Gee, should have saw this coming a mile away from Mr. Predictable, Dave Munson. After throwing money at Phillips to the Falls, Monkey crappers, bunny slopes and consultants for the past seven years, Dave wakes up from his deep sleep and goes, oh, that’s right, we have to spend tax dollars on fixing roads and sewers to;
“It’s something you have to do to make sure you’re repairing and maintaining streets so that they don’t become full of pot holes and chuck holes, and so that people aren’t out there damaging their cars and they are always having to have alignments. We need to be out there taking care of streets and maintaining what we already have,” Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson said.
This should be the number one priority expenditure of every mayor, every day of their term, not just in the home stretch. Even Munson admits that’s what he is doing;
“The infrastructure is what keeps us moving forward in the city and we don’t want that to languish behind, and so that we really have to someday play a game of catch up,” Munson said.
Of course we know who the real force is behind the expenditures, special interests;
But its not only the old streets that have to be maintained, 32 million dollars is set aside in the five year plan for expansion of new arterial streets. That expansion includes the Southwest part of town where Sanford plans to build its new research park, and developers plan to build new homes and businesses.
“We all work together but right now our focus is really on public works to make sure that everything is at the stage we want it to be,” Munson said.
You mean work with special interests to make sure they get what they want while the rest of scoop shit from our basements from backed up sewers.
The mayor’s having a free picnic this saturday. Free pork!
More legacy building!
I had to laugh after hearing the finance director’s monthly budget address for May. He started talking about June and said (paraphrasing) “The numbers are really bad for June, but we think there may be a problem with how we are reporting it, we have to check for anomolies before we release the final numbers.” Yes Eugene, the bad numbers probably having nothing to do with the recession, because in SF we are ‘Recession Proof’.
In some parts of town, the city is breaking and replacing 10′ lengths of curb. On the outside, it’s capitol improvement. Actually, they assess the lot owner at bid rigged 5 times cost and reroute the budgeted amount. Munson’s smoke and mirrors act could do well in Vegas. Watch him make an events center disappear. Maybe when he gets to Vegas, he’ll stay in Vegas.
I see Excel Energy is asking for a rate increase from the PUC. One of their biggest arguments is because the city of SF had a rate increase recently on their municipal clients. What I don’t get is rate increases. If energy is costing Excel more, that means they are charging more, in turn making bigger profits. Shouldn’t, in essence, rates go down instead of up?
Not sure I follow you Lewis…if the price of energy is going up for Excel and they charge the same or less for their rate – they end up losing money.
Price increases are to be expected – it is just a matter of inflation. Provided it isn’t out of line I can’t see this being a huge concern, but it isn’t only Excel. I’m served by a Co-op and they have announced a rate increase as well because their costs have gone up. Makes sense.
You do make somewhat of a point. But what I am having trouble with is if Excel has been able to get away with no rate increases for 17 years and make a considerable profit and grow, why the increase all of sudden? Especially for an energy company that gives money to so many different charities. Don’t get me wrong, they do need to improve service. There is no excuse for outages over an hour long. But I have a feeling they are just doing it because Otter Tail got away with it a couple months back. My electric bill has doubled since I have lived in my house (6 years) without rate increases, I guess that is my point, they have been making oodles of money without rate increases.
Maybe at one point they were just charging way to much and reaping profits – and now their costs have increased and they are at the point where their profits are hurting.
They seriously haven’t increased rates in 17 friggin’ years? I’d say they are long overdue if that is the case. Name something else in this world that hasn’t increased in price in the last 17 years. Heck, gas was 99.9 a gallon 17 years ago, and I know I could still get a soda out of the machine for 50 cents.
Do you know what your rate per KWH is right now?
BTW – how has your bill doubled in six years if their rate hasn’t increased? Are they adding other fees or has your usage just gone up that much? If the latter is true – brother needs to start using some CFLs.
Because, like I said early, energy costs have gone up. Rates are a percentage not an actual cost.