit is due (for example he wrote letters to Omaha gay pride goers) however he was by and large a conservative politician pandering to the politically conservative majority of Nebraska.[/quote]

To quote Andrew Breitbart: "So?"

I think the update changed this thread's title. I didn't realize it was changed into a government and politics thread.

MTO wrote:I think the update changed this thread's title. I didn't realize it was changed into a government and politics thread.

To be fair, there's only so much a group of nerds can say about stagnated population figures. Maybe we could try to figure out why hundreds of thousands of people aren't trying to flock to Omaha, given the ample amounts of publications listing us in the "insert top ten here", extremely low unemployment numbers and high demand for skilled labor.

I guess that would be a bit more on-topic.

S33 wrote:

MTO wrote:I think the update changed this thread's title. I didn't realize it was changed into a government and politics thread.

To be fair, there's only so much a group of nerds can say about stagnated population figures. Maybe we could try to figure out why hundreds of thousands of people aren't trying to flock to Omaha, given the ample amounts of publications listing us in the "insert top ten here", extremely low unemployment numbers and high demand for skilled labor.

I guess that would be a bit more on-topic.

Once Omaha gets us one of them fancy monorails this place is going to boom.

Linkin5 wrote:

S33 wrote:

MTO wrote:I think the update changed this thread's title. I didn't realize it was changed into a government and politics thread.

To be fair, there's only so much a group of nerds can say about stagnated population figures. Maybe we could try to figure out why hundreds of thousands of people aren't trying to flock to Omaha, given the ample amounts of publications listing us in the "insert top ten here", extremely low unemployment numbers and high demand for skilled labor.

I guess that would be a bit more on-topic.

Once Omaha gets us one of them fancy monorails this place is going to boom.

As long as it's similar to the ones in Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook. It put those towns on the map!

Don't forget about Springfield!

Linkin5 wrote:

S33 wrote:

MTO wrote:I think the update changed this thread's title. I didn't realize it was changed into a government and politics thread.

To be fair, there's only so much a group of nerds can say about stagnated population figures. Maybe we could try to figure out why hundreds of thousands of people aren't trying to flock to Omaha, given the ample amounts of publications listing us in the "insert top ten here", extremely low unemployment numbers and high demand for skilled labor.

I guess that would be a bit more on-topic.

Once Omaha gets us one of them fancy monorails this place is going to boom.

Is there a chance the track will bend?

Professor Woland wrote:
Is there a chance the track will bend?

Not on your life, my Hindu friend!

NEDodger wrote:

Professor Woland wrote:
Is there a chance the track will bend?

Not on your life, my Hindu friend!

I never realized how lacking Simpsons references were on this forum.

Well played.