While only about .05% percent of Sioux Falls residents give a rat’s ass about the Sanford International Golf Tournament, it hasn’t stopped our news media from covering it for days, including the mini-city built on the Minnehaha Country Club greens that took several weeks.
Instead talking about the massive tax increases we are facing with the new jail, new schools, new water treatment plant, lack of food tax relief in the legislature’s special session, and another property tax increase on Tuesday at the City Council meeting, our local media wants to focus on the important things; Golf.
While healthcare costs continue to sky rocket, food banks grow faster than crab grass, soup kitchens continue to expand, and treatment for addiction isn’t available in our community, one of top employers and healthcare providers decided that hosting a pro-golf tournament on an exclusive country club course was a good idea.
Will there be economic impact? Oh, probably. Will Sanford and the MCC make money from the event? Maybe.
But the golf tournament highlights something more than anything else, the gap between rich and poor in Sioux Falls.
The irony only gets thicker when you realize the tournament is being played on land that should be sold to the city for a better east-west route for commuters.
While our news media stands in line like they are at the Banquet for Sanford advertising dollars, the rest of our society is slipping through the cracks. But, hey, we are not a real news story unless we steal a pizza buffet gift card.
is the money for this coming out of t-den’s pocket, or out of the hospital budget?
Janklow could only die once, so I guess they needed something else to talk about for a while…
Now, I what I just wrote was mean and some what disrespectful, but sadly also true.
While I am glad for the golfers and I am glad we have facilities in this town that can offer such an event, I often wonder how many ambulances that head to Sanford have to take 12th Street or 41st Street, when a 22nd Street through “golf land” would be much quicker and caring for those in need of ambulance services in this town.
Do you remember when former Mayor Hanson tried to get that 22nd Street passageway completed in the late 90s, and the then President of the Minnehaha County Club objected because he talked about the “jewel” that MCC was to the City and the habitat in that area; and that such a passageway would destroy the neighborhoods along 22nd, which ironically, are now challenged by Sanford’s expansion over the years. Well, I can only wonder what a “gem” of an idea it would be now, if only ambulances could speed to Sanford without having to take the end around via 12th or 41st just so others can look for their putter….
Oh, and let me guess, someone will now make a counter argument about Avera being on the west side on Marion Road. But are ambulances directed there and do out of town ambulances ever think to go there first? Is that not more of a place for walk-in emergencies? But if I am wrong, I welcome the counter argument….
I read this blog daily, mainly to see what the loony left is up to. Your first paragraph today talks about 1/2 of 1% who care about this golf tournament. I have heard estimates of 20,000 spectators at the venue and that is certainly more than 1/2 of 1% of our population. Granted, some will be here from out of town. They are the ones that will have the largest impact on our economy and we should welcome them to our city.
Your last paragraph seems to give approval to someone stealing from a private business. Is this the type of redistribution of wealth that you approve of? I think this is an example of what is wrong with some people. If I can’t provide for myself, I will just steal from someone who has put a large amount of money on the line to provide jobs in Sioux Falls. After all, I should get what I want even if I don’t work for it.
While it surprises me there are that many golf nerds in the region, not sure what you mean about handouts? I wish we would close places like Feeding SD and the Banquet, or at least work on making them smaller. This of course would require wages to increase in town. My point about the pizza card is that when ‘skanks’ in this town do something, it’s news, but when the elite or politically connected do something wrong, you never hear about it.
The golf event will get the city some national recognition but hardly affects the local economy. It’s mostly private money so no problem. Were it not for the rich spending, there’d be less sales tax revenue for the city to waste on out of state contractors and affluent indoor entertainment. I suggest not making a big deal about this or the working class could end up paying for indoor golf in addition to Huether tennis and swimming.
$6 million for temporary seating, enhancements, etc.
https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/inside-keloland-prepping-for-the-sanford-international/1445274384
What a waste.
Just think of all the job training programs, health care assistance, medical research or groceries that could have bought?
Dakota Cynic,
When one employs people, but for a lesser wage, that is what I call “stealing.”
If only we lived in a utopia where people had to spend their money on the greater good and not what they wanted to spend it on. Even better yet, everything about everything should be evaluated for greater good. That sounds exactly like the type of society that I’d love to live in.
I’m not quite to where Dakota Cynic is, but I used to like reading this blog a lot. While I didn’t always agree with what you were saying, I could at least respect it. Now it feels like some kind of disorder that I have where I check it out of habit and out of hope that this blog will be what it used to be.
Funny. My readership is higher than it has ever been. Either way, don’t care. I get it that the Golf Tournament is raising money for charity, but there are many ways to raise charity money without spendin $6 million first.
yeah, it’s too bad the old Sioux Valley Hospital foundation fund raisers stayed in touch with Denny Sanford- what a waste of money that was ; what’s the old saying- you have to spend money to make money
if stu whitney’s column is any indication, beer and cigarettes sales will be up quite a bit with john daley in town.
It’s looking like the Sanford Golf Shindig is gonna get rained out. 4 days and nights, did somebody build an Arc for the working class?
BTW, there’s a route for west to east limited access freeway I submitted that was ignored. West 12th is vacant storefronts and inferior commercial from I-29 east to the railroad. Then abandoned railroad right-of-way SE to the new 26th and I-229 interchange. It’s there, build it.
No “(Ark) Arc for the working class,” but I heard they are building an Arc for the affluent in town, however.
(“I think I am going to give them some money so we can put Uncle Harry’s name on that fancy new Arc…” (“What Money?…. Do you think we are some kind of Republicans or something?”…))