Originally aired May 11, 2001

5/11/01 - Whether you live in Omaha or not, you probably already know that they’re picking a new mayor next week. Political changes in the state’s largest city can ripple across Nebraska, so it’s an important election. It’s also an interesting election because the polls show it’s very close, because the personalities are very big and because the stakes are very high.

“Statewide’s” Bill Kelly reports there is a surprising level of political uncertainty that could reshape local government in Omaha. He says the fact that the World-Herald said Mayor Hal Daub “may very well go down as one of the best mayors Omaha had in the 20th Century” while endorsing his opponent, Mike Fahey, reflects the tug-of-war that’s going on over how Omaha should be governed.

Reported by Statewide correspondent, Bill Kelly.

A former mayor of Omaha once said the crane migration he was interested in was on Omaha's skyline. The cranes are back again. The tallest building in the state is under construction. Site preparation began this year for the new convention center. A dozen other downtown residential and business projects are underway.
The prosperity is hard to miss as well along the city's western boundary. An aggressive annexation plan has added hundreds of acres to Omaha. Newsweek even named the city one of the top ten new tech cities in the country. So why when the voters went to the polls last month for the primary election, why did they seem poised to throw out the Mayor and a majority of the city council?
[Cliff Herd] I think the voters in the city are tired of politics as usual here at City Hall.
Cliff Herd was one of the lucky ones. He led in the primary, but only with 38 percent of the vote. Four of his colleagues are on the bubble. Voters dismissed Jim Monahan even before the general election. Another appointed council member, Bob Sivik, barely got one out of every five votes cast last month. Combative South Omaha representative Paul Koneck got 40 percent of the vote, but was still trailing a retired police officer heading into the general election.
[Paul Koneck] And apparently when you stand up for what's right is when you start getting knocked down by the Omaha World-Herald and the big business folks here in town.
This has been a city council frequently in conflict with the Mayor and with one another over issues as diverse as police/community relations to paying for the new Convention Center and arena. The bickering became so bad an Omaha World-Herald editorial suggested that voters should toss out a majority of the city council members in the spring elections.
"In too many instances, the performance of the city council majority has earned little praise," the editorial said. "Omahans who are upset with such bumbling have an remedy and it's called an election."
It's become a major theme for the candidates left standing after the primary.
[Cliff Herd] I'd like to see a spirit of cooperation come out of this election, recognizing that there are many, many good things happening in the city.
[Franklin Thompson] Probably the biggest liability that the incumbents in the council had was this image of backroom dealing, rotating presidency, if I don't get my way I'm going to hold you hostage, I'm only caring about my own little district and not the whole city as a whole. That's the baggage that they have to deal with now. And as you can see the voters are raising a collective voice and flexing their muscle on that issue.
Franklin Thompson, an education professor at UNO, decided to run for Omaha City Council over a year ago after sensing that people were just plain tired of what had become business as usual in City Hall.
[Franklin Thompson] People were pretty much saying why can't we disagree without being disagreeable.
And you felt that there was a way to do that?
[Franklin Thompson] Well, I know there's a way to do it. That's one of the skills that I teach in class.
The Sixth District, covering the south central part of Omaha, gave Thompson a fighting chance by throwing out the incumbent Jim Monahan. Thompson trailed the better-financed campaign of businessman Andy Winstrom.
[Andy Winstrom] We aren't east of 72nd and west of 72nd or north and south of any particular line. We're all one city and we need to build an attitude of teamwork and focus on what's best for the community in our decision making process.
[Hal Daub] Oh, I think the council has… generally speaking… picked too many fights.
There are already indications that Mayor Hal Daub may also be paying a price for the periodic City Hall skirmishes. Primary day voters stunned Daub by narrowly pushing his opponent, Mike Fahey, into the lead.
[Paul Landow] It's not a good position for the incumbent to be in.
How that was interpreted depends on where the observer stands. Paul Landow consulted with Democratic candidates in Nebraska before teaching government at UNO.
[Paul Landow] He's said some things that have turned people off. In fact, he said some things that have just plain angered people. And after this many years of this sort of public personality problem, it's catching up with him.
Brinker Harding worked with Daub as his chief of staff.
[Brinker Harding] As much as people like to make out of how much bickering or how much there are differences of opinion, I challenge you to at least tell me what projects didn't get done. And I think that everything that has been at least discussed and brought up has been resolved in some way.
Harding and the mayor himself also believe Daub's too close for comfort showing in the primary may be a fluke of low voter turnout.
[Brinker Harding] I think you had some people say, you know, things are going well. I kind of like what's happening. I like where the current administration has taken the city. It's only the primary; there are only two candidates in the race. I'll just wait for the general election.
When the candidates made joint appearances during this campaign, significant issues are addressed but leadership style remains at the forefront. Compare their responses to questions about development in downtown Omaha.
[Gary Kerr] How would you build on the many things that are happening in downtown Omaha? Union Pacific, convention center, Gallup… What involvement would you have in bringing new business to Omaha?
[Mike Fahey] I salute all of those particular initiatives and will certainly work to… for their fruition. I think it's very important that we continue the development in downtown. That doesn't mean we have to forget about the rest of the city. And that's some of the differences between this administration and mine. I don't think we have to sacrifice one for the other.
[Hal Daub] And no more fingers in the air, no more talk, let's get it done.
The major issues are clear: whether Omaha is keeping up with fixing its aging streets and sewers, traffic flow at major intersections, and whether services are divided up fairly between the fast growing western developments and established and ethnically diverse eastern half of the city.
In each case, Mayor Daub campaigns with a six-year record of accomplishment that he believes speaks for itself on issues like reducing crime.
[Hal Daub] We hired a new chief, put 96 more officers on the street, built two new police stations, changed our in-service training approach, reorganized the department. And the crime rate turned around and it went down in '98, '99, 2000 and today its 20 percent down. Go check the facts.
Candidate Fahey returns to the foundation of his campaign… Omaha can do more and with less friction.
[Mike Fahey] The police officers of our community do an outstanding job. It is not about that. It is the policy of how we go about policing that I think needs to be changed.
Underneath much of the debate about the style of leadership in city government lies a sense that Omaha has changed dramatically in the past decade. The influence of the stockyards has been replaced by the role of stockbrokers on-line. Homegrown companies like Con-Agra have global interest and appear to pay only passing interest to Omaha's local concerns.
[Brinker Harding] The business community in reality really drove the direction the city went in for a long time.
That's changed?
[Brinker Harding] I think so. I think that now you have a mayor that has been more pro-active and wanting to get things done. And going out and fostering and working with the business community to make those partnerships. And I think you've seen the result of those efforts time and time again.
With the waning influence of the business community in local government, an individual leader… an elected leader… had more of an opportunity to shape the course of the city.
[Paul Landow] The strong mayor system however in political science terms is dependent on the personality of the mayor. And Mayor Daub has been stronger than most because frankly he has a stronger personality than most.
[Hal Daub] In my case I think it has to do with I've just made a lot of tough decisions. And when you make tough decisions you're going to ruffle some feathers. I know that. But I was elected to make those decisions, to move our city forward, and to represent all of the people. And we have a diversity that's wonderful, but that diversity of opinion is… is tough to get consensus sometimes.
The City Charter makes clear Omaha will be ruled by a "strong mayor" form of government. The results of next week's election will give a good indication of what the citizens take that to mean. And which individuals they believe fit that definition.