South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

2018

Media Sioux Falls

What does eliminating the daily opinion page in the Argus ‘really mean’?

l3wis 16Comments

I found this tidbit today in the Argus a little interesting;

For decades, though, curation of reader-created content has been at the center of the Argus Leader’s opinion offering. While today’s social media age allows for immediate sharing of one’s view, few individuals can muster the community reach that a letter to the editor published by the Argus Leader offers.

While there’ certainly value in continuing that platform, we’re making a few adjustments. Starting next week, we’ll increase the opinion presence in the Sunday paper while discontinuing the daily opinion page. As mentioned above, the Sunday Argus Leader has our highest print readership and is a natural place to highlight community views on issues of the day.

That said, without the daily opinion page, we will be more discerning on which pieces run. Letter writers will not have the guarantee of publication. We cannot uphold that promise. We’ll publish the pieces we elect to feature based on their local relevance and the strength of the argument presented.

It’s my hope that these changes, paired with more that are certain to come, will allow us to sustain our opinion-based platforms while keeping the Argus Leader news team focused on the daily delivery of news.

As mentioned earlier in Cory’s column, a third of the daily subscribers are digital only. I’m not sure what that has to do with eliminating the daily opinion page, especially with a month before the mid-term elections. I have thought for awhile that the Argus will reduce it’s dead tree version to 3 times weekly and the Sunday edition. But my bigger concern (besides their lack of daily advertisers) is that our last vestige of local media sharing people’s opinions will be gone. Sure we can comment on blogs and Facebook, but it isn’t the same. I’m just wondering who will be turning out the lights at 10th & Minnesota someday?

Planning Commission SF City Council Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls City Council Agenda, October 2-3, 2018

l3wis 0Comments

City Council Informational Meeting • 4 PM (Oct 2)

TIF, Historical Summary Presentation by COS, Beck. There is NO supporting documents in SIRE.

Executive Session for contract negotiations with employees or employee representatives.

City Council Regular Meeting • 7 PM (Oct 2)

Item# 1, Approval of Contracts, (They are now being more descriptive with the line items).

• Apparently we hired one of the most expensive ad agency’s in the state to do marketing about awareness of the Emerald Ash borer. They did do $14,500 in pro-bono.

• Moving forward with ADA upgrades to our city parks

• Sound System Upgrades, $102K. Not sure what entertainment facility will get them (Events Center or Pavilion)

Item#36, Subdivision ordinance changes

Item#42, 1st Reading, They are finally gifting the Veteran’s Cemetery land.

City Planning Commission • 6 PM (Oct 3)

Item#7, Remodeling of Callaway’s for Restaurant.

Item#9, The Controversial Rezone for apartments has returned, owned by First Assembly of God Church.

Item#11, We have officially became BIG TIME! Bring on the Ramen Restaurant!

Mayor TenHaken Sioux Falls

Could more heads be rolling next week?

l3wis 5Comments

As mayor TenHaken has said in the past, he is continually reviewing his departments and department heads. He eliminated the Community Development Department and Central Services and re-organized them.

The rumor mill is telling me he is looking at another department to re-organize and they are under close review. Apparently under the past administration they took on some new processes directed by that mayor and they may NOT be working as planned. Unfortunately, with this re-organization more than a handful could be leaving.

We will have to wait and see.

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.

 

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