Jordan Pascale · @JWPascale
3rd Jul 2013 from TwitLonger
Some responses about the state of our city from emailers:
"I live near 84th & Old Cheney. We go downtown but not a ton. We have little kids, so we won't utilize the area much or the hotels to eateries downtown with all the hub bub. To us, this area and downtown talk(much like the Antelope Valley reno) is just more taxes and levies that go into our budget but we don't get much back out of it other than bills that cost us more. We own our home and pay property taxes. We do utilize the local elementary school for one of our children but the other is homeschooled. Why? He is special needs and the school we live by was too big kid number wise and he got lost in the system as a number. One of 900 kids who needed to be taught. Eventually, he didn't.
So schools and numbers matter to us here. Services and safety. Parks and play spaces. Safe trails and sidewalks. The roads out here for the most part get plenty of attention(exception being Old Cheney needs widened....badly!) and we have grocery stores and specialty shops and restaurants. Would love a city pool though!
I voted against the Haymarket Arena. I would again. We can be progressive and attract business and people in other valuable and useful ways. I hope the arena is successful and my kids and community reap the benefits, I will gladly be wrong. But right now, I am trying to raise and teach a child that the school system failed simply by shear overcrowding. To me, that is unacceptable. Our children ARE our community, our future....how can we cut our education budget year in & year out, yet build a grand building that will sit empty more than it sits full every year hour wise?
Lincoln is a great place to raise a family, we should keep it that way."
"I just read your article this a.m. 'In the eye of the beholder'. I decided to send you my thoughts about the city of Lincoln.
I find it interesting that Mayor Beutler did not mention the city's infrastructure...sidewalks, streets, etc. My husband and I live in the Country Meadows neighborhood at 66th and Hwy 2. If you have a few extra minutes please take a drive through our neighborhood and see what you think of our streets. We faithfully pay our property taxes and maintain our homes and yards. Our neighborhood association is in talks with the City about our streets, however, we are told there is no money to make improvements. Those of us that live in this neighborhood will have to come up with several thousand dollars each to help pay for streets that should be maintained by the City using tax dollars. The City should make maintenance of our streets, as well as many others, a higher priority.
Thanks for letting me vent!"