2019

So did the taxpayers of Sioux Falls pay for the junket missionary trip to Haiti for Public Works Director Cotter?

l3wis June 6, 2019 12Comments

I have asked several people over the past couple of months with the city, including city employees, officials and councilors to answer a simple question, “Was Mark Cotter’s trip to Haiti with Mayor TenHaken’s Christian Missionary paid for by taxpayers?” I have gotten a lot of “We’ll get back to you.” but mostly no answer. So unless the administration wants to say I’m lying and here are the receipts, it’s pretty safe to bet a NON answer means that the citizens paid for this religious trip.

This brings up some interesting points;

• Why are the taxpayers supplementing the highest paid city employee on a missionary trip?

• It goes against separation of church and state, and while I have NO problem with PTH or Cotter going on a religious missionary trip, it should be on their OWN time and OWN dime. I also commend them for doing charity work (even though there are many refugees in our own city that are suffering). But isn’t the whole point of charity, is that charity should come from the individual?

• There was a random comment thrown out there by PTH that Cotter was studying the infrastructure of the country. Is this some kind of sick joke? If this is your excuse for a junket, you really need to go back to the drawing table.

I have exhausted my search of whether we paid for the trip or not, I would hope someone from the public or in the media would at least demand an answer from the administration.

So I’m wondering Mark, do the trains run on time in Haiti? Are there any trains?

After the fact

l3wis June 6, 2019 7Comments

Oh, Paul, who you fooling? The mayor’s office, directors and council leadership have been meeting for months sculpting the 2020 budget. Were there some crumbs left over that you want to share with the public? The truth is the budget should really be planned by the council, it’s kind of in the charter. And they should be planning that budget with the help of public input and public meetings or online comments thru the city website.

So when is Paul going to break the news to the public that this is just a nice gesture after the fact? It reminds me of a friend I go out to eat with frequently who always asks the server to make a suggestion and usually orders something completely opposite. He usually says something like, “Thanks, but I was kinda in the mood for pasta.” I hope the citizens are only asking for ramen noodles.