It always amazing me how citizens only show up when there is a crisis and their bottom line is threatened.
I will commend the people who have been showing up to the meetings lately. But where are they when the city is bilking us with higher taxes and fees? Unneeded bonds for play palaces? Massive tax rebates in the form of TIFs to the wealthy developers? Massive violations of open meeting laws and 1st Amendment rights?
Oh that’s right, none of those things matter if it doesn’t affect your personal finances. All of this sudden concern in government overreach remind of this lyric from a Nashville Pussy song,
‘Sit on my ass, smokin’ bad grass, tellin’ everyone I’m King.’
The irony of all these ‘concerned citizens’ is that none of these ordinances, resolutions or other proposals violate your civil liberties because they didn’t have any legal teeth. That is obvious. You don’t have to believe me, do a little research. They were a ‘strong suggestion’ from government. That’s it. Also, as I have said before, in a time of crisis the government should be helping us, especially our employers, in how they can create a safe work environment.
As asked today at the city council informational meeting, what are the city employees doing right now while collecting a paycheck? No real answer. As I mentioned before, some of them are working, and very hard. But a lot of them are not. So why are the rest of us putting on our boots each morning to keep this city going but the city employees are not? They could easily be manning employer hotlines with advice on how to keep a safe work environment. They could be going to these businesses and helping them create a safe work environment. They could be helping with food giveaways, etc. They are not. Why? Instead of trying to ‘strongly suggest’ what we should be doing, here is my suggestion; If you want to collect a paycheck from taxpayers you must earn it. That means you must be working, either at home or in some other capacity. If you don’t want to do that, you should be furloughed without pay and your job will be given back to you when you decide to return. Now I don’t blame these employees, I blame the mayor, who is the city administrator and his main job according to charter is managing city employees. So while he has failed at trying to manage private employers and employees, he has given some city employees an extended vacation. And why would they argue with that? Paul, if you don’t want to dictate to private business what they should do with their employees, why are you giving some of yours time off?
We Love work. That’s all we know.
So why do people in this country, state and city want to fight so hard to go to work in this time? First the obvious, we live paycheck to paycheck, secondly, we know nothing but work. South Dakotans are hard workers, because they have to keep their heads above water. While South Dakotans are good people, with deep faith and giving hearts, we are not real cultured. Why? Because we don’t have the time to become cultured, because we value work more than anything else and it is really sad. Until about 5 years ago, I worked two jobs on an average of 60 hours a week. I lived the hypocrisy I just mentioned. Where did it get me? Well a little more money in the bank, aching feet and bad sleep habits, but in the past 5 years I have had a lot of thought about all the things I have missed out in life because I was working. Other countries also value work, but they also value culture and R & R just as much, and they balance the two. How sad is it the only time we decide to protest government is when it comes to working, but never protest them when they don’t give us more time off to enjoy our families, friends, faith and culture. The Civil War may have freed the slaves, but we are still slaves to the system, and we are willing to risk getting Covid to defend that modern slavery. Wow!
Mayor TenHaken has been passing the gavel a lot these days
I find it a bit ironic, because I have been pushing for years that the chair of the council should run the meetings and the mayor can be a member of the audience and comment when called on. Maybe PTH agrees with me on something? Oh, and can you sigh a little bit more at the regular council meeting tonight? Annoying.
Bravo to Councilor Kiley (and I really mean this, even if he is a rubber stamper) for making a statement about how serious this virus is, by stating facts. FACTS! Thank You Rick!
Second week now that this Mayor and a Councilor are wearing a mask indoors. Seems silly as no others are doing it. I doubt he wears one when he is jogging, unless it would look better for his selfie.
From Thom Hartmann newsletter:
“Will The Billionaires Get A Twofer?
“Thom plus logo Right wing billionaires behind groups like ALEC and Freedomworks helped organize and fund tea party protests a decade ago, resulting in a healthcare program with no public option. Now they are funding hard-core right wing groups who are demanding governors stop protecting their citizens from the coronavirus. These billionaire funded groups are on the same page as billionaire owned Fox News. But, why?
“If governors “rip off the bandage” it will cause hundreds of thousands or even millions of deaths, although those deaths will be most heavily concentrated among communities of color, poor whites and Hispanics, and elderly people. These are the groups that rely heavily on government funded programs like Medicare, food stamps, and housing subsidies – all things that are paid for, in part, by taxes on billionaires.
“These billionaires also, in large part, got their riches through economic activity. So it appears this effort may produce a twofer for these right wing billionaires: the “expensive” people die off so it’s easier to cut billionaire’s taxes, and even if massive numbers of workers get sick and die there will always be more poor people willing to come into the workforce to make more money for the billionaires. Heads they win, tails you lose.”
Your message pretty much covers it.
Government at all levels is unproductive. They mostly get in the way when there’s a domestic crisis and waste resources internationally.
City government makes rules they can’t enforce. They’re a book of the week club that picks fiction Opra would not endorse. It’s no wonder the public lost interest. Even TenHaken knows he can’t get attention unless he promotes a runner marathon. When you know you shouldn’t run for re-election, you run on foot.
Here we are. We lack direction. We know we’ll get sick and might die. If we live we’ll be taxed much more. It will be budget for more play places or TIF’s that make a few wealthier.
New heroes are homeless who drop out. Perhaps the future is staying off the record finding charity food lines and a cot inside when it’s cold out. Maybe a free love 60’s will surface where there’s private sources providing basics and each other’s body warmth for heat. If government doesn’t help, let’s unsocial distance and see what happens.
I get pissed when people insult me by calling me a racist. We know who the racists are, the investors of this company and their management and the POTUS.
Not only have I been friends with and dated people of about every color and creed I have family members that are Hispanic, Native American and African American. In fact one of my closest friends is an African immigrant who has become very successful in his career after he left this dead end town for other opportunities. He has told me often that it was the best decisions in his life, but visits often due to clients, family and friends.
When I talk about the situations immigrants are in, I talk about reality, and many of them agree with me. I want better lives for them, and that is why I am urging them to stop killing hogs and start pursuing there dreams. That means learning conversational English, getting higher education, and enjoying the life they deserve. They already took the first step, leaving their war torn and poverty stricken countries, they just need to reach a little more and they will get there.
Yeah, I get pissed, because you have no clue of what I stand for. Liberty and Freedom for all, and you can’t show people this unless you tell them the truth. The truth is all of your anon commenters feel threatened by something that is not a threat. Our country was built on immigrants. From both sides of my family I have heritage from the Swiss, German, Russian, Austrian, French, Czech and Irish. Yeah, I’m a mutt, but I only think true culture comes from blending culture. So when you want to throw this ‘R’ word around and can’t use your real name when you do it, I have no choice but to call you what you really are, a F’ing A-Hole.
Have things changed much from the last mayor to the currant one ? I don’t think so. Not surprising same ole same ole in bed with the rich and CHINA .As far as the dam packing plant goes I would so glad to see it leave.Its not like it couldn’t be replaced with something else.We all know its polluting our and our water.Once in while city decides to check if they are still putting crap in our water.Oh that’s right they get a $100,000.oo fine and that’s chunk change to them .I had already heard people at the plant were getting the virus.I so wasn’t surprised.Shorty after it came out employees were offered $500,00 BONUSES NOT TO CALL IN SICK.What the hell .then people complained they got sick.SMSH
Filtering again. Childish