South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

2020

Ethics Janet Brekke SF City Council Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls City Council violates meeting procedures than tries to claim Brekke is violating ordinance

l3wis 3Comments

As I have mentioned before, the procedures this city council goes by in the meetings because of it’s poor leadership of the chair (TenHaken) the clerk (Greco) and the city attorney (Koistra) gets sloppier by the day. I’m starting to think they should just have these meetings in Paul’s backyard by the fire pit, what’s the difference?

Brekke and Starr made several attempts to separate out Fiddle-Faddle’s appointment to the REMSA board from the other appointees so they could vote on it separately, they actually pleaded to do so, but the mayor thought he knew what he was doing, which he didn’t, as usual. So they forced them to vote NO on all appointees. Brekke actually told them that she would be absent from voting because of it, and Nutzert, of all people and Eratticson chimed in that Janet would be violating ordinance even though they just violated many procedures. Kettle meet Black, especially Greg. Janet walked out on the vote anyway, Starr voted NO.

Before the fiasco, Brekke pointed out the conflicts Fiddle could have sitting on the both the REMSA board and the Public Assurance Alliance, and they were all fair hypotheticals. Of course the entire council (including Starr and Brekke) talked about David’s high ideals. That is where I disagree with all of them, that guy doesn’t have a lick of integrity, he proved that by trying to cover up the supposed EC siding settlement.

Ethics Janet Brekke SF City Council Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls City Councilor Brekke proposes ethics training

l3wis 2Comments

What was interesting about Janet’s proposal was that not a single city councilor had a comment about her proposal, which means they will kill it if it gets before them, because not only do they hate transparency, they hate ethical behavior even more. Janet pointed out that there used to be ethics training for city employees, the BOE and the elected officials, but that ended when they fired City Clerk Debra Owen. I know, shocker. Janet’s proposal is below;

Donita Trump Noem Jason Ravnsborg Kristi Noem

Noem claims re-electing Trump is more important than our Rona Spike

l3wis 11Comments

During the press conference today where we found out that AG Ravnsborg isn’t the one who thought he hit a deer, it was the dispatcher asking him if he did*, one of the reporters asked with a spike in Rona cases in South Dakota why Noem is parading around the country campaigning for Trump? She first gave the tired old excuse that there is more cases because there is more testing. Funny though that when we did less testing there were fewer people in the hospitals . . . hmmm. But what is interesting is she thinks that if Trump isn’t re-elected South Dakota could be in a lot of trouble;

Because, Noem explained, a Trump defeat would mean many changes in Washington’s response to the pandemic and to a host of other issues, including taxation.

She also rambled about environmental and OSHA regulations, blah, blah, blah. Like I said in a post this weekend, I agree with Noem, if Biden becomes president her ass kissery of Trump will come to bite us all in the rear especially if the Senate goes Dem also. If you think we are going to get any favors after her glorification of Trump, you are mistaken. I’m still not worried though, because I think a Biden presidency and Democratic Senate will be better for the country as a whole.

*Jason’s 911 call was released, and it seems Jason claiming he thought he hit a deer, didn’t come from him. The dispatcher ASKED him if he thought he hit a deer and he said he didn’t know for sure.

Dispatcher: Oh no. Okay, do you think it was a deer or something?

Caller: I have no idea…

Dispatcher: Okay…

Caller: Yeah…It could be…I mean…it was right in the roadway and…

Funny how her suggestion later turns into a statement from him. He also said that what he hit was ‘in the the road’. He also had a negative toxicology report (that was taken 12 hours after the accident) Of course we won’t know much more for quite awhile since the investigation has NOT been completed. Like I said, we will hear nothing until after November 3, because like Noem stated, the re-election of Trump is her most important priority right now.

Minnehaha County Patrick Starr

Pat Starr is the perfect replacement of Pam Nelson

l3wis 4Comments

I don’t say this simply because I consider Pat a good friend and stalwart of open and transparent government. I say it because he is uniquely qualified for the position of Minnehaha County Treasurer. Pat has been one of the few Sioux Falls City Councilors under the Home Rule Charter to vote against tax and fee increases on a regular basis. Only two councilors come to mind Staggers and Stehly who have done it in the past, yeah the ‘St’ has a ring to it.

As county treasurer he will hold those purse strings tight and do everything in his power to make sure what you pay is fair as Pam has done.

Pat has also told me personally he will try to go above and beyond the incredible customer service Nelson has provided. Making it even easier for taxpayers to have access to services through a wide variety of technological advances.

I don’t know much about Starr’s opponent, heck I’m not even sure how to spell their name. But it is pretty clear that Pat has the track record to lead the Treasurer’s office for years to come.

I encourage everyone to vote early at the election center, and cast your vote for Pat.

Disclosure; Pat has not paid me to write this endorsement and has not seen it in advance.

Biden Trump

What would 4 more years of Trump look like?

l3wis 8Comments

Well, as you know, anything is possible. Trump could win another 4 years legally. The Senate could also stay in the Republican majority.

So what does a Trump presidency and Republican controlled Senate look like over the next 4 years?

• The SCOTUS will get a new member and it will take a hard right turn. I think Amy Coney Barrett will be confirmed no matter how the election turns out. I think the court will overturn Roe v Wade and only allow abortions for health of a mother, or at least turn those decisions over to the states. I also think they will eliminate the ACA.

• There will be more violence in the streets. I think what we are seeing right now is just the tip of the iceberg. I also think there will be more gun violence and NO gun control reform.

• While a Corona virus vaccine may emerge after January 1st I think most Americans will not have access to until late of 2021. I also think the vaccine will not be that reliable. Just look at testing, you would think by now we would ALL have access to fast testing whenever we wanted it. So how is developing an effective vaccine any different?

• We will engage in a deep cold war with China and I wouldn’t be surprised if our military gets into some skirmishes with their military.

• Our weather will get even more drastic and hazardous and Trump will continue to ignore it.

• The DOJ will indict Biden, Clinton and Obama.

• The economy will continue to be volatile with extreme peaks and drops in the stock market and employment.

There are many more scenarios I could play out, but if Trump wins he will come after his enemies and try to destroy them.

Frankly, I’m not too worried. The closer we get to the election the more I think it will be a landslide for Biden. I even think he will get enough electors (270) the night of the election. And while Trump will likely challenge the results (many absentees will not be counted until weeks after the election) I think it will only secure an even larger lead for Biden. Hillary beat Trump by about 3 million popular votes. I think Biden will beat Trump by 12-20 million popular votes.

I also think the Senate will have a Democratic Majority and the House will remain Democratic. While I don’t think it will be by much, I think they will at least be in the majority by 1 or 2 seats. I think this will set up an opportunity for both houses and the white house to make abortion federally legal with legislation and expand the ACA (even eliminate it) by providing Medicare to people who want it. I also think you will see a stronger stance on gun control, police reform, institutional racism and climate change.

I will concede though that Washington will NOT be kind to South Dakota, especially because of our Trump loving bootlicking governor. I don’t expect much help from a Biden administration except a stronger economy, God willing.

I encourage people to vote for Biden, because another 4 years of Trump and a Republican controlled Senate is a nightmarish reality we cannot endure.

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