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City
alderman proposes holding hand out to Washington
Local
infrastructure funds would aid in economic stimulus
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[December 01, 2008]
Lincoln Alderman Verl Prather is
frustrated by the events going on in Washington, D.C., right now,
and he wants the city council to take action. At the Nov. 25 meeting
of the council, Prather suggested that the city put together a
resolution to be sent to representatives in Washington.
With several pages of news reports and online documentation in
hand, he reminded the council that all the bailouts going on right
now with federal money are "our money, taxpayer money, that they are
handing out without stipulation."
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 He adds that, furthermore, these bailouts are not being regulated in
regard to how the recipients use the money once it is received. He
said that Citibank, whose lobbyists are standing in D.C. with their
hand out waiting for cash, is at the same time investing some $400
million on putting their name on the Mets' stadium in New York.
Prather then said that with this resolution, the federal government
will be reminded that the strength of the national economy starts
with the small communities.
The city of Lincoln has long sought to modify Fifth Street Road
by adding additional lanes for better flow of traffic in that area.
Doing so would increase the city's ability to attract new industry,
thus strengthening the local economy with more jobs and more tax
revenue.
Finding funds for the Fifth Street project has been an issue for
the city and county since the late '90s. The plan is to renovate the
entire 10-mile stretch from Lincoln Parkway to the New
Holland-Middletown blacktop.
As the city limits have extended farther to the west in recent
years, the city has become responsible for more of the costs of that
project. The first phase involves the area from Lincoln Parkway to
Interstate 55. The city would now be responsible for the stretch
between Lincoln Parkway and Connolley Road.
Comparatively, the alderman says that $5 million the city needs
for that project would be very small compared with what is being
spent on bailouts right now.
Prather also stated that he would be willing to contact other
small communities and encourage them to issue similar resolutions,
perhaps using the Lincoln resolution as a model.
Alderwoman Wanda Lee Rohlfs asked if there was any indication
that perhaps other communities were already doing this, and the
answer is unknown at this time.
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Mayor Beth Davis-Kavelman asked if Prather wanted to write the
resolution personally, or whether she and the city attorney should
write it. Prather said that he felt like the attorney should write
the resolution, but that he wanted it to reflect that "we've been
out there (D.C.) several times in person, we've met with local
staff, we would like some funds, we need some help, and we're always
told there is no money available for projects."
With the city attorney absent from the meeting, the mayor
indicated that Prather's suggestion for a resolution would be added
to the agenda for Dec. 1 meeting. At that time, with city attorney
Bill Bates present, the council will make a decision as to whether
or not to instruct Prather and Bates to go forward with the drafting
of the resolution
[By NILA SMITH]
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