2018

Were the Gear-Up trials just a ‘SHOW’?

So two of the accused were acquitted and one of them got a heck of a plea deal. The problem though with these trials were they only focused on the individuals who worked for the organizations and NOT the consultants. It also swirled around a very small amount of money in the bigger scheme of things. (The trials focused on around $1 million when in essence around $60 million is missing).

Like EB-5, it seems the ‘dead guy’ was blamed. But unlike EB-5, dozens of consultants walked away with millions and little to show for the work they did.

As a team of USD Political Science students showed on the big board of yarn, there were many players in the Gear-Up scandal. Why weren’t they dragged into a courtroom? Were these 3 mini cases simply a deflection of the bigger scammers? And by the State (AG Jackley) losing these cases a way of putting this all to bed?

I just find it a little odd that the small players (and dead guy) were put on trial yet NONE of the consultants who took millions in Federal Grant money had to appear in a court room.

The Gear-Up scandal stinks to high heaven and it is a distinct possibility the real crooks in this matter got away.

Is a Minnehaha County Commissioner Candidate Incumbent planning to resign after being elected?

There is a rumor going around that one of the Republican incumbent Minnehaha County commissioners plans to resign if/after they are re-elected. While I have a pretty good guess who that may be, I have NO idea if they plan to resign soon after the election (so someone can be appointed) or wait two years (when the next election is held for the county commission).

If this is true, my guess is they will put in a couple of months and resign after January so they can appoint another Republican and create a FAKE incumbent like they did with Jean Bender.

It’s a little trick the Republican’s pull all the time in the legislature and now it seems they are getting used to the practice on the County Commission.

Like I said, at this point it is a rumor, but had a pretty reliable source tell me about it.

UPDATE: Mayor TenHaken getting closer to the Dawn of the TIFs

So he makes this announcement today;

“Taking care of citizens is job number one for the City,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “Our economic and workforce growth is dependent upon a healthy construction and housing industry, and this reorganization will help industry thrive as well as our citizens who are the housing consumers in Sioux Falls.”

In other words get ready for TIFiliscious 2.0. They are trying to slowly smooth us into this. But as I have said about city government many times, it is extremely predictable.

I asked a city councilor when this press release came out at 4:50 PM today if they knew about the reorganization. You know the answer.

UPDATE: I also find this video below of Dusty Johnson talking about ‘welfare’ while the company he works for took a ‘corporate welfare’ in TIFs. So it is OK for YOUR parents to take welfare, and it is okay for YOUR company to take welfare, but gosh darn it, you are going to crack down on all the other people? It reminds of Leslee Unruh who had an abortion but doesn’t want anyone else to have that right.

Republicans; Do as I say, NOT as I do.