Abandon All Hope Who Live Here
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12/27/2012
Omaha is supposedly known for “the Good Life,” however someone should change it to “abandon all hope who live here.” After 37 years, I've given up, never to return to Nebraska and Omaha again, only to visit.
Omaha is trying to be something that its not, a hip, urban environment made up of trendy, young, urban professionals, working high paying jobs, who live in an interesting city with many interesting things to do. Omaha, currently does not fit any of these categories, must reverse many of the ills that plague the city before it reverses the outflow of talent that is leaving the city, and will allow businesses to setup shop here, and create better jobs, which will bring culture to the city.
People often tote that the cost of living is cheap here in Omaha. That is true, however it is made up by the high taxes on property and automobile. Because of this, I was never able to afford a house and have a lot of money on the side to license you new vehicle, because it is expensive. Because taxes are so high, very few businesses setup shop in Omaha. Some, like Google, setup in Council Bluffs, Iowa, due to the lower tax rate and other incentives, but no matter how hard the city leaders try to woo businesses to setup shop here, none have. Also good luck trying to establish a career here. The majority of industries revolve around a service based economy (telemarketing, call centers and big-box businesses). Also if you didn't graduate from Creighton Prep/Creighton University, you'll have very little chance of advancing at any of the local companies (Union Pacific, ConAgra, Mutual of Omaha). Yup, the good 'old boy network is alive and well here and isn't going away anytime soon.
There is nothing, I mean, nothing to do here. Sure there is a bar and chain restaurant on every corner, however take into account that many of the people here in Omaha are overweight because of this, and not very active in the outdoors. Some would argue the Old Market, Baseball Stadium in downtown Omaha and the Zoo are things to do, but after that, you have basically shot your wad. Also during the Fall, everyone becomes a Nebraska Cornhusker zombie and blindly cheers them on, until they start to lose.
Most people stick to their own social clicks and never break out of them. These people are often hanging out with the same group of people that they knew from high school. I found it very difficult to make any new friends here. I feel that because of this, there isn't a sense of community in Omaha.
People here are uptight, conservative and unwilling to see political issues from a different angle or other side. These same people are aligned to right-wing Republican ideas, which is really no different from Democrat ideals in the warfare-welfare dictatorship that we live in.
Public transportation is non-existence here, and because of that what Omaha has, Metro Area Transit, runs very poorly and is managed poorly. Buses either run ahead of schedule or behind schedule, run limited schedules on the weekends and close down after 11pm. Also if you tell people that you use public transportation, you are looked down upon. I have a car, although I chose to take the bus to work to save money/gas and that was the first question out of everyone's mouth, 'don't you have a car?'
Public education in Omaha is terrible. Omaha Public Schools is basically ran like a corrupt 3rd world dictatorship and has its evil tentacles into every other school in Omaha (Metro Community College, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Creighton and the other public school districts). It is rumored that no new businesses want to setup in Omaha because they know the quality of education is lacking.
Chris | Omaha, NE