Nothing like the mayor waiting to announce he is going to put his name on the side of the indoor tennis facility (which just received half-million in public funds) on a Friday afternoon before a 3-day holiday weekend. Hopefully all will be forgotten when Tuesday rolls around, uh, not so fast Mike. I haven’t forgotten, oh, and it is Tuesday.
Though Huether admits he started the discussions about donating to the tennis center in April, he waited until last Wednesday (May 21) to request an ethics hearing on his proposed donation. Apparently his question was so important (Sooper-Dooper Ultra important) that they scheduled the meeting the next day, to occur the following day. It must have been important, because the mayor was able to attend, so was his wife and only child (Sanford must give time off for ethics hearings, especially when daddy is looking to boost his ego).
One has to question though if the Huethers were planning to give money to the facility before the city council approved the donation of OUR money? How would that have changed the council vote or public perception of public funds going towards a facility to be named after a sitting mayor, especially since 99.9% will never use the facility.
That’s where the ‘former’ Christian in me would like to give some ‘Jesus’ advice to our very merry Christian mayor. And yes I will be using the teachings of the man/prophet that our mayor says he follows. When giving advice to a Christian, it important to use a book they are ‘familiar’ with, and NO I am not talking about another Dale Carnegie edition.
First let’s start with what Mr. Huether did in his previous life as the marketing manager and head employee tormenter at a sub-prime credit card company (not a bank). He was in charge of selling credit cards to the most fiscally vulnerable of our society (now that is prudence). In fact the practice was so scrupulous and infamous that the FEDS made some of the things Premier Bankcard was doing to their consumers illegal.
‘And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons and subprime credit cards. ‘ Matthew 21:12
The shady marketing aside, what about Huether lying about what he did at First Premier during his first campaign. He said he was a banker. I guess that would be like me saying I am an auto mechanic because I change my own washer fluid. The closest thing Huether got to banking was calling up his sister company and asking for his checkbook balance.
‘Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets and credit card salesmen have gone out into the world.’ John 4:1
But preying on the poor and lying are the least of my concerns about Mike, like I said, I am a ‘former’ Christian, I don’t worry too much about pigeons, prophets and petty campaign promises.
It’s this whole ‘naming rights’ deal that has stuck in my craw. Do I think it is great that Mike is throwing away his daughter’s inheritance on the indoor tennis facility, sure.
‘In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give free tennis lessons than to receive them.’† Acts 20:35
Never had an issue with Mike’s charitable giving, give away Robin Hood (was he in the bible?) It’s the precedent our city is setting by allowing a sitting mayor to put his family name on a facility that has received public funds.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, don’t plaster your name on the side of buildings, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.’ Matthew 6:1-4
I guess maybe Mike has gotten to the New Testament yet in all of his praying and bible reading. It’s good stuff, especially the stuff that Jesus guy says about charity, money and lying. He also has some dark advice for rich peeps;
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.†Mark 10:25
But, hey who am I, as a former Christian to tell a practicing Christian what advice to follow? Plaster your name all over town for all I care, after all, we need something else to look at besides Sanford signage. Just don’t combine my tax dollars with your name, could care less what that Jesus dude thinks of it, I just think it is really egotistical and honestly quite tacky.
I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite low-brow artists, and pinstriping pioneer, Von Dutch (who wasn’t a disciple, but a damn good artist) and probably didn’t have any kids that wanted to play tennis.
“I make a point of staying right at the edge of poverty. I don’t have a pair of pants without a hole in them, and the only pair of boots I have are on my feet. I don’t mess around with unnecessary stuff, so I don’t need much money. I believe it’s meant to be that way. There’s a ‘struggle’ you have to go through, and if you make a lot of money it doesn’t make the ‘struggle’ go away. It just makes it more complicated. If you keep poor, the struggle is simple. “
Oh, Dutch, our mayor is anything but ‘simple’
The SF City Council has appropriated (assigned) 500,000 TAX DOLLARS to the Community Indoor Tennis Center (CNTI).
They have NOT yet released these funds.
In light of the new circumstances of a SITTING mayor offering a private donation in exchange for naming rights for a facility involving public dollars, it would behoove the City Council to re-examine and publicly discuss the donation of tax dollars to this entity.
(City Council) Fiduciary Duty
Definition
A fiduciary duty is a legal duty to act solely in another party’s interests. Parties owing this duty are called fiduciaries. The individuals to whom they owe a duty are called principals. Fiduciaries may not profit from their relationship with their principals unless they have the principals’ express informed consent. They also have a duty to avoid any conflicts of interest between themselves and their principals or between their principals and the fiduciaries’ other clients. A fiduciary duty is the strictest duty of care recognized by the US legal system.
*Cornell University Law School
Imagine, this guy getting help from labor in the first election and then doing nothing to help them way to go Mike, run for Governor so I can vote for the republican, but maybe you should run on that ticket, special interest you could cozy up to.
IMHO I have great respect for people who give money anonymously without strings attached that the item donated to has to carry their name. And this goes for Sanford too. He has helped a lot of causes, but I wish he could do so without insisting that his name be in the forefront of these establishments.
Would agree, not sure why so many people are worried about their legacy. Sanford tried giving money to a Minnesota University and when they told him he couldn’t have naming rights, he pulled his donation.
This is also a touching moment, this is when our mayor got ‘tennis family of the year’ (you pretty much get this award by giving a lot of dough)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN0S0GUlTp4
I wasn’t aware that Mayor Huether had ever publicly identified as a Christian.
I’m waiting for Huether to publicly identify as a Republican ! Better do it now so it’s not so conspicuous.
The First Premier Boys have been busy. Let’s see…Miles Beacom has a building at Dakota State Univ. named after him (as well as the “Beacom School of Business” at USD – kids, learn how to market sub-prime credit cards to the peasants!). Dana Dykhouse has his name all over the athletic facilities at SDSU (as a State grad, this gives me mixed feelings, but we needed those buildings – hate these ethical dilemmas!!). And, of course, T. Denny. I think Mikey has a clear case of…erection envy.
SFian – You are kidding? Right? What rock are you hiding under?
HMR – You mean Penis envy. I am just saying. Now go grow a sack 🙂
Years ago I couldn’t swear in front of the kids so a&& holes became a clowns This guy mmm is a little a clown just like. T Denny but worse I remember when he was just elected and played coy and dumb. He might have been but cooper and Schmitt have had their names in the fray for too long. All three need to go. Cooper said last year at council or zoning for Walmart they would do better next time and hose Bonita and twin eagles. He and Jeff the other a clown could have stopped tHe bs but didn’t too indebted to Lloyd and homans. Jeff and mike were doing the shape place bs before mmm stepped in but he embraced it Why won’t the state do an audit and follow the money
At least Craig Lloyd and t Denny don’t lie about who they are
Sioux Fallsian,
MMM proudly announced at his swearing-in that his parish priest was in attendance.
But, the catholic bishop barred him from lectoring because of his stand on abortion during his 2010 mayoral campaign.
It’s one thing to have naming rights for those living fools how are currently part of T. Denny’s world. The need all they can do to make their lives look moral and legitimate after the lives they have helped ruin. It is quite another to have the sitting head ‘public’ servant drop money on a facility he and his wife scammed into existence just so he could see his name on something. They could have made it simple making the naming rights take effect after he left office. But no, he is such an egomaniac he needs the satisfaction NOW. What a pig (sorry hogs, we know you’re better).
SF Resident,
Thanks for the information! Honestly, I was just curious. Where did you hear about the bishop barring Fr. Morgan from lectoring? Also, when during the 2010 campaign did Mayor Huether take a stance on abortion
From the Argus Leader:
“Mayor Mike Huether and four City Council members were sworn into office in a ceremony Tuesday afternoon…
…The brief ceremony started with opening remarks by Huether, followed by a prayer from Father James Morgan of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.”
I would love to see Mike’s bucket list!
Sounds like a possible cartoon, southdacola!
Let us all have a shot at the captions!!
The abortion issue surfaced during the run-off between Huether and Staggers.
Mike has been barred by the bishop from lectoring, not the parish priest.
Your hatred towards Huether is exhausting. He is in politics, so naturally he will be examined and criticized, as all politicians should be. It is our duty as citizens to be a part of the political process and stay informed. However, as always, you take everything so very personally, particularly your hatred towards Huether. An ethics board has reviewed Huether’s financial donations many times, and yet that is still not enough for you. You WANT Huether to be some crook that you believe he is, yet the political process in which you spend every last breath examining, is never good enough for you. Had Jamison made this donation, you would have gladly commended him and honored his love of the city. But, because it is Huether, you have to attack him, his family, and his faith. How very brave of you…
How brave of you to attack me without using your real name. First off, I have never said I ‘Hate’ Huether or any other politician, I ‘HATE’ the things they do. Secondly, everything I said above is factual. He was the marketing manager for a subprime CC company, the FEDS cracked down on their practices. Huether is a a self-confessed Christian, but according to Christian doctrine, it is unacceptable to give to charity and announce it to the world.
The ‘Huether’ blindness is alive and well in this community. So blind, that even when people defend this ‘crook’ they have to do it anonymously fearing they may be tracked down by his goon squad.
Thanks for the laugh of the day
In the April 2014 election, four out of every 10 voters did NOT support Mike Huether.
There are numerous well-informed reasons why over 40% did not vote for Mike.
For a guy with a marketing background, he sure seems clueless about “public perception”.
The Sioux Falls ‘Ethics’ process is a whitewashing process. We have shown this and will continue to show this in our work. When the mayor appoints board members who do not understand the process and some have their own issues, how are we citizens going to get a fair shake?
What L3wis does here is lay out facts and draw conclusions from the twisted stories supplied by a marketing master. Many who show up and read these stories do so to get a deeper understanding of the strange events surrounding them daily.
NS, you apparently do not want the comments not fitting your preconceived thought process. Our 9th and Main marketing office does not want us to ask questions, just like the way the officeholder scammed sub-prime credit cards.