The sign of a despot losing control is when the gavel flies. The Sioux Falls City Council Informational meeting on September 20, 2016 showed a city leadership spiraling out of control. When City Council members are told what to do, who they can talk to and what they are to believe something is rotting down deep.
Before you start watching the video, click on it so you can view it full screen. This is our first use of a five camera blend to show you the action of the room. Notice when the city attorneys join the video and how even Fiddle Faddle gets into the act and appears to yell out something with the crowd.
Those of us who have followed city government for years have known this day was coming. City Council leadership takes their marching orders from the mayor’s office and his directors. You can see it when Rex Rolfing looks to the mayor’s attorney for guidance as Theresa Stehly uses her open discussion time to bring up the illegal use of the Executive session process. We have been documenting the abuse of the secretive executive sessions to hide the public’s business from the public.
The secret executive session was called to discuss ethics but in fact was a scheme to go after Stehly to set her up as an example. YOU MUST OBEY OR ELSE!
Why shouldn’t we hear this? What is so secret about ethics? Is it actually kind of oxymoronic (get your dictionary out Rex) for our town to teach one version to the council but not explain it to us?
The abuse of council members, the public and the process must stop. A past council member once told Cameraman Bruce explained the rule passed down by the mayor, “Councilors are not to intervene on behalf of constituents.” If this is the case, why do we even have a city council?
I think I’m going to send Rex a bottle of Gorilla Glue so he can glue down his gavel stand, seems it was bouncing all over the place.
Is Rolfing winking at someone in the audience at 3:48 after saying he will “let her go a little longer”?
Looks like Lawrence Welk show with the old guy whacking the baton on the desk. Gotta get some bubble machines with that 2nd penny.
“If this is the case, why do we even have a city council?”
Exactly what I was thinking when the mayor vetoed a 5-3 council vote.
Rex was checking with and getting marching orders from fiddle faddle all during this exchange. As I noticed this activity, I started recording the three city attorneys because I wanted to see the interactions.
Great clip. Theresa said things that have been building up for years about the mayor/council– city taxpayer/ VOTER relationship. Absolutely needed to be said. Perfect time. Perfect place. Then, low and behold, we get this quote from a flip flopper.
“City Councilor Greg Neitzert told KDLT News that the incident was unfortunate and frankly, unnecessary.”
My, this has needed to be said for a long time! Thank you Theresa for verbalizing what we already knew to be true for the last seven years! Secret deals made in secret sessions…we know it is true! Transparency is the last thing the mayor wants and his several cronies on the board help to make it happen. If the city is their boss, the who do we as citizens go to with concerns. Certainly not to the mayor….I attempted to have a professional and respectful conversation with him about a concern…..trust me, there was no listening, just lecturing me. I implore the newer council members to listen and support your constituent’s concerns. We need you to hear us!
Speaking of Transparency…..
I can readily pull up the Informational meeting from yesterday on the City’s website, but get this message…..
The video file for this meeting does not exist for this browser.
….when I try to watch the 7:00 Council meeting from last night.
I am pulling up both on the same computer…..does this make any sense? I think NOT!
Watch this Kelo video and observe Kiley giving Rex directions and info while looking onto Theresa’s paper.
http://www.keloland.com/news/article/news/sioux-falls-council-member-says-she-s-being-bullied
One glaring weakness in greg nitzeryt. This council gig is not about us vs them. It is all about right vs wrong. You’re a loser nitezert.
http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/columnists/stu-whitney/2016/09/21/theresa-stehly-city-council-sioux-falls-mayor-huether-stu-whitney/90786870/
As a person who helped get Greg elected, I can say I am extremely disappointed. The power structure of SF got to him. Just another council casualty. Reminds me of how Brown and Erp started out, then flipped.