South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

2010

Sioux Falls

You mean the ‘cheap labor’ mantra isn’t working for Sioux Falls? Who would have guessed?

l3wis 21Comments

It seems the ‘all knowing’ Randell Beck at the Gargoyle Leader and Slater Barr, President of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation figured out something most of us working class stiffs in Sioux Falls have known for years; attracting businesses to Sioux Falls based on the ‘cheap labor’ mantra doesn’t build a strong local economy. The more you pay workers, and the more skilled labor you have, the more they can invest in the community. Keep paying shit wages to the average Joe, and he will continue to shop at Walmart and live in trailer parks.

One person interviewed for the study put it a bit more bluntly: “Growth has been driven by emptying out of South Dakota’s small towns. What’s next? Where are our future workers going to come from when that trend slows?”

I call it the Sioux Falls ‘vacuum’. Instead of trying to attract ‘skilled labor’ businesses we attract ‘cheap labor’ businesses and those who want to get out of the small towns see Sioux Falls as a beacon. Until of course they get here and realize they are working twice as much just to get by.

“It used to be that economic development was shoot anything that flies and capture anything that falls,” Barr told Argus Leader reporter Anna Bahney, explaining the way most cities, including Sioux Falls, once tried to attract prospective employers. “But now we’re asking, ‘Does it boost wages? Does it raise the bar? Does it create, attract or retain wealth for the community?’ “

No. Fuck NO! And why would you think it would? It amazes me (and trust me, I do have great respect for Beck and Barr) that these two guys with all of their experience and knowledge cannot grasp simple economics, and that they have to come to some king of ‘realization’. Pay people shitty wages and you will get a shitty return on your investment.

Compared to most regional cities, Sioux Falls ranks near the bottom in metrics such as advanced degrees and, of course, income. While we are rightly proud of our small-business heritage, we have a limited capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Gee, I wonder if there is a freaking correlation between the two? Dead end jobs, that employee dead end people, pay dead end wages. I also find this column to extremely hypocritical. Do you know what the Gargoyle Leader pays their staff? It is embarrassing.

Why not set an example Randell instead of just pissing and moaning in your weekly rant. Of course, that might cut into your bonuses and wages . . . huh . . . and we wouldn’t want that, would we?

Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether SF City Council Sioux Falls

90% of all money transfers should be approved by the Sioux Falls city council

l3wis 4Comments

But the Gargoyle Leader Editorial board thinks that is unnecessary if the Mayor’s office just ‘communicates’ a little bit;

Perhaps prompted by Huether’s lack of communication, the City Council’s Fiscal Committee now is considering an ordinance that will require some oversight over such money transfers.

City Clerk Debra Owen has suggested having a threshold of a particular percentage or dollar amount that would automatically trigger a City Council vote to approve a transfer by the mayor.

That sounds reasonable, but it might be unnecessary if Huether would take the time to communicate with the council.

Give me a break. We went through this with Munson and we ended up paying someone over $100,000 a year to be his puppet. Enough with the communication bullshit. The mayor’s office SHOULD be talking to the councilors, duh. But this isn’t always the case, that is why we have the council as checks and balances. As a councilor recently said to me, (paraphrasing) “What’s the point of approving the budget if the mayor can change the appropriations the next day?” And they are right. Why even have a city council if they don’t even have control over the purse strings?

It is time the council took the bull by the horns and approved most money transfers. We don’t need more ‘communication’ we need more ‘common sense.’

Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether

Mike is really into Mike

l3wis 8Comments

I watched Mayor Huether on Inside STORMLAND last night (the video will probably post later today).

He gave a great interview, but how couldn’t he? Jorgi threw so many softballs, it was hard not to. I also realized that Mike really likes Mike. I also wondered where was his opposition during the interview? There wasn’t one single council member that has an opposite view of the budget willing to be interviewed? C’mon.

There were some parts of the interview that I was a little suspicious about (besides the fact that Mike thinks highly of himself). He was being very secretive about the Events Center plan and this ‘supposed’ partnership to build a Rec Center.

I will give Jorgi credit on one of his questions about the Events Center; He asked why we would be putting money aside to draw up ANOTHER Events Center plan when we already have one (actually we have several.) A Mexican hat dance ensues.

UPDATE: He also goes into speech at the beginning of the Informational meeting today about how well he communicates with the council, basically implicating that the media isn’t telling the whole story, or at least not Mike’s version of the story.

5th Amendment Code Enforcement Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls US Constitution

Will Mayor Huether’s code enforcement rampage backfire on him?

l3wis 9Comments

It now is no secret that Mayor Huether is ramping up code violations, not only on complaint basis but it seems proactively. He has pronounced it himself in the media and city employees and private citizens said they have seen the effects already. But won’t this all backfire on him and the city financially if they don’t fix the code enforcement mess?

I wrote a negative red-light camera letter to the Argus Leader almost four years ago. Former Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson sent a tough-guy code enforcer on a vendetta against me. It took four citations, four city hearings, four years of litigation, four circuit court dates and $40,000 in legal expenses to exonerate myself. In the process, I showed home rule charter is not democracy.

Mr. Daily sent me the original – unedited version of the letter . . . oh the Gargoyle Leader and their editing pen.

Traffic Camera Case

I wrote a negative traffic camera letter to the Argus some 4 years ago.  Munson sent out the tough guy code enforcer vendetta.  It took 4 citations, 4 city hearings, 4 years of litigation, 4 circuit court dates, and $40,000 in legal expense to exonerate myself.  In the process, I showed Home Rule Charter is not democracy.  Present city procedure ignores the South Dakota Civil Procedures Act and 2 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

For the camera case, Circuit Court interpreted and applied the law.  The class should be compensated for illegal citations and litigation.  There should be punitive damages.  My situation (above) was 4’s and I suggest a $4 million judgment.   The city plans 10 more cameras.  This case should first go into state court to answer constitutional questions and evaluate city civil procedures.  The assistant city attorney has violated citizen’s rights in city hearings and obstructed justice in circuit court cases.  He represented an unfounded and improperly noticed ethics complaint against a city councilor in order to influence an election. There should be a state Supreme Court ethics hearing and reprimand. The city turned off the camera and, after ignoring 3 prior court orders, finally complied with one.

If the mayor will not repeal home rule or if state court doesn’t revoke it, I suggest a new mayor and term expired council members in 2014 who advocate:

‘REPEAL HOME RULE, RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY’.

Munson oligarchy became tyranny then a full blown dictatorship.  The mayor makes all decisions such as policy, budget, tax increases, and non-competitive bidding.  The city council has become puppets meant to mimic democracy.  At one time, during Munson, Home Rule Charter could have been amended into a viable concept.  Considering misapplications and citizen torment, it should now be abandoned.  Then, city administration can be welcomed back.  If they apply and can answer a few constitutional questions, they can be reinstated as U.S. citizens.

Daniel R. Daily, Citizen and Constitutional Plaintiff

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