The Best of Both Worlds?
l3wis 
2009
Drake Springs Pool Ribbon Cutting – Friday 5/22 – 11:30 AM
Theresa Stehly and Cheryl Rath who headed up the petition drive for the outdoor pool will be there, BUT, will not be holding the scissors. Rumor has it, the Chamber of Commerce pooh-pooh that idea, they said that would make it ‘too political’. Because, the COC is never ‘political’. Give me a break.
I’ll probably show up to see the circus first hand. Bring your sunscreen!
The Chief Misleader
So I’m reading the Gargoyle Leader’s story today about the Credit Union closing down at Sanford that Angry Guy posted about today, and I come across a name I heard before, Mark Johnston. Then it clicks, he was the guy that wrote that our tax petition drive was misleading. Ironically when he had the letter published in his BIO he vaguely said he worked for the healthcare industry. I found it strange that he couldn’t say what he did or who he worked for? I see he is a Vice President at Sanford. Maybe he didn’t say because he wanted people to think he was a regular Joe.
Yeah, and we are the misleaders. Yeah Right.
I could have told you that
Five new row homes at 10th Street and Menlo Avenue were going to be sold to low-income residents, but federal rules and the lending climate have taken that option off the table for now, said Jim Schmidt, executive director of the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership. The organization, which sponsors affordable housing projects, now plans to rent the homes – a first for the group.
Letting me clue you in, good luck renting them to;
By renting the properties, the organization hopes to generate revenue that will be used to pay off loans on the properties. Each home took about $126,000 to build. They vary in size from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet, and Schmidt said they will rent for about $750 a month.
This paragraph explains it all. First off, you would have to be incredibly fricking stupid to buy a 1,200 square foot row house for $126,000, Even if it was in a nice part of town. Add the fact that it is on loop, and you have just produced a double whammy. And $750 a month rent?! LMAO. The average rent for an apartment in that hood is about $450. It is a low income neighborhood – do you understand that?
Let me make a fair comparison. I was renting an apartment 6 years ago about two blocks from that rowhouse. I was paying $350 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. When I bought my house, I found an older place east of downtown that was remodeled but needed some work. I got a 1400 sq foot home for $68,000 with $4,000 down. I put another $7,000 into the place since I have owned it, and I probably have about $2,000 worth of work to do to bring it up to snuff. On top of that, it is a stand alone home, with a new garage. I don’t share a wall with anyone and my mortgage is about $450 a month. So why on God’s green earth would someone pay $126,000 for and row house in a worse neighborhood? Or pay $750 rent for that matter? Obviously they won’t. I have often said the best way to clean up those neighborhoods is too have an overly aggressive community development program that gets young first time homebuyers to buy the houses that currently exist and give them an equity loan right off the bat to fix up the places.
Nope. Not how Sioux Falls works. Tear it down. Build it new and pay twice as much for twice as little.
Stupid.
I can see your duodenum from here….
Angry Guy 
Once again Kronie Krabbenhoft has sunk to new lows in the “Shameless Glorification of T. Denny” game. Sanford announced the closing of the Sioux Falls Federal Credit Union branch that has been on the main campus for almost 30 years, so that First Premier Bank can open a branch instead. They claim that it has nothing to do with the $400 million donation from T.Denny. Oh yeah… let’s not overlook the fact that we aren’t calling the health system Sioux Valley anymore or that they erected a bronze idol of SD’s richest douche bag on the front steps. Nooo noooo … the money had NOTHING to do with this decision. Never mind that almost 2000 Sanford employees conveniently do business EVERY DAY at SFFCU’s Sanford branch, or the fact that Sanford Human Resources lists SFFCU’s convenient location as a benefit to their employees. It is obvious that the relationship between the health system and T. Denny has become a big evil elephant lurking in the corner of the room, waiting for the opportunity to lift a few more dollars out of the common man’s pocket. It makes me a little sick to think about how obvious the connection is, and they’ll tell you straight to your face that it’s “awful†to suggest it. For shame.
What’s next? When you can’t pay your bill in full at the time of service, maybe they’ll offer you a First Premier loan with a low low introductory rate.