RJ Neary and Mayor Jean Stothert clash in Omaha mayoral debate
The pair debated some of the top issues impacting Omaha including the pandemic, social justice, affordable housing and more.
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Updated: 10:40 PM CDT May 2, 2021
RJ Neary and Mayor Jean Stothert clash in Omaha mayoral debate
The pair debated some of the top issues impacting Omaha including the pandemic, social justice, affordable housing and more.
Share
Updated: 10:40 PM CDT May 2, 2021
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RJ NEAR ADVANTAGE DEBATE SHARING HIS GOALS AND CALLING OUT THE CITY FOR THE CHANGES. HE BELIEVES NEED TO TAKE PLACE MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT DEFENDED HER PAST DECISIONS AND PROJECTS ENSURED HER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. OMAHA MAYOR CANDIDATES RJ NEARY AND MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT WENT HEAD TO HEAD SUNDAY NIGHT DEBATING SOME OF THE TOP ISSUES IMPACTING THE CITY RIGHT NOW ONE OF THE TOPICS THE CITIES RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC NEARY SAYS OMAHA SHUN HAVE ACTED FASTER WHEN LIVES ARE AT STAKE. YOU DON’T STAND BEHIND. AND AND WATCH AND YOU DON’T TRY TO PLAY. POLITICS WITH PEOPLE’S LIVES AND WE HAD OUR FIRST CASES IN MARCH AND WE WERE THE LAST MAJOR CITY IN AUGUST TO HAVE A MASKED MANDATE STALFORD SAYS SHE MADE BUDGET CUTS RIGHT AWAY THAT PAID OFF. WE HAD A HIRING IN A PURCHASING FREEZE. WE DELAYED THE POLICE AND FIRE RECRUIT CLASSES. THESE WERE IMMEDIATE RESPONSES THAT WE TOOK TO REDUCE SPENDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GETTING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE TO LAY OFF ANY ESSENTIAL FULL-TIME PERSONNEL AND WE DID THAT. ANOTHER CONVERSATION OF DEBATE THE SUMMER PROTESTS SOCIAL JUSTICE AND WHETHER PEOPLE BELIEVE CITY HALL IS LISTENING TO THEM. I THINK AN EXAMPLE WAS DURING THE PROTEST WE DIDN’T GO TO LEADERSHIP OF COMMUNITIES THAT WERE HURTING. WE JUST TRIED TO POLICE OUR WAY OUT OF IT. I THINK MR. NERI NEEDS TO DO HIS HOMEWORK BECAUSE WE WERE NOT TRYING TO PLEASE OUR WAY OUT AND WE DID GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WE DID LISTEN TO PEOPLE OMAHA IS CURRENTLY STRUGGLING WITH A HOUSING SHORTAGE AND MAKING AFFORDABLE HOMES AVAILABLE NEAR ME. THAT’S WHAT INSPIRED HIM TO RUN. I HAVE A GOAL TO CREATE 1600 EXTRA AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS BY CREATING SHOVEL READY SITES BY REHABBING SOME HOUSES WE TEAR DOWN NOW AND RETAINING THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. THE MAYOR SAYS, IT’S NOT THE CITY’S JOB TO USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO BUILD HOMES GOVERNMENTS ROLE IS TO IDENTIFY AND ANY ANY TYPE OF OBSTRUCTION THAT WE HAVE FOR DEVELOPERS TO CONSTRUCT MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES. THAT’S WHAT GOVERNMENTS ROLE IS. AFTER THE DEBATE, I ASKED BOTH CANDIDATES THE SAME QUESTION AND THAT WAS WHAT ISSUE DO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY DO NOT SEE IDA EYE ON NEARY SAID CLIMA