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To the editor: I am in Pat O'Neill's corner and support him in
providing the city of Lincoln with a partial list of alleged city
code violations of properties located in the city of Lincoln. County
board member O'Neill was serving as a messenger while doing this
needed job as outlined above.
Shame on city attorney Bill Bates and Courier letter writer Andy
Anderson for condemning Pat O'Neill after he provided his very
limited list of properties with alleged code violations to the city.
It is never acceptable to condemn the messenger; only the message
is open to dialog. City Hall should welcome complaints and concerns
from us.
It isn't necessary for anyone to travel very far throughout the
city to come upon undesirable-looking property in Lincoln. They are
often found in block after block throughout the city, and this
problem is getting worse every day.
Undesirable property is costing the city of Lincoln thousands and
thousands of dollars in lost real estate tax revenue, while at the
same time it is lowering the value of decent neighborhood owners'
property, thus costing the city of Lincoln tax revenue from both of
the type properties described above. This makes for a loss-loss for
the city while permanently lowering local residents' property
values. This trend is wrong and it needs corrected at once.
[to top of second column in this letter] |
I believe it is time now to make for constructive change in
present policy by listing each address of the code violations, while
including each of the violations along with each property owner and
their phone numbers.
After a reasonable length of time when City Hall sees no
progress, we should then publish a working list in all local media
outlets and continue to publish these lists every quarter.
I recall that public humiliation worked to collect outstanding
city sewerage bills a few years ago. Why not try this same method
with the city code violators? There is no room for excuses and
failed policies; anything less than results is unacceptable.
Insanity is to continue to do things the same way and expect
different results. Just ask Dr. Phil.
We must get a grip immediately on this very serious problem that
is robbing all of us.
Citizens for Justice, Inc.
Lester C. Van Bibber III
President
Lincoln
[Posted
July 22, 2008]
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