Last week on SuFuStu’s show the director of Finance for the city of Sioux Falls, Tracy Turbak announced that they ‘may’ be getting metal detectors for the Events Center. Earlier last week, the city put out bids for metal detectors.
According to a council staffer, the metal detectors are for the Events Center. The promoter ‘Live Nation’ said they will not promote shows at the EC unless they are installed.
While I guess we could debate about that, which is fine, I have recently become concerned that the City of Sioux Falls is now using a purchasing consultant, Mercury Commerce (EMS).
Many government entities use them, but one has to question, is our purchasing department so busy they cannot review bids? Not to mention how we are told consistently that we need a new administration building because of city growth, yet we job-out out consultants and temps not only in our engineering department, custodial department and Parks and Rec, but now it seems we need consultants to help us weed through bids.
Time to talk about what this is really all about. Live Nation is taking advantage of fear. Why should they act any differently than half our politicians? They have increased so called security measures in the wake of Paris and what happened recently in southern California. Metal detectors to keep us safe? Look at the other guidelines that also accompany these metal detectors. No cans (beer) no alcohol of any kind. No food of any kind. Only see thru back packs or carry ons. In other words, Live Nation will have no one eating or drinking anything unless you’re eating or drinking from the vendors inside the facility. What can possibly be wrong that???
Example. I went to Arrowhead Stadium this October for a football game. Great place to tailgate and meet a lot of really interesting people. Problem was as I was headed into the stadium I had an unopened can of beer in my hoodie pocket that I’d frankly forgotten was there. I went thru the detectors and was told to discard the can in an accompanying trash receptacle. Fine. No harm. No foul. Two feet beyond the receptacle was where the foul was committed. There stood a guy selling the type of beer I’d just trashed for a mere $9 a can. Follow the money. It will cost us about $75,000 to cover all the entrances with the necessary “security” detectors.
Read this to realize the real bottom line for Live Nation.
http://www.businessinsider.com/live-nation-plans-to-boost-revenue-through-beer-merchandise-sales-2009-5
I pledged I’d never enter the EC because of inferior construction and questionable contracts. I’ve got enough metal in me I can’t change my mind. Isn’t there discrimination against west river because they have big cowboy belt buckles?
Why on earth does the city need a purchasing consultant for bids or for anything else?
When finance rolled out its new software which “automated” and “streamlined” city financial procedures, it doubled the size of the city’s financial staff.
What work are they doing if it’s being outsourced?
What good was the software upgrade if they had to double the number of finance department employees?
i would hope the gun lobby fights this. I need to be able to carry my gun to the Florida Georgia Line concert. Yeeeeee Hawwwww!!
As Poly points out, this is more of a way from stopping people from bringing in their own treats and eats.
Reminds me of when then councilor De Knudson was begging for a new EC in Sioux Falls so she didn’t have to buy ‘Cokes and Sandwiches’ at the Tyson EC in Sioux City.
I miss her rants, glad to see the Erp and Rolfing are picking up where she left off.
As for safety, they should be looking into the kind of temps the EC is hiring that have been accused of serving moldy bread and ruffied drinks.
Live Nation, the corporation that insists we spend this $180,000, for “security”, is in partnership with SMG, the good folks that sell food and beverages at the denny. This is not about security as we know it. It is about corporate security, the bottom line. Profit margins. Kind of a long read below, but bear it out. It tells us all we need to know about Live Nation/SMG.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/06/inconvenience-charges-live-nations-concert-cons.html
Poly, for clarificataion, ‘Ovations’ is the food and bev vendor for most of the SMG run facilities. Not sure if SMG gets a cut from them or how that works.
If anyone remembers when i addressed council on these motel and hotel problems i had stated the crime was going to go up police volume and by feb.there would be a homicide in one of these budget motels.also stated that we was going to see shoes hanging from power lines.I have been right so far there was a homicide due to fighting at a budget motel called the Arena Motel We as citizens needs to get involved with this motel and hotel living and make it become a city ordinance that noone can live in a motel or hotel mor then 30 days
In tomorrows argus you will read this.
http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2016/01/26/added-security-measures-jason-aldean/79363168/
In it you will read about the new size restrictions on bags and other items that can longer enter the denny. Looking at the denny website, bringing food in was not an issue in their list of “cannot” bring into the denny. Now it is.
Sure, this will prevent bad guys with guns from entering. But, on a much much larger scale, it will prevent good guys from bringing in their bottled water and Twinkies. So, you want a bottle of denny water, be prepared to pony up fifty cents an ounce. And domestic tap beer? Well, after you’ve paid for your ticket, found a place to park thats not charging, I doubt you’ll be in much of a mood to have a cold one….especially at denny prices.
how would you enforce a 30 day limit on “budget” motels? the homeless would just pack up their shopping carts and rotate between them. although I would think that the arena motel would be packed with all the out of towners who stay overnight for events at the event center.
Didn’t the Arena Motel get some kind of an award or something from Oprah a couple of years ago for providing free or cheap housing for the homeless?
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/oprah-winfreys-gift-to-sioux-falls/?id=115685