I guess when the mayor wants to plaster his name all over a publicly subsidized building, he has ‘TIME’ to show up to an ethics hearing. (IMAGE: J.L. Atyeo â€@ArgusAtyeo Twitter)
As I have said in the past, just because something may be ‘legal’ it doesn’t make it ‘ethical’.
MMM is testing the waters with a possible donation to the indoor tennis facility (since his wife was unsuccessful in getting CVB BID money).
I think it is fantastic that Mike’s (tax write-off) family charitable foundation is going to possibly give money to the facility, in fact I have often said the entire facility should be privately funded, and the half-million of my tax dollars going to a place that 99.5% of us will never use is a waste.
But that ship sailed right through the rubber stamp council. Here is the tricky question, if he does give the money, and I hope he does, should he be allowed to put his name on the facility?
Ego and arrogance aside, what kind of precedent would we be setting letting a sitting elected official do something like this? If no public money was involved, I wouldn’t care (Huether already has his name on the tennis center at Augustana) but it is hardly humble making a donation, then turning around and asking your name to be plastered on the building. But hey, he learned from the best. I wonder if they will also have a bronze statue of Mike outside the tennis center?
UPDATE: I see the ass-backwards ethics commission and city attorney (appointed by the mayor) gave their rubber stamp approval to the donation, and naming rights. You can’t tell me this hasn’t been in the works for a long time. The meeting with the ethics commission was at 10:30 this morning and already at 12:30 the details of the donation and naming rights have been released.
I hope someone on the city council has the sack to have the public money revoked from the facility and make it strictly a private facility.
“I think that folks have seen with me over the last four years what you see is what you get,” Huether said. “I’m here to serve all the people, not just the special interest groups.”
The special interest group attempting to have a paid-in-full Community Indoor Tennis Center (CITC) has had difficulty reaching their fundraising goal.
So, they attempt to tap into the CVB BID tax revenue and are denied.
As retribution, MMM replaces the majority of the members of the SF CVB BID Board.
Now, Mike and Cindy Huether come to the rescue with $700,000 of their own funds. BUT, it must include naming rights.
Somehow, this just does NOT pass the smell test for a sitting mayor!
Even after four years in public office, Mike still does NOT get that it is ALL about public perception, NOT a decision from an ethics board that few citizens believe in.
Also, look for both the Scheel’s IcePlex and the Community Indoor Tennis Center to show up in future years at the taxpayers trough when they are not able to meet their operating expenses…
Public money going toward a private facility named after the dictatorial elected mayor. I smell another ethics complaint Mikey will be to busy to show up for.
Thank you, Mayor Huether, for your generous contribution to our City.
Let’s see, hmmmm, the mayor decides to ask his appointed ethics board if it is ‘OK’ to give some money to his wife’s ‘charity’ in exchange for having his name plastered on the building. Hmmmmm.
It is also interesting the proposal was placed in front of the ‘ethics’ board on Wednesday to be posted on Thursday for the special Friday morning meeting. And guess what, hizonner shows up! Wow, when the mayor is trying to show how wonderful and ethical he is, he shows up to the ‘ethics’ board.
It was amazing he was able to fit it into his busy schedule. Remember in March and especially in April when he did not show up when his unethical and illegal State of the City Address was questioned. To prevent perjury, he had his stand in, the publicly paid David Pfiefle (otherwise known as Sioux Falls City Attorney) tell part of the story to the ‘ethics’ board. David’s explanation for the mayor’s absence, “He is too busy to attend”. Right.
I guess he didn’t need to avoid tough questions or perjure himself this time, so he showed up to brag to his friends on the board then get the pats on the the back he so richly deserves.
Just like everything else this administration does, it is their government to do anything they want to do with it.
It’s great to see the ‘ethics’ board working so hard to accommodate the mayor’s schedule, this time.
Somehow he needs to pay back the citizens of Sioux Falls for use of Attorney Fiddle Faddle and a cut of all his other investment deals then we can put a sign at the Granite City Jaycees that MMM the great and powerful MMM paid back the funds he ripped from us all, well at least some of them. How come the rest of Sioux Falls doesnt get the inside from all the developers and RMB. Oh that must be covered by a city statue somewhere so it would be illegal. I’m sure if we had everything served up on a platter we too could get naming rights. I thought there were state ethics laws. I’m so damn frustrated with an ethics board picked by MMM. Why can’t the state at least attempt to have regulations to press onto municipalities the need for Acquisition regs, appropriation laws, and ethics that are real. How can a mayor pull these stunts and not care that he ends up in the media for it. A federal employee, a contractor with current contracts could not ethically or legally contribute these types of funds, it comes down to appearances. Time for an audit of the MMM
I voted for him in the first election not this time Way to take care of the working class Mike.
He wants to rep all the people and not the spcial interest groups, give me a break .Quit a laugh I had when I read that hey Mike what have you done for the working class.
AL Reader, you are so right that Sheels and for certain the indoor tennis will be at the city’s door step crying for operating and maintenance funding. If a Spellerberg pool or other recreational building only last so long, can you imagine a frkn building with MMM name on it, built to minimal codes lasting more than 5 years without major upgrades. LOL
“I hope someone on the city council has the sack to have the public money revoked from the facility and make it strictly a private facility.”
How exactly does addressing this issue require someone to have a “sack”?
The next mayor will be popular and sane for taking the name Huether off everything. It will be the ultimate revenge. Easy come, easy go.
He’ll build it at cost. It’ll become appraised at 3 million. Here’s the rub. It’s commercial development subject to property tax. Given the bad blood between the city and the county, there will be accelerated tax such that it can’t possibly turn a profit. Just another dinosaur associated with Huether. There will be 2 good days. The day it’s completed and the day it’s imploded.
What an egomaniac. I wonder who he learned it from???
Meanwhile there is a certain Catholic church thinkin WTF. I guess tennis before tything for the ol Plastic Mayor.
The term ‘Having a Sack’ refers to someone who has ‘nerve, courage, fortitude’ to make change, doesn’t matter if that person is a woman or a man. Even though we both know that Erp won’t do anything about it.
Oh, gosh l3wis. You darn radical activist!
And all while perpetuating sexism…who would have thought?!? (**golf clap**)
Am I just being whiney??? Should I just “Man Up!”?
3:02 in the youtube video: “Try to be humble, try to give back†Oh by being humble you mean brag up giving the $700,000 and ask to have your name on the publicly owned building.
What flavor is the humble pie, we know how to describe it: greed, deceit, grandstanding.
Looks like this is a self promotion award. The family decides on a goal to get this award and they probably gave a generous donation from the family trust fund to ensure winning it in 2011. Nice going Mikey.
TENNIS FAMILY OF THE YEAR*
This award is made annually to the family who in recent years has done the most to promote amateur tennis – primarily
on a volunteer basis. Ideally all members of the family should participate in some way, either as a player or by offering
their services in promoting tennis.
Each family member must be current USTA members.
Criteria:
1) The family must be active in volunteering in some or all of the following:
a) Serving as a volunteer in fostering tennis at any level of the USTA such as national, section, district
and/or local board or committee tournament and adult and/or junior programs.
b) Developing and/or sustaining junior and adult programs
c) Holding office(s) at the various levels of the USTA
d) Volunteer coaching
e) Competing in tennis, such as high school or college varsity (include age category rankings) League or
other organized play, social/recreational play.
f) Enriching the game of tennis in other related activities such as non-tennis related activity, honors
and/or achievements.
Please include the years of service for each activity for each family member. The section winner will be submitted for
consideration of the USTA Tennis Family of the Year national award that is presented at the USTA Annual Meeting.
* Eligible for national award recognition.