South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

September 2018

Elections SF School District Sioux Falls

UPDATE: Citizens for Integrity requests documents from Sioux Falls School Bond Election

l3wis 11Comments

Oh the secrets you hold.

This letter was delivered today to the IPC. Besides my blog, several other media sources in Sioux Falls have signed on to assist with the records request. I will have more updates tomorrow.

Listen to Patrick Lalley’s recent rant on this issue.

September 27, 2018

Bev Chase
Executive Assistant

SF School District

201 E 38th St

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

Dear Ms. Chase:

Under the South Dakota Sunshine Law, §1-27-1 et seq., I am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of public records including ballots, tally sheets, computer software, poll books, oaths and all other planning documents related to the September 18, 2018 Sioux Falls School Bond Election.

If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me if the cost will exceed $200.00.  However, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of September 18, 2018 Sioux Falls School Bond Election. I am asking for this material to be made available to a media pool being assembled for purposes related to news gathering involving this election.  This information is not being sought for commercial purposes.

Considering this election has just occurred, the information being requested should be readily available for inspection and testing. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than a ‘reasonable’ amount of time, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

Bruce Danielson

Citizens for Integrity

PO Box 491

Sioux Falls, SD 57101

Cell: (605) 376-8087

Email: bruce@brdan.com

UPDATE from Citzens for Integrity

As a clean and open election advocate for 52 years I have made some observations concerning the September 18, 2018 Sioux Falls School Bond election. These observations are my opinions based on being part of the process from the 1960’s into the age of computer based election. The insight I have gained into the deeper workings of modern elections was dealt with when I was Chairman of the Minnehaha County Election Review Committee in 2015.

In these years of observing and partaking in elections in South Dakota, I have seen some interesting election practices but I have never witnessed this elections poor practices. We must fight every day to keep elections fair to all participants, so we as citizens can accept the final outcomes as the voter’s choice.

This election may be the worst organized election I have witnessed in my life.

I have personally witnessed during absentee voting process:

1. No South Dakota Secretary of State Office direct support or oversight of election process

2. An unknown vendor support for computer based poll books (Everyone Counts)

3. No audit trail capability to verify the number of ballots issued and who voted absentee at IPC

4. Single clerk voter check-in of voters

5. No printed poll book at IPC absentee voting or any voting location to verify voter check-in

6. Voter check-in process with no hard copy verification by secondary individual

7. Voter check-in on a computer with the voter not able to verify data entered

8. Poll workers admitted no previous experience working an election

9. Voter check-in required voters to fill in absentee envelops with little guidance from inexperienced clerk

10. No label printers used in previous elections to guarantee legibility for absentee voting audits

11. Questionable ballot marking instructions

12. The election polling locations are disproportionally located in the southern part of the Sioux Falls. School district leaving citizens north of 6th street with no convenient polling place.

13. The Minnehaha County Election Review Committee recommendations for consistency in voting locations was ignored for election day

I am an advocate of hand counting and / or verifying ballot results when our election choices are controlled by machines. This election will be forever tainted no matter what the results are.

 

Public Utilities Public Works red light cameras Sioux Falls

Smart City or Big Brother?

l3wis 11Comments

I get a little nervous when government, especially local governments start suggesting video monitoring in public spaces outdoors;

It’s a reoccurring crime in Sioux Falls, vandals damaging art on the Sioux Falls SculptureWalk.

That’s why Sioux Falls’ IT manager says the city is looking at monitoring the area through video cameras.

“So if somebody is starting to climb onto a sculpture, that video technology can alert a staff member. Then somebody can go check it out,” IT Manager Jon Klemme said.

Trust me, not a fan of art vandals, but when you put expensive bronzes in public spaces, things can happen, that is why they are insured. Besides, I think the expense to taxpayers to protect art that is insured with video monitoring isn’t worth it. I also find it ironic that the city would consider video monitoring art when they said it is too expensive to store data for police to have body cameras? Let’s talk about priorities.

The city has also added several traffic signals that move cars more safely and quickly using artificial intelligence.

As I have told people, I haven’t noticed a difference on Minnesota Avenue with traffic flow, so not sure how well it is working. What they do need to fix is the light at 26th and Cliff that is timed goofy all the time, and while they are at it fix the roller coaster ride over the RR tracks in front of Avera on Cliff. Quite possibly one of the worst street repair jobs I have seen in the city.

How can we also forget the UNCONSITUTIONAL red light cameras that had to be taken down?

Think about all of the street lights in Sioux Falls. To save money and electricity, those lights could be turned off at night until technology senses movement nearby.

Now that is a good idea, I much prefer movement detectors over video monitoring.

Culbertson says people are often concerned when a city starts collecting more data, so city officials should make sure citizens are comfortable with the technology before it’s rolled out.

In reality, this should really be dictated by city ordinance and voted on by the citizens through the Charter Revision Commission and a city election. We must take government monitoring seriously. They already snoop in our yards and Bruce has even caught them digging around his junk pile during Project NICE. We pay city employees to SERVICE us, NOT SNOOP on us. If you are concerned about the well being of your private property that is the responsibility of the individual, NOT the city.

*You know what would be really fun, live web feed cameras installed in the City Center Admin building so we can watch city employees work 🙂

Sioux Falls Thor Bardon

Former Sioux Falls City Council Candidate, Bardon to do presentation on Foster Care

l3wis 0Comments

Raised by the Government: A Look at Foster Care in SD

September 26, 2018

Members of the media and the public are invited to attend an event.

Thor Bardon is hosting a foster care informational event at the Belbas Theater, Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls on October 20. The event will be from 1pm-4pm. The event is called “Their Only Hope: A Foster Care Informational”

During this event, several non-profits will be presenting what they do to benefit the foster care system in South Dakota. Afterwards, Thor Bardon will be presenting an emotional case study of a child’s life before, during, and after their experience in the foster care system.  The case study will highlight the intricacies of a child that experienced abuse and neglect, medical misdiagnoses, and eventually a plan for suicide.  Thor Bardon will show how the foster care system through the work of several non-profits saved this child from suicide, learned to value themselves, and ultimately made it to be a successful member of the community.

Thor Bardon at the beginning of his teenage years was entered into the foster care system as well after his family was unable to care for him. His primary target audience is government officials, those seeking public office, community leaders, and the general public.  This event is being solely funded by Thor Bardon himself and the reason for this is because, “I want people to have a better understanding of what it looks like when the government raises a child.  A staggering portion of the 640,000 children in foster care right now in the US will be dead or in prison by the age of 21.  That’s just the way it is.”  Thor Bardon hopes that this presentation will provide a better understanding of what these children are facing in their lives.

“Today the hardest thing I had to do was decide what I wanted to wear. To some of these children, the hardest thing they had to do was pack all of their stuff into garbage bags.  Imagine that feeling of having everything you own, in a garbage bag, moving to a strange new place.”

This event will have a no solicitation policy meaning that those in attendance will not be asked to contribute any time, money, or other commitment beyond getting information at the event.

Those interested in attending should search for the event online by keying in “Their Only Hope: Foster Care Informational” or they can call 605-321-2463. Seats are limited and tickets are free of charge.

###

Media Inquiries:

Please contact Thor Bardon at thor.bardon@gmail.com or call him on his cell at 605-321-2463

County Commission Minnehaha County SF City Council Sioux Falls

Minnehaha County Commission & Sioux Falls City Council fight over joint jurisdiction

l3wis 7Comments

The CC and CC just can’t agree on whether or not to allow a wedding barn to be built in the middle of a corn field. Yes. You heard me right. You would think with all the big decisions to make, that a wedding barn (outside of the city limits) would be the last thing to debate about. Oh, and it’s painful.

Ironically the Sioux Falls Planning Commission and Minnehaha Planning Commission both agreed it was ok. The kicker? Jeff Schmidt with the city’s planning office is concerned that in 12-30 years from now a housing development may be built around the wedding barn, and it may hurt the growth of the development because of the ‘noise’ from a wedding barn.

Are wedding barns noisy? Hmm.

The biggest problem with this is that the city and county agreed on joint jurisdiction in the growth area of Sioux Falls. In other words, land that is still not annexed into city limits but could be in the future. Most of the time it’s fine, but Schmidt with the help of councilor Neitzert decided to nitpick about streets, drainage and commercial/residential development 12-30 years down the road. Right now the land is a corn field and zoned ag in the county, they need to re-zone so the barn can be built.

County Chair Heiberger reminded the bodies on the dais that the joint jurisdiction is a more or less a ‘polite’ agreement, and if the city continues to nitpick about stupid crap, the county may get rid of the agreement (well she really didn’t say that, but you get the feeling).

Towards the end of the meeting during public input I told both bodies to try to remember to bring legal counsel to these meetings (neither side had one present) and that they need to stop cooking up their legislative priorities in private with only leadership in the room.

Code Enforcement Downtown Sioux Falls Sioux Falls

Fodness Family sues city & other city news

l3wis 4Comments

The Fodness family is suing the City of Sioux Falls for Negligence over the Copper Lounge Collapse. The suit alleges that the city’s building services who provides building permits and construction inspections failed to heed the warnings of what was going on with the construction of the Lewis Drug.

More details to come. (Filed Doc: Fodness 2018-09-18 Complaint)

LLOYD PURCHASES LACEY ESTATES?

As I understand it, Lloyd Companies ultimately purchased the property after all and after the rezone may bring in a development much different (and more detrimental) to what they proposed originally. We will be watching.

CHILLERS AT OLD ICE CENTER JUNKED OUT?

The word on the street is that since the ice chillers were not in use and not maintained since the closure they are no longer useable and have to be junked out as surplus. When the place closed I guess they were still operable and thought they could be sold eventually but it seems since they were not maintained they no longer work. More tax dollars in the burn barrel.

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