Litz accused Staggers of “planting” the people in the meeting. Staggers denied the accusation and told Litz that he would have him “personally removed” if he ever made it again.
“If you want me to leave, Mr. Chairman, I’d be happy to,” Litz said. He gathered his papers and walked out.
BAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, because Kermit has that much control over people he can get them to show up to meetings. Kind of sounds like a group of citizens feeling they are getting screwed over, maybe that is why they showed up?
Earlier, Litz accused Staggers of using the meeting to make a “political rant.”
More like challenging the ‘Status Quo’ – What’s wrong with that?
When asked about the issue with Westwick, the city’s zoning enforcement manager declined to talk about it unless it was done in executive session – a meeting closed to the public.
“I’m not at liberty to put it out there and have the jury of public opinion discussed here,” Shawna Goldammer said.
This is the same ‘Shawna Goldhammer’ that was asked if the city could relax regulations a little to speed up the Whittier neighborhood revival and her stern and direct answer was “NO!” This chick won’t budge on shit. I have a feeling if Staggers gets elected she will be unemployed.
The meeting wasn’t entirely about the campground issue. Former Minnehaha County Commissioner Jerry Noonan complained the city is harassing him about a vacant property.
He said the process and staff at City Hall are unfriendly.
“I think I should be treated a little civilized in that particular process,” Noonan said.
I don’t think they are unfriendly – just really f’ing stupid.
In the paper the other day Bob looked very much like Frankenstein’s monster. Different green guy but kind of in the same vein.
Fire GOLDHAMMER. Definitely, if a house doesn’t land on her first. She’s had the position less than a year and she’s made a much bigger mess. She says the city ‘sends out a friendly letter before action’. Has anyone gotten one? She’s lied many times and favors the marxist regime. She needs an ethics hearing complaint before the city council. I was surprised to learn Litz is another developer. Are there 3 or 4 on the council? Conflict of interest and corruption as usual?
Sorry, but I think Kermit is sounding a bit thin skinned to be mayor.
You can’t tell me he doesn’t appreciate all the Admin. bashing/questioning that’s been launched on this blog and in other media, whether or not it is actually factually based or merely opinion/speculation. You also can’t tell me he doesn’t have his own little “community organization” that he encourages to stir the pot from time to time when he wants to show public support for his position(s). Litz’s charge wasn’t all that outrageous, and not remotely out of the realm of possibility. Why respond with true thug-like tactics just because you are in the big boy chair of the committee? The fact that he’d call in the goon squad by itself suggests he’s all too comfortable having someone else do the dirty work.
At least Munson would’ve opened the door with Litz’s head on the way out had it come to that.
PG-
I think Jamison, Costello, Litz and Knudson all have developer ties and Brown has received donations from developers. The conflicts of interest are disgusting. Ironically, Litz probably has the least conflicts.
Sy-
“whether or not it is actually factually based or merely opinion/speculation.”
Oh it is factually based, trust me. I have been following the campground issue for awhile and ever since Duane Spader made a stink at a planning commission meeting the code enforcement office has been in high gear harrassment mode. Who is the office’s boss? The mayor. Trust me, they don’t work alone. He uses his department heads in a very vindictive way.
his own little “community organizationâ€
Well, I don’t think I have made it a secret I support Kermit for mayor, this is my blog, and I can support Kermit here as much as I want. Trust me, there is a lot of stuff I hear and don’t post. There is a big one coming down the pipe that I have been holding off on, until I get more info. Let’s just say between you and me, it won’t look good for the city.
“Litz’s charge wasn’t all that outrageous, and not remotely out of the realm of possibility.”
Sure, but it was was based on pure speculation, something a ‘blogger’ would say, not an elected official :). Someone asked me about it today, and this was my response;
“I think Kermit gets a lot of calls from citizens over concerns. I think he got quite a few on this topic, and he invited them to the meeting to voice their concerns. But to say he ‘organized’ it or called these people to come, is a little ridiculous.”
“Why respond with true thug-like tactics”
It was hardly thug-like. It’s not like he gaveled Litz, called the question and asked a plain clothes police officer to escort him out. He asked him to leave on his own accord and Litz did.
“goon squad”
That explains the problem right there. Concerned citizens are hardly a ‘goon squad’ The only goon squad in the city reside in the code enforcement department and city hall.
L3wis:
“I think he got quite a few on this topic, and he invited them to the meeting to voice their concerns.”
So Litz was technically correct, yet Staggers just didn’t like being called on it. Litz probably could’ve phrased it better. I agree there’s absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging public participation, in fact the more the better. The big question is why would Kermit bristle in such a manner for something as benign as this?, makes a guy wonder if he is what he says he is.
L3wis:
“It’s not like he gaveled Litz, called the question and asked a plain clothes police officer to escort him out.”
He said if he made the accusation again, he’d have him “personally removed”. Which is exactly as you describe above. As Chair it’s his right to have the cop remove an unruly and/or disruptive person, and if a question like what Litz posed crosses Staggers’ line of “unruly & disruptive” than that could very well indicate an Administration that’s more closed off & tyranical than the evil brownshirt Munson one. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
Hey at least if he wins, you’ll have plenty of material for your blog for the next term, you being a fair guy and all.
“goon squadâ€
I meant this as the cops pulling dissenters, not the actual dissenters. Sorry.
You made a stink about Costello and the Survey and how that was a pseudo campaign ad. Staggers has done basically the same thing by getting as many people in his committee to see him in real time executive mode. If these meetings have been sparsely attended in the past and all of a sudden Kermit invites 50 people in to raise hell, as opposed to expressing their shared concerns himself, how is that any different than pasting your name and title on a survey that is mailed out about SF?
‘Goon Squad’ is a correct term for code enforcement. They disregard constitutional rights, cite impertinent codes, trespass, and steal property from private property without a court order. If you have to, use the ‘make my day’ law and come out shooting. The city has kangaroo hearings and denys appeals.
Glad you brought up the campgrounds (there are 2 now). These are legal because they’ve been operated beyond statute of limitations term. The city is using recent codes to force them to change. Because there is no appeal into circuit court, NEITHER PARTY CAN APPEAL. Again, just ignore the city. They can issue all the citations they want but have no way to collect or force action unless they allow constitutional due process. Eventually they’ll realize they are powerless unless they revert back to democracy.
You made a stink about Costello and the Survey and how that was a pseudo campaign ad. Staggers has done basically the same thing by getting as many people in his committee to see him in real time executive mode. If these meetings have been sparsely attended in the past and all of a sudden Kermit invites 50 people in to raise hell, as opposed to expressing their shared concerns himself, how is that any different than pasting your name and title on a survey that is mailed out about SF?
You mean besides the fact that one will be seen by those 50 people (who if they are in fact supporters don’t really need any help to decide who to vote for) while the other is seen by thousands upon thousands of Sioux Falls residents via television and mailed to thousands more via a city funded direct mail campaign?
Granted I think L3wis overstates the impact of Costello’s free facetime, but there is hardly any comparison to be made here. Aside form the sheer numbers involved, one of these is more of a plug whereas the other is nothing more than a council member performing his assigned role.
Sy-
I did not attend the meeting, so I am not sure how mad Litz got or how Staggers reacted. Sometimes the AL reports these events wrong 🙂 – But I have seen Litz in action when he gets ‘passionate’ about a topic, the madder he gets the more sarcastic he is, I have a feeling he smarted off to Kermit and that is he asked him to leave. Kermit doesn’t have a problem with debate, just stupid debate.