South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

May 2013

FEMA Sioux Falls snow removal Taxes

So can the city afford to trim (their) trees in the boulevard?

l3wis 14Comments

So let me get this straight . . .

We don’t want to take money from FEMA because they are the big bad Feds (who we actually pay taxes to, so we are essentially taking money from OURSELVES to fix a problem WE have).

Then we find out we don’t need to take the money because the city is in ‘fine financial shape’ so we pay for this branch cleanup out of the city coffers (also our money).

Factor in that the city has saved millions this winter due to the lack of snow and snow removal (somewhere around $7 million).

So why hasn’t the city been budgeting for tree trimming all along? We apparently have the money to do the ENTIRE city at one fast blast, why not section it off over a 5 year cycle?

Funny how the city conveniently ‘doesn’t have the money’ in a normal budget cycle, but when a natural disaster occurs we have all kinds of cashola, enough to give the FEDS a middle finger and to cleanup the whole kit and kaboodle.

My suggestion is to implement a program every year to trim the trees in the boulevard, because, you know, like, we have the money. Oh, yeah, and F’CK the Feds who wants their (our) money anyhoo?

Event Center Sioux Falls Washington Pavilion

So just how much will be have to subsidize the Events Center?

l3wis 33Comments

Not sure if you caught the story in the AL today about the Pavilion’s financials in 2012, but it didn’t paint a pretty picture about entertainment facilities in this town. Normally, the Great Hall at the Pavilion is a good money maker for them. Not so much last year. Ticket sales were down $290,000 in 2012 compared to 2011. Remember, this is a 1,900 seat facility, not a 12,000 seat facility.

My concerns about building a new Event Center has always been about how much we will have to support it. The Pavilion gets a $1.4 million dollar subsidy from the city each year. Can you imagine what kind of subsidy we will have to throw towards the Event Center?

I was talking to a local ‘journalist’ the other day about the possibility of Huether’s 2nd mayoral term (I still think he is running for governor, or at least exploring it). The one ‘good’ thing about a 2nd reign of terror by Huether is that when the subsidy numbers start rolling in, he would be in the middle of his second term, and he will have to do a lot of explaining about the profitability of the Event Center.

Can the EC do better then the Pavilion? Sure. But the Pavilion has been around for 12 years, and when your ‘money maker’ within your facility takes a hit like $290,000 in one year due to low ticket sales, you have to start questioning if the ticket sales will be there with the EC.

I felt all along we should have just dumped $20 million into the existing Arena and remodel it to look like a new facility instead of building an over-sized new facility.

You also have to factor in all the other competing sports entertainment facility that are popping up around town like pimples on a teenagers face. This will take sales away from the EC to.

We should have seen this a mile away.

District 12 State Legislature

Another SD Republican bails before finishing their term

l3wis 12Comments

Just another Republican QUITTER

Here they go again, playing their little games. Resigning before their term is up so the governor can appoint a FAKE incumbent. This is beginning to get a little ridiculous;

South Dakota State Senator Mark Johnston is resigning. Governor Dennis Daugaard made the announcement Thursday morning.

Johnston has served as a state senator since 2011. He is resigning to accept a position with Sanford Health as Vice President of Health Policy.

Mark already works for Sanford and has been voting for their self-interests all along, how would this position change anything he has already been doing in the state legislature? This early resignation crap has got to end. I think if any politician resigns before their term is up there should be a special election not a governor’s hand picked crony.

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