2009
“I’m a moving on up, to the top, to a deluxe office on Capital Hill . . .
“Weezy, looks like Ensign got caught with his hands in the honey pot. Oh well, another man’s affair is just an opportunity for me to climb the ladder a little more. I wonder if I will still have to do Boehner’s dry cleaning?”
Gee, maybe someday Thune could be majority leader! Wouldn’t that be wonderful for South Dakotans to have one of their senators with that much power and clout? Just imagine the possibilities! Of course, a Democrat, who had been working for lobbyists, would probably run a smear campaign against him and his wife and dethrone him because he was doing bidding for his party instead of work for the people of South Dakota (from KELO-TV):
Senator John Thune of South Dakota is running for the Republican leadership post left vacant by Senator John Ensign of Nevada.
Ensign announced he was stepping down as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking post in the Senate GOP leadership, after admitting he had an extramarital affair.
Thune says he talked to a lot of Republican senators on Wednesday to seek their support for his bid to replace Ensign.
Thune already holds the fifth-ranking Republican post, and he says a higher leadership post would let him more effectively push for South Dakota priorities.
Slow down, Ironic Johnny, you are starting to sound like Tom Daschle more and more every day!
Wanna say in contract negotiations? Repeal Home Rule in SF.
City councilors were recently miffed they were not a part of a contract negotiation. I found it a little amusing that this was the first time they said something about being left out of the loop. That’s the purpose of the City’s Home Rule charter, to give more power to the mayor and his adminstration while the city council gets to vote on malt beverage licences and sidewalk disputes. I emailed councilor Anderson yesterday and told him, repeal Home Rule, and the council will be able to end the veil of secrecy out of City Hall and be more involved with decision making. Of course the Gargoyle Leader doesn’t mention it once in today’s ED Board response to the situation;
City Attorney Robert Amundson says he thinks that the city charter allows the mayor to sign the contract without council oversight.
Judge Grumpy Butt is probably correct, he is no doubt referring to Home Rule.
Though the negotiation process already has begun, the mayor’s administration needs to get the council quickly up to speed.
That should take about 2-6 months, knowing the track record of Munson’s office.
And the council also might need to seek a clarification regarding what state law says about when these type of bids can be released to the public. That information will be helpful in the future.
It’s pretty clear right now. Under Home Rule the council is powerless, unless of course you need them to approve a new stop sign or a beer license.
South DaCola Followup; Family Park
Without little fanfare the city council and mayor accepted another white elephant gift (see below). I have covered the progress of this park before, and before that. Sure the park will be wonderful, but not only will it be very expensive to maintain (I’m guessing over a million a year), it takes 51 acres of private property off the tax rolls. And as far as I can tell, will be surrounded by private property benefitting the developers of that area as a selling point. So not only will we be losing property tax money and spending more money in the Parks budget, Sioux Falls taxpayers will be footing the bill for developers to make their developments more desirable. Business as usual I guess.
Remember the Trojan horse?
29. |
ÂA motion was made by Council Member Beninga and seconded by Council Member Costello to adopt said Resolution 55-09. ÂÂVote to adopt: Roll Call: Yeses, Jamison, Knudson, Litz, Staggers, Anderson Jr., Beninga, Brown, Costello, 8. Noes, 0.  Motion Passed.Â
RESOLUTION NO. 55-09
Â
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A CONDITIONAL GIFTING AGREEMENT FOR THE DONATION OF LAND FOR A NEW PARK SITE ON OR NEAR WEST 12TH STREET AND THE TEA ELLIS ROAD, WHICH INCLUDES THE NAMING OF THE PARK AS A CONDITION OF THE GIFT.
Â
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SD:
Â
That the document attached to and part of this resolution entitled “A Conditional Gifting Agreement for the Donation of Land for a New Park Site on or Near West 12th Street and the Tea Ellis Road,†which includes the naming of the park as a condition of the gift, is hereby approved.
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That the Mayor is authorized to sign such agreement after it is ratified and executed by Crusher Investment Company.
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Date adopted:
06/15/09
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                                                                                                       Dave MunsonÂ
                                                                                                              Mayor
ATTEST:
Debra A. Owen
City Clerk