However, he did not VETO the resolution, so that means it will go in affect a week later on June 26. There could be some complications though. The administration still has to come up with a plan on how to administer it, so they could make it very convoluted so it is hard to use. The council has suggested making it very simple.
-You put an age limit on it that you can ride by yourself
-A parent or guardian must sign a waiver to get the dog tag making them aware you have the pass
-You get a dog tag that is similar to what the Augie students use
-When you get on the bus with the special tag, the bus driver simply presses a button saying you are part of the youth ridership program.
Someone asked me if they don’t have the tag or lost it if they could still get the ride. A friend suggested to me that maybe they could use a password to the driver to get the free ride, something like รขโฌหMy Man Mike’ ๐
Hopefully the transit administration will be cooperative and not turn it into a big hassle to get the passes.
Somebody mentioned to me the other day that perhaps this was looked at as a handout to the kids. I don’t look at it that way at all, besides the economic impact factor, adult parents as well as kids pay sales taxes on everything they purchase in our city, so while they may not be paying for the ride up front, they are still contributing to the tax base that funds the transit system. It’s no different than using our bike trails for free as far as I am concerned.
UPDATE: Joe Sneve with the Argus Leader weighs in with some priceless comments from Huether;
Huether said withholding his signature came down to the manner in which it was passed.
” I do believe the resolution has some merit. It was the process, the rush and the lack of prudent due diligence that I could not defend nor support,” he said.
This coming from the guy that has ram-rodded every project he was for, like the indoor aquatic center that has to be built with cash because no bonding company will give a bond for a building being built on land with a quit claim deed. Let’s talk ‘Due Dilligence’.
Offering rides free of charge to a select group, Turbak added, wouldn’t help convince potential riders that public transit is worth the cost of bus fare.
“People don’t place a value on what they don’t have to pay for,” Turbak said last week.
Yeah Tracy, everyone in Sioux Falls HATES our free parks and bike trail ๐
“The city and Sioux Area Metro are now diligently working to determine the safety and liability risks, expense and operational concerns, customer service and value considerations, the policy, the process and so much more,” Huether said. “We will scramble and get it done. However, businesses, nonprofits and families are not successful with a fire, aim, ready approach and government is absolutely no different.”
Hypocrisy in the HIGHEST order. Everything Huether has accomplished was through that very approach.
My thought on this being that the kids who ride the bus free, would be spending money the places that they go, is probably wrong. I think the kids that use the free program would be low income kids that would have little to no money to spend. Therefore they would be going to the free places like parks, and would be the ones that would have the free pool passes.
Turbak has it completely back asswards. The people, the real people of this town, do place a value so called freebies. You know why? Because it is their tax dollars providing these freebies. Nothing is free turbak, that is unless you are a faceless, nameless person on an LLC lining up in the TIFfy welfare line. Or a board member of the Snofox swim club.
รขโฌย I do believe the resolution has some merit. It was the process, the rush and the lack of prudent due diligence that I could not defend nor support. ”
mmm
Prudent due diligence with reference to spending our tax dollars? He had no problem with due diligence when he ram rodder $500,000 of city taxpayers money to purchase tennis equipment for the huether family matche pointe. Oh sure, there was due diligence alright, just not what you’d expect from a “leader”.
Forgot the link to the above post. My bad.
http://www.argusleader.com/story/jonathanellis/2014/03/23/mayor-whacks-board/6797073/
One man’s ego keeps kids home when they could have transportation to a job or summer activities. Some of these kids need a ride to bread lines for their one meal a day. Cruel cruel mayor.
Nice work, Mr. Mayor.
https://youtu.be/jDfbWDLNjjE?t=21
And Augie students took 3,200 free bus rides.
#6 anominous
Will mmm ever ride because of this fear? “I bet you never smelled a real school bus before”
The smells of the school bus never leave you…
BUT, Helga,
those students NEED those free bus rides!
They are paying $37,228 PER YEAR to attend Augie!!!