This letter writer has legitimate concerns;
We went to the Sioux Falls Parks Department to reserve a spot at a city park. In the past, you gave the parks department a check for using a spot. Then you got it back.
You don’t get your money back anymore. The parks department keeps the $25. (We paid $30 because we changed our mind on the spot.)
I thought that’s why we pay taxes.
Must be the new mayor’s idea.
It wasn’t Mike’s idea, this change happened at the end of Munson’s term, but it wasn’t his decision either, it was the greedy parks board to squeeze more money out of people. They claim they needed to charge that amount to ‘change the garbage bags at the shelters’ after a picnic. I guess a smarter thing would be to ask people who use the shelter to pickup their own trash, and if they don’t do that, charge them. Our parks should be FREE to use, it is one of the things that makes Sioux Falls a great place to live. Once we start charging for the simple pleasures in life, like having a picnic with friends and family in a public park, we really are missing the point about ‘quality of life’ amenities in Sioux Falls.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6raAdR-1s0o&feature=related[/youtube]
“one of the things that makes Sioux Falls a great place to live”. Not makes, was a great place to live. Munson & Huether let infrastructure crumble, imposed fees/fines on everything, raised taxes, built unprofitable ventures, and made/make themselves wealthy from kickbacks on city contracts.
If the residents of Sioux Falls forces the Parks Department to reverse this policy, they will most likely hold a public news brief to tell everyone that the will be reducing or eliminating jobs… Just like the credit card industry is currently doing.
There was a story about it last year (?) when the change took place. But you are right Scooter, damage control.