I’ve always known that Paul is a gigantic hypocrite, he consistently talks out of both sides of his mouth on issues. Last night was no different. He told us he would vote against a mask mandate because he feels people should have personal freedoms but in his second tie breaking vote of the night he took the public’s right to be heard before the regular city business by putting public input at the end. So much for our personal rights and freedoms? I guess he trusts we will wear masks, but he can’t trust us when we open our mouths.
Maybe a mask mandate during public input would be good 🙂
Councilor Brekke said it best, the mayor is moving public input to the end for the simple reason that he is tired of being embarrassed about not doing anything about not only Covid, but crime, homelessness, prostitution and zoning. He has to be one of the laziest Sioux Falls Mayors I have ever seen. Unless of course he is putting up ugly 5G towers and sending $250K through the CVB to his former(?) ad agency. You know, it would easier to control the spread if you weren’t busy filling your friends pockets with tax money to promote covid tourism here . . . just saying. One has to also wonder if Paul still has a stake in his former company? While on paper he could have sold his interest, you wonder if he is still receiving mortgage payments for that interest he sold . . . ? But that is a discussion for us conspiracy theorists, I guess 🙂
I could argue it is because Paul is not suited to be a leader, unlike the Biblical leader he was named for;
According to the New Testament book Acts of the Apostles (often simply called Acts), Paul participated in the persecution of the “embryonic Christian movement,”
You could almost argue he is more concerned about what the bible says instead of what the US Constitution has granted us, or that he knows very little about the city charter, non-partisan government or that he just isn’t that smart. All of the above I guess.
The irony is by sending public input to the end, he is setting himself up for some serious 1st Amendment litigation, he is also going to find out how much worse the statements at the end will be after the public has to sit there for a couple of hours listening to their misguided actions.
I guess one of my biggest arguments against moving public input has to do with the long negotiation that 7 of these councilors were a part of two years ago. This was the compromise, we keep it at the beginning, but you only get 3 minutes each and 30 minutes total. While I disagreed at the time, at least it stayed at the beginning. There have been a handful of us, including myself, that come quite often to chew butt, many come for other important community concerns. But it doesn’t matter. The 1st Amendment says nothing about which topics can be discussed. Roberts Rules asks for decorum, but says nothing about ripping the council and mayor a new one when they screw up, as long as we don’t break things, cuss a lot or climb over the I.L Weiderman memorial toddler fence. I can’t imagine what I.L is thinking right now from his heavenly stoop.
It seems just like our sore loser president (and yes, he did lose) Mayor Stoneless doesn’t like it when he is told he isn’t doing his job (first goal, show up and put in an 8 hour day) which I shed no tears for. You can tell he is consistently frustrated when citizens tell him where he needs to improve. He constantly grunts, snorts and sighs into his microphone when people testify. Please shut your hissy fit mic off during the meeting, it’s annoying and you sound like a big fat spoiled brat baby piglet. Oink, Oink. I have never met a piglet that wears Converse All Stars.
As for the media covering this, you get a big fat zero. There was two readings on this topic the lame stream media in Sioux Falls decided not to cover until after the vote at around 11:30 PM on a Tuesday night. Because, as I suggested, they wanted it moved. Why inform the public in advance?
Public input has been moved and our local city government will never be the same. It was a sad day yesterday in Sioux Falls for open government and it seems no one cares.
Taupeville arrogance.
Well written post. Many valid points that I agree with and I especially agree with your last paragraph. When Councilor Brekke gave this Mayor a well deserved verbal spanking for his controlling efforts, that was just classic and he truly deserved it. Once again, the votes last night showed who his puppets are to help him get his way.
Well, wasn’t he wearing a mask with an exhalation valve last night? Covid gets a vote too, Paul.
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/masks-exhalation-valves/85-804a13cc-7619-41ce-8207-b52698842663
The mask debate is kind of funny, isn’t it? They were wearing masks during the Bubonic Plague and Spanish Flu because they figured out it helps to stop the spread. What has changed?
I doubt Mayor Pauly has seriously listened to the stories from athletes who contracted covid and lived. The virus does not leave you with a lot of options when it’s done with you. It can kill the strong off easily and it certainly does. IF it does not, they are left with lungs that don’t work and screwed up hearts. I really wish he understood that there is no protection if you think you are in shape; it doesn’t matter. There are a lot of these republicans who believe their faith in God protects them from illness, but they are still at the stage of placing their chips on the table before the marble drops.
What time of night was it that they voted to move public input to the end of their meetings?
Public Comment at the end will be filibuster to keep the mayor and council past midnight. Bring your baby blankets.
I can’t wait until juries make decisions, and then listen to testimony.
Trump can pardon for Federal Crime. It’s important to wait until Biden, the ACLU, and a city attorney resignation.
Cathy B, the meeting was just short of 5 hours long and the public input was at about 11:40pm.
Our city council is quickly becoming a star chamber court. Alex said when he was elected that there would be a dramatic improvement “immediately”. I see the dramatic and “immediately”, but where’s the improvement? Alex’s promise reminds me of that Trump promise to make us bored, if you ask me.