STATEMENT OF MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT
APRIL 4, 2017
THANK YOU VERY MUCH GOVERNOR HEINEMAN FOR THOSE KIND WORDS.
I VALUE YOUR ONGOING COUNSEL AND FRIENDSHIP.
THE PRIMARY RESULTS MATCH WHAT I SEE AND HEAR EVERY DAY AS MAYOR.
CITIZENS SUPPORT THE PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING FIGHTING CRIME AND VIOLENCE.
THEY ARE HAPPY OUR ECONOMY IS STRONG AND OUR CITY IS WELL-MANAGED.
AND PEOPLE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OMAHA AND OUR FUTURE!
OMAHA IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK!
IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WE WITHSTOOD NEGATIVE ADS, SOME PAID FOR BY ANONYMOUS DONORS THROUGH AN UNKNOWN CORPORATION.
SO, WHAT DID WE DO? WE STAYED POSITIVE!
I WANT TO READ YOU A SHORT NOTE WE RECEIVED FROM A VOTER.
IT READS (QUOTE) I JUST WANT TO THANK MAYOR STOTHERT FOR HER TASTEFUL, POSITIVE ADS. SHE MAKES IT A POINT TO EXPRESS HER GOALS INSTEAD OF SPENDING TIME ON OTHER CANDIDATES’ SHORTCOMINGS! YOU HAVE MY VOTE! (CLOSE QUOTE)
WE HAVE ALWAYS RUN OPTIMISTIC AND FUTURE-ORIENTED RACES.
SO OVER THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS, LET’S DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF OMAHA, AND HOW WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER, WORKING TOGETHER.
SPEAKING OF TV ADS, MY OPPONENT IN THE GENERAL ELECTION IS RUNNING A COMMERCIAL IN WHICH HE SAYS OMAHA IS DOING OK.
MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, “WELL, THANKS!”
MY SECOND THOUGHT WAS WE ARE DOING BETTER THAN OK, AND THE RESULTS TONIGHT SHOW VOTERS AGREE!
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, OMAHA IS OPTIMISTIC AND CONFIDENT, NOT BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON, OR A POLITICAL PARTY, OR A GROUP AT CITY HALL.
OMAHA IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK BECAUSE OF THE WORK BY MANY INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS DEDICATED TO SAFER STREETS, BETTER JOBS, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR YOUTH, AND A MORE VIBRANT DOWNTOWN.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE:
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PROMOTING OMAHA,
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BUILDING A NEW COMPANY,
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TEACHING CHILDREN IN SCHOOL,
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COACHING AND VOLUNTEERING,
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OR JUST BEING THERE TO HELP A NEIGHBOR – IT ALL ADDS UP.
WE STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO WITH A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH.
OUR GOALS WERE TO MAKE OMAHA SAFER, MAKE GOVERNMENT OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY, STABILIZE RECKLESS CITY SPENDING, GROW OUR CITY AND ECONOMY, REDUCE TAX RATES, RE-NEGOTIATE UNION CONTRACTS AND IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY.
AND, WE HAVE DONE THAT!
AS LONG AS I AM MAYOR, I WILL FOCUS ON FOUR MAIN GOALS:
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PUBLIC SAFETY
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MANAGING THE CITY BUDGET
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JOB GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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AND IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE
THE CITIZENS BELIEVE PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT'S WHY IT'S OUR TOP PRIORITY TOO.
TONIGHT, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO RAN FOR MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WILL NOT ADVANCE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION.
RUNNING FOR OFFICE IS DIFFICULT.
IT AFFECTS YOUR FAMILY, MAKES YOU DEFEND YOUR GOOD NAME, AND TAKES MONTHS OF HARD WORK.
FOR THOSE WHO RAN FOR MAYOR AND WILL NOT ADVANCE, I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THE SUPPORT OF YOUR VOTERS.
SPEAKING OF FAMILY, I WANT TO INTRODUCE MINE.
MANY OF YOU KNOW THEM BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS HOW MUCH I DEPEND ON THEM FOR EVERYTHING WE DO.
LIKE YOURS, OUR FAMILY WORKS TOGETHER, WE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER.
MY HUSBAND AND PARTNER-IN-EVERYTHING, JOE, IS WITH ME TONIGHT…JOE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT.
I WANT TO THANK OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OUR DONORS.
WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! THANK YOU!
WE ALSO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL AND TOP-NOTCH CAMPAIGN STAFF AND MY THANKS TO YOU FOR BEING SO COMMITTED TO OUR ELECTION GOALS, AND FOR YOUR PERSONAL DEDICATION TO OUR FAMILY.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TELL THE STAFF, IS I’LL SEE YOU BRIGHT AND EARLY IN THE MORNING BECAUSE WE HAVE WORK TO DO!
WE HAVE JUST FIVE WEEKS UNTIL VOTERS HAVE THE FINAL SAY ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF OMAHA FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
SO, WE’LL ENJOY TONIGHT BUT IT’S BACK TO WORK IN THE MORNING.
AND, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS WILL LOOK LIKE:
WE WILL INTENSIFY OUR DETERMINED CAMPAIGN, BASED ON A CONFIDENT AND POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR US, NOT JUST AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO VOTERS IN ALL POLITICAL PARTIES, IN EVERY OMAHA NEIGHBORHOOD, TO BUILD A COALITION OF SUPPORT.
OUR MESSAGE WILL BE BASED ON OUR VISION; A VISION THAT COMES FROM YOU, FOR A BETTER AND MORE HOPEFUL OMAHA.
THIS INCLUDES:
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A MORE INCLUSIVE CITY
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GREATER NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT
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INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
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MORE JOB TRAINING
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A MORE VIBRANT DOWNTOWN,
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AND A NEW RIVERFRONT AS OMAHA’S SIGNATURE.
I AM PROUD OF OUR PROGRESS AND EXCITED ABOUT OUR FUTURE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE, HAVE A GREAT EVENING, AND WE’LL SEE YOU AGAIN ON ELECTION NIGHT, MAY 9TH!
