Love the “From the director of Fee Harvesting” line. LMFAO. One of the more interesting discussions SHOULD be city payroll. (Aside of course honest mikes very generous performance bonus he will cut for himself.) ALL departments are being slashed in this area. Street department for instance. Gonna cut $100,000 dollars in fulltime pay. Gonna cut $100,000 in overtime pay. Gonna cut $280,000 in part time pay. Yeah right. And still fix our streets with this kind of slashing? Say what you want about the street department. The rank and file bust their butts for their paycheck. Especially the part-timers. They’re out their doin there best to try and get on fulltime, and the good mayor is gonna cut em off at the knees? Ain’t gonna happen. This kinda shit only “APPEARS” to work in cubicles like they got at Fee Harvesting operations.
I loved the KELO blowjob story about how even before the budget was announced, the fire department was already working on cutting costs. Their big secret? Scheduling firemen based on the day part call data. Wow, they discovered a concept that ALL businesses utilize.
Yeah…and I’ll bet the Fire Chief gets a good chunk of the $105,000 “performance” bonus for this brilliant idea. What the chief forgot to mention is the same 194 firefighters get a pension increase from $,3,400,000.00 to $4,100,000.00 a year, courtesy of…you guessed it, you and me, the Sioux Falls taxpayer.
Anybody in SF making Bell City, CA salaries?
Funny. Someone called me tonight and asked why the mayor wasn’t commenting on the sewer backup’s etc from last nights rain. Well he is on vacation, that is why. Which I find very GW Bush-Like. The guy took a vacation right after he bought the election, then a couple of months later he is on another one? I also find it funny that he bragged in his budget address about how the sewer system was fixed and upgraded and now it is literally in the ‘shitter’.
I also find it funny that he bragged in his budget address about how the sewer system was fixed and upgraded and now it is literally in the ‘shitter’.
Was just looking at the proposed budget under “Storm Sewer”. Overtime, Repair & Maintenance, and Supplies & Materials for the last two days prolly shoots honest mikes proposals in these areas all to hell. And the guy is on some really good drugs if he thinks he can cut 18.5% or $1,306,104.00 from the snow removal budget. Didn’t I just hear something about a drastic cut in the use of de-icing solutions applied to the streets? Only in major intersections and snow routes? The collision centers have to be drooling at the mouth with that prospect.
I’m a strong believer in global warming, and the effects ocean temps have on our jet stream and weather patterns in general. We could just as easily have a December and January much like the June July we just had. The city budgets four snow removal events a year into it’s budget forecast. It will be interesting to see how our new mayor handles these “events” this coming year. I think the guy is just vain enough to stop plowing, salting, and de-icing after his budget is eaten up, even if the new year is not here yet. After all, just think of how much better this city would be if their two of him. Maybe one could actually be here instead of off on his second vacation in two months.
I have also been amused at how ONLY the assistant directors have been speaking to the media. Are the actual directors trying to wash their hands of any responsibility? Can’t wait for His Man Mike to get back to town and blame the media for getting it wrong.
6 weeks in office and already 2 weeks vacation with a $56,000 performance bonus. Sounds like a credit card banker executive crook who read the ‘millionaire’ book. At least taxpayers aren’t paying for 2 of him.
Where in the budget is an allowance for paying off camera tickets and major contract attorneys litigation expense for 2 court cases headed into state supreme court.
How about shitter backup in 100 basements?
Yea because it is the mayor’s fault that we had six to seven inches of rain in a couple of hours all trying to pass through a storm sewer system designed for half that amount.
Hate to break it to you, but you could have doubled the wastewater treatment budget for last year and added 25 new employees and those basements still would have flooded – there isn’t a thing the city could do about it aside from enhancing the entire system to cope with 1000 year rainfall levels. That would cost what… about a Billion or two?
I know residents always like to blame the city, but there is a very simple solution for those people who are willing to spend a couple hundred bucks to prevent it from ever happening again. Get a backflow preventer on the main sewer line – problem solved.
As to the people with just regular flooding in their basements… I’d suggest investing in a good sump pump. If you live in a part of town prone to flooding, a second pump on a battery backup is never a bad idea.
But it is always more fun to blame the major for the rain… I guess that makes sense if you think he is God.
I also find it funny the same people who complain about the city being overtaxed are also complaining at each and every idea that Mike tosses out there to cut the budget. Toss in some incorrect facts (Mike is not paying himself a $56,000 bonus) and you have what can only be described as hypocritical comedy.
Yeah, I was wondering about that “$56K bonus” that keeps popping up in convos in here. Anyone got a link to back that up?
Beyond that, I’d think HisMan Mike would be a little more worried about what a complete tool he looks like when a few weeks back he’s slobbering all over David Graham for his plans to level & rebuild the Oaks, when it turns out that Graham is probably going bankrupt and can’t get the financing to do the deal. Also looks like he’s going to stick the City for the maintenance costs to keep the place secure…what a tool.
So the asbestos removal story is just a cover then? If the city is going to be expected to handle maintenance costs, then they should simply take the property over from Graham since he probably won’t be paying the taxes on it anyway. They can then turn the place over to STI temporarily so they can use it as a practice field for their heavy equipment operators. They can level the place over the course of a month or two, and once the lot is level and clean, the city can sell it and recoup their costs or even turn a profit.
Was anyone blaming the city for the rain? Nope. But when you have a mayor who brags about the sewer system upgrades during his budget address just a few weeks ago, then the system fails, one wonders.
So Graham’s investors didn’t fall thru? Go figure.
The “Job Performance” money comes from the mayors proposed budget. Each department has this line item. Each department took hits in this line. Like the police department. From $174,189 to $19,849. Yet the mayors office, with all of THREE employees was the ONLY department to see a rise in that line item. From $51,005 to $56175.
Why don’t they do the Breakfast with the Mayor videos in the Oaks? Everyone one could dress up as zombies.
I don’t think that line item means anything without context. Why don’t you ask the Mayor what it really means instead of people running around thinking he is going to pay himself a huge bonus.
First of the all the guy doesn’t need the money – the amount he spent out of his own pocket to win the race proves that. Second I doubt he can just pay himself a bonus even if he wants to. Surely there has to be some checks and balances there.
For all I know there is a totally different purpose for that money, but I can’t say because I don’t want to assume anything. Maybe it is in his budget but he can earmark the money for people in other departments at his discretion… that would seem to make more sense instead of people running around assuming he is paying him or another person within the Mayor’s office.
Either way we should take solace in the fact he is saving us a huge pile of money by not continuing to pay for a Chief of Staff. When you factor in salary and benefits… that saves us what – $160k a year?
As to the people with just regular flooding in their basements… I’d suggest investing in a good sump pump. If you live in a part of town prone to flooding, a second pump on a battery backup is never a bad idea.
We had a pump that worked. It was running cycles about two minutes apart at times. Basement still had enough seepage that we had to haul away the carpet, pad, and drywall this weekend.
At least we’ll be able to get a decent floor that doesn’t double as a sponge out of the deal. Been wanting to do that for a while. My rule of no electronics or wooden furniture on the basement floor turned out pretty well for us too.
Either way we should take solace in the fact he is saving us a huge pile of money by not continuing to pay for a Chief of Staff. When you factor in salary and benefits… that saves us what – $160k a year?
Yeah…right. Keep dreamin cosm. The fact is, at least according to honest mikes budget proposal, there are STILL four people in the mayors office. Under Munson, there were also four. Himself, Chief of Staff Jodi Schwan, Executive assistant to the mayor Vicki Skuya, and her assistant, Mary Hublou. Those four cost us $521,495.00 iin taxpayer dollars. Not to mention the $51,005.00 in “JOB PERFORMANCE” money. Honest Mike’s staff? The same. Four people. Just that Jodi has been replaced by someone with a lesser title and a little bit less pay. Prolly an executive secretary “lackey” he drug with him from First Premier. These four are costing us $474,678.00. Oh…and don’t forget to tack on the $56,175.00 in “JOB PERFORMANCE” money . So saving us $160,000.00? Dream on cosm. Dream on.
Dude. I helped a friend this weekend clean out his waterlogged basement. He lives in the Southeast part of town. There were several of his neighbors in the same boat. This afternoon, neighbors of his who made it thru the weekend high and dry were starting to haul carpet out of their basements.
First of the all the guy doesn’t need the money
I guess that explains why he used your tax dollars to buy a handful of $10.00 books? Get over it cos. Your Man Mike made a living out of screwing the little guy out of the last dime they had. You never heard of “FEE HARVESTING”? He marketed the shit. You think he’s gonna change just because he’s mayor? If’s there’s a bonus, be it $5.60 or $56,000, he’ll be there to cash in on it. You did read his book did you not?
Dude. I helped a friend this weekend clean out his waterlogged basement. He lives in the Southeast part of town. There were several of his neighbors in the same boat. This afternoon, neighbors of his who made it thru the weekend high and dry were starting to haul carpet out of their basements.
What area (approximately)?
I live in SE SF myself. Judging by the upturned bucket I found in my back yard, I’d say we got a good 6.5 inches thursday night. More than the pump could handle. There was water still running down the street last night before the rain.
Demo of the effected area was kind of fun. I expect stage two to be less so.
South of 26th & Sycamore.
Poly, we’re almost neighbors.
“First of the all the guy doesn’t need the money”
‘I guess that explains why he used your tax dollars to buy a handful of $10.00 books?’
WOW! That was going to be my exact response. You should watch the public input of the council meeting tonight. A guy chews the mayor’s ass about the book purchase, and says (paraphrasing) “Instead of worrying about making people millionaires we need to worry about helping people who are struggling.” It was awesome!
Thanks for the link l3wis. I usually watch these meetings, but sometimes I miss a few. This one was good. As I listened to the young mother tell us about Whittier Park, I was reminded of something DDC said yesterday.
I would live anywhere in Sioux Falls and not fear for the safety of my wife and our daughter.
That young mother must have been obviously lying….just sayin
poly I guess that explains why he used your tax dollars to buy a handful of $10.00 books? Get over it cos.
I’d say it is you who needs to get over it since you are still whining about a $10 book and still complaining about Mike’s former employer even though they didn’t even support him in the election.
So with all your continual complaints – when is the last time you went to a city council meeting and voiced all of this constant displeasure to someone who could actually change something?
Costner, once again, this wasn’t about the cost, it was about the principal. This guy spent $240,000 to get a job that pays under half that, but he can’t pony up $100 for gifts (that HE SIGNED!). Sorry, but he looks like an ass on this one, and my council meeting hero, Tim Stanga called his ass out on it.
I agree it looked bad – because he could have done it in private and nobody would have even noticed, but are you guys seriously going to keep whining about a book six months from now just like you keep bringing up his former employer even though he hasn’t worked for them in how long?
That is my point – it is time to get over it. Keep beating the same dead horse and you start to sound like PG.
The book debacle was indeed small, but it was the gesture that sticks with people. It’s kinda like watching a guy not wash after using the men’s room and you see him later out shaking people’s hands.
As for the Oaks, I believe the asbestos issue is real and that might’ve scared what potential investors were interested away. That and I’m sure a small mountain of Lead paint and your demo costs including compliance have tripled.
Love the “From the director of Fee Harvesting” line. LMFAO. One of the more interesting discussions SHOULD be city payroll. (Aside of course honest mikes very generous performance bonus he will cut for himself.) ALL departments are being slashed in this area. Street department for instance. Gonna cut $100,000 dollars in fulltime pay. Gonna cut $100,000 in overtime pay. Gonna cut $280,000 in part time pay. Yeah right. And still fix our streets with this kind of slashing? Say what you want about the street department. The rank and file bust their butts for their paycheck. Especially the part-timers. They’re out their doin there best to try and get on fulltime, and the good mayor is gonna cut em off at the knees? Ain’t gonna happen. This kinda shit only “APPEARS” to work in cubicles like they got at Fee Harvesting operations.
I loved the KELO blowjob story about how even before the budget was announced, the fire department was already working on cutting costs. Their big secret? Scheduling firemen based on the day part call data. Wow, they discovered a concept that ALL businesses utilize.
Yeah…and I’ll bet the Fire Chief gets a good chunk of the $105,000 “performance” bonus for this brilliant idea. What the chief forgot to mention is the same 194 firefighters get a pension increase from $,3,400,000.00 to $4,100,000.00 a year, courtesy of…you guessed it, you and me, the Sioux Falls taxpayer.
Anybody in SF making Bell City, CA salaries?
Funny. Someone called me tonight and asked why the mayor wasn’t commenting on the sewer backup’s etc from last nights rain. Well he is on vacation, that is why. Which I find very GW Bush-Like. The guy took a vacation right after he bought the election, then a couple of months later he is on another one? I also find it funny that he bragged in his budget address about how the sewer system was fixed and upgraded and now it is literally in the ‘shitter’.
I also find it funny that he bragged in his budget address about how the sewer system was fixed and upgraded and now it is literally in the ‘shitter’.
Was just looking at the proposed budget under “Storm Sewer”. Overtime, Repair & Maintenance, and Supplies & Materials for the last two days prolly shoots honest mikes proposals in these areas all to hell. And the guy is on some really good drugs if he thinks he can cut 18.5% or $1,306,104.00 from the snow removal budget. Didn’t I just hear something about a drastic cut in the use of de-icing solutions applied to the streets? Only in major intersections and snow routes? The collision centers have to be drooling at the mouth with that prospect.
I’m a strong believer in global warming, and the effects ocean temps have on our jet stream and weather patterns in general. We could just as easily have a December and January much like the June July we just had. The city budgets four snow removal events a year into it’s budget forecast. It will be interesting to see how our new mayor handles these “events” this coming year. I think the guy is just vain enough to stop plowing, salting, and de-icing after his budget is eaten up, even if the new year is not here yet. After all, just think of how much better this city would be if their two of him. Maybe one could actually be here instead of off on his second vacation in two months.
I have also been amused at how ONLY the assistant directors have been speaking to the media. Are the actual directors trying to wash their hands of any responsibility? Can’t wait for His Man Mike to get back to town and blame the media for getting it wrong.
6 weeks in office and already 2 weeks vacation with a $56,000 performance bonus. Sounds like a credit card banker executive crook who read the ‘millionaire’ book. At least taxpayers aren’t paying for 2 of him.
Where in the budget is an allowance for paying off camera tickets and major contract attorneys litigation expense for 2 court cases headed into state supreme court.
How about shitter backup in 100 basements?
Yea because it is the mayor’s fault that we had six to seven inches of rain in a couple of hours all trying to pass through a storm sewer system designed for half that amount.
Hate to break it to you, but you could have doubled the wastewater treatment budget for last year and added 25 new employees and those basements still would have flooded – there isn’t a thing the city could do about it aside from enhancing the entire system to cope with 1000 year rainfall levels. That would cost what… about a Billion or two?
I know residents always like to blame the city, but there is a very simple solution for those people who are willing to spend a couple hundred bucks to prevent it from ever happening again. Get a backflow preventer on the main sewer line – problem solved.
As to the people with just regular flooding in their basements… I’d suggest investing in a good sump pump. If you live in a part of town prone to flooding, a second pump on a battery backup is never a bad idea.
But it is always more fun to blame the major for the rain… I guess that makes sense if you think he is God.
I also find it funny the same people who complain about the city being overtaxed are also complaining at each and every idea that Mike tosses out there to cut the budget. Toss in some incorrect facts (Mike is not paying himself a $56,000 bonus) and you have what can only be described as hypocritical comedy.
Yeah, I was wondering about that “$56K bonus” that keeps popping up in convos in here. Anyone got a link to back that up?
Beyond that, I’d think HisMan Mike would be a little more worried about what a complete tool he looks like when a few weeks back he’s slobbering all over David Graham for his plans to level & rebuild the Oaks, when it turns out that Graham is probably going bankrupt and can’t get the financing to do the deal. Also looks like he’s going to stick the City for the maintenance costs to keep the place secure…what a tool.
So the asbestos removal story is just a cover then? If the city is going to be expected to handle maintenance costs, then they should simply take the property over from Graham since he probably won’t be paying the taxes on it anyway. They can then turn the place over to STI temporarily so they can use it as a practice field for their heavy equipment operators. They can level the place over the course of a month or two, and once the lot is level and clean, the city can sell it and recoup their costs or even turn a profit.
Was anyone blaming the city for the rain? Nope. But when you have a mayor who brags about the sewer system upgrades during his budget address just a few weeks ago, then the system fails, one wonders.
So Graham’s investors didn’t fall thru? Go figure.
The “Job Performance” money comes from the mayors proposed budget. Each department has this line item. Each department took hits in this line. Like the police department. From $174,189 to $19,849. Yet the mayors office, with all of THREE employees was the ONLY department to see a rise in that line item. From $51,005 to $56175.
Why don’t they do the Breakfast with the Mayor videos in the Oaks? Everyone one could dress up as zombies.
I don’t think that line item means anything without context. Why don’t you ask the Mayor what it really means instead of people running around thinking he is going to pay himself a huge bonus.
First of the all the guy doesn’t need the money – the amount he spent out of his own pocket to win the race proves that. Second I doubt he can just pay himself a bonus even if he wants to. Surely there has to be some checks and balances there.
For all I know there is a totally different purpose for that money, but I can’t say because I don’t want to assume anything. Maybe it is in his budget but he can earmark the money for people in other departments at his discretion… that would seem to make more sense instead of people running around assuming he is paying him or another person within the Mayor’s office.
Either way we should take solace in the fact he is saving us a huge pile of money by not continuing to pay for a Chief of Staff. When you factor in salary and benefits… that saves us what – $160k a year?
As to the people with just regular flooding in their basements… I’d suggest investing in a good sump pump. If you live in a part of town prone to flooding, a second pump on a battery backup is never a bad idea.
We had a pump that worked. It was running cycles about two minutes apart at times. Basement still had enough seepage that we had to haul away the carpet, pad, and drywall this weekend.
At least we’ll be able to get a decent floor that doesn’t double as a sponge out of the deal. Been wanting to do that for a while. My rule of no electronics or wooden furniture on the basement floor turned out pretty well for us too.
Either way we should take solace in the fact he is saving us a huge pile of money by not continuing to pay for a Chief of Staff. When you factor in salary and benefits… that saves us what – $160k a year?
Yeah…right. Keep dreamin cosm. The fact is, at least according to honest mikes budget proposal, there are STILL four people in the mayors office. Under Munson, there were also four. Himself, Chief of Staff Jodi Schwan, Executive assistant to the mayor Vicki Skuya, and her assistant, Mary Hublou. Those four cost us $521,495.00 iin taxpayer dollars. Not to mention the $51,005.00 in “JOB PERFORMANCE” money. Honest Mike’s staff? The same. Four people. Just that Jodi has been replaced by someone with a lesser title and a little bit less pay. Prolly an executive secretary “lackey” he drug with him from First Premier. These four are costing us $474,678.00. Oh…and don’t forget to tack on the $56,175.00 in “JOB PERFORMANCE” money . So saving us $160,000.00? Dream on cosm. Dream on.
Dude. I helped a friend this weekend clean out his waterlogged basement. He lives in the Southeast part of town. There were several of his neighbors in the same boat. This afternoon, neighbors of his who made it thru the weekend high and dry were starting to haul carpet out of their basements.
First of the all the guy doesn’t need the money
I guess that explains why he used your tax dollars to buy a handful of $10.00 books? Get over it cos. Your Man Mike made a living out of screwing the little guy out of the last dime they had. You never heard of “FEE HARVESTING”? He marketed the shit. You think he’s gonna change just because he’s mayor? If’s there’s a bonus, be it $5.60 or $56,000, he’ll be there to cash in on it. You did read his book did you not?
Dude. I helped a friend this weekend clean out his waterlogged basement. He lives in the Southeast part of town. There were several of his neighbors in the same boat. This afternoon, neighbors of his who made it thru the weekend high and dry were starting to haul carpet out of their basements.
What area (approximately)?
I live in SE SF myself. Judging by the upturned bucket I found in my back yard, I’d say we got a good 6.5 inches thursday night. More than the pump could handle. There was water still running down the street last night before the rain.
Demo of the effected area was kind of fun. I expect stage two to be less so.
South of 26th & Sycamore.
Poly, we’re almost neighbors.
“First of the all the guy doesn’t need the money”
‘I guess that explains why he used your tax dollars to buy a handful of $10.00 books?’
WOW! That was going to be my exact response. You should watch the public input of the council meeting tonight. A guy chews the mayor’s ass about the book purchase, and says (paraphrasing) “Instead of worrying about making people millionaires we need to worry about helping people who are struggling.” It was awesome!
http://siouxfalls.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=1191
Thanks for the link l3wis. I usually watch these meetings, but sometimes I miss a few. This one was good. As I listened to the young mother tell us about Whittier Park, I was reminded of something DDC said yesterday.
I would live anywhere in Sioux Falls and not fear for the safety of my wife and our daughter.
That young mother must have been obviously lying….just sayin
poly I guess that explains why he used your tax dollars to buy a handful of $10.00 books? Get over it cos.
I’d say it is you who needs to get over it since you are still whining about a $10 book and still complaining about Mike’s former employer even though they didn’t even support him in the election.
So with all your continual complaints – when is the last time you went to a city council meeting and voiced all of this constant displeasure to someone who could actually change something?
Costner, once again, this wasn’t about the cost, it was about the principal. This guy spent $240,000 to get a job that pays under half that, but he can’t pony up $100 for gifts (that HE SIGNED!). Sorry, but he looks like an ass on this one, and my council meeting hero, Tim Stanga called his ass out on it.
I agree it looked bad – because he could have done it in private and nobody would have even noticed, but are you guys seriously going to keep whining about a book six months from now just like you keep bringing up his former employer even though he hasn’t worked for them in how long?
That is my point – it is time to get over it. Keep beating the same dead horse and you start to sound like PG.
The book debacle was indeed small, but it was the gesture that sticks with people. It’s kinda like watching a guy not wash after using the men’s room and you see him later out shaking people’s hands.
As for the Oaks, I believe the asbestos issue is real and that might’ve scared what potential investors were interested away. That and I’m sure a small mountain of Lead paint and your demo costs including compliance have tripled.
Sy is right, it is about the gesture.