Throughout the cities around the country, mayors are struggling to find a solution to huge budget deficits and double-digit unemployment in most of its black and Hispanic communities. Social services, often benefiting these communities, are the first programs cut, including job creating and job training programs.
 
 
Well, perhaps, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle has a solution that might serve as a model for other cities around the country. In the North Omaha – NoDo or North O – section where many of the community’s black population lives, there’s a 30% unemployment rate. When Suttle became mayor nearly 15 months ago, he was troubled.  He wanted to do something about it. 
 
 
Suttle, a former vice chairman of the Board of Directors for the Omaha-based engineering and design firm, HDR Inc., decided to take on the challenge. He knew the one thing to drastically change the fate of those individuals and families in NoDo was to get them back to work. He’s wasn’t planning to wait around for federal or state dollars.
 
 
So Suttle decided to take action. He’s recruiting black businesses from Atlanta to Omaha’s warehouse district, which is adjacent to the NoDo neighborhood. He’s encouraging entrepreneurs to create businesses that are willing to invest in the city, and agree to establishing roots – not just setting up satellite offices.
 
 
Why does Suttle care? He’s tired of past programs that have ignored NoDo, and as a result, left a huge segment of the city disenfranchised. As far as he’s concerned, it’s time to change the old ways, which means investing in the community. He wants to make one of the most attractive cities for business, particularly minority business. Really, in his mind, it’s that’s simple. Why don’t other mayors get it?