I have to admit I’m finding the ‘outrage’ about the cell phone ban getting killed in 1st reading quite hilarious, and a little late.
I guess Poo-Point University today had a full on bitch session about it.
Here’s the deal, if anyone from the public cared or was paying attention, I posted about this way back on May 15th. On May 24th, the Argus Leader ran a poll about the ban, and since then have done several stories about the ban.
It’s been in the news. A LOT!
In fact, if so many people were concerned about the ban, why was I the ONLY person from the public to testify in public input at the 1st reading?
The outrage about it now is an after thought, kind of like a fart that doesn’t make a sound or smells.
My feeling is that the people wanting this ban didn’t want public input (against it), that’s why the silence and education about it. They just wanted their fancy-smancy names to speak for themselves;
AARP South Dakota
Augustana College, Rob Oliver, Pres.
Bender Commercial Real Estate Services, Michael Bender, Pres.
DakotaCare, Kirk Zimmer, Pres.
Falls Area Bicyclists
7th District Medical Society
Raven Industries
River Ridge Oral & Maxillofacial Surgical Center
Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital
AAA South Dakota
Southeastern District Dental Society of SD
University of Sioux Falls, Mark Benedetto, Pres.
Vern Eide Motor Cars
Individuals
Dr. Loren & Mavis Amundson
Kathy Amundson
Robert Amundson (retired Justice of the SD Supreme Court)
Duane Anderson (former ass’t City Attorney)
Rich Aquilar
Sue Aguilar (former City Councilor)
Tam Baker (former City Councilor)
Dr. Jack & Linda Barker
Brenda Beninga
Gerald Beninga (Pres. & CEO Active Generations, former City Councilor, current Chair Minnehaha County Commission)
Bruce & Mary Boyd
Frank & Martha Brost,
Vernon Brown (former City Councilor)
Dean Buckneberg
Walter O. Carlson, MD
Gary Conradi
Steve Crim
Msgr. James Doyle
Jim Entenman, (CEO J&L Harley, former City Councilor).
Cy Farner
Dick Gregerson
Joel & Susan Hagen
Anne Hajek (former City Councilor, County Commissioner, member of the SD Legislature)
Doug Hajek
Robert W. Hartman
Ann & Joseph Henkin
Sandy Jerstad (former member of the SD Legislature)
Gene Paul Kean (former States Attorney and former Circuit Court Judge)
Bob Kiner
Dan Kirby
Joe & Jennifer Kirby
Helen Henkin Kluck
Jeff KluckKnobe (former Mayor)
Laurie Knutson
Rich & Shirley Lauer
John McIntyre (former member of the SD Legislature)
Steve Metli (former Planning & Services Director for the City of Sioux Falls)
David Munson (former Mayor)
Nathan & Brianna Nassif
David Nelson (former Minnehaha County States Attorney)
Mary Olinger
Loren Pankratz
Gary Pashby
Douglas Pay, MD
Sandra Pay
George Roberts
Daniel A. Rykhus
Ellie Sabers
Richard Sabers (retired Justice of the SD Supreme Court)
John Simko (retired US Magistrate Judge)
Tom Simmons
Terry & Cleo Sorensen (their son was killed by a driver texting on his cell phone at 26th & Minnesota in 2012)
William Srstka (retired Circuit Court Judge)
Jim Stavenger
Theresa Stehly (Drivers Ed teacher)
Bob & Trish Swanhorst
Jerry & Mary Pat Sweetman
Bob Thimjom
Pam Tiede
Stuart Tiede (retired Circuit Court Judge)
Carol Twedt (former County Commissioner)
Robert VanDemark Jr., MD
Dick & Marilyn Viehweg
Dave Volk
Ron Williamson
Dick & Jeanne Wold
Jim & Penny Woster
This is a list I have had since May also.
The bigger question is why is our current mayor absent from this list? And why the deafening silence from City Hall? The Police Chief?
Let’s face it, it is a public safety issue, put it on the ballot and let the voters decide, not a bunch of thumbsuckers that get their way every time they come crying to the city council. You are really starting to make an embarrassment out of our local government.
Worthless legislation to make us feel safer. Though there are many reads telling us this legislation isn’t needed, I enjoyed this from a AAA study:
A March 2012 study sponsored by the American Automobile Association and conducted by the University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center found that young drivers, the most accident-prone among all driving groups, are most likely distracted by rowdy passengers in the car, changing the radio station, and eating or drinking while at the wheel.
Use of mobile devices was the least prominent distraction observed, being overtaken by “adjusting controls, personal hygiene, communicating with someone outside the vehicle and reaching for objects in the vehicle,†according to the study.
“Electronic device use and other distracted driver behaviors were strongly associated with looking away from the roadway, although electronic device use was only weakly related to serious incidents,†the authors concluded.
And I love the conclusion which is dead on:
Unfortunately, politicians and much of society aren’t interested in doing what works to tackle a problem, but in doing what makes us feel like we’ve tackled a problem. And, such feelings don’t make great policy.
Home Rule Charter has proven to be worse than cell phones. There’s a stack of court cases and state censure identifying that city government is unconstitutional. There’s been civil rights infringement and false arrests. Simple topics such as cell phones and vegetation height have become a smokescreen to hide the real problem. The council stays busy with when to hold your phone when they should (by oath) be protecting and defending the constitution.
That list is kind of a Who’s Who of who-knows-who. And some cyclists.
All those rich people didn’t get their way. Poor rich people. Wah wah wah!