As we have heard since Friday, there are many more chapters to be written about the investigation into Denny Sanford. At this point, we really don’t know what will happen. But one thing is clear, and something I have been concerned about for a very long time, depending on one big donor in our community to sponsor almost everything has put us in quite the pickle. We need to spread it around more.
Let’s face it, even if this wasn’t currently going on, we have already sold our souls to one person. Drive around this town, how many things have Denny’s name written all over it? Even if Denny would have made his money curing Cancer, would it still make it right? I have often argued we need to spread the philanthropy around. Recently we saw that with the Triage Center and the Kirby Dog Park. To that, I say bravo.
Even if Denny gets out of this unscathed, we can’t go back. It will cost the hospital and the taxpayers of this community millions to erase his name from our town. It will have economic impacts, political impacts, reputation and business impacts, city budget repercussions and many more things if he is indicted. We must prepare NOW for things to come.
In this letter from CEO of Sanford Health, something stuck out to me;
Like you, I’m deeply concerned about these reports.
Yah think Kelby!? This tells me that those on the top probably know how deep this investigation goes. To put out a letter like this before any indictments should all make us step back and think a little bit.
I knew there was going to come a day of reckoning in our community because we put all our eggs in one basket when it comes to charitable giving. Hopefully we learn from this, because it will end up costing us a lot of dough.
And if the sign on the Denty needs to be removed, may I suggest a name I had from the beginning, The Citizen’s Center, why not name it after the folks who are paying the mortgage on this dented up tin can?
Any comments or judgements from Kelby about an investigation into personal conduct . . . . is rather like the pot calling the kettle black – or the fox guarding the hen house. These two guys essentially now “owe” one another, no?
As many of us have lived here our entire life, we have seen too many times, over the decades, the city leaders, the powerful and elite rush to get in line to kiss the backsides of whomever is ready to donate money to this city. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The object of this investigation is the device. It has yet to be determined who has been using it. Let’s let this play out and hope the best for all affected.
Yes, of course we shall let this play out.
Given that this has been referred to the DOJ (and presumably remanded to the attention of the US Attorney for the District of South Dakota), my expectations are that there will be lackadaisical pursuit of prosecution (or perhaps, none).
The US Attorney position in South Dakota seems to attract those who, because of political allegiance, selectively refuse to pursue any sort of investigation/prosecution, let alone a vigorous prosecution into things which would make uncomfortable their political debtholders. Marty Jackley, as a prime example.
Or the appointed US Attorney seem to completely lack temerity for the job of federal prosecutor.
Say, VSG (and Woodstock, too) – in which category would you place Randy Seiler?
The fraud and corruption in the SD EB-5 program was served to him, ripe for someone to prosecute. Why nothing from Seiler on that?
Clever, wasn’t it!?!
The way the Argus Leader headlined that the inanimate ‘electronic device’ was under investigation.
ProPublica was clear that it was T. Denny Sanford who has been investigated.
Next up:
“Gun investigated as cause of death of young father in rural Minnehaha County incident”
“SUV was investigated as cause of mailbox damage in Taupeville” and
“Rock causes damage during peaceful assembly at Empire Mall”
Couple things: one, glad you’re back. Even though I don’t agree with you often, I’ve missed reading the blog. Two, I agree with you 100% on this one. Let’s start getting his name off things now.
Denny is not a politician or a fire chief. This matter will eventually disappear. Trump had affairs with porn stars and Miss USA. It doesn’t come up anymore. For Presidents and billionaires, there’s always narcissist pardoned privilege. Eventually they buy a remote island and take the Lear there for kinky time. Then we don’t know what’s going on. We need Denny for his philanthropy and charity. He’s our proof that money makes one miserable and creepy.
“Was it a white or black SUV?”….. “And not only is the blog back, but so is anti-quotation boy”….. “I wonder if The Dollar Loan Center is still interested in the naming rights of the EC?”….
A book needs to be written about Sioux Falls’s history and politics from the election of Huether to this most recent controversy, with usury laws, Citibank, and Janklow as the build up to this decade of sustaining boom, greed, and collapse.
Perhaps, it could be entitled: ‘Where Credit’s Due’, ‘Boom to Gloom’, or ‘Sioux falls’.
The United States foster care industry supplies some 88% of sex-trafficked children some of whom are raped for money at the annual Sturgis Rally. Billionaire Republican Denny Sanford has given millions to the Children’s Home Society, just for instance. Former State Senator Lynne DiSanto spent loads of air time raising awareness of the abuses committed by the Children’s Home Society leading up to the disappearance of Serenity Dennard. The Children’s Home Society has been under the regulatory microscope before for violations of trust. One former executive director is none other than Republican former South Dakota Governor Denny Daugaard. Mass incarceration fuels the white foster home industry: a pet project of Daugaard’s wife.
I disagree with many of Denny Sanford’s business practices. That said he is lucky enough to be an American and that means he is entitled to a presumption of innocence. I am disappointed by the lack of “class” shown by the various beneficiaries of Sanford’s largess. I would have thought all those folks who benefited from his generosity would have had the decency to wait until there were public facts before rushing to distance themselves.
Yeah isn’t it funny the closest person to mr s would be the first to pretend he doesn’t know him. So what does he know?
It all began with the Copper Lounge collapse as the dust of taupeness overcame us all. Then, the collapse of Pawn Rock. The pitiful siding. The flooding with sneakers and whiskers. No Dillard’s. Three tornadoes in one night and a trucker hat to go. The Chick-fil-A pandemic, then economic collapse and the riots. And then shootings became the norm as those with masks somehow became the guys of good. Thus, it became so bad, that even three buses from Fargo didn’t, or wouldn’t, show-up. But at least Huset’s is roaring, once again, checkered as it might be…