Actually I look forward to seeing Fareed Zakaria’s take on Sioux Falls and it’s government. It will be interesting to see what kind of spin our Mayor puts on it;
The city hosted a producer and photojournalist from CNN in December. During their visit, CNN interviewed Mayor Mike Huether and others, toured the city, and were interested in how government was getting results.
I can answer that question, Home Rule Charter and Dictatorship like government that rewards the rich with subsidies and tax breaks. While our top earners in Sioux Falls are doing very well, the rest are suffering the consequences. Food banks running dry, Free and reduced lunches are up in our schools, and we have to build bigger complexes for the homeless and needy. The council is virtually powerless and un-informed. City Hall controls all the information and only spoon feeds the council information. It’s easy to claim you have a successful city government when you are the only one in charge, that’s not a democracy, that is a dictatorship. I hope the reporter interviewing Huether saw through his bullshit, but my guess is like a majority of voters in Sioux Falls, they ate it up and loved it.
You’re spot on. I’d add more but citizens and the media refuse to accept the truth.
It was interesting Huether recognized purple heart recipients Tuesday 2 weeks after I stated the city is not veteran friendly. I can’t believe he tried to shake my hand.
Cleptocracy (per Wikopedia)
A form of political corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its officials at the expense of citizens. Often with pretense of honest service. Often achieved by embezzlement of public funds and misrepresented fees or fines.
In reality though, even with all of the short-comings you mentioned – you know – SF is one of the BEST things going in this whole country. Consider that.
I would be surprised if there was much truth in the news item on CNN.
So that’s what the a clown has been up too. Lol. Dan thanks for your clarity on these issues you are spot on let’s hope he stays at his lake place that was most likely paid for by sf taxpayers and fades away like Obama
Rufus…are you serious? Our schools have free or reduced meals for nearly 50% of its kids. Yer OK with that number? I’m sure the mayor will talk about this.
From a argus article six months ago.
â– Eligibility is determined by the number of people and total income in a household. For a three-person household, the yearly income maximum is $25,389 to qualify for free meals and $36,131 for reduced-price meals.
Low unemployment, but low-wage jobs
For school board members, the increase in poverty figures shines a light on low wages in the region. South Dakota Division of Labor statistics show that half the workforce in the four-county Sioux Falls Metropolitan Area earns less than $15 an hour — about $31,000 per year.
“Personally, I don’t think the economy is struggling more now than it was a year ago,†said school board member Kent Alberty, who is also co-owner of a staffing company in Sioux Falls. “When you see 3 percent unemployment, you would think, well, companies must be thinking about bumping up their starting pay. I’m not seeing a lot of that. I think we’re seeing too many low-paying jobs and families struggling to make ends meet, even with two incomes.â€
“We have jobs,†board member Todd Thoelke said. “We just don’t have jobs that help people make enough money.â€
There’s also the faction that has dropped out.
A single mom with 3 kids. She makes more on welfare and can’t afford to work because daycare is more than she makes. Her man sneaks out the back way when social services calls. His tax free income comes from petty theft and robbing casinos.
Poly – compared to most of the rest of the country – we’re doing great. Now this does not mean – as you mistakenly seem to believe – that we are actually doing GREAT. What it really means is that the country as a whole is in some real deep (RED) doo doo.
As I watched this…..
I thought, is this the same place where one of the City’s largest employers pays me $11 an hour!!!?