My South DaCola foot soldier in Potsdam was too busy to get photos of MMM during his visit, but he sent me this fantastic article (I used Google Translator, so it is a bit choppy)
“The boomendste (Boomtown?) small town“Â
Interview with Mike T. Huether, mayor of Potsdam’s sister city Sioux Falls, about his home and mutual learning effects
On Thursday, the grand launch of a tram Sioux Falls was held in the name of the Potsdam sister city. “Godfather” was Mike T. Huether, the mayor of the 162,000-inhabitant city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. In MAZ Interview Mike T. Huether tells about his homeland and mutual learning effects.
Potsdam. Mike T. Huether, who with his wife Cindy in Potsdam since Monday wants to strengthen partner relations between the two cities in the future yet.
MAZ: In the U.S., many cities nickname: Chicago is known as “Windy City”, New York as the “Big Apple”. What is the name Sioux Falls?
Mike T. Huether: It is also called “Boomendste small town”. I think this is a beautiful community with Potsdam, where one can see at every step, as everything is flourishing.
Very few Potsdamer probably have some idea of ​​Sioux Falls. How would you describe your city?
Huether: There are many new buildings, many new businesses. The unemployment rate is extremely low – it is only three percent. There are also plenty of jobs. The fact is that we are desperately in Sioux Falls in search of labor.
What is the “secret” of your city?
Huether: We have a very good economic balance hingekriegt and have legs in the most diverse sectors of the economy: This ranges from the financial and banking on the research and trading to the two major hospital corporations and an Orthopedic Institute who are resident with us. Not forgetting of course the large agricultural area. Sioux Falls has a very large catchment area. The metropolitan region and include the city with 250 000 inhabitants. It’s called Sioux Falls also “The heart of the Midwest” – the heart of the Midwest. It’s like a small or a small Chicago-Minneapolis.
So no cowboys and Indians?
Huether: No, cowboys and Indians are rather rare with us, but there is as I said a lot of farmers.
Overall, it sounds like this, so if Sioux Falls would not exactly starving as a municipality.
Huether: Yes, it is a rich city. Many doctors, lawyers and bankers live in the city. It is also a very popular retirement home for retirees. We were even voted among the top five most popular cities for retirees in the United States. This is due to the cost of living, the good health care system and the fact that it is a safe place with many things to do. Another reason for the attractiveness is the fact that there are very many jobs for retirees who want to get a sense of purpose.
They are now nearly five years Mayor of Sioux Falls. What have you done before professionally?
Huether: I was a banker. But at some point in life one finds that one can not buy happiness with money. I had enjoyed my 25 years in banking, but I wanted to make something special and serve the citizens.
What skills does the mayor in your community?
Huether: The office of mayor is an impartial office. The citizens vote not for a party, but for the person. Although I am a member of the Democratic Party, but that does not matter in this context.
The partnership between Sioux Falls and Potsdam since 1990 However, you can feel in this country -. Apart from occasional guest students from Augustana College at the University of Potsdam – hardly anything of the transatlantic friendship.
Huether: One of the main reasons for my visit to Potsdam is that in the future the relations between the citizens should be intensified. It is not enough if only the city tips communicate with each other. There are so many possibilities of exchange: from tourism and the economy to the formation and administration work. When my wife and I wandered today through Potsdam, I had plenty of ideas for a mutually beneficial cooperation. I think we can mutually benefit from each other much.
Do you notice there are a few concrete examples of a?
Huether: Clear! For example, we wanted to buy in some stores, but you would not accept our credit card. “We only accept euros,” it said. We also went to four restaurants because we wanted lunch, but there played exactly the same as. “We only accept Euros, no credit cards” In this way, these stores and restaurants are missing an incredible amount of profit. This makes me absolutely no economic sense that one and the “scares” our money of other American tourists so from the city.
What things you want to inversely abschauen of Potsdam?
Huether: Of course we are overwhelmed by the architecture. With us it is, unfortunately, so that old buildings are often unceremoniously demolished and replaced by faceless new buildings. Here one takes an incredible amount of money in hand to restore historic buildings. This is wonderful invested money. I also think the concept of public transport, which we were able to experience today.
Speaking of history. They carry a German last name and have also held a little speech in German at the baptism of the tram. When are your ancestors immigrated from Germany?
Huether: Actually, they have come from Eastern Europe. My ancestors emigrated from Germany to Russia to teach the Russians in agricultural techniques. When exactly are they emigrated to the U.S., I can not say.
Interview: Ildiko Röd
He can’t resist to call us a ‘boomtown’ in the interview. He also pulls out his favorite BS line, “I was banker.” I did get a chuckle out the fact that he admitted to the press he was a ‘Democrat’. I think that is the first time he has ever said that to the press. I also was amused by his anger over not being able to use a Credit Card. LOL. That joke speaks for itself. The fact is many European retailers will not use American CCs because they don’t have the chip technology they use. And I am sure the service fee on an American CC is atrocious. You can also get a travelers card from American Express with the chip in it. But Huether probably already knew that, since he is a ‘banker’. My favorite line;
“Of course we are overwhelmed by the architecture. With us it is, unfortunately, so that old buildings are often unceremoniously demolished and replaced by faceless new buildings. “
Oh, and BTW, we hand out TIF’s for those ‘Faceless’ buildings in Sioux Falls. Bring on the Fourth Walmart!