Of all the organizations that I would think WOULD NOT close the public out of a municipal election candidate forum, I would think it would be the Unions in Sioux Falls.
Imagine our surprise when Bruce and I arrived and were told the meeting was closed to Union members and he could not film (ironically they didn’t tell him until after he setup his camera – no he didn’t turn it on).
Not only did they close the public out and our filming, they separated the council candidate questioning from the mayoral candidate questioning sessions.
It has been so bizarre this year with all these ‘closed’ candidate forums. As I told Bruce later, “What is funny is that the senior citizen surviving only on Social Security VOTE counts just the same as a Chamber Member, a Union Member, a Realtor or a Rotary Club member. They all get ONE.”
With all the talk about transparency in government, these forums are the epitome of the exact opposite. If I was one of the candidates I would have said, “As a staunch supporter of open and transparent government I will not be participating unless the public is invited to attend.”
I guess you have to belong to a special interest club these days to hear what our future elected leaders have to say.
Their actions admit that they are a special interest rather than being a collection of citizens with an invested interest…
Shameful, but unions are another form of organized crime.
As Scott said, all of these clubs want only their members to partake and screw the rest of us.
It’s funny how the majority of the voters do not belong to any of the special interest clubs so they never hear what they are asking for. So when we expose the underbelly of the decision process, the special interest groups and their chosen “leaders” get upset when the public rises up to fight them. When the special interest groups find out we are meddling in the group’s vanity projects we are derided.
The public really wants to know where these people stand on issues and they also want to know what the groups want. What’s wrong with a bit of sunshine on the entire process?
How ironic! The same language Huether used to describe the police union is being used so promiscuously by your people. This sounds like a room full of establishment republicans. It is not a union responsibility to hold a public forum, and that labor temple is not a facility that you have a right to. Missed the mark on this one fellas.
That’s interesting, I have been to several public events at the place including political rallies and a memorial service.
While I support the Unions, maybe they didn’t want the public to hear the candidates feelings on collective bargaining, they just might vote for the candidates that are opposed.
If unions wish to remain relevant in political/lobbying circles, they need to be more inclusive.
If candidates wish to promote honest transparency, they need to demand that their forums be open to everyone. Otherwise, we can safely assume that they are making empty promises to each and every special interest group.
It is disappointing that all involved failed in this case.
I asked one of the candidates participating in the forum last night if they had to kneel in a Pentagram while Sage was burned around them 🙂
they would do that at the shriner forum.
I’ve heard that the candidates last night were pre-vetted and invited. I guess TenHaken and Erickson were NOT asked to attend.
So, the union political meet is a seance?
I am sure the question was asked. Do you support collective bargaining? Also sure they all responded in a very positive way towards unions and what they have done for the working class. They talk the talk, but the two guys who built such a large working pool? Do they walk the walk?
Is that the future of Sioux Falls? Candidates in secret meetings giving each interest group secret assurances? Disgusting.