Art Collective this Monday
l3wis Do your holiday shopping this Monday, and give the gift that keeps giving, ART! Besides myself, I think there will be over 20 artists in the show.
2014
UPDATE: Who will apply to be on the Minnehaha County Commission
UPDATE: Yesterday the commission decided they will be accepting applications and resumes until December 31 for the appointment job. There was some discussion on whether they should appoint a ‘caretaker’ or basically a ‘seat warmer’. This of course was Dick Kelly’s idea, and Cindy pretty much said that was a bad idea, and they should appoint someone who is prepared to do the job in the fullest for the next two years, and if they want to run again, that would be fine.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4It5tf-y5Uo[/youtube]
I found out yesterday that Dean Karsky has withdrawn his name and said he is NOT seeking the appointment, but expressed interest in running for the seat in two years when he is term limited from the city council.
Mark Millage has also told me that he is not interested in the appointment either.
I’m not sure who the ‘ten’ people are, but it should be interesting when those names are released.
In other County news, it seems that the commission is backing out on their set of rules for picking an election review commission. The names I have heard so far are either elected officials, past elected officials or public employees. Bad idea. This commission should be citizen driven, NO elected officials, NO public employees and NO past officials BIAS to the process. Looks like another Kangaroo court.
I also have some other inside information about the formation of the commission that I will share AFTER the appointments. Let’s just say the cattle wrangling has already begun.
Coincidence?
Hotel Sign from the new Sanford Hospital Hotel.
As I was watching the press conference for the announcement of a RFP for a new downtown mixed use parking ramp, Darrin Smith presented several projects that have been done DT and around town. He also brought up the proposed hotel at Elmwood golf course, you know the one that for some reason taxpayers have to help build (still don’t know why the city needs to be in the lodging business, I guess probably for the same reason we are involved in indoor tennis, indoor pools and indoor hockey.)
The proposed Elmwood Hotel
What I found curious is that the same ‘brand’ is going to be at Elmwood as at Sanford. Is this just mere coincidence, or does Sanford have their hands in the hotel deal at Elmwood, and maybe that is why the city is going to be an investor?
See, Sanford runs the hotels at the Sanford Sports Complex and at the Hospital. Will they have a partnership at the golf course to offer some kind of golfing perk to visitors at their ‘other’ hotels?
Not sure?
I also find it a bit odd that the city has to invest in this project. I think a better approach (especially for the taxpayer’s wallets) would to have the hotel built and ran privately and they can lease the land from the city. Why do we need to be involved with building and investing in a hotel?
Am I missing something here?
Happy Holidays from Ferguson
(Image: Unknown)
Commissioner Barth’s questions to Auditor Litz
These are the questions Jeff planned to ask Auditor Litz in the last County Commission meeting until the discussion got diverted;
Please consider giving specific and complete answers to these questions during the “election review” agenda item on November 18. My hope is that we can proceed in a calm, deliberative manner.
In the run up to the General Election two incorrect absentee ballots were discovered mailed to a relative and a friend of a Legislator. Rather than creating a potential political dustup I took those ballots to you quietly, asked you to fix them and to audit your ballot inventory to assure me that correct ballots were going to the correct voter.
When I asked you about incorrect absentee ballots during the Canvass on November 7 you responded that there “were only two of them†and that you “took care of themâ€. When pressed you ignored the issue.
Then on November 12 you told KELO TV that there were twenty incorrect absentee ballots.
1) Were there two or twenty incorrect absentee ballots?
2) Did you know election night that these wrong absentee ballots were coming in?
3) Is twenty the exact number or a general approximation?
4) If the issue was voters putting the ballot in a wrong ballot box how could that happen with absentee ballots?
5) The counting machines have a printer attachment that notes when it reads an error on a ballot. What do the machines say?
In the 2014 City Election wrong ballots were mailed out on absentee requests. When candidate Rebecca Dunn brought two of the erroneous ballots to your attention you threatened legal action against her. You then blamed the Secretary of State for corrupting your data base.
1) How many incorrect absentee ballots were counted in the City Election?
2) In a related matter, how many wrong ballots were handed out at the “Voting Centers”?
In the June “General Election Primary†wrong ballots were again mailed out. You accepted responsibility for printing wrong ballots and again pointed at data base issues. Going forward from there you tasked your staff with correcting the database before the November election.
1) How many incorrect absentee ballots were cast in the Primary?
2) Were you able to recall all the “printing error†ballots that were sent out?
These absentee ballot issues are 100% human error. Elections are a sacred responsibility given to our county. We must do better.
Thanks, Jeff Barth
There was some other confusion. Precinct 3-12 cast votes in Legislative District 9 and 11. It is not listed as a precinct in District 11 but if you go to the SDSOS website the results show Tom Cool won that precinct 6-5. Another reason folks are confused.
