Huether channels Patrick Lalley (Argus Leader) but doesn’t credit him, “This may not be San Antonio, but it is the best little city in America.”
I attended the ribbon cutting of the River Greenway project this afternoon. The one thing that stuck out was all the back patting of local business people who helped contribute to this project, but not once were the citizens of Sioux Falls thanked for funding this project, a project that benefits DT business owners especially the owner of Cherapa Place, Jeff S. Oh, he was thanked for his $100,000 contribution (that he milked out of his buddies).
But what a kickass deal for him? He throws in $100,000 and in return he gets this awesome facade valued at over $12 million paid for by me and you.
This is always something that has stuck in my craw. We love to thank local businessmen for their two-bit contributions (even though Jeff had a backroom contract deal with Munson that if the bridge and facade was not built, he would sue), yet when it comes to our contributions as tax payers we are the gum under the table. If anything, this ribbon cutting should have been about us as citizens, not DT businesses getting a sweet-ass deal.