OMAHA- Now a Republican expected to run against incumbent Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert next year, Sen. Mike McDonnell called on the mayor to put the city's $300 million streetcar endeavor on the ballot for a vote of the people. In a letter, McDonnell doesn't specify whether he's for or against the project, but says that the streetcar is "either a tool for the future growth of the city as proponents suggest, or a financial boondoggle as opponents claim."

Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, who announced that he was running for Mayor of Omaha, also stated that the streetcar should be voted up or down by the people of the city. Mayor Stothert, set to run for an unprecedented fourth term, has historically shot down such suggestions.

"A vote of the people is not necessary for something like the streetcar because the people, the taxpayers, are not paying for it," Stothert said last month. Ewing called the streetcar a "great opportunity for economic development," but said it will very likely cost $400 million, not $300 million, all without the approval of voters.

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